38
diplomatic level with the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and later an adjunct
Special Joint Task Force (at the two-star general officer level) to try to resolve festering
SOFA-related procedural and implementation disagreements without going through the
full SOFA renegotiation process. The Joint Committee has met approximately 18 times
since its creation, and has reached a number of procedural agreements relating to things
like the processing of environmental damage claims and a special passport stamp that
clearly identifies which Americans are protected by SOFA rules.
71
The Special Joint
Task Force met approximately 16 times in the first part of 2003, with a focus on
improving safety around the bases. The South Korean government agreed to improve the
roads around the bases and put up more fences at the training areas, and to do a better job
of informing the local public in advance about U.S. troop movements
72
—although in a
rather sad political coda to the fatal accident, Seoul spent many millions of dollars
widening and improving the patch of Highway 56 where the accident occurred, in order
to mollify the locals, even though U.S. forces no longer use that road for maneuvers and
most of the active-use roadways have not been upgraded.
73
It was the Special Joint Task
Force meetings that also convinced the U.S. to put its AVLMs on trailers from now on.
74
Second, the U.S. command staff decided to stand down the bases for a full day twice each
year, suspending normal operations except for essential activities, and spending that time
talking to the troops about safety and cultural issues in South Korea. This is called the
71
Off-the-record interview with U.S. civilian official #2 whose responsibilities include SOFA issues,
Seoul, June 2004.
72
Off-the-record interview with U.S. civilian official #1 whose responsibilities include SOFA issues,
Seoul, June 2004.
73
This was observed by the author and confirmed by the U.S. military officer who escorted her on a tour of
the region in June 2004.
74
Off-the-record interview with U.S. civilian official #1 whose responsibilities include SOFA issues,
Seoul, June 2004.
Convention