South Koreans remember girls killed in US military accident

Frank Smith

Press TV, Seoul

Thousands of South Koreans gathered in downtown Seoul to remember the tragic deaths of Shim Mi-seon and Shin Hyo-sun, who were ran over by a US military vehicle on their way to their friends' birthday party on June 13, 2002. The children’s families’ lawyer hopes for change in US relations and influence on Korea.

Two US soldiers were charged with negligent homicide, but acquitted in a US military court, amid anti-American candlelight protests. The deaths of Mi-seon and Hyo-sun under the tracks of a US military vehicle 20 years ago, are but one episode of a problematic alliance relationship.

From the Status of Forces Agreement to the cost of hosting 28,500 troops in South Korea, alliance ties are a constant source of controversy and debate. Some South Koreans view the presence of US forces as an obstacle, preventing the country from exercising its sovereignty. New President Yoon Suk-yeol seeks to strengthen the South Korea-US alliance, a shift in policy that worries many South Koreans.

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