S. Korean army officer convicted in N. Korean sex-for-secrets scandal

(ATTN: TRIMS throughout; ADDS additional background)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean army officer has been sentenced to
three and a half years in military prison for aiding a North Korean spy in a
sex-for-secrets scandal last year, an official said Friday.

The 27-year-old first lieutenant, identified only by his last name Hwang, was
arrested in July on charges of supplying classified information to North Korean
spy Won Jeong-hwa while being aware of her identity.
Won, 35, who had come to South Korea under the guise of a defector in 2001, was
convicted in October last year of espionage and violations of South Korea's
national security law.
She admitted to sexually approaching Hwang in 2006 while she was touring South
Korean military bases to give anti-communist lectures. Hwang had since given her
classified information, including a list of North Korean defectors giving public
lectures, and helped her dispose of her faxes to Pyongyang.
"Hwang was convicted of abetting and hiding the espionage by a military court on
Tuesday," an army official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
The official added Hwang has a week to appeal as the sentence was confirmed by
the Army on Friday.
Won was sentenced to five years and did not appeal. Investigators said Won was
also under orders to assassinate Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean
to defect to the South.
Won's stepfather Kim Dong-soon, 64, has been indicted on similar charges but
denies them. He was arrested in September on suspicions of collaborating with Won
to seek out Hwang's whereabouts.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)