Pyeongtaek: Two Taiwanese nationals have received suspended prison sentences after being indicted for illegally filming U.S. military aircraft and facilities in South Korea, judicial officials reported on Thursday. The Pyeongtaek branch of the Suwon District Court handed down sentences of 1 1/2 years, suspended for three years, to both individuals, one in his 40s and the other in his 60s, for breaching military base and facility protection laws in a ruling issued on July 22.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the pair were accused of illegally photographing U.S. military installations and equipment during an air show at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, located approximately 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 10. The duo reportedly told police that their actions were driven by curiosity rather than any malicious intent.
In the court ruling, Judge Woo Je-chun stated, "The defendants entered the military base without the permission of the commander of the relevant unit, and filmed the military base and facilities. The nature of their crime is bad, but there is no evidence that they intended to detect military secrets." Despite the severity of the offense, the lack of evidence pointing to espionage intentions influenced the court's decision to suspend the sentences.