Bush Apologizes for S. Korean Deaths

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Bush Apologizes for S. Korean Deaths

US President Bush has apologized for the deaths of two South Korean girls struck by a U.S. military vehicle more than five months ago, the U.S. ambassador said Wednesday.

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US President Bush has apologized for the deaths of two South Korean girls struck by a U.S. military vehicle more than five months ago, the U.S. ambassador said Wednesday.

The apology came several days after Sgt. Fernando Nino and Sgt. Mark Walker of the 2nd Infantry Division were acquitted by a U.S. military court of negligent homicide charges in the June 13 road deaths of Shim Mi-son and Shin Hyo-sun, both 13.

Earlier Wednesday, Nino and Walker also issued their first public apologies since the accident. Their acquittals on separate days last week triggered an outcry among South Koreans who said the trial was a whitewash. Some small demonstrations have turned violent.

"Just this morning, the president sent me a message asking me to convey his apologies to the families of the girls, to the government of the Republic of Korea and to the people of Korea," U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard said at a news conference.

Hubbard said Bush asked him to express "his sadness and regret over this tragic incident and to reiterate the United States' commitment to work closely with the Republic of Korea to help prevent such accidents from occurring in the future."

U.S. military officials in South Korea have repeatedly apologized for the incident, and Secretary of State Colin Powell has also expressed regret. It was unclear whether Bush's apology would help calm a growing sense of outrage in South Korea, which hosts 37,000 U.S. soldiers.

On Tuesday, dozens of activists broke into the U.S. military base Camp Red Cloud, north of Seoul, to protest the acquittals.

Source: Agencies

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