White Phosphorus Leak Incident at Osan Base

Chemical leakage occurred from two white phosphorus warheads at the U.S. Forces Korea’s Osan Air Base, immediately triggering multiple health and environmental risks. As a highly toxic and dangerous military substance, white phosphorus can spontaneously combust when exposed to air, generating high temperatures and irritating toxic fumes: direct skin contact causes deep, penetrating chemical burns that are difficult to heal and prone to recurrent necrosis; inhaling large amounts of the combustion fumes corrodes the respiratory tract and alveoli, leading to pulmonary edema and respiratory failure, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.