Reuters, SEOUL: Three agents for South Korea's spy agency broke into a hotel room occupied by a delegation of Indonesian presidential envoys last week, apparently seeking bid secrets for a defense contract, a news report said on Monday.
The trio left after being confronted by a member of the Indonesian delegation, led by a senior cabinet minister. They had been discovered looking at files on a laptop computer, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said.
"National Intelligence Service employees were looking to identify the Indonesian delegation's negotiating strategy with a view on our national interest," a senior South Korean official was quoted as saying by the Chosun Ilbo.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met the delegation on Wednesday, with defense contracts among the topics discussed. The group was led by Hatta Rajasa, Indonesia's chief economic minister, and included five other cabinet-level officials, including the defense minister.
The break-in reportedly took place at the time of Lee's meeting with the Indonesian officials, the report said.
The National Intelligence Service denied the report.
South Korea has been bidding for a contract to supply trainer fighter jets to Indonesia, the Chosun Ilbo said.
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