Prosecutors on Monday sought prison terms for two Chinese teenagers accused of repeatedly filming fighter jets near South Korean military facilities and major airports.
At a closing hearing at Suwon District Court, the court’s Criminal Division 12, presided over by Chief Judge Park Geon-chang, heard prosecutors request an indeterminate sentence of three to four years in prison for A, and four years for B. Prosecutors also asked the court to confiscate cameras and other equipment used in the filming. Under South Korean law, minors may receive indeterminate sentences with both minimum and maximum terms set.
Prosecutors described the case as a serious crime that could threaten military security, saying the defendants had not shown sufficient remorse after the alleged offenses and should be punished strictly.
The hearing also focused on messages from a WeChat group chat used by B. Prosecutors cited remarks including that “C told us to film” and references to money, arguing they suggest a possible person behind the operation — someone who directed the filming and intended to pay for it.
Defense lawyers rejected that interpretation, saying the chat was taken out of context and amounted to a light joke about pinning blame on a specific person if they were caught, not evidence of real instructions.
The defense said the teens were students who photographed aircraft as a hobby, not participants in an organized effort, and asked for leniency. In their final statements, the defendants said they did not realize their curiosity would lead to such serious consequences and that they were deeply remorseful.
Prosecutors allege that from the second half of 2024 through March last year, the teens entered South Korea three times and twice, respectively, and made hundreds of detailed recordings of fighter jet takeoffs and landings and air traffic control facilities. The locations included four South Korea-U.S. military sites — Suwon Air Base, Pyeongtaek Osan Air Base (K-55), a U.S. base in Pyeongtaek (K-6), and Cheongju Air Base — as well as Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju airports.
They were caught March 21 last year while filming near Suwon Air Base after a resident reported suspicious activity to police. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict at 10 a.m. on the 14th of next month.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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