NOTICE/DISCLAIMER: The content of this page is UNOFFICIAL and the views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of anyone associated with this page or any of those linked from this site. All opinions are those of the writer and are intended for entertainment purposes only. Links to other web pages are provided for convenience and do not, in any way, constitute an endorsement of the linked pages or any commercial or private issues or products presented there. Neither the DOD, the Air Force, the 8th Fighter Wing nor Mickey Mouse has endorsed any of this site. All Air Force links are publicly accessible through the worldwide web. If there is any discrepancy between eye-witness accounts and OFFICIAL DOD records, this site opts to lend credence to the eye-witness views.

This site has little in the way of technical information on Kunsan AB's tactical planning, weekly exercises, or technical specifications on the aircraft. Our position is that Kunsan AB has been promising to "kick ass" for over thirty years and not a speck of bomb iron has hit North Korean soil yet. These tactical plans change from week to week, if not daily, but the point is: NO ONE from Kunsan has dropped a bomb on North Korea or shot a MiG from the sky. All the plans are simply plans -- not reality. HOWEVER, the hard work and ability of the airmen to carry out the war game planning in the face of a hardship tour speaks loads of their caliber and dedication. The PEOPLE is what we want to cover -- not the GAME. The second item we wish to cover is the BASE which has served the airmen -- who served the mission. Over the years, wings and organizations have come and gone from the face of Kunsan AB -- but the base has always remained to serve. The third item covers those Korean events that affect the life of the airmen or mission at Kunsan. This ranges from main gate protests to the ever-mounting efforts of Korea to wean itself away from American military dependency.

HOW IT WAS! KUNSAN AIRBASE 8TH FIGHTER WING (2002)

Kunsan AB Protests:

Now that the furor over the Sept 11th tragedy has died down in Korea and a sense of normalcy has returned -- so have the demonstrations returned to Kunsan AB. As in the past, the main gate is closed by the demonstrations, but the North Gate (ROKAF Gate) remains open. The protests are scheduled for every Wednesday BUT the option is open for Friday as well. This means that there were TWO potential protests per week. By making their protests unpredictable, the protestors have just increased the workload of the riot police and base security forces two-fold -- without having to increase their numbers at all.

The potential for bottling up the base is self-evident. For example, on 18 Sep 2002 during the weekly-Main Gate closure for the Protests, there was a small mishap at the North Gate when a large semi-truck trying to navigate the barriers snagged a hanging electrical wire above the gate. It was torn loose. Instead of immediately blocking traffic and routing the vehicles around the blockage in an orderly fashion, the Security Police let it develop into a full-bottleneck. This closed the gate for over an hour as no one could exit or enter the base during that time...and once caught in the bottleneck, the cars were stuck. Not a big deal, but it does point out how the protest can easily bottleup the base.

Main Gate (2002) (Courtesy Chris Shroyer)

After the Sept 11 tragedy, the tension at the main gate has been reduced considerably. At first the riot police were stationed at the main gate 24-hours a day with automatic weapons -- and understandably, no protestors showed up. Then in January, the tension relaxed so that only two riot police were positioned at the gates with bamboo batons and shield. By February 2002, the riot police only appeared on scheduled protest days. However, sometimes the protestors arrived early and the regular police had to form the barricade until the riot police arrived. But there was been no violence and the protests have remained peaceful. By June 2002, the protests had returned to a business-as-usual status with no riot police except on Protest days. By September 2002, the riot police dressed in regular uniforms -- and unarmed -- would form a "defense line" in front of the main gate with an orange ribbon strung between the ten or so officers.

However, the "protests" at the Kunsan Main Gate could never be construed as a "strong" turnout. The protests are really not "hot" issues and few show up to support the protests. Normally, 8-10 people at most come and sit in a circle on the ground (with cushions) in front of the locked main gate. They are faced off with an equal number of riot policemen and the whole scene does not really seem violent at all.

However, the protestors continue to use the newspapers to get their message out. In a local Korean newspaper in June, the protestors were demanding monetary compensation for "noise damage." The original protest group of landowners has been joined by other environmental groups to bolster their numbers, but it is hard to sustain any large protest. However, if a volatile subject should crop up that grabs the interest of the people, larger crowds will appear.

What is significant is that 8-10 people can effectively slow down the operations of a base. During these protests at the main gate, all traffic comes through the North Gate, but the traffic is usually backed up and it is very slow getting on or off the base. The protestors ability to tie up a sizeable amount of the base security forces and riot policeman for hours proves to the protestors that they have succeeded. Even if they do NOT show up the base still has to prepare for the worst and shut down their gates. Because of the past incidents of violence, the protests are taken seriously. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE PROTESTS ARE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BE EFFECTIVE!!!

A suggestion would be for the Korean Police to allow the protestors to block the main thoroughfare to the main gate at a distance of 100 yards from the main gate -- similar to what they do at the U.S. embassy. This would allow the side street -- used by the Kunsan bus and traffic from the airport/North Gate side -- to be used for entry to the base. Suddenly the protestors would be INEFFECTIVE.

If the protestors tried to block the road leading to the airport to shut off this avenue of entry, they would have a lot of influential and powerful companies -- like KAL and Asean airlines, plus the Korean government -- suddenly becoming very vocal negatively about their actions. However, we are not Koreans -- nor are we Kunsan AB officials.

For historical info on the Main Gate protests, go to 1997: Protests ; 1998: Protests Unabated ; 1999: Protests ; 2000: Demonstrations ; and 2001: Protests for background on protests.)

Riot Policeman

Most of the protests at Kunsan's Main Gate are primarily over social or environmental issues. They are normally very peaceful -- but remember that the root intent of these Non-Goverment Organizations is to disrupt the American military establishment. Otherwise their focus on say noise pollution would be also held at Kunsan Airport ... however, we all know that that would result in busted heads. The students protesting the loss of the two girls in the tragic accident could also be out protesting the deaths and injuries of 82 children each day in Korea caused by Korean motorists blocking the highways...but we all know that that the Korean public would turn against them.

That is what is irksome about this latest protest over the tragic accident with the deaths of the two girls near the DMZ -- it is both political and FASHIONABLE. It has nothing to do with justice. It only deals with special interest groups trying to score points. As such, these protests have taken on a life of being more emotional than substantive. They can become violent as they have in the past. In recent years protests have normally NOT been over political issues -- but this latest protest IS Political and anti-American groups have actively joined in the protests -- though not at Kunsan at this time.

The groups that protest at Kunsan's Main Gate are part of the Pan Korea activist organization -- supposedly made up of some 130 special interest groups. The Pan Korea movement draws its strength from the numbers of its subgroups. If one looks back on the 1980s student protests, one will see distinct similarities between the present Pan Korea methods and aims and those of the now discredited Student Union organization. Just as the violent student protest movement of the late 1980s drew its strength from the various college student unions under one Student Union cover group, so does the Pan Korea group now. The student movement was discredited in the early 1990s when many of the student leaders were found to be North Korean sympathizers receiving funding and instructions from the North. Some student leaders fled to North Korea and the movement faded.

We are making a supposition here. We feel that the majority of the activists are former radical college students of the 1980s. Though they lost their credibility as "soldiers for freedom" with the democratization of Korea with the free elections of Kim Young-Sam and Kim Dae-jung, they never lost their zeal for affecting change. Now in their mid-30s-late-40s, they continue to battle for "social issues" -- instead of the political issues of the past. However, when their separate groups cried for justice, their pleas were swept aside by the current governments. Following the formula of the past, they banded their groups together into the Pan Korea activist organization. There are about 130 activist groups in this cover group. This Pan Korea group is POLITICAL in nature -- even though each of its subgroups are supporting changes of social issues. Each of the separate groups by themselves are not a threat to the Americans, but the united power of this group makes it formidable.

In August, school children protested peacefully in front of the Main Gate of Kunsan during nation-wide protests for the reunification of Korea. The Wolf Pack Warrior stated, "Annual protest march brings students to Kunsan. Approximately 350 members of the Korean student organizations, Hanchongyopn, gathered outside the base Tuesday for a protest. While protests are usually scheduled every Wednesday, the students gathered here Tuesday as part of their annual protest march, during which they visit all military installations on the peninsula. The organization protests the presence of United States Forces in Korea and the United States' handling of the two teenaged girls killed near the DMZ in June." (There are indications that Hanchongnyon, the outlawed radical College Student Union was also involved in organizing these nationwide demonstrations at USFK bases.)

The base mentioned off-handedly that this protest was also tied in with the on-going protest over the deaths of the two girls near the DMZ. This part of the demonstration was played down by the base authoritiesm when in fact this demonstration was ALL about the deaths of the two girls.The children's march had been carefully orchestrated by the non-governmental activist organizations (NGO) to rally support for their agenda. They were building up their youth base -- and that is what made this peaceful march potentially dangerous. In Korea, remember that every time you see a protest march with a secondary school child, there are two parents in the background who are supporting that child's views. The children's march at Kunsan was just part of the nationwide series of Memorial rallies held to incite the populace. The march culminated in the August 15th Memorial Rally in Seoul. (Go to TongIl News for the August 15th Rally for Reunification.) This was not mentioned to the Kunsan base population.

By Sep 2002 at Kunsan AB's Main Gate, they were starting to take the increasing anti-American demonstrations in Seoul more seriously. Ever since 2001 -- even before the Sept 11th events -- the base's senior leaders have reacted to news of Seoul or Kwangju demonstrations and called for Korean riot police assistance. Whenever there were large-scale demonstrations in Seoul, Kwangju or other major cities, the green riot police bus would show up at the front gate and their elements would be posted. But lately there is a difference. In the past, the police in full riot gear with batons would assume their positions. However, lately the riot police is usually NOT in riot gear -- meaning that they do not take the threat to Kunsan as imminent.

One reason of this feeling of ease is that the Rev. Mun, Kunsan's dissident activist priest, has focused the attention of his group on major cities where he gets better results and more publicity for his cause. During the spring and summer, he staged demonstrations in Seoul and other major cities. When the deaths of the two girls resulted in protests at Camp Red Cloud and Camp Casey, the Reverend Mun was at the front of the protestors prominently inciting the crowds. With his attention elsewhere, Kunsan has been relatively calm.

But while the Reverend Mun's protests are not missed at the Main Gate, we must not forget that Rev. Mun's movement is NOT Anti-American. He is Anti-war -- whether in Korea or in Iraq. Unfortunately a lot of anti-American college students have joined his group. In the major cities, the students tend to be more radical than their country cousins like in Kunsan. But don't be fooled by the calm in Kunsan. It could explode at any time.

In November when the AVLB drivers were acquitted in a court martial, there were violent demonstrations Korea-wide including a firebombing incident at Camp Gray in Seoul. This resulted in a lockdown of all bases near the DMZ and a partial lockdown at Kunsan. However, it was treated more as a caution at Kunsan and soon lifted. In December, the USFK issued a Korea-wide partial lockdown as a result of the attack of a U.S. Army Officer outside Yongsan. (See Radical NGO Tactics and Biased News Coverage for story.) The modified curfew was from 21:00 to 05:00.

Compared to other cities, Kunsan City has been rather passive in its anti-American protests. Candlelight vigils and protest rallies have been held but the turnouts have been disappointingly small. On Dec 21, my daughter attended one set up at the Kunsan Civic Center in Naundong by her friend's father, a minister from Soryodong. The turn out was very small. Someone stood up and made the rabble-rousing speech against the American's unjust SOFA and demanded that they go home. There was the typical yelling of "Yankee Go Home" and the obligatory singing of "Fucking U.S.A." Though Americans may find the words "Fucking U.S.A." offensive, the Koreans don't "hear" it the same way. It is more a political statement. There are even pictures on the internet of a Catholic Sister Lucia from Seoul wearing one of the "Fucking U.S.A." buttons. (See Fucking U.S.A..)

Though these demonstrations may not be well attended because of the cold weather, this does not mean that the Korean youngsters don't feel the frustration and pain over this incident. At a downtown bus stop a message is spray painted on the wall, "You killed Shim Mi-Son and Shin Hyo-sun! You bring them back to life!" Similar graffiti is seen throughout the town.

Because of this incident, the mood in the city is somewhat somber in December. For Americans living in the city, there is a vague sense of dread because of the anti-Americanism. On Dec 21, I spoke with a USAF officer who lives in our apartment complex with his wife and baby daughter. He had borrowed a car from a friend to use until his car arrives from the states. However, he felt very uneasy driving it downtown. He removed the American flag seat covers and was somewhat concerned with the American flag decal in the window. A junker with prominent yellows "racing stripes" spray painted sloppily on it, it is fine for on base use -- but downtown stands out like a sore thumb as an American's vehicle. A few months ago, this would not even have been a worry.

There is a lot of misinformation being put out amongst the Koreans in Kunsan, but there is no use trying to reason with anyone as the Koreans are operating on a strictly emotional level and don't want to be bothered with things like truth or facts. Those who believe this tripe are easily led and just too lazy to find the truth that is right out in the open on the internet...but the fact is that even if they found it themselves, they wouldn't believe it because they don't want to hear the truth. It's so much easier to hate. Below are some of the mindless misinformation being disseminated by the NGO groups. (See HOW DOES THE STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT REALLY WORK? for more information.)

• ROK is permanently leasing U.S. military bases for free.
  
  FACT: In all the countries of the world where U.S. forces are stationed, they reside on lands provided by the host nations for FREE. In Okinawa, there are lease agreements for lands the U.S. uses, but JAPAN compensates the farmers...not the U.S. The term permanent is misleading as under the Land Partnership Plan (LPP) the U.S. is returning Army camps to the ROK that are no longer required.
  
  
• The criminal jurisdiction of the U.S. servicemen committing crimes against Koreans falls under the U.S. armed forces. In reality it is difficult to compensate for civilians' damages inflicted by the U.S. troops.
  
  FACT: Under the SOFA, the ROK has the right to exercise its criminal jurisdiction over all offenses against ROK law, and the "first right" in all but two narrow categories of cases: (1) official duty cases; and (2) offenses solely against SOFA personnel and property. This means that all crimes (rape, theft, etc.) committed on base against U.S. personnel by U.S. personnel OR offenses that are "line of duty" cases (as the current incident with the AVLB) are US jurisdiction. The ROK routinely retains jurisdiction of all serious violations of Korean law, approximately 20% of the cases after excluding traffic accidents and simple assaults, and generally waives jurisdiction only in minor cases. With respect to claims for damages by private landowners and other private persons due to US military operations, however, there is an adjudication procedure administered by District Compensation Committees supervised by the ROK Ministry of Justice (MOJ) that ensures fair and reasonable compensation to all claimants. The US assumes 75 percent of such costs, while the ROK pays 25 percent.
  
  
• Korean laborers working in U.S. military bases do not have the protection of the major labor rights protected under Korean law.
  
  FACT: In Korea, USFK has a "direct hire" system (USFK is the employer of its Korean employees). The ROK currently contributes approximately 70% only to USFK appropriated fund Korean national labor costs. The objection is over "retirement" benefits which are a sticking point where a percentage is paid to the individuals paycheck each month. This is a substitute for a retirement. Severance pay is another issue, but non-appropriated fund jobs are for the most part, low-pay, temporary jobs.
  
  
• Korean custom-clearance officers do not have an access to U.S. military goods.
  
  FACT: The Customs officer assigned from the Kunsan Customs and Immigration Office has a desk at the main gate. We don't understand the complaint.
  
  
• ROK cannot place a restriction on environmental problems in the U.S. military bases.
  
  FACT: Another nuisance complaint from environmental groups. Environmental problems on base are handled by base authorities per the SOFA agreement. But the reality is that Koreans need to ask what happened to the vaunted Environmental Protection Agency that Korea had to protect Korea in 1992? They turned the EPA responsibility over to the provinces under the guise of autonomy and did NOT fund it. The blue vans of the EPA disappeared. THERE IS NO EPA PROTECTION IN KOREA. Polluters in Korea are running rampant, but the NGO groups are not focused on making enemies within the power groups. They are primarily interested in the USFK. When they attack the ROK government over its projects, the ROK government simply disregards the environmental groups (i.e. complaints as the Saengmangum Project going on outside Kunsan).
  
  
• ROK cannot protect an invasion of private property that is occupied by U.S. military.
  
  FACT: This is a complaint of the use of lands GIVEN by the ROK for U.S. use stated above. For years we have questioned why the protestors are complaining to the USFK. The ROK gave the land for U.S. use. The ROK is who they should be protesting to. But that doesn't fit their agenda of Yankee Go Home. They would rather protest at Kunsan's main gate -- and Yongsan as well -- to people who have no control over the land.
  
  
• ROK does not have an access to information regarding weapons brought in by the U.S. Army to Korea.
  
  FACT: This is a quest for information that only a North Korean spy would want. In the past, the U.S. did have nuclear weapons in Korea, but all ROK decision-makers, including the Presidents, were privy to exact numbers and locations. (Ref: Kim Young-Sam interview in 2000.)
  
  
• Other issues include women living in military camp-side towns and noise disturbance resulting from military planes.
  
  FACT: ROK created the "special entertainment zones" (such as A-town) and have monitored the prostitutes in these areas. The ROK issues the foreign "entertainers" E-6 visas. Why not protest to the ROK? Also we wonder how much these bleeding hearts really suffer for their "sisters of the night." When sex slaves locked up in barred rooms were burned alive in a Kunsan brothel used by Kunsan policemen to buy their silence, the activists shed no tears nor raised a peep. Their hypocrisy shows through. The noise issue is relatively new complaint from the environmental groups and may have validity, but there is nothing under the current SOFA's environmental provisions to cover this. However, they never mention the KAL airliners and ROK F-5Es noise when they attack the USFK. They use the same runways. The reason is that it does not fit their agenda to get the U.S. to leave Korea.

New Rallying Cry for Anti-Americanism: "Bring the GI criminals to the South Korean court!"

June 2002

M60A1-AVLB

The Korean news coverage stated the armored vehicle was traveling down the road at about 16 kmph when the vehicle commander spotted a red shirt to the right. He attempted to communicate with the driver but there was a communications problem. The vehicle tracks ran over the girls and the vehicle had to back off of the crushed bodies. The Korean version was that the vehicle was traveling too fast to stop in time and points out inconsistencies with the statements of the two individuals. However, the "inconsistencies" are that Sergeant Nino stated he saw the girls walking by the road, but was unable to warn the driver of the vehicle, while Sergeant Walker, whose view was obstructed, said he never saw the girls and was never warned as the vehicle was about to hit them -- which is true in that the communications link was out. The following is excerpted from Korea Watch:

The accident occurred along a narrow road near Yangju, north of Seoul, on a route commonly used by US military vehicles to travel to and from the Twin Bridges training area near Uijongbu, south Korea. Shim Mi-Son and Shin Hyo-sun were on their way to a birthday party, walking on the edge of the road. Sergeant Mark Walker was driving an AVLB, an M-60 tank designed to carry a tank bridge, as the third vehicle in a seven vehicle convoy moving to the Twin Bridges Training area. According to published reports, the AVLB adjusted its position away from the center line of the road in order to not collide with an approaching convoy of Bradley Armored Personnel Carriers. The AVLB was actually wider then the lane it was traveling in, so this brought the right track of the AVLB directly behind where the students were walking. When this happened, the students were in a blind spot caused by part of the bridge laying apparatus on the AVLB. The track commander, Sergeant Fernando Nino tried to warn the SGT Walker, but he had configured his radio system to talk to his company commander and he was unable to hear the warning of SGT Fernando. The girls were crushed by the right track of the 54 ton tank. SGT Walker stopped on top of the girls, then backed the tank off of where their bodies lay.

The former Eighth Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Zanini, immediately apologized the same day the accident occurred and ensured the accident was investigated by both ROK and U.S. authorities. (See Payment as Expression of Sympathy.) An article 32 hearing under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) was instituted.

Shim Mi-Son and Shin Hyo-sun
Go to Voice of the People for more photos

July 2002

Protest with Ohno and Bush masks (26 Jul 02)

The protests started slowly in June and spread quickly to campuses across the nation. Mass rallies were held throughout the country the summer to protest the deaths with violent confrontations in front of the camps. The whole case became "political" after the NGO groups took up the battle cry, ""Bring the GI criminals to the South Korean court!" Being an election year, soon politicians were jumping on the bandwagon. That's when it became very political. Everyone from the Secretary of State to USFK Commander to the unit commander were kowtowing their apologies -- and they played right into the hands of the NGO.

The internet in Korea started to be populated with sites dedicated to the girls in this tragedy. An especially well-done one in English is at Kangfull.com which has pictures of the girls in childhood and reflects the emotions of the Korean people feel very well. The page is not from the NGO groups, but of a common Korean venting his frustration at the situation...and mourning the loss of two young girls with their lives ahead of them.

Activists seized this incident as a testing ground for jurisdiction under the SOFA. In the past, occasional accidents and crimes by U.S. soldiers have prompted demands from South Korean activists that Washington give Seoul more legal power in cases involving American troops. Some activists have also demanded the withdrawal of the U.S. troops. The following is an editorial from one of the NGO groups. The venom that drips off the words in the article makes one wonder whether the intent is to change the SOFA or to remove the Americans troops from Korea. However, what is significant is that same venomous hate verbage -- in hangul -- is being repeated on many of the online forums -- such as Tongil News. Some posts are threatening the lives of U.S. servicemen. That's the trouble with hate messages like in this article. They take on a life of their own -- and that is what these NGO groups are spreading now. (See HOW DOES THE STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT REALLY WORK? for brief explanation of SOFA areas targeted for NGO misinformation.)

SOFA and Sovereighty Over Korea

By Ahn Sung-Ho

Two Korean middle school girls were run over and killed by a U.S. armored vehicle at around 10:45, June 13, in Yangju, Kyonggi Province, 30 km north of Seoul. The girls were identified as Shin Hyo-soon and Shim Mi-sun on their way to a friend's birthday party. On the other hand, the two soldiers who operated the 54-ton armored bridge carrier were identified as Sgt. Fernando Nino and Sgt. Mark Walker from the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division. They were immediately handed over to U.S. military police for investigation by local law enforcement officials in conformity of the Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The investigation was done virtually by the U.S. military army alone and was alleged to reveal that it was an accident.The families and friends of the girls and NGOs have been demanding that the investigation be re-done systematically by the Korean police, and that the United States Forces Korea (or USFK) give up its rights to try the soldiers in a U.S. court. On July 10, the Ministry of Justice of Korea filed an official request for the United States Forces Korea to waive its primary criminal jurisdiction over the alleged accident that crushed the two students to death. Further, the major political parties, the Grand National Party and the Millennium Democratic Party, also supported the Korean Government's action.

This means that the ROK as a nation has requested the U.S. for jurisdiction over the incident. The USFK, however, declined the ROK request. (Note 1) One argument is that there is no precedent of U.S. soldiers being tried in Korean courts concerning on-duty crimes. The National Campaign for Eradication of Crimes by U.S. Troops, a local civic NGO however, has rebutted this argument saying that although not in Korea the U.S. did waive its jurisdiction once: in June 1957 the U.S. government declared it would give up its primary criminal jurisdiction over the death of a 46-year-old Japanese woman. This precedent virtually nullifies the power of the first argument. There is no reason why it cannot occur in Korea if one occurred in another country. The other argument is that the two U.S. soldiers already face a court-martial for negligent homicide.

This isn't persuasive because the court process can always be stopped.

These are not isolated incidents, but just a tip of the iceberg. The National Campaign reports the Korean government's official statistics that 56,904 U.S. soldiers and civilian employees were involved in 50,082 criminal acts between the years of 1967 and 1998. And less than 5% of the criminals involved were taken to Korean courts. (Note 2)

On the basis of the statistics, experts estimate that more than 100,000 crimes were committed since U.S. troops began to station in this nation on September 8, 1945. Right now, we have 37,000 U.S. troops in 96 bases and in the territory of the Republic of Korea. They have been killing our women, they have been raping or sexually abusing our children, they have been despising and beating our brothers, but rarely being reasonably punished. What do they sound like? Do they sound like troops of one of our allies? No, they sound more like those of a conqueror. They are arrogant, don't care about the safety and security of our people. (Note 3)

They are just concerned about themselves, their regulations, their customs, and their ideas. We know that U.S. troops have good-natured soldiers. But as a system, they are evil. Where do those absurdities come from? First, people almost unanimously blame them on the SOFA between the Republic of Korea and the United States.

This Agreement, which was drafted when Korea was so poor and desperate, confers such a ridiculously exceptional status to American soldiers and their families and their relatives and their visitors. (Note 4)We know the Agreement was signed by the Korean government and was ratified by the National Assembly, and so that it has a great binding force. Since it damnifies the sovereignty of this nation and constantly threatens the safety and security of the citizens, however, the SOFA must be interpreted and applied to the restoration of Korea's sovereignty.

For the specific case in question, the U.S. government must re-consider their decline of the Korean government and waive the juristiction in question. They must recall that Korean citizens also have rights to life, happiness, and safety if U.S. citizens do. The SOFA must be revised and the evil unfairness of the ROK-U.S. relationship must be fixed immediately. (Note 4) Second, the Korean government and law enforcement officers should be reminded that their duty is to protect or care for their own people. A brief review of the USFK-involved crimes shows that Korean police are not aggressive enough in protecting the safety, life, property, and human rights of Koreans. (Note 5) If our guards and officers do not care, who would care? Most of all, lastly, all the people must realize the seriousness of the unfairness in the SOFA and deploy a new millennium movement of independence from the USFK. We must spend more money on our national defense. We cannot live in this state of indignance drunk with some physical comfort when in a shadowy corner of this land our brothers, sisters, and children are despised, abused, and killed away. (Note 3) This absurdity cannot be ignored any more.

---

Note 1: The article forgets to mention that this is a Presidential election year and everyone is jumping on the popular bandwagon issues -- regardless of the substance. Both Presidential candidates have stated that they will work towards changing the SOFA if elected. The epitome of ridiculousness was the National Human Rights Commission who levied a fine against the 2d ID -- even though they were told by the Foreign Ministry that it was uncollectible.

Note 2: "More than 70 percent of USFK's legal violations are for traffic violations and accidents. Korean law calls for criminal charges to be filed in accidents involving damage of 2 million won ($1,700)." (NGO sources). However, under Korean traffic law, a person is guilty of a crime if he doesn't exercise due care and will be charged with "occupational negligence resulting in death or injury" under the ROK Criminal Code. This is the central NGO group theme to accuse the soldiers of being "criminals." (See Misunderstanding of the US & Military Legal Systems for details on the criminal aspects of accidental deaths.) A common misperception is that USFK has jurisdiction over every SOFA-status person who commits a crime. In 2001, 82% of all crimes committed by USFK personnel in Korea were subject to Korean jurisdiction. (See HOW DOES THE STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT REALLY WORK? for brief explanation of SOFA areas targeted for NGO misinformation.)

Note 3: These same words are now being parroted on Korean on-line forums -- such as Tongil News -- dealing with this case. Some amount to death threats against the American soldier populace in general. How this type of rhetoric translates into violent action can only be guessed at. However, view the article below about some soldiers who were "detained" (kidnapped is the American term) by activists while the ROK Police stood ineffectually by. See September Subway Incident for details.

Note 4: The furor is because there are major cultural and legal differences between South Korea and the United States. The Koreans of the general populace don't understand the U.S. criminal justice system with its presumption of innocence, the concept of reasonable doubt and the right to a trial by a jury of one's peers. The rights of the individual are paramount. But on the other hand, neither do most Americans understand that the Korean system is based upon the needs of society. Society's demands are paramount. It is not so much insensitivity on the part of both parties as it is of not understanding the differences between the two legal systems. In addition, this argument INTENTIONALLY forgets that the SOFA was revised in 1991 and renegotiated in dealing with these issues again in 2001. The author puts forward arguments that forgets that in order to effect changes in the SOFA, the Koreans had better be willing to foot their "share." In 2001, they renegotiated and their "share" increased -- but not drastically. The Koreans want a SOFA comparable to the Japanese, but are unwilling to pay the same percentage of the costs. See SOFA Agreement for link to English text; labor and environmental Issues; cost sharing.

Note 5: This is a blast at Korean police investigators who they feel should invoke a jurisdiction claim over any serviceman involved in a "crime" under Korean law -- regardless of the SOFA specifications. The truth is the Korean police investigators specially assigned to work with the USFK bases/camps know the SOFA restrictions quite well. The jurisdiction issue in this case was elevated by the Prosecutor's office -- a politically-motivated move -- not the police investigators. The NGOs politely neglect to mention that the Police can NOT conduct independent investigations -- only the Prosecutor's office. While police now have the power to arrest suspects, investigations are usually led by prosecutors. When the idea of granting the police more independence was first raised in May 1999, it created tensions between the police and prosecutors before finally being called off by the Blue House. In November, the issue surface with respect to the recent beating death of a suspect who was in custody at the prosecutor's office. This is also a shotgun blast aimed at Riot Police who block their protest marches against the "offenders" (USFK) in their camps. Local police stations are being held responsible for the protection of the U.S. military facilities in their sectors. During this crisis, some police stations in Seoul near Yongsan and the U.S. embassy complain that they cannot perform their normal functions because of they must protect the U.S. facilities. It is rather ironic that the NGOs create the situation that forces the police to stretch themselves so thin -- and then complain that the police are not doing their job.

American Stateside Views of Anti-Americanism: There was very little mentioned about the anti-American protests in Korea in July. Editorials were posted mainly by political analysts. Overall, there was no interest in the anti-American activity in Korea. The following is an editorial from the Honolulu Star Bulletin by Richard Halloran.

Growing anti-Americanism festers in South Korea

South Korea and the United States are on a collision course -- and this time it won't be on a soccer field as it was in the World Cup games a few weeks ago.

Anti-Americanism is clearly on the rise in Korea and appears to be undergoing a fundamental change. Before, it was more anti-baseism, with the Koreans demanding that the 37,000 American troops posted in their country go home. Now, that has ballooned into a demand that Seoul's alliance with the United States be dismantled.

On the American side is a basic change in attitude that began with the terrorist assault of Sept. 11. It is still in its formative stage, but Americans seem to have become less tolerant in dealing with other nations, a mood that might best be expressed: "If you are not with us, you are against us."

If those conflicting trends continue, it is only a matter of time before Koreans and Americans bump heads, with unpredictable consequences that will affect the security of East Asia. In particular, a collision would weaken the diplomatic and military front against North Korea.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Anti-American demonstrators held a rally last
Sunday in front of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry
Division in Uijongbu, north of Seoul.
The protesters' signs read, in part, "Oppose USA."

Public opinion polls underscore Korean hatred of the United States. Beyond that, anti-Americanism manifests itself in the most mundane ways. When a Korean skater was disqualified in the Olympics in Salt Lake City, Koreans went ballistic -- even though the referee was not an American. The U.S. soccer team was repeatedly booed during the World Cup. On issue after issue, as David Steinberg, an experienced and astute observer of Korea, wrote recently: "When in doubt, it is the Americans who are wrong." He is director of Asian Studies in the Foreign Service School at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

In the most recent incident, two Korean schoolgirls were killed in a tragic accident when a truck driven by two American soldiers hit them. At first, the U.S. command ruled it a mishap and said the soldiers would not be arrested. Under Korean pressure, the soldiers have been charged with negligent homicide and will be court-martialed. The Korean government, reacting to more public pressure, has demanded that the Americans be tried in a Korean court, where their chances of a fair trial are questionable.

The depth of Korean anti-Americanism is evident as many Koreans can recite a long list of alleged mistreatment by the United States. They reach back to the treaty of 1882 that helped to open the Hermit Kingdom, a 1905 pact between the United States and Japan that Koreans contend led to the brutal Japanese occupation that lasted until 1945, and a conspiracy to divide Korea after World War II. American support for Korean dictators, from Syngman Rhee to Park Chung Hee to Chun Doo Whan, is readily recalled. In Korean eyes, the United States has prevented reconciliation with North Korea.

Steinberg says the Korean educational system and the press cultivate the antipathy toward America.

"Korean governments have lied about the attitudes of Americans and misrepresented or suppressed U.S. concerns about human rights," he wrote. He cautions: "South Korea needs to act with internal political maturity."

Today, Korea is in a political season, with a presidential election scheduled for late this year. Candidates will find it hard to resist exploiting the deep-seated anger for their own political gain.

Confronted with this, the United States has perhaps five options:

• One would be to mount an intense, high-level diplomatic campaign intended to reverse the Korean mind-set.
• A second would be to move the bloated U.S. military headquarters out of Seoul and consolidate it with other American forces in a less visible location. The United States has offered to do so if Korea will find a new site and pay for the move. So far, the Koreans have refused.
• A third possibility would be to muddle through, allowing the sore to fester and treating it with Band-Aids.
• Fourth, the United States could withdraw its military forces from Korea, which would have an incalculable strategic effect from the Russian Far East to Singapore.
• Last, if worse comes to worst, the United States could abrogate its security treaty and let the Koreans fend for themselves.

When the Americans and the South Koreans met on the soccer field during the World Cup, the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Next time, unless Washington and Seoul turn things around, both nations will lose.

Richard Halloran is a former correspondent for The New York Times in Asia and a former editorial director of the Star-Bulletin. His column appears Sundays. He can be reached by e-mail at rhalloran@starbulletin.com

MOJ asks for jurisdiction The Ministry of Justice and the USFK’s judicial authorities were at odds about who should get to try the USFK personnel who were involved in the accident. On 12 July the Ministry of Justice asked the USFK to forfeit trial jurisdiction in the case, and the USFK, citing that there is no precedent, was reluctant. The Koreans claimed the SOFA is ambiguous in this area, while the Americans state it is very clear as a "line of duty" incident covered specifically in the SOFA. The USFK had 42 days to give final notice on its position -- and opted for a court martial.

The tensions increased as the USFK comments were construed by the NGO groups as trivializing the incident. Korean editorials stated that "the USFK be more understanding of the hearts of Koreans in regards to this case. The less than prudent nature of some of its comments immediately after the accident not only didn’t help the situation, they in some ways caused case to develop in ways it really didn’t have to."

The Korean government approached the situation irresponsibly as well with a senior Blue House official stating the activists were simply "radical students." Basically, Kim Dae-jung said or did nothing to resolve the growing anger.

Activists Clouding of Issues:In July, USFK paid to the families of the two girls INITIAL solatia (expression of sympathy) payments of one million won for each family were made quickly. The exact amount of the solatia (expression of sympathy) was settled in September through ROK and USFK personnel. USFK paid 75 percent of the final claims for compensation settled under Korean law and the SOFA on 11 September 2002 with the full involvement of ROK claims authorities. However, the NGO groups picked up on the INITIAL amount and stated that it was the final amount and an insult. This is the type of disinformation that has been spread by the NGO groups from the start.

The problem stems the Koreans in general lack of knowledge of the U.S. legal system. The American system bases its system on protecting the rights of the individual while the Korean system bases itself upon the needs of society. It may be an oversimplification, but the American system assumes your innocence until proven guilty, but the Korean system assumes your guilt until proven innocent. Though Article 27 (4) of the Korean Constitution states, "The accused are presumed innocent until a judgment of guilt has been pronounced," one can be held and questioned by the police without charges being filed or a lawyer present. In the U.S. system one is guaranteed a trial by one's peers in a jury trial, but in Korea judicial power is vested in courts composed of judges. The U.S. and ROK systems are so disparate that a SOFA is essential to protect the soldiers performing their duties in this country.

However, the American side must understand that it WAS an "unlawful act" under the Korean traffic laws. This is the crux of the matter and perhaps why the 2d ID Commander buckled under the intense pressure from the ROK and sent the case to trial under court martial. Under Korean traffic statutes when a pedestrian has been injured or killed, the most important principle in Korean society is to provide restitution to the victim and his family. The USFK provided restitution of $513,000 to the families of both girls. But Korean authorities handle traffic accidents in a significantly different way than authorities in the United States. Under Korean law, many traffic accidents, even minor ones, carry criminal consequences, as well as civil liabilities. Anyone who breaches the duty of care and causes the death or injury of another may be charged with "occupational negligence resulting in death or injury" under the ROK Criminal Code. Under the Korean system, the soldiers committed an "unlawful" act. (See Activists Clouding of Issues for full section covering the Korean Constitution and how the Activists have shifted the emphasis.)

Misunderstanding of the US & Military Legal Systems: The U.S. embassy and the USFK have done a very poor job in the area of public education dealing with explaining the differences in the legal systems of both countries. The Koreans of the general populace don't understand the U.S. criminal justice system with its presumption of innocence, the concept of reasonable doubt and the right to a trial by a jury of one's peers. (See Misunderstanding of the US & Military Legal Systems for the full section covering the U.S. Embassy writeup and a Korean editorial on the problems.)

Disinformation Campaign: Whether the "disinformation" from the NGO groups is being deliberately spread or if it is from pure ignorance is not known. What is known is that the disinformation campaigns by the NGO groups are EFFECTIVE. They use the internet to spread their messages -- in hangul of course -- and millions of Koreans are receiving their messages through websites specifically covering this incident. The Koreans are one of the most computer literate nations around -- and the NGO groups use the internet within Korea very effectively. The internet has been populated with numerous calls for justice.

Numerous websites dedicated to this incident abounds on the internet. An especially well-done one in English is at Kangfull.com which has pictures of the girls in childhood and reflects the emotions of the Korean people feel very well. However, to an American this may incite anger.

An educational website named Sinsago polled 2,237 respondents between 13 and 18 years old. The results found that 46.1 percent of them thought the next president should focus on improving the Korea-U.S. relationship toward a future-oriented one, including revision of the SOFA accord. Now the Koreans are promoting the use of "emoticons" on MSN Messenger to symbolize the tragedy is spreading. "#" is being used to represent the weave of the ramie cloth used for funerals with the color "white" for bereavement on Korean websites.

Cultural Differences: Some Koreans claimed that the USFK leaders slighted the Koreans because of their cultural insensitivity. Some Koreans stated that the USFK offered paltry monetary sums that were insults to the families of the dead girls -- but this has not been substantiated and appears to be NGO group disinformation. The US government gave US$323,000 (S$570,000) to the families of the girls, Shim Mi Son and Shin Hyo Sun. Awaniko777@hotmail.com wrote in a newsgroup, "USFK worked to ensure just compensation was paid to the families. Initial solatia (expression of sympathy) payments of one million won for each family were made quickly. Both families accepted approximately 195 million won each. USFK paid 75 percent of the final claims for compensation settled under Korean law and the SOFA on 11 September 2002 with the full involvement of ROK claims authorities. In addition, hundreds of soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division participated in candlelight vigil to honor the girls. Soldiers donated more than $22,000 for the two families. Other private donations totaling more than $30,000 were received to construct a memorial to the two girls."

It has also been said that the leaders of the USFK and 2d ID did not respond quickly in apologizing PERSONALLY to the families of the individuals. In Korea, apologizing is not so much a matter of right or wrong, but a sense of propriety. The former Eighth Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Zanini, immediately apologized the same day the accident occurred and ensured the accident was investigated by both ROK and U.S. authorities. However, he rotated out within a short time and the NGO groups screamed that he was responsible and shouldn't be allowed to leave the country. They did NOT accept his apology -- and never intended to.

The 2nd Infantry Division Commander, Maj General Honore, the chief of staff and Sgt. Mark Walker visited the families to personally apologize. Somehow, the NGO groups forgot these visits happened. The Korea Herald stated, "From the viewpoint of Koreans, however, all these gestures of contrition were perfunctory rather than proper, leveling up only in proportion to the public's mounting anger. It sounded something like: "Sorry if you feel bad. Very sorry if you are angry. And terribly sorry if you are really mad." The NGO groups had an ally in the biased media.

