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Improvements in the implementation of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) were discussed Wednesday during the 182nd SOFA Joint Committee, headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's North America Bureau Director Shim Yoon-jo and the deputy commander of United States Forces Korea Lieutenant-general Lance L. Smith.
The committee agreed that USFK soldiers suspected of drunk driving will be stopped at sobriety checkpoints and required to take breathalyzer tests in the future. Owners of vehicles will also need to submit documentary evidence of insurance when registering their automobiles.
Also if a soldier causes a traffic accident while off duty, the Korean victim will be able to recover damages before the decision of the court is given. Previously, victims of car accidents caused by US soldiers could only recover damages after a court ruling.
Moreover, starting this month, a joint environmental examination will be conducted on all land and facilities returned to Korea by the US military. The examination has only been applied when the US military in Korea caused an environmental contamination until now. Thus, examinations of the 28 facilities and three training centers of the US army bases that will be returned to Korea by 2011 according to the Land Partnership Plan (LPP) will take place.
Both parties agreed to take the case of two schoolgirls accidentally killed by US military vehicles in June as a momentum, and give prior notice to neighboring residents when exercises take place. In addition, the rights and interests of Korean workers in US army bases will be protected, as they will be handled according to Korean law.
(Kwon Kyung-bok, kkb@chosun.com )
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