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Members of the Korean University Student Progressive Alliance rally in front of the residence of the US ambassador in Seoul after scaling the residence’s surrounding walls on Oct. 18.

Members of a university student group were taken into custody by police on Oct. 18 after crossing the fence surrounding the US ambassador’s residence in Seoul’s Jung (Central) District) during a demonstration to demand the reversal of an increase in South Korea’s share of defense costs.

The police announced that it had arrested 19 members of the group Korean University Student Progressive Alliance after 17 of them used two ladders to scale the walls around the US ambassador’s residence around 2:50 pm that day to stage a demonstration with a banner reading “[US Ambassador Harry] Harris should leave this country after supporting a fivefold increase in USFK support costs.” Harris previously voiced the position that South Korea should pay additional costs for the stationing of US Forces Korea. The alliance members who were taken into custody are currently undergoing questioning at Seoul Namdaemun Police Station and elsewhere.

“In view of the gravity of the situation, we plan to pursue a stern judicial response and intensify facility security to ensure no similar incidents happen in the future,” the police said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern over the unauthorized entry into the ambassador’s residence and said it had requested increased alertness from the relevant ministries regarding the US ambassador to South Korea and his residence.

“Acts of injury and aggression against foreign diplomats cannot be justified under any circumstances,” a senior ministry official said.

“The government will take all appropriate measures to protect the area around the residence and ensure there are no future acts that disrupt the peace there,” the official added.

Police apprehended 17 students for trespassing onto the ambassador’s residence and two students for attempted trespassing. Among those take into custody, seven will be formally charged.

SMA scheduled  in Honolulu on Oct. 23–24.

A second meeting for the signing of a Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on the South Korean and US shares of defense costs to go into effect next year is scheduled to take place in Honolulu on Oct. 23–24.

The senior representatives at the meeting are to be Chung Eun-bo, the South Korean ambassador to the defense cost sharing negotiations, and James DeHart, the US State Department representative for defense cost sharing negotiations. Chung, a career economic official who previously served as vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission (a vice minister-level position), is participating for the first time as senior representative for the negotiations, which come amid US demands for a large increase in South Korea’s share of defense costs. The US$5 billion that the US is reportedly demanding from South Korea as a share of defense costs is roughly five times the 1.04 trillion won (US$887.18 million) share for this year.

By Jung Hwan-bong and Kim Min-hee, staff reporters

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