By Over a week ago the Korean media was busy trumpeting a police white paper that said crime involving USFK servicemembers was up 64.2%.
The number of crimes involving U.S. servicemen stationed in the country increased 64.2 percent last year from the previous year, a latest police report showed Sunday.
The tally in the police white paper said 306 individuals were charged with violations of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in 2009, up from 183 a year earlier. The individuals included 201 American servicemen and 105 staff and family members.
The SOFA, signed in 1967 between South Korea and the United States, governs the legal status of U.S. soldiers, their staff and families stationed here. Some 28,500 American servicemen are in the country, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, to deter North Korea.
The white paper said 130 individuals were charged with violence, 83 with theft, seven with armed robbery and five with rape. There was also one murder case, the white paper said. [Yonhap]
Having seen these sensational headlines before in the past I was suspicious of this report until I had a chance to dig into the statistics and see if the claim was true or not. As I expected a far different story emerged once I compiled the numbers.
The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that the number used to get the increased percentage is based on the number of USFK servicemembers “charged” with a crime, but not convicted. Additionally one soldier could have been charged with multiple crimes which would inflate the statistic on how many USFK servicemembers are in fact committing crimes. Using solely the “charged” number there is no way of knowing how many servicemembers actually committed a crime in 2009. So from the beginning the statistic is clearly misleading.
The best way to determine a crime rate is by looking at the number of USFK servicemembers convicted of a crime in 2009, which I am able to do by going back through my archive of ROK Criminal Prosecution Results that are published monthly on the USFK website. When the ROK criminal prosecutions are totaled up the USFK crime rate has in fact increased when compared to the past two years:
2007: 48 criminals
2008: 66 criminals
2009: 87 criminals
However, as you will soon see there is still more to this story than what this overall statistic shows.
Note that these statistics should not be taken as official USFK statistics and just what I compiled for the USFK court martial results.
Why the Increase in GI Crime?
Now let’s take a look at the type and number of crimes being committed by USFK servicemembers:
Rape: 1
Burglary: 1
Larceny: 14
Assault: 5
DUI: 19
Bodily Injury: 21
Acts on Aggravated Punishment: 1
Traffic Law Violation: 16
Destruction of Property: 3
Violation of Narcotics Control: 3
Vehicular Hit & Run: 5
Arson: 1
Trespassing: 1
Obstruction of Official Duty: 2
Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts: 1
Interference w/ Business: 1
Act on Aggravated Punishment: 1
Total Crimes: 98 committed by 87 USFK servicemembers
Of these crimes committed we should first take a look at what crimes have increased compared to 2009. One that has increased dramatically is bodily injury convictions from 12 in 2008 and 21 in 2009. These convictions normally come from injuries caused by traffic accidents. The next large increase is in DUI’s from 13 in 2008 to 19 in 2009. The largest increase of all the criminal incidents was in traffic violations going from 4 in 2008 to 16 in 2009. So what does this all mean? Well it means that the supposed growing USFK crime wave being trumpeted in the Korean media is actually coming from an increase in driving related crimes. This increase in driving related crimes comes after the USFK Commander General Walter Sharp implemented a new regulation allowing more soldiers to drive while stationed in Korea. Here is how the number of driving related convictions has grown over the past three years:
- 2007: 21
- 2008: 34
- 2009: 61
The bottom line is that more drivers on the road means more driving infractions which should have been an important point of context that the various Korean media articles should have published. In fact the headline of any article should have included the fact that the USFK crime rate rose due to the increased amount of drivers on the road. That is the real story here that was totally missed in order to publish a sensational headline. A really good journalist would then look at whether the increase in driving crimes is higher than the average rate of driving crimes committed by Koreans. The number of DUI crimes would be especially interesting to compare to the Korean average, but that is a post for another day that I doubt any journalist in Korea will bother looking into.
