South Korean police said Tuesday that two former Chinese military servicemembers were arrested for alleged espionage, accused of intercepting communications between fighter jets and ground control and collecting information on movements of U.S. armaments, as reported by infohub.kz.
According to police, one suspect, a Chinese national in his 60s, set up an interception device consisting of a software-defined radio receiver, an antenna, and a laptop at a hotel near an air base jointly used by South Korean and U.S. air forces in southern South Korea. He is accused of intercepting communications between fighter jets flown by South Korean and U.S. pilots and air traffic controllers at the base several times since 2024.
Police said he previously served in the Chinese military but refused to disclose further details about his identity. The man was arrested Monday for violating laws on aiding the enemy and protecting communication secrets. Police are conducting a forensic examination of his laptop to determine if he relayed intercepted communications to Chinese authorities. The suspect told investigators that listening to communications between civilian planes and air traffic controllers was his hobby, and he also wanted to listen to communications involving fighter jets.
Additionally, police said they arrested another Chinese man in his 40s on Monday on accusations of illegally collecting information from the U.S. military headquarters near Seoul, including information on U.S.-South Korean military drills, photos showing the movements of weapons at the headquarters, and personnel changes of top U.S. military officers. Police allege that he obtained some of the information from a South Korean woman working at the U.S. command, paying her for the information, and suspect the pair had a romantic relationship.
The man, who runs a military supply store near the U.S. command, argued during questioning that he sought the information believing it would help his business. Police said he also previously served in the Chinese military and violated laws on aiding the enemy and protecting military installations in South Korea.
The police announcement came a day after South Korean and U.S. militaries said they would start large-scale annual exercises next week. The U.S. stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to help deter potential aggression from North Korea.