Seoul, May 14: Two Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison on Thursday for illegally recording videos of fighter jets at military bases in South Korea and the United States, as well as attempting to intercept traffic control communications.
The Suwon District Court handed down an indefinite prison sentence of 1.5 to 2 years to an 18-year-old Chinese high school student, while a 20-year-old Chinese man received a two-year prison term. Both were found guilty of general treason. Under juvenile law, indefinite sentences apply to minors.
This marks the first time a foreign national has been convicted of general treason under criminal law in South Korea.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, the court also ordered the confiscation of the cameras and other equipment used in the crime.
The two were arrested and charged after being accused of taking hundreds of detailed photographs of fighter jets taking off and landing at major airbases across South Korea during several trips from the second half of 2024 to March of the previous year. At that time, both were high school students.
Investigations revealed that they visited South Korean and U.S. military bases in Suwon, Osan, Pyeongtaek, and Cheongju, as well as three major international airports: Incheon, Gimpo, and Jeju. They were apprehended after a local resident reported their illegal recording of fighter jets at the Suwon airbase in March of last year.
The court stated that they committed acts of treason that could impact South Korea’s military interests. It also noted that the photographs revealed information related to the deployment of aircraft and their primary operations at the airbases, posing a serious threat to national security. Therefore, a strict sentence was deemed necessary.
In a separate case in Busan, Chinese nationals have also been accused of illegally recording an American aircraft carrier, although a verdict has yet to be reached in that matter.
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