No criminal action yet taken against US soldiers who handcuffed Koreans

Posted on : 2013-03-05 12:07 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Feet-dragging in dealing with illegal handcuffing raises questions over lax treatment of US soldiers who commit crimes in Korea

By Kim Gi-seong, South Gyeonggi correspondent

No criminal action has yet been taken against seven USFK military police officers who caused a scene in Pyeongtaek last July by handcuffing citizens who were arguing over a parking violation.

Police investigated the matter for over 40 days before submitting a recommendation for indictment. But the prosecutors have not made any decision on how to proceed in the six months since then.

Pyeongtaek Police Station in Gyeonggi province investigated seven MPs with K-55 Air Force Base for violation the Punishment of Violences, etc. Act by illegally detaining three civilians. It handed the case over to prosecutors on August 20 with a recommendation to indict.

On July 5, the MPs illegally handcuffed three civilians, including a 36-year-old man identified by the surname Yang, who were quarrelling with them over a parking violation on Rodeo Road in front of the US base in Pyeongtaek’s Sinjang neighborhood. The MPs proceeded to bring the three people in handcuffs to the front of the base.

But the Pyeongtaek branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office still has not made a decision on whether to indict. The prosecutors explained that the delay has been caused by the large number of individuals in question, the special circumstances of their being with USFK, and the need to coordinate times for questioning.

Yang voiced frustration over how long the case is taking.

“At first, it seemed like the investigation was going quickly, but nothing has been solved yet,” he said. “I’ve lived my whole life in front of the USFK base, but only now have I realized how powerless our government is.”

“I think the government is covering this up because it’s a hassle for them, while the USFK is just thinking it’ll all go away after buying some time,” he said.

Crimes involving USFK soldiers have been on the increase in recent years. According to a National Police Agency report, the number jumped from 242 in 2006 to 341 in 2011.

Despite the rise, criminal punishment for USFK crimes has been limp. A 2011 parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade found that South Korean judicial authorities exercised their right to try USFK crimes just over 20% of the time between 2006 and 2010.

“A lot of the time, the USFK apologizes when public attention is high, and then buys time until the soldier in question leaves the country or they decide not to prosecute,” said Park Jeong Gyeong-su, secretary-general of the National Campaign for Eradication of Crimes by U.S. Troops in Korea. “There needs to be more effective punishment.”

 

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