A former South Korean defense minister and three other senior officials who served in the former Moon Jae-in administration have been accused of leaking intelligence about a US-built missile system to activists and China.

The state auditor alleged that Jeong Kyeong-doo, former national security adviser Chung Eui-yong and two senior officers sent information about the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to activists before replacing an anti-missile battery in Seongju near the capital in May 2020 .

That decision sparked a clash between police and local residents during the installation of the equipment, over concerns that it posed electromagnetic hazards.

A government study in 2023 concluded that the battery posed no health risks.

According to the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), the officials must also discuss the operation with a defense attaché at the Chinese embassy in Seoul before it was carried out.

The agency referred them to the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office last month on suspicion of violating the Military Secret Protection Act and abuse of power, Yonhap reported, citing an unnamed official.