F-X leak alleged as 2d colonel is held; Dassault denies fault

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F-X leak alleged as 2d colonel is held; Dassault denies fault

A second South Korean Air Force colonel, identified only by his last name, Kim, was arrested Wednesday by the Defense Security Command on charges of leaking classified information, the National Defense Ministry said. Military intelligence had been investigating a leak of the air force's secret report on F-X evaluations.

Colonel Kim was suspected of having handed over classified documents about the F-X jet fighter project to the local agent of Dassault, the French firm that is one of four aircraft makers bidding on the $3.2 billion contract to supply 40 aircraft to South Korea's Air Force.

Dassault officials said they had not seen any of the leaked information. They denied any wrongdoing and repeated that some "manipulation" against the company may be occurring.

Yves Robins, a Dassault vice president for international relations, said at a news conference Thursday, "We have no reason to drop out of the race." The French firm is competing against Boeing of the United States and two other European contenders .

Mr. Robins flatly denied that his company had any involvement in the case of air force Colonel Cho Ju-hyeong, who was arrested last week on charges of receiving bribes from the French firm's local agent here. According to the provisional contracts exchanged between the Ministry of National Defense and the four bidders for the purchase deal, any competitor can be disqualified if it or its agent is confirmed to have engaged in illegal lobbying.

"We have never bribed any one, nor ordered any one to do so," Mr. Robins stressed. "We also do not know if our local agent gave money to the colonel." Comet International, the French firm's agent in Korea, was suspended from any activities in the F-X project. "Still, that does not mean that we admit any wrongdoing," Mr. Robins added.

In earlier interviews with foreign media, a Dassault spokes-man and Mr. Robins expressed concern about a plot against the firm. "We never said the Korean government was behind the manipulation," Mr. Robins said.

by Ser Myo-ja

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