Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a seven-year prison term for a South Korean man suspected of spying for North Korea.

The 59-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Jang, is accused of voluntarily receiving spy training from a North Korean agent and handing over military secrets.

"Severe punishment is necessary because (the suspect) voluntarily handed over military secrets to a North Korean spy but denies the crime and does not repent," prosecutors said during a hearing at the Suwon District Court in Suwon, just south of Seoul.

Jang denied the allegations, saying most of the charges against him were for actions he undertook after consultation with Vice Unification Minister Kim Chun-sig.

Prosecutors also demanded a four-year prison term for a 58-year-old woman surnamed Yu, who is suspected of helping Jang.

The two suspects allegedly traveled to the Chinese city of Dandong in September 2007 to meet with a North Korean spy, and have since passed on various military secrets, including data from a surveillance camera installed at a coastal guard post in South Korea's northern province of Gangwon, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors also alleged that during more than 30 visits to China until last year, the suspects received ideological training from the North Korean spy and wrote an oath pledging allegiance to the North's former leader Kim Jong-il.

(Yonhap News)