Seoul, August 10: South Korea’s Pyongtaek has revealed new details regarding a reported white phosphorus leak at the Osan Air Base last month. According to officials, attempts to contact the US Army via hotline were made three times, but no one answered. This has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the emergency communication system between both parties.
The Yonhap News Agency reported that on July 28, the US Air Force’s 51st Fighter Wing suspected the presence of white phosphorus residues in a munitions container during a routine inspection. Following this, the Pyongtaek administration issued an emergency evacuation warning for nearby residents.
City officials stated they tried to confirm the situation by contacting the US unit three times by phone, but received no response. Due to the highly dangerous nature of white phosphorus, the city decided to issue the evacuation warning based on fire department advice.
However, about 30 minutes after the initial investigation, officials determined there was no immediate threat and rescinded the evacuation warning. Later, the 51st Fighter Wing clarified that the leaked substance was not white phosphorus and contained no traces of the toxic material. The US Army attributed the incident to non-hazardous surface erosion caused by prolonged environmental exposure.
While the US unit did not directly comment on the lack of response to hotline calls, they expressed a commitment to improve information sharing and coordination with local authorities in the future. According to a city official, the first successful communication with the US Army occurred at 5:51 PM, approximately 20 minutes before the evacuation warning was lifted.
Subsequently, Colonel Ryan Lee, the commander of the 51st Fighter Wing, spoke directly with the mayor of Pyongtaek to provide details about the incident. The US Army is reportedly investigating the role of the military police interpreter who informed local police about the potential white phosphorus leak.
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