Man sentenced to five years for passing information on North Korean defectors and military personnel

A 43-year-old man who received cryptocurrency worth about 660 million won from a North Korean agent has been sentenced to five years in prison for collecting information on North Korean defectors and active-duty military personnel.

The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 21 also imposed five years of suspension of qualifications on the defendant, who faced charges including espionage under the National Security Act.

The defendant had previously been prosecuted separately for approaching an active-duty officer on orders from the same North Korean agent and leaking military secrets. The Supreme Court finalized a four-year prison sentence and four-year suspension of qualifications in that case in December.

Investigators said the man received instructions through Telegram in May and June 2021, when he operated a cryptocurrency investment company. The agent told him to approach a defector known for anti-North Korea views and learn the person’s identity and activities. Around the same time, he received cryptocurrency worth about 660 million won as operating funds for a cryptocurrency investment business.

The man then offered sponsorship to the head of a group of North Korean defectors, persuaded the person to create a cryptocurrency wallet, and passed the wallet address to the North Korean agent.