"Moon Administration THAAD Secret Leak"... Board of Audit and Inspection Requests Investigation of Jeong Eui-yong and 3 Others

Photo of the Patriot missile system released by the US Forces Korea along with the THAAD launcher training photos. Photo by Yonhap News.

On the 19th, it was revealed that the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), investigating allegations of deliberate delays in the formal domestic deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system during the Moon Jae-in administration, detected signs that related operational information was leaked to civic groups and China, and has requested an investigation.

The BAI found evidence that senior officials in the Moon Jae-in administration's security line leaked information about the South Korea-U.S. military operation concerning the replacement of THAAD missiles to civic groups and Chinese authorities, and requested an investigation from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office at the end of last month.

The investigation request targets four individuals, including former National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong and former Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo. They are reportedly suspected of violating the Military Secrets Protection Act and abusing their authority.

It is understood that former Director Chung and others leaked the South Korea-U.S. military operation related to the replacement of THAAD missile batteries, classified as Level 2 secret, with the intent to delay the formal deployment of THAAD in South Korea.

During the missile replacement operation on May 29, 2020, physical clashes occurred between residents and police, and the BAI believes that such information was also leaked by the government at that time.

In particular, the BAI confirmed that they provided military secrets beyond the usual diplomatic explanations?such as the operation name, timing, and details of the THAAD missile replacement operation?to the defense attach? of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea in advance.

The BAI began the audit last July after the Republic of Korea Reserve Officers' Association, a group of former military generals, filed a public interest audit request.

The core of the allegations is that the Moon Jae-in administration delayed the normal operation of the THAAD base through methods such as delaying the formation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Council, avoiding public disclosure of measurement results related to electromagnetic waves and low-frequency noise, and destroying related documents. The BAI plans to release the audit report in the first half of next year.