Eight South Korean students detained for breaking into US air base
Eight South Korean university students were detained Tuesday after allegedly breaking into a major US military installation while shouting anti-American slogans, authorities said.
US military personnel from Security Forces detained the four men and four women after they entered Osan Air Base, also known as K-55, near Pyeongtaek about 60 kilometers south of Seoul.
The group, all members of the Korean Progressive University Student Union, approached the main gate around 10:15 AM.
Six rushed into the compound while the other two were stopped at the entrance, according to South Korean police.
They were later transferred to Korean National Police custody.
Police said the students chanted slogans including “Let’s smash US 7th Air Force.”
The base hosts the headquarters of the US 7th Air Force. Investigators are examining them under South Korea’s Military Installations Protection Act; all have invoked their right to remain silent.
A US military statement described the incident as an attempt to “unlawfully enter the base through the main gate.”
“Unauthorized attempts to access a U.S. military installation are taken extremely seriously,” said Master Sgt. Eric Flores, spokesman for the 51st Fighter Wing.
“The safety and security of our personnel, facilities, and mission remain our highest priorities.” The wing is cooperating with local police, and the matter will be handled under applicable US and South Korean laws.
The student union said in a Facebook statement that the detainees were protesting what it called US military opposition to a South Korean semiconductor cluster project.
The group also referenced a recent white phosphorus leak at the base as evidence of ongoing risks from the American presence.
South Korean police declined to comment on the statement, which the US military did not address.
Yonhap reported that the US side has cited important interests in a military airport that would be affected by the project’s relocation plans.
About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea under a mutual defense treaty aimed at deterring North Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
While surveys consistently show majority South Korean support for the alliance, the US military presence has long fueled periodic anti-American protests, including a 2019 incident in which students broke into the US ambassador’s residence in Seoul.
The eight students remained in custody as of the latest reports while the joint investigation continued. No injuries or major disruptions to base operations were reported.
