- South Korea's defense minister said a July search at Osan Air Base did not violate SOFA, as it occurred in a Korean-controlled zone.
- The U.S. military filed a protest citing unnotified passage through U.S.-managed areas to access the Korean zone.
South Korea’s defense minister pushed back against a rare protest by U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), stating that a July search by investigators at Osan Air Base did not require prior consultation with the United States under existing agreements.
The U.S. military had protested the special counsel team’s July 21 entry into the base, citing that investigators had passed through U.S.-managed zones to access a Korean-controlled facility. According to multiple Seoul officials, the protest has prompted internal discussions about the basis for Washington’s complaint.
In a statement during a National Assembly audit, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said, “In a broader sense, it does not constitute a violation of the SOFA.” He added that the search was conducted “in an area managed by the Korean military” and did not fall under actions requiring joint consultation.
The protest centers on procedures outlined in the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which governs the presence and activities of U.S. forces in Korea. SOFA restricts Korean investigators from conducting search-and-seizure operations within U.S.-administered zones without prior approval, but it does not clearly define rules for passage through shared or adjoining areas.
Sources told The Korea Times that the search targeted the 1st Central Air Defense Control Center, a Korean-only area inside Osan Air Base. The investigators were seeking to confirm whether the military’s drone command had coordinated reconnaissance flights to Pyongyang with that unit in late 2024.
“To reach the Korean-only area, investigators inevitably had to pass through parts of a U.S. military-managed zone, including corridors and buildings,” a government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official noted that such transits have occurred in the past without triggering objections.
The issue escalated after Lt. Gen. David Iverson, USFK deputy commander and head of the Seventh Air Force, sent a letter to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier this month. Iverson, who serves as the U.S. co-chair of the SOFA Joint Committee, reportedly cited Articles 3 and 22 of SOFA while requesting clarification on the operation.
Although the letter stopped short of demanding an apology or specific countermeasures, it called attention to procedural concerns, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The timing of the protest—nearly three months after the July operation—has also raised questions. “I was informed about the protest but was told by the foreign ministry that the misunderstanding has been resolved,” Ahn said.
Observers have offered differing views on the delayed U.S. response. Some suggest that the matter may have gone through extended internal legal review, while others cite diplomatic sensitivities following recent remarks by President Donald Trump.
Shortly before his August summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump posted on social media, “Seems like there is a Purge or Revolution” in Korea. He added in subsequent comments to reporters that “they even went into a military base and got information. I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ll be finding out.”
Neither USFK nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided additional comment when contacted, citing the confidential nature of defense consultations.
Osan Air Base, located in Pyeongtaek about 53 kilometers south of Seoul, is divided into zones managed by the South Korean military, the U.S. military, and jointly. The special counsel’s search remained within the Korean-administered sector but crossed through adjoining spaces managed by U.S. forces.
While both sides appear to be downplaying the dispute publicly, the incident underscores the operational complexity of shared military installations under SOFA and may require further clarification in future bilateral talks.