1. The ROK and US Chairmen of the SOFA Joint Committee, MOFAT’s Director-General for North American Affairs Lee Baek-soon and Deputy Commander of US Forces Korea Jan-Marc Jouas, held an emergency meeting on July 7 regarding US military policemen’s handcuffing of Korean nationals near Osan Air Base on July 5.

2. At the meeting, the US Forces Korea expressed deep regret in response to the ROK’s strong protest over US military police’s overstepping of its authority. The USFK also promised to render full cooperation to the ROK’s investigation authorities in handling the incident, and to consider punishing those responsible, if necessary, after an investigation is completed.

3. The ROK and the US agreed to develop preventive measures to keep such incident from recurring through appropriate consultation channels, including subcommittees under the SOFA.


                        Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation