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Two former Chinese military personnel have each been arrested in South Korea on apparent espionage charges, including allegedly trying to monitor South Korean military operations and US troops stationed in the country, police said.
In one case, a man is accused of intercepting flight communications near an air base where US fighter jets are based, and in another case, he is accused of obtaining information about military training between the US and South Korean militaries.
South Korea is a key ally of the United States in Asia and is home to the country’s largest overseas military installations.
Both men are charged with supporting an enemy state. In response to CNN’s request for comment, China’s Foreign Ministry said it was “not familiar with the situation.”
In 2022, a Korean-Chinese man in his 40s allegedly developed a personal relationship with a Korean woman who worked at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 40 miles south of Seoul.
The base is home to U.S. Forces Korea and other major commands and is a critical center of U.S. military operations and readiness on the Korean Peninsula.
According to South Korean media reports, the man gave the woman money to obtain military information about the base.
According to the National Security Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Southern Police, the man had obtained information about joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, including the Ulchi Freedom Shield, and changes in command positions.
Ulchi Freedom Shield is a joint military exercise conducted annually by the United States and South Korea to strengthen joint defense capabilities and readiness. Authorities notified the U.S. military about the incident. This year’s Ulji Freedom Shield training is scheduled to begin next week.
Police said the man was a former Chinese military officer who had been running a munitions store near Camp Humphreys since 2021. According to investigators, the man told police he needed the information for his munitions business.
The man was charged Monday with aiding an enemy state and violating the Military Bases and Facilities Protection Act.
The woman involved had been fired by the time the investigation began.
The second incident involved a Chinese man in his 60s, who police said also previously served in the Chinese military.
He was arrested on Monday on charges of aiding an enemy state and violating the Communications Secrecy Act for allegedly intercepting communications using a software-defined radio (SDR) near Gunsan Airport in North Jeolla Province, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Seoul.
Gunsan Airport is a joint military-civilian airport located near Gunsan Air Base, home of the U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing.
According to police, the man entered South Korea several times on a tourist visa starting in January 2024, staying for about a week each time.
He is suspected of checking into a hotel near the airport and using a small SDR to intercept military communications.
According to police, the man made statements during interrogation that his hobby was listening to military communications. Authorities are analyzing the content of the intercepted communications to determine whether the information was sent to China.
South Korea’s Ministry of Defense and the US Forces Korea declined to comment.