Perhaps there is a kernel of truth in that the apologies may not have been made instantaneously, but they were made. After a while, everyone was apologizing -- and the NGO groups were accepting none of them. Public apologies were made to the Korean people by Maj. Gen. Russell Honoré, former Second Infantry Division Commander; Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, Commander of USFK; Ambassador Thomas Hubbard, U.S. Ambassador to Korea; Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, and Secretary of State Colin Powell -- but only after the situation was getting out of control. When the situation was out-of-hand, everyone started apologizing and kowtowing to everyone. It was too late by then. In fact, an Korean editorial cartoon poked fun at the USFK commanders being urged to bow lower by Bush.

August 2002

Protests Spread Nationwide: At first the protests were local. A violent anti-U.S. protest outside Camp Red Cloud in Uijongbu, north of Seoul, on June 16, where two South Korean journalists were allegedly beaten by U.S. soldiers inside the base and tied up before being handed over to the police. There were violent confrontations at Camp Howze where the unit involved was stationed. On June 26, angry protesters tried to break into Camp Howze in Uijongbu to deliver a letter of protest. Two journalists who were arrested for following the protesters said they were physically abused by U.S. and Korean authorities. Then there were protests at the Change of Command ceremonies at Camp Casey in Tongduchon, and finally the protests spread to Seoul.

Not surprisingly at the front of these protests was Kunsan's activist priest, the Reverend Mun Chon-Hyun. The Reverend Mun Chon-Hyun spearheads these protests not only in Kunsan and the Cholla area, but throughout the nation. Reverend Mun is basically a human-rights activist who cares deeply in his anti-war cause. He was shown on the telecast holding a sign saying, "You Are All Guilty" -- meaning the blame for the deaths resides with the whole of the 2d ID and USFK. Reverend Mun is an expert promoter who has learned how to effectively manipulate the TV news. At times, he will appear to provoke the riot police by poking their shields, but the riot police know better than to attack an old man. He lays down in front of the riot police and confronts them face-to-face. As part of his protest, he was shown wrapped in a Korean flag as his head was shaved. Of course, there was the meaningful shot as he wiped a tear from his eye -- which one saw repeatedly in the shots of the friends, classmates, pupils, and family of the young girls. He has a sense of theatrics that cannot be slighted. His visual messages are powerful. Undoubtedly, he is a leader who is fearless and committed to his causes. Though some remark about his unauthorized visits to North Korea in the past that resulted in his imprisonment may link him to the North, none can fault that he believes in his mission.

Rev. Mun in face-to-face confrontation with Police (Apr 2002)
(Click on image to enlarge)
(From Tongil.news)

Though most of his protests are peaceful, the protests he has been part of at Camp Casey have resulted in the riot police reacting with force after being pushed too far. TV news coverage showed the riot police attacking people with their shields and one riot policeman striking out with his baton. The coverage showed the people hurt and bleeding from head wounds and those taken away in an ambulance. The anger was real...the tensions very high. The most hurtful cut was to a riot policeman afterwards trying to get through the crowd and being taunted with the remarks that he was "stupid" and questioned whether he was "Korean police or American police" -- meaning was he an American lackey.

The news coverage was carefully edited to show some military inside the fenceline at Camp Casey taking video tapes of the scene from an elevated platform -- while they were smiling and joking. This was interspliced with the people with bleeding head wounds giving the impression that the Americans were enjoying the havoc. We believe this was a result of clever editing -- and biased MBC news coverage.

College students picked up on the "injustice" and started their protests with "Memorial Rallies." Basically the rallies are the old rabble-rouser rallies used to incite the students to action -- usually violent. In one form or another, there have been similar rallies on all campuses across the country over this incident. An Associated Press story on 17 July 2002 stated that "About 130 student activists, shouting "Yankee go home," rallied on Tuesday near the U.S. Embassy, demanding that the two soldiers be tried in a South Korean court. About a dozen protesters briefly scuffled with riot police, who blocked them from entering the embassy building to deliver a protest letter. No arrests or injuries were reported." The demonstrations at the U.S. embassy continued unabated and at times became violent. (NOTE: Four students were convicted in November of conducting an illegal demonstration after they broke into the U.S. embassy compound in October demanding a U.S. government apology for the deaths of the two Korean girls. The Seoul District Court fined the students 5 million won ($4,150) for each. Activists denounced the students' convictions as unfair. Two other students have been accused of attempting to burn the U.S. flag remain on trial on charges of violating the National Security Law.)

Decision to Court Martial the Soldiers: Immediately following the accident the driver and tank commander were held not liable and were cleared of negligence. However, there was intense political pressure. Guy Womack, defense attorney stated after the trial, "I am very confident that these same verdicts would have resulted if these cases had been tried in the United States and the victims had been U.S. citizens. Indeed, it is my belief that, had the victims been U.S. citizens, there would not have been trials at all. That is because I know that Korean and U.S. police investigated this incident and concluded that the driver could not possibly have seen the two girls. They both realized that he was not negligent. Additionally, the army ordered an Article 32 investigation to be conducted - in essence, a trial to see whether the evidence was sufficient to warrant a criminal trial. The investigating officer recommended that Sgt. Walker not be charged with an offense in this matter. However, the then-commanding general of the 2nd Infantry Division, bowing to what must have been immense public pressure, referred him to trial, despite the clear evidence that he was innocent."

On 7 August, the USFK announced that it would retain jurisdiction over the two soldiers and they would be court martialed for two counts of negligent homicide. In addition, the corrective measures for prevention of these types of accidents in the future were announced. (See USFK Corrective Measures to Prevent Future Accidents for list.) The following is the USFK News Release.

SEOUL, Republic of Korea (ROK) Aug. 7, 2002 –United States Forces Korea (USFK) will retain jurisdiction over two soldiers involved in the accident on June 13, 2002, that claimed the lives of two teenage Korean girls.

“I want to again express our heart-felt remorse to the families and friends of Miss Shim, Mi-Son and Miss Shin, Hyo-Sun. We deeply regret the accident that caused their deaths. After careful consideration and review of multiple ROK and USFK investigations, USFK has determined that when the tragic accident occurred, the soldiers were performing their official duties while participating in an authorized combined training event required for alliance readiness. Based on that fact and other factors, it is appropriate that USFK retain jurisdiction,” said LTG Daniel R. Zanini, USFK Chief of Staff and Commander of Eighth U.S, Army.

“It is significant that the Uijongbu Prosecutor’s investigation results are basically consistent with those of our investigations. USFK also fully and carefully considered the Korean Ministry of Justice (MOJ) request that the United States waive jurisdiction in this case. However, after reviewing all of the issues associated with the accident, I concluded there was insufficient cause for a precedent setting transfer of jurisdiction,” LTG Zanini said.

Under the provisions of the Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Korea, the United States will retain jurisdiction over Sgt. Mark Walker and Sgt. Fernando Nino, both of B Co., 44th Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army. Each soldier has been charged with two specifications of negligent homicide under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) in the deaths of Miss Shim, Mi-Son and Miss Shin, Hyo-Sun. The Uijongbu prosecutor’s office has provided results of its investigation for USFK’s consideration. Additionally, administrative actions initiated against others in the chain of command are currently being considered.

“The United States and Korea have well-established and longstanding policies to maximize criminal jurisdiction over their military personnel in order to promote good order and discipline within their respective military forces. The one instance in which waiver of jurisdiction occurred was in Japan in 1957, before the SOFA between the United States and Japan was negotiated. In that case the act was intentional, not an accident like the current situation here in Korea, where it is indisputable that the individuals involved were clearly acting in the performance of their official duties,” said Colonel Kent Meyer, USFK Judge Advocate.

Following that decision in 1957, President Eisenhower sent the following assurance to the United States Senate, “It has been, is, and so far as I can foresee, will be our policy not to waive the primary United States right to try where the ‘performance of duty’ matter is clear. As a matter of fact, no waiver of primary United States right to try has ever been given where that matter was clear.”

“Accordingly, the United States has never waived its primary jurisdiction in an official-duty case under the provisions of the Status of Forces Agreements that exist among the United States and the nations of Korea, Japan, and those member nations in the NATO Alliance,” added Colonel Meyer.

USFK is putting preventive measures in place and taking significant corrective measures to avoid accidents in the future. These measures include formation of a task force with the Korean Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, and the Ministry of Justice. The task force would enable USFK to better understand Korean perceptions and to examine training, accident, and movement procedures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

Unprecedented accident prevention measures are being taken throughout USFK in cooperation with ROK governmental agencies. USFK will improve local notification for short-notice training moves and enhance their communications and vehicle movement procedures. Communication equipment maintenance procedures are also being reviewed in an effort to reduce even minor defects.

Additionally, the Second Infantry Division is taking more than 20 significant measures to improve safety during training. Several of those measures include:

• · More detailed notification of local leaders concerning training activities
• · Intercom systems upgrades to improve communication between the vehicle driver and vehicle commander
• · Additional mirrors and other vehicle reconfigurations to improve the visibility of vehicle drivers
• · Front and back guide vehicles for vehicles like the one involved in the accident
• · During training exercises, unit command posts will closely monitor and control vehicle movements
• · Two-way convoys on two lane roads are prohibited The Second Infantry Division is also taking all vehicles of the type involved in the accident off the roads. The vehicles will be moved on large transport trucks.

When they decided on the court martial, the USFK had a no-win situation on their hands. That the soldiers would be acquitted was fairly assured. An acquittal would free these individuals from any future threat of prosecution in Korean courts. Under current SOFA rules, those found innocent cannot be tried in the Korean courts. If you say that made the court martial system a farce, you may be right, but it was a rational answer to protecting the soldiers from ever being dragged into the Korean court system. In addition, by seeking a court martial, the USFK sought to appear as a seeker of justice bending over backwards to find the truth. It was a ploy to appease those Koreans demanding the soldiers be tried as many Koreans initially believed the soldiers would receive no punishment at all. It was intended to defuse the explosive situation.

However, when an acquittal would be announced, there would be larger protests across Korea over the injustice of the situation from the NGO groups. Any "not guilty" verdict would result in the whole trial being called a sham. This is what the NGO groups had been saying about the court martials. A "not guilty" verdict would play right into the NGO groups hands in inciting the Korean populace.

On the other hand, in the unlikely possibility that the court martial returned a "guilty" verdict, there would have been a great storm of protests from the U.S. It would have been such a travesty of justice as the facts pointed to this court martial being politically motivated -- and should never have taken place in the first place. The soldiers would have been seen as sacrificial lambs to save the generals of the USFK and the ROK-U.S. alliance.

But the scariest part of a guilty verdict would be that the NGO groups would immediately DEMAND the soldiers be turned over for prosecution in the Korean court system. They would have gotten what they wanted -- handed to them gift-wrapped. To the NGO groups, a court martial was a win-win situation; but to the USFK, this was a no-win situation whichever way they turned.

USFK Statement:

SEOUL, Republic of Korea (USFK) July 5, 2002 – Two soldiers assigned to Second Infantry Division's 44th Engineer Battalion, Camp Howze, have been formally charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with the deaths of two young Korean girls. The action was taken after an extensive joint investigation into the June 13 accident in Kyong-gi Province.

Sgt. Mark Walker and Sgt. Fernando Nino, both of B Co., 44th Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, Eighth US Army, were both charged with two specifications of negligent homicide under Article 134 of the UCMJ in the deaths of Ms. Shim, Mi-Son and Ms. Shin, Hyo-Sun.

Walker was the driver and Nino was the track commander of the armored vehicle involved in the accident. Both are charged with the deaths of the two girls by negligently failing to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle.

Both Walker and Nino will be assigned qualified military counsel to assist in their case.

---

September 2002

Anti-Americanism Grows: The key rallying cry "Bring the GI criminals to the South Korean court!" intended to turn the Americans over for trial in a Korean court. However, under the SOFA this would never happen as the accident occurred while in the performance of official duty. Unlike murder, rape or arson which could be tried in Korean courts, the incident is outside the jurisdiction of the Koreans and clearly covered under the SOFA protection.

The widespread Anti-American sentiment should be distinguished from ideological "Anti-Americanism." The NGO groups contain some elements that are definitely "Anti-American" wishing the Americans to go home. However, the majority of Koreans still agree with the presence of the USFK -- though a growing element believes the U.S. should leave in the future. However, the Korean people are frustrated by the tragic nature of the incident and feel a sense of powerlessness, as Koreans were victims, but no one was held responsible. All the bowing in the world cannot remove this.

The U.S. embassy offered only weak initial responses in June and the Kim Dae-jung administration basically remained silent. The leaders of both countries were distracted by the World Cup in June, the North-South Korean naval battle and North Korea's revelation of a nuclear program. The accidental deaths of two girls did not seem to compare to the scope of these other events and were relegated to the background. Their neglect in offering the appropriate responses at the time led to the confrontations of September.

USFK paid to the families of the two girls initial solatia (expression of sympathy) payments of one million won for each family were made quickly. Both families accepted approximately 195 million won each. USFK paid 75 percent of the final claims for compensation settled under Korean law and the SOFA on 11 September 2002 with the full involvement of ROK claims authorities. In addition, hundreds of soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division participated in candlelight vigil to honor the girls.

Soldiers donated more than $22,000 for the two families. Other private donations totaling more than $30,000 were received to construct a memorial to the two girls.

The activists in the streets were emboldened and started to become more radical in their protests. Confrontations with riot police and demonstrations outside of Yongsan became commonplace. On 14 September 2002, a group of protestors cornered some soldiers from Camp Red Cloud on the Seoul subway and a fight broke out. One of the Korean protestors noses was broken in the scuffle. Two of the Americans escaped and fled to the police for protection and were "detained." Unfortunately, one of the Americans was abducted and taken to Chamsil Stadium where he was forced to make a "confession." The USFK protested this incident through the US Embassy, but the strongest language the Korean Police could say was the "detaining" of the suspect was "illegal" and charges of "restraint against one's will" MAY be filed against some of the protestors. Nothing was mentioned of "kidnapping" as this could be blown up into a nasty international incident. (See September Subway Incident for details of the abduction.)

In the subsequent actions, the USFK and Embassy did nothing fearing that punitive actions against the "kidnappers" would add fuel to the situation. The ROK Police were not chastized and the whole affair was swept under the carpet. The lack of response is just what the NGO groups wanted -- and expected from an ineffectual Embassy and USFK. They saw that the USFK threats of not tolerating violence against their camps was just talk...and they could enlarge the scope of their protests.

Anti-Americanism Grows in S. Korea written by an Anti-American activist reads, "It is against these backgrounds that an "incident," called so by the only nuclear superpower, has triggered a wave of strong nationwide protests involving people from different quarters including school children, student-youth, writers, journalists, religionists, women, trade unions, peace makers, and politicians. A variety of protest actions have been launched throughout South Korea--demonstrations, mass rallies, signature-collecting and fund-raising, memorial events and so on. Nation-wide meetings alone have thus far held on five occasions within a matter of five weeks since the tragedy incurred, and even primary school children have come to join in protest. Leading mass media, which had generally refrained from reporting on GIs' crimes and troubles between the USFK and residents of localities, are now paying more attention to the new developments. Floods of e-mails are coming in the media, government organs, and NGOs' Websites. The public is unanimous in demanding, among other things: "Bring the GI criminals to the South Korean court!""

Protests Continue to Grow: In a Presidential election year, every Korean politician jumped on the band-wagon to get his name in the news. The accident suddenly became high-profile. This appears to be the only reason the personnel were to be court martialed for what was a tragic accident that occurred in the line of duty. In an Army Times article, South Korea: U.S. military driver didn't hear warning (AP) July 02, 2002, "An initial investigation by the U.S. military and South Korean police concluded last month that the deaths were a "tragic accident." However, when the NGO groups and families cried foul, the ROK Prosecutor's office "reinvestigated" the case and started to make demands for jurisdiction that put it into direct conflict with the SOFA.

Families and friends of the victims demanded that the USFK forgo its rights to try the soldiers in a U.S. court and let the investigation be done by Koreans. South Korea requested that the U.S. military give up jurisdiction over the two soldiers in early July. If the two had been convicted in a South Korean court, the soldiers would have faced up to five years in prison. It was a head-to-head contest when the South Korean prosecutor's office wanted the USFK to give up jurisdiction. (See South Korea asks U.S. military to hand over American soldiers accused in teens' death (AP) July 10, 2002.)

The U.S. military did not respond to the Korean prosecuter's accusation that it was a "crime" and punishable under "negligent homicide." Under SOFA, the military can ALLOW South Korea to try American soldiers involved in ACCIDENTS that occurred while on duty, but so far the USFK has never done so in the entire existence of the SOFA in Korea. The only way out of the Korean SOFA jurisdiction trap was to offer up the individuals for court martial for negligent homicide -- knowing full-well that they would most likely be acquitted. Under Korean law, they could not be retried if found innocent. In early July, the U.S. military indicted Sgt. Mark Walker and Sgt. Fernando Nino on charges of negligent homicide for trial in U.S. military courtmartial in South Korea. If they had been convicted, they would have faced up to six years in prison.

In August, school children protested peacefully in front of the Main Gate of Kunsan during nation-wide protests for the reunification of Korea. But this protest was also tied in with the on-going protest over the deaths of the girls by the Army carrier in Uijongbu. This part of the demonstration was played down by the base authorities. (Go to TongIl News for the August 15th Rally.)

In the end, one wonders what effect this will have on the morale of the rank-and-file Army grunt who may be saying, "There but for the grace of God go I. If the commanders will sacrifice them, what will they do to me if I screw up?" Even if the two soldiers were acquitted, there remains the lingering doubts. Four in the chain of command were given reprimands over this situation -- particularly about the lack of safety precautions, but these facts were not released by the USFK until December.

---

October 2002

A Tragedy That Could have become an Injustice: An excellent analysis of the Korean situation created by this incident is at Korea Watch . This incident has become political with senior commanders kowtowing everywhere -- from the unit commander to the 2d ID commander to the USFK commander -- and the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State offering their apologies. The USFK has looked like bumbling clowns in their handling of this incident in the face of the well-organized actions of the NGO (Non-governmental Organization) activist groups. Every act they took played right into the public-relations hands of the NGO groups.

A Tragic Accident

On June 13th along a road in south Korea, a US Army Tank ran over two female junior high school students. It is correct to call this accident a tragedy. The victims suffered a horrible death. The families and friends of these girls will be haunted by the deaths, as will those soldiers involved in the accident.

The accident itself in which Shim Mi-son and Shin Hyo-sun were killed, though tragic, is of a type all too common in Korea. One Korean news report states that approximately 82 children are killed or injured in traffic accidents every day in Korea and 70% of those accidents involve children walking on or along a road. [i] (Kukmin Ilbo 2001 05 04)

The accident occurred along a narrow road near Yangju, north of Seoul, on a route commonly used by US military vehicles to travel to and from the Twin Bridges training area near Uijongbu, south Korea. Shim Mi-Son and Shin Hyo-sun were on their way to a birthday party, walking on the edge of the road. Sergeant Mark Walker was driving an AVLB, an M-60 tank designed to carry a tank bridge, as the third vehicle in a seven vehicle convoy moving to the Twin Bridges Training area. According to published reports, the AVLB adjusted its position away from the center line of the road in order to not collide with an approaching convoy of Bradley Armored Personnel Carriers. The AVLB was actually wider then the lane it was traveling in, so this brought the right track of the AVLB directly behind where the students were walking. When this happened, the students were in a blind spot caused by part of the bridge laying apparatus on the AVLB. The track commander, Sergeant Fernando Nino tried to warn the SGT Walker, but he had configured his radio system to talk to his company commander and he was unable to hear the warning of SGT Fernando. [ii] The girls were crushed by the right track of the 54 ton tank. SGT Walker stopped on top of the girls, then backed the tank off of where their bodies lay.

An Injustice for the Soldiers?

The US military in Korea has gone to extremes to address Korean’s concerns over this incident. The 2nd Infantry Division investigated the accident and presented their explanation. The unit involved held a candlelight vigil. The commander of US Forces Korea apologized. [iii] Despite these efforts, the US military has not been able to placate outrage over this accident. In part, the US was incompetent in dealing with this situation because of the efforts of increasingly well organized anti-US Non Governmental Organizations seeking to turn this accident into a political incident. In addition, electioneering politicians [iv] of all parties attempted and continue to attempt to use this issue to show their independence against the United States by condemning the US and calling for the prosecution and punishment of the two soldiers primarily involved in the accident in Korea’s courts.

As a result, the Walker and Nino have now been charged with negligent homicide [v] by the US military and the Korean government is calling for them to be turned over to Korean authorities for trial and punishment [vi] even though initial investigations by Korean police and US Forces[vii] (Joongang Ilbo 2002-06-30) clearing these soldiers of having acted intentionally or negligently [viii] and despite their having been at the time of the accident performing under orders which they were legally required to obey on a route they were required to follow in a manner specified by their commanders and the military. As such, a tragedy is about to become an injustice.

Negligent Homicide

Officially, Walker and Nino have been charged with “negligently failing to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle.” [ix]

Negligent Homicide is covered in the Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 134 and is defined as “any unlawful homicide which is the result of simple negligence [x] (Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 134 4.86.3 c)

Simple negligence is defined as:

Simple negligence is the absence of due care, that is, an act or omission of a person who is under a duty to use due care which exhibits a lack of that degree of care of the safety of others which a reasonably careful person would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances.[xi](Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 134 4.86.3 c)

Examples of negligent homicide part of a military training lesson on criminal law states: The driver who goes through a red light and strikes and kills a pedestrian may be guilty of negligent homicide. The necessary acts for negligent homicide are not so severe as to amount to criminally culpable negligence, but are far enough from the expected conduct of a prudent person to amount to simple negligence. One in charge of a water crossing exercise failed to assure that persons crossing the creek were wearing life vests and secured to tagline and that a boat was following those crossing. His conduct was simple negligence. He was properly convicted of negligent homicide when a soldier fell from the rope and drowned. United States v. Zurrigl, 15 MJ 798 (ACMR 1983). In this case, the accused who was as the person in charge had a duty to take adequate measures to protect the persons under his charge from harm. The court concluded that a reasonably prudent person in the accused's position would have ensured that the persons crossing the creek were wearing life vests and secured to a tagline and that a boat was following those crossing. Failure to do so constituted simple negligence which caused the victim's death. [xii]

Movement of military vehicles is inherently dangerous, especially through civilian areas.. For this reason, movement of military vehicles in any number is done through a convoy. Convoys are regulated and tightly controlled. The very nature of these regulations is to reduce the chance of accidents.

In the army convoys are covered by local unit standard operating procedures and Field Manual 55-30 “Army Motor Transport Units and Operations.” An examination of the guidance in FM 55-30 shows that the leaders did much of what was required. They had proper convoy clearance. They had numbers on their vehicles. They placed the command vehicle, an M-113 directly behind the lead vehicle, a Humvee. They placed the AVLB, a vehicle requiring special attention, directly after the command vehicle.

Another requirement they likely followed is a safety briefing in which, prior to movement, the leader in charge of the movement warns drivers and passengers about the dangers and hazards associated with the route and any other information to assure the orderly and safe transit of the convoy to the destination. It is required that leaders advise convoy members of safety issues related to the movement [xiii] , including movement through populated areas along the route, the presence of pedestrians and other vehicles along the route, and areas in which the width of the road or reductions in the width of the road pose a hazard [xiv]

An editorial in the Joongang Ilbo published shortly after this accident described the road as very dangerous, especially to pedestrians, and commented that it was amazing that more accidents did not happen. [xv]

Early investigation by Republic of Korea police identified that one of the reasons for the accident was that the lane was narrower then the AVLB.[xvi](Joongang Ilbo 2002-06-15) If this was not known by leaders or not provided as part of the safety briefing to the driver and track commander it would seem that any simple negligence would be shared by their leaders. However, at this point only the driver and track commander have been charged with negligent homicide.

In addition, in his apology for the incident, USFK commander Gen. Leon J. LaPorte identified several changes to policy that were intended to avoid future accidents which would also seem to indicate circumstances that would mitigate any charge of negligence. [xvii]

Analysis

The US Military is Poorly Equipped to Deal with Today’s Korea

The US Forces in Korea continue to be plagued by the short tour. Most enlisted soldiers and officers spend only one year in Korea. In effect, half of the unit is new and the other half is planning their return to the United States. For many, even US Forces Korea Commanding General LaPorte, this is their first and only tour in Korea.

The high concentration of population, restricted terrain, and narrow roads are far more difficult to navigate then the areas in which US soldiers conduct operations and train in the United States and Europe. The high concentration of population in the Seoul-Inchon area in which most of the troops are deployed and train rivals the population density of that of Hong Kong or Metropolitan Tokyo.

Soldiers in Korea often have a poor understanding of Korean culture, no understanding of Korean language, and as such are unable to overcome a organizational bias against Koreans held over from the earliest days of the US military’s involvement with Korea.

Commanders are often totally dependent on Korean soldiers or Korean civilians with no training as interpreters to present information to the Korean press or to use in working with the Korean public. Without non-Korean speakers of Korean and Koreans trained as interpreters, subtle meanings as well and more general information are often not properly communicated. Even when the words are properly conveyed, appreciating the meaning may take a detailed explanation may be required for someone not familiar with the culture to understand the meaning.

Finally over the last twenty years, as Korea has dismantled the remnants of military government and experienced greater political and economic freedom, the social and political systems that have acted to moderate public acceptance of the friction that occurs in Korean-US Military interactions has been dismantled. The Korean government, which once would have suppressed press reports or protests aimed at causing the US to lose face, no longer offers the same level of help, effectively ending their support of the special status once afforded US forces in Korea.

The Challenge Posed By Non-Governmental Organizations Is Undermining US forces in Korea

It has always been a question as to what would happen to student radicals once they could no longer hang out at colleges and universities. In Japan, the student radicals of the 60s formed violent anti-government groups. In south Korea with tight control over dissent, particularly involving north-south issues under the National Security Law, many dissidents have moved into Non Governmental organizations and have used environmental and human rights issues to attack the US presence in south Korea. Under Kim Dae Jung’s administration, the number of these NGO groups and their prestige has increased.

Most activities by Korean Anti-American NGO groups have the effect of undermining the ability of US troops to maintain trained troops in Korea. The ability of US troops to train is compromised. The ability of the US to provide and control facilities is greatly restricted. Mistakes made by the US military are exaggerated far beyond similar mistakes made by the Korean military or industry. Just prior to the accident involving the two girls, Non Governmental Organizations had been trying to raise public ire over a death in a construction accident involving high voltage lines supplying USFK facilities [xviii] , but had raised little interest due to the World Cup. The deaths of two junior high school girls was had potential for much greater publicity and public outrage and as the World Cup came to an end.

Other recent controversies driven by Korean NGO groups include attempts to derail south Korea’s purchase of the F-15K, attempts to undermine Status of Forces negotiations, changes to US facilities, controversy over use of land designated for US facilities, accusations of environmental damage by US troops, accusations of trafficking in humans and institutionalized prostitution, etc.

This is What SOFA is For

The Status of Forces Agreement between Korea and the United States provides privileges to the US Military and soldiers assigned to Korea. [xix] SOFA used to provide an almost blanket protection to US troops, creating a perception that US Troops were escaping punishment. More recently the SOFA has been modified to limit full protection to soldiers performing their duties. Soldiers turned over to Korea for trial lose many of the rights taken for granted by US citizens. They lose the right to a trial by a jury by their peers. They lose the right to a lawyer during questioning. They may be detained over a period of days without being charged.

After the recent accident, south Korea’s government calls for prosecution of the two soldiers was purely political. What SOFA protections remain are designed to protect soldiers who are already risking their physical safety for the protection of south Korea from having to sacrifice their rights and freedom for the political satisfaction of activists. There is no clearer example of what the SOFA is for then this accident and it is shameful that both sides appear to be moving toward using these soldiers to appease activists that will continue to prosecute actions aimed at removing US troops from Korea regardless of security needs of Korea and by any means available.

---

2 Oct 2002: Protest over the incident over the deaths of the two middle-school girls by college students in Seoul and Burning American Flag at Tongdaemun (East Gate) (See Tongil News for Story in Korean)
Click on Photo to Enlarge (From Tongil News )

---

November 2002

Court Martial Begins: On November 18, the court martial of the two soldiers began at Camp Casey with the expected protestors outside the gate still demanding the soldiers be turned over to Korean authorities. An effigy of President Bush wrapped in an American flag was burned, plus eggs hurled at the gate.

Bush Burned in Effigy as US Troops Stand Trial for Girls' Deaths

CAMP CASEY, South Korea, Nov 18 (AFP) - Protesters burned an effigy of US President George W. Bush and scuffled with police Monday as the trial began of US soldiers accused of killing two South Korean girls.

Anti-US sentiment has mounted here since a US military vehicle crushed the two 14-year-old school girls to death during a field drill five months ago. Around 100 protesters rallied in front of Camp Casey, a US military base in Uijeongbu north of Seoul, as the US military court opened for two US soldiers who were in charge of the vehicle involved in the deaths.

The protesters torched a large Bush effigy wrapped in the US flag and hurled hundreds of eggs at the barricaded US camp in a display of anger over what they call a murder on June 13.

For safety reasons, only a small number of South Koreans, including officials and victims' faimilies, were allowed in to attend the opening session of the court martial.

Tempers flared at one point and some protesters kicked and punched riot police carrying shields and wearing helmets. But no arrests were made. The demonstrators demanded that Sergeants Mark Walker and Fernando Nino should be handed over to South Korean justice rather than tried in a US court. The two US soliders are accused of negligent homicide and could face up to six years in prison if found guilty.

Since the incident, South Korean civic activists have staged protest demonstrations before US military bases in Seoul and other areas nationwide nearly every day.

Some 37,000 American troops are stationed in South Korea under a mutual defense treaty.

Protest outside Camp Casey (18 Nov 02)
Click on Photo to Enlarge (From Tongil News )

Not Guilty Verdict: Both defendents, Sergeant Mark Walker and Sergeant Fernando Nino were found not guilty of the two counts of negligent homicide in the tragic deaths of two young girls. Sergeant Mark Walker was at the wheel of the tank track vehicle that crushed to death 14-year-olds Shim Mi-Son and Shin Hyon-Sun on June 13. Sergeant Nino was the vehicle commander. The vehicle ran over the girls as they walked past a military convoy on their way to a birthday party. Sergeant Nino was acquitted on 20 November of two counts of negligent homicide. His defence argued that Nino alerted Sergeant Walker to the presence of the girls. The driver, Sgt Walker, says he never heard the warning, because of an apparently defective communications system. The eight member military jury deliberated for more than four hours before reaching its not-guilty verdict for Sergeant Walker on 22 November. The following was excerpted from Army Link News:

Tracked vehicle driver found not guilty in Korea

by Sgt. Russell C. Bassett

CAMP CASEY, South Korea (Army News Service, Nov. 22, 2002) -- The driver of the vehicle that killed two Korean teenage girls was found not guilty on two counts of negligent homicide today as his court-martial ended at Camp Casey.

Sgt. Mark Walker of the 44th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, was the driver of an Armored Vehicle Launched Mine Clearing Line Charge or AVLM that struck and killed Shim, Mi-Sun and Shin, Hyo-Son during a training exercise in Kyong-gi Province on June 13.

The AVLM track commander, Sgt. Fernando Nino, also of the 44th Engineer Battalion, was found not guilty of the same charges in a court-martial held earlier this week.

The first day of Walker's court-martial virtually mirrored the first day of Nino's. In its opening statement, the government claimed that Walker was guilty of negligent homicide because he failed to do all that a reasonable driver would have done to ensure that the girls would not be killed. "Sgt. Walker failed to regularly communicate with his TC and thus caused the deaths," said Cpt. Sean Kilkenny, one of a three-lawyer team for the government.

The defense, in its opening statement, claimed that Walker should be found not guilty because there were other people and circumstances involved that caused the accident. "Sgt. Nino did not communicate to Sgt. Walker that there were pedestrians on the road until it was too late," said Guy Womack, lead counsel for the defense.

The prosecution called seven witnesses to the stand on the first day of Walker's court-martial. All but one of these witnesses were the same used by the government in the Nino court-martial which concluded Nov. 20. Four eyewitnesses of the accident were the first to testify. Staff Sgt. Michael A. Murray, also of the 44th Engineer Bn., was the track commander of the vehicle immediately in front of Walker's in the convoy. Pvt. Kyle P. Roush, Sgt. Patrick L. Jones and Maj. William J. Rivett were in a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle that was part of convoy that passing Walker's convoy in the opposite direction. The Bradley was even with the AVLM at the time of the deaths.

Eyewitnesses testified that personnel in both the vehicle in front of the AVLM and the one passing waved their hands over their heads in an attempt to get the tracked vehicle to stop. Jones said it looked like Nino and Walker were talking right before the accident and did not seem to be paying attention.

In cross-examination these eyewitnesses told the court they had not been given a safety brief at the start of the convoy and that no one in either convoy sent a call over the radio that there were pedestrians walking on the right side of the narrow highway. (Site Note 1 & 2)

The counsel for the accused used a video re-enactment of the accident and expert testimony to show that an AVLM driver is completely unable to see past 12 o'clock on his right side, and must rely on the track commander for what is happening to his right.

The next issue that was brought up in the courtroom was: Why did Nino not notify Walker that there were two teenage girls walking on the right side of the highway?

The prosecution called Sgt. Able Duran, communications expert that checked the AVLM's radios before the convoy departed, to help clarify the issue. After initially fixing a headset problem, Duran gave the communications in the AVLM a "good to go." However, in cross-examination, Duran said that, during a technical inspection conducted after the accident, it was found that there was an "intermittent problem" with the AVLM's radio, and the radio was later replaced. Duran also told the court that a proper maintenance check had been done by Walker before the convoy left. "Sgt. Walker is a stickler for good maintenance," Duran said.

To close out the first day and start out the second, the government called two Criminal Investigative Division special agents, Timothy Bombard and Lewis Chlebek, to take the stand. The CID agents had taken sworn statements from both Walker and Nino. "In my opinion, the commander of the convoy is negligent if he does not give a convoy brief," Chlebek told the panel members. (Site Note 1)

The final witness of the Walker court-martial was called to the stand late in the morning of the court-martial's second day. Staff Sgt. Jessie R. Grandinetti -- squad leader for Walker and Nino, and a veteran of driving tracked vehicles -- told the panel what it is like driving an AVLM. "The driver views everything on the left side and the TC everything on the right," Grandinetti said. Grandinetti also told the panel that Walker is very knowledgeable about tracked vehicle safety. "He goes more than by the book," Grandinetti said. At the end of Grandinetti's testimony, the courtroom broke for lunch.

After returning from lunch, the prosecution said it had called its final witness and rested its case. Many appeared surprised in the courtroom when the defense also rested its case without calling any witnesses to testify. In the government's closing statements, Kilkenny told the panel that most drivers would have been constantly talking with their track commander to check for any hazards on the right side of the highway. "The accused was experienced and responsible for the vehicle," the government's lawyer said. "If Sgt. Walker had acted like a reasonable driver should have, then Miss Shin and Miss Shim would still be with us today."

In the defense's closing arguments, Womack told the panel members that Walker was the least to blame for the accident. "The one person you cannot blame is the man who was totally blind to his right side and could not possibly have seen the girls," he said.

After a four-hour and 20-minute deliberation, the panel returned to the courtroom with a verdict of not guilty. With their acquittal, the soldiers will return to normal duty, officials said.

---

Site Note 1: See Korea Watch for comment on mandatory safety briefing. Another news report, Acquitted U.S. soldiers apologize as colleague blames commander appeared in the Korea Herald on 28 Nov. In it a soldier in the vehicle ahead of Nino and Walker blamed the commanding officer for the selection of the route and negligence of safety concerns.

Site Note 2: A disturbing comment is "no one in either convoy sent a call over the radio that there were pedestrians walking on the right side of the narrow highway." Witnesses commented that they used hand signals when there was impending danger -- at the point it was too late -- but the vehicles ahead who passed the girls did not issue any warnings that there were pedestrians in the area. If soldiers saw a potential problem, why didn't they get on the radio and warn others? The armored vehicle in question had an intermittent intercom problem that was not discovered when they checked the vehicle operations prior to starting out. The radio was configured for communication with the convoy commander.

Once the not-guilty decision was announced, demonstrators vowed to protest calling the court case dismissals a sham. South Korea's ruling Millennium Democratic Party condemned the acquittal of Sergeant Nino. "We cannot accept this fraudulent verdict, which is unimaginable in any law-abiding country," said spokeswoman Lee Mi-kyung, describing the decision as an "outrage to heaven and earth". The MDP also called for revisions to be made to the Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, which governs the legal treatment of US troops in South Korea. The South Korean government had asked for jurisdiction in the case, but the US refused. South Korea's Justice Ministry said it was "dissatisfied" by the verdict but respected the US process. After the verdict, Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell, commander of the Eighth U.S. Army, said that "after considering all of the evidence, the members of the court-martial determined that the girls' death were accidental and not due to negligence or any criminal misconduct on the part of Sgt. Nino."

The following is from the Korea Times on 22 November:

Jury Clears GI of Killing Korean Girls

By Bae Keun-min
Staff Reporter

TONGDUCHON _ A U.S. military jury yesterday acquitted an American soldier of negligent homicide charges in the deaths of two South Korean schoolgirls in June.

Sgt. Fernando Nino, the commander of an armored vehicle that hit and killed the girls, hugged his wife at the end of the three-day court martial at Camp Casey, a U.S. military base here. Nino's driver, Sgt. Mark Walker, will be tried on the same charge today.

Jury members of the Nino trial were all male U.S. military personnel.

South Korean civic activists immediately criticized the verdict, saying the trial was not fair. ``If the soldier is innocent, who on earth killed the two girls? Not a single South Korean will accept the verdict,'' said Lee So-hee, secretary general of a civic group called the National Movement for Eradication of Crime by U.S. Troops in Korea.

``The trial was unfair. It was a superficial stunt to diffuse rising anger among South Korean people,'' Lee claimed.

She said, “the U.S. military should immediately stop the meaningless trial and transfer jurisdiction over the two soldiers to a South Korean court. If not, it will only aggravate anti-U.S. sentiment.''

Choi Keun-ho, another activist, described the court martial as ``the trial of an accomplice by accomplices'' and said 10 activists are planning a weeklong protest outside the White House, beginning Dec. 2.

Shim Su-bo, father of the late Shim Mi-son, said, ``The trial was not fair. The jury was only composed of U.S. soldiers. They found him innocent because a guilty verdict would place a heavy burden on the USFK if a similar incident occurs in future.''

Activists had demanded that the two U.S. soldiers be tried in a South Korean court. Last June 13, the vehicle in question was going around a bend in a rural area north of Seoul when it hit the girls who were returning from school. The U.S. military often conducts exercises in and near civilian areas, which is sometimes a source of tension in South Korea.

A Case That Shouldn't Have Gone to Trial: It is our opinion that these court martials should NEVER have taken place in the first place. The two defendants were initially absolved of responsibility by BOTH Korean and U.S. authorities in what was originally termed a "tragic accident." However, the pressure from the Korean politicians and Prosecutor's office caused the USFK to decide to seek a court martial. It was a blatant attempt by the USFK to portray itself as a seeker of truth and justice.

In an unprecedented move, the U.S. military opened the court-martial to a limited number of Korean journalists and family members. It didn't work. Now that the court martial has acquitted both soldiers, it has come off to the Koreans that the USFK protects its own. Unsatisfied with the verdict, a father of one of the girls demanded the soldiers be turned over to the Korean authorities for retrial. The decision has only inflamed the situation. The USFK doesn't come out of this as a seeker of truth, but only as an organization that distorts the truth -- at least from the Korean NGO groups' perspective.

This case should NEVER have started...as it was clearly outlined in the SOFA that this was a "line of duty accident" and would be handled by the USFK. The initial investigation -- with ROK Police concurrence -- cleared both soldiers of negligence and stated this was an accident. There should never have been a court martial, but the USFK pressed charges because of the political situation. At that point, the USFK had a no-win situation on their hands. That the soldiers would be acquitted was fairly assured -- and when that happened, there would be even larger protests over the injustice of the situation. Any "not guilty" verdict would be called a "sham." However, if the soldiers had been convicted, it would have been a travesty of justice and an even greater outcry from the U.S. side would have been heard. This was a no-win situation for the USFK once they decided on a court-martial.

