Calls growing for revision of rules on USFK operations
By Kim Hyo-jin
The sound of multiple gunshots from a supply depot of the U.S. Forces Korea resounded through part of the southeastern city of Busan every evening for three days from June 20 to 22.
Residents, petrified by the unexpected noise, made frantic calls to the police to figure out what was going on, but to no avail as the police had no idea either.
Only later did the police figure out the USFK had been firing blanks with automatic firearms during a defense drill.
At the same time, residents near a forest in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, had to endure the sounds of flyovers, takeoffs and landings of army helicopters for a while.
The drill, later reported to be by the USFK, continued two to three times a week for over a year from early 2016.
Faced with complaints from nearby residents, the defense ministry checked with the USFK which said it had reached a verbal agreement on helicopter drills with the local government.
South Chungcheong provincial government and Dangjin municipal government, however, denied making any such agreement.
With concerns over unannounced drills growing among citizens, Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the minor opposition Justice Party called for a revision of the rules on USFK operations.
The Korea-U.S. joint committee on the State of Forces Agreement (SOFA) came up with preventive measures to secure the safety of citizens regarding USFK operations in 2003.
The move followed the Yangju Highway Incident in which two schoolgirls were crushed to death by an American tracked vehicle in 2002.
According to the 2003 agreement, the USFK has to report its drills beforehand to the South Korean army and local governments.
However, the regulation is applied only limitedly in northern Gyeonggi Province, excluding other regions in the country from getting prior notification.
"If it had been applied to the entire country from the beginning, all parties — the defense ministry, local governments, police, and local people — would have not had to suffer," Kim said.
"It should be revised to have the USFK report its drills beforehand, and the notification should be shared among the relevant parties so they can swiftly respond to citizens' complaints."
The lawmaker underlined that the revision of the agreement is more necessary than ever amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula to appease public uneasiness and concerns.
"The revision will prevent people from being uneasy and help them trust the USFK," he said.
By Kim Hyo-jin
The sound of multiple gunshots from a supply depot of the U.S. Forces Korea resounded through part of the southeastern city of Busan every evening for three days from June 20 to 22.
Residents, petrified by the unexpected noise, made frantic calls to the police to figure out what was going on, but to no avail as the police had no idea either.
Only later did the police figure out the USFK had been firing blanks with automatic firearms during a defense drill.
At the same time, residents near a forest in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, had to endure the sounds of flyovers, takeoffs and landings of army helicopters for a while.
The drill, later reported to be by the USFK, continued two to three times a week for over a year from early 2016.
Faced with complaints from nearby residents, the defense ministry checked with the USFK which said it had reached a verbal agreement on helicopter drills with the local government.
South Chungcheong provincial government and Dangjin municipal government, however, denied making any such agreement.
With concerns over unannounced drills growing among citizens, Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the minor opposition Justice Party called for a revision of the rules on USFK operations.
The Korea-U.S. joint committee on the State of Forces Agreement (SOFA) came up with preventive measures to secure the safety of citizens regarding USFK operations in 2003.
The move followed the Yangju Highway Incident in which two schoolgirls were crushed to death by an American tracked vehicle in 2002.
According to the 2003 agreement, the USFK has to report its drills beforehand to the South Korean army and local governments.
However, the regulation is applied only limitedly in northern Gyeonggi Province, excluding other regions in the country from getting prior notification.
"If it had been applied to the entire country from the beginning, all parties — the defense ministry, local governments, police, and local people — would have not had to suffer," Kim said.
"It should be revised to have the USFK report its drills beforehand, and the notification should be shared among the relevant parties so they can swiftly respond to citizens' complaints."
The lawmaker underlined that the revision of the agreement is more necessary than ever amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula to appease public uneasiness and concerns.
"The revision will prevent people from being uneasy and help them trust the USFK," he said.