Determining the Rate of Major Crimes
The best way to look at the USFK crime rate is to compile the statistics for what the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) considers major crimes. Those major crimes are Murder, Burglary, Rape, Larceny, & Assault. Here is how USFK servicemembers totaled up in this important statistic for 2009 when compared to 2007 and 2008:
- 2007 – 23
- 2008 – 15
- 2009 – 21
So major crime is up compared to 2008, but it is actually down compared to 2007. So a newspaper reporter could have just as easily written an article titled major USFK crime down since 2007 as they could write another article titled USFK crime up from 2008. However, both titles would be misleading once one looks at the statistics. Here are the major crimes committed by USFK servicemembers in 2009:
- Crime Number
- Murder – 0
- Burglary – 1
- Rape – 1
- Larceny – 14
- Assault – 5
- Total – 21
The increase in major crimes is due to larceny crimes increasing from 5 in 2008 to 14 in 2009. Why the increase in larceny? That I can’t determine from the published ROK criminal prosecution results, but it could be simply from Korean authorities cracking down on a particular law they haven’t enforced before? Maybe it is because of the curfew change, which has allowed soldiers to stay out later and commit more stupid, drunk crimes? If anyone has any suggestions on why larceny has increased please leave a comment.
There was one murder in 2009, which the Korea Times made sure to point out:
“No homicides have taken place over the past five years,” an NPA spokesman said. “One thing notable is that theft cases last year increased more than two times from 2008.” [Korea Times]
Some of you may be thinking, if a USFK soldier murdered someone how come I didn’t hear about considering how the anti-US groups would love to demagogue such a crime? Plus why isn’t it included with the major crimes statistics posted above? That is because the murder did not happen against a Korean. The murder was when US Army Captain Christopher Gray killed his non-Korean wife Lea Gray and dumped her body outside of Daegu. He was charged with murder, but not convicted in the Korean legal system because he was handed over to the US military to be tried by court martial. He ended up receiving a life sentence.
The Korea Times continues to show their dependable incompetence with this next statement:
The SOFA status has been a constant source of public outcry here.
One of the U.S. soldiers benefiting from the agreement of late was a 37-year-old 3rd Class Petty Officer .
He was accused of stabbing three people with a weapon in March 2009 at a bar in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. But Korean authorities had no choice but to hand him over to the U.S. military police for investigation in accordance with the agreement.
The servicemember involved in the stabbing was in fact a specialist with the US 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) and not a petty officer. The stabbing also happened in the Songtan ville and not in Pyeongtaek with the crime being committed against a Filipina juicy girl. With simple facts like this screwed up by the Korea Times is anyone surprised that they can’t even get the fact that the case was handled by Korean authorities correct?
South Korea will prosecute the U.S. soldier accused of stabbing three people last month near Osan Air Base, officials said Wednesday.
South Korea’s Ministry of Justice gave the U.S. military formal notice Tuesday that it would take jurisdiction, said Army Maj. Vincent Mitchell, spokesman for the 2nd Infantry Division.
“Under the [status-of-forces agreement] they have the right to choose,” said Mitchell. “So they’ve let us know that they wanted to exercise jurisdiction.”
The accused soldier is 37-year-old Spc. Abdelkader Raoufi of the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade.
Korean authorities plan to prosecute Raoufi on charges of attempted murder and inflicting bodily injury with a dangerous instrument in the March 6 incident, Mitchell said.
Authorities contend that Raoufi used a knife to attack a 27-year-old bar worker. Two local men who heard her screams and ran to help her also suffered multiple stab wounds, South Korean police said.
All three have been recovering steadily, police said, but the woman came close to death and for a time had been on life-support and in intensive care with lung and other injuries.
Mitchell said the Army assisted the woman in filing a claim and on March 25 paid her the equivalent of $4,788.68 in Korean won. The two men have not filed claims, he said.
“We regret the incident took place and our sympathies are with the victims involved,” said Mitchell, who said he was expressing the views of the 2nd Infantry Division commander, Maj. Gen. John W. Morgan III. [Stars & Stripes]
The Korea Times should run a retraction of this article, but then again the Korea Times is more like the Weekly World News than a legitimate newspaper.
Wanted posters distributed for capture of “US killers” involved in the armored vehicle accident.
Of course no America bashing Korea Times article would be complete without mentioning the 2002 Armored Vehicle Accident:
A major setback erupted in 2002 when two Korean girls were killed by a U.S. military vehicle being driven back to camp after a training exercise. Despite domestic outcry, the U.S. military court found the act to be an accident and acquitted the service members of negligent homicide, citing no criminal intent or negligence.
