Two Chinese students arrest in South Korea for filming US carrier

Two Chinese nationals have been arrested in South Korea for illegally operating drones to capture footage of a South Korean naval base and a docked US aircraft carrier in the port city of Busan, according to a statement released Thursday by local police.

The men, both international students residing in Busan, one in his 40s and the other in his 30s, were taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with violating the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, as well as compromising South Korea’s military interests.

"This marks the first time foreign nationals have been detained on such charges," an official from the Busan Metropolitan Police told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "Two Chinese individuals were arrested yesterday for illegally filming a naval base and a US aircraft carrier," he said, adding that a third Chinese citizen is under investigation but not in custody.

Authorities believe the individuals used drones and mobile phones to record unauthorized footage of the Republic of Korea Fleet Command, a core unit responsible for overseeing the navy’s operations and training, as well as the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a US aircraft carrier docked in Busan for joint military activities.

Police said the suspects conducted at least nine filming attempts between March 2023 and June 2024. The latest incident occurred on June 25, 2024, during a high-profile visit by then-president Yoon Suk Yeol, who toured the aircraft carrier and met with American and South Korean troops.

Investigators recovered 172 photographs and 22 video files, with some of the material allegedly uploaded to social media platforms, including TikTok, without official permission.

Officials added that the drones used were made by a Chinese manufacturer. These models reportedly require users to register through the company's proprietary app, which is believed to transmit user data to servers based in China.

The incident comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region, where South Korea is navigating a delicate balance between its longstanding security alliance with the United States and its economic ties with China, which remains North Korea's main ally.

Last month, concerns over data security were further heightened when South Korea fined Chinese e-commerce platform Temu nearly USD 1 million for unlawfully transmitting personal information of Korean users to China and other countries.