Ilsimhoe Spy Investigation Deepens

The Ilsimhoe spy investigation that has indicted five people so far, including Jang Min-ho (English name: Michael Jang, 44), has expanded.

According to authorities yesterday, at least two more people, including a political and military figure, and B who had kept on carrying a list of names of executive staff members of a party to Jang, were said to belong to a first sub-system network whose members were instructed to report directly to Ilsimhoe boss Jang.

Jang tried to bring around C, who had entered university in 1982 and joined a National Liberation circle with Lee Jeong-hoon (43, indicted), as a member exclusively for economy-related businesses in June 2005.

Authorities reckon that Jang had been trying to establish a wide-ranging information channel by winning over A (for political and military circles), B (for political parties), and C (for the economy), as well as the existing members, including Sohn Jeong-mok and Choi Ki-young (for the headquarters of Democratic Labor Party (DLP)), Lee Jeong-hoon (for the Seoul City affiliate of DLP), and Lee Jin-kang (for civic groups).

Even internal military movements were reported –

It was reported that A had met with a North Korean spy at a secret place in Beijing in mid July 2004 to get instructions from Jang.

In particular, authorities are concentrating on tracking A’s deeds because military internal movements are included in the notes A reported to Jang early last year.

Regarding the anonymous letter disclosing a military human resources scandal in 2004, A reported, “The investigations by the military prosecution mean that the forces of the past, Japanophile and Americanophile circles, are moving from political, parliamentary, and military power.” This is a notion that forces of the military leadership, hardliners towards North Korea, including Army Chief of Staff Nam Jae-joon (from the Korean Military Academy), decreased suddenly.

A added about domestic and international situations, “The Bush administration is trying to demilitarize North Korea through six-party talks aimed at the North’s denuclearization,” and, “The Uri Party consists of those who are out of office, centrists, pro-Roh groups, and businessmen with political backgrounds.”

Authorities explained that movements of opposition parties were also included: “The Grand National Party is getting polarized over the liquidation of the past and the repeal of the National Security Law to the extent that it is hard to fill the gap.”

As it was confirmed that B had delivered to Jang information, such as a list of names of party executives, a list of names of senior management by district party chapters, and a list of contact details, addresses, and inclinations of hundreds of people belonging to local organizations, authorities are inquiring into B’s personal record. B is also suspected to have written a note (title: business report, anti-Park Geun-hye group or the next presidential competitor group included) which ended up in Jang’s possession.

It was reported that Jang contacted C through Lee Jeong-hoon to bring C around for a post in the economic circle, asking him to join Ilsimhoe and meet with North Korean spies. Jang also reportedly informed the North of his progress by e-mail.

What are the four sub-system networks?–

According to the Prosecution and National Intelligence Service (NIS), there are four sub-system networks to the spy ring, such as “Baekduhoe” which Lee Jin-kang organized. They are currently in the NIS’s internal probe.

The NIS is considering civic group activists and those who are at a level accessible to military information belong to these sub-system networks.

The prosecution announced Ilsimhoe’s involvement in civic movements on the basis of its interim findings, “They had directly or indirectly involved themselves in anti-Americanism based on North Korea’s instructions on the grounds of the relocation of U.S army bases to Pyeongtaek, the Korea-U.S. FTA talks, and the deaths of two middle school girls in Uijeongbu,” and also, “They had tried to control civic group activities by winning over activists in an environmental organization.” This means that Ilsimhoe probably maneuvered behind the scenes for the civic group’s anti-U.S. movements.

And also, it is hard to understand salaryman Lee Jin-kang reported on the status of U.S. army base relocation progress. Authorities are thinking that Lee possibly gathered information from sub-system network members who have access to military secrets.