US Forces Korea (USFK), the Pentagon’s military command in the Korean Peninsula, has announced a temporary suspension of drilling at the Rodriquez Live Fire Complex due to Sunday night’s traffic accident involving one of its vehicles.
“Out of respect to those killed and their families, Eighth Army is temporarily suspending training in the area,” USFK said in a statement, referring to the US field army in command of US forces in the Asian nation.
“USFK offers its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased following this tragic accident, they are in our thoughts and prayers,” the statement added.
Police investigating Sunday night’s deadly accident have said the driver of the SUV carrying four people which collided with the M577 tracked APC at high speed about 5 km from the US training range may have failed to see the camouflaged military vehicle.
Four South Koreans died after their car crashed into a U.S. armored vehicle on Sunday night in Pocheon, north of #Seoul pic.twitter.com/2dUBXm3YyT
— Jeyaram Anojan (@AnojanJeyaram) August 31, 2020
The civilian vehicle’s occupants – two couples in their 50s, were taken to hospital and pronounced dead. The two US troops in the armoured vehicle were “evaluated and returned to duty,” according to USFK.
The US has had troops stationed in Korea since 1945, with numbers upped dramatically during and after the Korean War of 1950-1953. At the moment, an estimated 28,500 US troops are present across 15 bases in the Asian country.
Pocheon’s residents have repeatedly complained about the year-round live-fire drilling taking place near their community at the Rodriquez Live Fire Complex, with locals voicing frustration over noise, unexploded shells and a spate of stray rounds coming from the facility.
The South Korean government has sought to alleviate these concerns through a number of initiatives, including a proposal to build a separate road for military use, and the construction of better barriers to reduce the danger of stray rounds traveling outside the range.
Relations between Washington and Seoul has worsened recently amid President Donald Trump’s insistence that South Korea pay more for its defence. South Korea already pays for part of the US forces’ expenses, including food, logistical support, construction and administrative costs.
In July, US media reported that the Trump administration had recently considered cutting the US military presence in South Korea based on the disagreement over costs.
Drilling at the range, which is situated about 35 km from the demilitarized zone, has repeatedly led to a spike in tensions between the two Koreas. Late last year, Pyongyang slammed planned exercises at the facility, saying its patience had reached “an uppermost limit” amid the thaw taking place at the time as a result of nuclear negotiations.
