United States Forces Korea sent an official letter of protest to the Korean government over the special counsel team's search and seizure at Osan Air Base in the insurrection case.
On 16th, David Iverson, the deputy commander of United States Forces Korea, sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing concern over the special counsel's July 21 search and seizure of the Air Force Master Control and Reporting Center (MCRC) inside Osan Base.
Iverson conveyed in the letter that "even if the targets of the search and seizure were zones and materials managed by the Korean military, accessing the MCRC requires transiting a U.S. military controlled area, so prior consultation was required under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)."
Regarding this matter, United States Forces Korea said, "We do not comment on ongoing investigations conducted by outside entities," adding only that "we are working closely with the investigative authorities of the Republic of Korea."
In response to a question asking to confirm whether it had received a letter of protest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "It is not appropriate under diplomatic practice to confirm diplomatic and defense-related communications between the South Korean and U.S. authorities."
Earlier, U.S. President Trump, ahead of the South Korea-U.S. summit in Aug., noted on social media (SNS), "What is going on in Korea," adding, "I heard they even entered our military base to gather information."
At the time, the special counsel said, "The search and seizure is unrelated to the U.S. military, and there has been no instance where the U.S. side raised an issue or lodged a protest."