National Assembly National Defense Committee Audit of Air Force Headquarters
On October 23, Air Force Chief of Staff Sohn Seokrak stated regarding the special investigation team's search and seizure at Osan Air Base, "In my opinion, it was a normal procedure."
Appearing at the National Assembly National Defense Committee's audit held in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province on this day, Chief Sohn responded to a related question from Assemblyman Lim Jongdeuk of the People Power Party, saying, "I acknowledge that it could be a situation that the United States Forces Korea might misunderstand, but I understand that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other related agencies are working to resolve any misunderstandings."
Previously, the United States Forces Korea sent a letter of protest after the special investigation team on the insurrection conducted a search and seizure on July 21 at the Korean Air and Space Operations Center (KAOC) building within Osan Air Base, specifically targeting the Air Force's 1st Central Air Defense Control Center (MCRC). Since KAOC is a facility jointly used by South Korea and the United States, the protest argued that prior consent from the U.S. side should have been obtained in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
Air Force Operations Commander Kim Hyungsoo explained in this regard that there are separate memorandums of understanding (MOUs) regarding SOFA and facility use and access, and since the KAOC searched by the special investigation team was property built on land provided by South Korea, the entry procedures followed the MOU. Commander Kim also added that a legal review was conducted through the legal office concerning this matter.
Chief Sohn also stated, "While it is true that Osan Air Base is on land provided by South Korea to the United States, KAOC is a building constructed by South Korea under the Yulgok Project, and later, at the request of the U.S. side, both the Republic of Korea and the United States 7th Air Force agreed to jointly use the facility." He added, "Our military is doing its utmost to maintain the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance."
However, opposition party lawmakers criticized, "If it is a joint-use area between South Korea and the United States, there should have been consultations with the U.S. military as well," and argued that "the Air Force's inadequate response has seriously undermined the solidity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance." In response, ruling party lawmakers, including Assemblyman Boo Seungchan, protested loudly, which led to a temporary suspension of the Air Force Headquarters audit.
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