A Taiwanese man was arrested by South Korean police yesterday for allegedly filming the interior of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) building.
The man, in his 30s, was reported to the police for filming the building's interior with his mobile phone at around 12:30pm from somewhere around its main entrance, and he was later arrested for violating laws protecting military bases and institutions.
According to local media, the man loitered around the building's entrance for a long period of time, and police were checking his mobile phone to confirm whether he violated national security laws and whether to apply for a formal arrest warrant.
Photo: Screengrab from the National Intelligence Service’s Facebook page
At the time of his arrest, the man told the police that he was interested in history and was filming the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site Heonilleung, the site of two royal tombs, Heonleung and Inleung, the media report said.
The tombs and the NIS building are both in Naegok-dong area in the southern part of Seoul.
The arrest comes on the heels of recent cases of Chinese nationals illegally filming South Korean military facilities, which have raised security concerns.
In response, the US military barred Chinese and Taiwanese nationals from entering the Osan Air Power Days event earlier this month.
Despite the ban, two Taiwanese nationals were accused of illegally entering the air show venue on May 12 and photographing US military facilities and equipment. They remain in police custody and are under investigation.
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