By Robert Koehler has the translation of a Korean media article that says the USFK GI accused of raping a woman in Seoul is proclaiming his innocence:
The 21-year-old GI accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in Mapo-gu is still denying he attacked her.
Called in for questioning by the Korean police, the soldier admitted he stole the girl’s laptop, but claims that the, ahem, 유사성행위 (I’ll let you speculate as to what that might have entailed) was consensual.
The police reportedly aren’t buying it, however, and think they have decisive evidence to support the assault charge. [Daum via Marmot's Hole]
Unlike the Dongducheon rape case that appears to be pretty clear that the Soldier committed the crime, this rape case in Seoul I am not so certain of. I can easily imagine this GI sleeping with this girl and then stealing her laptop while she was sleeping. She gets pissed off and cries rape. Korean women have made false rape claims before against USFK servicemembers. I will have to wait to learn more facts before making a definitive opinion about this guy. However, whether he committed the rape or not he is still a thug for stealing the laptop in the first place.
Here is what the Stars & Stripes say happened with this case:
At 2 a.m. on Sept. 17, the suspect and another soldier met the girl and her friend at a bar in the upscale Apgujeong district of Seoul, Choi said. They continued drinking at a pub near Hong-ik University, in Seoul’s Hongdae district.
The suspect returned with the girl to her room around 4:17 a.m., according to police. He then left her room but returned at 5:45 a.m., which is when police say the rape and theft occurred.
Closed-circuit cameras captured footage of the soldier leaving with the computer, Choi said. [Stars & Stripes]
It sounds like they don’t have much evidence a rape occurred if the video is all they have. I wonder what physical evidence they got from the victim?
Despite all the unfair SOFA claims once again here is another example of a USFK servicemember being handed over to Korean authorities:
The Camp Casey soldier remains in South Korean custody. Under the bilateral status of forces agreement, South Korean officials may request custody of U.S. soldiers in criminal cases of “sufficient gravity,” including murder and rape.
This next sentence I am not sure what is meant by this:
Choi said police have no plans to request custody of the Yongsan Garrison soldier.
So the GI is in Korean custody now but they are going to hand him back over to USFK or is this a typo and the GI is in USFK custody now and the police don’t plan to request his transfer?
11:10 pm on October 13th, 2011 1
“At 2 a.m. on Sept. 17, the suspect and another soldier met the girl and her friend at a bar in the upscale Apgujeong district of Seoul”
The statistic that always seems to be lacking is…
…how many GI crimes occur in areas far from the villes.
Far from supervision, there is a tendency to be more unruly… and far from the Main Gate, there is a tendency to just stay out all night instead of going home.
Knowing how the world works…
…I can see meeting a girl at 2am. I can see going to her room at 4:17am…
…but coming back at 5:45am doesn’t sit well in the Up To No Good department.
Experience shows that 5am drunks showing up on your doorstep are irritating at best.
I don’t know what he was up to… and I don’t know that a rape occurred… but stealing her computer?
Serious diick move.
11:22 pm on October 13th, 2011 2
The electon’s closing in, and so are the claims of USFK misbehaviour, coming out of the woodwork like termites in a New England log cabin.
11:48 pm on October 13th, 2011 3
According to military policy & the UCMJ if someone is intoxicated they are unable to give consent for sex. It seems to me that If the Soldier admits to drinking with the girl, all she has to say is at 4am I was drunk. I’ve seen to many of the same situation in Soldier on soldier rape. Guy says it was consensual, girl says she was drunk, guy is guilty. I’m not saying that the policy is right, but that is how the military looks at it.
Now just let a Soldier get a DUI and then try to claim that he is not responsible for actions because he was drunk.
12:34 am on October 14th, 2011 4
@3
That is UCMJ Legal standard for a sexual assault. It is not applicable to Korean law. This guy was of duty so of course he will go through the Korean Legal process where banging a completely drunk girl is not illegal. Its called a good Friday night with Soju and colleagues.
