South Korean authorities are investigating a Chinese teen after he allegedly eavesdropped on air traffic control communications at Jeju Airport.
The teen, suspected of violating the country’s Protection of Communications Secrets Act, faces an investigation without detention, the Jeju Provincial Police Agency said on 15 Sept.
Jeju Airport is categorised as a Grade A national key facility, the country’s highest protection tier for critical infrastructure.
On 27 Aug, the teenager allegedly used a handheld radio to listen in on conversations between the airport control tower and aircraft from the fourth-floor observation deck.
He did this for about 90 minutes, The Korean Herald reported.
Source: Google Maps
Another visitor alerted airport staff after finding the teen’s behaviour suspiscious.
Police officers were called to the scene and later arrested the suspect.
Police said the teen, who arrived in Jeju earlier that day, brought the radio device from China.
Source: Ibrahim Boran from Pexels via Canva, for illustration purposes only.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, such devices were found to be listed on Chinese e-commerce platforms, priced around RMB214 (around S$41).
Officers also discovered several photos of military facilities in Gyeonggi Province stored in his camera.
Additionally, the police found that the teenager had previously travelled to South Korea alone multiple times.
Source: Google Maps
He has been banned from leaving the country amid ongoing investigations.
Air traffic control frequencies are made publicly available for pilots’ operational use, reported The Korea Herald.
These communications include information involving takeoffs, landings, and taxiing, as well as altitude and flight direction.
The authorities are examining why the teen eavesdropped on the conversations and whether he unlawfully intercepted communications.
They are also looking into whether the images of military facilities are linked to his actions at the airport and whether the case involves espionage.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Ibrahim Boran from Pexels via Canva, for illustration purposes only.