Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Illegally Filming Fighter Jets in South Korea

SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Two Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison Thursday for illegally filming fighter jets at several South Korean and U.S. military facilities and attempting to intercept traffic control communications. The Suwon District Court sentenced an 18-year-old Chinese high school student to an indeterminate prison term of 1 1/2 to two years and a 20-year-old Chinese man to two years in prison, both for general treason. An indeterminate sentence is applied to minors under the juvenile law. It is the first time in South Korea that a foreigner has been found guilty of general treason under the Criminal Act. The court also ordered the confiscation of their cameras and other items used in the crime. The two were arrested and indicted for taking hundreds of detailed photos of fighter jets taking off and landing at major air bases nationwide during multiple visits to South Korea between the second half of 2024 and March last year, when both were high school students. They were found to have visited four South Korean and U.S. military facilities in Suwon, Osan, Pyeongtaek and Cheongju, as well as three major international airports -- Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju. They were caught by police in March last year after a resident reported them for illegally filming fighter jets taking off and landing at Suwon Air Base. The court found the defendants guilty of all charges, stating that they committed acts of treason that could infringe upon the military interests of South Korea. It also said stern punishment is warranted because the photos exposed the aircraft deployment status and primary missions of the air bases, seriously undermining national security. In a separate case in Busan, Chinese nationals have been indicted for illegally filming a U.S. aircraft carrier, but a verdict has not yet been handed down.