Activists Up in Arms over Verdict: With the acquittal, the NGO activists had the message that they WANTED AND EXPECTED. All along they had claimed that the trial was a "sham" with the defendants going to be set free because they were being tried by their "accomplices." Once the verdict was announced, they proceeded to the next phase of inciting nationwide protests. They demanded that the United States nullify the acquittal of the two soldiers and let them be tried in a Korean court.

The Pan National Committee, a national alliance of rights activists, planned to hold a demonstrations in front of USFK camps nationwide and announced plans to send its representatives to Washington, D.C. to protest the SOFA at the White House on December 2nd with a 10-member delegation to stage a weeklong sit-in in front of the White House calling on U.S. President George Bush to invalidate the court-martial ruling. (NOTE: This makes one wonder how the U.S. stands on "inviting" people to come to the U.S. to protest on their business/tourist/educational visas.)

As in the past, the NGO groups will set up a nation-wide signature campaign on the streets. The aim is to collect 2 million signatures from Koreans in order to pressure the U.S. military to have the soldiers tried at a Korean civilian court. The NGO groups realize that the signature campaigns -- like those in the past -- are ineffective when dealing with U.S. authorities. However, they do keep the limelight on the issue and in the Korean public eye.

Following past strategies, the various NGO groups will start holding "street press conferences" near the U.S. embassy. On 25 Nov, denouncing the verdict, civic groups, including the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, held a street news conference near the U.S. Embassy in central Seoul calling for the amendment of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The embassy has historically been the focus of demonstrations dealing with the SOFA -- and now demonstrators are frustrated that a law prevents them from approaching closer than 100 meters. Thus the "street news conferences" with the embassy in the background is used to publicize their causes and to keep the issue in the news.

As soon as the USFK decided to proceed with a court-martial, it was trapped in a no-win situation. No matter what the outcome, the NGO groups would win. If convicted, the NGO groups would demand the soldiers be turned over for punishment in the Korean court system -- pointing to the guilty verdict of the Americans themselves. If the verdict was "not guilty," they would declare the trial a sham -- PROVING to its Korean supporters that what the NGO groups said about the USFK was true. There was no way out.

Protest at Tongduchon (23 Nov 02)
Click on Photo to Enlarge (From Tongil News )

As expected, the acquittals prompted an outcry from South Korean activists calling the trials a sham. An Associated Press article reported on 24 November that "About 700 activists burned an American flag and demanded the U.S. military leave South Korea (news - web sites) after two U.S. soldiers were acquitted of negligent homicide charges in a traffic accident that killed two Korean girls. "Let's drive out American troops!" the protesters chanted, shaking fists in front of the Korean War Museum in central Seoul. Shoving matches erupted when riot police blocked the demonstrators from marching on the nearby U.S. military base. No injuries or arrests were reported." What is disturbing is the reports of secondary school students (reported to be about 150) involved in the demonstrations. The last time they turned out in numbers, Chun Doo-hwan announced he was leaving office. Remember that the NGO groups had organized the Children's Reunification March in August that was a thin veneer for this issue. The NGO groups are building their youth base.

Protest at Tongduchon (23 Nov 02)
Click on Photo to Enlarge (From Tongil News )

(Go To Depth of Anti-American Sentiment for meaning of "F--king USA" placards)

Violent Protests Rock the Nation: The typical NGO demonstrations started targeting small U.S. military camps that are undefended except for one or two Korean security guards. These "spontaneous" demonstrations are mainly for media value and done by small groups of students -- mostly college age. On 25 November 20 radical students armed with iron pipes threw ten firebombs into a US military warehouse for office furniture at Camp Gray in Seoul, triggering a brief fire which was put out quickly without injuries. The facility is a small warehouse management facility manned mostly by South Korean employees. One activist was arrested. (NOTE: The "firebombs" are made with slow-burning kerosene rather than the gasoline-based "Molotov cocktails." They cause more of a mess than any damage, but are very effective for dramatic effects if being photographed.) Normally these types of demonstrations die off during the winter months.

The winter months ahead are not conducive to large-scale protests so this whole controversy may die down -- though not forgotten. At this time, the Korean emotions are running high and need time to cool off so people can think sensibly. There are indications that the turnouts have been small and there is the general apathy of Koreans over this issue setting in. Even ohmynews.com which played a major role in turning a tragic traffic accident into an international incident pushed their coverage deep into their online news site.

Excerpted from the Korea Herald (26 Nov) quoting a police officer: "After distributing leaflets demanding that the U.S. soldiers be tried again at a Korean court, the students fled toward a nearby subway station, a police officer said. A 20-year-old sophomore of Korea University in Seoul, identified as Ko, was caught at the scene and undergoing questioning, he said. The apprehended student remained silent about the motive behind the demonstration and the identities of the other participants, he added."

Demonstrations have occurred across the country protesting the perceived injustice of the situation. In Pusan there were minor clashes with riot policeman. Twelve activists were arrested by police as they attempted to storm into Camp Hialeah. Local police and the US military went on alert and placed fire fighting equipment at the ready in case of "firebomb" attacks. At Camp Red Cloud -- home of the 2d ID -- 53 radical students cut through a steel wire fence, chained themselves together and staged a 30-minute anti-US protest inside the base at around 1:00pm. They entered the base after cutting wire entanglements (concertina wire) at a knoll behind the facility where security was relatively lax. Police said around 50 college students and labor activists were arrested. The Voice of the People, an Internet broadcast run by anti-US groups, showed rifle-toting US soldiers watching as protestors burned a US flag and chained themselves to one another as they reached the gate of the camp. No one was injured and there was no damage to US property during the demonstration. The protestors carried placards reading "U.S.A troops out of Korea" and demanded the soldiers acquitted in the traffic deaths be tried again in a South Korean court.

(NOTE: The fact that the activists could gain entry this way into the camp brings up the fact of what if it were a North Korean saboteur? In other words, if the radical students could do this easily, a true saboteur would have a grand time. But saboteurs get shot when they break into a base and this is the reason why the students had big signs in ENGLISH of their intent.)

In reaction to these demonstrations, Uijongbu police in Gyeonggi Province placed some 360 riot policemen from three companies working 24 hours on alert at some 10 US bases, including Camp Red Cloud and Camp Casey in Dongduchon. The 2nd Infantry Division locked down its bases banning soldiers from going out from 26 November at midnight.

Protesting the violent actions of the activists seems to be futile. Arrest warrants were sought on December 5 by police. On December 8, a district court in Uijongbu dismissed arrest warrants sought by the prosecution for three college students, who were among the protesters that broke into Camp Red Cloud. The court said "it is regretful that the accused damaged a U.S. military installation but understands the circumstances and their motive for the action." The district court just sent the message that its ok to do acts of violence at U.S. camps.

Protest at Camp Red Cloud (23 Nov 02)
Click on Photo to Enlarge (From Tongil News )

Kim Dae-jung Intervenes: On 26 November, President Kim Dae-jung stepped in to attempt to cool down the demonstrations as a result of the "firebomb" attacks on Camp Gray. The Korea Herald reported, "President Kim said he was very surprised that some South Koreans threw firebombs at U.S. military facilities," presidential spokeswoman Park Sun-sook said. In response, the President ordered a tough crackdown on illegal and violent rallies, Park said. She said Kim called on citizens to strictly observe law and order. "The government has respected citizens' rights to hold legal demonstrations against practices of the U.S. military, the government and business owners, but illegal attacks and the use of firebombs cannot be permitted under any circumstances," Kim was quoted as saying.

Previous to this the only thing heard from the President was silence. One of his staff did make a comment to the press early on that the protestors were "radicals" and should be discounted. He was wrong. On December 3, Kim Dae-jung issued a statement that the SOFA should be reviewed but it is unlikely if any changes will be made before the end of his term. He called for revision of an accord under which South Korea cedes its judicial jurisdiction in crimes involving US troops.

"Through this incident, South Korea and the United States will have to learn to cooperate more closely and improve the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)," Kim said at a cabinet meeting. He said the two countries could develop their alliance to "a future-oriented one" by revising the accord so that South Korea exercises greater jurisdiction on crimes committed by US soldiers. But he urged South Koreans to moderate their anger, saying the United States is "our very important ally" and a deterrent to war in Northeast Asia.

On December 6, Kim Dae-Jung warned that a recent wave of anti-US protests could damage South Korea's national interests even as the anti-American campaign infected the country. Kim told a group of government employees that the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea provided the country with defense security and economic benefits.

However, Kim Dae-jung's statement, "The US troops are here because both countries need them here," reflects a key shift from the situation in 1990 when Korea stated IT needed the USFK presence -- but now BOTH countries need the USFK presence. (Site Note: All U.S. diplomats and White House delegates (Rumsfield the most recent) use this same verbage of our "MUTUAL" needs. It is time for America to rethink its stance on Korea. It needs to think about whether the war between the two Koreas is simply that --- A KOREAN WAR -- without any significance to the U.S. in the new geopolitical face of Asia. A carrier group with nuclear-tipped missiles on submarines offshore were the deterent in the 1993 nuclear stand-off with Kim Il-Sung -- NOT the U.S. troops on the ground. In the future it will be as well. If it is argued that the USFK is to pressure China, it starts getting ridiculous as American would NEVER stage a ground attack on China with its overwhelming numerical superiority in troops -- as well as deadly ICBMs to threaten the U.S. proper. Yes, it needs North Korea as the poster child for Bush to leverage his way out of the Missile Proliferation Treaty so that it could pressure China with its ICBMs and continuing nuclear programs. But it doesn't need the USFK to do this. The only reason we can see that the U.S. wants to stay in Korea is the continued sale of U.S. armaments to Korea.)

The bottomline is that Kim Dae-Jung and the three major presidential hopefuls have called for changes to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), under which US authorities have jurisdiction over crimes committed by soldiers while on duty. "Some people call for their withdrawal or utter anti-US slogans. But we must not allow the SOFA issue to grow out of proportion to shout 'US soldiers get out' and chant anti-US slogans," the president said.

However, the U.S. stated through Defense Secretary Rumsfield on December 6 in Seoul that the U.S. is NOT going to change the SOFA in response to the Korean NGO pressure. The U.S. position is that nothing in the SOFA could have prevented the accident -- while not commenting any of the other aspects that would inflame the situation.

Everyone Chimes In: However, the political aspects of the issue has continued as both leading Presidential candidates, Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang and Millennium Democratic Party presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun, have stated that they will work to reform the SOFA if elected. Lee and Roh are both in agreement that US President George W. Bush needs to apologize directly. Over 30 politicians publicly came out in favor of revising the SOFA. Most Koreans, however, see this more the pursuit of popular support in the elections than a serious solution proposal. As a side note, GNP candidate Lee Hoi-chang has come out against some of the provisions of Kim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy -- thus earning him the condemnation of the North Koreans.

Even sympathetic government agencies have been involved in jumping on the bandwagon to harass the USFK over this incident. During a violent anti-U.S. protest outside Camp Red Cloud in Uijongbu on June 16, two South Korean journalists were allegedly beaten by U.S. soldiers inside the base and tied up before being handed over to the police. The National Human Rights Commission levied fine against the 2d ID -- even after they were told by the Foreign Ministry it was uncollectible.

The National Human Rights Commission has given up on its efforts to fine a U.S. military unit for failing to respond to questions about a scuffle when two reporters were among protesters trying to force their way inside a U.S. base.

The commission said it had decided that there was no legal basis for enforcing its order that the U.S. 2d Infantry Division pay a 10-million-won ($8,100) fine for its refusal to produce the soldiers.

But the commission looked at the bright side. "Domestic law and the SOFA make enforcement impossible. We can only find solace in being the first among government agencies in Korea to impose a fine on a U.S. military base here," said Kim Chang-kuk, the head of the commission.

The Foreign Ministry had said at the time of the commission's order that it was uncollectible.

Even the North Koreans chimed in with a statement from the Ministry of Education. They said, ""Us, educators cannot idly sit by and watch by as those evil American imperialists crushed down upon our children, the hope and future of the nation," read the statement. "The United States has revealed its true colors by ruling out not guilty to the two GI drivers that deserve all the punishment they can get and this is what we call a trial of a thief," the ministry said. "We say it is the United States that bring much ado with nuclear lies is the true empire of slaughter and evil, our sworn enemy which we can't even bear to live under the same sky." "We shall continue to send our rooting and support as a true compatriots to those in the South who try to avenge for the blood price of those school girls and struggle to drive away American soldiers," the statement added.

Ministry of Justice: SOFA Not Unfair Though some government sources from the Blue House have called the demonstrators "radicals," overall there was only been silence from the government. However, Justice Minister Sim Sang-myoung said that the government did not plan to seek revision of the Status of Forces Agreement between South Korea and the United States. He said, "Our SOFA was never unfair compared to similar agreements in Japan and Europe." On November 26 the Chosun Ilbo stated,

MOJ Says SOFA Not Unfair

by Lee Jin-seok (island@chosun.com)

Minister of Justice Shim Sang-myong said Tuesday it was hard to talk about a revision of the Status of Forces Agreement with the USFK as long as it could not be said to be unfair in South Korea compared to other countries. Calls for a revision have come following the acquittal of two soldiers involved in the accidental death of two teenagers in a traffic accident.

Speaking to reporters, Minister Shim said it is an international practice for countries signing SOFA with the US to approve primary jurisdiction to the US military.

As to the acquittals for the driver and commander of the US armored vehicle that killed the two, he said "In most cases, the US finds people not guilty of homicide by a vehicle, in clear accident casesm which reflects the culture of US Law that sees punishment of unintentional offenses as basically wrong.

The Ministry of Justice commented in a document, "References Related to SOFA Matters" that the current agreement is not considered an unfair agreement, citing Korea's SOFA with Kyrgyzstan, which gives the South Korean military primary jurisdiction over South Korean soldiers' criminal acts on and off duty. The country dispatched medical personnel and security forces there last February.

Other NGO Groups Join the SOFA Protest: Other NGO groups are now jumping on the bandwagon to revise the SOFA -- using this incident as the basis for their argument. The reason is the SOFA affects so many different areas from labor to environment to legal jurisdiction issues. (See SOFA Agreement for link to English text; labor and environmental Issues; cost sharing.) However, anything we say is irrelevant. The Korean populace is reading "hangul" (Korean) articles in newspapers noted for their sensationalism in order to boost sales. Those are the articles that count as they are inciting the populace to action.

NGO groups said they would continue to seek a revision of the SOFA as "the Korean government has little judicial right to try U.S. soldiers in a Korean court under the current SOFA." "SOFA gives excessive human rights' privileges to USFK criminals," said Lee Jang-hee a professor of international law at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who urged an amendment of the agreement.

The NGO groups suggest the revision or deletion of a SOFA provision requiring Korean judicial authorities to abandon jurisdiction over USFK soldiers. They also propose revisions of provisions that prohibit Korean investigators from interrogating USFK defendants after an indictment, as well as provisions that currently nullify any statements made by suspects without the presence of U.S. government officials. In other words, they want the U.S. soldiers to be treated as Koreans are. This bypasses the need for the SOFA in the first place as the Korean justice system is based upon the needs of society, while the American justice system is based upon the rights of the individual. The NGO groups suggest doing away with the protections under the SOFA completely -- which is ridiculous.

Many Koreans consider the SOFA, which was signed in February 1966, a disadvantageous agreement. The SOFA was revised for the first time in 1991. It was again revised in 2001 because of Korea's displeasure over the USFK's handling of several cases involving the deaths or injuries of Korean citizens at the hands of U.S. soldiers. The revised 2001 SOFA gave Korean judicial officials extended authority such as acknowledging the right to detain U.S. murder and rape suspects who were arrested in the act of crime. According to the revision, Korean prosecutors have no right of appeal for suspects who are judged innocent.

The NGO groups argue that the 2001 revision has worked against Korea in other areas. For example, the revision does not allow the filing of criminal charges against U.S. military personnel and their families in traffic accidents if the accident takes place while the soldier is on official duty or if the car is insured for more than $25,000. More than 70 percent of USFK's legal violations are for traffic violations and accidents. Korean law calls for criminal charges to be filed in accidents involving damage of 2 million won ($1,700).

NGO Groups Threaten Cyber Attack on U.S.: But what is interesting in a 27 November AFP article was the repeated threat of the NGOs threatening another round of cyber attacks. The NGOs threatened a cyber-attack in July 2002 that was not effective. Though the NGOs may call it "cyber-attacks" the servers consider them SPAM. We can only guess at their effectiveness in July, but soon after our server "Korea.com" (which we have no complaints of with their service) was blocked -- and remains blocked -- by numerous stateside servers through "No SPAM" programs. Strangely, the NGOs fear this might be labeled "cyber-terrorism" when they know it is exactly that from their rhetoric -- and past actions in July 2002. The NGOs seem out of touch as a lot of damage has already been done to Korea's image because of the Spam email that originates from Korea. (See Activists Threaten to Launch Cyber-attacks against U.S for the July 2002 cyber-attack.)

South Korean activists also said they were preparing to launch a cyber war on the White House, the Pentagon and other US government departments as part of their anti-US campaign.

"South Korean Internet users are being asked to cram the servers with mail bombs," Yoo Yong-Jae, the secretary general of a coalition of 130 South Korean civic groups told AFP.

Some 25 million people, more than half of the South Korean population, have access to the Internet and regularly use email.

Yoo said that the timing of the cyber attack had not been decided and activists would get legal advice before the launch.

"We will launch the attack cautiously after studying legal aspects so that it should not be seen as cyber terrorism," he said.

South Korean hackers and Internet users attacked the White House computer server with electronic mail bombs twice on 1 December at 0300 GMT. However, an activist says the cyber attack is "largely ineffective due to an advanced filtering system at the White House". The activist says a second attack will be launched. It was not known how many people were involved in the cyber attack. By their own admission, this would be classified as an act of "cyber-terrorism" on the part of the NGO groups.

US Countermoves: Soldiers and President Bush Apologize The USFK is rushing the two soldiers out of the country with Sergeant Mark Walker to be reassigned stateside while Sergeant Fernando Nino has filed for discharge. Besides the public apologies from both soldiers, an apology has been received from President Bush. However, many Koreans feel that the apologies should have been issued long ago to have been effective.

Gen La Porte and Ambassador Hubbard (27 Nov 82)
(AFP Photo)

Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, the USFK commander, said the trials of the two soldiers were conducted in a "fair" manner, adding that a lack of understanding of the U.S. military judicial process seems to prevail among the Korean public. "It's vitally important that the Korean people realize that the trials were not only open, but that the U.S. military judicial system is fair and impartial," said in a statement.

Shin Kyong Mu, Chosun, Ilbo (28 Nov 82)
President George W. Bush advises USFK commanders to bow lower as they apologize over the accidental deaths of two schoolgirls, yet again.

Hoping to defuse the situation, the U.S. ambassador Thomas Hubbard stated at a press conference on 27 Nov that President Bush indirectly offered his apologies. Hubbard stated, "President Bush, who has visited Korea and has a special feeling for the Korean people, has been touched by this tragedy. Just this morning, the president sent me a message asking me to convey his apologies to the families of the girls, to the government of the Republic of Korea and to the people of Korea." "He asked me to express, and here I quote, his 'sadness and regret' over this tragic incident and to reiterate the United States' commitment to work closely with the Republic of Korea to help prevent such accidents from occurring in the future." However, the apology was received with a lot of skepticism as it was NOT delivered personally -- but second-hand from the Ambassador. It has done nothing to assuage the anti-US feelings or lessen calls for the two soldiers to be tried in a South Korean court and for the revision of the SOFA.

Protest at Yongsan (Nov 02)

Soldiers Leave Country and Rebuttals Start: On 27 November, the two US soldiers Sergeant Fernando Nino and Sergeant Mark Walker issued public apologies before departuring for the United States. Sergeant Nino offered his "deepest and most heartfelt condolences" to the families of the 14-year-olds girls. "I am so sorry for the grief and pain you have felt at the loss of your daughters," said Nino. "Even though it was by accident, I have to live with the anguish of knowing that two individuals died as a result of the accident." Sergeant Walker, also expressed "great remorse" over the deaths. "I know my mental turmoil is surely nothing compared to your sadness and pain. In my year here in Korea I have really come to love and respect the Korean people."

It was reported that there were fundraising efforts by Atlanta, Georgia newspapers to help Mark Walker of Acworth, Georgia pay for his CIVILIAN lawyer. The following appeared in the Letters to the Editor of the Korea Herald, November 28:

[Letters to the Editor] Correct verdicts in GIs' court-martial

I am writing in response to your editorial (Monday, Nov. 25) about the impact of the trials of two U.S. army sergeants, Fernando Nino and Mark Walker, on ROK-U.S. relations.

I represented Sgt. Walker in his trial and want to clarify some mistakes in your reporting.

In the first trial, army prosecutors forcefully presented their case that Sgt. Nino was criminally negligent as the track commander of the armored vehicle in that he failed to notify his driver - Sgt. Walker - that the two girls were in the vehicle's path. The evidence at trial showed that only Sgt. Nino was sitting in a position from which to see the girls and he failed to pass on to the driver that the girls were walking on the roadway in front of the vehicle.

The defense successfully showed that the communication equipment in the vehicle was malfunctioning and this contributed to Nino's failure to warn the driver.

In Sgt. Walker's trial, the U.S. government argued that, as a very experienced driver working with a less-experienced track commander, Sgt. Walker should have kept in constant communication with Nino and thereby might have noticed, in time, that the radio system was malfunctioning.

Our defense was that Sgt. Walker communicated regularly with his track commander and was not aware of the radio failure. Furthermore, from where he sat in the vehicle, he could not possibly have seen the two girls in time to avoid the disaster.

In both cases, the military juries deliberated for several hours, considered all testimonial and physical evidence and arrived at what I believe to be the correct result under American law.

I am very confident that these same verdicts would have resulted if these cases had been tried in the United States and the victims had been U.S. citizens. Indeed, it is my belief that, had the victims been U.S. citizens, there would not have been trials at all.

That is because I know that Korean and U.S. police investigated this incident and concluded that the driver could not possibly have seen the two girls. They both realized that he was not negligent.

Additionally, the army ordered an Article 32 investigation to be conducted - in essence, a trial to see whether the evidence was sufficient to warrant a criminal trial. The investigating officer recommended that Sgt. Walker not be charged with an offense in this matter. However, the then-commanding general of the 2nd Infantry Division, bowing to what must have been immense public pressure, referred him to trial, despite the clear evidence that he was innocent.

The greatest tragedy in this case are the deaths of Miss Shim and Miss Shin. Both young girls were vibrant, precious members of good families and should not have died at such an early age. It pains all American soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines to see such things occur.

The second tragedy was that the close, warm relationship between the Korean people and U.S. servicemen has been damaged. Consider that army personnel serving in Area 1 - north of Seoul - make a significant personal sacrifice in order to serve here. We do so willingly - and have for decades - because of our belief that the Republic of Korea is a steadfast and trustworthy friend. Many thousands of Americans died here from 1950-1953, and helped the ROK forces ensure for this country the opportunity to live and prosper as a democracy.

I am proud that the efforts of the defense attorneys who represented Sgts. Nino and Walker averted a third tragedy - the wrongful conviction of innocent men for criminal offenses they did not commit.

Guy L. Womack
Houston, Texas

2002.11.28

However, another news report, Acquitted U.S. soldiers apologize as colleague blames commander appeared in the Korea Herald on 28 Nov. In it a soldier in the vehicle ahead of Nino and Walker blamed the commanding officer for the selection of the route and negligence of safety concerns. An excerpt is below:

Shedding new light on the accident, a U.S. soldier who was driving the vehicle immediately in front of the one that killed the Korean schoolgirls has claimed that the commanding officer's negligence of safety concerns was largely responsible for the accident.

In a letter to the editor of the Stars and Stripes that was published in its Nov. 22 edition, Spc. Joshua Ray claimed that one of the major reasons for the accident was that they used a narrow road in Yangju instead of the wider Munsan bypass.

"The accident happened on the Yangju side, which shows that the wrong roads were being used for travel," he said. "If we had used the bypass, the whole thing would have never been a problem."

"On those small roads where farmers, children and other pedestrians frequently walk, they (officials in charge) had our unit as well as others moving quickly, not thinking about pedestrians," he said in the letter entitled "Higher-ups Put Safety Second."

Ray further said that the lack of sleep might have contributed somewhat to the accident as almost every driver in that convoy had gotten little sleep for the three days prior to the accident.

Ray, who is currently stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, said his commanding officer turned a blind eye to the safety concerns pertaining to travel on a narrower road.

"All of these issues were brought up in front of our commanding officer that morning. However, the 'I am the almighty leader of this company' attitude came shining through," he said. "It wasn't even 10 percent their (Nino and Walker) fault."

This was posted on soc.korea.culture by Awaniko777@hotmail.com on 8 December. It sums up the frustration that many expats living in Korea feel upon reading the "disinformation" that is posted by the NGO groups and its "friendly media"...

Dear Korea,

1. It was an accident. If you, or any other person on this earth truly believes that 2 army personnel intentionally murdered 2 other human beings, than I feel nothing but pity for you.

2. Korea is quickly losing whatever credibility it had in the world's eyes. The lies in the media, by the politicians trying to get elected in a few weeks, and the bigoted rhetoric by the anti-US groups is quickly pushing things to the point of no return.

3. SOFA - In every foreign country where substantial numbers of American troops are stationed for any appreciable length of time the United States will have a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the host country.

SOFAs define areas of legal responsibility held by a host country over U.S. military personnel stationed within its borders.

Worldwide, the United States has SOFAs with some 53 countries to help protect the rights of about 246,504 U.S. military personnel, 48,000 American civilians working for the Department of Defense (DoD), and approximately 180,770 dependents. ("Dependents" refers to family members stationed overseas with military personnel or American civilians employed by the military.)

The SOFA is usually an integral part of the overall military bases agreement that allows U.S. military forces to operate within the host country. Each SOFA is negotiated separately with the host country (although the United States has a multilateral SOFA with NATO members). Generally speaking, SOFAs have no standard points of differences; some, however, may deal with particular circumstances unique to particular country.

Negotiating a SOFA begins with the assumption that the presence of U.S. military forces is in the interests of the host government as well as the U.S. government.

The starting proposition is that the host country exercises complete authority over all of its territory and over anyone who is in that territory, subject to any agreements that make exceptions to that authority.

Although each SOFA is unique, all SOFAs normally deal with issues necessary for day-to-day business, such as entry and exit of forces, entry and exit of personal belongings (i.e. automobiles), labor, claims and contractors, and susceptibility to income and sales taxes. In situations where U.S. forces will be present for a lengthy period, SOFAs may also deal with ancillary activities such as postal offices, and recreation and banking facilities.

More importantly, SOFAs deal with civil and criminal jurisdiction. They are a vital means by which the Department of Defense carries out its policy directive "to protect, to the maximum extent possible, the rights of United States personnel who may be subject to criminal trial by foreign courts and imprisonment in foreign prisons."

Most SOFAs recognize the right of the host government to "primary jurisdiction," which is to say the host country exercises jurisdiction for all cases in which U.S. military personnel violate the host country's laws. There are two exceptions, however, which generally apply only in criminal cases involving U.S. forces personnel: When the offense is committed by Americans against Americans ("inter se" cases), and when the offense is committed by Americans in carrying out official duty. In these situations, the United States has primary jurisdiction over the accused American.

It's a legal contract between 2 nations which both nations agreed to. And the SOFA clearly states that the US has jurisdiction over its personnel for any incidents occurring while in the performance of official duty. No country on earth would have it any other way, including Korea. As a matter of fact, Korea currently has SOFA agreements with other countries where Korean troops are serving doing humanitarian assistance that gives the Korean military total jurisdiction over its troops on ALL incidents, on or off duty. Are you saying that US troops should be held to a different accountability system than Korean troops?

4. The Korean media has been spewing out lies and one-sided coverage of this from day one. They claim, along with you and your xenophobic protesters, that no one has apologized and no compensation has been paid to the families. Well I beg to differ. The Korean media just refuses to print the true facts which are:

The US military in Korea has already accepted overall responsibility and civil accountability for this accident:

The former Eighth Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Zanini, immediately apologized the same day the accident occurred and ensured the accident was investigated by both ROK and U.S. authorities. Public apologies were made to the Korean people by Maj. Gen. Russell Honoré, former Second Infantry Division Commander; Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, Commander of USFK; Ambassador Thomas Hubbard, U.S. Ambassador to Korea; Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The Second Infantry Division Commander, the Chief of Staff, and the driver of the vehicle visited the families to personally apologize. President Bush even apologized.

USFK worked to ensure just compensation was paid to the families. Initial solatia (expression of sympathy) payments of one million won for each family were made quickly. Both families accepted approximately 195 million won each. USFK paid 75 percent of the final claims for compensation settled under Korean law and the SOFA on 11 September 2002 with the full involvement of ROK claims authorities. In addition, hundreds of soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division participated in candlelight vigil to honor the girls.

Soldiers donated more than $22,000 for the two families. Other private donations totaling more than $30,000 were received to construct a memorial to the two girls.

Following joint investigations we held two trials to allow two impartial jury panels to examine all the evidence and determine whether or not the accident was caused by criminal negligence. The two panels separately found that the soldiers were not proven to be criminally negligent beyond a reasonable doubt.

Adverse administrative actions were taken against other members in the chain of command.

The Second Infantry Division made both trials as accessible as possible, so the US military judicial process would be transparent to the Korean public.

USFK Corrective Measures to Prevent Future Accidents

USFK has formed a task force with the Korean Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, and the Ministry of Justice. The task force will improve access to authorized training areas and enable USFK to better understand Korean perceptions and to examine training and movement procedures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

The 2nd Infantry Division has taken all vehicles of the specific type involved in the accident off the roads.

The vehicles will be moved on large transport trucks.

There will be front and back guide vehicles for all track and oversize vehicle movements.

Detailed notification provided to local leaders, ensuring they’re well-informed on future training activities.

During training exercises, unit command posts will closely monitor and control vehicle movements.

Two-way convoys on two lane roads are prohibited.

Intercom systems are being upgraded to improve communication between vehicle drivers and vehicle commanders.

Additional mirrors and other vehicle reconfigurations will improve visibility.

Surveys are being conducting to determine whether any changes in policy or roadway construction procedures are required to prevent future mishaps.

5. The American media is slowly waking up to what's going on here in Korea. The protests, the racism, the xenophobia, the bars and restaurants banning Americans, the death threats to foreigners (there's a threat to run over foreigners with cars and to attack females), the firebombing of US bases etc.

Most people in the US are still unaware of all these things and how bad it's gotten here, but once they do, rest assured, the US will retaliate in some way or other, be it by withdrawing all the troops, or economic sanctions against Korea.

So go ahead, put on your "be the reds" tee-shits and protest away, spread your lies, show the world how truly small-minded and hateful you really are. Korea claims it wants to be a world player, and well, I have news for you and your friends. You still have a long way to go.

Have a nice day.

The anger that American expats are now coming out in response to the constant Anti-American attacks. Ben Eller of Seoul: Open Letter to Korea on 8 December stated, "Yes, I think I have a pretty clear understanding of Korean rage. But just don't ask me to have any respect for it. It is pure, blind bigotry of the ugliest sort." He questioned, "But I don't understand the, well, rather fickle and highly selective nature of South Korean rage and grief." He goes on to point out examples that should have raised public outrage -- but didn't...because they were crimes committed by Koreans against Koreans. This is the opinion of many expats who see that the Anti-Americanism is NOT rising but has always been present -- it just ebbs and flows. The difference between now and in the past is that the NGO groups have now swayed Koreans in their cries for "justice" using deceipt, falsehoods, half-truths and innuendoes -- thus spreading their hate to the masses.

(Site Opinion: The NGO groups are selectively putting out bits of truth and manipulating the masses. The Koreans are thinking with their hearts -- not their minds. How many Americans have been hurt by the NGO groups intentional distortions? What he says, we have said in other portions of this website over the years...that Korean protestors use bigotry of the ugliest sort to further their hidden agendas. But what is sad is that NGO con-artists are infecting decent, but emotional Koreans with no other agenda other than to vent their grief.

Backed by a sympathetic media which has shown a complete lack of journalistic ethics -- and a government that was in the initial stages actually encouraging these acts of violence by its silence -- Korea needs to have its day in the court of American opinion and be judged accordingly. If the American court of public opinion is against Korea, so be it. If you say that the hundreds of thousands of protestors don't make up the Korean populace's opinion, you're wrong. The populace has been silent and supportive -- whether they speak out or not, their silence has condemned them to the whatever judgement is made on Korea.)

December 2002

At least 3,000 students and activists marched with candles and burned an American flag Saturday to protest the acquittals of two U.S. soldiers in a traffic accident that killed two Korean girls. "Punish American GIs! Go away American GIs!" they chanted, occupying four lanes of an eight-lane boulevard a block away from the U.S. Embassy in central Seoul.

The demonstrators held lit candles in paper cups, illuminating the evening street. Scuffles occurred when protesters insisted on marching on the embassy, which was blocked by thousands of riot police armed with helmets and plastic shields. Several protesters were bleeding from their faces and several policemen were sprawled on the pavement or rushed to the hospital after being beaten and stomped on.

The protesters burned an effigy of President Bush and an American flag placed on a scaffold. A brief scuffle erupted between the protesters and the riot police, but no serious injuries or arrests were reported.

On 2 December, a activist delegation departed for the U.S. to demand a direct apology from President George W. Bush and the nullification of the court martial verdict so the soldiers could be tried in the Korean courts. The seven-member delegation, led by Presbyterian church priest Hong Keun-Soo, would seek to meet Bush and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during their 10-day trip. Hong heads a coalition of 130 South Korean civic groups which have organized the anti-US protests.

Shin Kyong Mu, Chosun, Ilbo (Dec 02)
Activists Ignored in Washington

The passive demonstration of the Korean delegation to the US turned to an active one as the level of the protest intensified. The number of demonstrators increased with members from the anti-war group IAC, Korean-Americans on the East Coast, and members from the Pung Mul Pae. The protesters tried to deliver a petition and a list of 1.3 million signatures to the White House, but were again turned away. "According to Yonhap News, when the Korean protesters went to the front gate of the White House and demanded a meeting with President Bush to present their petition, the security police told them that they had to send any petitions through the mail. Frustrated with the lack of attention their protest was receiving, the leader of the protesters, Preacher Han Sang-ryul, yelled "Bush apologize," and hit the iron gates of the White House as hard as he could. Preacher Han's action alarmed the White House security police, who preceded to push the crowd of protesters off the sidewalk and into the street after receiving what seemed to be instructions from a superior. It was during this shoving match that a 24-year-old Korean-American woman from New York was throw to the ground and handcuffed. The woman was arrested for attacking a police officer, which is a felony. The woman will have to remain in jail until she can get a bail hearing on Monday." The protesters moved again to the square in front of the White House, where they showed their resolution to continue the protest by shaving their heads.

(Site Note: The protestors were told that their petition, supposedly signed by 1.3 million people, could not be accepted and that they should use the postal system to mail it to the President. The statement that Rev Han "hit the gate" out of frustration is in error. The video of the event shows that Han seemed to be ready to hit a guard with the fan but whose arm was caught in the downswing. Peaceful preacher??? The protestors started to push the American police FIRST as captured on videotape and the police was warning them NOT to touch them. A rather ridiculous sidenote was reported in an article on Kimsoft.com: "One of the Koreans, Rev. Hong Gun Su, got sick with cold and was burning up with high fever, but the Pentagon ignored his illness and provided no medical assistance." So suddenly it was America's fault the fool who is too stupid to come in from the cold of a blizzard gets sick?)

The article Activist Arrested in White House Rally indicated the person arrested was Hong Sok-jong, 24, an elementary school teacher in New York, who was arrested on felony charges of battery of a police officer. ``I realized how much America slights us Koreans,'' said Rev. Han Sang-yol who was leading the protest group. (Site Note: The Korean news has repeatedly played up this protest as though it were some major protest, but in fact only two bicycle National Park police, a few Washington D.C. cops and White Guards were involved. The U.S. media didn't even show up. Note how Rev Han's statements were RACIST. The protestor Hong Sok-jong was captured on video of the event acting like a deranged person. She was "taken down" (placed on the sidewalk); handcuffed; and carried away with her feet folded behind her legs so the police had to carry her full body weight.)

Amid heavy snowfall, seven members of the Pan-Korean Committee for the Two Girls Killed by a US Armored Vehicle, protested peacefully holding placards and pictures of the girls' crushed bodies at the scene of accident.

The group is demanding a retrial of the two acquitted American soldiers, a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement and a direct apology from President George W. Bush. The protestors are on a weeklong campaign spanning from New York, Washington to Los Angeles.

On Dec 12 Rev Han returned to Korea and was greeted at Inchon airport with great fanfare as though his mission to America was a great success. IN REALITY, THE PROTESTORS WERE IGNORED BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AMERICAN PRESS AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN -- INCLUDING THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF KOREAN-AMERICANS LIVING IN THE AREA!!! A Korean-American in Tacoma wrote, "Korean television is trying to say that the demonstration is a success. Let's tell the truth. I read all big U.S. newspapers along with my hometown paper, the Tacoma Tribune, and they don't even mention this incident, nor do they care."

(Site Note: It seemed strange to us that when terrorism is such a major issue in the U.S. that America would "invite" these anti-American activists -- under their business/tourist/student visas -- to promote their Anti-American views in front of the White House. Perhaps burning the American flag, shouting anti-American statements and seeking the to bypass a SOFA accord negotiated by THEIR country to prosecute acquitted American soldiers does NOT constitute Anti-Americanism to the Seoul Embassy who granted their visas. However, they were certainly made their views and purposes known BEFORE they left for the U.S.)

On 2 December, twenty-seven lawmakers from rival political parties signed a petition demanding Bush's direct apology. They also vowed to push for a parliamentary resolution demanding South Korea exercise greater jurisdiction on crimes committed by US soldiers. With the fast approaching 19 December presidential elections, both candidates stated that the SOFA needed renegotiations in dealing with jurisdiction and environmental issues. Even Kim Dae-jung concurred with the need for renegotiations in this area, but stated that BOTH Korea and the U.S. needed the USFK presence in Korea -- a major turnaround since he was elected when he stated Korea needed the USFK to balance the equation for national security. (Site Note: From the recent decisions of the civil courts in favor of fining the USFK with non-collectible judgements, we believe that the current government and future governments are setting the stage for SOFA negotiations.)

But the protests, begun by radical students, have infected South Korea's mainstream, attracting prominent religious leaders, top entertainers, labor unions and even star athletes. The following was extracted from the JoongAng-Ilbo:

"Change the SOFA right Now! Bush, openly apologize to Korea!" singer Lee Jeong-hyeon chanted at a recent protest against the acquittals. Protesters demanded changes to the Status of Forces Agreement, the rules governing U.S. troops in Korea.

Yoon Do-hyoun, front man for the rock band that bears his name, extended his middle finger to a picture of U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent performance. Mr. Yoon said his next project will be an anti-U.S. song, tentatively titled "Nino and Walker Armored Vehicle Murder Case," in reference to the U.S. Army sergeants acquitted in the case.

The Korea Professional Baseball Player's Association said it too would announce a statement impeaching the U.S. army. Lee Seung-yeop, the Samsung Lions star, said, "I just cannot believe that the U.S. Army is treating their deaths like nothing."

More than 100 members of Korea Women's Associations United yesterday morning rallied near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, holding a traditional service in front of the compound for the repose of the souls of the two girls.

Monks of the Jogye Buddhist Order, which recently formed a commission to protest crimes by U.S. soldiers in Korea, yesterday gathered in front of Jogyesa temple in central Seoul and held a traditional ceremony to pray for the revision of the SOFA.

