Intel unit behind major secrets leak did not undergo external security audit for 7 yrs

The military's intelligence unit currently under scrutiny over a major military secrets leak did not undergo an external security audit for seven years, the defense ministry said Monday. Last week, military prosecutors indicted a civilian official at the Korea Defense Intelligence Command (KDIC) for allegedly leaking secrets in return for money. The official confessed to being recruited by a suspected Chinese intelligence agent in 2017. The ministry said the KDIC last received an external security audit in 2017 as the military's counterintelligence unit was reorganized and lost its authority to examine the KDIC in 2018 over its suspected masterminding of a martial law plan while then President Park Geun-hye faced an impeachment trial. The KDIC -- a unit under the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) -- currently receives an annual security audit from the DIA, but it appears to have failed in detecting the leak. A ministry official said there are plans to consider amending security-related directives to stre ngthen security measures of military units and agencies. Officials are expected to discuss possibly returning the Defense Counterintelligence Command's authority to conduct a security audit on the KDIC. Source: Yonhap News Agency