Coupled with anti-American sentiment here, the accident touched off large-scale street rallies across the country demanding an amendment of SOFA.
It is particularly distasteful to me to see the Korea Times equating a tragic traffic accident with a crazy idiot that tried to kill his juicy girl. The 2002 Armored Vehicle Accident was clearly an instance where the SOFA gave the US military legal authority since the soldiers involved in the accident were on duty. The servicemember that committed the Osan stabbing was clearly off duty and the Korean authorities took jurisdiction over the case.
Enough with bashing the Korea Times because another major crime pointed out by the Korean media was the one rape conviction that happened last year. Considering how well publicized the 2007 Grandma Rape Case was how come you haven’t heard a lot about this rape? It is because the rape was committed by a Korean-American who likely raped multiple other women before getting caught. Such a case is not quite as useful for the usual suspects in the Korea media to sensationalize and thus most of the information about the rape came from the Stars & Stripes.
Comparing USFK & Korean Crime Rates
So how does the USFK crime rate compare to the general Korean population? Unfortunately the Korean National Police Agency has not updated their website yet with statistics from 2009. They just have stats from 2007 currently posted on their site. Here is the total number arrest for these major crimes committed by Koreans in 2007:
- Crime Number
- Murder – 1,062
- Burglary – 3,731
- Rape – 7,795
- Theft – 102,688
- Assault – 270,428
- Total – 385,704
Korea has a conviction rate of 99% which means that of the 385,704 people arrested it is estimated that 381,847 people were convicted in 2007.
(Note that I will update these stats as soon as the KNPA updates their site.)
The best way to compare the Korean major crime rate to USFK is by using a ratio. A ratio can be determined by taking the total population and dividing it by the number of major crimes. Korea currently has a population of 49 million people while USFK reportedly has a population of 28,500 servicemembers. Using these population numbers this what the ratios come out to be:
- Korea: 1 major crime out of every 128 people
- USFK: 1 major crime out of every 1357 people
The efforts by USFK to decrease major crimes committed by servicemembers in Korea over the years has continued to be without a doubt very successful. Unfortunately this fact is not being relayed to the general Korean population, which continues to hold on to a stereotype of out of control GI crime. This stereotype is mainly perpetuated for political reasons, as well as by poor journalism, and elements of the anti-US media in Korea. However, USFK has its self to blame as well for not launching a vigorous public relations campaign to let Koreans know how low the USFK crime rate really is. Why USFK doesn’t at least publish something on their website to refute the continuing trickle of sensationalized Korean media reports in regards to GI crime I cannot answer.
It is because of all of these factors that the Korean public continues to believe that USFK is responsible for an inordinate amount of crime in Korea when analyzing the statistics clearly shows that this is not the case. Unfortunately this is a stigma that will continue to follow GI’s in Korea when in fact a Korean would statistically be safer walking down a street filled with GI’s than in a street filled with Koreans. However, facts mean little when people believe the perception and the perception won’t change unless USFK does more to change it themselves.
_____________________________________
Note: These statistics are based off convictions from the ROK Criminal Prosecutions that are published monthly on the USFK website. My statistics are not official statistics from USFK. I just simply totaled up numbers from what was published on the USFK website. You can click the links below to read the court martial and ROK Criminal Prosecutions for each month. Note also that USFK would undoubtedly have more detailed information about each incident. For the bodily injury statistic for example it would be interesting to see if they were all in fact traffic related? For the traffic violations it would be interesting to see what all the violations are? Hopefully one day USFK will provide statistics with better context because we all know the usual suspects at the Korea Times and else where will not.
5:41 pm on September 12th, 2010 1
I'm going bring up this entry at the next USFK Strategic Communication Working Group meeting. Maybe we can start getting the low USFK crime rate publicized.
6:12 pm on September 12th, 2010 2
The real change in perception will come when USFK withdraws and prosperous South Korea defends itself.
6:23 pm on September 12th, 2010 3
Great rundown GI.
Unfortunately the usual suspects are not interested in facts, like a pinball they jump from unsupported accusation to unsupported accusation.
I actually think PBAR should not try to bring it up. Any attention on USFK crimes will be exploited by the same groups.
