Two former Chinese military members have been arrested in South Korea on suspicion of espionage, authorities announced Tuesday. The charges include intercepting communications between fighter jets and ground control, as well as collecting information on the movement of U.S. armaments.
According to police, one suspect, a Chinese national in his 60s, is accused of setting up an interception device near an air base jointly used by South Korean and U.S. forces. This device, consisting of a software-defined radio receiver, an antenna, and a laptop, allegedly allowed him to intercept communications between fighter jets and air traffic controllers multiple times since the beginning of 2024. The suspect, who previously served in the Chinese military, told investigators that his hobby was listening to civilian aircraft communications and he wished to listen to fighter jet communications as well.
Authorities also arrested another Chinese man in his 40s on Monday. Police allege this individual illegally collected information from U.S. military headquarters near Seoul. The information reportedly included details on U.S.-South Korea military drills, photos of weapons movements at the headquarters, and personnel changes among top U.S. military officers. Police stated that this second suspect, who also formerly served in the Chinese military and operates a military supply store near the U.S. command, obtained some information from a South Korean woman working at the U.S. command. Investigators suspect a romantic relationship and that the man paid her for the intelligence, though he claimed during questioning that he sought the information to benefit his business.
Both men are accused of violating laws related to aiding the enemy and protecting communication secrets or military installations. Police are conducting a forensic examination of the laptop belonging to the first suspect to determine if any intercepted communications were relayed to Chinese authorities.
The arrests come shortly before South Korea and the U.S. military are set to begin large-scale annual exercises next week. The United States maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea.