Korea's foreign ministry plans to set up a call center early next year to support and help victims of crimes committed by U.S. military personnel here by providing legal information and counseling services, an official said Wednesday.
Staffed with lawyers and professional counselors, the planned call center is intended to better inform victims how to cope with any crimes involving U.S. military personnel and how they can be compensated, the foreign ministry official said.
"Frequently, victims of crimes by U.S. military personnel are not compensated because they don't know how to apply for compensation," the official said on the condition of anonymity.
"There is a need to help victims know how to get compensation through a call center," the official said.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Crimes by U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel are a sensitive subject in Korea. Every year, about 400 criminal and 250 civil cases involving USFK personnel are reported, according to the ministry.
Last October, Gen. James Thurman, the top USFK commander, publicly apologized after two of his soldiers were accused of raping teenage Korean girls in separate incidents. (Yonhap)