6:54 pm on September 12th, 2010 4
#2 Glans – "The real change in perception will come when USFK withdraws and prosperous South Korea defends itself."
And then what happens? Which is the point! The USFK probably does not feel the need to convince the Korean populace of the "truth". The USFK holds all the cards and the power. The Korean government needs the USFK presence.
Great line by the way. I wish it was mine.
6:58 pm on September 12th, 2010 5
Yes, nice work. It won't change a damn thing, but it's the thought that counts.
8:41 pm on September 12th, 2010 6
According GI's numbers, it's number 3, right after Bodily Injury & DUI.
Looks like it's time for a crackdown on all those Traffic Law Violations we see the long-nosers committing every day.
And while we're at it, let's lower the DUI limit to .3 from .5, because if we do we be sure to catch more drunkards flaunting the law and driving while blind at 1.8+.
8:51 pm on September 12th, 2010 7
GI Korea, you sound like a broken record.
9:06 pm on September 12th, 2010 8
did you or anyone forward this to koreatimes with a big FU!!!
11:06 pm on September 12th, 2010 9
#7 – Yeah, Tom…the truth hurts, doesn't it…
12:07 am on September 13th, 2010 10
So the KT is mentioning a dubious statistical increase in crime among USFK persons, but fails to mention that their rate of crime is still far less that the local population?
Does not surprise me, one bit.
3:52 am on September 13th, 2010 11
The best way to determine a crime rate is by looking at the number of USFK servicemembers convicted of a crime in 2009
Not necessarily. In Korea, the police and private citizens encourage guilty parties to settle with their victims through apologies and/or compensation, meaning these cases never see a courtroom, and those that do often involve similar mitigation processes that lead to "conviction" of no crime or a lesser crime. That means that looking only at the convictions of any group (the general Korean population, English teachers, 3D workers, the US military, etc.) would be very misleading.
Korea: 1 major crime out of every 128 people
USFK: 1 major crime out of every 1357 people
Hold on, this is based on the 21 "major crimes" in 2009 compiled by the KNPA, but do the KNPA statistics include crimes handled not by the KNP but by USFK? If not, you've got a major apples-and-oranges comparison going there.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sympathetic to the notion that USFK personnel commit far less crime than their chinboista detractors let on, and I even did a term paper in a criminology class back at Yonsei using murder stats to make the same point (this was done at the professor's behest, who suspected the same thing). And I certainly think journalists in the English-language press can be a bit lazy in seeing what stats mean (though that is a trait shared with loads of other journalists around the world, since journalists are frequently untrained in their field of reporting). BUT… as sympathetic as I am to this point, your argument needs to be ironed out as well.
And I say that with the utmost respect, GI Korea.
6:55 am on September 13th, 2010 12
You sound like you got a 300 lb white guy's chaji broke off in your arse.
7:34 am on September 13th, 2010 13
Kashibo – "Not necessarily. In Korea, the police and private citizens encourage guilty parties to settle with their victims through apologies and/or compensation, meaning these cases never see a courtroom, and those that do often involve similar mitigation processes that lead to “conviction” of no crime or a lesser crime. That means that looking only at the convictions of any group (the general Korean population, English teachers, 3D workers, the US military, etc.) would be very misleading."
So, in a nutshell, the Korean legal system is a sham. It's virtually impossible to generate accurate statistics due to the legal system itself and the crime statistics that are publically available in Korea.
To top it all off, the whole of the Minjoke extreme, in their conformist bliss, believe everything they read in the paper if it's negative towards anything that does not pertain to their kingdom.
Thanks for the correction, Shibo!
9:35 am on September 13th, 2010 14
"To top it all off, the whole of the Minjoke extreme, in their conformist bliss, believe everything they read in the paper if it’s negative towards anything that does not pertain to their kingdom."
So how do you know this, when you can't even read Korean? After all, if I can't read or speak a language I shut the hell up and stop pretending that I know everything.
It's obvious Zilchy knows Zilch about how Korea works. Nothing wrong with ignorance, but what's annoying is that instead of pleading ignorance, he, like the stereotypical full of hate expats, pretend they know it all. What's ugly are their growing horns on their heads caused by their severe attitude problems.