A group of Seoul National University law students held a mock trial in front of the university library. Sergeant Fernando Nino and Sergeant Mark Walker were each found "guilty" and sentenced to five years in prison.

The following was excerpted from Chosun Ilbo on 6 December.

Some 16 entertainers including comedienne Kim Mi-hwa, screen actor Choi Min-sik, singer Kwon Jin-won and director Bak Chan-uk, held a press conference in front of the US Embassy in Gwanghwamun, Friday afternoon representing the entertainment industry's position on a non-guilty verdict in the USFK vehicle accident that killed two Korean girls, and demanded a Status Of Forces Agreement revision and a formal, official apology by President George W. Bush.

Filmmakers Ryu Seung-wan and Bak shaved their heads as an act of protest, and another director Kim Ji-wun, who could not attend the press conference due to shooting schedule, simultaneously shaved his head on location in Yangsuri, Gyeonggi Province. After the interview, the group marched to the nearby Citizens Square and visited Catholic priests on the fifth day hunger strike against the US military presence in Korea.

Buddhists, who recently formed a commission to protest crimes by US soldiers in Korea, also gathered in the square and held a traditional ceremony to pray for the revision of SOFA and repentance of the USFK for the second consecutive day, and the candlelight memorial rally continued for the seventh day.

Donghae City Council in Gangwon Province adopted a resolution demanding reinvestigation into the tragic death of two girls and strict punishment of those who were responsible for the accident.

Protest at Seoul Restaurant (Dec 02)
The owner ain't so stupid...
lots of Americans are stopping in just to test the waters.
He's making money on a mediocre restaurant.
(Food review by Bob Eller, an American, Seoul)

An increasing number of restaurants, bars and clubs have put up signs turning away US soldiers. The following is excerpted from a Clari-world news post of Dec 6:

A group of 25 Roman Catholic priests, meanwhile, entered the fifth day of a hunger strike near the US embassy to protest the deaths of two schoolgirls and demand changes to SOFA.

Buddhist and Christians join in protest (8 Dec 02)

Nearby, a group of 20 Buddhists led by a monk beating a wooden gong performed an elaborate prayer ritual for the souls of the two teenagers, bowing, kneeling and touching the ground with their foreheads.

Hours later, two dozen protesters, among them entertainers and movie producers, marched around the embassy, carrying portraits of the two dead girls, Shim Mi-Sun and Shin Hyo-Sun, and a large national flag.

The priests from the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice (CPAJ) camped out at a street corner some 50 meters (yards) from the US embassy, protected by wire fences and lines of riot police.

Rev Mun (8 Dec 02)

"For the past 58 years of their presence in this country, they have not changed at all. They have no guilt feeling for their crimes," said CPAJ leader the Reverend Mun Kyu-Hyun, his shaven head hidden beneath a woolly hat.

"The innocent deaths of the young girls aroused South Koreans to the growing question -- what are the US troops doing in this country?"

Under a banner reading "Hungry for the repentance of US soldiers," a sheet of styrofoam served as a bed for Mun and his fellow hunger-strikers, who have also attached photos of victims of alleged crimes by US soldiers, including a bar hostess murdered in 2000.

The priests are to continue their hunger protest until Monday when a group of Buddhists will take over in relay until the following Saturday.

VIDEO: Tongil News Video of December 7th Rally -- A very sobering look at a crowd being united in emotion.

The following article is from the Washington Post on 7 December.

S. Koreans Protest Outside U.S. Embassy

By Sang-Hun Choe
Associated Press Writer
Saturday, December 7, 2002; 9:44 AM

SEOUL, South Korea –– About 15,000 people carrying candles protested across the street from the American Embassy on Saturday, in the largest show of anti-U.S. sentiment in years.

The protesters, upset with what they say is preferential treatment to American soldiers in Korea, booed and chanted "President Bush apologize!" and "Let's drive out the murderous American GIs!"

About 9,000 police armed with helmets, batons and plastic shields spread out in districts around the embassy. Police buses surrounded the embassy compound.

The protest underscores how sensitive ties between Washington and Seoul have become. The allies' bond, forged during the Korean War, is being tested by widespread anger that followed acquittals of two American soldiers whose armored vehicle struck and killed two 13-year-old South Korean girls in June.

The two soldiers left the country after they were acquitted last month.

"The trial may be over, but the judgment continues," said Yoon Kyong-hee, a student leader.

After a two-hour rally, the protesters broke through a police barricade and spilled into the 12-lane boulevard in front of the embassy. Police rushed to occupy five lanes to keep back the protesters, who hurled dozens of eggs at the building. No serious injuries were reported.

In the past, anti-American protests had usually attracted small numbers of activists. Most of Saturday's protesters were ordinary citizens who ignored South Korean President Kim Dae-jung's warning that anti-Americanism and demands for the withdrawal of U.S. troops hurt South Korea's national interest.

Because of the protest, a delegation of U.S. lawmakers led by Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., canceled a trip to Seoul on Saturday. Hyde "did not want the delegation to become the focal point of demonstrations here," the embassy said in a brief statement.

Hyde's delegation had planned to fly to Seoul on Saturday from Japan.

The embassy said Hyde will visit "at a less sensitive time," but President Kim's spokeswoman Park Sun-sook said Hyde canceled his trip.

Protesters distributed leaflets urging citizens not to buy American goods including Coca-Cola, Marlboro cigarettes and McDonald's hamburgers.

News reports said there were also smaller protests in 40 provincial towns across the country, and between 50,000 and 100,000 Koreans turned out in all. Police could not confirm the figures.

A six-person vocal group sang a song during the rally in Seoul that was rife with American slogans and a refrain of "Yankee go home!"

Kim maintained that U.S.-Korean ties remain strong.

"The United States is an ally that cooperates with us in keeping the stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula," his spokeswoman said.

U.S. troops fought on the South's side during the 1950-53 Korean War, and 37,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in South Korea.

The soldiers' acquittals ignited outrage among South Koreans who believe the agreement that oversees the U.S. deployment gives special treatment to the Americans. Protesters said the two men should have been tried in a South Korean court.

Polls show that view is shared by a majority of Koreans who say they will vote in the Dec. 19 presidential election. All candidates have said the accord, which has been revised twice, must be changed again.

On December 8, at least three-thousand people marched and burned an American flag in Seoul a block from the U-S Embassy. They chanted, "Punish American G-Is! Go away American G-Is!" Thousands of riot police blocked their way to the embassy. There were similar rallies in at least five other cities as well. The key point that makes this situation volatile is that the protestors are common-everyday Koreans -- housewives, children, businessmen -- and NOT radical students. Eyewitness reports of this protest stated it was orderly except for some protestors getting ontop a police bus and doing a skit where a tank runs over a man in a Bush mask and then Bush is stabbed with the shaft of a Korean flag.

Candlelight Vigil (8 Dec 02)

Then a cold snap hit on Dec 10. Bitter cold winter gripped the peninsula . Heavy snow paralyzed traffic in some provinces and isolated some villages in Gangwon. Seoul's morning low hit minus-10 degrees centigrade. Snow remained on the ground around Seoul. The daily protests continued with different groups showing up but freezing cold made it hard to assemble large groups. Only hard-core activists would endure the misery.

On Dec 12, photojournalists laid down their cameras to make a statement about their support for the Protest. This is the clearest statement of how supposedly unbiased news reporting has been and continues to be manipulated by the press. (Site Note: If one questions their Code of Journalistic Ethics, there has been one since 1986, but in Korea it is "flexible." (SeeCode of Ethics.) In 1989 reporters were still receiving chonji, or 'a complimentary gift' some involving hundreds of millions of won. In March 1999, a 10-point JAK Code of Ethics and the 20-point JAK Code of Conduct -- i.e., guidelines for the practice of the ethics code-- were adopted. However, in 1999, journalists' ethics again became a major social issue when it was exposed that some reporters used inside-information to buy stocks and made huge profits in the process. In the same year, there was also the "Press Report" scandal, in which a journalist was accused of having provided inside-the-press information to certain politicians wanting to monitor and manipulate the press.)

Photojournalists Support Protest (Dec 12)

Disabled & Handicapped Protest at Embassy (Dec 13)

On December 13 we were at the embassy. As we arrived, all the riot police were being deployed around the embassy. This time is seemed truely ridiculous. The protestors were the handicapped in wheel chairs and on crutches assembled just outside the 100m limit near the underpass. The incongruity of the image of a riot policeman with batons facing people in wheelchairs is too ridiculous for words. Later the demonstration was joined by church groups who held the mandatory head shaving and staged protests across the avenue from the embassy -- with the avenue blocked off by riot police.

On December 14, the weather was better and protests increased in size with the banners flying and chants. According to reports, in Seoul "an estimated 50,000 people crowded into streets surrounding City Hall, waving banners and giant US flags ready to be torn apart, and chanting slogans." The overhead shots were impressive as the giant U.S. flags were torn apart by the crowds and then the Korean flag was floated across the crowds as a sign of national unity. A really impressive propaganda photo op. The protests appeared to be orderly, though radical students were calling for the outright removal of the U.S. from Korea.

Protest at City Hall: Tearing Apart American Flags (14 Dec 02)

Anti-U.S. focus marks weekend rallies

Anti-American sentiment reached a new height around Korea Saturday afternoon. An estimated 300,000 persons nationwide rallied in what was billed as memorial ceremonies for two Korean teenagers killed after being struck by a U.S. military vehicle last summer. Although there were no injuries reported, demonstrators clashed with riot police in Seoul after trying to march on the U.S. Embassy after the rally here.

An estimated 45,000 people gathered in front of Seoul's City Hall to hang "Yankee go home" banners, chant slogans like, "Revise the SOFA," "Bush apologize" and "Bring Mi-sun and Hyo-son back alive." The references were to the two students killed in the vehicle incident. They also sang obscenity-laced anti-American songs and tore several huge U.S. flags to bits before unfurling a Korean flag to shouts of "We will recover our national pride."

The protest, in Seoul much more fevered and much larger than the candlelight vigil staged the previous weekend in the same area, was organized by the Pan National Committee, which has been staging demonstrations since the girls' deaths. This was the third "candlelight vigil" to be held here; demonstrations also attracted about 6,000 persons in Daegu, 5,000 in Busan and 1,500 in Jeonju, the capital of North Jeolla province. In Daegu, two students broke into a U.S. military base, climbed a water tower and chanted anti-American slogans.

The rally began at about 3 p.m.; at 6 p.m. protesters began marching toward the nearby American Embassy, some hurling eggs and candles at the headquarters of the Chosun Ilbo newspaper along the way. They shouted that the newspaper, which has a conservative editorial voice, is unfairly pro-American.

Near the embassy, more than 23,000 riot police were arrayed to stop protesters from approaching the compound. There were shoving matches between demonstrators and police; some climbed police buses to skirmish with police from that vantage point. Some demonstrators in the crowd called out, "Peace" on several occasions when tensions seemed to be escalating. Some protesters remained in the Embassy area until about 10 p.m.

The phone call by U.S. President George W. Bush to President Kim Dae-jung on Friday in which Mr. Bush spoke of his "deep personal sadness" about the accident was dismissed by protesters, who said it was indirect. Kim Gi-boh, the originator of the candlelight rallies, said, "Our protests will go on until Bush appears on TV to apologize publicly for the matter and the two soldiers are punished." Others said a phone call would not bring the two girls back.

The protesters, mostly young adults, also included housewives, priests and students.

Some parents brought their children; one man with his seven-year-old daughter said, "I wanted to show my children what is going on. I want my children to have national pride."

The organizing committee said it will stage another demonstration on Dec. 31.

Min Seong-jae

On the weekend of Dec 21-22, thousands of activists and citizens joined candlelight vigils across the country. On Dec 21 in Jongmyo Park in downtown Seoul, a number of participants, estimated by police at about 1,000, adopted a petition to President-elect Roh Moo-hyun to amend the SOFA. The participants planned to march to the U.S. Embassy in Gwanghwamun and form a human chain around the compound, but were blocked by the police. The protesters scuffled with police near the embassy, but there were no major injuries or incidents. About 4,600 riot police troopers were deployed at the rally sites in Seoul. Police said similar memorial rallies were held in 27 cities and provinces across the country. In Kunsan, there was a small candlelight vigil at the Kunsan Civic Center. Organizers planned to hold a memorial service on Christmas Eve, and stage large-scale rallies at about 100 locales across the country and some 20 foreign cities on Dec. 31.

The protestors officially scheduled a Christmas break in the demonstrations but will pick it up on Dec 31 to greet the New Year -- including some foreign countries. However, there previous attempts at demonstrations in foreign countries -- such as America -- have been totally ignored by the local press in those countries simply because the issues are confusing and not of interest to the local interest. Ever ask a non-military type in America what a SOFA was? Expect a blank stare. To those in Europe with some understanding of the SOFA as it applies to their countries, it is easy to spot the fallacies in logic of the Korean's campaign. The Koreans can probably anticipate a similar response in future demonstrations as they are protesting for changes to something that has no relevance or impact or even understanding amongst the local residents. As of Dec 24, it appears that there is now only moderate interest in the demonstrations in Korea from major American newspapers and the stories are still buried in the back pages for similar reasons.

On December 31, a number of events took place in downtown Seoul. The Pan National Committee led a large-scale candlelight vigil that began at 6 p.m. at Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. The event was called a "candlelight peace march" and in the videos of the march could be seen "Don't Attack Iraq" along side the placards with the pictures of the two girls, SOFA protest banners and "Out with U.S. Forces" signs. The firing of rockets led to there being a festive air to the protest. There were approximately 10,000 protestors in the candlelight protest. The Riot Police used buses to block off the way to the U.S. Embassy and also blocked the subway entrances at some points. Some protestors got onto the roof of some of the buses but were forcefully ejected. The protest was peaceful except for some shoving of the riot police lines as the protestors tried to break through by sheer force of numbers. However, the Police said that at the December 31 rally, flammable objects were thrown and some participants inflicted damage on three police vehicles. The internet billed this protest as "the march of 100,000 lights" to signify that the march was across the country.

Protest at Gwanghwamun in Seoul: (31 Dec 02)

Anti-War Message at Gwanghwamun in Seoul: (31 Dec 02)

In the foreign press, there is a growing trend to view Korea in very negative terms after these protests erupted. Suddenly there are Korean press reports that show that there has been a swing to "pacifism" and "anti-war" instead of the previous anti-American message. However, we find it hard to believe that the Korean people changed their attitudes in less than 5 days between Christmas and New Years. More likely these news articles are part of the Korean government PR campaign through "friendly" news sources to try to change the foreign press perceptions. The following is an article from Korea.com about the sudden swing to Pacifism.

Protests turn toward pacifism

Despite appeals from President-elect Roh Moo-hyun and other national leaders for protesters to end candlelight vigils around the peninsula in memory of two teenage girls killed accidently by a U.S. military vehicle, the demonstrations continued over the weekend.

But the protests showed marked change, moving away from anti-Americanism and toward an expression of anti-war feelings and pro-human rights sentiments.

The change seems to have resulted from criticism by both foreign and domestic media and from Mr. Roh's appeal for restraint.

The Ddanzi Ilbo, a progressive online newspaper, last week posted an article that said, "Many foreign media see the protests as anti-American protests coming from Korean nationalism. The protests should change for the better." Commentary in the British newspaper The Guardian said that the protests were not from an aspiration for peace.

Until last week, Internet bulletin boards were flooded with such messages as "Yankee go home," but a growing number of online messages have expressed sentiments like "Memorials for the girls should go on. But they should be transformed into a human rights movement and not express anti-Americanism."

"The reason that the deaths of the girls reverberated so deeply in Korean society," wrote one member of an Internet community that discusses current affairs, "is because of the patriarchal anger that chaste daughters of Korea were trampled down by the U.S. military." The message said that the protests should not merely express Koreans anger.

Some protesters also criticized their own protests. "Some politicians and the Pan National Committee seem to be exploiting anti-American feelings for their own purposes. Not all of the protesters are asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops," said Park Mi-young, 28, who joined the demonstrations.

Other protesters said that their actions were against the committee's argument for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Korea.

The Pan National Committee, a united association of civic groups , which has been staging protests since the deaths of the two girls in June, said it would hold a candlelight peace march tomorrow and continue its actions into next year.

Kim Chang-woo, Yoon Hyae-sin iamfine@joongang.co.kr

But the big question to be answered in 2003 is if it is too late to defuse the situation -- and have they touched a nerve in America that will cause a lasting resentment. After repeatedly poking America in the eye with malicious intent, the protestors cannot simply say, "Oops, I didn't mean it." The U.S. media has been very muted about the anti-Americanism in Korea though there has always been a great concern over the North Korean nuclear problem.

Though this latest trend to claim the protestors are "pacifists" may have been intended to defuse the situation before it explodes in Korea's face, the election of Roh Moon-Hyun has put the focus back on anti-Americanism. Roh Moon-Hyun firmly believes in "engagement" with the North and has flatly stated that if there is a war -- the U.S. will be at fault. Even before he is to meet with George Bush, he has set himself on a head-on collision.

Starting in the beginning of December, there were a few conservative editorials appearing in U.S. papers calling for the removal of the U.S. troops from Korea. However, there were not many. Most seemed to voice the logic that the USFK should leave because they are being used in an outdated concept of being a tripwire that limits the U.S. options in dealing with North Korea. The main theme of these editorials though were that the U.S. was NOT welcome in Korea -- so go home.

During most of December, the mood of the general populace in America towards these anti-American protests was indifference. The U.S. press was more concerned with the North Korean nuclear issue than the anti-Americanism. Even in the Letters to the Editor to the Asia Times the talk centered around the North Korean nuclear problem and no mention was made of the anti-Americanism in Korea. However, around the middle of December, there was a grassroots swelling in America when people started talking about the anti-Americanism. Undoubtedly the American soldiers were starting to write home -- and their families were spreading the word. But probably the biggest attention getter for the U.S. people was the election of Roh Moon-Hyun with his avowed "engagement" stance that placed him on a head-on collision path with the Bush -- along with his statements that the USFK should leave Korea, which he half-heartedly disavowed halfway into the election and then reavowed after elected. Then disavowed again saying Korea needed the U.S. at this time. Suddenly the U.S. media paid attention to the anti-American demonstrations.

People started writing their Congressmen and letter writing campaigns were started. In addition, the veteran groups in the U.S. such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) were notified of the anti-American flag burnings. Surprisingly, some of these groups were not aware of the depth of the anti-American feelings in Kroea. These ultra-patriotic groups had a lot of heartburn. In addition, Korean-Americans started to be concerned about the racial backlash that might result from these protests and started to fly the American flags outside their homes.

Suddenly around December 15, the Letter to the Editor section of the Chosun Ilbo started receiving a lot of letters dealing with these protests. The Letter to the Editor section, which usually discusses things no more controversial than eating of dog meat in Korea, was suddenly flooded with letters about the anti-Americanism that pushed all the other topics off the page. Americans were starting to voice their views here and most said it was time to leave Korea. The following is a sampling of views over a short period in the Letters to the Editor section of the Chosun Ilbo.

Korean-American Jay Jang on Dec 31 wrote, "I surmise you are going to have some rough time ahead because Americans are now fed up with your denouncement of America, your submission to Kim Jong Il's black mail, your president and president-elect's leftist approach for the Korean peninsula. I am afraid that your will have to endure economic hardship, political instability, and diplomatic disarray for years to come. Many of my American friends are saying that "Enough is Enough", let's get out of South Korea. I sympathize with it. If that is the case, you have only one choice out of two. You either have to defend yourself with unaccountable casualties against the powerful and oppressive North Korea or succumb yourself to the will of North Korean dictatorship. Are you ready for it? I'm very sad! very sad!"

Unknown of Dallas TX wrote on Dec 22, "In my 15 years doing business in Korea, I've seen Korean people become more unfriendly over the years, but now it has changed dramatically. Demonstrations of hatred toward Americans are now widespread, and I recently cut short a business trip after being insulted on the streets numerous times, and nearly assaulted (Thank you to the police officer who intervened.)
While in Beijing a couple of days after the US bombing of the Belgrade Embassy, I was never insulted, attacked or even argued with by the Chinese. A couple of demonstrators even came up to me and stressed that the demonstrations were not directed at individuals, and that most Chinese want friendly relations despite our disagreements. Not so in Korea, where a visceral hatred is now visible in more and more people. I will now tell fellow Americans to visit Japan, Taiwan or mainland China, but that they are not welcome in Korea. Several of my export contracts have now expired, and I will not be renewing them. Money is one thing, but trading with people who hate you is another. Shanghai, Taipei and Osaka are much more pleasant places to do business.
I and many other Americans have begun to ask our representatives to pull US forces out of Korea as soon as possible. Since the people have now voted for continued second chances for the regime in the North, it is obvious that no threat is felt by ordinary people in the south, and the US support is no longer wanted. Koreans are voting for us to leave with their insults, flag-burnings, and even physical assaults. I think we should not wait until the violence gets worse, but should take the hint and get out now. It is with sadness, but with relief that I say "An-nyong-hi-kye-ship-shi-yo" to Korea."

Dan Roberts, US Out of Korea Committee Boycott Korea Union commented on Dec 22, "The hate in Korea is over...for now. When it is politically opportune it will start up. ... The fact is, Korea is an ungrateful ally. I do not particularly enjoy our "ally" burning American flags, dressing mock wolves as American soldiers and spitting on my country men, 40,000 or so of whom died so they can enjoy the freedoms and prosperity they so cherish. I have written all my representatives in the US and sent some graphic images of hate to them. I have been assured that the issue will be addressed. I urge all Americans to do the same. Further, I have contacted the National Headquarters of the Veterans of Foreign wars. I have received a reply from them that they are shocked by what is going on in Korea and will do their best to organize a boycott of Korean products. My father, himself a vet of the Korean War, is personally leading a protest at the Hyundai car dealer in my hometown in Michigan. Patriotic Americans thinking of buying Korean cars will be met with images of anti-American hatred coming from Korea. The Target store will also have a demonstration to persuade Americans not buy Korean products." On Jan 1, 2003 he wrote, "The issue here is how to get USFK out of Korea. You can defend yourselves now and you seem to want Kim Jung il as your leader. That is fine with me. That is your wish. But you have the change your silly, childish "Candle Light Vigils" to what everybody knows they are: Anti-American demonstrations. This will get you the attention you need to get US public opinion for a withdrawal. So far all you are really doing is making noise for Koreans. Your message is not getting out to the world."

Korean-American Joseph Chung wrote on Dec 29, "The New York Times editorial that recently appeared which advocated the withdrawal of US Forces Korea (USFK) seems to have attracted quite a lot of attention in the Korean press. The irony is, the Korean press which inflamed so much misinformation and anti-American rhetoric is now blaming Americans for misunderstanding the "true intentions" of the Korean people. It is time for the Korean press to take responsibility for their own actions and admit its own hypocrisy. It is hypocritical for the Korean press to provide such one-sided coverage of the tragic death of the two school girls and at the same time criticize the US for not "understanding" the situation. What Americans understand from such boorish behavior is that Koreans want support and protection from the US but reserve the right to be anti-american. Once again, Koreans demonstrate a significant amount of ignorance about America and her intentions.
Contrary to the suspicions of many Koreans, USFK presence exists because America feels responsible for the security of the ROK. It is not part of an evil plan to control the world. As demonstrated in the Philippines in 1992, Americans are very content to withdraw their forces where they are not wanted. From the American point of view, the 30,000 American lives given for the defense and prosperity of the ROK is a contribution that can never be repayed. Even with the tragic accident that took the lives of two young girls, Americans are still offended by the reaction of the Korean press and public. If the US withdraws from Korea, the Korean press and the Korean people need not blame the United States."

Stuart Goss of Skillman, NJ wrote on Dec 29, "I am particularly incensed by the local threats against US military personnel. These service men and women are there to help safeguard Korean lives. They have little choice about being in South Korea. No person in his or her right mind, could really believe that this terrible event was anything other than a horrible and tragic accident. I now feel, however, the US government should bring its forces home, rather than allow them to be subject to such hostility. This will also allow South Korea to take on full responsibility for its own defense while removing American lives from harm's way."

Lear Vonlog of Daegu, Korea wrote on Dec 30, "It is time the United States comes together to show just how much our children mean to us. Since the Korean people want us out then by all means we should be withdrawn as soon as possible. I am sending this letter to any and all American newspapers that will listen. I am also asking all Americans who see it to pass it on to as many people as you can. We have to get the word out to all Americans ASAP. All Korean products should be boycotted, also many Koreans in America are supporting this view of American hate. For those of you who do business with Koreans in the US be careful. The situation is grave at this time, please help those of us that have to remain here."

Leonard Peters of Daegu wrote on Dec 30, "Sir, I am wondering if Korea is undergoing some kind of collective amnesia. Today I read in the Chosun Ilbo that President elect Roh is calling for "calm" in ongoing anti-American demonstrations.
Funny thing is that only two days ago I read that the demonstrations were not anti-American at all and Americans only "misunderstood" the demonstrator's intentions. However, I remember flag and effigy burnings as well as racist slogans. I also remember personally being refused service in Korean businesses because of my pale skin. I still see hate filled websites such as antimigun.org and voiceofpeople.org. The Korean government hosts both of these blatantly racist sites.
I also remember President elect Roh standing up on stage in front of the racist mob stating that he "would not kow-tow to America," that he "would go to America to do more than take pictures" and he "would make the relationship between Korea and America 'equal." The mob went wild with adulation and elected him president.
Now President elect Roh has called for collective amnesia. None of this ever happened. The Kim Jong Il regime is threatening its brothers in the South; suddenly that alliance with America is very important again. We can all forgive and forget. Just take out amnesia pills.
Mr Editor, America will not forget. You can be sure that Mr Noh's remarks were heard in Washington. When anti-Americanism suited him, he supported it. Now that he needs America, he says "We cannot force America to surrender," and "it was all a misunderstanding." America did not misunderstand the defacement of its flag and the effigies of President Bush being burnt. Nor does America care much for fair weather friends or political opportunism at its expense.
There is a growing movement in America to withdraw its troops from Korea. America will never work with President elect Roh now and will take its own course with North Korea. President elect Roh missed a real opportunity to elevate South Korea into the ranks of mature nations. However, mature nations do not let mobs rule or decide elections."

Richard McCleskey of Leesburg, VA wrote on Jan 2, 2003, "Since it appears that South Korea has put North Korean agents in charge of your country, I just mailed my representatives in Congress. I expressed to them my personal desire to get our servicemen out of Korea. Further I expressed my desire to stop all military aid to South Korea. I can see the case for defending Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan - but not South Korea, not anymore. After observing the way South Korea has behaved during the recent Olympics, World Cup, and after the deaths of these two girls - I've come to the conclusion that South Korea is unworthy and not worth saving."

Scott F. Coiner of Austin, TX on Jan 2, 2003 wrote, "While my family rang in the New Year with cheer and fireworks and good feelings, American news media showed Korea ringing in the New Year with anti-American protests. Yes, the NGOs and now even the government say the demonstrations are more nationalistic than anti-American. The world can see through this bluff. Make no mistake! These rallies are indeed anti-American!"

Korean-American Ted Kim of New York, NY on Jan 2, 2003 wrote, "Speaking as an American taxpayer, why should my money go towards paying for the defence of a people that feels the moral justification to kidnap, beat and knife my country's soldiers? Contrary to popular myth, South Korea is not vital to American national interests and it makes absolute sense for American forces to pull out of Korea and operate out of Japan, using the Japanese-American defence ties as a bulwark against instability in Asia. Korea is irrelevant in the big picture as it will soon be overtaken and basically swallowed up by China so why put American soldiers at risk now? If the North and South want to unify, fine. Let all those spoiled young Korean protestors pay for it. Most likely they'll find a way to get American and Japanese taxpayers to subsidize their re-unification, but I hope not."

Richard Moore III Board of Trustees Committee for the Withdrawal of American Forces in Korea Boston, Massachusetts, USA on Jan 2, 2003 wrote, "The Committee for the Withdrawal of American Forces in Korea is organizing an east coast boycott of all Korean-made products from electronic items produced by Daewoo, Samsung, LG, etc., to automobiles produced by Hyundai, Daewoo and Kia. We will show Americans in our areas the video footage of supposed 'non-violent, non-anti-American protests' on our local news television and post fliers with those pictures in the neighborhoods where businesses sell Korean-made products. We have encouraged over 1,000 prominent businessmen and international investors, many of whom have served in the Korean War (1950-1953) or have had family members who have served in Korea during and after the war, myself included, to write letters to their congressmen and senators demanding an immediate end to stationing American forces in Korea and a general boycott on Korean-made products and sanctions on American dollar investment in Korea."

New NGO group tactic: Boycott American Goods Starting in December students started handing out flyers to boycott American goods at the demonstrations in Seoul. Anti-Americanism took another step forward as the SOFA issue was changed to a anti-U.S. products campaign. Sounds ridiculous but U.S. companies are taking it seriously.

Anti-U.S. Goods Campaign Alerts American Cos.

U.S. companies operating in South Korea are concerned about the possible negative impacts of prolonged anti-American sentiment on their sales.

Young Internet users have called for a boycott of U.S. icons McDonald’s and Coca-Cola in protest against the U.S. court-martial acquittals of the two servicemen who manned a vehicle that killed two schoolgirls last June.

U.S. brand businesses such as fast food chains and family restaurants are particularly worried about possible boycotts as their main customers are young people, who are the most critical of the U.S. McDonald’s, the world’s biggest hamburger chain, has seen its South Korean sales slip further after a 15 percent sales reduction in the first quarter on the back of boycotts in protest against the U.S. short-track skater Apolo Anton Ono. Protesters believe Ono snatched the gold medal from South Korean skater Kim Dong-sung in this year’s Winter Olympics.

``I am sorry our company has become a subject of anti-U.S. sentiment again. Although McDonald’s is a U.S. brand, we are a Korean company that was set up as a joint venture with a local partner in 1988 and has been run 100 percent by Koreans,’’ McDonald’s Korea team manager Song Hyun-jeong said. Song said he was striving to promote the understanding of the company among locals.

T.G.I Friday’s and Pizza Hut also said they are monitoring the movement of anti-American protests online and offline, although they have yet to see the impact on their sales of netizens’ campaign.

Ahead of Christmas and the year-end bargain season, Lee Sun-kyung, spokesperson for another target brand Coca-cola was worried that the anti-American sentiment may have an impact on its promotional and marketing activities.

U.S. carmakers, including DaimlerChrysler Korea, Ford Sales & Service Korea and General Motors (GM) Korea, are also sensitive to changes in the perception of American vehicles by consumers and have made efforts to reduce the negative perception that imported cars are luxury goods for the rich.

``Companies doing business on the globe are global companies, not just U.S. companies or French companies. Even though our parent company is General Motors, after the takeover deal we became a Korean company,’’ said Kim Sung-su, spokesperson of the newly launched GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Company (GM Daewoo).

Business leaders are also showing concern over the possibility that the anti-American sentiment and potential anti-U.S. goods campaign may backfire. It may ignite anti-Korean sentiment and an anti-Korean goods drive in the U.S., they said.

Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) chairman Park Yong-sung told a radio program yesterday, ``I am so sad because of the death of our two schoolgirls but, given the Korea-U.S. relations, we have to consider the economic losses and gains. The U.S. is the biggest export market for Korea.’’

Outgoing president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Korea Jeffrey Jones also warned last week that the ongoing anti-American sentiment here could lead to an anti-Korean movement in the U.S. Jones noted that Korea's anti-American activities have received extensive coverage in the U.S. from nationwide media outlets like the New York Times, which will create a negative image about South Korea and our export products among U.S. citizens.

The U.S. is also the biggest foreign investor in Korea. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, the number of foreign companies was estimated at 12,000 last June, out of which 2,620 were U.S. Americans accounted for 54 percent of the cumulative foreign investment in Korea at the end of September.

In December, the growing anti-Americanism is starting to worry Korean business groups because of the potential backlash against Korean products. Now that the New York Times and other American newspapers have started to pay attention to the story -- after basically treating it as backpage news -- the Koreans are starting to get worried. However, the Christmas season is not a time when Americans normally go into a feeding frenzy so the Koreans have time to gain control of the situation. However, in January it will be a whole new ballgame as newspapers seek new sources of sensationalism to sell papers.

The heads of the five major Korean business advocacy groups have issued a joint statement saying that expressions of grief over the death of two girls by a U.S. military vehicle should not turn to anti-U.S. sentiment. The incident is now leading to "disproportionate and unjustified anti-American sentiment among our people," they said. The report said that sentiment could deter foreign investment here, especially the U.S. investment that accounted for 60 percent of all inflows in the first eight months of 2002. Anti-Americanism could trigger boycotts of Korean exports in the United States, they said, adding that investment and exports are Korea's major sources of jobs. Koreans, the statement added, should distinguish between improving the Status of Forces Agreement and maintaining the Korea-U.S. relationship.

But the unrealistic stance of the labor unions contradicts the business leaders pleas for calm. The unions claim that the U.S. "absorbed" 20.7 percent of Korea's exports, but fail to realize THEY are exporting it to America...NOT the U.S. importing it to America. Big difference. U.S. automakers would be only too glad to have the doors slammed shut on Korean autos. The following excerpt is from Yahoo Asia News on 16 Dec.

The statement sparked an angry response from South Korea's two umbrella labor broups, which accused the business groups of running against the will of the people.

"It is outrageous. We don't understand why they are issuing this kind of statement that ignores public feelings," said the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, a bigger and more moderate labor group with nearly one million members, issued a similar statement denouncing the business groups.

The two labor groups dismissed as groundless a warning by the business groups that anti-Americanism, if unchecked, could result in a boycott of Korean goods in the United States and a decline in foreign investment. The United States absorbed 20.7 percent of South Korea's total exports last year. Of the 6.7 billion dollar foreign investment here in the eight months to August, 60.2 percent came from the US.

Korea Times stated on Dec 12, "Labor parties generally agreed that the angry protests and their otherwise just demand for a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) are different subjects, as pointed out by the economic organizations. But they added that, "Since they are separate issues, businesses should also participate in the candlelight vigils that have been going on for the past few weeks to protest the killing of the two schools girls,'' said one representative of the trade unions. The umbrella group included the Korea Federation of Trade Unions. ``Businesses have to realize that their argument that we have to suffer the consequences of less foreign investment which creates jobs and fewer exports is really nonsensical,'' he added. Rather than agonize over the deaths, the economic organizations are continuing to seek profit. ``It seems that the values of the businesses are all wrong,'' said one statement from the KFTU."

In the upcoming year of 2003, we may see an all-out attack by U.S. companies who see no end in sight to the Korean government's protectionism. Many claim the Korean government is backing failing Korean industries despite promises of creating a "market economy." Micron Technology, Inc., the world's second largest chip producer based in the United States, alleges that the Korean creditor banks' agreement reached in December to provide a debt-for-equity conversion measure for Hynix Semiconductor runs in a clear violation of the free-trade regulations advocated by the World Trade Organization and the US administration. Hynix creditors in Korea are either government-owned or government-controlled and therefore are under the influence of the Korean government. In the past, Micron filed a complaint that the South Korean government provided multi-billion dollar bailout packages and loan subsidies to semiconductor companies, such as Samsung and Hynix, in violation of U.S. Countervailing Duty (CVD) laws and South Korea’s commitments under World Trade Organization agreements. The Korean government of course denied any connection to the bailout. Other rumblings of potential suits are starting to be heard by U.S. owned rival auto and pharmaceutical companies.

Another bench mark is that the KOSPI stock exchange index is down as foreign investment has stopped due to the North Korean crisis. "Due to the North Korean nuclear crisis in 1993, the Kospi dropped 10 percent," said Jeong Hun-seok, an analyst at Dongwon Securities. "This year, after rising sharply in mid October, the Kospi plunged on reports that North Korea was secretly developing nuclear capability." As Koreans focused on their own emotions yell "Yankee Go Home," an investor will ask, who is going to protect my investment? Until this crisis is over, there will most likely be a slow down in investment and the slow negative trickle down effects to the economy. The stock markets are expected to be unsettled in the beginning of 2003. The possibility of war between Iraq and the U.S. and a recent increase in Venezuela's oil prices due to its economic strife and political unrest just add to the uncertainty in the market.

There are also signals of trouble in the economy as some major firms try to hide their losses. The firms (Dongsan C&G, Jindo Corp., Asiana Airlines, Tong Yang Major Corp., Kolon Industries, Hankook Tire Co., Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co., Garnet Systems, Dong-A Venture & Investment Co., Neuron Net, Chang Hung Telecom Co., and Pyungchang Construction Co.) were cited for financial irregularities by finance regulators. The financial watchdog asked prosecutors to investigate Dongsan executives for allegedly including 24.4 billion won ($20.3 million) of nonexistent assets on the firm's balance sheet. The committee also reported the Jindo executives to prosecutors for allegedly failing to list 220 billion won of losses. The panel said Asiana failed to record 100 billion won of losses last year, and Tong Yang Major did not declare 40 billion won of losses. Following the sanctions, the Korea Stock Exchange suspended the trading of shares in Jindo until the company addressed the allegations before the exchange. The Kosdaq market halted trading in Asiana Airlines, Garnet Systems, Neuron Net and Chang Hung Telecom until Jan. 2. The Korea Stock Exchange warned investors on investing in Tong Yang Major, Kolon, Hankook Tire and Dong-A Pharmaceutical.

Are Korean Courts Biased? A district court in Uijongbu dismissed arrest warrants sought by the prosecution for three college students, who were among the protesters that broke into Camp Red Cloud. The court said it is regretful that the accused damaged a U.S. military installation but understands the circumstances and their motive for the action. Arrest warrants were sought on December 5 by police. The district court just sent the message that its ok to do acts of violence to USFK personnel and to destroy USFK property wantonly.

In the attack on Camp Gray in Seoul in November, no charges have been sought against the student who fire-bombed the camp. Thus the prosecutor's office also shares some blame in creating this impression of a biased court.

Seoul Courts Concur on Cases to Test SOFA: In December, the Seoul courts overturned two cases and adjudicated fines over U.S. military damage to the land in December. In the suit, the plaintiffs complained that the USFK "left" eight armoured vehicles on their property in March 1996 and demanded compensation. The vehicles were removed in May 1996. The courts in the appeal ruled that the government should pay the two residents 5 million won ($4,100), "because the United States Forces Korea placed the armored vehicles on their properties, which the military has no right to use."

The court said, "Even if the vehicles were removed, the plaintiffs suffered emotional distress because they feared the vehicles might not be removed." Though the court decisions are not political, their choice of cases are. The frivilousness reasoning used in justifying the decision -- as well as the timing -- indicates that the courts are starting to set up SOFA trial cases for the incoming government. Remember that Kim Dae-jung and both parties' presidential candidates supported a SOFA renegotiation.

The activists -- and biased news media sources -- continue to put out disinformation. They state that under the SOFA, the South Korean government compensates third parties who are found to have suffered damage from the U.S. military in the line of duty; the South Korean government can then make a claim to the U.S. military. This gives the impression that this is the established procedure. It is not. If it were, there would be lines out the door filing claims against the USFK for property, environmental or health damages. What we find curious is that the SOFA has a set process for claims for damages by private landowners and other private persons due to US military operations. There is an adjudication procedure administered by District Compensation Committees supervised by the ROK Ministry of Justice (MOJ) that ensures fair and reasonable compensation to all claimants. The US assumes 75 percent of such costs, while the ROK pays 25 percent. We do not have the details, but this case bears all the earmarks of a nuisance case.

However, courts don't usually waste their time with nuisance cases unless there is a purpose. Controversial cases against the ROK government never seem to appear of the docket. When it comes to highly political cases, the civil courts choose only cases that the government will support the court's decisions. Remember that these judges aspire to higher positions and must play the political appointment games. These courts are political -- and choose cases that the ROK government will ALLOW to be prosecuted.

