Movie Tests Korea-US Ties

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

A poster shows a Korean film revisiting the 1997 Itaewon murder of a Korean student allegedly by a Korean American and an American.

NGOs Call for Reinvestigation of Itaewon Homicide Case in 1997

Authorities and American diplomats are concerned over the possibility that a recently-released movie depicting the 1997 Itaewon homicide by a Korean-American and the son of a U.S. soldier may fan the flames of anti-Americanism.

The concerns may be backed by the fact that the film has so far attracted more than 300,000 moviegoers.

Twelve years ago, a Korean American and the child of a U.S. soldier were tried for randomly killing a Korean college student in a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. They were eventually released from Korean prison.

The September release of a domestic film based on the incident is rekindling the anger that many Koreans felt toward the investigative authorities during and after the trial of the two suspects, who each blamed the other for the stabbing of the young Korean.

American diplomats, who have seen the movie, are worried that it may rekindle anti-American sentiment among Korean youth.

Authorities are also concerned because the murder case has been used by some progressive civic groups to stir anti-Americanism by raising issues such as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Korea and the U.S. Prosecutors have claimed that the SOFA makes it difficult for them to collect evidence or seek witnesses.

The case has also played a role in fueling a stereotype harbored by some Koreans that Americans related to the USFK are not duly punished for crimes they commit on Korean territory.

The acquittal of two U.S. soldiers involved in the 2002 accidental deaths of two Korean girls ― Shim Mi-sun and Shin Hyo-soon ― triggered anger in many Koreans. The girls were struck by a U.S. armored vehicle.

Some campaigners and civic groups are petitioning at popular Web communities for a reinvestigation of the 1997 murder. There isn't much time left for prosecutors to do so - there are only three years left in the 15-year statute of limitations for homicide.

"The prosecution has displayed a thorough lack of competence and determination in dealing with this case," a netizen wrote on Agora, a Web community operated by Daum.

"Obviously, one of the American suspects is guilty of killing a Korean national. However, one was released for lack of evidence and the other was acquitted."

Some are using the official Web site of the film to call for a reinvestigation.

Due to such developments, the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office recently made a detailed report to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office (SPO) about the case.

"We are paying close attention to criticism directed toward prosecutors regarding the handling of the case," said an official with the SPO.

"We are worried that the movie may influence the viewers' judgments of the prosecution and our investigative capacity."

Both of the case's primary suspects ― Arthur Patterson and Edward Lee ― served some time in jail during the trial for weapons possession and destruction of evidence, but were eventually released.

Lee, a Korean-American civilian, appealed his conviction and was eventually cleared of all charges by the Supreme Court. The law prohibits further investigation of him for the same crime.

Patterson, the son of a U.S. military serviceman, was pardoned from a prison sentence in a general amnesty. He fled to the United States in 1999 after prosecutors made the mistake of not renewing a travel ban imposed on him. He has since been punished for various crimes in California.

Reinvestigation efforts could gain momentum with the involvement of Interpol to track Patterson down and bring him back to Korea.

Criminal Law is applied to all crimes committed on Korean territory by Koreans and foreign nationals.

Source: The Korea Times

Comments

[breathe-ai.livejournal.com]

I find it weird that even with an issue like this they're still citing the opinion of a netizen instead of like, the leader of the civics groups and actual lawyers. It's like citing an opinion from omona...Lazy journalism is lazy.

[maisoui.livejournal.com]

JFC, IASFM. Studied people with intelligent insight into these issues, not only random comments from internet users. It would make the article more interesting as well..with more to think about.

[lydzi.livejournal.com]

This. It's even more than weird, it's worriying.

[orangeinsanity.livejournal.com]

MTE! It's not like they can't find someone in a law/psychology/some related field to question, they just go online.

[orangeinsanity.livejournal.com]

Neeeevermind, http://community.livejournal.com/omonatheydidnt/1713597.html?thread=147805117#t147805117 someone posted the trailer. haha

[maisoui.livejournal.com]

IDK, I think the movie is fine. It's not like ppl will start thinking, "Oh those horrible Americans, every single one of them are low-life criminals!" I mean,..right?

