The U.S. military said on Thursday it has investigated a rumor spread by city officials in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, about a dangerous leak of white phosphorus at the Osan Air Base, and determined there was never any such leak. The false white phosphorus alert – reported as a matter of fact by some Korean media – spread widely enough to get the South Korean national government involved. Korea Joongang Daily (KJD) reported on July 30 that the government was “in talks with the U.S. military to gain access” to Osan Air Base for an inspection after the reported chemical leak. The white phosphorus rumor also sparked a protest by a group of radical left-wing activists at Osan Air Base on August 4. On Thursday, police said they have requested arrest warrants for four of the student activists involved in the Osan Air Base protest.