Top court upholds 4-year prison term for ex-soldier for selling military secrets to China

The Supreme Court has upheld the four-year prison sentence for an ex-Army soldier convicted of selling military secrets to China, according to judicial officials. The court also maintained a 20 million-won ($14,500) fine and the seizure of 19.07 million won from the individual, whose name was not disclosed, in a ruling issued last month. The court affirmed that there were no errors in the decision made by the lower court.

The defendant allegedly met a Chinese national, whom he had connected with through social media, in Beijing in August 2024 while serving as an Army sergeant. This Chinese individual, who claimed to be an official from a Chinese intelligence agency, approached the defendant and requested classified military information. The defendant agreed to provide the sought-after information.

In exchange for around 17.26 million won, the defendant provided military secrets to the Chinese national seven times between August 2024 and February 2025. These secrets included information related to joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, the U.N. Command, and South Korean military drills. Investigations revealed the extent of the unauthorized disclosure.