A-10 Thunderbolt IIs taxi at Osan Air Base, South Korea, in October 2021. (Kevyn Allen/U.S. Air Force)
Two Chinese citizens arrested Monday on suspicion of filming aircraft at a U.S. military base in South Korea were cleared of wrongdoing and released hours later, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Station.
The two unnamed individuals were taken into custody on suspicion of illegal filming near Osan Air Base, home of the 7th Air Force and 51st Fighter Wing about 30 miles south of Seoul, a provincial police officer said by phone Tuesday.
The Korean National Police and National Intelligence Service “found nothing suspicious” and released the pair, the police officer said.
The police officer declined to provide further details about the case. South Korean government officials customarily speak to the media on the condition of anonymity.
A 51st Fighter Wing spokesman said the command was in contact with the Korean National Police, which is taking the lead in the investigation.
“The security of our installation is a priority for the 51st Fighter Wing,” command spokesman Andy Ahn said in an email Tuesday. “We are working closely with our [South Korean] and [Korean National Police] partners to investigate the matter and ensure the security of Osan Air Base.”
The two were detained the same day U.S. and South Korean air forces kicked off Freedom Flag, a 12-day exercise throughout the country with a variety of aircraft, including F-35B Lightning IIs, F-16 Fighting Falcons and KC-135 Stratotankers.
Photography of Osan, particularly its flight line, is not permitted without prior coordination and approval from base authorities, Ahn added. Under South Korean law, filming military installations can carry a fine of roughly $20,400 or a three-year prison sentence.
Street views of Osan are limited due to vegetation and a brick wall encircling the installation. However, parts of the base are visible from nearby multistory buildings across the street from the installation.
The South Korean air force and Air Operations Command share the base with the U.S. Air Force.
South Korea police arrested a pair of Chinese teenagers under similar circumstances one month ago.
The two were detained March 21 at South Korea’s Suwon Air Base on suspicion of illegally filming aircraft, according to the provincial police.
The teenagers, who told police they were aircraft hobbyists, had digital cameras and images of military aircraft, police said earlier this month. They were released after questioning but prohibited from leaving South Korea pending an investigation.
Provincial police did not respond Tuesday to requests for an update on the teenagers’ case, or whether they were connected to the individuals investigated at Osan.
