South Korea and the United States have kicked off a joint committee to look into the incident involving a live anthrax sample that was mistakenly sent to an American military base in South Korea from the U.S., a diplomatic source said Friday.

   U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday that 22 personnel may have come in contact with a live anthrax sample that was accidentally sent to Osan Air Base in South Korea, but none have shown signs of infection. A U.S. military laboratory in Utah inadvertently delivered samples to labs at Osan Base and in nine states in the U.S., according to the Pentagon.

   Taking into account the gravity of the issue, Seoul and Washington have kicked off a joint committee channel in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), according to the diplomatic source.

   The SOFA governs the legal status of about 28,500 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

   "Given the incident's seriousness and gravity, the South Korean and U.S. militaries have started to run the SOFA joint committee for close cooperation," the source said. The two sides are in consultations on an array of issues such as determining the incident's cause and follow-up measures, the source added.

   The USFK did not inform the South Korean government of the arrival of the anthrax sample in advance as it believed the sample contained an inactive bacterium which does not pose any health threat, according to a government official.

   On Wednesday, the U.S. military notified the Seoul government of the situation surrounding the incident and its plans to prevent future mishaps.

The Korean government said that given the available information, it may be difficult to label the USFK's move a violation of the SOFA, according to a separate source.

The USFK said it was the first time the training has been conducted, curbing concerns that it may have carried out similar moves before.

"This was the first time the training has been conducted," the USFK said, adding its intention was to "defend the Korean people by testing currently fielded equipment and new systems that could better identify toxins and pathogens in the environment."

The USFK again highlighted that it has confirmed there was no risk to the public.

"To destroy the sample, sanitize the facility and certify it as safe, the team followed protocols recommended by the U.S. National Response Team and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," it said.

 Seoul's Defense Minister Han Min-koo, who is scheduled to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter Saturday at the 14th Asia Security Summit that kicked off in Singapore, also plans to discuss the matter during their bilateral talks.

The two are expected to exchange ideas on precautionary measures and ways to improve supplies transportation procedures. (Yonhap)