Seoul - (AFP) - Two South Koreans, one of whom is an army captain, have been arrested for stealing military secrets with the aim of sending them to a North Korean agent in return for payment in cryptocurrency, Seoul police said Friday.

One of the spies, a 29-year-old army captain, is suspected of having sent a North Korean agent information allowing access to the South Korean military's internal communications network.

The second is a 38-year-old businessman who owns a virtual portfolio management company. It is suspected that, at the request of a Pyongyang agent, he provided the first suspect with a bracelet equipped with a hidden camera so that he could collect intelligence information more easily.

The second suspect is also accused of having bought and collected parts of a "USB" device that allows hacking a computer quickly, with the aim of gaining access to the South Korean military communications system.

"The two men have been arrested on charges of violating the national security law," a South Korean national police official told AFP.
According to Seoul police, the businessman began communicating with the North Korean client six years ago, through a virtual group dedicated to cryptocurrency. The suspects were communicating via Telegram.
The businessman is suspected of receiving about $600,000 in cryptocurrency, and the military about $38,000, from a Pyongyang agent in return for their services, according to police.