 Steve House, a former soldier who claims that he and other American GIs were ordered in 1978 to bury at least 240 drums of Agent Orange at a camp in North Gyeongsang Province, offers an apology before the National Assembly, Monday. / Yonhap |
By Lee Tae-hoon
Two former U.S. officers testified during a National Assembly hearing Monday about their involvement in the U.S. Forces Korea’s (USFK) alleged burial of a toxic defoliant in Korea.
Steve House, who told U.S. media that he buried hundreds of barrels of Agent Orange at Camp Carroll in 1978, arrived in Seoul to give testimony with Phil Steward, who admitted disposing of the defoliant into a major river in Korea.
“I believe my current illnesses are connected to my encounter with the Agent Orange drums in Korea,”House said at the parliamentary hearing. "I'm running out of time."
The U.S. veteran claims that he suffered from a number of diseases commonly linked to Agent Orange exposure, including skin rashes, neuropathy, eye problems and diabetes after returning home following his service in Korea.
The 55-year-old said he decided to return to Korea three decades after his service to reveal the truth about the case and raise awareness of the dangers of the toxic chemicals that he buried.
"When I was invited to come here, I hesitated first because of my poor health," he said.
"But I decided to come anyway because of the importance of this issue ― not only for the health and well-being of the Korean people but also for the U.S. veterans who served, as well as U.S. soldiers who are currently serving here."
House said he and his colleagues participated in the burial of 55-gallon barrels, some bearing an orange stripe and yellow lettering that read "Chemical Agent, Type: Orange" and dated 1967.
Phill Steward, who served at Camp Peterson near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates two Koreas in the late 1960s, apologized for his involvement in the release of harmful chemicals in Korea.
"We have already begun an effort to release the records and unveil the truth," Steward said. "Answers must be given."
The 69-year-old said suffers from skin cancer, eye problems and diabetes.
Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party and minor opposition Democratic Labor Party invited the two U.S. servicemen to look into the allegations that the USFK buried and discharged Agent Orange in Korea.
Agent Orange contains dioxin, which is notorious for causing serious health problems, including mental illness, cancer and fetal deformities to those who are exposed to it.
The toxic defoliant was used in Korea to clear plants near the DMZ areas in the late 1960s to improve detection of North Korean infiltrations.
The two veterans and the opposition lawmakers of the Assembly’s environment parliamentary committee will travel to the DMZ and Camp Carroll in Chilgok, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, where they claimed they buried the toxic chemicals.
The U.S. military and the Korean government have jointly conducted an on-site investigation on Camp Carroll but they failed to find any signs of metal drums at Camp Carroll.
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