Four Senior Officials of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Arrested on Charges of Violating the National Security Law
National Intelligence Service Discloses Issuance of Warrants Amid Accusations of Labeling as Pro-North
"Significant Evidence Proving Charges Secured from Seized Items"
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced that it has secured substantial evidence proving espionage charges against former and current executives of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) who were detained on charges of violating the National Security Act.
The NIS stated on the 28th that the Suwon District Court issued arrest warrants for four former and current KCTU executives on charges of violating the National Security Act.
An NIS official explained, "Some are distorting public opinion by disparaging this important case involving key KCTU executives as a 'fabricated spy ring' or 'pro-North Korea smear campaign.' Since some of their criminal acts involve urgent threats to public safety, such as detecting and collecting state secrets or paralyzing national infrastructure networks, we decided to disclose the issuance of the arrest warrants in the interest of the public's right to know."
On the 18th, when the National Intelligence Service conducted a search and seizure of the headquarters office of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), an NIS employee was moving in front of the KCTU headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
Earlier, Chief Judge Cha Jin-seok of the Suwon District Court, in charge of arrest warrants, issued arrest warrants for four individuals: Mr. A, in his 50s, Director of the KCTU Organizational Dispute Department; Mr. B, in his 40s, Director of the Health and Medical Workers' Union Organization Office; Mr. C, in his 50s, former Vice Chairman of the Metal Workers' Union; and Mr. D, in his 50s, former Director of the Metal Workers' Union Organization Department, all on charges of violating the National Security Act.
Chief Judge Cha stated the reasons for issuance, saying, "The criminal charges are substantiated, and there is a risk of evidence destruction and flight," and added, "The seriousness of the crime is also recognized."
According to counterintelligence authorities, Mr. A is suspected of meeting North Korean operatives affiliated with the Workers' Party of Korea's southern operations agency three times between 2017 and last year in Guangzhou, China; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Hanoi, Vietnam. It is also known that he maintained communication with the North over several years, exchanging approximately 100 reports on North Korea and instructions for southern operations.
During this process, the North Korean operatives reportedly conveyed anti-government protest slogans such as "independence, democracy, unification" and "anti-American" to Mr. A and others through southern operation instructions, demanding that they lead the organization according to North Korea's wishes. Notably, during the Itaewon tragedy in October last year, they even directly wrote protest slogans such as "Resignation is mourning."
Other former and current KCTU executives, including Mr. B, who were also issued arrest warrants, are suspected of meeting North Korean operatives in places such as Hanoi, Vietnam.
In January this year, the NIS and police conducted searches of the residences and offices of Mr. A and the other three individuals, securing over 100 documents related to communications with North Korea. An NIS official said, "During the process of decoding and analyzing these documents, we secured substantial evidence proving major criminal acts under the National Security Act, including espionage with the intent to fulfill objectives, voluntary support, special infiltration and escape, meetings, and provision of conveniences."
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