Seven foreigners have been caught illegally filming South Korea's military facilities so far this year, according to government data Thursday.

Four were Chinese nationals and three were Taiwanese, according to National Police Agency data submitted to Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the main opposition People Power Party.

In March, two Chinese tourists were apprehended while taking photos of military planes at bases in Suwon, Pyeongtaek and Osan.

Then on May 10, two Taiwanese nationals illegally entered Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, to photograph military aircraft and other equipment. They were later sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.

Later the same month, a Taiwanese student was caught filming a National Intelligence Service facility with a mobile phone.

In August, police apprehended two Chinese nationals for illegally filming the Navy's Task Fleet Command headquarters at a naval base on the southern island of Jeju. They were found to possess videos taken inside the base. (Yonhap)

North Korean soldiers stand guard at a North Korean guard post in Kaepung County, North Hwanghae Province, as seen from the Peace Observatory in Ganghwa County, Incheon, on June 17, 2020. (Herald DB)
North Korean soldiers stand guard at a North Korean guard post in Kaepung County, North Hwanghae Province, as seen from the Peace Observatory in Ganghwa County, Incheon, on June 17, 2020. (Herald DB)