By Kim Tae-jong
Many Korean civilians were mobilized to spray various chemical defoliant products near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the 1970s, an environmental civic group claimed Wednesday, citing the testimony of a farmer who was part of the operation.
It is the latest in a series of claims related to the improper management of toxic chemicals by the U.S. Army here, followed by recent allegations that Agent Orange and other chemical substances were dumped in U.S. military camps in the 1970s.
“He (the informant) said he and probably many other civilians were requested to spray defoliant without any protection not knowing what it was back then,” said Shin Hyun-ho, an official from Green Korea United. “He was simply informed that what they were using was a chemical to kill weeds, given no protective instructions or gear.”
The official said the defoliant they allegedly sprayed was different to Agent Orange. It was first known in 1999 that the U.S. and Korean troops sprayed defoliant products on the heavily fortified border where North Korean infiltrations frequently took place in the 1970s.
But they are the first allegations that civilians were mobilized to spray the toxic chemicals.
Since the farmer, who wanted to remain anonymous, joined the operation, he has suffered from asthma due to exposure to the chemical, but failed to receive any compensation, Shin said.
“Back then, the U.S. military gave the defoliant to people without any regulations. The civilian says he has kept some residue of the chemical defoliant as evidence to receive compensation,” the official said.
Meanwhile, South Korean and U.S. Army officials will meet today at the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul for discussions on forming a joint investigation team to cope with the dumping of chemical substances here by the U.S. Army in 1978.
“The key agenda is how to form the team and conduct inspections,” said Jun Wan, an official from the Ministry of Environment. “We want to include environmental experts, professors and residents, but that will be decided after the talks with the representatives from the U.S. Army.”
It has been alleged that the U.S. Army buried tons of Agent Orange at Camp Carroll in South Gyeongsang Province, and the U.S. Army has admitted to the massive dumping of chemical substances.
Under the revised Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), both countries have to cooperate on dealing with pollution-related incidents by forming a joint investigation team.
An official from the Ministry of Environment will lead the Korean side while his counterpart is a colonel from the U.S. military, he said, adding “Once both sides reach an agreement, inspections can start right away.”
But the committee will only focus on the dumping case at Camp Carroll, although there have been new allegations raised by an American veteran revealing that U.S. troops buried “hundreds of gallons” of chemicals at Camp Mercer in Bucheon, west of the Southcapital of Seoul, between 1963 and 1964.
Korea’s defense ministry announced Wednesday it has launched a separate on-site inspection into the former U.S. military base as it now belongs to the Korean military.
Camp Mercer housed the U.S. Army Chemical Depot Korea, which moved to Camp Carroll in Bucheon in early 1964 due to its proximity to the DMZ.