S.Korea, US Agree to Revise SOFASouth Korea and the United States Thursday agreed to revise the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)governing the legal status of some 37,000 United State Forces Korea (USFK).The agreement was reached after five years of negotiations. The SOFA was signed in 1960 and revised in 1991. Under Thursday's agreement, any USFK serviceman involved in 12 serious crimes including murder, rape and arson will be handed over to the South Korean authorities "at the time of indictment" rather than "after the court's ruling" as before. South Korean police will be able to detain US soldiers accused of violent crimes after arresting them. The two sides also agreed to conduct joint quarantine of animals and plants imported by the US troops. In particular, US forces must consult with the South Korean government if they build new facilities inside their compounds. Agreed on a new clause demanding the USFK to observe South Korean environmental laws, the two sides concluded a separate memorandum of understanding on environmental protection and cooperation. The two sides agreed to conduct joint inspections of sites the USFK military bases no longer need in preparation for their return. In addition, the cooling-off period for striking South Korean employees at US bases was cut from 70 days to 45 days, and more South Korean labor laws will be applied to them. The chief negotiators of the two sides initialed the agreement and will formally sign the new SOFA after concluding final procedures with their respective governments. |
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