Recently, a Chinese student studying in Korea was arrested for illegally filming U.S. military facilities with a drone, leading the Chinese Embassy in Korea to issue a warning to its students.
On the 30th, the Chinese Embassy posted an article on social media titled 'Summer Safety Rules for Chinese Students' listing general precautions and concluded with a reminder that "photography must comply with local laws and regulations, and be cautious when using drones and filming with drones."
It emphasized, "Under Korean law, it is clearly prohibited to film military bases and facilities arbitrarily, and be careful not to take photographs in sensitive areas such as no-fly zones and no-photography zones."
The embassy's issuance of such a warning to its students studying in Korea appears to be in response to the arrest of Chinese students on the 26th of last month in Busan for illegally filming U.S. military facilities with drones.
The Busan Police Agency arrested a Chinese student surnamed A, who led the crime, on charges of violating the National Security Act and the Military Bases Act, while the other two were arrested or put under custody for violations of the Military Bases Act. This was the first time that a foreign national was arrested on charges under both the National Security Act and the Military Bases Act.
Student A and others are accused of illegally filming inside a naval base and the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (100,000 tons) near the Naval Operations Command in Nam-gu, Busan, from March 2023 to June 2024 using drones.