Eight South Korean university students were detained after attempting to enter the U.S. Osan Air Base during a protest against the American military presence and its perceived role in a planned semiconductor manufacturing project in the southwestern city of Gwangju, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday outside Osan Air Base, located about 50 kilometers south of Seoul. According to the U.S. military, the group attempted to unlawfully enter the installation through its main gate before being detained by U.S. personnel and transferred to the custody of the South Korean National Police.

South Korean police said the eight students remain under investigation for allegedly violating laws protecting military installations. Authorities added that the students have so far exercised their right to remain silent during questioning.

The demonstration was organized by the Korean Progressive University Student Union, which said the protest was aimed at opposing what it described as U.S. interference in South Korea's plans to establish a major semiconductor production cluster in Gwangju.

In a statement posted on social media, the student group argued that the continued U.S. military interest in Gwangju Air Base could complicate the relocation of military facilities needed for the project, which is expected to become one of the country's largest industrial investments.

The South Korean government recently selected the site of the Gwangju military airport for a planned semiconductor manufacturing hub under its "three mega projects" initiative. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have pledged to invest a combined 800 trillion won (approximately $520 billion) in the project, which is intended to strengthen the country's leadership in advanced semiconductor production and artificial intelligence technologies.

However, the project requires the relocation of Gwangju Military Air Base. The Defense Ministry has said consultations are continuing to ensure the relocation does not affect military readiness, while the nearby county of Muan remains the preliminary candidate site for the new air base.

The issue has also prompted consultations between Seoul and Washington. U.S. Forces Korea has acknowledged it has "important military interests" at Gwangju Air Base, which serves as one of several collocated operating bases that could support U.S. air operations during a regional contingency, although no permanent U.S. combat units are stationed there in peacetime.

Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea under the bilateral defense alliance, which has remained a cornerstone of the country's security posture since the Korean War.

Despite broad public support for the alliance, the U.S. military presence has periodically sparked protests over issues ranging from defense burden-sharing to the impact of American bases on local communities.

The latest incident recalled a similar protest in 2019, when a group of university students entered the U.S. ambassador's residence in Seoul to demonstrate against Washington's demands that South Korea increase its financial contribution to maintaining U.S. forces on the peninsula. (ILKHA)