S. Korean broadcasting crew arrested in Nepal for illegal filming

KATHMANDU, March 20 — Four South Korean nationals, including a broadcasting crew, have been arrested by Nepalese authorities on charges of illegally filming a Hindu temple and a military facility, South Korean embassy officials said on Thursday.

The three employees of a Seoul TV network, including a producer surnamed Kim, and one tour guide allegedly filmed the Pashupatinath Temple located in the eastern part of Kathmandu and a nearby military airbase without government authorization, they said.

“(The four) explained (to local police) that they did not intend to illegally film the sites,” an embassy official said. “Local police will soon announce the investigation’s outcome.”

The four, who were apprehended by local police on Tuesday, gave a statement saying that they had not intended to shoot the military facility with a helicam, a remote-controlled mini helicopter that is used to obtain aerial pictures, the officials said.

After being temporarily released, the four were again called in by local police officers and have since been detained to undergo questioning, the officials added.

Seoul’s foreign ministry said the South Korean Embassy in Nepal is calling on the Nepalese police for cooperation to help speedily resolve the case.

“Our embassy in Nepal has dispatched a consul and an administrative official to the concerned police station and is providing consular support needed,” ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young said. “(The foreign ministry) will make utmost efforts to help resolve the case at the earliest possible time.”