126 military secrets leaked in last four years: report

자료사진

Over 100 items of classified military information have been leaked in the last four years but most violators received only light punishments, a ruling party lawmaker said Friday.

According to a report submitted by the Defense Security Command (DSC) for a parliamentary audit, 126 items of military information classed as third-degree or higher were been leaked between January 2009 and July of this year.

Among them, 61 were classified as second-degree secrets, which include secret military operations and activities of spy investigation authorities, while 65 were lower-level secrets, said Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the Saenuri Party, who revealed the DSC report.

While 26 people were indicted on charges of leaking military secrets, 18 had their indictments or sentences suspended, the report said, noting only one soldier actually served a prison term.

"Frequent suspension of indictments or jail terms could bring concerns over security awareness in the military," Kim said. "(The military) should strongly punish violators." (Yonhap)