TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A South Korean court has jailed contractors involved in Taiwan’s submarine program for leaking classified torpedo-launch system designs, Reuters reported.
On Tuesday, the Masan branch of the Changwon District Court sentenced the chief executive of one contractor to two-and-a-half years in prison. Two employees of another firm received jail terms of 18 months each.
The ruling did not identify the defendants or their companies but said they had been hired to build torpedo-launch tubes and storage systems for Taiwan’s domestically built submarines. The court found they had leaked highly classified design information to Taiwan without approval.
The judges said the case posed risks beyond commercial wrongdoing, calling it a potential threat to South Korea’s national security because strategic military technology was exported without authorization from the Defence Acquisition Program Administration, the country’s arms export regulator.
“This crime is a matter that could pose a significant threat to South Korea's security,” the ruling said, noting that the recipient was Taiwan, which has tense relations with neighboring countries in East Asia.
The defendants denied wrongdoing, arguing that the information shared did not involve sensitive technology or business secrets requiring export permits, according to the ruling. Lawyers named in the court documents declined to comment.
Taiwan’s defence ministry referred questions to CSBC Corporation, the state-owned shipbuilder leading the submarine program, which did not immediately respond.
Taiwan plans to build eight submarines as part of a broader military modernization drive. The government has pledged to increase defence spending by a fifth next year, surpassing 3% of gross domestic product.
