North Korea’s intelligence agencies believe they have found an effective way to get intelligence from South Korean diplomats overseas.
Threaten to kill their families.
According to the Hanguk Ilbo, two South Korean consuls—one serving in Asia and the other in Africa—were threatened by North Korean agents demanding a decoding program used to read documents sent between Seoul and its overseas embassies. The agents apparently told the two that if they didn’t hand over the decoding program, their families would be killed.
Subtle. Very subtle.
Anyway, no word on whether they actually turned the decoders over. It does appear, however, that the diplomats in question had been passing on information to the North Koreans for some time. Investigators believe North Korean agents are seizing on the “weak points” of overseas diplomats to get them to pass along intelligence.
Anyway, Korean legal authorities and the Foreign Ministry are expanding their investigations into the matter.
3 Comments
” The agents apparently told the two that if they didn’t hand over the decoding program, their families would be killed.
Subtle. Very subtle. ”
// Well written, RJK.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be sharing our intelligence with SK after all. Not because they don’t have a right to know, because they have every right to know, but we can’t be sure they’ll keep the information secret, either by voluntarily giving the information up, or having it taken from them.
sK: “We’re getting bored. What’s the US doing?”
nK: “We’re getting bored. What’s the US doing?”
Jp: “We’re getting nervous. What’s the US doing?”
sK2: “Dicking around at the UN. That will get them nowhere.”
sK: “Good. What’s in it for us?”
sK2: “We could use it as an excuse to make nukes….”
sK: “Now you’re talking!”
Jp: “I heard that, and I’m not pleased.”
nK: “I heard that, and I’m not pleased.”
sK: “[in stereo]WTF? [to nK] How did you hear that? It was directed at Japan.”
nK: “Because your foreign embassies tell us.”
sK: “That’s the way it’s supposed to work…that’s what we’ve been doing for years.”
nK: “But someone let the foreigners know that.”
sK: “No! We need a cover-up, quick!”
nK: “Tell everyone we threatened their families.”
sK: “Thanks for the idea. Peace.”