According to a military official, “As far as I know, Researcher A has been working for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI, the KF-21 manufacturer) for the longest period of time among the Indonesian team, except during the peak of the pandemic.” “Ta”. The fraudulent mobile storage device (USB memory) that Mr. A tried to take from the KAI headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do on January 17th contained 49 data files spanning four to five years. Understood. Investigative authorities such as the National Intelligence Service and the Armed Forces Counterintelligence Command believe that Mr. A may have obtained information related to the KF-21 development over several years and leaked it.
In response to the investigation, Researcher A strongly denied the charges, saying, “I simply gave the company a USB memory containing the research team’s meeting materials and other general materials.” KAI also said that most of the information is not specific and does not include sensitive military information. However, the military insisted that this was discovered as a result of KAI’s investigation, and that the exact contents of the USB drive and whether it violated confidentiality would be confirmed through an official investigation by the relevant authorities. Intelligence authorities, including the National Intelligence Service, have completed two investigations while banning all 10 to 20 researchers dispatched from Indonesia from leaving the country.
Yoon Sang-ho ysh1005@donga.com
