A poster shows a local film revisiting the 1997 Itaewon murder of a Korean student allegedly by a Korean American and an American. |
NGOs Call for Reinvestigation of Itaewon Homicide Case in 1997
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Authorities and American diplomats are concerned over the possibility that a recently-released movie depicting the 1997 Itaewon homicide by a Korean-American and the son of a U.S. soldier may fan the flames of anti-Americanism.
The concerns may be backed by the fact that the film has so far attracted more than 300,000 moviegoers.
Twelve years ago, a Korean American and the child of a U.S. soldier were tried for randomly killing a Korean college student in a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. They were eventually released from Korean prison.
The September release of a domestic film based on the incident is rekindling the anger that many Koreans felt toward the investigative authorities during and after the trial of the two suspects, who each blamed the other for the stabbing of the young Korean.
American diplomats, who have seen the movie, are worried that it may rekindle anti-American sentiment among Korean youth.
Authorities are also concerned because the murder case has been used by some progressive civic groups to stir anti-Americanism by raising issues such as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Korea and the U.S. Prosecutors have claimed that the SOFA makes it difficult for them to collect evidence or seek witnesses.
The case has also played a role in fueling a stereotype harbored by some Koreans that Americans related to the USFK are not duly punished for crimes they commit on Korean territory.
The acquittal of two U.S. soldiers involved in the 2002 accidental deaths of two Korean girls ― Shim Mi-sun and Shin Hyo-soon ― triggered anger in many Koreans. The girls were struck by a U.S. armored vehicle.
Some campaigners and civic groups are petitioning at popular Web communities for a reinvestigation of the 1997 murder. There isn't much time left for prosecutors to do so - there are only three years left in the 15-year statute of limitations for homicide.
"The prosecution has displayed a thorough lack of competence and determination in dealing with this case," a netizen wrote on Agora, a Web community operated by Daum.
"Obviously, one of the American suspects is guilty of killing a Korean national. However, one was released for lack of evidence and the other was acquitted."
Some are using the official Web site of the film to call for a reinvestigation.
Due to such developments, the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office recently made a detailed report to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office (SPO) about the case.
"We are paying close attention to criticism directed toward prosecutors regarding the handling of the case," said an official with the SPO.
"We are worried that the movie may influence the viewers' judgments of the prosecution and our investigative capacity."
Both of the case's primary suspects ― Arthur Patterson and Edward Lee ― served some time in jail during the trial for weapons possession and destruction of evidence, but were eventually released.
Lee, a Korean-American civilian, appealed his conviction and was eventually cleared of all charges by the Supreme Court. The law prohibits further investigation of him for the same crime.
Patterson, the son of a U.S. military serviceman, was pardoned from a prison sentence in a general amnesty. He fled to the United States in 1999 after prosecutors made the mistake of not renewing a travel ban imposed on him. He has since been punished for various crimes in California.
Reinvestigation efforts could gain momentum with the involvement of Interpol to track Patterson down and bring him back to Korea.
Criminal Law is applied to all crimes committed on Korean territory by Koreans and foreign nationals.
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