10:14 am on September 13th, 2010 15
People can try to publish the correct context but I doubt it'll do any good. Journalism the world over has become about entertainment and not reporting the news. Statistics are boring to the common person, they want an explosive sensationalist headline along with an entertaining tabloid article to start their day.
10:58 am on September 13th, 2010 16
Most GI crimes in Korea go unreported. After all, there's no real law against thuggish gangster like behaviors.
11:20 am on September 13th, 2010 17
Tom wrote:
Most GI crimes in Korea go unreported.
Most crimes by any group in Korea go unreported.
The challenge, then, is what data to use and how to use it to reduce the possibility of getting an apples-and-oranges comparison while still producing useful and valid results.
11:43 am on September 13th, 2010 18
#17
Huh???
If there is no law against something, why should it be reported as a crime?
1:31 pm on September 13th, 2010 19
Don't pay any attention to Tom…he's the local troll…who has been buggered in the arse by his 300 lb white English teacher one too many times…on top of having his sweetheart stolen away by some ugly, uneducated, financially broke American GI. But given her choices…you can't really blame, can ya?
4:00 pm on September 13th, 2010 20
Koreans OWE the U.S….NOTHING.
Let's get the hell out of this country…the MAJORITY of koreans do not want USFK here…no problem!
The problem is our elected officials and the generals….and to be more to the point…..it's YOUR fault and mine for voting many of these boneheads into office!
Their is no reason to station foreign troops in any country. Especially when the people don't want them!
It's all about money. That's all!
Get out and let the south fight their own battles! If the north wants to control the south, let them!
You tell me…would people in the U.S. allow foreign troops to be stationed in America? Hell no! So why do it to another country?
It's a bunch of crap…."we're here to keep the peace and stability!"
Gesh!
If a war breaks out and the korean people ask the U.S. to help them…then ok….but to remain here because of tension, etc…is bull. Hell, they have had nothing but tension since the end of the war!
The north sinks a ship…and the south does NOTHING but talk! Long on rhetoric and short on specifics!
It's ONLY about the money.
If you want to help people…station them in Africa where they really need help to stop the killings!
4:32 pm on September 13th, 2010 21
#21
The problem with that is we (America) has decided it is best to mitigate against what might be.
If a war breaks out and the korean people ask the U.S. to help them…then ok….but to remain here because of tension, etc…is bull.
That didn't work out so well 60 years ago. We got rolled back all the way to Busan.
Either we abrogate the treaty and tell the South Koreans we have no obligation to come back and defend you if hostilities break out, or we maintain a forward position to would allow us to bring a swift end to it and save lives, not just South Koreans, but ours.
5:02 pm on September 13th, 2010 22
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by World/National News , Joseph J. Steinberg. Joseph J. Steinberg said: 2009 Statistics of South Korean Criminal Prosecutions of US Servicemembers http://bit.ly/bLw8Mf [...]
5:58 pm on September 13th, 2010 23
"Either we abrogate the treaty and tell the South Koreans we have no obligation to come back and defend you if hostilities break out"
Excellent ideal. Now when are you leaving and don't let the door slam on your way out.
6:23 pm on September 13th, 2010 24
8:35 pm on September 13th, 2010 25
#14 Tom – "So how do you know this, when you can’t even read Korean? After all, if I can’t read or speak a language I shut the hell up and stop pretending that I know everything."
It's absolutely true that I do not speak the Korean language. This truth is actually a source of pride with me. It is also true that I absolutely do not know everything. I never claimed that I did.
Tom, you are an easy target, to say the least. Predictable and consistant. Do I tell you to STFU when you bad mouth the U.S.? Do I cry and whine like a little girl at any slight notion of percieved negativity towards the U.S.? Tom, please re-attach your testicles. Most of us here would greatly appreciate it.
When the Korean foriegn criminal statistics are publically announced (in whatever medium), they are broken down by type of crime and the number of violations per foriegn "country". I have no problem with this other than the statistics from the U.S, Canada, Australia etc.
You know exactly where I'm going with this, don't you! GYOPOS! I don't know if there is a law in Korea prohibiting the release of the names of criminals along with their crime or if the Korean government just by chance, likes to put out broad spectrum tallys to hide what may really be going on. I suspect the latter.
