Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
7 nationals from China, Taiwan caught filming Korean military sites this year
A citizen watches the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, preparing to depart from the Busan Naval Operations Base, in this June 26 photo. Newsis
By Bahk Eun-ji
Seven foreign nationals, all from China and Taiwan, were caught this year illegally filming or photographing Korean military facilities, according to data submitted to Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the National Assembly’s defense committee by the National Police Agency on Wednesday.
Between January and August, seven individuals were booked for violating the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act. Police data shows that a total of 14 foreign nationals have been investigated over the past five years, with two in 2020, one in 2021, two in 2022, none in 2023, and two in 2024.
This year’s seven cases represent a significant increase compared with previous years. Of those caught, four were Chinese and three were Taiwanese.
“Unauthorized photography of our military facilities or operational assets by foreign nationals from the Chinese-speaking world could seriously harm national security if such images are circulated online,” Yu said.
“As the number of cases has risen sharply, stronger warnings and tighter security measures are needed around key military sites,” the lawmaker underscored.
Military authorities said the foreign nationals were found to have filmed or photographed restricted military assets, including aircraft, naval bases and intelligence facilities. Some used drones and high-powered cameras capable of zooming into restricted areas, while others entered bases or nearby civilian areas and recorded security installations without permission.
In March, two Chinese high school students were arrested for repeatedly filming military facilities and airports across the country. According to the police, the two entered Korea on tourist visas on March 18 and were found in possession of walkie-talkies, DSLR cameras with telephoto lenses and mobile phones.
They allegedly took thousands of photos and videos of military aircraft, control towers, and runways at several locations, including Suwon Air Base, Osan Air Base, the U.S. military’s K-6 base in Pyeongtaek and Cheongju Air Base, as well as Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju airports.
The pair were caught on March 21 near Suwon Air Base while continuing to record aircraft movements. One of the students reportedly told investigators that his father was a public security officer in China, while both said they had a “personal hobby” of taking photos of airplanes. Police have requested a forensic analysis of their walkie-talkies and mobile devices and have placed them under a travel ban while the investigation continues.
The case was not included in the police data submitted to Yu, but it is being investigated separately by law enforcement authorities.
In May, two Taiwanese nationals entered Osan Air Base without authorization during the “Osan Air Power Day 2025” event hosted by U.S. Forces Korea and took more than 10 photos of fighter jets and equipment displayed on the runway.
They were initially stopped by U.S. military police but later gained access through a domestic gate. A local court sentenced them to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.
On May 29, a Taiwanese student was questioned after filming the front gate of the National Intelligence Service headquarters in Seoul using his smartphone.
In June, two Chinese students were arrested for using a drone to record the Navy’s Fleet Command in Busan. This included footage of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a U.S. aircraft carrier, which had docked there between March and June 2024.
A similar incident occurred in August, when two Chinese tourists flew a drone over the Navy’s fleet base on Jeju Island. Although they told police that they were unaware of the law, investigators found footage showing restricted naval zones and warships.