From kirc@igc.apc.org
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 12:23:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Korea Information & Resource Center/Korea Report 
To: moogoonghwa@UCSD.EDU, wharms@soback.kornet.nm.kr
Subject: RE: SOFA legal issues

Dear Bill Harms:

Concerning: >Meanwhile, the historical >fact is that despite growing
crimes on Korean civilians committed by US >soldiers, the prosecution
rate is the lowest among host countries >(around 3-5 percent, I think). 
Someone please present a study to back up this claim. I am interested
hard
cold figures on this matter.

I saw this figure in Korean daily. I'll try to find the date.

Concerning: >Only with recent >organized campaigns by citizens' groups
have these incidents come to >national attention in Korea.  What are the
names of these "citizens' groups?" I think they will find that
many Americans agree with them. 

There are nationally-based groups working on US bases issues (like 
Chun-kook-yon-hap (Alliance for Reunificaiton & Democracy), 
Cham-yuh-yon-dae (Naitonal Alliance for Participatory Democracy), 
Yeosung-woondong-yonhap (Coalition of Women's Movement?), as well as 
local citizen groups and ad hoc groups that gets organized citywide or 
regionally in response to murder/rape/assault cases.  Around ki-ji-chon 
(US base towns), there are groups like My Sister's Place which shelters 
victims of violence by US soldiers on Korean women. If you go at the 
entrance to the 8th Army headquarters in Yongsan in Seoul, you will see 
occasional demonstration by individuals and groups. 
There are individual efforts too. One Korean fisherman sued the US Navy 
for damages on his fishing livelihood during military exercises and won 
in the US Court.  You probably know about the capaign of Daejon City's 
citizens to block the relocation of US Army headquarters. These are 
just few examples, there are other campaigns and citizen initiatives. 
If you can read Korean, you can see MAL magazine, which covers these issues.


COncerning: Although the efforts may not be 100 percent satisfactory to
everyone, the US has made efforts to satisfy the concerns of the impact
on civilians in Germany and Japan. Maybe the concerns of the Korean
citizens can be
addressed the same way.


For some reason, concerns of Korean citizens were not addressed 
as fully as the US did in Germany or Japan.  Perhaps this will change 
as Korean citizens get more organized and the ROK government addresses 
the issues more fully.


Concerning: Mr. Suh, I am also interested in what you think the
relationship between the
US and Korea should be. What do you think the future holds?

You should subscribe to Korea Report.


Regards,
Hyuk-Kyo Suh
Washington, DC
 
 



moogoonghwa@ucsd.edu
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