ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260066
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA
SOURCE: Associated Press
NOTE: Above
THE NAVAL WORKER could face 10 years in prison if convicted of transmitting classified information to a foreign agent.
A civilian computer expert working for naval intelligence was accused Wednesday of passing at least 50 intelligence documents to a South Korean agent. American officials were scrambling to determine the scope of the security breach.
Robert Chaegon Kim, 56, was ordered held without bail at least until Monday, when a pretrial detention hearing is scheduled in U.S. District Court here, a few miles from the nation's capital.
In a 20-page affidavit, the FBI said it has evidence that Kim, who worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence, passed dozens of classified records to Baek Dong-Il, a South Korean navy officer, during a five-month span this year. Officials have not discovered any evidence Kim was paid for his efforts, a senior law enforcement official said.
``We think we know what he did and how much damage was done,'' said a Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ``Is it serious? Yes. Will the national security fall? No, I don't think so.''
A video camera secretly installed in Kim's office taped him copying and printing classified records on his computer, the FBI affidavit said. Searches of his mail revealed that he was sending them to Baek, who works at his nation's Washington embassy, and telephone wiretaps indicated the two discussed the deliveries, the affidavit said.
If convicted of transmitting classified information to a foreign agent, Kim could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. But prosecutors were contemplating bringing espionage charges that could carry a life sentence, said a law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Clinton administration reacted angrily to the incident, even though it was carried out by an ally with which the United States has a security treaty.
In recent years, the most famous incident involving spying by a friendly country occurred when Jonathan Pollard, a Navy intelligence analyst, was caught passing state secrets to Israel and was sentenced to life in prison.
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Kim.by CNB