The Ministry of Justice Requested USFK to Give up Jurisdiction

The Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday that it requested that the U.S. Forces Korea to give up jurisdiction over Sgt. Mark Walker and Sgt. Fernando Nino, who were involved in a car accident that killed two Korean teenage girls in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, last month.

Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), USFK has the primary jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S. servicemen while on duty. It also stipulates that the Korean government can request USFK to relinquish the jurisdiction and that USFK can reject the request after reviewing the case with a good will. A Justice Ministry spokesman said that “There is no precedent that the Korean government had jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S. servicemen who were doing their official duty.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, the driver and track commander showed up at the Uijeongbu branch of the Seoul Public Prosecutor’s Office. However, they were released about one hour later on account of safety concerns.

Around 3: 20, 10 US military officials including the two U.S. servicemen who showed up at the court went back, saying “There are safety concerns and it is not proper for investigation because protestors and reporters flocked to the court after the news of their appearance broke out.”