Two Former Chinese Military Officers Arrested on Spying Suspicion

JAKARTA - South Korean police have arrested two former Chinese military officers on charges of tapping military communications and obtaining confidential information related to South Korea-United States joint exercises, media reported on Tuesday.

One of the suspects, a man in his 60s who is a former member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), is suspected of repeatedly visiting South Korea on tourist visas and intercepting communications between fighter planes and air traffic control towers, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police, as reported by Anadolu (11/8).

Police said he operated out of a hotel near the airport in Gunsan City, in the southwest region. The visits began in January 2024 and were reportedly timed to coincide with the South Korean-US Air Force's regular training schedule.

The suspect admitted to investigators that intercepting the aircraft's communications was "his hobby". However, authorities are investigating whether the information was passed on to Chinese authorities.

The second suspect, a 45-year-old Korean ethnic Chinese citizen who is also a retired PLA officer, is suspected of recruiting a South Korean woman who works at Camp Humphreys - the main US military base in Pyeongtaek - to obtain confidential information about allied forces' exercises.

Police said he concealed his true identity while managing a US military supply store near the base and allegedly carried out the activity between November 2021 and May.

Both suspects face charges that include actions that benefit the enemy and violations of laws protecting military information and communications.