A group of eight South Korean students were detained Tuesday for allegedly breaking into a United States air base while shouting anti-U.S. slogans, South Korean authorities said.
Incident Details
U.S. military personnel detained the four male and four female students after they allegedly entered Osan Air Base near the capital Seoul. They were later transferred to the custody of South Korean authorities, police said.
The students were being investigated under a law protecting military installations in South Korea, according to police, who said they all had invoked their right to remain silent during questioning.
Police said the students shouted slogans at the site including, “Let’s smash U.S. 7th Air Force.”
Response and Context
A U.S. military statement said the group attempted to unlawfully enter the base through the main gate and that “unauthorized attempts to access a U.S. military installation are taken extremely seriously.”
The incident will be addressed in accordance with applicable U.S. and South Korean laws and procedures, the military said.
There are about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea to help deter potential aggression from North Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Surveys have steadfastly shown a majority of South Koreans support the U.S.-South Korean military alliance, but the U.S. presence and its role in South Korea’s turbulent modern history also have been long-running sources of anti-U.S. sentiment among many in South Korea.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
