Spionage: Südkorea nimmt zwei Chinesen wegen Militär-Spionage fest
Zwei frühere Angehörige der chinesischen Armee sitzen in Südkorea wegen Spionageverdachts in Haft. Sie sollen kritische Informationen über US-südkoreanische Militärübungen beschafft haben.
South Korean authorities have arrested two Chinese nationals on suspicion of military espionage. Both individuals are former members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, according to South Korea's official news agency, Yonhap. One of the men is accused of eavesdropping on communications between South Korean and US fighter jets.
This alleged spying transpired multiple times since January 2024, with the Chinese national entering South Korea on a tourist visa and using hotel facilities near Gunsan Airport to intercept the communications between fighter jets and air traffic controllers. The airport serves as a base for both South Korean and US air forces. The timing of the man's stays in South Korea coincided with joint air force exercises between South Korea and the United States.
The second suspect is a 45-year-old ethnic Korean with Chinese citizenship. He is alleged to have hired a South Korean woman who had worked at Camp Humphreys, the largest US military base outside the United States, to obtain secret information about US-South Korean military exercises. The United States has over 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, conducting military exercises annually alongside South Korean forces.
The next joint exercise commences next week. Both men face the charge of "aiding the enemy" under South Korean law, with the maximum penalty being life imprisonment.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
