Key Air Force Base Access… Heightened Air Defense Investigation

Recently, two Chinese high school students were caught illegally photographing our fighter jets near Suwon Air Force Base, revealing that they had also engaged in similar shooting around Pyeongtaek Osan and Cheongju Air Force Base.

The area is a key security point where the strategic assets of the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces are concentrated, and authorities have expanded their investigation as they view these individuals' identities as potentially linked to air defense concerns.

According to the Dong-A Ilbo on the 9th, security authorities have identified that two Chinese nationals, including high school student A, who entered the country on a tourist visa last month, filmed U.S. military aerial capabilities, including F-16 fighter jets and U-2S reconnaissance aircraft, near Osan Base.

It has been determined that they filmed the takeoff of our Air Force's stealth fighter, the F-35A, at Cheongju Base. They were also found to have attempted to photograph the U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier "Carl Vinson" after moving to Busan, but were unsuccessful.

Claiming "We came to take pictures of airplanes"… Parents are Chinese public security officials

The two were caught on the 21st of last month while filming our military aircraft with a mobile phone and DSLR camera near the 10th Fighter Wing in Suwon after being reported by residents. The police have placed them under investigation for violating the Military Bases and Military Facilities Protection Act and have prohibited their departure.

Notably, it has been confirmed that their parents are associated with the Chinese public security, casting doubt on the analysis that they can be seen merely as 'aircraft enthusiasts.'

An official from the security agency stated, "The route taken is too meticulous for a mere hobby of photographing airplanes," adding, "If we exclude North Korea, China is the only country that could organize such activities."

Drone Photography, Recruitment of Active Duty Personnel… Repeated Security Threats from China

This incident is part of a continuum of security threat activities by Chinese nationals over the past few years. On the 29th of last month, an individual involved in recruiting active-duty military personnel to collect military secrets was captured, and in November of last year, a Chinese national who had filmed the National Intelligence Service building with a drone was apprehended.

Earlier, in June of last year, three Chinese individuals were arrested for using a drone to photograph a U.S. aircraft carrier that had entered Busan, and in January of this year, a Chinese national was caught illegally filming Jeju International Airport, a facility designated as a 'critical security level.'

A National Security Office official remarked, "On the surface, they appear as civilian tourists, but in reality, they could be engaged in meticulous information-gathering activities," assuring that the military, intelligence authorities, and police are cooperating to elucidate the full extent of the incident.

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