2 ex-Chinese military personnel arrested in South Korea for alleged espionage

Two former Chinese military personnel were apprehended in South Korea for suspected espionage, with allegations ranging from intercepting fighter jet communications to gathering intelligence on U.S. military movements, police reported on Tuesday. One suspect, a man in his 60s, allegedly set up a device at a hotel near a joint South Korean-U.S. air base to intercept communications between fighter jets and ground control since 2024, according to police.

He is accused of doing so multiple times and is forbidden from divulging further details about his identity. The other suspect, a man in his 40s, is alleged to have collected sensitive information from the U.S. military headquarters near Seoul, including details about U.S.-South Korean military drills, photos of weapon movements, and personnel changes for top U.S. officers, the police said.

Police suspect the two men had a romantic relationship and that he obtained some of the information from a South Korean woman working at the U.S. command in exchange for money. Both suspects are accused of violating laws on aiding the enemy and protecting military secrets in South Korea. The arrests came a day after the U.S. and South Korean militaries announced large-scale annual exercises would commence the following week, as the U.S. maintains around 28,500 troops in South Korea to deter potential threats from North Korea.