The USFK soldier that was arrested as part of the supposed largest drug bust in Korean history has been sentenced:
SEOUL — A U.S. soldier was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for importing and selling synthetic marijuana in what South Korean authorities have called the largest-ever drug-smuggling ring involving the American military here.
Kim Hwan-su, head judge of the Seoul Central District Court, told the 2nd Infantry Division’s Pvt. Michael Lehmkuhl he had shown no remorse and could have faced up to eight years under court sentencing guidelines. A South Korea prosecutor had recommended 12 years to prove that the South Korean judicial system would not treat military crime lightly.
Lehmkuhl’s best friend and former U.S. Forces Korea soldier Arin Bergquist also was sentenced Tuesday to four years for selling and trafficking Spice and for marijuana possession. Bergquist has said he was discharged in October 2011 and returned to South Korea the following month on a tourist visa to sell the drug. [Stars & Stripes]
What I find interesting about the sentencing is that this low-life drug dealer received a longer sentence than someone who raped a USFK soldier. I guess the drug dealer can’t blame being drunk for his crime like the rapist was able to do.
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7:12 pm on December 19th, 2012 1
Rape? C’mon…you have to understand our culture. He would not have raped her if he wasn’t drunk. Ajosshis will be ajosshis. She was probably provoking him by speaking English.
7:47 pm on December 19th, 2012 2
“A South Korea prosecutor had recommended 12 years to prove that the South Korean judicial system would not treat military crime lightly.”
Also to prove that violent crime will still be, or just not at all. I forget how it goes here; been a while since I dun a rape`in.
8:15 pm on December 19th, 2012 3
8:16 pm on December 19th, 2012 4
Wow and I can remember back in the early 70′s that the Koreans would sell taylor box’s full of pot for about $10 bucks or so. The guys would just leave them sitting on top of their lockers.I’m not sure how good it was but I wonder what a Korean would have got back then for selling it to the GI’s.
8:34 pm on December 19th, 2012 5
Puzzey is an addictive drug too. Just more rational.
9:44 pm on December 19th, 2012 6
Biggest drug bust involving US soldiers? What about 15 years or so ago? I vaguely remember something about someone working for AFKN being involved in cocaine smuggling.
2:27 am on December 20th, 2012 7
Why smuggle….its sold in the open in Korea
3:03 am on December 20th, 2012 8
Some of you said rape twice. It’s extra rapey in here.
YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO OPEN IT!
UOI GONNA GET IT!
/rape
//9 out of 10 people enjoy gang rape
///rape
///…and I’m spent
////bring back edit!
3:35 am on December 20th, 2012 9
Gary, if it was the early 1970s, then the Koreans selling a box full of pot might not have gotten punished all that much. Park Chunghee’s draconian crackdown on marijuana consumption, which he saw as key to the defeat of communism and the realization of national unity, didn’t come until about 1975. It was targeted toward entertainers at first (the touchy-feely ones whom he also thought were detrimental to the country’s future).
Inebriation has been on its way out as a legally mitigating factor in the Korean courts; there is no excuse for the slaps-on-the-wrist punishments given to convicted rapists. I wouldn’t expect punishments for drug distributors (even distributors of synthetic marijuana) to get lighter, though.
5:36 am on December 20th, 2012 10
Wasn’t Park Ji-man, Park Chung-hee’s only son, known in his younger years to be a fan of the green bud? Presumably that had something to do with Appa’s desire to stamp out “reefer madness” in the ROK.
What that also means is that the next President of South Korea has a younger brother who was once a pothead. Perhaps the next time Obama’s in town, he’ll make the Parks honorary members of The Choom Gang?
10:26 am on December 20th, 2012 11
I think Park, Chung-hee’s son was a fan of the harder stuff.
2:45 pm on December 20th, 2012 12
Biggest drug bust! If the Korean cops really wanna bust a lot of drugs just go to Itaewon and bust the fake english teachers and Nigerians selling that crap all the time,
3:34 pm on December 20th, 2012 13
#10,
Not exactly. It was mostly about killing the youth movement and a pretext to ban certain popular and influential artists from performing.
10:58 pm on March 16th, 2013 14
Like the Godfather of Korean Rock Shin Joong-Hyun who despite it all, made a gazillion others successful.