Two Chinese individuals who were arrested for illegally taking photographs near Osan Air Base (K-55), a U.S. military facility, were caught taking pictures again at the same location two days later. However, the police released them once more, citing a lack of national security concerns.
According to the police on the 24th, a report was received the previous day around 11 a.m. indicating that two individuals, including a Chinese national identified as A, were taking photographs of fighter jets near Osan Air Base. The police who were dispatched apprehended them on suspicion of violating the Military Bases and Military Facilities Protection Act.
A and his group were the same individuals who had illegally taken photographs near Osan Air Base on the 21st. At that time, after conducting a joint investigation with the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Security Command, the police concluded there were no national security concerns and made the decision not to file charges, concluding the case eight hours after their apprehension.
Once again, the police determined that there were no national security concerns regarding the photographs taken and released A and his group. Investigations revealed that they had been photographing aircraft in the sky using high-end camera equipment from a street near the military facility. Under current law, photographing aircraft that are moving in areas that are not designated security zones does not violate any laws.
On the 21st of last month, two Chinese teenagers were caught by the police for illegally photographing landing and taking off fighter jets using a DSLR camera and a mobile phone near the Suwon Air Base, where the 10th Fighter Wing is stationed. They are believed to have taken thousands of photographs not only at Suwon Air Base but also at Osan Air Base, Pyeongtaek U.S. Base (K-6), Cheongju Air Base, as well as at three major international airports: Incheon, Gimpo, and Jeju. The police have obtained a statement that one of the teenagers’ fathers is a public security official and are conducting further investigations.