In late June, the US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) docked at the Busan Naval Base in South Korea, where three Chinese students were caught taking unauthorized photos of the American aircraft carrier by the South Korean authorities.
According to a report by the Korean daily newspaper “Chosun Ilbo,” based on the announcement from the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency on July 23, the police arrested and are investigating three Chinese individuals, including a man in his forties identified as Mr. A, all of whom are Chinese international students. They are accused of operating a drone on June 25 to fly towards the Busan Southern Naval Operational Command’s base and taking unauthorized photos of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier docked at the pier, which is a violation of the Military Base and Military Facilities Protection Law.
The report by the Korean news agency Yonhap also quoted the police stating that the three Chinese students allegedly used a drone on June 25 in the mountainous area near the Busan Southern Naval Operational Command’s base, to capture images of the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier docked in the port, for approximately 5 minutes.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt arrived in South Korea on June 22 and docked at the Busan Operational Base to participate in the first-ever “Freedom Edge” joint military exercise involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
It is noted in the report by the “Chosun Ilbo” that the incident of unauthorized photography of the aircraft carrier by Mr. A and others coincidentally happened on the day when South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited the USS Roosevelt for inspection; however, the photography took place before President Moon boarded the aircraft carrier. The individuals claimed that out of curiosity upon seeing a large aircraft carrier, they dispatched a drone. An official from the police mentioned, “No suspicions have been confirmed so far. But due to the ongoing investigation, it is difficult to disclose further details.”
This marks the first time the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier has docked in a South Korean port and the return of a US military carrier to South Korea after a gap of 7 months since the visit of the USS Carl Vinson nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in November last year. Accompanying the USS Roosevelt’s arrival in Korea are also the US Navy vessels USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118).
As per the Pentagon’s plan, following the joint maritime exercises with Japan and South Korea in early July, the USS Roosevelt hurried towards the Middle East. The US Central Command reported on July 12 that the USS Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group arrived in the US Fifth Fleet’s area of responsibility to “ensure the freedom of navigation in the region.”
On July 15, the US Naval Institute website reported that the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier had already reached the Gulf of Aden, near the southern entrance of the Red Sea at the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, on its way to the Red Sea.