South Korean students detained over Osan Air Base entry bid

Eight South Korean student protesters were detained after trying to unlawfully enter Osan Air Base south of Seoul, police and the US military said Wednesday.

The Korean Progressive University Student Union posted social media images of its Tuesday demonstration outside the base, which is about 50 kilometres south of Seoul and is the main hub of the US Air Force in South Korea.

A US military statement said eight people attempted to enter the installation through its main gate and were transferred to the Korean National Police. South Korean police said the students were being held in detention and had refused to speak during questioning.

The student group said the US military presence in the southern city of Gwangju could complicate a major chipmaking project planned there. It later condemned what it called the US military's “interruption” of the project.

South Korea's president's office said last month that Seoul and Washington had begun consultations about relocating the Gwangju Military Airbase, part of which is used by the US military. The site has been designated for an 800 trillion won, or $560 billion, manufacturing hub for SK hynix and Samsung Electronics.

Washington stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to support Seoul's defences against military threats from Pyongyang.