`Court Official Allegedly Leaked Data on Suspects`

The general affairs manager of the Busan branch of the Court Government Employees` Union has been charged with violating the law on telecom networks and information protection.

Prosecutors said yesterday that the manager, identified only as "Im," accessed the court trial management system in June and last month. He is alleged to have used the ID and password of the Busan branch’s chairman "Oh" to check the progress of search and arrest warrants requested for violations of the National Security Law and laws on assembly and protests that prosecutors were looking into in collaboration with authorities.

Prosecutors said Im searched the names of people whose search or arrest warrants were authorized from e-mail that the Seoul Central District Office sent to the chairman, and leaked the confidential information to some of them.

Im not only looked up the warrant list for National Security Law violators, but also leaders of the anti-U.S. beef demonstrations. He could not, however, read the content of warrants available on the court management system.

“Our probes have suffered no major setbacks as we were already suspicious of information leaks and prosecutors had launched an internal inquiry,” said a prosecution official.

Prosecutors raided Thursday Im and Oh`s homes and had both arrested. Oh, however, said he was unaware of the leaks, saying his ID and password must have used by Im without permission.

Im also denied leaking the information to others, saying he looked up information on warrants simply out of curiosity.

Prosecutors released Oh Saturday but will decide after additional investigation whether to file criminal charges against Oh and search for the people to whom Oh leaked classified information.

Im, who was involved with Hanchongnyon, or the Association of Korea University Student Bodies, and the Busan subway union, was given a suspended sentence in 2005 for violating the National Security Law, which bars praise or recognition of North Korea, and has worked for the Busan branch of a union for judicial civil servants since 2006.

The Supreme Court will also launch its own investigation into the case and review the problems of the trial management system, which is accessible by court employees nationwide, to prevent further leaks.

needjung@donga.com