The intruders fled immediately after a member of the delegation abruptly entered the room and saw them copying files from a laptop computer.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul has reported a laptop-stealing-attempt case of an Indonesian delegate during his visit to the city recently, Foreign Affairs Ministry`s spokesman Michael Tene said here on Monday.

The theft which happened last Feb 16 had captured the public`s attention as the perpetrators might have copied classified information from the laptop about Indonesia`s planned arms trade with South Korea.

"Apart from reporting the case to the police, we also have informed the South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry on the matter and filed a complaint with hotel`s management," Tene said.

Earlier, local media citing local police reporting intruders -- two men and one woman, all presumed to be Asian -- were believed to have illegally entered the hotel room in an attempt to steal classified information on Indonesia`s planned arms trade with South Korea.

The intruders fled immediately after a member of the delegation abruptly entered the room and saw them copying files from a laptop computer, Chosun said.

The 50-member delegation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a three-day visit, which included a courtesy call on South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and discussions on expanding bilateral economic and military cooperation, including South Korea`s plan to sell T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer jets. The visit was also participated in by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Radjasa, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto and Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

The delegation returned home on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry had denied a rumor that Indonesian military data had been stolen during Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro`s recent visit to Seoul, South Korea.

"No military data were missing. The lost laptop belonged to an economic team, not a Defense Ministry`s delegation," the ministry`s Public Communication Center spokesman Brig Gen I Wayan Midhio said when contacted by ANTARA Sunday night.

Wayan said that based on information received from a delegation of economic team from Seoul, the missing laptop had been returned because it did not belong to the delegation of another country.

"The team of a delegation of another other country entered the wrong room and inadvertently took the laptop, but now it has already been returned to the rightful owner," Wayan said.

According to him, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro accompanied by Hatta Radjasa was on a working visit to Seoul to discuss trade cooperation with South Korea.

Wayan added that during the visit, the purchase of T-50 aircraft would probably be discussed.

"But no military data were missing, and the plan to buy the T-50 aircraft is still under discussion," Wayan said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011