Chinese high school students, who were taking photos around US-ROK military facilities and international airports, were reported to possess radios. Law enforcement authorities are considering the possibility that they may have intercepted military communications and are investigating the performance and purpose of the radios.
Two Chinese teenagers, identified as A and B, who were charged with violating the Military Facility Protection Act, were reported by Yonhap News on the 24th to have possessed two radios at the time of their capture. While the radios were powered on, the frequencies could not be properly tuned, making it unclear whether they functioned correctly.
Law enforcement authorities have requested an appraisal from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation to determine whether the radios were intended for intercepting communications among military facilities and equipment or simply prepared for the two individuals to communicate.
A and B entered the country together through Incheon International Airport on the 18th of last month. Each carried a DSLR camera equipped with a telephoto lens and a mobile phone, taking photos as they went. Their itinerary included four US-ROK military facilities: Suwon Air Base, Pyeongtaek Osan Air Base (K-55), Pyeongtaek US Army Base (K-6), and Cheongju Air Base, as well as three major international airports: Incheon, Gimpo, and Jeju.
They photographed aircraft taking off and landing, as well as air traffic control facilities. The total amount reached thousands of photos, but many were taken in burst mode, resulting in an actual count of around several hundred photos. The two stated to law enforcement that they had a hobby of taking pictures of airplanes.
Law enforcement authorities have largely concluded their investigation into the activities of A and B and are examining whether they engaged in any distribution, such as uploading or transmitting the photos taken through mobile phone forensics. Additionally, considering A's statement that their father's occupation is public security, they are also investigating whether A's father directed the photographing.
A and B were scheduled to depart on the 22nd and 23rd of last month, but law enforcement authorities have imposed travel restrictions.
Two other Chinese individuals were also investigated by the police for taking unauthorized photos around Osan Air Base at about 11 a.m. on the 23rd. They are reported to be father and son and were caught taking photos at the same location on the 21st but were released only to engage in unauthorized photography again two days later. They too stated to law enforcement that their photo shooting was "just a hobby."
The police confirmed that this Chinese father and son photographed only planes in the sky and concluded that there were no grounds for public security concerns. Under current law, photographing aircraft moving outside secured areas does not violate any laws.