Two Chinese men have been indicted on charges of illegally filming a US aircraft carrier and a South Korean naval base with a drone in the southeastern port city of Busan, legal sources said Friday.
The Busan District Prosecutors Office recently indicted the two Chinese nationals -- both students in their 30s and 40s enrolled at a university in Busan -- on charges of benefiting an enemy and undermining national military interests.
Under South Korean law, individuals convicted of such offenses may face imprisonment of at least three years up to life imprisonment.
The two are accused of flying a drone near the Korean Fleet Command in southern Busan nine times between March 2023 and June 2024. They allegedly used the drone to illegally record footage of the naval base as well as the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt while it was docked in Busan.
The two proceeded with the filming even on June 25, 2024, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Theodore Roosevelt to inspect the vessel and meet with South Korean and U.S. service members, which heightened security.
Their illegal filming content totaled 11.9 gigabytes comprising 172 photos and 22 videos, with some of them distributed to TikTok and other Chinese social media.
Separately, another Chinese woman in her 30s is also under investigation by prosecutors after being referred on suspicion of violating the military base law, the sources added. (Yonhap)
