Police in South Korea say they have arrested two foreigners who are alleged to have illegally collected information near a US military base in the country. A South Korean media outlet says they are both former Chinese military service members.
On Tuesday, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency announced the arrest of two foreigners, one in his 60s and the other in his 40s. It said that both men have military backgrounds in their home country.
The police say the suspect in his 60s has visited South Korea multiple times since 2024, when joint drills between the US and South Korean militaries have taken place.
He is suspected of intercepting communications between fighter jets and ground control by setting up a radio receiver and other equipment at a hotel near the base, which is located in the southwestern city of Gunsan.
The police report that the other suspect collected information about US-South Korean joint drills from a South Korean worker at the US base in exchange for money and goods.
The media outlet says it is unusual for former members of the Chinese military to be arrested in South Korea on such charges.
The police say that the investigation is continuing through the analysis of confiscated materials.