In the first place the courts do not have the power to levy a judgements against the USFK for incidents covered under the SOFA. Thus even if Korea decided to pay the judgement, the USFK is not bound to recompensate them because it is not the procedure outlined in the SOFA. The bottom line is that the court knows this but chooses to fine the USFK to test the SOFA. Expect to see more and more nuisance suits in the future -- blessed by the government. (See Korean legal system and Korean Constituion.)

In particular expect to see environmental portions of the SOFA challenged by these decisions. In December, Kim Dae-jung and both presidential candidates supported a revision of the SOFA including environmental provisions. This is a major area that is NOT presently covered by the SOFA -- only with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) -- and would entail mega-costs to the U.S. if incorporated into the SOFA. Because of 50 years of abuse, expect costs to rival the "Superfund" costs in the U.S. like at Pearl Harbor and the former George AFB.

For example, in December Seoul City officials said that they would demand compensation funds from the U.S. if it is found responsible for the oil contamination in Noksapyong Station near the Yongsan base. A large amount of oil was discovered in water under Noksapyong Station early last year. The U.S. admitted in May of last year that the gasoline found at the station came from the Yongsan base, but an inspection is underway to determine the source of kerosene also found polluting the area. In December, the NGO environmental groups attempted to demand another apology from Bush for this "outrage." This is a ploy to gain the Yongsan base back -- without the ROK having to come up with a suitable relocation site for the Yongsan contingent -- or perhaps force it into a less than suitable location. Pyongtaek and other cities would not accept the Yongsan relocation back in 1993 and this is why the ROK put the relocation on a indefinite hold. (See Stars & Stripes Press Summary for Yongsan relocation.)

Radical NGO groups Tactics and Biased News Coverage: The following is excerpted from an article, Is America the 'good guy'? Many now say, 'No.'. It gives a peek at how the NGO groups operate using the internet to coordinate and orchestrate events:

In a small, plain office over a downtown Seoul grocery, eight young men hunch over a bank of computers. They aren't writing software or playing video games. This is a command center for protest against American soldiers in Korea. Everyone wears a black ribbon that reads "US troops withdraw."

The group – one of dozens like it – sprang up after a US armored vehicle accidentally killed two Korean girls walking along a country road in June. The incident continues to galvanize anti-American feeling across the country. Members canvas neighborhoods, run e-mail campaigns detailing American soldiers' alleged crimes, and help organize a permanent silent vigil outside the presidential palace.

"We are like a military operation" says their leader, known only as Mr. Kim. "US troops here are a mistake of history and we won't be one country until they leave; 9/11 is not our problem."

Most Americans believe they are making a sacrifice – stationing 38,000 soldiers here – to defend South Koreans against possible Communist attack. Most ordinary Koreans, however, believe the US troops are actually here to promote American interests, opinion polls show. And "since 9/11, a strange but virulent anti-Americanism has gripped South Korea," notes one expatriate American who works at a US company in Seoul.

"The underlying reason that Uncle Sam is about as popular as the plague," he adds, "is because of a paradigm shift in the minds of a new generation of South Koreans" who regard the US troops as a colonial presence.

Along with Japan, South Korea is one of America's chief strategic partners in the Pacific. But you wouldn't think so to watch a recent music video by popular all-girl Korean band S.E.S. It features cowboy-booted Americans being beaten up, fed to dogs, and tossed off buildings.

Nor are American diplomats reassured by recent polls showing that nearly half of Koreans approved the February trashing of the US Chamber of Commerce in Seoul and that 60 percent of Koreans "don't like" America.

But if the US doesn't wear a white hat here, where then?

South Korea today offers one of the sharpest, and most surprising, examples of anger at the US role in the world since Sept. 11. The current campaign grew out of the girls' deaths – and a widespread sense that the US authorities handled the case clumsily. But there's more to it than that. It seems to feed on old grudges and a deep dismay at a newly unilateral America, touting a "with us or against us" approach.

The National Police Agency (NPA) put out a warning to all USFK MPs. "Hanchongnyon "Vanguard Units" (Sonbongdae) will attempt to incite violent confrontations with ROK Police and USFK personnel, especially MP/SP personnel, for propaganda and social issue purposes." It stated the dissidents want the police to "beat them" so they can record the assaults on film/video for posting on Anti-Police Website (site off-line) constructed by Kyongwon University, Songnam City, Kyongki Province. The NPA stated the "dissidents will confront and provoke US MP/SP personnel using vulgarity, spitting, use of the middle finger, eggs and paint pottles and other acts which will they believe will offend US personnel to the point that the MP/SP's will retaliate by beatings, firing blanks or live ammunition."

The students don't have to do this recording...MBC will do it for free. From what we have seen, the MBC film crews are practicing sensationalism with creative editing. KBS is also not above staging events to get a shot of Americans in a confrontation. The Korean media has joined the ranks of yellow journalism exemplifying all that is wrong with biased reporting. The Korean Journalistic Code of Ethics -- as it was in the scandals of 1989 & 2000 -- is still a worthless document.

Again the NGO groups are attempting to set up situations where they can practice their disinformation and incite the people. This site's target group would be college students -- however, if it were a US MP/SP the Korean people would react with outrage to the "proof" of US soldier brutality.

If you review the photos of the demonstrations at Camp Casey and Red Cloud on this page, this is exactly what is happening with the prominent middle finger from the activists. Luckily, they are still using only eggs which can be easily cleaned up -- not paint bottles which make a mess. (Site Note: From what we have seen on the news, the USFK forces have shown EXTREME patience when provoked up till now. In a November incident protestors at Yongsan broke through the gate and assaulted (kicked and punched) two MPs and a lieutenant. There also have been incidents of personnel being beaten off base or struck while entering the bases/camps. No charges were filed by Korean authorities.)

The USFK on December 13 issued a statement over the biased, erroneous and misleading "facts" being put out by the NGO groups as "information"; parroted by the biased news media as "fact"; and spread across the internet as "truth." The inaccurate reports were intentional to convince the Korean public of the USFK's lack of sincerity and inflame the public. The media has exhibited the worst traits of yellow journalism. Korean journalist write with tainted ink and the venom of hate, not truth in their words. On December 12, over 100 photo-journalist laid down their cameras in front of the American embassy in Seoul in protest and the journalists article are no longer even bothering to hide their bias.

USFK Statement on the Highway 56 Accident

SEOUL, Republic of Korea (USFK) July 26, 2002 – Just like our Korean friends and neighbors, the members of the USFK community have been deeply saddened by the tragic accident that resulted in the deaths of Miss Shim Mi-Son and Miss Shin Hyo-Sun. Each of us in USFK wishes there was something we could do to change the events of that tragic day. We again apologize for the accident and accept full responsibility for what happened.

Unfortunately, there have been many inaccurate reports that have created false impressions in the Korean public concerning the genuineness of our sorrow and the actions we have taken since the accident. We want to address those inaccurate reports so the Korean people have a clearer understanding of the sincerity of our words and actions.

First of all, many media reports continue to suggest that no statements of remorse or official apologies were made or that they were late in being presented. On June13, the day of the accident, Lieutenant General Daniel R. Zanini, the commander of the 28,000 soldiers assigned to Eighth U.S. Army, made the following statement, “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the children and pledge our resolve to vigorously investigate this accident.” That statement was followed by official apologies by the Commander of the Second Infantry Division, Major General Russel Honoré; the Commander of USFK, General Leon LaPorte; and Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard has on several occasions publicly apologized on behalf of the U.S. government.

Furthermore, the Second Infantry Division Commander and the Chief of Staff visited the families following the accident to apologize personally for the accident and to offer their assistance to the families. In an effort to provide for the immediate needs of the families, we presented an initial solatium payment of one million won to each family the day following the accident. USFK immediately initiated the process in order to accelerate the compensation to the families. USFK realizes that no amount of money will lessen the pain of the grieving families, but USFK is working diligently with the ROK government to present a final and just compensation to the families.

The men and women of USFK also felt compelled to respond. Hundreds of soldiers of the Second Infantry Division held a candlelight vigil to honor the two girls and express their remorse. Donations of more than $22,000 (26,400,000 won) collected by the soldiers in the Second Infantry Division have been presented to the two families as a sign of their heartfelt sorrow and deep respect. Additionally, a memorial fund has been established to build an appropriate memorial to honor Miss Shim Mi-Son and Miss Shin Hyo-Sun and to further assist the families.

Media reports have also suggested that the soldiers involved in the accident were initially cavalier and unconcerned. One television station reported the soldiers were involved in a fistfight with KATUSA soldiers who were offended by the attitude of the two USFK soldiers. Those reports are absolutely false, and we are incensed that media would make such an inflammatory claim without determining the truth. The two U.S. soldiers involved are deeply remorseful. The driver of the vehicle was so distraught about the accident that he was in tears and could not walk without assistance. He was completely inconsolable. This tragedy has greatly affected him and the soldier who was in the vehicle with him at the time of the accident. The soldiers respect Korea and her citizens.

USFK pledged to vigorously investigate this accident and that is exactly what has happened. Several investigations have occurred to include a thorough joint investigation by a team composed of the ROK and U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Divisions. The evidence gathered during the investigative process resulted in charges of negligent homicide against the vehicle commander and the driver involved in the accident. The investigations also resulted in a number of corrective measures to prevent future accidents.

USFK is also fully cooperating with the Ministry of Justice and providing the ministry access to our installations and personnel. Another misperception created by media reports concerns the issue of jurisdiction over the two U.S. soldiers that were charged with negligent homicide. The issue of jurisdiction has been presented in many media reports as an example of an inequity in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). That impression is wrong. The tradition of the military retaining jurisdiction in cases involving soldiers carrying out their official duties is not unique to the U.S. military. The ROK military has exclusive jurisdiction over its own soldiers from Article 2 of the Korean Military Court Act. If a Korean soldier commits any type of crime, whether on duty or off duty, he or she is never tried in a civilian court. Also, the ROK military would retain jurisdiction if a Korean soldier committed a crime or was involved in a similar accident in a foreign country, such as during a peacekeeping operation. Additionally, punishments resulting from a military court are often more harsh than punishments resulting from civilian court systems.

USFK is not trying to minimize this tragedy in any way. Nor are we trying to blame media reports for what has happened. It is important that the Korean people understand that their USFK neighbors are deeply sorry for this accident, and that we accept full responsibility. It is also important that inaccurate statements reported in the media not inflame the understandable emotions and sorrow over this tragedy. As partners and allies who have stood by each other in trust and friendship with shared values, common goals, and a common defense for more than 50 years, we grieve together as a community over the loss of Miss Shim Mi-Son and Miss Shin Hyo-Sun.

The biggest problem is that the NGO groups are teaching kids to hate through their misinformation. Three 6th grade girls in Daegu wrote letters in blood to protest the deaths of the two girls killed in the US tank accident. One of the letters reads, "Die America! We are one. Try them again, Korea." The girls said they wrote the letters after learning about the girls' deaths in the media and felt like they had to do something.

The media has even went so far as to find an "expert" witness who said on TV that the girls were murdered on TV. In a video on the Voice of the People Web site, a former Korean tank driver claimed that the US soldiers intentionally ran over the two Korean girls and then ran over them a second time to make sure they were dead. The tank driver was interviewed by the MBC news program, "PD Notebook." The tank driver based his claims on the wounds of the girls and on the markings left on the bodies by the tank tracks. This was the sickest use of sensationalism -- and illustrates how low Korean journalism has sunk to get a sensational news story.

Currently the internet is filled with death threats to American soldiers and their dependents. There was even one that said they would run down the Americans and kill their women. Childish bravado? Perhaps, but judging from the violent nature of the radical organizations, it may not be.

On Dec 15, an Army officer was attacked with a knife outside Yongsan. If he had been seriously injured, there would be hell to pay and a cry for retribution. Depending on how the U.S. papers react to this story, it could turn ugly. Lt. Col. Steven Boylan was slightly cut on his left side -- blood has been drawn even if it is a "scratch." Lt. Col. Boylan issued a statement following the attack stating that he did not blame the Korean people -- only the three who committed the attack -- and that many Koreans had expressed their concern for his welfare after the attack. His statement was unheard by the Korean community and was intended to downplay the incident. According to reports,

At approximately 8:40 p.m. yesterday, three Korean males, including one armed with a knife, attacked an unarmed U.S. Army officer in the pedestrian underpass near Gate 3 at Yongsan Garrison Main Post.

Three unidentified Koreans, estimated to be in their early 20s, attacked the lieutenant colonel in the underpass. According to the officer, the attack was unprovoked and ended when he left the scene and notified U.S. Military Police.

The officer told police that the attack began when the three Koreans insulted the officer and cursed at him in English as they approached him in the underpass. He did not respond to the provocation, but instead attempted to pass the three individuals peacefully. After passing, the three men attacked him from behind.

One of the Koreans then punched the officer between his shoulders, shoving him headfirst into the underpass wall. He attempted to protect himself by shoving his attacker. A second man lunged at him, attempting to stab him in the stomach with a five-inch knife. He was able to twist away, but sustained a minor cut to his left side where the knife grazed him. The officer then struck the knife-wielding attacker once in self-defense and left the scene. He immediately notified the U.S. Military Police, who alerted Korean investigators.

The incident is currently under investigation. The officer was treated and released from the 121(superscript: st) General Hospital at Yongsan. He sustained a blow to the head, a cut on his left side, and minor abrasions and bruises.

According to another report, "The officer suffered bruising on the abdomen, chest and forehead as two of the assailants punched him and was stabbed by the third man, receiving a 3cm wound in his side. The latter attacker attempted to repeatedly stab 'D,' but only succeeded in ripping his uniform with 5-8cm slashes. The three ran away when the lieutenant-colonel managed to escape and get onto the base." (NOTE: "Uniform" in the report is incorrect as he was in civilian clothes.)

What we find rather strange was as the story was being picked up by U.S. news sources, the Korean TV news are strangely SILENT about the event. There have been mention in the English editions of the newspapers, but it has been spotty. The USFK on December 17 issued a partial lockdown for at least a week in light of recent attacks on soldiers and the upcoming presidential election. USFK personel have been advised to stay away from bars and Korean restaurants. The restriction of activities outside USFK bases is an unprecedented move, and was made because the command considers the assault by three Korean men, one with a knife, as a terrorist incident and concerned about the possibility of similar incidents taking place in the future.

The Korean government may have allowed the hate-preaching NGO groups to go too far already where they have infected some unstable Koreans to commit violent acts in the misguided belief that they are doing it for their country.

U.S. Officer Attacked in Seoul

SEOUL, Dec 16 (AFP) - A US army lieutenant colonel was attacked by knife-wielding South Korean men outside a US army base here, the US military said Monday.

Three South Koreans attacked the army officer late Sunday as he left Yongsan, the main US military base in central Seoul, and was walking to his home, a spokesman for the army said.

The attack came amid growing anti-US setiment here sparked by the recent acquittal of two US soldiers charged over the deaths of two South Korean girls in a road accident involving a US military vehicle.

A source in the army public affairs office said the target of the attack was Lieutenant Colonel Steven Boylan, the chief public affairs officer for the US Eighth Army.

"A knife was used, but the officer was only scratched," said the source. Police were looking for three South Korean men in their 20s who allegedly set on the officer, who was in civilian clothes, as he left the base.

"They shouted abuse at him and then attacked him," said the source. A spokesman for the US military said an official statement on the attack would be released shortly. ...

U.S. Soldiers Attacked in Itaewon

SEOUL, Republic of Korea (USFK), Dec. 16, 2002 – Three U.S. military servicemembers were involved in an altercation with three Korean males following a minor traffic accident outside Yongsan Main Post Gate 3 during the early morning hours Sunday. The Korean National Police and the U.S. Military Police are working together to determine the details of the incident.

The soldiers were reportedly sitting in their vehicle when they were rear-ended by a taxi-cab. The passengers in the taxi-cab then exited their vehicle and began yelling at the soldiers and pushing them. According to the soldiers, they began pushing back the Korean males to defend themselves as the altercation escalated.

The Korean National Police, U.S. Military Police Town Patrol and the Korean media responded to the scene. Shortly thereafter, the three soldiers were made available for questioning at the local KNP station. They were released to USFK authorities later Sunday morning.

---

3 US Soldiers Face Questioning Over Altercation

Three American soldiers were held by South Korean police yesterday for several hours after they allegedly drove while drunk and then hit two South Koreans taxi passengers, police said. They face questioning later this week.

The two sergeants and one private were driving ahead of the taxi near the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul about 2:40 a.m. when the driver honked at them.

The soldiers supposedly jumped out of their car and approached the taxi before scuffling with two Koreans in the cab. They allegedly slandered and struck the passengers, police quoted the passengers as saying. The soldiers insist that one of the Koreans attacked them first.

``I honked because they suddenly stopped on the road,'' the driver, identified only as Chun, stated. The sergeant, known only by the initial J, ran away before police arrived, but was caught by another taxi driver who chased after him, the police reported.

The passengers, suffering from bloody noses, were taken to a nearby hospital, police said.

Witnesses at the scene told the police that the soldiers smelled of alcohol. The soldiers refused to take Breathalyzer tests, the officers said. The GIs were handed over to the U.S. military police at 7 a.m.

The incident occurs amid growing anti-American sentiment following a recent U.S. court martial acquittal of two soldiers charged with killing two Korean teenagers.

By Na Jeong-ju Staff Reporter Korea Times:

The minor incidents between USFK personnel and Koreans continue offbase. On Dec 20, the USFK reported that some Koreans shoved and spit on soldiers in uniform at Seoul Train Station while they were awaiting Reserve troops arriving from Taegu. However, in this incident it appears that KBS was trying to set up an incident by provoking the USFK personnel. The SSgt and Korean-American SPC should be commended for keeping their cool for the dirty tricks of the Korean media is getting out of hand. Korea Media Watch reported, "The last incident then occurred a few minutes later when a third, different, KN male closer to his 50s approached SPC xxx chest-to-chest and started a verbal and physical confrontation. The older KN male started yelling at SPC xxx in Korean (asking him questions reference the two school girls that died) and was poking him in the chest, pointing at his US insignia, and grabbed his armband. After a few moments, SPC xxx broke free, and the KN grabbed him again. SSG xxx and SPC xxx tried to signal 2 ROK Army officers and 1 ROK Army soldier that walked by in the crowd for assistance with the situation, but they did not stop. There were no KNPs or Metropolitan police in the area that the soldiers could see. SSG xxx kept trying to walk away from the area, but the KN kept following them and continued to grab them, continuing his verbal onslaught. At this point, another KN male, who identified himself as a former KATUSA, that spoke English then tried to intervene on the soldier's behalf and physically stopped the aggressor. It was at this time that SSG xxx and SPC xxx noticed the KBS media cameraman. SPC xxx also identified a KBS media van some distance away. A small crowd (less than 10 KN of various genders and ages) was then gathered watching the scene. Some of the members of the crowd spit on SSG xxx and another one gave him the "middle finger" as they walked away."

As a sidenote, a traffic accident in which a U.S. serviceman was sentenced to prison was played up on the TV news. But the significance that the jurisdiction issue works as illustrated by this case seems to have bypassed their reporting attention. MBC instead intended to blow up the case as an example of how USFK servicemen escape financial responsibility under the SOFA -- a blatant untruth. The MBC television media reports have been the worst of the biased reporting.

An article on Korea.com stated that on December 12, a USAF SSgt Kirby was sentenced by the Korean Supreme Court to eight months in prison for hitting Jeon Jeong-ja, a 61-year-old woman with an automobile while off duty. The woman was hit while crossing the street in a crosswalk when the US military member ran through the traffic signal. She has remained brain-dead in a coma ever since. He will begin serving time at the Cheonan Correctional Facility. Sergeant Kirby was not insured and therefore the victim's hospital bills are not covered. However, the US military sent the hospital a letter guaranteeing the payment of woman's hospital expenses. US military personnel who register vehicles to drive on US bases must show proof of insurance to be registered, however, the SSgt's car was uninsured. The US SOFA allows Korea to have jurisdiction over US military personnel if they are uninsured and involved in an automobile accident.

Under Korean law, an accident in which someone is injured or killed or the damage is more than 1.2 million won or something is considered a crime, and the person who caused the accident, as judged by police, is arrested. The person causing the accident remains in custody until the victim or the victim's representative reaches a settlement agreement with the person causing the accident or with his or her representative. If no agreement can be reached, then the case goes to trial. What this essentially means is that the victim's family has the choice of receiving monetary compensation or seeing the person accused of causing the accident serve time in prison. They cannot usually have both. (Site Note: According to the MBC report, the family is complaining about the hospital bills -- even though payment was guaranteed by the USFK -- and lack of compensation -- which you don't normally get if you opt to support sending the perpetrator to jail as they did. Insurance is not paid in Korea until the two parties to an accident reach an agreement or until after the trial. MBC News has used this incident to accuse the USFK of evading compensation because of the SOFA...an untruth.)

Yonhap News reported that the Korean Ministry of Justice (MOJ) notified the US military that it should pay 341.6 million won to the family of Jeon Jeong-ja. The amount includes medical costs and restitution, which is the maximum amount allowed. After being notified by the MOJ, US military authorities and the claimants (the victim's family) must now enter into separate negotiations to determine the final amount to be paid. Since the military member was involved in the accident while off duty, the US government must pay the full amount of the settlement. If the accident had occurred while the military member was on duty, the Korean government would have had to pay 25 percent. This shared-cost clause is in place to prevent gouging by Korean authorities.

As 2002 drew to a close, the Korean national police and U.S. authorities agreed to install direct communications links to coordinate responses to violence or threats of violence against U.S. soldiers. This is strange as they supposedly did this after the soldiers were "kidnapped" in September. These links were requested by U.S. Forces Korea officials. According to a news source, "Despite the tension, police officials in Itaewon, a shopping and club district adjacent to the U.S. Yongsan Garrison, said their daily patrols with U.S. military police have not been stepped up. "We are doing it to prevent U.S. soldiers from committing crimes," a police officer there told the JoongAng Daily. The U.S. Army's radio station is urging GIs who live near the base to travel to and from their homes by a new military bus service rather than walking or taking civilian taxis."

---

Pro-NGO group Polls Increasing: Because the NGO groups are made up of so many disparate groups, there has been an increasing amount of polls about the presence of the military and their impact on the various aims of each NGO group. Sometimes the messages get very garbled. For example, the anti-war groups tried to hitch their message of "no war in Iraq" onto the SOFA issue -- and even showed up at rallies with their banners.

In December, more and more "polls" have appeared in the Korean press to support various NGO group causes. It is possibly a strategy to enlist public support for their specific goals IF a full-scale SOFA renegotiation takes place. The following is an article that appeared on Korea.com. and would support the Green Korea causes to change the environmental provisions of the SOFA. Supposedly the United Nations will conduct environmental surveys of U.S. military bases in Korea, Japan and the Philippines next year as part of a multi-national survey, according to Green Korea environmentalists. The groups feel the UN surveys will establish a basis for local authorities to demand compensation for alleged ecological damage inside the bases. We wouldn't hold our breaths on this or any other UN survey.

However, an email to us from an old vet made a valid point about these polls over whether Koreans "liked" the U.S. He said, "When did being "liked" have anything to do with our foreign policy?" He's right. These polls are strictly for the Korean public in inciting the public and justifying the actions of the NGO groups in the public's mind.

Presence of U.S. bases is deplored

About 30 percent of residents near U.S. Army bases in Gyeonggi province said they have suffered due the presence of the American military, according to a survey released yesterday by the Gyeonggi Development Institute.

The institute surveyed 1,200 residents living in Dongducheon, Paju, Uijeongbu and Pyeongtaek in August 2001. More than half of the residents interviewed also said that they believe U.S. troops are stationed in Korea to protect American, rather than South Korean interests.

Thirty percent of those interviewed said that either they or their family members have suffered due to the presence of the American army base near their homes. They complained of disputes over use of land and roads, traffic problems, theft, noise pollution and violence, including rape.

Only 7 percent of the respondents said the American military presence is beneficial to Korea. When asked about the influence of the base on their community, 37.5 percent said the troops cause harm; 20 percent said the base was helpful to the community.

More than two-thirds cited disputes over property rights as the major source of tension between the communities and the U.S. military. Six out of 10 said rude and disorderly behavior of American soldiers is the greatest source of tension, while just over half said environment pollution by U.S. troops causes the most problems. Respondents were allowed to choose more than one "main source of tension."

Separately, the environmental activist group Green United Korea, while requesting a full revision of the U.S.-Korea Status of Forces of Agreement, said yesterday none of the 21 cases related to environmental pollution by the U.S. military filed since 2000 has been settled to the group's satisfaction. The group said the U.S. Forces Korea has stalled and avoided responsibility for the incidents.

But a USFK spokesman, Stephen Oertwig, said that while there have been a number of incidents related to environmental damage near military bases, the USFK is acting aggressively to replace outdated fuel tanks and other systems that might cause problems in the future.

Jeong Jae-heon, Lee Hoo-nam
myfeast@joongang.co.kr - Internet Media Company Joins.com

A 2002 MBC poll used by Voice of the People shows that 45.6% of the people said the U.S. should leave immediately in 1995, but now 55.6% feel this way. What is interesting is that those who feel the U.S. should stay but should leave in the future increased from 5.9% to 16.8%. Those who felt the U.S. should stay shrunk from 41.5% to 27.6%. KBS and MBC are the primary pollsters who consistently show these polls on their newscasts.

It should be cautioned that one should look at the source of the Korean polls before giving credibility to them. The MBC and KBS polls are TV telephone response polls. They are easily manipulated by flooding the center with calls with supporters. These polls give a general idea of the temper of the Korean populace on specific issues. They never show have a +/- error ratio to indicate reliability.

Another poll was from Gallup Korea released on Dec 14. The poll showed that one in two Koreans "dislike" America but 54.8% were against the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Korea -- a decrease from 1992. However, other polls indicate that the majority of those wanting the USFK to stay also wish them to leave at some time in the future.

One in Two Koreans 'Dislike' US

by Hong Young-lim (ylhong@chosun.com)

According to an opinion poll on 1,054 adults carried out on December 14 by Gallup Korea, although a majority of Koreans (53.7 percent) do not "like" the US, a majority of Koreans (54.8 percent) are also against American troops withdrawing from the Korean peninsula.

The dislike was most apparent among women in their 20s with 76.9 percent of women under 29 saying they did not have good feelings for the US. This percentage was slightly higher than the antagonism of the age group as a whole, which was 75.5 percent.

Some 67.2 percent of persons in their 30s and 50.3 percent of persons in their 40s told Gallup they either "did not like" or "hated" the US. However, of persons in their 50s, only 26 percent said that they had similar opinions. And of all the age and sex groups, women in their 50s showed the least antagonism toward the US with 23.8 percent

. Of the subject of the US forces stationed in Korea, although more than 1 out of 2 Koreans (54.8 percent) appear to be against the Americans’ withdrawal, this is almost a ten percent decrease from the Gallup data from 1992, when 62.2 percent were against withdrawal.

Of different age groups, only more persons in their 20s said that they wanted the USFK out of Korea with 47.2 percent for withdrawal and 42.4 percent against it. Among persons in their 30s, 42.6 percent were for and 46.6 percent were against withdrawal and among persons in their 40s, 25.7 percent were for and 61.2 percent were against. Some 13.4 percent of persons between the ages of 50 and 59 said that they wanted the USFK out of Korea.

Of the persons who answered that they did not have favorable feelings toward the US 45.8 percent said that they were for withdrawal and 42.9 percent said that they were against this.

---

Seoul and Washington Try for Damage Control: The following is an article extracted from Korean Media Watch:

Seoul, Washington to confer on spreading anti-U.S. mood

Alarmed by mounting anti-American sentiment, South Korea and the United States will begin a series of meetings this week to cope with an issue that analysts say could threaten a decades-long alliance and friendship between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry officials said senior officials from his ministry and the Defense Ministry will hold a "two plus two" meeting with their counterparts from the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) this week to discuss escalating anti-American protests.

The issue, along with the North Korean nuclear development program, will also be top on the agenda when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage comes to Seoul tomorrow, the officials said.

South Korea and the United States will also form a sub-panel on criminal codes of the Korea-U.S. Joint Committee of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) sometime this week, they said.

"We conveyed the gravity of the recent anti-American movement to the U.S. side because the issue should be jointly dealt with the United States," a Foreign Ministry official said.

The South Korea-U.S. alliance, which marks its 50-year anniversary next year, faces a major challenge as anti-American sentiment has been quickly spreading among South Koreans in the wake of the deaths of two girls by a U.S. armored vehicle in June and the acquittal of the two soldiers involved in the case.

Over the weekend, some 50,000 protesters nationwide joined candlelight vigils and anti-American protests, which drew even presidential candidates who seek to capitalize on public rage.

The growing anti-American protests have already taken a toll on Korea-U.S. diplomatic relations, analysts said.

Henry Hyde, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations, and four other Congressmen scrapped a planned visit to Seoul on Saturday apparently to avoid further inflaming anti-American sentiment.

"Chairman Hyde postponed his visit because he did not want the delegation to become the focal point of demonstrations here. He intends to reschedule his visit at a less sensitive time," the U.S. Embassy said in a press release.

A Seoul official said the decision by the Congressional delegation is "unusual" in that they were scheduled to pay a visit to President Kim Dae-jung.

The anti-American movement in recent years has taken a different path than that in the 1970s and 80s. In the past, anti-Americanism was usually limited to dissidents and student activists, but the recent anti-U.S. protests are drawing people from various walks of life. On Saturday, many parents with their children and young students joined the candlelight vigil and protests in Gwanghwamun.

Analysts said the Internet is also playing a role in the fleet spread of the vigils and protests.

"Both South Korea and the United States should provide responsible measures to resolve the issue. They should not pass the buck to the other side," said Kim Sung-han, a researcher at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security.

Kim said the United States should lay out a plan to improve relations with the South Korean public, rather than just reacting to a certain issue.

"South Korean leadership should also act as a moderator to prevent anti-American sentiment from developing into anti-Americanism, which can deteriorate Seoul-Washington alliance," Kim said. Kim also worried that the recent standoff may lead opinion leaders in the United States to have negative attitudes toward South Korea.

The growing Anti-American sentiment is starting to worry many in the Bush administration and others in the defense industry. These folks have vested interests in Americans remaining in Korea. However, up until a few weeks ago the majority of the people in America didn't even know there was unrest in Korea. Now they are being awakened to the fact that the Koreans are chanting "Yankee Go Home." These are not radical students -- but housewives, priests, ministers, monks, rock stars, sports heroes, children and old folks. The common people are shouting these words!!!

American Policies and Presence Under Fire in South Korea

By HOWARD W. FRENCH with DON KIRK

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 5 — Buddhist monks and Christian groups have held hunger strikes near the hulking United States Embassy here all week, and while the riot police keep the demonstrators from the gates, they cannot stop the taxi drivers from honking their horns in protest.

In even angrier demonstrations, students have thrown firebombs at American military bases here. During a recent music award show, meanwhile, a pop star smashed a model of an American tank on live television, drawing a rousing cheer. Foreign diplomats say universities have withdrawn speaking invitations to the American ambassador, for fear of trouble if he appeared on campus.

South Korea and the United States have long been the closest of trans-Pacific friends, but the recent turbulence goes well beyond youthful fashion or passing unrest in a country with a long tradition of protest. The growing estrangement has been evident in the race for president, to be decided in an election on Dec. 19, and many here are warning that the relationship is undergoing fundamental changes, with even more difficult times ahead.

Roh Moo Hyun, the candidate who holds a narrow lead according to opinion polls, has repeatedly criticized Washington's Korean policies as "hard-line," and he boldly said that if elected he would "guarantee the security of North Korea." The 37,000 American troops here are committed to protecting South Korea from any attack by North Korea, and President Bush has said the North is a member of an "axis of evil."

The immediate source of anti-American sentiment was an incident in June in which two 14-year-old girls were crushed by an American armored vehicle as they walked to a birthday party on a narrow road north of Seoul. Simmering anger has flared into outrage with the acquittal last month of two United States Army sergeants by an American panel in a military trial.

But many authorities say the divide has deeper roots, involving this country's rapid passage to affluence and its perception that its distant ally is heavy handed and insensitive, particularly with regard to North Korea.

Relations are worse than they have been in about 25 years, said Shim Jae Hoon, an expert on Korean affairs. Others say even longer.

"The main issue then was human rights," said Mr. Shim. "Today the main issue is North-South relations. The two countries don't see eye to eye on foreign policy, and neither of them is handling the worsening relationship very well."

The widening gulf between the two allies, and in their perceptions of North Korea, is reflected in numerous public opinion polls. In September, a Gallup Korea poll found that a majority of 1,056 South Koreans surveyed felt there was little or no chance of an attack by North Korea. After a disputed call during the 2002 Winter Olympics, when a jostled South Korean skater lost the gold medal to an American rival, another Gallup poll here reported that nearly 60 percent of respondents "disliked" the United States.

Another poll taken before the deaths of the schoolgirls, which was published in November 2000 by The Dong-A Ilbo newspaper, found that only 42 percent of respondents supported maintaining the current number of American troops in South Korea, while 15 percent supported withdrawing them altogether.

Mr. Roh, a labor lawyer and a former legislator and cabinet member with a background in social activism who has never visited the United States, also once said that American troops were not needed in South Korea. Nowadays he calls the military alliance vital.

But he routinely emphasizes that the alliance is badly in need of revision, and the popular anger toward the United States has even forced his main rival, Lee Hoi Chang, a conservative whose international views are generally more in line with those of the Bush administration, to campaign for major changes.

For a half century, the alliance has been the bedrock of South Korea's prosperity and of Washington's security planning in Asia.

Few countries have made the economic strides that South Korea has made in recent decades. It leads the world in broadband Internet access, and it is second in shipbuilding; it is also the third-leading producer of semiconductors and fifth in automobile manufacturing.

An important psychological lift came in June when South Korea served as a co-host, with Japan, for the World Cup soccer tournament, and its team made it to the semifinals. For the first time in the modern era, Koreans feel a swaggering sense of self-assurance.

Yet daily life still serves up rude collisions between this newfound confidence and the country's dependence on what many Koreans now consider an ally that sometimes seems overbearing.

For travelers, a bracing dose of this comes upon arrival at South Korea's dazzling new airport, just outside Seoul, where often the first thing passengers may see are American sergeants in combat fatigues barking orders to arriving American servicemembers.

Also jarring is the gigantic Yongsan Army Garrison, covering 630 acres in the heart of this crowded city. The location of the post, in the center of the capital, is often justified by the nearness of the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea — 40 miles away — but it is still something that other countries with American bases, like Japan and Germany, do not have to endure.

"We have a joint working group with our Korean partners to study ways to move this out of the central city," said the American ambassador, Thomas C. Hubbard. "We recognize the imposition that having a command headquarters in the middle of Seoul causes for many Koreans."

Diplomatically, on both sides of the Pacific, many people say things began to go wrong at the first meeting between the freshly inaugurated President Bush and President Kim Dae Jung at the White House in March 2001. Mr. Kim went to Washington hoping to maintain the momentum of the last months of the Clinton administration, when it appeared that a historic security agreement with North Korea was in reach.

Instead of an endorsement, many South Koreans, including some who are not partisans of Mr. Kim, felt that Mr. Bush showed insufficient deference to their president and was dismissive of Mr. Kim's policy of reconciliation with North Korea.

For his part, Mr. Kim failed to understand how much Washington's outlook had shifted with the change in administrations, his critics say. "The perception is that the U.S. has been vacillating, but over the years, the Koreans have vacillated at least as much as the U.S. has," said one Western diplomat.

Things have only grown worse since then, with Washington leading a campaign to force North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program whose existence, secret until recently, violates many arms control agreements. South Korean officials say their country's intelligence agencies, and not the United States as is commonly believed, first detected the existence of the North Korean nuclear program. Yet Mr. Kim, in the waning months of his presidency, has continued to press for engagement with the North. Mr. Kim is barred by the Constitution from seeking a second five-year term.

With their overwhelming economic superiority and vastly better weaponry compared with their neighbor, South Koreans increasingly regard an unprovoked attack by North Korea as unimaginable, and public opinion has largely followed Mr. Kim. More than 62 percent of 1,013 respondents in a Sisa Journal-Media Research survey earlier this year called Mr. Bush's approach toward North Korea unhelpful.

"The Bush administration looked at the political calendar and made a calculation that they would be in office after Kim Dae Jung, and have given the appearance of just trying to wait him out," said Scott Snyder, the Korea representative of the Asia Foundation. "The unintended consequence is that Koreans have been getting the impression that their country isn't taken seriously.

"Depending on what happens with North Korea," Mr. Snyder said, "I think the entire relationship could be on the table."

Western diplomats deny there has ever been a strategy to simply await the end of Mr. Kim's term to reactivate diplomacy concerning North Korea. In any event, today the payoff of such an approach looks uncertain at best.

Until less than a month ago, Mr. Lee, the conservative opposition leader, looked like a shoo-in for the presidency, but the merger of Mr. Roh's campaign with that of a third-party candidate and the uproar over the American acquittals in the deaths of the two girls have transformed the tenor of the race. The changes helped make a favorite out of Mr. Roh, whose diffidence toward Washington would almost certainly make for a pricklier relationship.

Some experts say the biggest challenge to the South Korean-American alliance may be generational. Since the division of the Korean Peninsula was solidified after the Korean War, South Koreans have felt an ache from the separation of tens of thousands of families. Despite this country's prosperity, there is a deep anger over having been victimized by outside powers.

"For Koreans, it is very ironic that we were divided by World War II, and Japan, your defeated enemy, was not," said Chung Mong Joon, the scion of the Hyundai industrial empire, and the unsuccessful candidate who merged his campaign with Mr. Roh's. "In Europe, Germany was defeated and divided, but Japan was aided by the Korean War, which left us divided. This is very unfair."

As the generations age, fewer people have memories of the horrors of the Korean War, and of the poverty that South Korea overcame, and that benefits North Korea.

"There are perfectly sound arguments that can be made for the U.S. presence, but they are less clear now that they have been in some time," said Nicholas Eberstadt, a Korea expert at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. "In the meantime, U.S. forces are making sonic booms over people's houses, causing environmental damage and doing the unpleasant things that unattached men all over the world sometimes do.

"If the alliance has a purpose that is spelled out, then people can tolerate these sorts of things," Mr. Eberstadt added. "If not, we will have problems."

On December 13, Bush conveyed his personal apologies to Kim Dae-jung via phone, but as was expected, the NGO groups rejected it. Bush voiced his "deep personal sadness" to South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung during a phone conversation. Bush "conveyed his deep personal sadness and regret over the deaths of two South Korean girls who were accidentally hit during a training exercise by a US military vehicle," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. It was the first time the US president had directly referred to the deaths although US Ambassador to Seoul Thomas Hubbard had earlier conveyed Bush's regret over the tragedy. But activists here dismissed Bush's Friday statement as falling far short of expectations. "We cannot accept it as a direct apology to the Korean people. We demand him to apologize in the capacity of the US president instead of whispering personal sadness on the phone," said Chai Hee-Byeong, secretary general of an umbrella group of civic activists.

On the same day of December 13, the Korea Times printed an article that the US government was disappointed in the way the Kim Dae-jung administration has handled the growing anti-American sentiment in South Korea, which has greatly increased since two teenage girls were accidently killed on a narrow road by a US armored vehicle, which was part of a convoy on its way to a military training exercise. For much of the controversy the Kim administration remained silent as the Korean media and anti-US groups issued reports and statements that fueled anti-American sentiment in Korea by distorting the facts of the accident and the US military response to it. Some Korean media reports claim that the US soldiers involved in the accident got into a fight with Korean soldiers who were angered by the US soldiers laughing about running over the girls. Many reports also claimed that no apologies were made to the families of the victims. And some reports even suggest that the US soldiers intentionally killed the two girls. The US military, angered by the reports, issued a statement denying them. The Korea Times quoted an annonymous source close to the US government as saying, "Nobody in the Kim Dae-jung administration has really stood up for us, allowing us to be portrayed as guilty party in this situation." The same source is also quoted as saying, "This situation is making the [US] administration take another close look at the relevance of the two countries' current alliance format."

