South Korea: The Best-known Heaven for US Troops’ UNPUNISHED Sex Crimes

[Editorial]

Since September 8, 1945 when 97,000 US troops landed in Inchon, the southern part of Korean peninsula has become an unprecedented heaven for US troops’ UNPUNISHED ongoing sex crimes for over 60 years.

<##IMAGE##> As of October 1995, according to one of the conservative mainstream media Dong-ah Daily Newspaper (Oct. 18), the number of US troops’ crimes against Korean civilians was recorded “over 100,000 cases.” The paper said it’s just like that US troops have committed FIVE (5) crimes per day.

In October 1997, the progressive Hankyoreh Daily Newspaper also reported the number of US troops’ crimes was well over 100,000 since the landing of US troops in Korean soil in September 1945. It means, according to the report, US troops have committed ONE THOUSAND (1000) crimes per month.

In September, 2011, according to an expert who’s extensively researched the case of US troops’ crimes in general, SEX CRIMES in particular for the last 10 years: “Last 6 years, from 2005 to 2011, there have been 1,472 crimes committed by US troops. However, only two US soldiers were convicted in Korean court.” (http://impeter.tistory.com/1610)



How come? Why?

It’s all due to probably the worst, infamous, extremely notorious, unjust, unfair, unequal bilateral treaty called SOFA. The Wikipedia plainly talks about this SOFA as in the following: “U.S.–South Korea Status of Forces Agreement is an agreement between South Korea and the U.S. approved and enacted in 1967 and revised in 1991 and 2001. It is a status of forces agreement that concerns the treatment of United States Forces in South Korea.”

<##IMAGE##> However, this SOFA has become a convenient tool to let those heinous criminals unpunished and run away from any sort of legal punishments both in US and South Korea.

In September 1945, the US troops which came to Korea were, as many then assumed and hoped, supposed to LIBERATE this land of “Hermit Kingdom”[i] from almost a half-century long colonization by Japanese imperialists.

However, they came as an “Occupation Army.” Then they set up “US American Military Government” (USAMG) which had systematically illegalized and viciously destroyed all independent, nationalistic and democratic Korean political, labor, peasant, cultural leaders and organizations including the “Keon-joon” (National Preparatory Committee for Building a Nation: 建国准备委员会).

The day before they came on September 7, 1945, General D. MacArthur made his First Decree as US Pacific Army Supreme Commander the implementation of USAMG to rule the southern part of Korean peninsula under the 38th Parallel.

Since then, except for a brief period of strategic absence[ii] from June 1949 to June 1950 when they returned back to Korea, the southern part of Korean peninsula has become constantly the best-known and UNPRECEDENTED HEAVEN for US TROOPs’ UNPUNISHED CRIMES, particularly the SEX CRIME for over 60 years now.

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NOTES

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[i] “The Joseon Dynasty of Korea was frequently described as a hermit kingdom during the latter part of the dynasty. The term is still commonplace throughout Korea and is often used by Koreans themselves to describe pre-modern Korea. … The first documented use of “hermit” to refer to Korea is in the title of William Elliot Griffis’ 1882 book, Corea: The Hermit Nation. The writer of the book had never visited Korea, did not speak the language, and had no first-hand experience with the country. [However,] he supported the invasion and occupation of Korea by Japan, and in his works often attempted to prove the superiority of Japan. The publication of The Hermit Kingdom, and its circulation, particularly in North America, led to tacit approval of Japan’s incursions into Korea. It was used to justify Japanese actions by showing the Korean people as primitive, uncultured, unable to function internationally, and needing Japanese direction.The expression quickly gained currency in Western discussions of Korea. As early as Carpenter’s Geographical Reader of Asia (NY, American Book Company, 1897) reference is made to “the hermit nation” which is “largely controlled by Japan”. Comments are also made that “Koreans until lately have driven travelers away from their shores” and that “the United States…opened Korea to the rest of the world”. (Wikipedia)

[ii] Bruce Cumings argues in his monumental book (“The Origin of the Korean WarVolume I: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, 1945-1947,” p. xxvi) that US not only had to pull out but also strategically left from Korea while leaving “500 military advisors” behind by the end of June 1949. The so-called “Acheson Line” was argued in suspicion as well as US’s tactical play to camouflage, disguise or deceive the world by hiding their real strategic goal in the Far East Asia: “On January 12, [1950] Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson, just 9 days before he would become Secretary of State, told the National Press Club that South Korea was not a vital part of the U.S. defense perimeter in Asia. The withdrawal was completed by the end of June 1949, and only 500 military advisors remained behind.” (Korean War Timeline: tp://www.authentichistory.com/1946-1960/2-korea/1-timeline/index.html.