Two Former Chinese Soldiers Indicted Over Alleged Leaks of Korean and US Military Secrets

South Korean prosecutors have indicted two former Chinese soldiers on charges related to the alleged collection and transfer of sensitive information involving the South Korean military and U.S. Forces Korea, according to legal sources cited Tuesday.

The cases were handled by the Pyeongtaek branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office. The allegations concern separate methods of obtaining military information, including the interception of communications and the collection of material connected to joint South Korea-U.S. operations.

One defendant, a Chinese national in his 60s, is accused of wiretapping communications at major South Korean and U.S. air and naval facilities on 13 occasions between March 2024 and August 2026. Prosecutors allege that he collected 13.9 terabytes of intercepted data and moved it to China.

The man had reportedly served for about four decades in an eavesdropping unit of China’s People’s Liberation Army. The indictment links his alleged activity to communications around military installations, making the case a significant test of South Korea’s ability to protect operational information near bases used by Korean and American forces. The reported charges remain allegations to be tested in court.

The second defendant, a 45-year-old former member of a PLA special forces unit, is accused of obtaining information about South Korea-U.S. joint exercises and military leadership on 12 occasions. He operated a military supply shop near Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek from November 2021 until May 2026, according to the report. Camp Humphreys is a central hub for the U.S. military presence in South Korea.

Prosecutors allege that the second man recruited a civilian employee and soldiers working at the base while running the shop. He is also accused of using a mobile phone to photograph the movement of weapons inside Camp Humphreys.

The indictments mark a new legal stage in cases involving alleged attempts to gather information around some of the country’s most sensitive military sites. They also bring scrutiny to security controls surrounding facilities shared by South Korean and U.S. forces, as well as the risks created when people with routine access to a base are approached for information.

No court ruling on the defendants’ guilt was reported. The prosecution’s claims will therefore be subject to examination through the judicial process.