In December, the U.S. was waiting out the results of the election of Dec 19. The race for selecting the new President of Korea is too close to call between Roh Moo-Hyun, of the Millennium Democratic Party founded by President Kim Dae-Jung, and Lee Hoi-Chang, standard-bearer for the opposition Grand National Party. Roh, a former human rights lawyer and pro-labour candidate, is counting on the support of younger voters while conservative Lee, who advocates a hard line on North Korea, is favored by the older generation. According to a November 25 opinion poll, Roh has 50 percent backing from the under-40s with Lee taking only 25 percent, while voters in the 40s and above favour Roh by a similar margin.

A clari-news article stated, "Arguably the most crucial issue facing the electorate is whether to favour Roh's soft line on North Korea or Lee's tough stand against the Stalinist regime accused of running a nuclear weapons programme. Roh backs President Kim Dae-Jung's "sunshine policy" of engagement and advocates dialogue with the North. That position puts him at odds with President George W. Bush's hard-line demands that Pyongyang scrap its programme before it can expect any help in emerging from decades of isolation. Lee had dubbed the Kim-Roh approach appeasement and is close to Bush's stand."

Thus the Bush administration's tactics toward this growing anti-Americanism was to take a wait-and-see attitude. If Lee won, everyone in the U.S. administration would be happy. If Roh won, on the other hand, who knows what twists in the U.S.-Korea alliance would take place. Mr. Roh said that "if the U.S. and North Korea start a war, we will stop it," a comment read by some as implying that South Korea would take a neutral position. Early on in his campaign he had supported the U.S. leaving Korea, but in May he turned about in his position.

---

Roh Moo-Hyun President Elect & Road to Confrontation Set: On Dec 19, Roh Moo-Hyun won the Presidential Election with 53.0 percent of the vote. The TV footage showed his supporters young and old -- dancing overjoyed with his victory. The tough choices for America now faces it as there is a potential of another Kim Dae-jung "sunshine policy" to contend with that flies in the face of U.S. policy towards North Korea.

However immediately after the election, Roh stated that there would be no changes in the U.S.-Korea relationship. Many conservatives were skeptical.

All over the nation, supporters of Roh Moo-hyun celebrated his win in the presidential election. Workplaces, schools and the Internet were flooded with talk about the president-elect. But celebrations were strongest in the Cholla provinces, Mr. Roh's political base, where up to 95 percent of the people voted for him. The Cholla area is the stronghold of Kim Dae-Jung and Roh's acceptance of the "sunshine policy" guaranteed his support from the area.

Roh greeting supporters in hometown of Kimhae

The Korea Herald stated, "Roh was seldom identified with his faltering pro-government Millennium Democratic Party. Few looked at him as a protege of President Kim Dae-jung, even when he unequivocally supported some of Kim's controversial policies. Instead, he was perceived as an independent, a maverick or even a rebel. These monikers explain his political career - how the son of a poor farmer and a self-taught activist lawyer with scant experience in state governance was catapulted to the top leadership by beating his elitist rival, Lee Hoi-chang of the majority Grand National Party." The Concord Monitor Online on Dec 10 stated,

Roh Moo-hyun, 56, a rough-talking, self-taught lawyer who has represented labor activists and student dissidents, has made speeches urging that U.S. troops leave South Korea. He has since retreated from that stand, saying it was youthful passion. But he remains critical of what he describes as the subservient relationship of his country to the United States."

He hit a popular chord. His polls spiked earlier this year when he criticized South Korean politicians for their traditional pilgrimage to the United States to get "a political blessing" from Washington. He has never been to America.

Roh has said he would essentially continue Kim's "sunshine policy" toward North Korea, which has put the government here at cross-purposes with Bush and his refusal to talk with North Korea. "I frankly have worries about the hard-line policies of Bush," Roh told a news conference last Friday.

Below is his profile from CNN News.

Profile: President-elect Roh Moo-hyun

Thursday, December 19, 2002 Posted: 7:26 PM EST (0026 GMT)

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's President-elect Roh Moo-hyun has come a long way from a ramshackle farming village to the Blue House presidential mansion.

The former human rights lawyer spent his early career battling the policies of previous presidents.

Roh, 56, was a fighting outsider from the time he led a student boycott in 1960 against mandatory essays praising Seoul's autocratic first president, to parliamentary hearings in 1988 in which he grilled army leaders over a 1980 massacre of protesters.

A self-educated lawyer from a family of peach and chicken farmers, Roh has, in speeches and writings, likened his quest for the presidency to that of mid-19th-century U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

He has vowed not to forget the country's poor and deprived and the activists he met when defending students and labor leaders being persecuted by earlier military regimes.

Despite his feisty image, Roh portrays himself as peacemaker.

Call for dialogue

During his run for the presidency he campaigned on a pledge to heal labor conflicts and bridge the rivalry between his country's southeast and southwest, an ancient rift that sometimes seems only slightly less bitter than the enmity between South Korea and communist North Korea.

He has said that North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions and missile exports -- both of which have cast a cloud over Roh because of his close association with outgoing President Kim Dae-jung -- can only be solved by dialogue that helps Pyongyang feel secure.

Roh's critics have branded him as a dangerous radical, ignorant of foreign policy and noted his previous association with calls for a withdrawal of some 30,000 U.S. troops based in South Korea.

In May however, in an early shift to the center, Roh stated his support for the continued presence of U.S. troops in the country. (Site Note: Immediately after his election, he asked the Military Chiefs whether they were prepared for the departure of the U.S. forces. This shows this statement was political lip-service.)

In August, he told a visiting U.S. diplomat he had "grown more realistic" about the U.S.-South Korea alliance under Kim's tutelage.

Hot-and-cold student

Roh was born on August 6, 1946 in Kimhae, near South Korea's second largest city of Busan.

South Korean newspapers, which dug up his school records, quote a note from his first-grade teacher saying Roh had "talents in all subjects, especially presentation of his opinions."

Five years later as a sixth-grader Roh won his first election as student council president. His nickname was "stone bean" because he was tiny but tough, classmates said.

He describes himself in an autobiography as a hot-and-cold student in high school, doing well when he studied but suffering plummeting grades after he skipped class to smoke and drink with friends.

When Roh graduated from Busan Commercial High School in 1966, he didn't have enough money to go to college.

Instead he worked low-paying odd jobs and began self-study, finally passing the state bar examination in 1975.

He spent the early 1980s defending student and labor activists, before getting directly involved in the pro-democracy movement in 1987.

He won a seat in parliament from Busan in 1988, then lost it in the 1992 election, returning to parliament after winning a 1998 by-election in Seoul.

After he lost a parliamentary race back in his hometown in April 2000, Roh's supporters launched a fan club called Nosamo ("Roh lovers group"), whose Web site played a big role in his rise in the ruling Millennium Democratic Party this year.

Married with a grown son and daughter, Roh lists his hobbies as mountain climbing and bowling.

Roh Supporters Jubilant on Election Day

The following was published on Dec 24 in The Asia Times:

ANALYSIS
Roh: New president for a new Korea

By Jaewoo Choo

SEOUL - Last week's presidential election in South Korea was remarkable on many fronts, not least the extent to which it reflected Koreans' deep desire for a shift away from the regionalism, cronyism and nepotism of the past and toward a more open, truly democratic society.

After a heated 23-day campaign by seven candidates, Roh Moo-hyun won the election by a margin of 2.3 percentage points over his archrival Lee Hoi-chang of the opposition Grand National Party. During the campaign, Jang Se-dong, a former director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) in the early 1980s when he was allegedly in charge of the infamous Gwangju massacre, pulled out of the race for personal reasons. Last Wednesday, just two hours before the final campaign rally, one of the top supporters in Roh's camp, Jung Mong-joon, abruptly announced that he was withdrawing his backing. Once a leading candidate until he struck a deal with Roh that enabled the two candidates to merge their popularity, Jung received much respect for his democratic values, putting him in a good position for the next presidency. Nonetheless, his decision failed to sway many votes in Lee's favor. Of Jung's supporters, a mere 9 percent shifted in favor of Lee, statistics revealed after the election.

This election was significant in many respects. It was the first time that a candidate in his 50s was elected to the highest national post. Age has been a matter of great importance in South Korean politics, and in Korean society in general, as both the social and the political culture still deeply cherish Confucian values, in which younger people are often regarded to be disrespectful if they challenge their elders. The election proved that Koreans have matured politically.

Unlike in the past, regionalism was not much of a deciding factor in the electorate's choice this time. Admittedly, Roh's support in the southwestern provinces and cities where his Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) is rooted amounted to a landslide. However, Roh himself is not from that region. Many from the region confessed after the election that their support for him was not for the party's sake but was due to his integrity, value and vision. Many, in fact, claimed they were had been disappointed by the MDP under Kim Dae-jung, whom they supported for many years only to see his two sons put in jail for bribery and other crimes. (Site Note: Roh garnered 95 percent of the vote in the Cholla provinces because of his continuation of Kim Dae-Jung's "sunshine policy.")

Thus, to a certain extent, this election substantially undermined the regionalism that has dominated South Korean elections for the past half-century. As late as 1998, regionalism was the cause of Roh's failure in his bid for the mayoral post in Busan, his home town. He failed in three elections in his home court for representing the "wrong" party in the "wrong" place. As a result, he was nicknamed "Babo" (foolish) by people in his home town. In the presidential election, however, support for Roh in the southeastern provinces and cities, long regarded as the GNP's back yard, reached almost 30 percent, a big blow to Lee, who expected his southeastern support to match Roh's in the southwest, or 95 percent. In the 1997 election, more than 90 percent of southeastern voters supported Lee against Kim Dae-jung. Last week's results indicate that South Koreans have high hopes for Roh as a legitimate politician who can finally bring the two regions into harmony.

Roh's success has brought new hope for democratic values. Equality and freedom will be much more respected in the practice of politics specifically, and in the daily life of Korean society in general, it is believed. Cronyism and nepotism will gradually lose ground. Roh's win has laid a solid foundation for the backbone of democracy and market economy to bud in Korean society. He has personally brought such hope to the people and promised to create such a society: those with ability will be able to succeed. Foreign analysts have observed that Roh's own personal struggles to compete in a highly stratified society in which birth and education are prerequisites for success will inspire other Koreans.

In this election too, even more so than in much more advanced democratic nations, the power of the Internet has written a new chapter in the textbooks of political-science theory. In no other election in the world, including the United States, has cyber politics played such a role. This will have important implications for those states where democracy is still budding and information technology is under development.

First, states where political and economic scandals and corruption arise from cronyism and nepotism will be left with no choice but to reform. Otherwise, they will be under scrupulous scrutiny by the cyber world. What makes the Internet such an effective tool for judging political behavior is not merely its easy access and abundant sources displayed on people's personal monitors. It is the power of anonymity. Unless you bring harm to someone's honor or integrity, you can upload information anonymously. In this respect, anyone is free to make contributions to the cause of revealing the truth.

While there is much unsubstantiated rumor available on Internet, anonymity also ensures that reliable information is widely read. Anyone with such information is certainly willing to share it for the cause of not merely rooting for his or her favorite candidate, but for upholding democratic values - fairness, openness and truthfulness. Cyber politics in elections has become an open forum where the integrity of candidates is scrutinized by objective as well as subjective sources. The down side is that the abundance of information can bring confusion to some, especially those who do not understand much about politics and lack judgment. Such people can easily be exploited by the headlines on their computer screen. However, such confusion and exploitation can be cleared up through online debates and easy access to advice and help from other Internet users, the so-called "netizens".

Second, cyber politics has become the main tool for election campaigning. The Internet is a source of information easily accessible 24 hours a day. Nothing can be hidden on Internet. Any kind of breaking news or information is always available. In addition, it is a powerful means of communication. A huge rally can be arranged with great efficiency, as proved during the course of Korean affairs this year. The so-called "Red Devils" during the World Cup soccer championships were able to congregate in front of Seoul City Hall and other places to cheer and watch the national team's matches. Times and places were advertised through the Internet. Etiquette and manners such as cleaning up litter after the match were emphasized. Furthermore, all the candlelight vigils during the past month or so in Seoul to mourn the death of two junior-high-school students and to protest the acquittal by a US military court of the US servicemen involved were arranged through Internet. Last, especially in Roh's case, campaign rallies and activities were organized on online.

Third, Roh is the first president-elect with a profession (although his rival Lee was also a professional). Prior to his service as a legislator during the late 1980s and early '90s and his governmental post as maritime and fisheries minister during the early years of Kim government, he was a judge and a lawyer. Although Roh did not attend a higher-education institute, he practiced law for living. His professional background will have many implications for the future of South Korean politics. His win has opened a new era for technocrats. Unlike in the past when the eligibility of candidates for public offices was based on their loyalty, service and dedication to their respective political party, those with expertise and specialties will be much more visible in upcoming elections, including the general election in 2004. It is already speculated that the South Korean legislature will be filled with many more lawyers, consultants, and intellectuals after 2004.

For these reasons, Roh may present an impression of being bold, assertive and, to a certain extent, radical in his pursuit of policy, especially foreign policy, where his experience is the most lacking. No previous South Korean president has had Roh's intellectual abilities, as evidenced by his legal background. That is probably why there is great speculation that there will be a sweeping review of South Korea's security and diplomatic relations by the Roh government, including the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the bilateral agreement with the United States that establishes the legal rights and responsibilities of US troops in Korea. SOFA will undergo heavy scrutiny, and not mere cosmetic surgery, by a lawyer president. Without substantial changes, many Koreans believe that unfair treatment by the US military, as reflected by the case of the schoolgirls' deaths, will continue.

To Koreans, therefore, Roh's ability to implement seemingly bold and assertive policy was not a matter of concern. What really appealed to those who have longed for change in Korea's political culture were his vision and principles. These Koreans are simply fed up with regionalism, cronyism and nepotism. They want a new Korea where common sense, democratic principles, and rule of law will prevail and perpetuate in both domestic and foreign life. Whether Roh is capable of fulfilling this desire remains to be seen.

(©2002 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)

With Roh in office, there are future problems in store for the U.S. On the handling the North Korean situation, there the reservations on how the U.S. handling is the situation with North Korea by both Korea and Japan. Roh favors continued engagement with North Korea and greater autonomy from United States. His victory sets South Korea and U.S. on the most divergent diplomatic paths in half century of close alliance. He staked his campaign on continued engagement with North Korea. He ruled out deadlines for compliance or economic sanctions to force North Korea to respect international engagements. The following excerpt is from Opinion Telegraph, UK.

Despite recent admissions by Pyongyang that it is still building a nuclear arsenal, Mr Roh has said he will continue the "sunshine policy" of aid, trade, investment and family reunions launched by the present incumbent, Kim Dae-jung. His defeated rival, Lee Hoi-chang, had promised, by contrast, to make economic exchanges dependent on northern adherence to the nuclear freeze agreed with Bill Clinton in 1994.

More worrying for Washington is the anti-Americanism that contributed to Mr Roh's victory. On Wednesday, Chung Mong-joon, who had withdrawn his candidacy and swung behind Mr Roh, retracted his support for the now president-elect because of differences over the American relationship.

Mr Chung, who ran the South Korean half of the World Cup, in which his country reached the semi-finals, took offence at Mr Roh's suggestion that Seoul might try to mediate in any war between the North and the United States. Anti-Americanism had already been stoked last month by the acquittal of two US soldiers charged with negligent homicide after an armoured vehicle had run over two Korean schoolgirls.

Even without this latest cause of resentment against America, the two sides view North Korea from quite distinct perspectives. Washington sees it endangering global security because of its manufacture and export of weapons of mass destruction.

Seoul is fully aware of northern hostility but is terrified, first, of provoking a war in which the capital would be particularly vulnerable, and, second, of sudden implosion north of the 38th parallel that would land the South with an economic burden dwarfing that faced by West Germany in 1990. Running beneath these considerations is a strong current of nationalism that sees the northerners as benighted fellow Koreans rather than members of an axis of evil.

Such feelings are less strong in Japan, but Tokyo opposes any attempt to coerce North Korea by military action and, despite its nuclear revelations, favours maintenance of dialogue. In September, Junichiro Koizumi, the prime minister, made a surprise visit to Pyongyang as part of a drive to normalise relations. In confronting the North, the Bush Administration has similar problems to those faced by its very different predecessor in 1994. The election of Mr Roh has added to its difficulties.

The Japanese also view him as a "wild card" as well as he rides the popularity wave from students and those from the '80s generation. The following is from the Asahi Shimbun on December 21.

Roh rides the tide of generational change

Thirtysomethings educated in the '80s and born in the '60s are establishing themselves as the movers and shakers of South Korean society. Members of this so-called 386 generation are believed to hold the key to the nation's future.

I stayed in Seoul for some time in the 1980s.

The smell of tear gas hung in the air, as did an anti-government mood in the student quarters. Many of the students thought about politics and debated the issues of the day with a ferocious earnestness.

Surveying the scene, I was reminded of Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan in the 1960s.

The Koreans who were university students in the 1980s later began forming new groups that cut across the social spectrum of the country. As a result, South Korea is now awash in a wave of wholesale concessions to the younger generation.

Roh Moon Hyun rode that tide of generational change to victory in the presidential election.

There was a hit song in South Korea a few years ago titled ``Change.'' According to Ahn Younghee's book ``Shinaburo'' (published by Shogakukan), it begins with these lines: ``Everyone is out of their minds/ Everyone is becoming unhinged/ Who can we trust?''

The song's refrain goes like this: ``Change everything/ Change, change, change.''

It was a song that voiced young Koreans' hopes for sweeping change.

``Political reform was the key word in the presidential election,'' said a South Korean university lecturer. ``A broad range of students-you can call them left-leaning-supported Roh and actively campaigned for him via the Internet,'' he went on. ``The reason he was popular with young voters,'' he added, ``was that he appeared to be relaxed and free from the bureaucratic mold.''

The student quarters of Seoul reportedly erupted in celebration for two days following Roh's triumph.

The president-elect is a postwar baby boomer, to put it in the Japanese way.

As South Koreans would put it, he belongs to the hangul generation. The world is watching how far Roh will be able to push political reform by riding the tide of generational change.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 21(IHT/Asahi: December 24, 2002)

Again it will be a wait-and-see process for the U.S. until Roh takes office. He favors continued engagement with North Korea and greater autonomy from the United States. If he follows the Kim Dae-jung "sunshine policy" line -- which most feel he will -- there will be a head-on confrontation over the divergence of Washington and Seoul on how to handle North Korea. The second factor that is unnerving is a growing awareness in America over the anti-Americanism. Whether it grows or dies down by the time of Roh's installation will also determine how the new President-elect will be greeted.

On Dec 20, Bush extended his congratulations to Roh and invited him to the White House at his "earliest possible convenience." According to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, "The president and president-elect agreed to work closely together to promote peace on the Korean peninsula and to further strengthen the U.S.-South Korean alliance." However, Roh has pledged to pursue the "sunshine policy" of Kim Dae-Jung, based on promoting contacts and reconciliation with North Korea), even as the Bush team is urging the international community to increase pressure on Pyongyang. This certainly sounds like the start of a disastrous meeting -- the same as between Bush and Kim Dae-Jung.

Roh Moo-Hyun

A Korea Herald editorial on Dec 22 stated, there "is a sobering message came from an unexpected sector of society. Voters in their 20s and 30s - members of the post-Cold War generation, or the first Internet generation, who have often been characterized by individualism and political apathy - formed a formidable alliance to elect Roh Moo-hyun as president." These are the same ones who have launched the cyberattacks on the White House with ineffective "mailbombs." These are the same ones that have used their internet expertise to spread disinformation and hate campaigns. What we find disturbing is the use of the term "mandate" by the Korea Herald to indicate support from the people for his continuation of the "sunshine policy." Understandably, the U.S. administration is taking a closer look at "the relevance of the two countries' current alliance format."

To understand what the U.S. will be facing from Roh Moo-Hyun when takes office, all one has to do is review Kim Dae-jung's national security policies. Roh has pledged to pursue the "sunshine policy" of Kim. Kim set forth three basic directions in security policy.

• First, the ROK government would not attempt to achieve unification with North Korea by absorption or military threat. It was, however, prepared to respond strongly to the North's armed provocation and pursued a military upgrade program to deter any armed invasion while stimulating reconciliation and cooperation between the two countries.
  
  U.S. View: How the two sides could stimulate reconciliation and cooperation after the repeated espionage, spy disclosures, running naval gun-battles, etc. between the two countries is amazing. The South desires reunification so badly that it is willing to overlook anything. It has contributed millions of dollars to the North Korean coffers in hopes of opening businesses in Korea which the U.S. has strongly objected to. The tone from the ROK has been that the UNC (USFK) is somehow impeding the reunification process. In the past months, the ROK has been openly defiant of the UNC demands to maintain its mandate to protect the DMZ. The ROK has attempted to create a "special zone" in the DMZ outside of the control of the UNC. The North is overjoyed that it has created cracks in the U.S.-Korea alliance. To the U.S., the North is still one of the "Axis of Evil."
  
  
• Second, South and North Korea must create a "South-North Combined Economic System." Under the principle of separation of politics and economy, the two must improve their cooperative relationship by increasing joint economic ventures and diversifying commercial exchanges at the civilian level. The ROK government needs to make another important change of developing a mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationship of cooperation that brings together its technology and capital with the North's land and labor.
  
  U.S. View: The South has provided income to the North which the U.S. feels has been shuttled into its programs of developing nuclear and WMD, as well as propping up the North's faltering military structure. The U.S. has openly objected to the hundreds of millions of dollars funneled to the North by the chaebols -- with no strings attached and the explicit approval of the Kim Dae-Jung administration. Kim Dae-Jung has made concession after concession simply to keep his "sunshine policy" alive. In return for the South's continued monetary support of the North, the South has received the promise of the opening of three "special economic zones" and the historic relinking of the North-South railheads. Projects with great emotional significance, but the potential for financial disaster.
  
  
• Third, Korea would increase its diplomatic efforts to end the cold war on the peninsula. In order to realize a substantial reduction in mutual threat, including the removal of the threat of North Korea's WMDs, Seoul must ensure that the US and Pyongyang keep the terms of their agreement.
  
  U.S. View: Because of North Korea's actions in pursuing its nuclear programs, the 1994 accord is void. The ROK has consistently been a thorn in the KEDO process, in that it feels the U.S. should shoulder all the costs while it reaps the benefits. The ROK's unilateral actions to proceed with engagement -- in the face of the U.S. hardline policy towards North Korea -- has seriously impaired the agreed upon three-nation "unified policy" on the handling of North Korea. This is exactly what the North has wanted in splitting the U.S. alliance. President-elect Roh made a statement that implied that the U.S. will start a war with North Korea -- and the ROK must act as a mediator. This is an outrageous affront -- especially since President Bush publically stated in Seoul that the U.S. unequivocally will NOT start a war.

Prior to his election, Roh stated that he would not "kowtow" to the U.S. He is expected to "demand" more jurisdiction over U.S. soldiers. Even before taking office, he is setting the stage for a confrontation. As such, things can only be expected to deteriorate further.

However, until Roh takes office and meets officially with Bush, the U.S. can say or do nothing. The U.S. continues to shrug off the remarks as something said in the "heat of battle." Indicators state differently. However, in January the pro-Roh Moon-Hyun newspaper, the Korea Herald stated in an editorial on Jan 4, "Moo-hyun's election as South Korea's next president carries an unmistakable message for the United States that the time-honored alliance between the two nations needs certain changes. It may hardly matter whether the president-elect speaks English or has traveled to America. What matters is that, for the first time, America will have to deal with a South Korean leader who said he would not "kowtow" to it." (Site Note: The Korea Herald has become very anti-American since everyone jumped on the anti-American bandwagon in September 2002. It mouthes the Roh rhetoric and continues to be a source of disinformation -- not for the native English readers -- but for the Korean college and highschool students who read the newspaper daily as an English teaching tool.)

On Dec 27, the North stated it would eject the IAEA inspectors from the Yongbyon nuclear site leaving the world in the dark over what North Korea was up to. On Dec 31, North Korea threatened to abrogate its participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970 unless Washington started direct negotiations -- which Washington has rejected. This has sent the once passive "sunshine policy" believers scrambling to China to "confer" with their neighbors.

Roh backpedalled on his controversial remarks on a possible reduction of U.S. troops by stating that he was simply stressing the need for the South to be prepared for any future changes in the security situation. "So far, all changes in the size of U.S. troop strength here have been determined by the United States based on its strategic consideration without South Korea's consent," he said. In other words, the U.S. is in Korea because IT wants to be here, but Korea didn't ask for them. During a visit to the South Korean military headquarters in late December, Roh said he had been wondering whether the South Korean military is prepared for a possible reduction of U.S. forces stationed here. This is a clear sign of his intentions.

The South which has encouraged the North to play its "nuclear card" by producing a rift in the Tri-nation agreement on how to handle North Korea, frantically sought the assistance of its neighboring countries to intervene. These are the same countries that the U.S. has been consulting and coordinating its actions with from the start. South Korea is retracing all the steps of the U.S. The question is why?

In early January, Roh's transition team was busily putting together a package that would call for "concessions on both sides." Though no details were released in January, it was said that the transition team proposal called for the United States to guarantee the security of the North Korean regime in a document and promise further economic assistance in exchange for the North's dismantling of its nuclear program. If this sounds like what North Korea wanted from the onset, you're exactly right. Why would Roh's team put together something that the U.S. has repeatedly refused? It comes back to the Roh's playing to the Korean populace again. When the U.S. flatly refuses -- as it has already repeatedly stated in the press -- Roh can say he tried to make peace, but point the finger at the U.S. No one knows what hidden agenda Roh has, but this would obviously incite the anti-Americanism in Korea again.

However, Roh has asked the organizers of the recent protests to backoff on their anti-American stance. At a meeting with the Pan National Committee Mr. Roh said, "I sincerely ask the public to restrain their protests. We should not ask the United States to surrender." Mr. Roh emphasized that handling the North Korean nuclear problem is his priority. He said that the North has pushed the matter to a dangerous level that benefits no one. "To take care of the North's nuclear problem is a matter of national existence, and to revise the SOFA is a matter of national pride," Mr. Roh said. The SOFA is the Status of Forces Agreement, the agreement governing U.S. troops here; protesters have demanded its revision to bring U.S. troops under Korean criminal jurisdiction. Probably referring to those demands, Mr. Roh added, "I know well what the public wants in those candlelight protests. Provide me with more time."

Roh expressed doubts about 'tailored containment' policy of the U.S. Instead Roh urged the U.S. to "fully consult with Seoul before making any decisions on how to respond to Pyongyang's nuclear threat." Roh said that the United States should give priority to South Korea's views before making any decisions on Korean issues which means the acceptance of the "sunshine policy" which the U.S. rejects. The U.S. continues to work on a "tailored containment" policy of applying economic and political pressure to force North Korea to scrap its nuclear program.

The president-elect also said the United States should be well aware of the fact that the success or failure of U.S. policy on North Korea could be a matter of survival for South Koreans. This reiterates the Korean position that it will NOT support any military actions against the north because of the threat to Seoul.

Roh wants the North to play its "Seoul Card" -- the promised visit to the South by Kim Jong-Il -- in a proposed summit between the two Korean leaders. By doing so he would become a national hero and cast himself in the role of peacemaker. His plan is to get the North and the U.S. sides to "yield a bit" with the exchange of visits by North Korean and U.S. presidential envoys. This will NOT fly as the U.S. has already said they will not negotiate unless the North stops their nuclear program first. "The issue is not nonaggression," the State Department's spokesman, Richard A. Boucher, said in Washington on Jan 4. "The issue is whether North Korea will verifiably dismantle this nuclear enrichment program." "We have no intention to sit down and bargain again, to pay for this horse again," Mr. Boucher said, referring to North Korea's decision last month to walk away from a 1994 agreement that provided North Korea with two light-water reactors and a supply of free fuel oil in exchange for closing a reactor that could produce weapons-grade plutonium. "We are not entering into a negotiation," he said, "in order to get them to commit to something that they've already committed to." Before he even gets a chance, the U.S. has shot him out of the saddle. The stage was set for a confrontation in the Tri-national meeting on Jan 6-7, 2003 to come out with a unified policy on how to handle North Korea.

Using Korean double-speak, Roh said, ""If the United States makes and announces a unilateral decision, and South Korea follows it, it can't be called real cooperation between the two countries." In other words, South Korea agrees to the U.S. sanctions and a unified policy towards North Korea, but it is the U.S. forcing the South and the South can't be held responsible. Both Roh and President Kim Dae-Jung expressed their opposition to the U.S. move to isolate or impose sanctions on the communist state. Seoul's refusal to comply with U.S. positions would cause a serious rift between the two nations.

With Roh Moo-hyun, the U.S can expect to have a continuation of the friction that existed between the Bush and the Kim Dae-Jung administrations. Roh stated after his election that the relationship between the U.S. and Korea must "mature and advance." In this way, one of the Dragons of Asia is saying to the U.S. we are equals -- you the superpower of the world and me the newly emerged G12 nation who only a decade ago entered the United Nations. This view is reflected in the new generation in Korea who wish to be treated with "respect" it feels it has "earned" in the world. The U.S. can only wait till February 2003 when Roh's rhetoric will be put to the test. Unless he changes his positions by then, the U.S. and Korea are headed for a head-on confrontation.

An interesting turn of events on December 31 was the sudden left turn by the protest movement to take on a "Peace Movement" stance (Rev Mun's group) versus the protests dealing with the SOFA. The anti-Americanism may become muted and weaken Roh's positions on the USFK in Korea. The anti-Americanism in Korea will have a definite impact on the future relations between the two countries. Only the events of 2003 will tell. The following is from the New York Times on January 2, 2003 and is one of the many articles that now are starting to appear in response to the anti-American demonstrations and fear of Roh's future confrontational policies.

South Korea, Once a Solid Ally, Now Poses Problems for the U.S.

By STEVEN R. WEISMAN

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 — For half a century the United States has had no more stalwart ally in Asia than South Korea, where 37,000 American troops are stationed to protect against an invasion from the North, representing the unity of purpose between the two countries.

But now South Korea has become one of the Bush administration's biggest foreign policy problems. Years of resentments over a variety of issues are boiling over in Seoul in the form of demonstrations against the United States and pronouncements by the departing and arriving presidents challenging American policies on dealing with North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

For the fifth time in four months, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is dispatching his top Korea specialist to Seoul for urgent consultations on forging a unified policy to handle North Korea's moves to restart its nuclear weapons program.

The envoy, James A. Kelly, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, is expected to pave the way for a visit to Washington later this year by the newly elected president of South Korea, Roh Moo Hyun, who says he intends to follow the policy of President Kim Dae Jung of diplomatic and economic engagement with North Korea.

Mr. Kelly said recently that Mr. Roh's past statements did not portend a rupture with the United States. The United States would wait until after he and his team take office and then "look at them face to face and find out what it is that we agree on and what it is that we disagree with."

Many experts on Korea expect the differences to be significant. Unlike South Korea, the United States favors a policy of no bargaining and no new economic incentives until the North abandons its nuclear program.

At the same time, and at the behest of its anxious friends in the region, the United States has repeatedly pledged to seek a diplomatic solution to the problem.

"In some ways, the problem in South Korea has become harder to handle than that of North Korea," said a Korea specialist with ties to many members of President Bush's foreign policy team. "Our first priority is to get Roh and Kim to stop saying that the United States approach will not work. If we don't do that, the divide will get worse."

North Korea is clearly determined to do what it can to sharpen the divide between the South and the United States by suggesting that Koreans from both states have a common cause against Washington. In its New Year message, the North Korean government said, "It can be said that there exists on the Korean peninsula only confrontation between the Koreans in the North and the South and the United States."

Some Bush administration officials insist that talk of divisions between South Korea and the United States is "way off base," as one official said this week.

This official added that the administration's policy is one of increasing diplomatic pressure but not squeezing the North further economically or militarily, and that this was also in keeping with the views of Japan, China and Russia.

The administration's internal strains over Korean policy, apparent since the first months of Mr. Bush's term of office, have subsided over the current situation, officials say, in part because there is a unanimity of views that the United States cannot give in to what officials say is "blackmail" by the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il.

But the strains have taken a toll on the relationship between Washington and Seoul, diplomats and administration officials say. Early in 2001, for example, Mr. Powell announced that the United States would continue the Clinton administration policy of building on a 1994 "framework agreement" with North Korea.

Under that arrangement, the North froze work at its plutonium-producing nuclear plant at Yongbyon in return for certain economic benefits, including fuel oil shipments. But as they came into office, many members of the new administration were privately disdainful of the 1994 accord. The White House and Mr. Powell then announced that instead of continuing the policy, the administration would review it. The shift was interpreted in Seoul as a rebuff to Kim Dae Jung and to Mr. Powell.

Later in 2001, the administration shifted again, this time saying that it would continue the policy of engagement. Mr. Kim was cheered, but the wounds were not all healed.

Last year, American intelligence revealed that although North Korea had kept its Yongbyon plant frozen, it was undertaking a separate clandestine nuclear program using highly enriched uranium. A new difference of emphasis emerged with the discovery.

Although South Korea labeled North Korea's plans unacceptable, President Kim opposed cutting off all economic contacts. The United States nonetheless persuaded Mr. Kim, and also the Japanese, to immediately halt the oil shipments to North Korea that had been agreed upon under the 1994 framework.

South Korea went along, but privately South Korean officials warned that such an act might provoke North Korea into restarting its Yongbyon plant. Their warnings proved accurate.

What seems clear is that the administration's frequent changes of policy have aggravated other factors in producing divisions between the United States and its Asian ally.

In recent weeks, South Koreans' attentions have focused on the presence of 37,000 American troops on their soil as a major irritant. South Korean anger was further fueled by an incident last June, when two 14-year-old girls were run over and killed by an American armored vehicle north of Seoul.

The episode unleashed an outpouring of resentment that some experts say dates from the years when a series of military dictators in South Korea, acting with what was perceived as support from Washington, thwarted all efforts at democratization. South Korea did not emerge as a democracy until the late 1980's.

Administration officials say they are handicapped by their lack of knowledge of Mr. Roh, Korea's new leader. He is a lawyer and human rights activist whose victory was boosted when a third candidate, Chung Mong Joon, an heir to the Hyundai business fortune, withdrew with a promise to "do my best to make him win." Hyundai favors investment in the North.

Administration officials acknowledge that two overriding factors are pressing the United States to listen to South Korea's pleas for a conciliatory approach to the North. The first, some say, is that the administration's hard-liners are preoccupied by planning a possible war against Iraq and don't want to be distracted.

Second, officials say North Korea, with its immense armed forces, numbering one million troops, plus a formidable rocket and artillery arsenal, could destroy Seoul and its environs in retaliation against any military pressure by the United States and its allies.

Some in the Bush administration say they favor imposing economic sanctions in the future if North Korea does not reverse course. But Mr. Powell said last weekend that such a course of action is not being contemplated by anyone. "We'll talk to the North Koreans eventually," said one official. "But they have to do something first. The ball really is in their court."

---

U.S. Does NOT See Need to Revise SOFA: On December 5 in Seoul, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ruled out immediate changes to the SOFA accord, saying revisions would not have prevented the tragic accident. In a joint communique both sides pledged to "work for a more stable stationing environment as well as improving the training conditions for U.S. Forces Korea." Proposals to allow Korean law enforcement authorities to hold greater investigative rights and participation in early stages of probes into cases involving US servicemen were presented to Rumsfield for consideration during a 90-minute discussion with the ROK Defense Minister to come up with a unified tri-party response dealing with North Korea.

There will be no bending on the jurisdiction issues as the U.S. and Korean legal systems are so disparate, there is no way the U.S. can negotiate away the rights of its soldiers under the SOFA.

On December 11, the Government Information Agency (GIA) posted an article regarding the government's position on the Korea-U.S. SOFA agreement on the homepages of civic groups' homepages -- such as the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice. The information agency has usually advertised the government's stances on various policy issues through government agency homepages, and this is the first time the agency has asked civic groups to carry an article on their web sites. "The government agency expressed regrets over the deaths and promised to improve the implementation of the SOFA through negotiations with the USFK. It stressed the SOFA "should be improved so that investigative authorities from both countries can jointly approach crime scenes and a USFK representative can be summoned for questioning by Korean investigation authorities. The Korean position should be also reflected by defining USFK service personnel's public duties." The article continued, ``In international practices, the jurisdiction over crimes committed by soldiers on duty lies with the stationing forces, while jurisdiction over crimes off duty rests with the host country.'' (Site Note: This was the OFFICIAL notice that the government had started negotiations on the SOFA jurisdiction controversy, but it also gave the NGO groups notice as to EXACTLY what the government was going to negotiate.)

The following is a report of "agreed upon items" preparatory to negotiating the SOFA. Basically, the Koreans still can question the suspect but America authorities will be notified to appear within an hour. Also suspects will be made available for questioning. These changes are procedural and never touch the jurisdiction issue the NGO groups wish changed. However, the government article on the homepages of the NGO groups gave them notice EXACTLY what would NOT be changed.

SOFA body near accord, Korean officials report, on criminal procedures

Kim Young-sae
December 13, 2002

Seoul officials said there was a considerable narrowing of differences on criminal jurisdiction issues after talks with U.S. military officers yesterday. Seoul is seeking changes to the Status of Forces Agreement, which governs who investigates and prosecutes U.S. troops accused of crimes here, to give Korean authorities a bigger role in criminal cases.

Justice Ministry and Foreign Ministry officials met with Staff Judge Advocate Colonel Kent Meyer and other U.S. Forces Korea staff members in a forum called the Criminal Jurisdiction Subcommittee. They told the Americans that Korean authorities want to have guaranteed access to suspects being held by U.S. military authorities in the initial stages of investigations. That proposal, they said after the meeting, received a positive response from the U.S. team. The American negotiators also were likely to agree, the Korean officials said, to new procedures for the questioning of GI suspects in Korean custody. The SOFA says an American government representative must be present during any questioning of those suspects; the Korean side wanted a U.S. commitment to send that observer within an hour of a request from police or prosecutors. Similarly, the Korean team reported a positive U.S. reaction to a proposal that suspects in U.S. custody be made available immediately for questioning by Korean authorities.

USFK reportedly asked for additional, unspecified privacy protections during investigations by Korean authorities. USFK officials, contacted by telephone, declined to comment on the day's discussions.

If the deliberations are eventually approved by senior officials of both sides, they will be made a part of the SOFA's binding "agreed views."

---

On Dec 24 the MOJ agreed to the set of measures. According to the MOJ it "would grant the Korean side greater rights in investigating American soldiers accused of committing crimes here. ... The five-point accord will soon be approved by the two governments' chief delegates to the joint committee, and it will be called an 'agreed view.'" The agreement provides the Korean police access to the scene of a crime and allows for joint inspection from the initial stages of an investigation. It would also "ensure that qualified U.S. representatives are available on a 24-hour-a-day basis and within one hour of notification," the accord draft said.

Under the current SOFA, a package of legal arrangements governing 37,000 U.S. soldiers stationed here, Korean police cannot question any American suspects without the presence of a U.S. representative. According to the MOJ, this has often caused investigations to be delayed and evidence to be destroyed, critics said. Under the new agreement the U.S. side must send its representative within an hour of a request from the Korean authorities so the latter can promptly open a preliminary probe.

In addition, the U.S. will "cooperate positively" when the Korean authorities want GIs under U.S. custody made available for questioning, whether the soldiers committed offenses while on duty or not. In return, Korea agreed to take necessary measures to protect the privacy of U.S. soldiers during investigations, such as keeping their faces hidden from the news media.