The stealing the laptop was complete douche-bag move!! He should have been satisfied with the one night stand with a chick that hangs out in Apkujeong . Sometimes you just have to leave well enough alone.
12:53 am on October 14th, 2011 5
@4
Yes I know that is the standard for the UCMJ and that the whole thing will go through Korean courts according to Korean Law, but I can just see some prosecutor trying to the same standards. Especially since there is a big uproar in Korea now about how sex crimes are handled.
And I agree with you about the stealing of the laptop.
1:21 am on October 14th, 2011 6
BeerBelly,
You mean if someone does something while they are drunk, they are held completely responsible for it?
…with the ONE exception being if they are female and consenting to sex? And then it is someone else’s fault?
I see.
3:25 am on October 14th, 2011 7
Chickenhead, you have masterfully summed up in one short sentence the whole point of an hour long video and class given to Gov employees..the new..Sexual Harrassment/Assault Response Training course.
4:12 am on October 14th, 2011 8
>Sexual Harrassment/Assault Response Training course<
I like that! The SHART course.
4:51 am on October 14th, 2011 9
GI Korea brings forth his wishful thinking of what happened. He wants believe that this GI is innocent, he wants to believe that’s what happened. And he even points to a past case which allegedly charges that an innocent GI was falsely charged with rape.
Well, here’s some cold water for you. How is pointing out a past one case of GI being falsely accused be any relevant to this case, if I can point out the past cases of GI’s who were convicted of rape? For every case of GI being falsely accused, I can come up with 10 more cases where the GI was found guilty of rape.
How does that prove this guy’s innocence? He’s a thief, why can’t he be a rapist too? He’s with the girl for only couple of hours, and it was consensual? This doesn’t sound fishy?
4:25 pm on October 14th, 2011 10
“He’s with the girl for only couple of hours, and it was consensual?” Damm I miss Korea!
A lot of GI’s got it like that in Korea. I knew this guy that had literally around 30 girlfriends in Korea. Didn’t believe him at first than he preceded to introduce me to all of those girls over the course of about two months. And all those girls thought he was their boyfriend.(that dude could have written a book on how to get laid in Korea) Some guys just got it like that. She brought him back to her place? Does’t that sound fishy to call rape after inviting a guy back to your place in the wee hours of the morning. I guarantee you this guy will not be charged with rape, but will be punished for being a douche and taking her laptop.
4:40 pm on October 14th, 2011 11
He probably knew she was passed out drunk when he first left the room. That’s why he considered coming back for the laptop. Plus, he also knew the door would still be open.
4:59 pm on October 14th, 2011 12
He will be punished worse for theft than rape under the Mighty Korean Judicial System.
FUCKYEAH!8:40 pm on October 14th, 2011 13
The conviction rate of US soldiers being charged and tried by USFK courts – 4%.
Yeap, I knew USFK looks out for their own kind. Asking the USFK to self-police is like asking the fox to guard the chicken coop.
9:05 am on October 15th, 2011 14
Where in the world did you get that number? You should provide quotes or links.
Conviction rates are generally high, because the state shouldn’t put someone through a trial if they don’t have enough evidence to convince them they stand a very good chance of winning in court. I’ve never heard of such a low conviction rate. it sounds absurd, and since you have been lying lately, you need to cite your sources.
Every month on this site, GI Korea gives us conviction results from USFK and Korean courts where it concerns USFK. I’m sure you have noticed them.
7:43 pm on October 18th, 2011 15
@10,
Depends on the guy and the types of girls he’s into. Young (19~23yr) college girls are incredibly easy to get involved in a casual relationship with. They have no desire for a serious long-term relationship and are just looking for fun, the exact same as young college girls everywhere in the world.
It gets MUCH harder once your looking for something stable and long-term. The older girls are very picky, their looking for husbands not dates.