This undated file photo, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows the defense ministry’s emblem. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent incident involving South Korean soldiers sharing classified military passwords with civilian moneylenders has raised serious concerns about security breaches within the nation’s armed forces.
According to military authorities on September 22, these classified passwords, known as “challenge and response” codes, are designated as Level 3 secrets under the Defense Security Task Directive.
The unauthorized disclosure of these codes has sparked fears of potential broader military secrets leaks.
These challenge and response codes are crucial for identifying friendly forces in situations where visual recognition is difficult, such as during nighttime operations or in wartime scenarios.
Typically, a sentry issues a “challenge” word, to which the respondent must provide the correct “response” word for identification.
“These codes are as critical as, if not more than, many other military secrets,” said an Army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The deliberate disclosure of such information is almost inconceivable.”
The gravity of this breach is underscored by a common military adage: “You can lose bullet casings, but never lose the CEOI (Communications-Electronics Operation Instructions).”
The challenge and response codes are distributed to various military units through this encrypted CEOI system.
The incident came to light when the Defense Security Command discovered that soldiers from a military unit in the Chungcheong region had divulged these codes to civilian loan sharks as collateral for borrowing money.
This unorthodox form of collateral was reportedly accepted by the lenders due to the potential consequences the soldiers would face if they defaulted on their loans.
This security lapse has prompted a joint investigation by the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency, the Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office, and military authorities. The probe is focused on potential violations of the Military Secrets Protection Act.
While the practice of using uniform challenge and response codes across all units — which posed a significant risk during the Korean War — has been phased out in favor of unit-specific codes, this incident has nonetheless exposed vulnerabilities in the military’s security protocols.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
