Air Power Days attendees gather near the entrance of Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 11, 2025. (Yoojin Lee/Stars and Stripes)
South Korean police arrested two Taiwanese men over the weekend for allegedly entering Osan Air Base without authorization during a U.S.-South Korean military open house and filming the event, according to local media.
The pair, identified as being in their 40s and 60s, were taken into custody Sunday after attending the Air Power Days event on Saturday, Yonhap News reported Monday, citing the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency.
The air base, about 30 miles south of Seoul, is home to the U.S. 7th Air Force and the South Korean air force’s operations command.
Security procedures for the event required all visitors to bring a form of government identification and check in at the base’s front gate. South Korean visitors were required to have a driver’s license or student ID; foreigners unaffiliated with the U.S. military needed to have a passport.
The event’s website noted that the base “reserves the right to deny entry to ensure safety and security of the installation.”
Air Power Days drew an estimated 49,000 attendees over the two days and featured static aircraft displays, food vendors, entertainment and flight demonstrations by both U.S. and South Korean military teams.
It was the first such event since 2019, after COVID-19 restrictions had paused large gatherings. Aerial displays on Saturday were canceled due to poor weather.
The men were held in emergency detention while Pyeongtaek Police reviewed the case, Yonhap reported. Under South Korean criminal law, authorities may detain individuals without a warrant for up to 48 hours if they are deemed a flight risk or likely to destroy evidence.
The Pyeongtaek Police Station and the Taipei Mission in Seoul did not respond to phone requests for comment Tuesday. Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing did not immediately respond to an email seeking further information.
Filming a military installation without permission is a serious offense under South Korean law, punishable by a fine of up to $20,400 or a prison term of up to three years.
The arrests are the latest in a string of similar incidents near U.S. and South Korean military sites.
Last month, two more Chinese nationals were briefly detained near Osan for allegedly filming military aircraft. They were released due to a lack of evidence.
On March 21, South Korean police arrested two Chinese teenagers on suspicion of illegally photographing military aircraft at Suwon Air Base, about 20 miles south of Seoul. The teens claimed to be aviation buffs and were barred from leaving the country while the investigation continued.
