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Second jet fuel spill in 10 days prompting concerns about safety, management at U.S. bases in Korea

Published: 19 Feb. 2026, 15:03 Updated: 19 Feb. 2026, 20:10

U.S. Forces Korea's F-22 fighter jets are seen on the runway at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, North Jeolla on Dec. 20, 2022, in this photo unrelated to the story. [NEWS1]

The fuel spill that occurred last month at the U.S. Forces Korea’s (USFK) Kunsan Air Base has exceeded 40,000 liters (10,900 gallons), the USFK confirmed Thursday. A similar incident at Osan Air Base on Feb. 5, just 10 days later, has heightened concerns about the overall safety and environmental management at U.S. bases in Korea.

The U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing determined that approximately 11,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from a fuel tank at Kunsan Air Base on Jan. 26, the USFK said Thursday.

The 8th Fighter Wing said it took immediate measures to contain the contamination and carry out response operations, adding that there was no immediate risk to the health or safety of nearby residents.

The exact cause of the accident is currently under investigation. It is considered unusual for such a large amount of fuel to leak from a U.S. military base in Korea.

Separately, another fuel spill occurred earlier this month at Osan Air Base. The U.S. Air Force’s 51st Fighter Wing, stationed at Osan, said a fuel leak took place on Feb. 5 and that its civil engineer squadron responded immediately to contain the spill.

The 51st Fighter Wing said it is still assessing the total volume of the spill and had recovered 230 gallons of leaked fuel as of Friday.

Cleanup operations at the leak site are ongoing. Base officials said the incident did not pose a risk to the health or safety of surrounding communities.

U.S. military bases in Korea are facilities provided by the Korean government under the Status of Forces Agreement between the two countries. While ownership of the land and facilities remains with the Korean government, the U.S. military holds usage rights.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]