Here is a perfect example of why it is important to remember there is always two sides to every story:

Two U.S. soldiers involved in a late-night fight with South Koreans outside a bar April 15 are telling a radically different story than what South Korean police and media have reported. They said they followed a core Army value of never leaving a buddy behind, in this case one they say was attacked by a pipe-wielding South Korean man. And, they add, they were shocked to face brutality from South Korean police officers they believed would help them.

Read the whole article for the soldier’s side of the story but to summarize basically what happened was the group of soldiers came out of the club bumped into a 19 year old South Korean man and a brawl involving other South Koreans ensued. The soldiers were getting the crap kicked out of them so they jumped into a cab but the cab driver wouldn’t take them anywhere so one of the soldiers stole the cab to escape the mob beating them down. Police stop the cab and then they too beat down the soldiers as well before throwing them in jail. That is the short and sweet summary of it.

So what happens now? Well the soldiers are looking at jail time while the Korean guy gets off:

The Korean man, 19-year-old Lee Yong-whan, told police the fight started when he and a soldier bumped shoulders. Police and prosecutors say he later changed his story and agreed to pay a $2,000 fine. They wouldn¿t provide details on Lee¿s new statements.

It is actually amazing the 19 year old actually paid a fine. Usually you can attack, kidnap, and even rape US soldiers and get away with it in Korea. So why are these soldiers looking at jail time for being attacked? Well just like prior US soldiers in Korean jail you have no right to self defense in Korea:

Servicemembers accused of a crime in South Korea face a far different ordeal than they would back home, says a private U.S. lawyer practicing in South Korea.

For starters, justifying participation in a fight or illegal activity because ¿someone else started it¿ amounts to guilt, said Brendon Carr of the Seoul-based SLG law firm.

Carr has practiced law in South Korea for 10 years and was previously based in the country as a sailor.

¿There is a right of self-defense in the U.S.,¿ Carr said. ¿There is no corresponding right in Korean law. If you take my stuff and I punch you, I¿m guilty. That¿s a tough concept for a soldier to grasp. They come from a culture of measured violence.¿

Over at Nomad’s site there has been discussion going on about why soldiers are not briefed about the fact they cannot fight back in Korea if attacked. Just for the record I have long briefed by soldiers and advocated through this site, to the ridicule of some, that is best to swallow your pride and walk away from provocations in Korea because you cannot win. The deck is too stack against GI’s and foreigners in general in Korea when it comes to the Korean justice system. This incident is a perfect example. The 19 year old Korean youth admitted to his role in the fight, yet he only pays a $2,000 fine while the soldier pays $6,000 to the 19 year old “victim” and is looking at doing 1-2 years in jail. Not to mention the fact that the GI’s got the crap beaten out them including one getting hit across the face with a metal pipe.

Also keep in mind that it is important to follow command policies which are designed to help prevent incidents like this from happening. That is why there is a curfew for one. The original Korea Times report says that the incident happened at 2AM which is past curfew. The Stars and Stripes article does give any time line, but if they were out past curfew that is a contributing factor to putting yourself at greater risk for an incident. The incident happened in the TDC Ville area across from Camp Casey. If they were in the ville during normal hours there would have been more US soldiers there to possibly help them get away from the Korean mob. That is also why certain areas in Korea such as colleges are put off limits to GI’s in order to prevent incidents like this one. Obeying this command policy would have prevented the “Shinchon Stabbing” from happening. As much as soldiers gripe about the regulations in Korea, and I don’t agree with all of them either, but they are designed to protect soldiers from incidents like this.

You will always lose when in comes to altercations with Koreans, which is what these soldiers are now finding out the hard way.