The bottom line, when your average Korean citizen reads "foriegn criminal…..", the first thing a Korean thinks of is someone that is not of the pure-blooded status, the min-"joke". If I'm wrong on this, Tom, please don't let me know unless you are re-balled.
This idea seems to be a hot-bottom issue with many foriegners in this country. I have never seen foriegn criminal statistics broken down to the level of the criminals' names. I am not insinuating that "white" foriegners do not commit crimes in this country. What I am insinuating is that the statistics are incomplete to allow the real truths behind foriegn crimes to be known.
Shibo, or anyone else (other than Tom), Help me out here. If I'm wrong, put me in my place.
9:17 pm on September 13th, 2010 26
Zilchy, you've already hit #20, #36, and #37 of my memes post. Seriously, that means you need to step away from the Interweb more.
Assuming you live in South Korea, why would it be a source of pride that you can't speak Korean?
9:18 pm on September 13th, 2010 27
And I'll give an answer to your comment #13 later.
9:28 pm on September 13th, 2010 28
#26, I don't think so. I think he hit all 79. That's exactly how white expats think. They are nothing more than 300 lb closet KKK's, but won't admit it.
9:31 pm on September 13th, 2010 29
Now watch Zilchy's smoke stacks spew black smoke as his blood pressure goes up.
10:24 pm on September 13th, 2010 30
So Kushibo, when Tom says "That’s exactly how white expats think. They are nothing more than 300 lb closet KKK’s, but won’t admit it." he isn't being a racist since that is one of your memes?
I think there would be a whole lot more harmony and good will if the very small portion of the population that Tom and that creep from Anti-English Spectrum inhabit didn't muddy the waters with their constant racist comments, insults, and delight in the misfortune of others. Maybe you should add a meme. Without Tom the world would be a little bit nicer.
11:59 pm on September 13th, 2010 31
Hamilton doesn't have any sense of humor. But it's OK to bash up on Koreans and make racist remarks like Zilchy.
1:03 am on September 14th, 2010 32
#18: Kushibo
"Tom wrote:
Most GI crimes in Korea go unreported.
Most crimes by any group in Korea go unreported."
I would think the opposite could be true as to USFK crimes. I've seen what you desrcibe in action with incidents involving my wife. However, it seemed my wife's ability to plug into a perpetrator's support network and communicate in Korean were essential to settling matters without getting authorities involved. With most USFK members not speaking Korean and with US support networks working so differently, it seems to me Korean victims would be much more apt to go to the authorities.
I'm not saying this from a position of authority and I don't know how it ulitmately impact this discussion. But it seems to me things should work this way.
6:45 am on September 14th, 2010 33
#26 – "shibo"
Thanks for that link. I have never read that baby before today. Maybe I do need to step away from the Interweb more often or maybe the Interweb content has many elements of truth to it. Who know's. Again, where's the truth?
A list of "shibo-memes" I hold dear to my heart with unwavering support:
#'s – 13, 15, 21, 22, 30, 40, 42, 68 and 73.
"I hold these truths to be self-evident"
7:11 am on September 14th, 2010 34
Hamilton wrote:
So Kushibo, when Tom says “That’s exactly how white expats think. They are nothing more than 300 lb closet KKK’s, but won’t admit it.” he isn’t being a racist since that is one of your memes?
Huh? What is one of my memes?
Why are you trying to drag me into you all's homoerotic wrestling match with Tom?
7:53 am on September 14th, 2010 35
"Shibo" – "Why are you trying to drag me into you all’s homoerotic wrestling match with Tom?"
It's simple. That picture of baby-"Shibo" is so damn cute, we are all hoping your adult exterior followed suit.
Red Devil – "Hamilton doesn’t have any sense of humor. But it’s OK to bash up on Koreans and make racist remarks like Zilchy."
My remarks are not racist in any way. Warp them any way you please. For the record, Korean is not a "race". Given your history of "Minjoke brainwashing", I know this idea will be difficult to understand.
Regardless of what anyone else thinks, I love you Tom! Your an inspiration to me!
10:11 am on September 14th, 2010 36
And the dumb stupid KKK criminal GI's aren't a race either!
9:46 am on September 15th, 2010 37
"Why the Increase in GI Crime?"
Well, have you ever met GI Korea? You wouldn't be asking if you had.