[News Today] CHINESE STUDENTS FILM U.S. CARRIER

[LEAD]
Three Chinese individuals were apprehended for illegally filming the USS Theodore Roosevelt nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which had docked in Busan for a military exercise. The suspects, who are students, captured about five minutes of footage that included not only the aircraft carrier but also military base buildings.


[REPORT]
The USS Theodore Roosevelt nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in Busan on June 22 to take part in a trilateral exercise with South Korea and Japan.

President Yoon Suk Yeol boarded the carrier three days later on the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and underscored the importance of the Seoul-Washington alliance.

On that very day, the US vessel was exposed to a civilian drone.

Three Chinese students were caught filming the carrier using a drone on a nearby hill.
They were discovered by an Army officer on a patrol mission.

The filmed footage is about 5 minutes long. Not only the carrier but a section of a naval base building was also filmed.

According to police investigations, the students had also filmed the vicinity of the base earlier on June 23.

They reportedly told police that filming the huge carrier was done out of curiosity.

Police for now believes there are no signs of espionage such as attempts to leak military secrets.

However, the investigation continues including an analysis of phone records.

The Navy said that military recon assets have verified the drone is not believed to have infiltrated into the base but vowed to step up patrols and other measures.

Earlier in May over in Japan, footage of a convoy renovation was shared on a Chinese website, prompting criticism of a security lapse.