Tag: China

Well at least the ROK and the U.S. will know where the Chinese spies will be working out of:

The Chinese government owns 11 plots of land in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, which sit between 1 and 1.5 kilometers from the proposed future site of the US Embassy and South Korea’s current presidential office, according to a local media report Wednesday.

Asia Business Daily reported that the People’s Republic of China acquired ownership of the land spanning 4,100 square meters in December 2018 for about 29.9 billion won ($21.9 million). It marked the first time that a foreign government’s direct land purchase in the Yongsan area was disclosed to the public.

The properties are at the southern foot of Namsan, just before entering Namsan Tunnels No. 2 and 3 from Noksapyeong-daero in Itaewon-dong. The site previously operated as an outdoor golf driving range for more than 40 years but shut down around the time the land changed hands. Several buildings on the site remain unoccupied.

The Itaewon-dong location sits approximately 1 to 1.5 kilometers from the current presidential office in Samgakji, current presidential residence in Hannam-dong, and the former Camp Coiner site — the designated location for the new US Embassy — all in the district of Yongsan-gu.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but according to the article the Chinese government is responsible for 64.9% of foreign real estate transactions in South Korea.

At some point the Japanese have got to give the Senkaku Islands the Dokdo treatment and just put a small military garrison on it in order to show the island is and always will be Japanese:

Japan and China are accusing each other of violating the airspace around the Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands that Beijing also claims. Japan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that it has protested to Beijing after a Chinese helicopter that took off from one of China’s four coast guard boats had entered Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku island, violating the Japanese airspace around them for about 15 minutes on Saturday.

In response to the airspace intrusion, Japan’s Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets, the Defense Ministry said. China routinely sends coast guard vessels and aircraft into waters and airspace surrounding the islands, which China calls the Diaoyu, to harass Japanese vessels in the area and force Japan to scramble jets in response.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

China is using all manner of Chinese nationals in South Korea to spy on ROK military facilities:

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported 11 incidents of unauthorized filming of military facilities in Korea by Chinese nationals since June of last year, according to lawmakers Wednesday.

The revelation came during a closed-door meeting between the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee and the NIS, according to Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the People Power Party and Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the Democratic Party of Korea.

On June 25, 2024, three Chinese nationals were caught flying a drone toward the Naval Operations Command in the southern port city of Busan, taking photos of an aircraft carrier docked at the base.

The NIS noted that these 11 cases of unauthorized filming were primarily carried out by temporary visitors, such as tourists and international students from China, including minors.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.