PYEONGTAEK — Eight liberal student activists were apprehended Tuesday after infiltrating a U.S. military air base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, police said.

The students, all members of the Korean Progressive University Student Union, breached the main gate of the K-55 Osan Air base at 10:15 a.m. Six of them rushed into the compound while chanting anti-U.S. slogans, including "Let us destroy the U.S. 7th Air Force," while the other two were stopped at the entrance, according to police.

The U.S. Forces Korea detained the activists on-site before handing them over to Korean police.

With the exact motive behind the intrusion yet to be determined, police plan to investigate the suspects for potential violations of the Military Installations Protection Act.