Taiwanese duo arrested for filming US base sent to prosecution

A U.S. Air Force fighter jet performs a special flight during the Osan Air Power Days event at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, May 11. Yonhap

Two Taiwanese nationals arrested by police last week for illegally filming U.S. military aircraft and facilities in Korea have been transferred to the prosecution for a possible indictment, police said Wednesday.

The suspects — one in his 40s and the other in his 60s — are accused of illegally photographing U.S. military facilities and equipment during an air show held at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 10.

They were sent to the prosecution on Monday, the Pyeongtaek Police Station said, adding it has yet to confirm whether the photos they took were passed on to others. "For security reasons, we cannot disclose what photos they took and how many, or whether they included key facilities or strategic assets," a police official said.

Usually, visitors are free to take pictures at air shows, but the U.S. military prohibited citizens of certain countries, including China and Taiwan, from entering the Osan Air Power Days event due to a recent series of illegal filming of Korean military facilities by Chinese people.

But the suspects violated the ban and secretly entered the air show venue to commit the illegal act.