Chinese Man Who Eavesdropped on S. Korea-U.S. Military Communications for Two Years Was a 'Wiretapping Unit' Veteran: How Did He Enter the Country?

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 revealed to be a former officer who served for 40 years in a Chinese People's Liberation Army wiretapping unit.

According to the prosecution's indictment, the 60-something Chinese national, surnamed A, served for 40 years in a wiretapping unit belonging to the People's Liberation Army General Staff Department in Beijing.

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

A is accused of wiretapping military communications a total of 13 times from March 2024 until August of this year, moving around regions including Gunsan, North Jeolla Province; Osan and Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province; Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek; and the Busan Naval Base.

Investigations revealed that he mainly booked hotel rooms near air force bases, where he installed radio receivers and antennas to eavesdrop on communications between fighter pilots and control towers.

Out of the 13 instances, 7 targeted 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 on external hard drives and took them back to China.

The stored data amounted to 13.9 terabytes.

A had traveled to China and re-entered South Korea early last month ahead of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise, Freedom Shield.

The police arrested A red-handed while he was wiretapping communications at a hotel in Gunsan, and A reportedly denied the charges, claiming it was a "hobby."

The prosecution also found that another Chinese national, surnamed B, who was arrested around the same time, has a background of serving in a People's Liberation Army special forces unit and Chinese public security.

Investigations showed that B operated a military surplus store near Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and approached active-duty U.S. soldiers and a South Korean civilian employee working in the Eighth U.S. Army Headquarters secretariat.

The prosecution believes that B built rapport by treating them to meals and giving them gifts, and subsequently received materials including training footage of Apache attack helicopters and F-35 fighter jets, data related to South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, and information concerning U.S. military command.

Investigations indicated that some of the collected data was transmitted externally via Chinese messengers.

B is also denying the charges, claiming that he "merely built friendly relations with military personnel in the process of running the military surplus store."

The two individuals were indicted and detained on charges including general aiding of 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.