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A former South Korean defence minister and three other senior officials who served in the previous Moon Jae-in administration have been accused of leaking intelligence on a US-built missile system to activists and China.
The state auditor alleged that Jeong Kyeong-doo, ex-national security adviser Chung Eui-yong and two high-ranking officers passed information on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system to campaigners ahead of replacing an anti-missile battery in Seongju near the capital in May 2020.
That decision triggered a clash between police and local residents during the installation of the equipment, over concerns that it posed electromagnetic hazards.
A government study in 2023 concluded that the battery carried no health risks.
According to the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), the officials also reportedly discussed the operation with a defence attachรฉ at the Chinese embassy in Seoul before it was executed.
The agency referred them to the Supreme Prosecutorsโ Office last month on suspicions of breaching the Military Secret Protection Act and abuse of authority, Yonhap reported, citing an unnamed official.