Below is a really good read in today’s Korea Herald that I recommend reading in full. It is about the history of mixed raced children in South Korea fathered by US military servicemembers. These mixed race kids definitely had a hard life growing up in South Korea. Of particular interest is the role that Korean brokers played in trafficking women into the sex industry. It makes me wonder if these were the same brokers who trafficked women to Japanese soldiers during the Japanese colonial period?:
Jang Yeon-hee is searching for her American soldier father, who left Korea while her mother was pregnant with her in the 1960s. (Claire Lee/The Korea Herald)
Jang is one of some 40,000 mixed-race Koreans born in South Korea from 1955-1969, many of whom were born to American soldiers who were temporarily stationed here. Many of the Korean women who gave birth to such mixed-race children were those who were trafficked by Korean brokers to work as prostitutes for the U.S. military.
Many fathers simply went back to the U.S. and never returned. Mothers relinquished their children, as many of them had no financial means to raise them, while suffering from severe social stigmatization for being sex workers. Most of the children were adopted into American families. For those who remained in Korea, like Jang, life was filled with a sense of alienation, racist attacks and longing for her birth parent. (………)
To this day, Kang doesn’t know if her father died that day or simply decided to leave her mother for good. After her father went missing, Kang’s mother had a number of live-in relationships with American soldiers, who supported her financially.
Her mother soon started working as a dancer for the U.S. military, moving from one base to another. Kang lived in almost every Korean city that had active U.S. military bases, including Dongducheon, Osan, Paju, Pyeongtaek and Uijeongbu. During these years, Kang witnessed many teenage daughters of sex workers being trafficked or forced to work as prostitutes by their mothers’ pimps and brokers.
“Those brokers should still be tracked down now and jailed. … It’s not too late,” she said. [Korea Herald]
It seems to me if anyone should get in trouble its the policeman who drew his weapon simply because a service member tapped his beer bottle and made the foam run out:
American troops involved in a bar brawl with Filipino policemen face possible disciplinary sanctions in an incident earlier this month that the Philippine military says has no bearing on ongoing large-scale combat exercises by the treaty allies.
Philippine military spokesman Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson said the April 2 scuffle in western Palawan province was a misunderstanding that was settled amicably. A Youtube video showed one of three Filipino policemen drawing a pistol during the confrontation.
The U.S. military said in a statement that “any potential misconduct of U.S. service members is completely unacceptable” and will be dealt with by the troops’ home unit. It did not give details of the incident nor identified the troops involved.
While off duty American troops appreciate the opportunity to experience the local culture while training in the Philippines, the U.S. military said it “demands high standards of conduct from service members at all times, and takes all incidents involving potential misconduct very seriously.”
Sayson said the incident would not affect Balikatan, referring to the name of the joint military exercises by U.S. and Philippine troops. [Associated Press]
“A Profile” is a continuing series of articles here on the ROK Drop that describes each of the different US military installations in Korea and the corresponding “villes” outside of the gate. You can learn more about these locations at the below links:
Note: If anyone wants to contribute an article to this series feel free to send it to me using the “Contact” link above. If it is of high enough quality I will publish it here on the ROK Drop. I would particularly like to publish articles about camps that are now closed. If you have served on a now closed camp and would like to share your thoughts and pictures of your time on the camp please write an article and send it to me or post it in the Forums.
Wee Sung-ho (R), president of the Korea National Defense University (KNDU), and Frederick Padilla, president of the National Defense University of the U.S., shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Feb. 24, 2016, for academic exchanges between their institutions. The agreement covers exchanges of teaching staff and students, conducting joint studies and sharing of research findings. (Photo courtesy of KNDU) (Yonhap)
I would not be surprised if in the next few years garrison commanders don’t start implementing this on their installations with or without a state law in effect:
Beginning New Year’s Day, military installations throughout Hawaii will prohibit anyone under age 21 from buying or using tobacco.
The new rules by the Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force coincide with a similar measure passed by the Hawaii legislature in June that takes effect Friday.
Hawaii is the first state to institute an under-21 ban on tobacco sales and possession, which also includes so-called e-cigarettes, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. More than 100 U.S. municipalities have raised the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21, with California considering a state-wide ban.
Military installations don’t always follow state law on such matters. Even though Washington and Colorado have legalized recreational use of marijuana, servicemembers are not allowed to use the drug in those states.
The Navy’s ban does not apply to personnel or transactions while aboard U.S. naval vessels because they fall under federal laws. Tobacco is sold aboard some ships. The Navy banned smoking in submarines at the end of 2010, but talk last year of a fleet-wide ban met resistance from some members of Congress. [Stars & Stripes]
Another ordinance round landing outside the limits of Rodriguez Range is the last thing USFK needed to happen at the increasingly controversial firing range. It will be interesting to see if the investigation results will be released because it would helpful to know if this was human error or a problem with the TOW missile? Regardless activists will undoubtedly jump on this in their effort to get paid:
The U.S. military has suspended training at the Rodriguez Live Fire Range in South Korea after a stray missile struck a nearby building.
No one was injured in the Wednesday incident, which is under investigation, 8th Army spokesman Col. David Patterson Jr. said Thursday.
The tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) anti-tank missile was fired by Marines training at the range, 2nd Infantry Division spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hyde said. It landed 200 meters outside the range boundary in an abandoned building within the Pocheon city limits.
“All operations have been ceased at the range,” Patterson said.
Rodriguez Live Fire Range is a 3,390-acre complex used year-round by both U.S. and South Korean forces. While most of the surrounding area is rural, residents have long voiced complaints over noise, fires and other incidents. [Stars & Stripes]
This really shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that has been following this issue, it has been pretty clear this was going to happen for quite some time. So now when is the physical fitness test going to be equal as well?:
Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Thursday opened all military jobs to women, a historic step that removed the final barriers to women in ground combat and special operations positions despite opposition from the Marine Corps that sought to keep all-male units on the frontlines.
“Everyone who is able and willing to serve their country, who can meet the standards should have the full and equal opportunity to do so,” Carter said during a news conference at the Pentagon. “The important factor in making my decision was to have access to every American who can add strength to the force. Now more than ever we cannot afford to have barriers limiting our access of talent.”
Carter gave the service chiefs 30 days to provide a detailed plan for integrating women into positions now closed. All jobs must be available for qualified women by April 1, he said. [Stars & Stripes]
I totally agree with these military exchanges because it reduces tensions and suspicion between two countries usually viewed as rivals. Hopefully cooperation will continue to build in other areas between the US and China as well:
Servicemembers from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force demonstrate ways to secure and evacuate casualties to their Chinese Army counterparts during the Disaster Management Exchange held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Nov. 20, 2015. DOD
Army medic Sgt. Leslie Peterson hesitated to answer when a medic from the Chinese military asked a basic question about how Peterson would care for a soldier badly wounded in battle.
“Can I answer that?” Peterson asked a higher-ranking U.S. soldier.
Peterson was given a blessing to respond. Then she continued her demonstration that won applause from a couple dozen visitors at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Friday.
She was a hit with this contingent from China’s People’s Liberation Army. But her hesitation underscored the newness of an unusual military exchange at JBLM that’s connecting soldiers from two armies usually characterized as rivals.
The exchange this week brought about 80 soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army to a military base in the continental U.S. for the first time. It marked a progression in an 11-year sequence of formal exchanges between the two armies focused on preparing for natural disasters.
Leaders from both countries view disaster preparation as an area where they can cooperate and build trust, possibly reducing the likelihood of an armed conflict in East Asia. [Stars & Stripes]
