Here is a ruling that may have had consequences in Korea if it went the other way:

A sailor who was convicted of fatally beating a Japanese woman was ordered by Yokohama District Court on Wednesday to pay approximately 65 million yen — about $685,000 — in compensation, but the court rejected her family’s claim that the U.S. Navy had a responsibility to prevent the crime.

Yoshie Sato’s family was seeking 200 million yen in compensation from Airman William Reese and the Japanese government.

The family took civil action against the Japanese government under a provision of the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement that compensates victims for damages inflicted by U.S. servicemembers conducting official duties.

They claimed that although Reese was off duty when he attacked Sato in 2006, a preceding rash of crimes by servicemembers should have prompted the Navy to crack down.

Wednesday’s ruling stated that crimes committed by U.S. servicemembers are rising and cannot be ignored but contended the Navy did not have supervisory responsibility of Reese during his off-duty hours, said the family’s attorney, Yoshihito Shinohara.

The judge, after reading the verdict, added that the Navy should make efforts to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, Shinohara said. The family is considering whether to appeal the ruling to a higher court, Shinohara said.

Reese was sentenced to life in prison for the killing.  [Stars & Stripes]

Just think if the court held that USFJ was responsible for the death because they did not do enough to stop servicemember crime, why couldn’t someone in Korea do the same thing against USFK and use the Japanese court’s decision as precedent?