Eight Detained at Osan as Students Protest US Veto Over Korean Chip Hub

Activists breached the base gate over Washington's role in the Gwangju semiconductor plan, citing last week's white phosphorus scare

South Korean authorities have detained eight members of a student group after they attempted to enter a US military base south of Seoul during an anti-American protest.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, the activists — all members of the Korean Progressive University Student Union (KPUSU) — breached the main gate of K-55 Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek on Tuesday. Six entered the base chanting slogans including “Destroy the Seventh Air Force” and calling for the withdrawal of US forces from the country, while two others were stopped at the entrance. US Forces Korea detained the group before handing them to South Korean police.

A chip hub and a status agreement

In a statement on social media, KPUSU said the protest was aimed at opposing American interference in South Korea’s plan to build a major semiconductor manufacturing cluster in the south-western city of Gwangju.

Seoul intends to transform Gwangju Airport, a dual-use military and civilian airfield, into a flagship chip-manufacturing hub for the region. The obstacle is that the airport also functions as a Korea-US Air Force Collocated Operating Base, meaning any relocation or redevelopment requires consultation with Washington under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement.

Established in 1964, Gwangju is one of five such bases in South Korea, allowing American air assets to deploy rapidly in an emergency even though no US units are permanently stationed there in peacetime. Officials say they are coordinating closely with Washington to ensure any move does not weaken the allies’ combined defence posture, and the presidential office has confirmed consultations are already under way.

Military analysts have warned that relocating the facility before an alternative is ready could undermine readiness. Talks on moving operations to nearby Muan County continue without resolution, leaving the timeline for the semiconductor project uncertain.

White phosphorus at the gates

The students also pointed to an incident at Osan last week, when South Korean authorities briefly ordered residents living nearby to evacuate. Local officials attributed the evacuation to a white phosphorus leak; the US military described it only as a “ground mishap” that prompted a safety cordon, without confirming any leak had occurred.

White phosphorus is a highly controversial incendiary substance used in munitions and smoke shells. Once ignited, it burns at extreme temperatures, capable of burning through human tissue and setting buildings alight. Its use by the United States in densely populated areas, including in Gaza, has drawn repeated international condemnation.

Reference: PressTv