• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sunday, September 3, 2000

USFK warns of threat from
'non-Korean foreigners'

By Jim Lea
Osan bureau chief

U.S. Forces Korea on Friday issued a warning that “an individual or group of non-Korean foreigners” could attempt to attack Americans in South Korea.

The warning gave no details as to whom the potential attackers might be or the source of the information.

The warning said the U.S. military community in South Korea should take these precautions:

• Be alert when traveling outside U.S. bases

• Stay away from large groups of Americans off base and places where Americans gather

• Use the buddy system when off base; don’t travel alone

• Report any unusual or suspicious activity immediately to the chain of command or the military police.

Spokesmen for both the Korean National Police and police headquarters in Seoul’s Yongsan district, where the Army’s Yongsan Garrison is located, said Saturday they did not know the USFK warning had been issued.

The USFK warning was the third issued since June. The first followed several minor attacks on members of the U.S. military community in Seoul and the broad-daylight stabbing of a U.S. Army doctor by a Korean man in the capital’s Itaewon shopping and entertainment district. The doctor’s assailant was immediately arrested by Korean police.

Korean police have not linked the doctor’s death to anti-American sentiment in South Korea. Seoul prosecutors say the assailant appeared to be mentally unbalanced, and sent him to a government facility for psychiatric evaluation. That evaluation has been completed but neither the doctor who performed it nor prosecutors will comment on the man’s mental condition. He is being held in the Seoul Detention House awaiting trial which, prosecutors say, should begin shortly.

The other minor attacks have been attributed to anti-Americanism, however, but the identity of the assailants is unknown. None of the American victims suffered serious injury.

A second warning was issued after USFK said it had received information that a South Korean student group might attempt to kidnap members of the U.S. military. No such kidnap attempts have been reported.

The recommendation that Americans leaving U.S. bases use the buddy system now has become mandatory at many commands around the country. Signs posted at some bases say individuals may not leave the base alone.

Anti-Americanism in South Korea began increasing in May and reached a peak in early August just before the opening of two days of negotiations between Seoul and Washington on possibly revising the ROK-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

President Kim Dae-jung and other senior government officials have denounced anti-Americanism as being contrary to the best interest of Korea, and such activity has reduced considerably since the SOFA talks were held.

Bae Gi-chul contributed to this report.

RELATED STORY
          September 5: State Department also issues warning