Seoul poised to seek revision of SOFA
By Park Si-soo
The government will look into ways to amend a Seoul-Washington agreement on the status of U.S. forces here in the wake of two alleged rapes perpetrated by American soldiers.
The move comes in response to various civic groups that are calling for a change in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) so that the Korean legal system can take more control in dealing with U.S. troops involved in crimes.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) will soon hold a meeting with the Ministry of Justice, police and other relevant bodies to discuss the matter,” Cho Byung-jae, a spokesman for MOFAT, told reporters Tuesday. “In the meeting, participants will study whether a change in the existing SOFA is needed. If deemed necessary, we will seek cooperation with the U.S. (to change it).”
The spokesman ruled out the possibility that the issue would be discussed during the upcoming summit between President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House Thursday.
Activists staged a rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul Tuesday, demanding an apology from Obama for the assaults and an amendment of the SOFA.
In a written complaint endorsed by 1,563 politicians, activists and citizens, they urged President Lee to seek a revision. “An increasing number of U.S. soldiers commit sexual crimes, while U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has taken makeshift countermeasures to alleviate public anger,” the declaration said.
The complaint came after two USFK soldiers were accused of raping teenage girls in separate incidents in recent weeks.
One of the two suspects was indicted for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 24, while the other suspect is under investigation for allegedly raping a drunken teenage girl in her rented room in Seoul on Sept. 17.
Police said 1,455 U.S. soldiers committed crimes between 2007 and June this year, of which 30 were sexual crimes.
Upon apprehension, they were handed over to the U.S. Forces for initial interrogation in accordance with SOFA. After being indicted, they will be handed over to Korean officials. Those charged with 12 crimes, including homicide, rape and drug trafficking, are tried by Korean courts under the existing SOFA.
The USFK moved quickly to ease public outrage to prevent it growing into a nationwide anti-American campaign of the type last seen in 2002. The death of two Korean children in July 2002 after being hit by a U.S. armored vehicle triggered violent protests against the USFK, risking Seoul-Washington ties.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Conboy apologized Saturday for the “pain” caused by the two incidents. The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia Kurt Campbell also apologized Friday for what he called a “tragic and inexcusable rape.”
The USFK announced a one-month curfew on its personnel nationwide starting Friday. From midnight to 5:00 a.m., all USFK service members will be prohibited from leaving their camps during weekdays while the curfew is effective between 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on weekends, the USFK said in a statement.
“Given the incidents that have occurred over the last several months, I’m reinstating the curfew to assess current conditions, mission requirements, and potential force protection concerns,” Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of the USFK, said in a press release. The U.S. has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.