A Chinese national was sent to the prosecution after using a drone to film the National Intelligence Service building immediately upon entering South Korea.
A Korean National Police Agency official announced during a regular press briefing on the 6th that a 40-year-old Chinese man, referred to as Mr. A, was forwarded without detention on the 2nd for alleged violations of the Military Base and Cultural Heritage Protection Acts. The official noted, “We are currently verifying with relevant agencies regarding any counterespionage suspicions.”
Mr. A is accused of using a drone to capture footage of Heoninreung, Historic Site No. 194, in Naegok-dong, Gangnam, soon after entering the country in Nov. last year, and inadvertently filming the nearby building of the National Intelligence Service. President Yoon Suk-yeol specifically mentioned this case in a public address on the 12th of last month, stating, “Current laws do not provide a way to punish espionage activities by foreigners under espionage charges.”
The police also revealed that as of 5 p.m. on the previous day, they were investigating 126 malicious online posts mocking the victims and bereaved families of the Jeju Air Muan disaster. According to the police, one already apprehended writer in their 30s admitted to the charges during questioning and expressed an apology. A police official noted, “It was determined that the creation of malicious posts was isolated and did not warrant a request for a detention warrant,” adding, “We are evaluating any additional offenses.”
Regarding a report, received on the 30th of last month from a Ministry of Justice employee, of an email claiming the Jeju Air incident as their doing, it was stated, “We are requesting cooperation from Japanese police through Interpol and proceeding with international criminal justice cooperation via diplomatic channels.” The email, allegedly sent under the name of a Japanese lawyer, reportedly included threats to detonate high-powered bombs in various South Korean urban areas. A police official conveyed, “Although we suspect the same perpetrator responsible for email and fax terror threats against major domestic institutions since Aug. 2023, identification remains challenging, leading to frustration on our part.”