South Korea has filed charges against four trade union leaders, accusing them of spying for North Korea by using coded comments on YouTube videos to communicate with their handlers.
The senior members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) were allegedly instructed to gather intelligence on military bases and promote anti-American and anti-Japanese sentiments.
Prosecutors claim the suspects violated the National Security Act, which carries severe penalties, including capital punishment or life imprisonment for sharing state secrets with North Korea.
The accused individuals, former and current KCTU executives, allegedly employed elaborate techniques to signal meetings with their handlers. Signals included specific actions like opening a water bottle and taking a sip at a precise time to confirm their safety or spotting their North Korean contact lighting a cigarette as a warning of potential surveillance.
The meetings were arranged through a YouTube video titled “Tutorial: How to open Yamaha NVX 155 without key,” with the union executives using covert language in their comments to indicate their circumstances.
These charges have political implications in South Korea, as they come amid increased investigations into alleged connections between senior opposition figures and North Korean intelligence under President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration.
The KCTU, with its significant membership, is generally aligned with the center-left Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). The DPK, previously in government, has criticized the charges as politically motivated and drawn comparisons to past right-wing military dictatorship policies.
The case highlights tensions and controversies surrounding espionage allegations and their potential impact on the country’s political landscape.
