2 Chinese teens booked for illegally filming fighter jets at Suwon air base

An F/A-18 fighter jet takes off at the Suwon Air Base in Gyeonggi Province, provided by Korea's Air Force, July 25, 2024. Newsis

Two Chinese teenagers have been apprehended for illegally filming fighter jets near a major air base in Suwon, police said Monday.

The two Chinese nationals are suspected of using their DSLR camera and mobile phone to film fighter jets landing and taking off from the Air Force's 10th Fighter Wing at around 3:30 p.m. on March 21, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police.

The teenagers face charges of breaching the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act and have been placed under a travel ban, police said.

They reportedly attend high school in China and entered the country on a tourist visa three days ahead of the incident.

After discovering multiple photos of fighter jets on their devices, police are conducting a forensic analysis to determine whether similar photos were also taken at other military facilities, airports and ports.

Both police and the Air Force did not provide further information on the case, citing an ongoing investigation. (Yonhap)