Seoul: The city of Pyeongtaek was unable to establish contact with the U.S. military in South Korea through a designated hotline after a potential leak of white phosphorus was reported by a local U.S. military unit, city officials disclosed. This communication failure has raised questions about the effectiveness of the hotline, which is intended to facilitate immediate dialogue in emergency situations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 51st Fighter Wing, stationed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, flagged a potential white phosphorus leak within a munitions crate during a routine inspection on July 28. This prompted the city's administration to issue an evacuation alert to safeguard residents in the vicinity. Despite making three attempts to contact the 51st Fighter Wing by phone, city officials were unable to reach them for confirmation of the reported leak.
A city official explained that the decision to issue the evacuation alert was made in consultation with firefighting authorities due to the hazardous nature of white phosphorus. This advisory was disseminated after repeated efforts to communicate went unanswered by the U.S. fighter wing.
The evacuation notice was rescinded approximately 30 minutes later when an on-site inspection revealed no immediate threat. The 51st Fighter Wing subsequently clarified in a statement that the substance in question was not white phosphorus and posed no toxic threat, describing it instead as "non-hazardous surface corrosion" resulting from environmental exposure.
Although the 51st Fighter Wing did not directly address the unanswered calls, they committed to enhancing information-sharing protocols. "We value our close partnership with Pyeongtaek City and remain committed to maintaining open and timely communication with our Korean counterparts," the unit stated to Yonhap, emphasizing efforts to bolster coordination and ensure prompt information exchange in future incidents.
A breakthrough in communication occurred when the first successful call was made at 5:51 p.m., shortly before the evacuation alert was lifted. Additionally, Col. Ryan Ley, commander of the 51st Fighter Wing, personally communicated with the mayor of Pyeongtaek to explain the situation.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is reportedly investigating an interpreter for the military police involved in alerting local authorities about the potential leak, assessing whether the response was appropriate.