Eight South Korean students arrested after alleged intrusion at Osan Air Base

Police in Seoul reported that four male and four female South Korean students were taken into custody on Tuesday for allegedly forcing entry onto Osan Air Base and vocalizing anti-U.S. chants, including a call to “smash U.S. 7th Air Force.” U.S. service members first detained the group at the base’s main gate before handing them over to Korean police, who are probing the incident under statutes that safeguard military sites.

The students invoked their right to remain silent during questioning. The Korean Progressive University Student Union claimed the action was a protest against what it described as U.S. opposition to a domestic semiconductor cluster project, a claim not addressed by the U.S. military. Authorities from both nations stressed that any unauthorized attempt to access a U.S. installation will be dealt with according to applicable U.S. and South Korean laws. The episode follows a 2019 incident in which students broke into the U.S. ambassador’s residence while protesting cost-sharing demands for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.