2 ex-Chinese military officers arrested over alleged eavesdropping, leaks

Two former Chinese military officers have been arrested in South Korea for alleged eavesdropping on fighter jet communications and leaking classified material related to joint South Korean-U.S. military exercises, according to police.

One suspect, a Chinese national in his sixties, was arrested on suspicion of benefiting the enemy and violating a law protecting communications secrets. Police allege he visited South Korea multiple times under a tourist visa and tapped into communications between fighter jets and air traffic control towers from a hotel near an airport in Gunsan, a city in southwestern South Korea.

The airport hosts assets of both the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces. The suspect, who retired from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), claims his visits were for hobbyist reasons of listening to aircraft communications. However, police are investigating whether any obtained information was relayed to Chinese authorities and if anyone orchestrated the operation.

The second suspect, a 45-year-old ethnic Korean with Chinese nationality, was also arrested. He is accused of benefiting the enemy and violating a law protecting military bases by allegedly recruiting a South Korean woman working at Camp Humphreys, a major U.S. base in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul. The man allegedly concealed his identity while running a store selling U.S. military supplies near the base, engaging in these activities from November 2021 until May of this year.

As a retired PLA officer, he was accused of acting from within this position. In South Korea, benefiting the enemy can lead to life imprisonment or a minimum of three years in prison, while violating communications secrets protection laws can result in prison terms ranging from one to ten years or a five-year ban on holding certain positions.

Violations of the military base protection act carry maximum penalties of three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (approximately US$21,200).