[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Why Did the Ministry of National Defense Block Book Sales?

'Military Secret Leak' Sales Ban Injunction Filed
Some Speculate Decision Reflects Presidential Office's Intentions

The Ministry of National Defense has filed a request with the court to ban the sale of a book written by a former spokesperson of the Ministry, who raised suspicions about the involvement of a fortune teller in the selection process of the presidential residence. While the Ministry cited "leakage of military secrets" as the reason for the injunction request, there is speculation that this reflects the Blue House's intentions.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 8th, the Ministry submitted a request for a provisional injunction to ban the sale of the former spokesperson Boo Seung-chan's book, "Power and Security - The Untold Defense Stories of the Moon Jae-in Government and the Cheonggong Suspicion," to the Seoul Central District Court on the 3rd.

The Ministry cited "leakage of military secrets" as the reason for the injunction request. Earlier, the Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) launched an investigation last month into former spokesperson Boo on suspicion of violating the Military Secrets Protection Act. According to the DCC, Boo was reported for exposing sensitive military secrets in his book, including details of meetings between senior South Korean and U.S. officials, thereby violating the Military Secrets Protection Act.

However, separate from these allegations, it is assessed that the Ministry filed the injunction request because Boo raised the theory of the fortune teller "Cheonggong" being involved in the selection of the presidential residence in his book. Boo, who served as the last spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense under the Moon Jae-in administration, kept a diary during his tenure, which he adapted into the book.

In the book, Boo wrote that on April 1 of last year, he heard from Nam Young-shin, then Chief of Staff of the Army, that during the presidential residence selection process, the fortune teller Cheonggong and senior officials from the Presidential Transition Committee visited the Army Chief of Staff’s official residence and the Army Seoul Office within the Ministry of National Defense. Cheonggong is a figure who had ties with President Yoon prior to the presidential election. President Yoon himself has acknowledged meeting Cheonggong during his candidacy.

The Presidential Office had previously obtained Boo’s book content in advance and filed a defamation suit against a journalist who reported on it. At the time, the Presidential Office stated that "raising the false suspicion that a fortune teller participated in decision-making is an insult to public officials and the people, as well as a malicious framing," explaining the reason for the lawsuit.