After soldier held for rape, U.S. vows assistance
The U.S. government promised to fully cooperate with an investigation of an alleged rape of a young Korean woman by a U.S. soldier.
Previous assault and rape cases have fanned anti-U.S. sentiment in Korea.
On Wednesday, the Dongducheon Police Precinct in Gyeonggi said it was investigating an allegation that a U.S. soldier raped an 18-year-old Korean woman in her rented room in Dongducheon early Saturday morning.
According to the Korean Embassy in the United States, Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, called Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Han Duck-soo hours later, expressing regret over the incident and pledging cooperation.
Edward Cardon, the new commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, also issued a statement Wednesday apologizing to the victim’s family and the Korean public.
“We take incidents like this very seriously and will do everything we can to make things right,” Cardon said in the statement. “We will continue to work in close cooperation with community leaders and the Korean National Police as they investigate this incident to ensure justice is served.”
The police said that the soldier, identified as a 21-year-old private in the 2nd Infantry Division, somehow got into the woman’s room at a gositel, a low-cost apartment building, around 4 a.m. Saturday. The woman was watching television when the soldier allegedly threatened her, raped her and ran away.
The woman called the police and they identified the soldier through CCTV footage.
They notified the U.S. Forces Korea and asked that the soldier report to the police to answer questions. He reported on Monday.
According to the police, the private said it was likely he committed the crime but he didn’t remember because he was drunk at the time.
The police handed the soldier over to the U.S. Military Police Corps on Wednesday and sent the case to the prosecution. Prosecutors are planning to further investigate.
Sex crimes by U.S. servicemen are always politically sensitive, especially since the brutal killing of Yun Geum-i, a prostitute in Dongducheon, in 1992. The soldier convicted in that case served more than 13 years in Korean jail. In April, a U.S. soldier was sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting an elderly Korean couple during a home invasion in Dongducheon and attempting to rape the wife.
“We hope the actions of one individual do not tarnish the years of friendship between our soldiers and the Korean people,” said Cardon.
A local civic group, however, said expressions of regret were not sufficient and the U.S. government should come up with fundamental solutions to violent behavior by its soldiers.
The group, the northern Gyeonggi branch of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement, called a media conference in front of Camp Casey in Dongducheon yesterday and demanded the U.S. soldier be detained for a thorough investigation and proper punishment.
It also demanded a curfew for U.S. soldiers and a revision of the U.S.-ROK Status of Forces Agreement to give Korea more rights to investigate crimes by U.S. soldiers.
By Moon Gwang-lip [joe@joongang.co.kr]
한글 關聯 記事
[中央日報]
美軍, 孝順·미선孃 事件 學習 效果
東豆川서 10代 性暴行 嫌疑
2師團長 “韓國民에게 謝罪” 聲明
美 政府도 “깊은 遺憾” 빠른 對應
京畿道 동두천시에서 10代 女性을 性暴行한 嫌疑를 받고 있는 美軍에 對해 拘束令狀이 請求될 展望이다. 의정부지검 刑事1部는 29日 强盜强姦 嫌疑를 받고 있는 美軍 2師團 所屬 K(21) 二兵을 불러 調査를 했다. 警察이 事件을 送致한 지 하루 만이다. 檢察이 送致된 書類를 檢討해 被疑者를 부르기까지는 普通 一週日 程度 걸린다는 點을 勘案하면 迅速한 搜査가 이뤄지고 있는 것이다. 檢察은 K二兵이 犯行을 大部分 是認한 만큼 30日 法務部와 協議한 뒤 이르면 다음 달 1日 拘束令狀을 請求할 方針이다. K二兵은 지난 24日 午前 4時쯤 漫醉狀態로 東豆川 市內 한 考試텔에 들어가 TV를 보던 A孃(18)을 凶器로 威脅한 뒤 數次例 性暴行하고 5000원을 빼앗아 달아난 嫌疑로 檢擧됐다.
美國 政府 亦是 발 빠르게 對應하고 있다. 28日 事件이 報道되자마자 에드워드 카돈 美2 師團長은 聲明을 내고 “이番 事件에 對해 깊은 遺憾을 표한다”며 “被害者 家族과 韓國 國民에게 眞實한 謝罪를 救한다”고 말했다. 美 國務部의 高位 當局者도 같은 목소리를 냈다. 커트 캠벨 國務部 동아태 擔當 次官補는 28日 午後 2時(現地時間) 한덕수 駐美大使에게 電話를 걸어 “韓國 女學生이 駐韓美軍 兵士에 依해 성폭행당했다는 끔찍한 뉴스를 들었다”며 “깊은 遺憾을 表明한다”고 말했다. 빌 번스 國務部 副長官도 같은 날 午後 5時30分쯤 韓 大使에게 電話를 걸었다. 워싱턴 消息通들은 “美 政府가 2002年 駐韓美軍 裝甲車에 依한 孝順·미선孃 死亡事件 때 제대로 對應하지 못해 韓國 內에서 反美 感情을 高調시켰던 經驗을 敎訓으로 삼은 것 같다”고 分析했다.