Aircraft take off and land on the runway at Jeju International Airport. [Yonhap]
Aircraft take off and land on the runway at Jeju International Airport. [Yonhap]

A Chinese teenager caught illegally monitoring air traffic control communications at Jeju International Airport was found to have numerous photos of South Korean military facilities stored on his phone, police said.

The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday it had booked the teen, identified only as A, on charges including violation of the Protection of Communications Secrets Act. He was not detained and remains under investigation.

A is accused of using a private radio transceiver to secretly listen to communications between the control tower and aircraft for an hour and a half from the fourth-floor observation deck of Jeju Airport on the morning of Aug. 27.

A visitor at the observation deck noticed A's suspicious behavior and alerted airport staff, prompting police to respond and arrest him on the spot.

Police found that A had entered Jeju from China on the day of the incident and had brought the radio transceiver with him from China. The device sells on Chinese online platforms for about 214 yuan ($32), or roughly 43,000 won.

Police also found that A, a minor, had entered South Korea multiple times without a guardian or travel companion. His camera contained numerous photos of at least two military facilities in Gyeonggi Province.

Police have placed A on a departure ban and are investigating the exact circumstances and purpose behind his monitoring of air traffic control communications, as well as any connection to the photographing of military facilities. Authorities are also examining whether there are grounds to suspect espionage.

Jeju Airport is managed as a Class A national important facility — the highest security designation under South Korea's national security framework.


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