The two sides also promised to cooperate in "providing relevant records or documents necessary for investigation." Meanwhile, Korean civic groups criticized the agreement, noting that the two sides were not making a larger-scale of revision of the SOFA. They pointed out, for example, that the U.S. side could refuse to implement the new guidelines depending on the circumstances. "Without rewriting the main part of SOFA, which carries primary authorities, the U.S. side could still remain unwilling to fulfill the 'agreed view' at anytime, and we have limited rights to dispute it," said Lee Jang-hie, dean of the college of law at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

---

Recommendation: Stay Away from Protests:

As always, a GI stationed at Kunsan should stay as far away from the demonstrations as possible. Unlike other bases, the protests at Kunsan's main gate have been relatively peaceful, but could erupt into violence if the protestors are prodded. Go to 2001 Main Gate Protest of the Nuclear Missile Defense Treaty/Theater Missile Defense to view how a peaceful protest at the Main Gate suddenly got ugly after a protestor trying to breach the police line got injured. If there are Anti-American elements in the group, the sight of an American could incite violence. These folks are dangerous. In protests in the north during June of this year, GIs have been injured entering the base. Feelings are running high amongst Anti-American groups and they can be dangerous if confronted.

An example of how violent Korean protests can be, click on the following link to see a video of the 15 Sept 2002 protest of hospital workers and riot police in Seoul. Notice the riot police are using EXTREME control...but the protestors are really pushing the envelope. Video from Jinbo.net . Click HERE . (Requires Real One Player.)

Another example is a violent protest at the Kunsan Main Gate on March 23, 2001 at 12:00 at night. The protest was organized by the Rev. Mun of Kunsan against the NMD. Video is from the INP Site . Click HERE . (Requires Windows Media Player.)

CALL "119" & "112" FOR HELP: AFKN announced in November that if trapped in a subway by an anti-American group, call "119" for Emergency Korean National Police Assistance. This provision is probably only for Seoul or other major cities with their English-speaking operators. In the countryside, forget about English-speaking operators to assist you and you'll be connected to the Fire Department. AFKN also announced calling "112" for Korean Military Assistance. This is the number to report North Korean spy incursions. Again I question the communication problems between American speaker and Korean receiver.

---

September Subway Incident

Subway Incident: Though most Koreans like Americans as a whole, there is a growing vocal group that are very anti-American. When President Bush visited Korea in Jan 2002, these groups picketed at the airport and downtown Seoul. Some misguided students even broke into the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) offices to protest -- you figure that one out. These Anti-American groups have supporters amongst the college-aged students in the local universities/colleges, but up till now they have not organized as in the past to protest at the base.

On 14 September 2002, a group of protestors cornered some soldiers from Camp Red Cloud on the Seoul subway and a fight broke out. One of the Korean protestors noses was broken in the scuffle. One of the Americans was abducted and taken to Chamsil Stadium where he was forced to make a "confession." The USFK protested this incident through the US Embassy, but the strongest language the Korean Police could say was the "detaining" of the suspect was "illegal" and charges of "restraint against one's will" MAY be filed against some of the protestors. Nothing was mentioned of "kidnapping" as this could be blown up into a nasty international incident.

Go to Tongil News for the Korean version of this story. A closeup of Mr. Suh Kyong Won's face shows his injuries and the photo of his wife comforting the prone Suh solicits support against the "savage Americans." In the Korean version, Pvt Murphy instigated the incident and broke Suh Kyong Won's nose. It mentions that Murphy had only been in country for a month. The web forum section attached to this story has a comment from a Korean that illustrates the intensity of the Anti-American feeling. On 2 October, the Korean wrote (in Hangul): "So you've hurt other people all your lives? Why don't you die!"

The Tongil News link contains photos of the Americans being "detained" at the Korean police station and hiding their faces like criminals. On the other hand, the photos of Suh Kyong Won make him appear like a martyr. The choice of photos and propaganda value is very obvious.

Photos of Suh Kyong Won the "injured party" and the American "criminals"
(From Tongil News)

The following is the New York Times (Asia Edition) account:

Korean Mob Briefly Detains U.S. Soldier After Subway Fight

By DON KIRK

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 15 - An American soldier was briefly abducted Saturday evening by an angry mob and forced to make apologies in a university stadium here, after a scuffle that broke out over the deaths of two Korean girls in June, United States military officials said here today.

The incident began in a Seoul subway car when the soldier refused to accept a leaflet that was being handed out about the teenage girls who had been hit by an American armored vehicle on June 13. The leaflet was in Korean, which the soldier, Pvt. John Murphy, could not read.

According to the United States Military Command, a Korean man punched Private Murphy, after he spurned the leaflet, and four other Koreans joined in the attack. Private Murphy then "allegedly struck" the man who had punched him, the officials said.

Korean newspapers identified that man as Suh Kyung Won, a former legislator who was jailed after going to North Korea without permission in 1988 and released four years ago. He is also a co-chairman of a committee focusing on the accident involving the girls. But the Korean accounts say that Private Murphy punched Mr. Suh first and that Mr. Suh was injured and sought treatment at the Kyunghee University hospital.

The United States command said that after the fight, Private Murphy and two other soldiers, Pvt. Eric Owens and Pvt. Shane Tucker, moved to another car on the subway train and got off at the next station.

As they tried to leave, American officials said, all three soldiers were "pulled, punched, kicked and spat upon by demonstrators."

The soldiers made their way to a Korean police barricades at nearby Kyunghee University, where two of them were taken into custody by the police, while the demonstrators "abducted Private Murphy and took him against his will to the university stadium," American officials said.

Private Murphy's captors forced him to watch a "memorial rally" that was being held at the university stadium for the girls who were killed by the armored vehicle, the United States command said. American officials said he "was photographed, videotaped and allegedly forced to make a public statement about the incident on the train."

The "public statement," the United States command said, repeated one of the protesters' central demands, that the United States waive jurisdiction over the two United States soldiers whose vehicle ran over the girls and turn them over to Korean authorities. On Friday, the command said an American military court would try the sergeants on charges of negligent homicide.

The demonstrators, led by members of Hanchongryon, a radical student organization that calls for the withdrawal of all 37,000 American troops from South Korea, took Private Murphy to the university hospital, where he was forced to apologize to Mr. Suh, according to the United States military command.

Private Murphy was later handed over by the demonstrators to the Korean police, who charged him with assault before returning him to American authorities along with the two other soldiers.

The United States Embassy and the United States Military Command lodged a joint protest tonight with the South Korean government over "the handling of this incident" by the Korean police, who American officials said failed to prevent the soldiers from being seized.

The United States command said "it is expected that charges of restraint against one's will and aggravated assault" would be filed against some of the demonstrators.

Korean officials had no comment on the incident. But President Kim Dae Jung, in a recent meeting with journalists affiliated with foreign news organizations, said he was worried that "there is a growing trend toward anti-American sentiment" and "maybe some people respond emotionally."

The following is an editorial in the Choson Ilbo on 17 September dealing with this incident. It condemns the ROK Police for their ineffective response.

Attacking USFK Soldiers

It is of great concern when the alleged violence between three US servicemen and Suh Kyung-won is becoming source of friction between Korean and US authorities. The claims of Suh and the three US soldiers differ when it comes to who started their fight, and this is something that will have to be ascertained in the course of the investigation.

The weak response shown by our police in case is a problem, however. They stood by and watched while one of the servicemen was dragged around by demonstrators for three to four hours, and this individual was, according to the US military’s claims, taken to a memorial ceremony for the middle school girls killed last year when a US army armorerd vehicle hit them in June, and forced to apologize. This is something that should have been stopped before it happened. It is clear what needs to happen at this point to solve the questions here. To begin with, the US side needs to have more consideration and understanding for the factors that contributed to the day’s incident. Instead of thinking primarily of how its men were pulled away by demonstrators, it needs to consider the feelings of the country where its forces are stationed over the death of the two middle school girls.

The Korean authorities need to get to the bottom of what is central to the case. By American standards, being held or taken anywhere by a group of demonstrators can appear to have been a momentary kidnapping of its soldiers, and forcing someone to apologize for a past event with which the individual in question had no involvement is illegal and violent activity. It is about this in particular that the US embassy and the United States Forces Korea are so strongly protesting with the Korean government.

The government, therefore, should stop standing there with its arms folded and watching from a distance, and actively investigate not only the death of the two middle schoolers but this case with the US soldiers as well. It should provide explanations about anything that needs to be explained and take action where action is needed. It urgently needs to settle the friction between the two governments.

In the subsequent actions, the USFK and Embassy did nothing fearing that punitive actions against the "kidnappers" would add fuel to the situation. The ROK Police were not chastized and the whole affair was swept under the carpet. The lack of response is just what the NGO groups wanted -- and expected from an ineffectual Embassy and USFK. They saw that the USFK threats of not tolerating violence against their camps was just talk...and they could enlarge the scope of their protests.

Transcribed "Confession" of Pvt John Murphy after his Abduction by Korean Protestors

Note the Korean-style bad grammar. Also note that the names of Pvt Jimmy Smith & Pvt Brian Adams on the paper are NOT mentioned in the news story. (From www.jatong.org )

---

Activists on the Internet:

The younger generation activists are computer literate and roam the internet. They are very sophisticated and some use Japanese pseudonyms and/or give the "impression" (though they never state it outright) that they are American-Koreans supporting the Korean cause. However, these are home-grown Korean activists. They were out fishing for American or international supporters who can be converted to their way of thinking.

This is a relatively new tactic. In the past, these folks normally stuck to the Korean newsgroups or had strictly Korean-language sites trying to seek Korean convertees to their cause. However, these activists were now taking their messages to the web on an international scale. Many of the Korean activist sites -- especially the environmental groups -- now have "English" buttons for translations of their materials.

As to the Anti-American activists, make no bones about it -- you are either with them or you are their "enemy." If you call them a Korean "activist" to their face, they will immediately attack your "blind" view of patriotism -- and question your intelligence level. If you are of a military background, they will call your defense of Korea a "farce" -- as they view the American presence as being forced upon Korea unwillingly by America. They will then start to insult your cultural insensitivity, your family background -- and your mother's sexual proclivity if they have time. These are highly-educated individuals who have good English grammar and their colloquial American usages indicate long-term associations with Americans. The only suggestion I have if you unwittingly run across these individuals on the net is to hit the "delete" immediately to any of their emails.

If you are from the typical military background, you will only end up feeling a great irrational sense of anger -- like wanting to grab an M-16 and go hunting. These folks are the same types you find on Usenet who use "four-letter" foulness to cover up their inability to defend their positions. Whenever you ask for proof, they will claim that "you" (as American military) have covered it up or destroyed the evidence. Their tactic is to attack YOU personally to cause you to become flustered and cloud your reasoning with anger. The best defense is to not fall for their bait in the first place.

Activists Threaten to Launch Cyber-attacks against U.S.: The latest ploy of the Anti-American activists is to threaten to use the internet to attack the U.S. servers to shut them down. An Associated Press story on 17 July 2002 stated that activists would launch cyber-attacks against America in protest of the deaths of two girls near Camp Howze.

The news article stated, "Activists have threatened to launch cyber-attacks on White House, U.S. Embassy and military Web sites to protest the deaths of South Korean girls fatally struck by a U.S. armored vehicle. The South Korean activists planned to try to incapacitate the Web servers by flooding them with a massive number of simultaneous "hits" -- or visits of the sites -- on Wednesday. "Our aim is to temporarily shut down the servers to show our anger," said Yoon Su-keun, an organizer of the anti-U.S. protest. Yoon said activists want an apology from President George W. Bush and punishment for the two soldiers who were in the vehicle that struck and killed two girls on a narrow road north of Seoul on June 13. Anti-U.S. protests have taken place almost daily since then." No cyber-attack worth noting took place and this threat has faded.

However, at the same time of this "attack" the amount of SPAM to the U.S. from Korea businesses increased dramatically. Suddenly my email was blocked for "security reasons" on a number of servers for my contacts. The rejections were by "No SPAM" programs that target any Korean server -- such as the one I use, Thrunet. Protests over the deluge of Korean SPAM is now heard throughout the English-speaking countries of the world (especially America and Australia) on the internet newsgroups. Whether there is a connection to the activists has not been established, but the Korean government supposedly has now entered the fray to try to stop such SPAM sources on the the internet. Unfortunately, nobody really believes they will do anything. In fact, now they are going about blaming others.

Cases are multiplying in which Internet servers or personal computers in Korea are attacked by hackers from overseas countries, the Korea Information Security Agency said yesterday. Through October, 237 cases were reported this year to the agency in which Internet systems were hacked of internal information or crushed by an overflow of junk mail from overseas users, the agency said. The highest number of cases, 68, originated in China. Taiwan came next with 31 cases, followed by Germany with 29 and France with 17. The number of cases in which overseas hackers attacked servers in other countries via the systems in Korea also increased to 4,229 from last year's 3,436.

There is a real Korean Spam problem that has increased over the past months. Many Americans complain having to wade through ads in Korean that they can't read. As a result, there is a movement to block all mail from Korean IP's. (See Korea Blocking List; Korea Blackholes; and Open DNSBL Lookup for more information.) The following is a November article from Korea.com:

'Wired Korea' a target of anti-spam ire

A professor at Wonkwang University sent e-mail last week to six friends who work for public agencies or universities in the United States. All of the mail was returned. He tried again, being careful not to mistype the address, but the mail was still bounced with a message, "Access denied."

The professor finally called a friend at the Smithsonian Institution, and learned that the museum is blocking all e-mail originating from Korean addresses because it was fed up with the flood of commercial or pornographic advertisements, commonly known as "spam," originating in Korea.

The professor is not the only victim of measures being taken to combat the flood of unwanted e-mail, and Korea is seen by many webmasters in the United States as one of the biggest sources of the flood. The University of Delaware also blocks all e-mail from Korea, and several commercial or public-service Internet sites that filter e-mail for users have also placed large swaths of Korea's Internet domain map on their blacklists.

Steve Linford, who runs an antispam service called the Register of Known Spam Operations on his Web site, spamhaus.org, estimates that 90 percent of all spam comes from about a hundred large organizations. In the August issue of PC World, a major U.S. computer magazine, Mr. Linford was quoted as saying, "The typical operation has five to ten stealth servers pumping spam all day long through Chinese and Korean relays. There's almost no way to stop them."

Acknowledging that U.S.-originated spam is no small problem either, many U.S. Internet service providers still say Korea accounts for a major part of their spam load. Many say there are multiple problems here.

First, many e-mail servers in Korea are not set up correctly, and spammers use programs to troll the Internet looking for a server that will allow outsiders to send mail using the server's return address. Then they direct millions of e-mail messages through the server until the site crashes from the overload. Lists of "known spammers" on several Internet sites include several Korean middle school e-mail servers, for example. (NOTE)

An associate at openrbl.org, a spam tracking and filtering service, said Korea has about one open relay or proxy server per 5,000 assigned Internet addresses. About half of all Korea's assigned blocks of addresses have at least one open relay, he said, and the average per block is 23 spam servers. That amounts, he said, to nearly 8,000 open relays that can be exploited by spammers.

The second issue is more straightforward; several U.S. antispam activists complain that many Korean Internet service providers seem to have no acceptable-use policies to bar junk mailers, or do not enforce their policies. One U.S. service provider, Michael Rathburn, runs a small domain on a limited bandwidth, so keeping spam down is a high priority. He told the JoongAng Daily that security seems poor at Korean sites that send e-mail to subscribers; those user lists frequently fall into the hands of spammers. Mr. Rathburn's domain name is only one letter different than that of a Korean service provider, and he says he has watched one message misdirected to his site mushroom into a flood of spam. "If I did not take steps to protect my network," he said, "over 50 percent of the mail received here would be from Korea even though I don't know a single person there, and none of the users here has any contact with Korea either."

"Looking at today's mail logs," he continued, there were over 300 attempts to deliver mail from Korean IP addresses that were blocked by the server. That is 60 attempts for each active user here."

An American Internet user, Keith Christensen, told the Joong-Ang Daily, "My Yahoo account gets 20 to 100 spam messages a day from Korea that make it past Yahoo's bulk filter. Add to that the hugely bloated size of the messages; a text message would be about 16 kilobytes, but these messages range from 250 to 800 kilobytes. Often there are up to 10 auto-opening Web pages inside. If this is the spam load of an average Korean e-mail user, you have a severe problem!" Sam Varshavchik, who is associated with a U.S. spam-blocking service, complained that Korean Internet service providers seem to tolerate spammers. "As best as I can figure out," he told the Joong-Ang Daily, "crusade.co.kr is a massive spam shop, with e-mail addresses for sale and other spam support services. Multiple complaints to Hansol Telecom's HanQ.net have been ignored. As a result, all of Hansol Telecom/hanq.net will be blacklisted until the spam house they host and ignore complaints about is shut down."

Although most of the site in question was "under renovation" yesterday afternoon, the Crusade site had an advertisement for software that allows a user to automatically collect e-mail addresses from Internet bulletin boards. An employee at Hansol Telecom told the JoongAng Daily that there was no way the company could know about the problem until someone complained; he said he knew nothing of Mr. Varshavchik's allegedly multiple complaints. In the interim, HanQ e-mail is blocked at sites using this filter.

Todd Williams, the chief systems administrator of Consolidated Internet Services in the United States, told the JoongAng Daily that he has blocked all e-mail from Korea because of spam. "Our users know this and support it," he said. "We have one user that has contacts in Korea, and we informed him how to use a free e-mail service such as Hotmail to contact them. He would like to be able to contact Koreans, but even he admits that the blocking is necessary to stop the deluge of spam."

Mr. Williams said he has also begun blocking all Internet traffic, not just e-mail, from the worst spam sources he has encountered. One heavy spam source results in an entire 65,000-address segment of the Internet, including several in Korea, being cut off from contact with domains he hosts. "Be aware," he said, "that a large amount of damage has already been done to Korea's reputation." "We are taking proactive steps, and have blocked 28,000 of the 36,000 cases in which complaints were received from being sent to other countries through Internet service providers," said Hong Seong-wan, an official at the Ministry of Information and Communication. He said the ministry could not confirm the other cases.

"But we have many difficulties. It is not easy to block e-mail from being sent to other countries through the Internet, a medium that does not recognize national borders," Mr. Hong added.

NOTE: "When the Korean elementary/middle/high schools were wired for broadband, they were almost all left with open squid proxies on port 8080. The United States is decentralized so if American schools have a security problem different schools have different problems. But since the Korean schools seem to be centralized, at least in this, almost all the schools have the same damned problem. This makes for an easy target and it is still being exploited months after it became well known. The sender of an illegal (at least in the U.S.) chain letter hid his real internet provider IP by abusing an open squid proxy on 210.204.118.194 port 8080 at the Yangchon Middle School in Seoul, South Korea."

---

Depth of Anti-American Sentiment:

When President Bush visited Korea in Jan 2002, these groups picketed at the airport and downtown Seoul. Some misguided students even broke into the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) offices to protest on Feb 19 -- you figure that one out. Nearly 30 South Korean university students from the outlawed student organization "Hanchongnyeon" went to the 45th floor of the (South) Korea World Trade Center around 1 p.m. Monday and started a three-hour sit-in protest after they, with wooden sticks, chased away two riot policemen guarding the office. The students smashed a large 1.2-meter-by-2.2-meter window and scattered leaflets which carry "Oppose Bush's Visit to Korea" or "Withdraw Hard-line Policy Toward North Korea." Police stormed the office around 4 p.m. after the students stacked up furniture as barricades in front of the office to keep police from entering it. The office was chosen because it was a American "fixture" and only lightly guarded.

These Anti-American groups have supporters amongst the college-aged students in the local universities/colleges, but up till now they have not organized as in the past to protest at Kunsan AB. What was disconcerting was that polls showed that nearly half of Koreans approved the February trashing of the US Chamber of Commerce in Seoul. The polls also showed that 60 percent of Koreans "don't like" America.

Feb 19: AMCHAM Broken Windows by "Students"
Note: Some of these radicals are a little old to be "students."

However, the depth of this growing anti-American sentiment was seen when a Korean skater was denied his first place because he "blocked" an American skater in the Winter Olympics 2002 on 21 February. The disqualification of Korea's Kim Dong-Sung in the final of the 1,500m short track speed skating final at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City handed the gold medal to American Apolo Anton Ohno. Immediately, 16,000 emails of protest -- many obscene -- were sent to the IOC in Salt Lake City.

What makes this ridiculous was that the AUSTRALIAN judge who made the ruling stripping Kim Dong-sung of his medal hopes was NOT targetted -- ONLY AMERICA. It was an irrelevant fact that didn't happen to match the anti-American mindset and was thus discarded.

The unseemly side that journalists don't want to touch is the racist element prevalent in Korean society. During the Onho controversy, web sites and Internet bulletin boards were flooded with racist attacks on Ohno's biracial background. Ugly Korea stated, "His father was called a "dirty betrayer of Asian people" for having "debased himself with a white woman." Most posters agreed that Ohno's father should have killed Ohno when he was a baby, which up until very recently was Korea's way of dealing with "the shame" of mixed-race children." (See www.antimigun.org as a source of Racist Anti-Americanism.)

Feb 21: (top left) Apolo Ohno second to Kim Dong-sung; (top right) Ohno raises elbow in protest over block
(bottom left) Apolo Ohno Win; (bottom right) Kim Dong-sung dejected

And suddenly a catchy hip-hop tune, Fucking U.S.A., became very popular. (See "Fuck'n USA" below) But what was disturbing was that ELEMENTARY students were singing it -- though not in front of their parents. During all youth protests, this rap song has been featured -- and even performed by artists in front of the U.S. embassy. It is a song of the times. This tune is guaranteed to crop up again and again...

Protest against USA: Fucking U.S.A
(Click on image to enlarge)

TRANSLATION OF LYRICS TO "FUCKING U.S.A." (Source: Kukguk Choson:

1. Did you see the short-track skating race?
A vulgar country, fucking U.S.A.
Are you so happy over a gold medal?
A nasty country, fucking U.S.A.
Such as you are, can you claim that the U.S.A. is a nation of justice?
Why on earth don't we say what we have to?
Are we slaves of a colonial nation?
Now we will shout: "No to the U.S.A."
A wretched thief, fucking U.S.A. that stole our Olympic gold medal
A wicked robber, fucking U.S.A. that tries to rob everything by force


2. Did you hear Bush's reckless words?
A shameless country, fucking U.S.A.
It makes war threats to the north as well as intervention into the south
A country of gangsters, fucking U.S.A.
Is the U.S.A. still a beautiful country?
Is the north still an "enemy" to be killed?
How much more do you want to endure?
It's time to shout: "Yankee, go home!"
You dirty Yankees, wait and see
We will reunify the country with the independent force of the Korean nation
We will build a dignified country, a reunified country

Don't forget the blood-stained history of Korea!
You, author of Korea's division, fucking U.S.A.
Don't forget the Nogun-ri massacre of civilians!
You, murderer, fucking U.S.A.

NOTE: South Korean pop composer Yoon Min-sok composed "Fucking U.S.A." in reflection of the daily rising anti-US sentiments of South Koreans. The song "Fucking U.S.A." was motivated by a scandal at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. In the short-track speed skating, a south Korean skater Kim Dong-seong won one of the races, but the gold medal went to Apollo Ohno, a US skater due to the supposedly unfair decision which was adopted by the judges after the US's "highhanded behavior."

The feelings over this incident carried over to the World Cup games. At the scoring of a goal in the game with the U.S., the scoring Korean player, Ahn Jung Hwan, did an imitation of ice-skating with his teammate drawing back to imitate Ohno-- to taunt the Americans over an incident in the Winter Olympics where a Korean skater lost his gold to an American for a foul. Ahn and his team-mates were mimicking a speed skating style as a tribute to the unlucky Korean skater. There are computer links to cartoons and photos of this incident that are very popular with pre-teens or teenagers.

Ahn does his dance...

In an Aug 23, 2002 Washington Times article entitled "Anti-U.S. feelings rise in South Korea," it stated "Seoul resident Katrin Fraser, writing in the spring issue of the Korea Society Quarterly, said she was hit by a wave of anger after a South Korean speed skater was disqualified at the Salt Lake City Olympics, giving the gold medal to an American. For the first time since my arrival in Korea in July 2000, I felt targeted by anti-U.S. feeling simply because I look American," she wrote. "It was no longer fringe protesters who were at the heart of this movement — it seemed to have infiltrated the mainstream."

World Cup Anti-American Sign: Death Threats Anyone?

This is what is making this current anti-American resentment dangerous. The "silent majority" seems to have started to join the movement. This group caused Chun Doo Hwan to resign once they joined the "vocal minority" in protests. The involvement of children in anti-American protests is worrisome as this indicates parental approval --the "silent majority" of the populace. On 15 July in Uijongbu, there was a protest by hundreds of middle and high school students in front of the train station at a memorial concert, demanding U.S. President George W. Bush’s apology for the killing of two schoolgirls by an American armored vehicle during a training exercise in June. Their demands include trying those responsible in a Korean court. Anti-Americanism was running high after 5,000 citizens of the area had staged protests at Camp Howze previously. As of July, the anti-American fever over this incident had not spread to other areas -- except Seoul. However, plans are in work to form a "coalition" of middle-high school students across the nation to voice their anti-American feelings.

In August, the student coalition within the area staged a protest at the front gate of Kunsan. The Wolf Pack Warrior (August 9, 2002) attempted to pooh-pooh the protest away as an "annual" affair, rather than the reaction to the DMZ incident. It stated, "Annual protest march brings students to Kunsan. Approximately 350 members of the Korean student organizations, Hanchongyopn, gathered outside the base Tuesday for a protest. While protests are usually scheduled every Wednesday, the students gathered here Tuesday as part of their annual protest march, during which they visit all military installations on the peninsula. The organization protests the presence of United States Forces in Korea and the United States' handling of the two teenaged girls killed near the DMZ in June."

Regardless, the riot police are now back to standing outside the gates -- rain or shine -- everyday as a precaution. In the meantime, Korean political parties are "demanding" the USFK to relinquish jurisdiction over two U.S. soldiers -- but as the accident occurred while on duty, the two soldiers will remain in USFK jurisdiction. In the meantime, the riot police are back to standing guard at the gates.

The growing resentment against the U.S. presence in Korea was covered in a Washington Times news article on August 3, 2002:

Anti-U.S. feelings rise in South Korea

By Nicholas Kralev
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

SEOUL — American residents and regular visitors say recent months have brought a startling rise in anti-U.S. sentiment in South Korea, one of America's closest allies since the countries fought side by side in the 1950-53 Korean War. Diplomats say the phenomenon has as much to do with a new self-confidence among Koreans as with routine grievances and resentment at Bush administration policies toward North Korea.

They say there's still a deep reservoir of warm feelings for Americans.

But opinion polls support anecdotal evidence of unprecedented hostility reported by many Americans, and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul is sufficiently concerned to be planning a public outreach campaign to counter the trend.

Seoul resident Katrin Fraser, writing in the spring issue of the Korea Society Quarterly, said she was hit by a wave of anger after a South Korean speed skater was disqualified at the Salt Lake City Olympics, giving the gold medal to an American. "For the first time since my arrival in Korea in July 2000, I felt targeted by anti-U.S. feeling simply because I look American," she wrote. "It was no longer fringe protesters who were at the heart of this movement — it seemed to have infiltrated the mainstream."

Long-standing resentment at the basing of 37,000 American troops in the country — resentment which gets stronger as Korean War memories fade and the threat from the North diminishes — also is a factor. Those feelings were exacerbated by an accident in June in which two teenage girls were run over and killed by a U.S. armored vehicle participating in a training exercise.

Still more of the bitterness stems from the tough stance taken by the Bush administration toward North Korea, a position blamed both by government officials and the public for slow progress in the Seoul government's effort at rapprochement with the North.

The Washington Times reported yesterday that Undersecretary of State John Bolton is considering delivering during a visit to Seoul next week a toughly worded critique of North Korea that is likely to further inflame that resentment.

There is also recognizable sentiment among younger Koreans that the United States has adopted a bullying attitude in the world since the September 11 attacks. The Internet portal Daum.com was filled with messages blaming the United States for everything from the Korean War to the oppression of the Palestinians in the days and weeks after the attacks.

"Mix [the armored-vehicle incident] up with the 'axis of evil' remarks, which irritated and alienated a lot of people in this country, the perception that the Bush administration is not as enthusiastic as the previous one on negotiations with North Korea, and that it is unilateralist and doesn't listen closely to the needs of its allies, and it's a recipe for resentment toward the United States," a senior Western diplomat said.

A survey conducted by Potomac Associates for the Korean Society Quarterly, which is published in New York by Donald P. Gregg, U.S. ambassador to Seoul from 1989 to 1993, found that 49 percent of South Koreans believe that feelings of anti-Americanism are growing, compared with 8 percent who think they are declining.

"The image of America has changed enormously among South Koreans since September 11," a local wire service reporter said in an interview this month. "Most people now see the United States as an angry and mighty giant who doesn't care what others, including friends, think or need."

Some veteran Korea hands see such talk as the natural outgrowth of the country's graduation from a client state to a dynamic and vibrant member of the international community. "What is happening out there is a result of the increasing sophistication, economic success and self-confidence of this country, which have caused it to question some of its old ways, values and relationships," the senior Western diplomat said.

He compared this "natural process" with similar developments after World War II, when Japan, Germany and other European powers gradually recovered from the war's devastation with U.S. help and became increasingly independent. South Korea "is maturing into a democracy and doesn't want daddy around," agreed Wendy Sherman, the top official on North Korea in the Clinton administration.

"The young generation has no memory" of the Korean War and does not understand what U.S. troops are doing in their country, she said.

Lee Tae-sik, South Korea's deputy foreign minister, also said the rising anti-Americanism "comes with the demographic structure" in which two-thirds of the country's citizens are younger than 40.

"We used to be rather reticent in domestic politics when we were young," he said. "These young people now are very active and outspoken."

Young Koreans still flock to see Hollywood movies and benefit from U.S.-developed technologies. They also want to go to the United States and, in some cases, never return. "The United States is No. 1 and naturally attracts attention," said Kim Kyung-won, a Seoul scholar and former ambassador to Washington. "People here say, 'Yankees, go home,' but they add, 'Take me with you.'"

The U.S. Embassy is trying to deal with the problem by stepping up speaking engagements and meetings with journalists and media executives, as well as private gatherings in diplomats' homes, officials said.

Improving the relationship with the Korean newspapers and broadcast networks is regarded as especially important in light of the extremely negative coverage of the teenage girls' deaths. Although half a dozen American officials, from the commander of the U.S. forces to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, have apologized for the accident, some newspapers still demand an apology from President Bush.

In December, the Kansas City Star stated on 12 December, "A recent Pew poll showed South Koreans hold the strongest anti-American views in Asia. Some South Koreans say President Bush's pressure on North Korea over its nuclear arms schemes is more dangerous than the failing communist state itself. Many resent the high-profile U.S. Army presence, symbolized by a huge base in the heart of Seoul which broadcasts U.S. television on local airwaves and have called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops. A campaign that has featured flag-burning, profane anti-U.S. rock songs and a threatened boycott of the new James Bond film deemed insulting to Korea took an ugly turn last weekend when knife-wielding local men attacked a U.S. Army officer in Seoul."

It continued, "Sunday's attack on the U.S. Army press officer showed that a "poisonous atmosphere has been spreading like a fad throughout the base of the country's society," South Korea's largest daily newspaper, the conservative Chosun Ilbo, said on Tuesday. The daily sounded a warning that unchecked anti-Americanism would cause the United States to rethink its military ties with South Korea and remove the 37,000 U.S. troops in the country -- a worry voiced by President Kim Dae-jung and business groups."

The following is an article from theAsia Times on Dec 20, 2002 reflecting the changes from August in the previous article to December a few months later.

Anti-Americanism all the rage in South Korea

By Michael Taylor

SEOUL - It is mid-morning on a freezing weekday in central Seoul, and this reporter has an hour to kill before conducting his next interview. The coffee shop in the labyrinthine underground passage linking City Hall with nearby office buildings and several international hotels seems like as good a place as any. Or perhaps not, for he is a US citizen and pasted on the front window is a large sign: "AMERICANS ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!!!" After a quick test of the staff's resolve, it becomes evident that they mean what they say - no service for Yankee.

"Many Westerners call Koreans xenophobic, but I don't agree with that," says a Western business lobbyist based in Seoul. "They just have a healthy mistrust of foreigners." Perhaps, but these are certainly not the healthiest of times for US-South Korea relations. Anti-Americanism, which is never far from the surface here, has flared anew after a resurgence of nationalistic pride in the wake of South Korea's successful co-hosting of the World Cup of Football last summer, and amid the run-up to the presidential elections. The immediate catalyst: the acquittal of two US servicemen who caused the deaths of two Korean schoolgirls in a horrific accident last June. The teenagers were tragically killed when the 50-ton track vehicle operated by the soldiers ran them over during a training mission.

There are about 37,000 US troops in South Korea, and legal jurisdiction over any crimes they commit is decided by the Status of Armed Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Washington and Seoul. This pact only allows Korean courts to handle cases involving US soldiers who commit crimes when they are off duty. Because the servicemen were on duty at the time of the accident, the US military had jurisdiction over the investigation, and last month an army court cleared the soldiers of any wrongdoing.

That decision has resulted in massive protest rallies, including a demonstration of a reported 50,000 angry citizens in front of the US Embassy on December 15. The protesters are calling for the two soldiers to be tried in a Korean court and for a permanent change to the SOFA. Perhaps more frightening for foreign residents are the increased reports of attacks on US soldiers, including the attempted stabbing of an army officer late Sunday outside Yongsan US Army Base in the capital city.

The current anti-US fervor is largely a youth movement, and has been egged on in part by supporters of the two major candidates in Thursday's presidential election, both of whom are eager for young people's support. While the phenomenon has spread from radical extremists into mainstream politics, it seems to reverberate at a level far deeper in Korean society. Yet those who are calling for a withdrawal of US troops are, in the words of a Korean cliche, like frogs looking at the world from the bottom of a well.

Koreans like to say that their country has been invaded more than 900 times throughout history, a slight exaggeration unless one includes minor border skirmishes. But the nation spent centuries as a vassal state under the suzerainty of the Chinese imperial court, which nonetheless never managed to co-opt the country and make it part of China. More recently, Korea suffered brutal treatment at the hands of Japanese colonizers, whose notorious abuse of the nation to feed its military-industrial machine is bitterly remembered by young Koreans - who did not experience it - today.

However, this was not the only nation to suffer as an unwilling member of Japan's "East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere". Fear of resurgent Japanese militarism prompted China's support for North Korean dictator Kim Il-sung's invasion of the South in 1950. After the ceasefire in 1953, the continuing presence of the US military in South Korea has served China's purposes almost as well as if the Chinese had won the war.

"It is often said that US troops are here to protect South Korea against an invasion," says a foreign consultant and 15-year resident of Seoul. "But the reality is that they're here to ease China's fears by shoring up its borders against another invasion." He adds that the real buffer for China is not the demilitarized zone (DMZ), the thin strip of land separating the two Koreas at the 38th parallel, but rather "everything from the DMZ north to the Chinese border ... I always tell my Korean friends, 'Go demonstrate in front of the Chinese Embassy if you want to see US troops removed from your country.'"

Kicking the US troops out is an ever-popular idea, and one voiced by President Kim Dae-jung during his successful election campaign in 1997. Yet just as with his campaign pledge to "renegotiate" South Korea's bailout package with the International Monetary Fund, he wisely abandoned the rallying call after stepping into office. Because of the obvious security risks, any departure of US troops would be accompanied by the exodus of foreign investors, who have played a critical role in the rebuilding of South Korea's economy since the Asian financial crisis that first hit South Korea in November 1997. Government figures show that as of September, US investors accounted for 54 percent of the nation's cumulative foreign investment.

Yet both Korean and foreign business leaders are afraid that the current round of America-bashing, which has included boycotts of US goods and companies, will have repercussions on Korean trade with the United States. Judging by previous boycotts, the impact on US firms is likely to be harsh. For example, a similar but less virulent upsurge of anti-Americanism followed a controversial speed-skating contest in last winter's Olympic Games and a subsequent and unfortunate Jay Leno joke about Koreans eating dog meat. Angry young Koreans responded with a boycott of US goods and services that resulted in a 15 percent reduction in sales at South Korean McDonald's outlets.

The current boycotts are likely to be even more damaging to US restaurant chains (or eateries that are perceived to be from the US), as well as consumer-goods companies and automobile manufacturers. "I am so sad because of the death of our two schoolgirls but given the Korea-US relations, we have to consider the economic losses and gains," Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) chairman Park Yong-sung said in a radio announcement. Likewise, Jeffrey Jones, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, warned last week that the demonstrations and violence could lead to an anti-Korean movement in the United States. Bilateral trade reached US$52 billion in 2001, and the United States is South Korea's largest export market. However, this relationship will be at risk if the simmering anti-US feelings worsen.

Observers say that the United States handled the deaths of the girls in a very poor manner politically, with President George W Bush's condolences issued via his ambassador in Seoul and largely falling on deaf ears. Last week, Bush finally expressed his personal condolences for the girls' deaths during a phone conversation with Kim, but it was too late to stave off the weekend demonstrations.

"Koreans, like everyone, are a very proud people, and the US is not recognizing some of the changes," says an observer. "Many in Washington think Koreans should simply be grateful that 40 years ago we supported them and 37,741 Americans gave their lives to make this a free and successful place - to give them the right to burn our flag, which Koreans like to do from time to time. And yeah, they should be grateful - but we haven't done a very good job of helping them to remember why."

(©2002 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)

The following was a two-part article published in the Korea Times authored by Kim Seung-hwan is a senior fellow (nonresident) at CSIS and professor of international affairs at Myongji University in Seoul. The two-part article was published between Dec 6-8, 2002.

Anti-Americanism in Korea

Anti-Americanism is growing at a startling rate in South Korea, potentially escalating into a serious problem that could jeopardize the future of the U.S.-Korean alliance. Although previously limited to the concern of a minority of leftist nongovernmental organizations, student activists, and some liberals, anti-American sentiments have now spread into almost all strata of Korean society, ranging from the policymaking elite in the government and the intellectuals to members of the middle class and the younger generation.

Beyond its overall increase, the sources of anti-Americanism have become more complex and diverse. Following the attacks on Sept. 11, ironically, U.S. policy toward North Korea has become another cause of popular South Korean resentment toward the United States. Unless Washington and Seoul work together on a course of action to counter this trend, these popular Korean attitudes could become a critical wildcard harming the future of the U.S.-Korean bilateral relationship.

Saber Rattling and Sunshine

Following George W. Bush’s announcement of a new U.S. policy toward the Korean peninsula in his Jan. 29, 2002, State of the Union address, a new wave of resentment toward the United States hit South Korea.

U.S. policy toward the North after Sept. 11 and the South’s “sunshine policy” engaging the North complicate the U.S.-ROK relationship because of Bush’s and ROK President Kim Dae-jung’s diametrically opposed views on North Korea. Kim Dae-jung has a positive view of the leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). He believes that the DPRK is changing to ensure the survival of its regime and that South Korea’s engagement policy will eventually bear fruit. Washington’s hard-line approach toward North Korea attempts to prevent Pyongyang from assisting terrorists and developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including missiles, nuclear weapons, and chemical and biochemical weapons. North Korea is presently included on the U.S. Department of State’s list of states that sponsor terrorism and has a record of exporting missile technology and military equipment to rogue states, including Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Bush questions the wisdom of negotiating with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, whom he perceives as a dictator and an unreliable leader who starves his country’s people yet earns millions from selling weapons to rogue states. Bush’s new policy, however, was a major blow to Kim Dae-jung, who has been pursuing engagement with North Korea since entering office. Bush’s harsh rhetoric toward the North and the disastrous U.S.-ROK summit in March 2001 gave rise to the widespread perception in Seoul of the Bush administration’s disapproval of Kim Dae-jung and his engagement policy.

