By Shin Hyon-hee
South Korea and the U.S. carried out a joint on-site inspection at Osan Air Base on Thursday over the shipment of a potentially live anthrax sample which has kindled safety concerns and calls for an amendment of the agreement on the stationing of American troops here.
In late May, 22 U.S. servicemen were identified as having possibly come into contact with the lethal bacteria “inadvertently” sent by a military laboratory in Utah to the base located in Gyeonggi Province.
Though the U.S. Forces Korea declared that the materials were immediately destroyed and none of the personnel had shown signs of infection, the incident prompted stringent protests by civic groups and public demands for a thorough fact-finding investigation, which resulted in the launch of a joint working group last month.
During the examination, the agents who led the experiment at the base demonstrated the test, disposal and other related procedures involving the anthrax sample. The panel also looked into whether there was any remaining residue.
It will continue to analyze the background of the delivery and formulate measures to prevent any future recurrence, said Maj. Gen. Jang Kyung-soo, director-general for policy planning at Seoul’s Defense Ministry and cochairman for the team.
“Biological defense cooperation will continue to ensure that our alliance remains ready to defend the Republic of Korea,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Robert Hedelund, Jang’s counterpart and assistant chief of staff for strategy, plans and policy at the U.S. Forces Korea said, vowing the program’s reliability and transparency.
(heeshin@heraldcorp.com)