More details about why Beaver’s was put off limits has now been published in the Stars & Stripes:
Beaver says the incident that ultimately led to the ban happened when a soldier named Ryan took Mrs. Beaver’s scooter for a joyride through Dongducheon.
Ryan asked if he could try out the 49cc motor scooter.
Beaver and his wife, Yoon Eun-kyeong, also known as “Mrs. Beaver” and “Mom,” said he could if he stayed on the rural road outside the restaurant.
Instead, Ryan drove into Dongducheon, where a military policeman spotted him.
The fenders had Beaver’s BBQ stickers on them. When the policeman called and asked if the scooter was stolen, Beaver said it was not.
The next day, Beaver heard from soldiers that he was placed off limits.
“If we said it was stolen, we’d probably be in business,” Yoon said. “But we were worried about the soldier.”
“He’s a good guy,” Beaver said.
First brigade officials declined to comment on the motor scooter episode because of the ongoing investigation, but did cite multiple incident reports.
Yoon says they haven’t checked patrons for proof of age to drink; it’s simply not done in South Korean restaurants, she says. Instead, they’ve looked at the person and judged whether they’re old enough and not too drunk.
The restaurant has since posted a notice at its bar saying that soldiers under 21 are barred from drinking alcohol there.
“We didn’t know that before,” Yoon said. “We’re Korean, not Army soldiers. If we know all the Army rules, we can follow them.” [Stars & Stripes]
I have a very hard time believing that he did not know the underage drinking regulation especially since he has been operating since 2001. There is probably more to this story we don’t know about since USFK can’t make any official statements, but the fact that Beaver’s was allowing underage drinking is enough to get them in trouble. Hopefully Beaver’s and USFK can work something out because Beaver’s is definitely a one of a kind place and it would be a shame if soldiers are permenantly banned from going there if the bar owner is willing to start carding soldiers for underage drinking now.
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6:33 pm on May 5th, 2008 1
I’m outraged. Now we are holding others responsible for the actions of our own? If Beaver is receiving punishment for this idiot stealing the scoot, who do we hold responsible for Timothy McVeigh and Lee Harvey Oswald? How sad.
6:40 pm on May 5th, 2008 2
2ID is like your Mom and the soldiers in 2ID are her misbehaving children. If you went down to Billys house one Saturday when you were 9 and came home riding a Fatboy that Billy let you borrow what would your mom do? She would make Billys house off limits wouldnt’t she? And when youe Dad got home from work he would shoot you in the face with a bazooka… and this time mom wouldn’t stop him.
12:50 am on May 6th, 2008 3
I wonder if leadership would move this fast in the US to put a place of business off limits for the reason listed. It would seem like some type of warning would be given first - the a hearing from the control board with both sides given the opportunity to present their side. Of course there may be something that has not been made public which caused this action.
Bottom line - base on the information released so far it seems like the actions against Beavers lack due process.
1:22 am on May 6th, 2008 4
Far be it from me to criticize Military Commanders; but it was probably a teetotaling 2LT who was looking to make a name for himself…
That said, There should be a fine for allowing under-age drinking and a written warning before making a place off-limits…
Too bad about the BBQ…
5:26 am on May 6th, 2008 5
The scooter incident is stupid and not a big deal IMO, but the underage drinking is a concern. If he is willing to start carding soldiers then I don’t see why he shouldn’t be put back on limits.
I never had any of my soldiers get in trouble at Beaver’s unlike other clubs that would stay on limits despite trouble that would regularly happen from there.
9:08 am on May 6th, 2008 6
I agree, we need to nip this underage drinking in the bud. I have noticed a few other places in Korea that do not card soldiers, nor do they enforce the USFK 21 drinking age. Here is a short list (and far from all inclusive):
Any Family Mart
The Hilton
Incheon Air Port
The Korean Folk Village
Lotte World
Everland
E-Mart
Outback Steak House
The list could be endless. By applying the same set of standards currently applied to Beavers BBQ, all of these places should be off-limits ASAP. As a matter of fact, the entire country should be placed off-limits except for the bar district “villes” where USFK can exert its influence; forcing Korean business owners, in thier own country, to discriminate against those who are of legal age in this country.
Another option might be to restrict those under 21 to installation, its a big bad world out there and there is booze every where one looks!
We must, as good neighbors, remove the onus for enforcement of USFK rules from the local nationals (adjima and adjushi) and place it back with the military itself.
