Chinese teens booked for filming Korean fighters also filmed airports

Korea Herald

09-04-2025

Two Chinese teenagers who have been booked for illegally filming Korean fighter jets were found to have visited the country two to three times in the past year and also filmed major airports, including Incheon International Airport, investigators said Wednesday.
Of the two, the one who told investigators that his father is a Chinese public security officer entered South Korea three times -- late last year, early this year and on March 18 -- and each time stayed for four to five days.
The other teenager visited the country twice, both times with the other high schooler, late last year and on March 18, investigators said.
During their most recent visit, the two were found to have to used their DSLR cameras and cellphones to take thousands of photos of key South Korea-US military installations, including Osan Air Base and Pyeongtaek Airfield, and major airports, including Incheon and Gimpo.
Investigators said they are verifying the exact time and location where the photos were taken and whether they included shots of US strategic assets.
They are also using forensic analyses of the cellphones to determine whether the teenagers visited other military facilities or airports during their previous visits.
The high schoolers were apprehended while filming fighter jets taking off and landing at a major air base in Suwon, south of Seoul, on March 21.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Security Command have since formed a joint investigation team over the case. (Yonhap)