Osan Air Base (K-55) is a United States Air Force installation that has been continuously occupied since 1952 and remains one of the most strategically significant American bases in East Asia. It houses the 51st Fighter Wing and serves as a key node in the US military presence on the Korean Peninsula. The base itself is not open to the public, but its presence defines everything about Songtan.
The main gate is the focal point around which the Shin-Jang district developed, and the constant movement of servicemembers in and out of the gate gives the area its distinctive character. For visitors with a connection to the base (as guests of military personnel), the on-base facilities include a commissary, clubs, and a golf course. From the outside, the fence perimeter and the F-16s that sometimes fly low overhead are a reminder of how much military hardware is packed into this quiet stretch of Gyeonggi Province.