I’d also like to point out the Golden Gate in TDC was busted for PHT a few months ago and was off-limits for a total of 2 weeks. Sex acts performed in the club… No problem though. The owner is a well known member of AUSA, good neighbor program and, (of course) the GOLF COURSE
…
1:13 am on May 7th, 2008 7
9:03 am on May 7th, 2008 8
We do it to ourselves
10:33 am on May 7th, 2008 9
The whole thing stinks.
USFK refuses to take any responsibility in stopping “underage” drinking (Breathalizers at the gate, restrictions on underage GIs, etc.)
As Leon LaPorte pointed out, these expectations are being narrowly applied to a select group of businesses in an arbitrary manner…
…as they are the businesses most likely to respond to a shakedown. Even if it isn’t a direct, pay-the-AFDCB-to-stay-on-limits type, it becomes an indirect shakedown with full knowledge of “leadership” on how the whole thing works.
Once you are off-limits, the “association” explains how they can help you with this problem if you are a member… which just requires ten grand up-front and maybe a little more for “special consideration” to solve this specific problem.
In the past, some of this cash was returned to people like Colonel Maria Dowling at Osan AB. I don’t know who gets it now… but, it is probable that somebody does.
USFK puts a lot more effort into hassling Korean businesses over curfew and “underage” drinking than prostitution and human trafficking.
Anybody have a clear explanation for that?
1:46 pm on May 7th, 2008 10
Sooner or later this is going to happen,
The under 21 crowd is sick of the USFK rules and regs and will start to go to and hang out where there is not any military at. (Example DAEJEON) The soldiers come here drink and laught about the 1 am back on post rule.
One day someone is going to something stupid and then USFK will have to face that when it happens. I have never understood and will I ever understand why a soldier, who can die for his country at 18, can not drink.
12:45 am on May 8th, 2008 11
Mike, please don’t write and post anything else. Your post is written so poorly, that I am embarrassed for you. you should have listened to that person who stood before you and your classmates, running their mouth about nouns and verbs and all that other stuff, I believe they were called, teacher.
1:19 am on May 8th, 2008 12
You’re one to talk, Apple Pie. You apparently slept through all the lessons on capitalization and punctuation.
FYI, only one of the commas in your post number #11 is necessary and used correctly. Can anyone guess which one it is?
4:31 pm on May 8th, 2008 13
Mike,
Well said.
Remember all that irritating stuff GI Drunk did in the Ville back in the day?
…things like… walking in a menacing group while showing off gang-like behavior… catcalling and eye-funking the pretty girls… kicking a shutter or car mirror… shouting, loud singing and other look-at-me-I’m-drunk actions… thoughtlessly stealing stuff that isn’t tied down (traffic cones to whatever is unsecured in the back of ajashi’s truck)… openly making fun of the locals… etc… etc… etc.
Now, certainly, “leadership” doesn’t think GI Drunk’s behavior gets BETTER when he is pushed into a place with fewer restrictions, supervision, leadership, consequences, oversight, no curfew, etc.
No. GI Drunk is still doing the same stuff… just not in the over-controlled Ville where it is ignored (or, even expected) by the locals, channeled in the right direction by fellow GIs and limited by an MP/SP presence.
When I see the animals outside the zoo, I cringe… because, with my military appearance, it makes my life more difficult in Korea. (Although I’m not quite ready to skip shaving and grow some oily, shaggy hair to approximate an English “teacher”).
I’m a BIG fan of young (and old) GIs having the drunken-party time of their lives in an area where people are watching out for them and minimizing their impact on the local population. Life-long stories are made of this. But, I’m not a big fan of those same actions in Real Korea where they discredit America and Americans.
Wake up, “leadership”… and lead away from short-term thinking.
As for the off-limits,
“First brigade officials declined to comment on the motor scooter episode because of the ongoing investigation, but did cite multiple incident reports.”
In typical USFK fashion, they are full of it. If there were “multiple incident reports”, why weren’t they addressed? The regulations are very clear. If there is a problem, they are required to contact the establishment with the intention of resolving it… off-limits is “not to be used as punishment”. Secretly waiting until there are “multiple incident reports” (which they will never show any documentation on) and then suddenly placing an establishment off-limits is just game-playing… not showing concern for the health, safety and welfare of GIs.
Once again, “association” member clubs have much different rules. Dirty. Very, very dirty.
And, if GIs won’t stand up for honesty, integrity, consistency, selflessness and fairness in their leadership, they don’t deserve pr0n…
…and, for these reasons, it very well may be taken away.
12:15 pm on May 19th, 2008 14
So what happened? Is he back yet?
8:58 pm on July 23rd, 2008 15
[...] news for everyone in 2nd ID land, Beaver’s in Toekgo-ri that was previously put off limits for underage drinking and a few other reasons is now officially back on [...]