'THAAD Secrets Leak' Moon Jae-in Security Officials Deny Charges at First Trial

[The Financial News] Senior security officials from the Moon Jae-in administration, accused of leaking military operational plans to outside groups in order to delay the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), have all denied the allegations at their first trial.
Criminal Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Woo In-seong, held the first hearing on the 27th for former Director of the Office of National Security Chung Eui-yong, former Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo, and former 1st Deputy Director of the Office of National Security Seo Ju-seok, who are charged with abuse of authority and other offenses. It was the first trial to be held roughly nine months after the prosecution service indicted them in May last year.
The prosecution service stated in its opening that "the access road to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base is a very narrow route, so if the coalition of civic groups opposing THAAD deployment were to learn the timing of the operation, a relatively small number of people could easily obstruct the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea’s ground transport operation." Nevertheless, prosecutors argued, "the defendants notified these groups of such operational information in advance." After the coalition of civic groups opposing THAAD deployment learned of this, they held illegal rallies, which the prosecution service contends led to a serious waste of state power and resources.
All three defendants have denied the charges. Chung’s attorney said, "We deny the facts alleged in the indictment," adding, "The defendant never engaged in any act of instructing that information be passed on to the groups opposing THAAD." The lawyer went on, "The THAAD deployment operation itself is not a military secret, and it makes no sense to treat only the equipment replacement operation as classified," arguing, "The indictment does not even specify how former Director Chung was concretely involved, and he did not recognize the information as a military secret, so there was no intent."
Counsel for former Minister Jeong also argued, "The prosecution service claims that he tried to block the operation in order to prevent THAAD deployment, but that is mere speculation," and insisted, "This operation was successfully completed, so former Minister Jeong bears no criminal liability."
Seo’s side countered, "The information conveyed to local residents and civic groups was disclosed at the same time to the National Assembly and the media, and within the military it was not treated as classified," adding, "This was nothing more than routine work that included reporting to Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House), and it does not constitute abuse of authority or leaking of secrets."
Former Director Chung and former Minister Jeong are accused of ordering the Head of the Regional Cooperation Division, Ministry of National Defense, in May 2020 to pass Level-2 classified military operational information—designated as a second-class military secret—to groups opposing THAAD, thereby leaking it.
Former 1st Deputy Director Seo is also charged with leaking operational information by instructing the Head of the Regional Cooperation Division, Ministry of National Defense, in 2018 to provide specially controlled military operational information to groups opposing THAAD.

theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter