hankyoreh

In recent days, US forces in Korea have been responsible for a series of crimes. This past weekend alone, there were three altercations in the Seoul area involving US GIs. And only two weeks ago three US soldiers caused a late-night disturbance in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood and shot a BB gun at citizens and the police officers who were in pursuit and fleeing from the scene. It almost makes one think that South Korea has become a playground for criminal activity by US GIs.

After midnight on Mar. 17, there were two incidents in a row in which drunken US soldiers committed acts of violence around Seoul’s Hongdae area and then assaulted the police officers who tried to stop them. No matter how drunk someone may be, there is no excuse for attacking a uniformed police officer. The soldiers probably would never have dared to act like this if they were in the US. One cannot help but conclude that these actions reflect contempt for the authority of the South Korean government.

The South Korean government and the USFK authorities did recognize the seriousness of these crimes and took immediate action. On Mar. 17, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade requested an interview with a representative of the US Embassy, during which they urged the US come up with its own measures to prevent such criminal behavior.

The following day, a statement was released by Col. Andrew Mutter, public affairs officer with the US Eighth Army. “Pending the outcome of a Korean National Police investigation and actions by the Ministry of Justice, any Soldier convicted of a crime will be considered for additional command action, to include separation from the United States Army,” the statement said.

While it is encouraging to see the US-ROK authorities responding more promptly than at any time in the past, it is unclear whether such measures will be enough to eradicate criminal activity by US soldiers.

If we are to stop US soldiers from committing crimes, it is critical that both the US and South Korea join in the preventative effort. First of all, the Korean judicial authorities must stop making excuses about the limitations of the US-ROK Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). They must make it clear that they intend to conduct an impartial investigation into and mete out harsh punishments for crimes committed by US soldiers.

Crimes by US soldiers increased from 239 in 2007 to 264 in 2012, but the percentage of soldiers who were not prosecuted actually increased from 38.6% to 67%. These Ministry of Justice statistics illustrate the complacent attitude the Korean judicial authorities take to crimes by the US military. Of course, if it is determined that the SOFA interferes with efforts to conduct impartial investigations and to mete out harsh punishments, we will have to boldly request the US authorities to alter the agreement.

Primary responsibility falls on the shoulders of the US military. Perhaps it is the result of lessons learned in the past, but army officials today issue apologies as soon as an incident occurs. However, since these apologies do not lead to action, they have no effect, as this series of crimes demonstrates. The US army leadership must learn that taking action even one time is more important than promising to do so a hundred times. Furthermore, they must also hasten to improve the residential environment. They could start by increasing the ratio of service members with families.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]