Chinese teenager investigated over Jeju airport eavesdropping, military photos
Police are probing whether a Chinese teenager who monitored air traffic communications and photographed military facilities was involved in espionage.
The facade of Jeju International Airport
YONHAP
Jeju police on Tuesday said it is investigating a Chinese teenager for possible espionage after catching him secretly listening to air traffic control communications at Jeju International Airport and finding photos of Korean military facilities on his camera.
The teenager is accused of using a private radio to illegally listen in on communications between the control tower and aircraft for about an hour and a half from the observation deck on the fourth floor of Jeju International Airport on the morning of Aug. 27.
A visitor to the observation deck grew suspicious of his behavior and alerted airport staff, who called police. Officers who responded arrested him on the spot.
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Police Agency booked the suspect without detention on charges including violating the Protection of Communications Secrets Act.
In their ongoing investigation, police found that he entered Korea from China the same day as the incident and that the radio he used was brought directly from China. The device is reportedly sold on Chinese websites for about 214 yuan ($32).
Police also found that the teenager had entered Korea multiple times without a guardian or companions, and his camera contained numerous photos of at least two military facilities in Gyeonggi, a province on the outskirts of Seoul.
Police have barred him from leaving the country and are investigating exactly why and how he came to listen in on air traffic communications at Jeju Airport. They are also examining whether there is any link between the photos of military facilities and the eavesdropping at the airport and whether the case involves espionage.
Jeju International Airport is classified as one of Korea's most sensitive national security facilities, holding the highest protection tier assigned to the country's critical infrastructure.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
