The Air Force announced that on the 23rd of last month, joint aerial training was conducted involving numerous fighter jets, including the F-35A, a 5th-generation fighter of the ROK-US Air Forces, as well as the F-15K and KF-16. The photo shows a US Air Force F-35A participating in the training, taxiing on the taxiway for takeoff at Osan Air Base. Provided by the Air Force.

The US Forces Korea has announced the withdrawal of access control authority to the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, which had been granted to the ROK military, citing enhanced security. This decision is drawing attention as it is understood to be influenced by the search and seizure of Osan Air Base conducted by the special prosecutor team investigating the coup d'état in July.

On the 11th (Korean time), US Forces Korea announced that starting next month, they will implement enhanced access control measures, under which US forces will exclusively manage access control and electronic record management for three external gates of Osan Air Base.

Osan Air Base is a US Forces Korea base that houses the 7th Air Force Command. Some ROK Air Force units, such as the Air Force Operations Command and the Air Force Air Defense Artillery Command, are also stationed there to conduct joint operations.

There are three entrances to Osan Air Base. The entrance near the Air Force Operations Command had been jointly managed by both ROK and US forces to facilitate access for ROK military personnel, allowing the use of ROK government employee IDs.

However, US Forces Korea recently informed the ROK side that, going forward, this entrance, like the other two, will be exclusively managed by US Forces Korea for access control.

This means that ROK government employee IDs, which were previously permitted, will no longer be valid, and access will only be granted with a DBIDS (Defense Biometric Identification System) card issued by US Forces Korea.

According to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the US and the Republic of Korea, the US military is authorized to take all necessary measures for the security, protection, and management of bases provided by South Korea. Access to US Forces Korea bases, such as Camp Humphreys and Gunsan Air Base, is exclusively managed by the US military.

This measure comes two months after Deputy Commander of US Forces Korea, David Iverson, sent a formal protest letter to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October. It is being assessed as the first de facto action taken in response to the special prosecutor's search and seizure.

With this measure being implemented just five days after the White House announced its National Security Strategy (NSS), attention is focused on how this incident will affect US-ROK military cooperation. This is because key facilities, including the ROK Air Force Operations Command and the MCRC (Main Control and Reporting Center), are located at Osan Air Base.

The special prosecutor's office conducted a search and seizure of the Air Force's MCRC at Osan Air Base as part of its investigation into the "North Korean drone operation." US Forces Korea protested to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that there was no consultation despite the operation passing through areas managed by US Forces Korea.

News&Post previously reported that the materials seized by the special prosecutor's team at the time included US classified information of Level 2, and that President Trump expressed anger upon receiving this report.

At the time, it was known that the special prosecutor's team accessed Osan Air Base through an entrance jointly managed by the ROK military and US Forces Korea.

An Air Force official stated, "The ROK and US Air Forces are closely consulting on improvements to the access system at Osan Air Base," adding, "Specific details cannot be disclosed due to security reasons."

By Sung Ku Hong, Chief Editor of NNP US / Special Correspondent for this publication NNP info@newsandpost.com