South Korea probes claim Chinese teen caught filming F-16s is son of security official

Authorities said the teen and another Chinese student were in possession of nearly 100 images of military aircraft taken at an airbase

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US Air Force F-16 fighter jets take part in joint aerial drills at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek in 2017. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:17pm, 10 Apr 2025

South Korean authorities are investigating a claim, made by one of two Chinese high school students apprehended for illegally filming military aircraft, that his father is a member of China’s public security bureau.

The pair, who arrived in South Korea on tourist visas on March 18, were detained for photographing military aircraft – including F-16 fighter jets – near Suwon Air Base in Gyeonggi province just three days later, according to local media reports.

An official familiar with the investigation told The Chosun Daily that nearly 100 images of aircraft taking off and landing were recovered from the students’ DSLR camera and smartphones.

They had positioned themselves on farmland several hundred metres from the base when a resident reported their activities to police. Investigators said the photos did not include interior shots of the facility, and no telephoto lens had been used.

Nonetheless, officials suspect the students may have acted with intent. “Given that they began photographing strategic assets and key installations almost immediately after entering the country, their actions appear premeditated,” an investigative source told The Chosun Daily.

US Air Force B-1B bombers, centre, F-22 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets, bottom, fly over South Korea Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea in 2023. Photo: AP

Before arriving in Suwon, the students are said to have visited Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, where they filmed US Air Force F-35 stealth fighters – a next-generation aircraft exported only to close American allies and closely watched by Beijing.