Defense ministry amends law to force retired military officers to protect secrets

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Retired military officers will be forced to protect classified military information under a revised law, the defense ministry said Wednesday, in a move prompted by an alleged leak by former Air Force officers last week.
According to a defense ministry report submitted to the National Assembly, the law on protection of military secrets will include a new clause forcing officers who handled classified information to preserve such data even after retirement.
The ministry said the revision will be proclaimed sometime this month.
Last week, Kim Sang-tae, former Air Force chief of staff, was one of three retired Air Force officers indicted on charges of leaking military secrets to the U.S. company Lockheed Martin. They were accused of receiving a total of 2.5 billion won (US$2.3 million) in 2009 and 2010 in exchange for confidential information about the Air Force's operational plans, among other topics.
A defense ministry official said that Kim's case warranted the revision.
"By adding the new clause for retired officials, we've prepared a legal basis to better protect classified military information," the official said. "Having watched the recent case with the former Air Force chief, we felt a need for an immediate change."