Eavesdropping from Hotels and Calling It a 'Hobby': Shocking Identity of Chinese National Behind Two-Year Wiretapping

A Chinese national indicted on charges of entering South Korea and habitually wiretapping communications between South Korean and U.S. fighter jets and control towers has been found to be a former officer who served for 40 years in the Chinese People's Liberation Army's eavesdropping unit.

According to the prosecution's indictment, the suspect in his 60s, identified as A, served for 40 years in an eavesdropping unit under the PLA General Staff Department in Beijing.

Investigations showed that he reached the rank of zhongxiao, which corresponds to a lieutenant colonel in the South Korean military.

After retiring, A is accused of traveling to military bases including the Gunsan, Osan, and Gwangju Air Bases, Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, and the Busan Naval Base from March 2024 to last month, wiretapping military communications a total of 13 times.

Investigations revealed that he primarily booked hotel rooms close to air bases, where he set up radio receivers and antennas to listen in on communications between fighter pilots and control towers.

Out of the 13 instances, 7 targeted the Gunsan Airport, which is jointly used by the South Korean and U.S. militaries.

The prosecution believes that A saved the recorded files and frequency information necessary for wiretapping onto an external hard drive and took them to China.

The stored data amounted to 13.9 terabytes.

After exiting for China, A re-entered South Korea early last month ahead of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield.

Police arrested A in the act while he was wiretapping communications at a hotel in Gunsan, and he reportedly denied the charges, claiming it was a "hobby."

The prosecution has also ascertained that another Chinese national, B, who was detained around the same time, has a background of serving in a PLA special forces unit and China's Ministry of Public Security.

Investigations showed that B operated a military gear shop near Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and approached active-duty U.S. service members and a South Korean civilian employee working in the secretary's office of the Eighth U.S. Army.

The prosecution believes that B built personal connections by treating them to meals and giving them gifts, after which he received materials including training videos of Apache attack helicopters and F-35 fighter jets, information related to South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, and data concerning the U.S. military leadership.

Some of the collected data was reportedly transmitted externally via Chinese messenger apps.

B is likewise denying the charges, claiming that he merely built friendly ties with military personnel in the process of running his military gear shop.

The two individuals have been indicted and detained on charges including aiding the enemy.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.