2 Chinese nationals cleared of suspected illegal filming near Osan Air Base
Two Chinese nationals were apprehended Monday on suspicion of illegally filming fighter jets near Osan Air Base, which is used by the US Air Force, but police later dropped the investigation, citing no suspected espionage.
The two were suspected of illegally taking photos of the base and fighter jets around Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 63 kilometers south of Seoul, on Monday morning, although it was unclear which specific facilities or equipment were captured in the images.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency earlier said it had considered whether to book the two individuals for investigation on charges of violating the Protection of Military Bases and Installation Act.
The agency later announced it has decided not to pursue an investigation into them, citing a lack of grounds for suspected espionage.
The agency declined to disclose the grounds for its decision, citing security reasons.
It marks another suspected case of illegal filming targeting military facilities involving Chinese nationals, following the apprehension of two Chinese teenagers for illegally filming fighter jets landing and taking off from an air base in Suwon, south of Seoul, last month.
Police have obtained a statement indicating that the father of one of them is a public security officer and have booked both individuals for investigation.
Police have discovered that they took thousands of photos of Osan Air Base; another military air base in Cheongju, about 120 km south of Seoul; the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek; and three international airports in Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju Island.
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