No military secrets stolen: Indonesia

The deputy defense minister of Indonesia said Monday that no military documents were stolen in what has been reported as an attempted theft by Korean spies of computer files belonging to an Indonesian presidential delegation visiting Seoul.

Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying that the delegation from the Indonesian defense ministry wasn’t carrying any classified military documents when they traveled to Seoul last week.

The reaction came at a time when defense authorities here expressed concern about media reports that the country’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) was involved in the attempted theft.

Experts in Seoul say that, depending on what other details emerge, it could damage Seoul’s ties with Jakarta, not to mention weakening Korea’s position in its bid for procurement projects.

Since last December, the two countries have been negotiating an arms deal, including the sale of T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer jets.

The negotiations came after President Lee Myung-bak and his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed to bolster defense cooperation at a summit held last year in Indonesia.

Korea was short-listed as one of the countries from which Indonesia is seriously considering purchasing trainer jets. The Indonesian government has worked closely with the short-listed nations, which also includes Russia.

The 50-member Indonesian delegation visited Seoul last week for three days to discuss economic and defense cooperation between the two countries.

During the trip, the delegation including Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono paid a visit to President Lee Myung-bak and met with high-ranking government officials. The group returned home Thursday.

After their departure, it became known that there was a theft of computer files from the delegation’s hotel room. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Monday that three agents of the NIS _ two male and one female _ broke into the Indonesian delegation’s room in the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul last week to steal the files.

The NIS denied the report, saying it was not involved.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) declined to comment on the report.

It has not been confirmed whether the Indonesian government lodged a complaint over the break-in.

The Indonesian Embassy here remained cautious. Press coordinator Nuradi Noeri, said the embassy will wait to see if the report is true.

“I am not in a position to comment on our government’s position on the report. (First of all) we need clarification of this. The Indonesian ambassador will make our position on this public afterwards,” he told The Korea Times over the phone.

Asked if the Indonesian Embassy had checked with the Ministry and Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) to confirm the report, he abruptly hung up the phone.

Cho Byung-jae, MOFAT spokesman, told reporters that the ministry received an inquiry from the Indonesian Embassy on whether the media report was true, and was looking to see if it could confirm it. 

nini/koreatimes