A group of eight South Korean students were detained by U.S. military personnel on Tuesday for allegedly breaking into Osan Air Base near Seoul while shouting anti-U.S. slogans. The students, four male and four female, were later transferred to the custody of South Korean authorities.
Police are investigating the students under a law protecting military installations in South Korea. According to police, the students invoked their right to remain silent during questioning. During the alleged incident, they shouted slogans including “Let’s smash U.S. 7th Air Force.”
A U.S. military statement indicated that the group attempted to gain unlawful entry through the main gate, emphasizing that “unauthorized attempts to access a U.S. military installation are taken extremely seriously.” The incident will be handled in accordance with applicable U.S. and South Korean laws and procedures.
The Korean Progressive University Student Union stated on Facebook that the detained individuals were members protesting the U.S. military's alleged opposition to a South Korean semiconductor cluster project. South Korean police declined to comment on this statement, and the U.S. military did not address it. Yonhap news agency reported that the U.S. has indicated significant interests in a military airport slated for relocation related to the semiconductor project.
Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, a presence established after the 1950-53 Korean War. While public opinion surveys consistently show a majority of South Koreans support the U.S.-South Korean military alliance, the U.S. military presence has also been a long-standing source of anti-U.S. sentiment.
In a similar incident in 2019, South Korean police arrested four students who broke into the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Seoul to protest the Trump administration's requests for South Korea to increase its financial contributions for the cost of U.S. troops stationed there.