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| 2026-01-12 15:43:25
US military-air base access
S. Korea, U.S. conduct security training after Osan Air Base gate access update
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean and U.S. troops have conducted drills to standardize new entry procedures at Osan Air Base, the U.S. Air Force said Monday, following its decision to transfer control of access to gates from previous joint management to the U.S. side.
The move comes a month after the U.S. 51st Fighter Wing said that base access requirements have been "updated" to ensure security, in a move that would mandate South Korean military personnel use U.S.-approved identification cards to access gates at the air base in Pyeongtaek, some 65 kilometers south of Seoul.
"Installation security is a shared responsibility," a U.S. Air Force Operations Command representative was quoted as saying in a release. "By training together and operating under a single set of procedures, we reduce vulnerabilities and improve our ability to protect the entire installation."
The fighter wing said the unified procedures were "developed through coordination and negotiation between U.S. and ROKAF leadership, with both sides contributing to procedures that support overall safety and security of Osan."
ROKAF is short for the Republic of Korea Air Force.
The access policy update apparently came after the U.S. military lodged a complaint over a special counsel team's search and seizure at the air base in July last year as part of its investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.
Following the special counsel team's raid conducted under the South Korean side's access authority, U.S. Forces Korea Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. David Iverson reportedly sent a letter to the foreign ministry protesting the search.
Alongside U.S. military facilities, the air base also stations key facilities operated by the South Korean Air Force, such as the Air Force Operations Command, and the Air Force Master Control and Reporting Center.
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