USFK lodges rare protest over Korean special counsel search at Osan Air Base

An F-16 fighter jet takes off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, May 30, 2024. Newsis

United States Forces Korea (USFK) filed a formal protest with the Korean government earlier this month over a July search and seizure by a special counsel team. The complaint represents a rare and unusually forceful diplomatic expression of concern from the U.S. military to its longtime ally.

According to sources, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Iverson, deputy commander of USFK and head of the U.S. delegation to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Joint Committee, sent the protest letter to Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Oct. 3.

In the letter, Iverson voiced concern over the special counsel’s operation at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, conducted on July 21 as part of the Dec. 3 martial law investigation, and requested an explanation from Seoul as to why SOFA protocols were not observed. Under the bilateral defense agreement, prior coordination or approval is required for any external access to U.S. military installations. USFK maintains that the special counsel team’s visit to the U.S. Air Force base violated SOFA provisions governing base access.

The protest centers on the July 21 raid, during which special counsel investigators entered the Republic of Korea Air Force’s 1st Master Control and Reporting Center (MCRC) inside Osan Air Base without prior U.S. authorization or consultation.

Investigators were reportedly looking into whether the Drone Operations Command coordinated with the Air Defense and Control Command on drone missions over Pyongyang in October and November 2024, part of the special counsel’s investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration last year.

MCRC is located within the Korean Air and Space Operations Center, a jointly operated facility that accommodates both South Korean and U.S. personnel, though each side maintains separate working zones. USFK argues that because entry points and corridors are shared, prior U.S. authorization or consultation should have been sought in accordance with SOFA regulations.

The special counsel’s office, however, stated that the search was limited to areas under South Korean jurisdiction and conducted with approval from the ROK Air Defense and Control Commander, emphasizing that the investigation did not involve U.S. personnel or property.

The issue surfaced during the Korea-U.S. summit in Washington in late August as well, when U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned the raid during his talks with President Lee Jae Myung. Lee clarified that the investigation targeted Korean military units, not U.S. installations.

When asked for comment, USFK declined to elaborate, stating, “USFK does not comment on external entities’ ongoing investigations, and we fully cooperate with ROK investigative authorities.”

An official from the Korean foreign ministry said Thursday that it would be inappropriate to comment on matters involving communication between Seoul and Washington.