South Korea arrests two ex-Chinese military personnel on espionage charges

South Korean police announced Tuesday the arrest of two former Chinese military servicemembers on espionage-related charges, accusing them of separate operations targeting U.S. and allied military assets.

In the first case, a Chinese national in his 60s was taken into custody Monday. Police allege he set up an interception system—comprising a software-defined radio receiver, an antenna, and a laptop—in a hotel room near an air base in southern South Korea jointly used by South Korean and U.S. air forces. He is accused of intercepting communications between fighter jet pilots and air traffic controllers at the base on multiple occasions since 2024.

The suspect, who previously served in the Chinese military, told investigators that listening to civilian aviation communications was a hobby and that he wanted to extend that to fighter jets. Police are examining his laptop to determine whether any intercepted communications were passed to Chinese authorities. He was arrested on charges of aiding the enemy and violating communication secrecy laws.

In a separate case, police arrested another Chinese man in his 40s on Monday. He is accused of illegally collecting information about the U.S. military headquarters near Seoul, including details of joint U.S.-South Korean exercises, photographs of weapons movements, and personnel changes among senior U.S. officers. Police allege he obtained some of this information from a South Korean woman employed at the U.S. command, paying her in return and possibly maintaining a romantic relationship with her.

The man, who runs a military supply store near the U.S. headquarters, claimed he sought the information to help his business. He also previously served in the Chinese military and faces charges related to aiding the enemy and violating laws protecting military installations.

The arrests were announced a day after South Korean and U.S. militaries confirmed plans to begin large-scale annual exercises next week. The United States maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of its commitment to deter potential aggression from North Korea. The Chinese Embassy in Seoul did not respond to calls after business hours.