2 Former Chinese Military Servicemembers Arrested in South Korea for Alleged Espionage

Two former Chinese military servicemembers were arrested in South Korea and accused of espionage, police in South Korea said on Aug. 11.

The suspects were accused of acts such as intercepting communications between fighter jets and ground control and collecting information on developments of U.S. weapons, according to police.

One of the suspects was a Chinese national in his 60s. He allegedly installed a communications interception system at a hotel near an air base in southern South Korea that is jointly used by South Korean and U.S. forces. The setup included a radio receiver, an antenna, and a laptop, according to police.

The man intercepted communications several times between South Korean and U.S. pilots flying fighter jets and air traffic controllers at the base since 2024, police said.

Police declined to provide any details beyond saying that the suspect had previously served in the Chinese military. The police said he was arrested for violating laws on helping the enemy and safeguarding communication secrets.

Police conducted a forensic examination of his laptop to see whether he had sent any intercepted communications to Chinese authorities. The suspect told investigators that one of his hobbies was listening to communications between civilian aircraft and air traffic controllers, as well as communications involving fighter jets.

Law enforcement announced it apprehended another Chinese man in his 40s for allegedly obtaining information from the U.S. military headquarters near Seoul. The information included details about U.S.–South Korean military exercises, photos documenting the movement of weapons at the headquarters, and personnel changes involving senior U.S. military officials, according to police.

Police alleged a South Korean woman working at the U.S. command gave the suspect information in exchange for money, as the two had a romantic relationship.

The suspect runs a military supply store near the U.S. headquarters and told authorities during questioning that he believed his alleged conduct would help his business.

Police said the man was also in the Chinese military and broke laws on aiding the enemy and protecting military installations in South Korea.

The police announcement occurred a day after South Korea and the United States announced they would begin large-scale annual exercises next week. There are 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea amid the threat from North Korea.

Col. Ryan Donald, director of ​public affairs for the Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, said ​the exercises exemplify the evolving psychology of war, including the increased use of unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and cyber operations.

“DPRK soldiers have deployed and fought in Ukraine, and they’ve taken those lessons they’ve learned ​there and brought them back to North Korea,” said Donald, using the initials of ​North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“That changes the DPRK capability, and our training accounts ‌for ⁠that threat.”

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.