Consequently, anxiety and resentment among liberal South Korean politicians and some government officials surrounding Kim Dae-jung have erupted. Some liberal Korean legislators issued a statement criticizing the U.S. administration, saying that “Bush and his hawkish foreign policy advisers were heightening tensions on the Korean peninsula and expanding the war on terrorism in an attempt to justify an increased U.S. defense budget, detract from the Enron scandal, and lay the groundwork to win the November elections.” More direct criticism has come from the members of Kim Dae-jung’s inner circle. Immediately after his visit to Pyongyang in April 2002, Kim Dae-jung’s confidant and special adviser on North Korean affairs, Lim Dong-won, blamed the Bush administration for the failure of Kim Jong-il’s reciprocal visit to Seoul. The South Korean government had hoped to highlight Kim Dae-jung’s engagement policy with the North through such a visit.

The negative attitudes of leading Korean policymakers toward the Bush administration have resonated within the general public. Korean resentment erupted into strong anti-American protests across the country during Bush’s visit to Seoul in February 2002. Some student activists intruded and staged violent protests in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce under the slogan “opposition to the visit of President Bush.” A majority of Koreans who have desired reconciliation with the North saw Bush’s approach as unilateral and high-handed. Much of the Korean public views the United States as an angry and mighty giant who does not care about its friends. A February 2002 public opinion poll found that six out of 10 Koreans are not “sympathetic” to Bush’s “axis of evil” statement linking North Korea to Iraq and Iran.

Not all members of Korean society totally rebutted the Bush administration’s hard-line stance, however. Many conservatives, who criticized Kim Dae-jung for being too generous through his sunshine policy toward North Korea, welcomed Bush’s approach. They viewed Bush’s stance as a hedge against the danger of the South making excessive concessions to the North in an effort to rapidly develop the North-South relationship during Kim Dae-jung’s term. These conservatives, however, continue to remain silent and are reluctant to take any course of action.

Sources and Amplifiers

Believing that Bush’s harsh rhetoric after Sept. 11 created the problem, however, would be naive, when it was merely a spark that inflamed anti-American sentiment in South Korea that already existed, if to a lesser extent, prior to Sept. 11. U.S. military bases on Korean soil, the Korean media’s negative image of the United States, changing demographics, Korean nationalism, and skepticism have all contributed to rising resentment toward the United States. The foundation of this trend may be general impressions of U.S. arrogance globally and a sense of U.S. domination in South Korea in particular that have directly fostered resentment, and even humiliation, among the Korean people.

As memories of the Korean War fade and the threat from the North diminishes, long-standing resentment over the basing of 37,000 U.S. troops in South Korea only grows stronger. Issues surrounding U.S. bases, such as noise and environmental pollution, Yongsan’s location in midtown Seoul, and the Status of Forces Agreement, have rankled Korean pride and offended notions of sovereignty. An accident in June 2002, in which two middle-school girls were struck and killed by a U.S.-armored vehicle participating in a training exercise in Uijongbu City, 25 miles north of Seoul, further exacerbated Korean ill will toward the United States.

Although the accident was clearly a mistake, the way it was mishandled and a sense of U.S. influence in both the investigation and the judicial process caused a flurry of anti-American protests. The United States’ insistence soon after the incident that “no one was at fault” was perceived as an extension of U.S. arrogance and even seemed degrading to the Korean people. Furthermore, when Koreans learned that the U.S. Army led the investigation while the Korean police and military had little influence and that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) flatly declined the Korean request for jurisdiction, many Koreans _ from students to policymakers to intellectuals _ saw the situation as indicative of the unequal, U.S.-dominated nature of the bilateral relationship in general. They demanded the revision of the Status of Forces Agreement and Bush’s personal apology for the accident. (Site Note: The writer's prejudices are showing here. The Korean police DID DO the initial investigation along with the Army and ruled it an accident. An Article 32 hearing was instituted by the USFK to adjudge criminal liability and they reported that the soldiers should not be charged. It was only when the politically-motivated NGO groups staged violent protests that the MOJ intervened and asked for jurisdiction. It was politically motivated as they knew it was clearly outlined in the SOFA that "line of duty" accidents were under the jurisdiction of the USFK. The court martial should never have occurred, but it was the only way the 2d ID commander could take the pressure off the NGO demands.)

The negative image of the United States portrayed by the media further exacerbates anti-American sentiment in South Korea. Media reports frequently create a negative climate in which the United States can be criticized.An incident during the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Utah _ when Korean short-track skater Kim Dong-sung lost to Apollo Anton Ono, a U.S. contender, as a result of a controversial ruling by an Australian judge _ was an example in which the media coverage inflamed resentment toward the United States. Although the United States had no involvement in this incident beyond the venue, the country was blamed.

Korea’s changing demographic structure is also a major factor in the rise of anti-Americanism. Members of the generations involved in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, in particular, have an emotional tie to the United States, based on shared Cold War experiences. This generation is aging, however, and constitutes a diminishing percentage _ 21 percent _ of South Korea’s population. Two-thirds of the country’s population are under the age of 40, and younger Koreans’ attitudes toward the United States are knotty. They recognize the importance of the U.S.-ROK alliance for their security against North Korea, but they are reluctant to tolerate perceived U.S. arrogance and U.S. political as well as economic domination. In addition, they have a more negative image of the United States’ status as the world’s only superpower. Because they tie U.S. political and economic domination to the presence of U.S. forces in South Korea, younger Koreans increasingly want to see a significant reduction of U.S. forces in South Korea or even a complete withdrawal.

“Ideological anti-Americanism” has existed among a small minority of urban leftists and extremists from academia, the press, labor unions, and churches in South Korea for quite some time. In the 1980s and into the 1990s, these groups, influenced by the North Korean political ideology of juche (self-reliance), openly displayed their anger toward the United States through violent street protests and made demands that were often identical to those made by North Koreans, including the expulsion of U.S. forces from the South. These protests largely failed to penetrate the general public in South Korea. The groups’ activities dissipated following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the evident failure of the DPRK system over the past decades. Now, however, these groups serve to exacerbate the problem by instigating and taking the lead in organizing anti-American activities in South Korea. (Site Note: Actually the radical student group dissipated when it was discovered that the most of the radical student leaders were North Korean juche supporters. Arrest warrants were issued and some fled to North Korea. Those arrested were jailed under the National Security Act provisions. After this, students shunned the organization like a plague.)

Some members of another sector within the Korean general population _ intellectuals _ consider the United States an arrogant, unilateralist nation that disregards South Korea and its national pride. Despite all the emphasis on the importance of the U.S.-Korean alliance by both countries, Seoul has had the bitter experience of being largely ignored as Washington dealt with important issues affecting Korean national interests. Bush’s “axis of evil” statement is only the most recent example; the Clinton administration’s treatment of the North Korean nuclear issue in the mid-1990s is another. Seoul was largely left out of the decision-making process as Washington was pursuing bilateral negotiations with Pyongyang to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. This omission insulted many in the South and angered a great number of otherwise pro-American conservatives. (Site Note: The intellectual group is also the hotbed of North Korean spies unearthed in recent years -- such as Seoul National University professors. The author's claims that Clinton unilaterally wanted to make a smoking hole of the suspected nuclear facility, but he seems to not have researched Kim Young Sam's interview that stated that he would not approve. Seems that his facts are not straight. During the resolution negotiations, South Korea was a thorn as it was so cheap -- demanding to build the reactors while the rest of the world footed the bills for oil and nuclear reactor costs. South Korea stinks in the KEDO deal.)

A rise in anti-Americanism might be a component in the natural path of South Korea’s graduation from a client state to a dynamic and vibrant member of the international community. Korean self-confidence and national pride have grown commensurately with increasing sophistication, economic success, and international prestige exemplified by its membership in the OECD, its growth into the 12th-largest economy in the world, its hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics, and its co-hosting the 2002 World Cup with Japan. These developments have led Koreans to question some of the country’s past practices, values, and relationships; to seek greater political and security independence from the United States; and to demand a more equal partnership and mutual respect in the bilateral relationship. (Site Note: In 1990, the Koreans were still calling the U.S. "big brother" and could not fathom why they wanted to leave under the Nunn-Warner initiative. They constantly complained that they were a "poor country." After that time, the self-image of the Koreans have changed in what I refer to as a "middle-class mentality." Korea never had a middle-class before in great numbers but the Miracle of the Han made this possible. If a person believes he is middle-class, he is...and many Koreans found it hard to conceive of themselves in this class. With catch-phrases like "Globalization" and a lot of jingoism, the Koreans changed seemingly overnight. Now one will NEVER hear a Korean saying they are a poor country. They also have a different perception of themselves in the world order.)

To be fair, however, anti-Americanism is probably rising because nationalism is increasing both in South Korea and the United States. U.S. nationalism is influenced by the country’s status as the sole global superpower, while Korean nationalism grows as the country becomes more industrialized. Koreans are satisfied with an alliance with the United States as well as with U.S. leadership in the international community, but they increasingly emphasize the value of national pride, equality in the relationship, and greater independence from the United States.

How Low Can We Go?

Looking ahead, anti-Americanism in South Korea is unlikely to disappear. It has been accumulating over the protracted period of the bilateral relationship, and its causes are too complex to be resolved overnight. The level of anti-American sentiment is expected to fluctuate with events over time. Current trends suggest the great possibility that South Korea’s resentment toward the United States will become more aggravated in coming years. Despite the long history of the alliance, the discrepancy between both countries’ national strengths and goals could lead to a serious conflict of interests at the same time that cultural and conceptual differences continue to cause emotional resentment. (Site Note: We agree that the Anti-Americanism has been here for years. Being on the receiving end of fire-bombs at Kunsan AB in 1987-1989 and living through the anti-Americanism in the 1990s riots, we know that this same feeling towards America has continued till today. It just ebbs and flows with the tensions but lies just under the surface. What the author of this article does NOT state is that Koreans have TAUGHT their children to hate Americans through their mindless protests and TV propaganda. They have bred and educated another generation of America haters -- the anti-American expressions will continue.)

Strikingly, a substantial increase in China’s popularity in Korean society has accompanied the rise in anti-Americanism. According to a public opinion poll, China is the most popular country among the four major Asian powers and is more popular than the United States. A majority of Koreans feels that South Korea’s relationship with China will be more important in the future than its relationship with the United States. The causes for these opinions are inexplicable. They may result from more than just cultural affinities and economic complementarities. China has been extremely skillful in its diplomacy, as Koreans feel that, of the major Asian powers, China gives South Korea the most respect. How long, deep, or lasting such a sentiment will prove over time is uncertain. South Korea will probably not sacrifice the benefits of its special relationship with the United States for a closer relationship with China in the future, but these trends suggest that emotions influence the Korean public’s attitudes more than national interests do. (Site Note: The author's attempt to show a linkage of Korean companies rushing into China for business when the doors opened in the 1990s -- and a surge in Korean children going to China to be educated because that was suddenly open to them as well -- to a rise in anti-Americanism is stretching it a bit.)

More significantly, a change in South Korea’s demographic composition suggests that members of the younger generation, who have ambivalent but primarily negative attitudes toward the United States, will soon take the lead in Korean society as the older generation, which is more supportive of the United States, fades away. If not curtailed, continued development of such trends could jeopardize the U.S.-Korean alliance. According to a May 2002 public opinion poll, only 56 percent of Koreans surveyed want to maintain a U.S.-Korean alliance _ substantially down from 89 percent in 1999.

A side effect of the sunshine policy is the public perception that the military threat from North Korea and the possibility of war have been dramatically reduced. A public opinion poll indicates that 90 percent of Koreans believe the possibility of a war on the Korean peninsula is either “very” or “relatively” low. The Korean government has echoed the public sentiment by maintaining that the sunshine policy guarantees peace and stability on the peninsula. Furthermore, the June 2000 South-North summit has raised the expectations of the government and much of the public to levels that no longer tolerate anti–North Korean actions and policy or criticism of Kim Jong-il.

All of these developments tremendously impact U.S.-Korean relations in general and anti-Americanism in particular. As the sense of military threat from the North abates, the perceived importance of the U.S. military presence in South Korea also diminishes among Koreans. Many even believe the USFK to be thwarting South-North reconciliation progress. For the most part, the Kim Dae-jung government has been sympathetic to public sentiment on this issue, providing motivational support to anti-American groups and activities. (Site Note: First, we too believe the U.S. forces should leave because South Koreans can defend South Korea on its own. (See Korea Continues to March to Its Own Drummer for information on how Korea upgraded its military and sought technology transfer. See the charts for numbers and disposition.) Second, we feel it is time the U.S. leaves as there is NO strategic value to stationing 37,000 troops in Korea any longer. The only reason we feel the U.S. government would want to retain U.S. troops here is for the lucrative defense contracts such as the Patriot, ATACMS, F-15K. This is not a strategic reason but a business reason. Third, we feel the Koreas should be left to themselves to reunite. No matter what the U.S. does, it will be construed as interference. The U.S. and Korea are on opposite courses -- and there is no way out. Even as North Korea rattled its nuclear weapons, the Koreans were slobbering over a possible economic zone in North Korea. They kept on clearing mines because it was a land link to the Paekdu Mountain resort. The carrots tossed out by North Korea are being gobbled up by the South. Even though the Kaesong special economic zone had no infrastructure, work was started in December. It is time to leave and let them pursue their mindless, ill-thought out dream. We say let them unite -- even if it may result in the implosion of their economy and a whole group of ills as reality sets in. The biggest drawback is that the north's people are so technically backward making assimilation into the South impossible. Fourth, the U.S. needs to physically out of Korea when the unification takes place. It will be a nightmare and the U.S. does NOT want to be stuck with some long-term commitments because of its "alliance." It's time to leave!!!)

This threat perception is clearly not shared in the United States. In his testimony to the U.S. Senate in March 2002, General Thomas A. Schwartz, then–USFK commander in chief, stated that the North Korean military threat is still serious and real, elevated by the development of WMD. At present, the Kim Jong-il regime maintains 70 percent of its 1.2 million armed forces – the fifth largest active-duty military force in the world _ within 90 nukes of the DMZ, making the area between Seoul and Pyongyang the most militarized area on the planet. Even more striking, the North Korean government’s disclosure of its clandestine development of a uranium enrichment program in early October 2002 threatens to nullify the 1994 Agreed Framework. (Site Note: See North Korean Strategy: The USFK View for full discussion of the USFK strategy.)

Even worse, Korean attitudes toward the United States in turn reverberate back through U.S. attitudes toward South Korea. The rise of anti-American sentiment in South Korea only means that U.S. resentment toward South Korea will likely grow in response to negative Korean attitudes and policies. This dynamic has the potential to become a dangerous, downward spiral of increasing tensions between populations and even governments. An escalating clash between anti-Americanism in South Korea and anti-Koreanism in the United States could undermine the U.S.-Korean alliance _ exactly what the North Korean leadership would like to see. (Site Note: Prior to December, there was nary a word in the American press over the anti-Americanism going on in Korea. However, in December 2002, there started to be a nationwide awareness of the problem in Korea and a backlash may be starting. We have received emails from people in Hawaii, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, New York, Maine and all points between asking about what REALLY was going on? We have told them to read this page and make up own their mind.)

Some U.S. citizens feel that the Korean public has unfairly blamed the United States for no apparent reason, as was the case in the gold medal controversy in Utah. In recent years, benign U.S. policies seem to have gone unappreciated in South Korea. The United States has served as a shield to protect South Korea over the past five decades in accordance with the 1954 Mutual Defense Treaty. Yet, when terrorists threatened U.S. security, South Korea’s political leadership and the Korean people provided lukewarm support in response to the U.S. request for help.

^Stemming the Tide of Discontent^The United States and South Korea share responsibility for the rise of anti-Americanism. As long as the U.S.-ROK alliance proves to be critical to both sides, however, orchestrated efforts by the two countries are both possible and essential to counter this trend. A perfect cure might not exist. Nevertheless, measures can be taken to halt and abate the current trend of anti-American sentiments. (Site Note: The phrase "alliance proved critical to both sides" seems to be the crux. We feel it is one-sided. The Koreans need America dearly -- not necessarily for military purposes, but for business. The Americans do NOT need the Koreans --though we would like to do business here. However, their protectionism has simply worn us out. We feel that a new relationship should be built with Korea based on "reciprocity." The concept can be not only applied to things like products such as cars and pharmacedicals, but to such things as driver's licenses, education, welfare, residency requirements, land ownership, etc. If you let only 100 of my cars in -- which is a REAL FIGURE for American car imports -- and apply luxury taxes and income tax audits to intimidate the buyers, we will do the same in America. The present trade system between the two countries is NOT working and protectionism is alive and well in Korea.)

By and large, the root causes of anti-Americanism in South Korea can be classified into two main categories: policy-oriented issues and emotional issues. As for the former, the two countries’ views, interests, and policies naturally cannot be exactly aligned or identical. The longer these discrepancies between the two countries are ignored or exacerbated in the course of future negotiations, however, the greater the likelihood that hostilities will erupt or that either side will act arrogantly and try to dominate the relationship. The emotional resentment that often develops as a result can be reduced if both sides undertake serious efforts to address their roots.

At present, Washington and Seoul suffer from contradictory views and policies toward North Korea, which fosters the rise of anti-Americanism as each of their relations with the North simultaneously deteriorates. The United States and South Korea should make efforts to maintain close cooperation and better align their strategies in dealing with North Korea. At the same time, Washington must be more aware of and sensitive to traditional Korean emotionalism, not take South Korea for granted, and make a conscious effort to avoid and counter the perceived arrogance of its actions and policies. Seoul must proactively take a firmer stance when dealing with the media as well as the public to create an environment where objective opinions can form. The public must understand the benefits of an alliance with the United States, particularly after the electoral pressures of the forthcoming presidential election in December 2002 have passed. (Site Note: We find this an exceptionally offensive paragraph. Why should the U.S. have to be "sensitive to traditional Korean emotionalism"? The problem here is that the Korean government under Kim Dae-jung allowed this "emotionalism" to develop. The Americans have been "sensitive" and the Koreans have exhibited the most callous forms of bigotry, xenophobia, racism imagineable. The NGO groups were allowed to manipulate the masses to their goals, the media has been biased in their reporting to incite the populace to more violence, the courts have set free the activists who fire-bombed and/or violated U.S. bases -- and the author of the article says that the U.S. should be "sensitive to their emotionalism." He's wrong...the Koreans are spitting on Americans and he is telling Americans to be "sensitive." What tripe!!!)

To alleviate, or at least abate, the policy-driven and emotional causes of anti-Americanism, Washington must take the aspirations of the Korean people into account in the bilateral relationship. In dealing with South Korea, in particular, the United States should reflect on the following points:

_ The Korean people cherish and place a high value on respect; therefore, actions that demonstrate U.S. respect for Koreans, whether genuine or not, may be the secret to improving the U.S. image in South Korea substantially. As mentioned previously, an important reason for the significant increase of China’s popularity in South Korea is largely the amount of respect that Koreans sense from China. The skillful manner in which China has positioned itself as South Korea’s partner without appearing heavy-handed is something the United States should note and apply.

_ The United States must give Koreans reason to believe that, as a committed ally and friend, it will not sacrifice South Korea under any possible circumstances in favor of U.S. interests. (Site Note: This is a totally ignorant statement. The U.S. has stationed 37,000 troops here as a "trip-wire" to ensure the U.S. will follow up with other troops. It doesn't need to demonstrate anything.)

_ A clearer understanding of how Koreans think and what Koreans need is critical for the United States. This knowledge will help prevent cultural and conceptual differences and misunderstandings from leading Koreans to blame the United States for problems that arise, even with no reason to do so. Koreans are emotional, and their attitudes are strongly influenced by the concept of kibun _ a combination of mood, feelings, and emotions. The concept of chemyon _ a combination of dignity, pride, and honor _ is another important factor. The traditional Korean culture places an enormous value on these two ideas. No matter how generous and cautious the United States is toward Korea, the relationship may eventually become disastrous if U.S. policy and actions hurt Koreans’ kibun and chemyon. Korean attitudes toward the United States are likely to improve dramatically if Americans are able to understand and be aware of these factors behind Korean sentiment. (Site Note: Paul Crane's book, Korean Ethics, (no longer in print) covered these items in detail. However, since reading it and trying to assimilate it into our daily actions, we noted that every time the Koreans offend other nations throughout the world, the editorialists/intellectuals drag out these two terms of "kibun" and "chemyon" to excuse and justify their boorish acts. They intend to turn the situation into one where the offended party must bear part of the blame...a Korean concept, but not accepted in the world in general.)

Overall, a public outreach campaign conducted by both the U.S. government and the private sector may be instrumental to improving the image of the United States and deterring anti-American sentiments from rising based on emotional sources. Public outreach efforts should have two primary targets: (1) the Korean broadcasting networks, newspapers, and opinion makers at large; and (2) the younger generations, particularly those between their 20s and 40s. U.S. efforts to explain the concerns and intentions underlying U.S. government policies and actions to the Korean public will go a long way toward deterring further misunderstandings and bringing about a more positive perception of the United States. (Site Note: We agree that the U.S. embassy has done a poor job of public relations. Its pages are not in Korean and a translation of their pages would be a good first step. The USFK has also done a poor job of public relations work. The first step would be to post their releases on the web in Korean. The Koreans now have only one source of info -- the Korean side.)

Korean newspapers and broadcast networks are key vehicles for shaping public opinion; they thereby have a responsibility to be fair, objective, and unbiased. Instead of getting caught up in an emotional rage, the Korean media should keep in mind the importance of not only the symbiotic relationship between the United States and South Korea but also of Korean national interests. Most crucially, the media must make every effort to present both sides of the story and help create a more favorable environment to improve U.S.-Korean relations and a more positive image of the United States in South Korea. (Site Note: If one questions Korean Journalists Code of Journalistic Ethics, there has been one since 1986, but in Korea it is "flexible." (SeeCode of Ethics.) In 1989 reporters were still receiving chonji, or 'a complimentary gift' some involving hundreds of millions of won. In March 1999, a 10-point JAK Code of Ethics and the 20-point JAK Code of Conduct -- i.e., guidelines for the practice of the ethics code-- were adopted. However, in 1999, journalists' ethics again became a major social issue when it was exposed that some reporters used inside-information to buy stocks and made huge profits in the process. In the same year, there was also the "Press Report" scandal, in which a journalist was accused of having provided inside-the-press information to certain politicians wanting to monitor and manipulate the press In December, photojournalists laid down their cameras in protest and show solidarity with the protestors, thus throwing their impartial journalist credentials out the window. Thus this whole paragraph dealing with Korean journalists is a joke. Korean journalists slant stories to Korea's advantage because their primary concern is market share. They print what Koreans want to read/see. They write stories that people will read -- not necessarily the truth -- and are not above creating a story.)

Along with U.S. efforts to present a more positive image, the Korean government should take the lead in improving the image of the United States by providing accurate information and timely advice to the media as well as the public. A key message _ and one that should be highlighted _ is the importance of national interests and the strategic and economic implications of growing anti-Americanism in South Korea.

The media and the public should not forget that political and social stability in South Korea, as well as continued economic progress, cannot be guaranteed unless security is provided and that USFK remains a pillar of the security on the peninsula from the North’s continuing military threat. During the past few years, the Kim Dae-jung government has not only made little efforts to curb anti-American sentiments but has also deemphasized security issues in South Korea, further aggravating the negative image.

Leadership changes both in the United States and South Korea will heavily influence the course of anti-Americanism in South Korea. In the short run, following the presidential election in December 2002, the new Korean government’s attitudes toward North Korea and the United States will be an important factor that bears close observation. A government controlled by left-of-center politicians will further exacerbate anti-Americanism in South Korea; under a conservative government, the U.S. image stands a good chance of improving considerably.

Independent of governmental changes, the bottom line still remains that the wellbeing of the U.S.-Korean alliance is crucial for both countries. Both governments are responsible for understanding this importance, educating the public, and taking courses of action to maintain and improve the bilateral relationship. Although Koreans emotionally feel bitter toward the United States, an underlying respect for Americans and their culture still exists, evident in the Korean saying, “Yankee go home, but take me with you.” This respect must be tapped so that all can benefit.

---

Movements to Remove the U.S. Presence from Korea Growing: In January 2002, Kim Dae Jung publicly apologized that "some" Koreans -- meaning the Anti-American activist groups -- don't approve of the U.S. in Korea, but affirmed that the U.S. was needed to ensure stability on the peninsula.

Though everyone agrees -- including North Korea -- that the U.S. presence in Korea is needed to maintain stability in the area, there is growing movement in South Korea stating the Americans have overstayed their usefulness. In the past, the outcries were from students claiming the U.S. presence was all that stopped from the Koreas hugging in friendship and peace. Very unrealistic.

However, now there are growing numbers of Koreans that feel their military is now equal to, if not better than, the U.S. in defending their nation. They control the whole length of the DMZ and have proven themselves in sea battles -- and hushed up DMZ shooting matches with the North. They no longer view themselves as "little brothers" to the U.S. military in Korea, but rather as equals. This is a very big change from ten years ago. This faction is slowly growing as Korea upgrades its military equipment and their global views change to reflect Korea's placement in the world order. Joining these voices are those that feel the U.S. cost-sharing formulas (under the SOFA) are unjust -- and that the U.S. just should leave. They unrealistically state, "The Americans are in Korea for their own national interests, so why should the Koreans have to pay for the Americans presence?"

Anti-war organization logo stating:
"Don't want War on Terror! Don't want War! Write the White House Now!"

Visit some of the Korean Peace Movement sites to gather the tone of the Anti-American feelings. Though written in Hangul, the pictures can give you an impression of the intensity of feelings and the commitment of members of these groups. See Anti-war Organization ; Minjung Democracy Movement ; Reunification-Peace Movement ; Tongil Newszine ; Reverend Moon of Kunsan protesting in Seoul ; http://www.615tongilyoundai.org/ and the tons of other Korean sites with every shape and form of protest.

Korean Reunification Aug 15, 2002
Skit blaming US for Keeping the Koreas Divided
(Click on image to enlarge)

American Grassroots Movement to Remove Troops from Korea Growing: But Korea is also coming to realize that there are TWO factions that want the Americans out of Korea. The first is the anti-American Korean faction and the second is a growing grass-roots American faction that wants the U.S. troops removed as well. This movement dates back to the days of Jimmy Carter in the 1970s and was echoed by Ross Perot in his unsuccessful campaign for the Presidency. The movement is still alive and well with many think-tank scholars backing this movement.

For an enlightening 1999 article that covers the equitability of the ROK cost sharing over the years, go to Korea Should Start Paying Their Own Way . South Korea supposedly spends about $12 billion (2000) -- or 3.2% (FY98/99) of their GDP. However, the U.S. spends roughly an equivalent amount on the defense of Korea -- and that is causing a lot of eyebrows to be raised.

There has always been a vocal minority dating back to the Carter Administration in 1970s, but the withdrawal then was based on human rights issues. Now the movement is based on the fiscal inequities of a G-12 nation that does not want to shoulder its fair-share of its defense support from the U.S. (NOTE: These are the same American voices that are seeking a detachment from the current NATO alliance as well.)

However, remember that George Bush's new vision of the military is exactly this. The troops would NOT be stationed in parts of the world but rather would be highly mobile forces that could be deployed within 24-hours to hot spots. Stationing 37,000 troops in Korea would NOT be necessary once such a force were in place.

---

Background of Protests:

Protests are not new to the area but the current protests at the main gate are different from the past protests. The past protests reflected the political turmoil of the times, rather than the social issues that the current protestors espouse. In some ways, the protests by students in the past reflected their political naivete -- which has changed in recent years as they have started to reflect a global view in their thinking. In the past, many students couldn't think beyond the boundaries of Korea and now have come to view themselves as part of the world community. An excellent resource to understanding anti-Americanism in Korea is at The Evolution of anti-Americanism in South Korea: From Ideologically Embedded to Socially Constructed.

Background of Cholla Area Protests: After the assassination of Park Chung-Hee, the nation was in a state of turmoil in 1979 with the end of his military dictatorship. (See Assassination for details.) The restoration of national stability became the most urgent task. On Dec 12, 1979, Maj.Gen. Chun Doo-hwan took control of government in a military coup. (See Chun Doo-hwan Overthrow for details.) Chun used CFC troops (Combined Forces Command under the USFK) to effect his coup. The U.S. did not respond forcefully -- and remained neutral. This lack of response on the US part has created a recurring impression that the US actually approved of the action by its lack of censure and silence. Student activists over the years has made this allegation against the US.

In May 1980, the Kwangju Uprising took place in protest to the political conditions in Korea and Chun Doo-Hwan's military coup. The Kwangu incident would haunt Korea for years. (See 1980: Student Protests for details.) Kim Young-Sam was placed under house arrest. Two other people imprisoned would later become President Kim Dae-jung and his Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil. Kim Dae-jung would be sentenced to death for his "support" of the movement, but the intervention of President Regan forestalled any action. However, the fact that the U.S. remained "neutral" in this internal matter again gave the impression to Koreans that the U.S. approved of the Kwangju events.

(NOTE: The term "Kwangju Riots" causes a violent reaction among protestors who feel the action was an "uprising" for democracy -- rather than a civil disturbance which the term "riot" implies. The more violent elements prefer the term, "Kwangju Massacres" to give the impression that the military killed helpless citizens and hid their bodies in mass graves...which has never been proved though frequently alleged. Years later, former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo would be imprisoned for their roles in the "Kwangju Massacre" (as it is popularly called now) when Kim Yong-sam became President.)

Organized Protests Gain Legitimacy as a Form of Expression: Protests has always maintained a place of "honor" in Korea dating back to the March 1st, Independence Movement protests where many Koreans lost their lives in protest of the Japanese occupation. Protests of students and dissidents led to Chun Doo Hwan not seeking "reelection" and stepping aside for Roh Tae-Woo. Then the protests took on a new form in bringing both of these former Presidents to trial for the "Kwangju Massacres." Protests as an expression of beliefs has gained legitimacy in Korea through the election of former "protestors" Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung to the highest position in Korea.

After the Kwangju Uprising, there were frequent student protests against the Chun Doo-hwan government fought mainly on the streets of Seoul or Kwangju. The students were well-organized on a national scale. Unfortunately, the student movement was infiltrated by North Korean agitators. The riots were very violent.

In Kunsan, the street protests appeared more orchestrated and never had the ferocity of the big city varieties. (See 1988: Student Protests for details.) These protests continued throughout the Roh Tae-woo Presidency and suddenly died off after the job market dried up and students had to study to compete for the scare jobs.

Shortly after the student protests died down, the links to the National Student Organization to North Korean subversives was proven and many student leaders arrested. After the movement was discredited, the protests died completely for a while. There have been attempts to revive the student protest movement in the late 1990s, but there seems to be little interest on the part of college students now in this form of protest.

Protests change from Political to Social Issues: The protests then started to change to reflect social issues rather than strictly political issues. At the front gate of Kunsan AB in 1993, there were protests dealing with lost Korean national jobs, but the furor died down. Then in 1996, there were rumblings about land use. Kunsan was expanding rapidly and the new Kunsan Airport was a resounding success. The land values of property around the base would sky-rocket EXCEPT that it was in a three-mile military exclusionary zone. The farmer land owners cannot convert their property to commercial use. Thus started the protests. Later, the small group joined with other groups to gain more support and the tone of the protests changed.

An interesting treatise to browse through is from a NGO (Non-governmental Organization) dealing with camptowns and social issues such as allegations of the GI crimes left unpunished. The treatise centers around the Army camps in the Tongduchon/Uijongbu area and is at The efforts of Social Organizations to Combat and Reform the Civil Rights Injustices Committed by the American Military in Korea . (NOTE: The treatise requires going to the index at navigate through the various chapters. This site appears to be linked to the Law Offices of Piston and Yoo.)

The protests that are the most effective in the local Cholla area are those causes that evoke the a great sense of outrage over national pride issues or loss of jobs -- and attract protestors from the local communities. These protests can turn violent easily. However, by and large the protests are peaceful. The Reverend Mun Chon-Hyun spearheads these protests not only in Kunsan but throughout the Cholla area. Reverend Mun is basically a human-rights activist who cares deeply about his anti-war causes. He started his efforts during the days of Park Chung-Hee when dissention was dangerous to your life.

Reverend Mun is an expert promoter who has learned how to effectively manipulate the TV news by staging seemingly "violent" protests for the TV camera, but they were really nothing more than orchestrated scenarios. At times, he will appear to provoke the riot police by poking their shields with his cane, but the riot police know better than to attack an old man. He lays down in front of the riot police. Undoubtedly, he is a leader who is fearless and committed to his causes. However, most of his protests are peaceful -- though some have resulted in violence when protestors get over enthusiastic and attack the riot police.

Rev. Mun staging a protest at Seoul Subway (Apr 2002)
(Click on image to enlarge)
(From Tongil.news)

Some of his protests have become violent when the protestors forget themselves and "attacked" the police. It is an unwise move as the riot police have full body armor with shields while the protestors are unarmed. Some protestors have grabbed the police batons or shields and jerked them out of the policeman's hands. This is a particularly bad move as now the police have an "armed" adversary and are AUTHORIZED to attack in self-defense.

Also dangerous are those protests that deal with loss of jobs where the protestors sometimes take over the buildings of the employers while they "negotiate." Most of the time these are small scale demonstrations, but when a major company has to downsize because of financial problems, some violent large-scale demonstrations have occurred.

An example of a typical large scale demonstration occurred in November 2002, there was a massive protest rally by tens of thousands of farmers opposing the opening of the country's agricultural market. More than 18,000 riot police were deployed as a precautionary measure hours ahead of the farmers' rally because similar protests by farmers in the past had turned violent. More than 70,000 farmers from local provinces were expected to rally and march at a park in Yoido, a bustling financial district in Seoul where the country's parliament building is located. Thousands of buses and trucks carrying the farmers clogged the main highways and roads. Rally organizers said the demonstration was aimed at pressing the government not to give in to what they say is World Trade Organization (WTO) pressure to open the country's highly-protected rice market. In the photos, one will notice the burning of the American flag. This is because America is one of the prime rice exporters of the world -- and a key player in forcing the market open.

Farmers Protest at Yoido (13 Nov 02)
Note the burning of the U.S. flag even though protest is with WTO
because U.S. is world's largest rice exporter
Click on Photo to Enlarge (From Tongil News )

---

Video links of Protests:

The INP site has some excellent footage of the protests that have been taking place in the Cholla area by the combined groups of activists in 2001. The protests deal with a wide gamut of issues from the environment; to saving the tidal flats; to protests over lost jobs; to protests over the comfort women and Women's Rights; to the Repeal of the National Security Act blamed for separating the two Koreas. The reason Reverend Mun has made a coalition of protest groups is to build strength in numbers. The various protest groups support the others. (See Introduction to SPHR: JEONBUK SOLIDARITY FOR PEACE & HUMAN RIGHTS for the Human Rights Coalition. See "Give Red Card to Occupation Army" Kunsan Bombed as Realistic Target of US for protests dealing with Environmental Groups. See Regaining Land at Kunsan for the Land Protest Issues.)

Click on the following links to view the videos

Protest Video March 1, 2001 (Protest to Repeal the National Security Act) -- Protesters feel the Act is what is separating the country and prevents the free meeting of the Korean people on both sides of the border.

Protest Video March 3, 2001 (Protest Kim Dae-jung for Failure to Support their Protests: Koa Department Store/Chonju)

Protest Video March 8, 2001 (Women's Day: Protest for Women Rights: Chonju KOA Department Store) -- Addresses such issues as inequality in pay and promotion in the Korean workplace; Comfort Women

Protest Video March 10, 2001 (Dongsan/Korea Telecom Labor Protests at Government Offices & Kunsan Streets)

Protest Video March 15, 2001 (Protest Saengmangun Tidal Reclamation Project)

Protest Video March 22, 2001 (Puan - Protect the Tidal Flats: Catholic Mass) -- Protest to protect the tidal flats as a bird sanctuary and for the preservation of coastal ecology

Protest Video 2 March 23, 2001 (Kunsan AB (Migun) - Nuclear Missile Defense Treaty/Theater Missile Defense protest) -- Protest to support peace on the peninsula and objection to the NMD

Protest Video March 23, 2001 (Kunsan AB (Migun) - Kunsan City Main Police Station) -- Protest continues at 12:00 when the protest became violent when one protestor suffered a riot police-inflicted injury; Rev Mun moves the protest to the Police Headquarters in Kunsan City until the morning.

Protest Video April 3, 2001 (Dongsan Company: Chonju)

Protest Video April 14, 2001 (Daewoo Auto Assembly Plant: Violent Demonstrations) -- Protest revolved around the loss of jobs as the Daewoo company sought to restructure itself and make itself attractive for foreign investment. The workers had made many concessions in order to keep their jobs, but in the end, the company decided to eliminate a large number of persons. Protest turned extremely violent. The Riot Police was criticized for attacking protestors who were not belligerent, but simply sitting on the ground. Footage shows injured being dragged away unconscious or bleeding from headwounds inflicted from being "chopped" with shields or struck with batons.

Protest Video April 16, 2001(Kunsan House Office: Protest over hospital refusal to pay wages.)

Protest Video April 21, 2001(Protest to restore Kaejong Hospital: On-going protest starting in 1999) -- Kaejong Hospital eliminated with the new Wonkwang Hospital in Naun-dong assuming all health care for Kunsan City. Workers lost their jobs and want to be reinstated.

Protest Video May 8, 2001 (Kaejong Hospital Dissolved: Seoul Protest to Government to Reestablish the Hospital)

Protest Video May 29, 2001(Korea Telecom (Hanguk Tongshin): Kunsan City)

Protest Video May 31, 2001 (Korea Telecom (Hanguk Tongshin): Kunsan City: Protest over labor dispute)

Protest Video June 7, 2001 (KOA Department Store: Chonju)

(Go to 1997: Protests ; 1998: Protests Unabated ; 1999: Protests ; 2000: Demonstrations ; and 2001: Protests for background on protests.)

---

Background on the Issues Underlying the Protests since June 2002

Links to Sources of Pro-USFK Background Material:

Korea Watch

US in Korea2

Ugly Korea

Korean Media Watch

Korea Informed

Links to Sources of Anti-USFK Material:

Anti-USFK -- Montage of Rev Mun Chon-Hyun and Rev Hong Keun-Soo and protests over death of two girls. (Hangul)

Tongil News -- Excellent source of photos of activist movement

Chungchun.net -- Anti-American videos

---

Editorial to Try to Understand the Korean Viewpoint: The following is an editorial written by Kim Young-hie, a senior columnist of the JoongAng Ilbo, tries to explain the Korean viewpoint. He points out not only how much Koreans need to learn about American law -- but also vice versa. There are some points of his points are not well-researched and at times his Korean view point peeps through. However, it does give some idea of the Korean perspective.

The hardest things for Koreans with no legal knowledge to understand about the American criminal system are probably the jury system and the fact that a defendant in an involuntary manslaughter case is declared innocent if no criminal negligence is proven.

In Korea, the judge decides whether a defendant in a criminal case is guilty or innocent. In the United States, a jury of ordinary citizens makes the decision. In Korea, most people charged with involuntary manslaughter are found guilty but given suspended sentences. In the United States, there is a standard of "reckless disregard" for other persons' safety that must be met. This was the standard that was apparently not met in the prosecution of the U.S. servicemen charged with killing two Korean middle school girls with an armored vehicle north of Seoul.

Another thing the average Korean could not understand about this case was that the jury consisted only of U.S. soldiers. While that is always the case in the U.S. military, Koreans suspected from the beginning that this jury of soldiers could hardly hand down an impartial judgment on fellow soldiers.

The protests of civic groups over th