[News Today] REVISION TO ESPIONAGE ACT

[LEAD]
Last night, the Espionage Act revision passed the National Assembly subcommittee. This historic decision establishes, for the first time, a legal basis to penalize domestic espionage linked to foreign entities or their equivalents.

[REPORT]
A subpanel of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee has approved a revision to the Espionage Act.

The passage marks the first of its kind in relation to this particular law in the nation's constitutional history.

Limitations to the current Espionage Act which penalizes domestic acts involving North Korea have been continuously raised over the years.

The latest revision has expanded the scope of punishment to include foreign countries in a broader sense.

Yoo Sang-bum / Legislation, Judiciary Committee (PPP)
The new rule is to punish spying for allies, enemy states alike. Significance lies in the expansion of scope.

The bill calls for a limited prison term of over 3 years if a foreign nation or an organization that can be viewed in the same light engages in or aids and abets espionage activity.

The storage of information, which was a disputed sticking point, has been excluded from being subject to a crime.

Kim Seung-won / Legislation, Judiciary Committee (DP)
Rival parties actively took part in discussions believing that national interest must be protected when it comes to espionage.

There were some opposing views however during the discourse.
Lawmaker Seo Young-kyo argued the revision can lead to state power abusing the law.

The bill now heads to the full session of the Legislation Committee and the Assembly plenary meeting for approval, 6 months after which it will be implemented.

Ruling People Power Party chair Han Dong-hoon who has long called for the revision welcomed the passage in a social media post Wednesday, saying it has taken a long time but the end is now within sight.