US Files First Charges Against 'Chinese Secret Police Station'... Will It Boost NIS Investigation?

US Indicts Two Suspects Over Alleged Secret Police Station in Manhattan
Domestic Secret Police Station Allegation Sent to Dongbangmyeongju
National Intelligence Service Faces Difficulty Proving Charges... "Burden Will Be Eased"

The United States has made its first arrest and indictment related to the suspicion of a 'Chinese secret police station,' marking a potential turning point in the counterintelligence authorities' investigation, which had faced difficulties in proving the charges.

According to foreign media reports on the 20th, the U.S. federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested and indicted two Chinese-American U.S. citizens on the 17th (local time) in New York for operating a secret police station. This is the first time anyone has been criminally charged following allegations that China has been operating secret police stations in 53 countries worldwide, including South Korea, to monitor and suppress overseas dissidents.

Chinese Restaurant Suspected of 'Secret Police Station' Repeatedly Announces Press Conference
Photo by Yonhap News

The two indicted individuals operated under the signboard of Changlegonghui (Fujian Province hometown association) in a six-story building housing a Malatang restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown, New York. They were involved in the 'Fox Hunt' operation, which involves threatening dissidents who fled to the U.S. and forcibly repatriating them to China. U.S. investigative authorities believe they stalked and attempted to hand over individuals not only in New York and New Jersey on the East Coast but also in California on the West Coast. Thirty-four Chinese local public security officials involved in these activities have also been listed in the indictment.

At the end of last year, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) began an investigation with the police after suspicions arose that the Chinese restaurant 'Dongbangmyeongju' in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was a base within South Korea. At the end of last month, the Seoul Songpa Police Station referred the restaurant's actual owner, Wang Haijun, and representative A to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on charges including violations of the Food Sanitation Act and the Outdoor Advertising Act. However, they have yet to prove charges related to operating a 'secret police station.'

Performing consular duties outside diplomatic missions without the host country's approval violates international norms and practices, including the Vienna Convention. However, counterintelligence authorities are reported to be struggling with the investigation because there is no clear legal basis under domestic law to punish 'foreigners surveilling and pressuring other foreigners.'

Deportation measures are also difficult. Under the current Immigration Control Act, deportation can only be enforced against foreigners engaging in activities beyond their visa status if they are suspected of illegal employment, rebellion, or criminal offenses.

Lu Zhenwang (61), who operated a Chinese secret police station under the title of "President of the Fujian Province Association" in a Malatang restaurant building in New York, USA, was arrested on the 17th at the Eastern District Prosecutor's Office in Brooklyn, New York. After applying for bail release with his attorney, he is leaving the courthouse. Lu Zhenwang and another secret police station operator, Chen Jinping, are expected to stand trial under movement restrictions.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Inside and outside the counterintelligence community, there is speculation that the U.S. indictment will accelerate the NIS investigation. The U.S. reportedly applied charges such as stalking to those involved in the secret police stations. A former NIS official said, "If Western countries investigating similar suspicions follow the U.S.'s lead, South Korea's burden to indict will lessen," adding, "It is expected that relevant information will be shared between South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies."

An intelligence official also explained, "Since this kind of case is unprecedented, there are no precedents to refer to for grounds of punishment, making the situation difficult," and added, "The Chinese government is completely denying the secret police station allegations, so there are concerns that indicting in South Korea could escalate into a diplomatic dispute." Whether the U.S. indictment details will be referenced during the investigation is "something to watch."

Meanwhile, the NIS believes that Wang, the actual owner of Dongbangmyeongju, has been performing de facto consular functions, such as transferring Chinese nationals abroad. After the secret police station allegations surfaced, Wang and others closed the existing Chinese restaurant and opened a hot pot restaurant in early January this year in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. The location is close to the Chinese Embassy in Korea, and counterintelligence authorities reportedly obtained prior information about the restaurant's relocation and have been monitoring the situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.