Two ex-PLA soldiers arrested for spying near US military bases in South Korea

South Korean police have detained two Chinese nationals accused of gathering military intelligence at joint US-South Korea military installations.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's security investigation unit said Tuesday it had arrested a Chinese man, identified only as A, on charges of general treason and violations of the Military Bases and Installations Protection Act. A had been operating a military goods store near the main gate of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province — the headquarters of US Forces Korea — while photographing military facilities and weapons.

A, a former People's Liberation Army soldier, photographed weapons movements inside the base and the workplaces of US military commanders from around November 2021 through May this year. He also recruited a Korean national working at Camp Humphreys to obtain materials related to joint US-South Korea military exercises.

A maintained three SNS accounts, primarily following accounts related to the US military, police said. He also traded secondhand USFK goods.

Police are investigating the full scope and channels of his intelligence-gathering activities.

On the same day, police also arrested a Chinese man in his 60s, identified as B, on charges of general treason and violations of the Protection of Communications Secrets Act. B was also a former PLA soldier.

B repeatedly stayed at lodgings near Gunsan Airport in North Jeolla Province — where US and South Korean air forces are based — and installed receiving equipment to intercept communications between fighter jets and the control tower. The device he used, an SDR (Software Defined Radio), can receive frequencies across a wide range of bands with only a software update on a laptop.

B entered South Korea multiple times beginning in January 2024, and investigators found that joint US-South Korea air force exercises took place each time he arrived.

Police are investigating whether the intercepted communications were leaked. B told investigators that "listening to aircraft communications is a hobby."