And anyway, I'm not cool with hate/ignorance, but God forbid that people hate America, or at least have less than sparkling views on Americans. So very very bad. /was the sarcasm obvious enough?

[valmorbia.livejournal.com]

to turn a murder of an individual into a nationalism thing is always bad.

but i agree with you that its good to revisit the case

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

It's not like ppl will start thinking, "Oh those horrible Americans, every single one of them are low-life criminals!" I mean,..right?
Sadly, I think you are giving too much credit for Korean netizens. :-(

[hoyah.livejournal.com]

idk... i think it's very possible. :/ especially as korea is very nationalist

[o-frick.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I do believe a lot Koreans would start thinking things like that. Let's take for example when in 2002, two Korean girls were killed by an American soldier. Korea blamed America entirely, not even just the soldier who did it, and there was a lot of hard feelings towards even Korean Americans living in Korea. Brian Joo got a lot of criticism for just asking Koreans not to blame America, but to blame only the soldiers. And even this business with Jaebum, wasn't one of the first things they said- "So this is how Korean-Americans feel about us?" They're kind of the masters at grouping all of US into the category of criminals.

And- why should people hate America? I am an American, yeah, and I'm more than willing to admit that the American Government has made some pretty stellar mistakes, and some American people are less than classy people, but that goes the same for every country. I don't hate all North Koreans just because Kim JongIl is nuts, and I don't hate South Koreans just because a lot of their interbutts people are nuts and act like they're the most important people in the world. I don't even hate South Koreans even though too many of them are racist. I don't hate Japan for bombing the shit out of Pearl Harbor and I don't hate Germany for the Nazis. To me it's not an issue about hating America, but hating in general. If I as an American said I hated any Asian country, I'd be called racist, but it's all good if someone from a different country hates on the US.

/endrant.

[lydzi.livejournal.com]

Do you have the right to make a movie out of a story who is actually currently beind judged? *real question*

[maisoui.livejournal.com]

Well, it was made after the charges were dismissed, so I think it's OK, as the case remaining 'unsolved' was pretty much the end of that story. But typically, I do not think so. One might be researching and creating the manuscript while a case is ongoing (lots of book authors do this, to my understanding), but the actual thing wouldn't be made/released until the verdict/sentencing is concluded..and then after a lot concluding research to finish what happens after that, I guess.

I think, anyway. IDK IDK.

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

I imagine that you would at least have to get a permission from the people being tried or risk facing defamation charges unless you would change the names etc.

[paperlet.livejournal.com]

i just want to watch the movie because jgs speaks 99% english in it

[poppytea.livejournal.com]

how is his accent? i've never heard him speak english.. /curious

[cindel.livejournal.com]

Are they going to tell the actual truth or the Korean version of the truth?

[unsospiro.livejournal.com]

America's cup overfloweth with movies that could make non-Americans angry.
This one's just going be added to the Korean cup.

Movies are a form of entertainment and expression, and if people can't be allowed to express taboo subjects through film then what are we going to be watching in a few years?

[maisoui.livejournal.com]

I personally am just going off of the idea that Korean netizen opinion =/= opinion of the entirety of Korea. That's all.

[weerainbow.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I think that there are much bigger issues to deal with in the world than whether this movie is gaining popularity...it's probably more popular because it's a good movie than because it's seen as anti-american.
One movie is not enough to incite hatred, when it's based on a true story especially. There must be other factors which need addressing rather than this!

[neumi.livejournal.com]

Can we ban the Korean media from engaging in fake journalism? If I see one more news story quoting "netizens", I'm gonna lose it.

[marochi-x.livejournal.com]

This is going on my to-watch-list.

[injichan.livejournal.com]

The writer of this article should have quoted an "actual person" and not just a random user from the web. idk but I don't find this credible enough.

Anyway, JGS is in this movie so I'm gonna watch this.

[earenya-beryl.livejournal.com]

The fact that everyone is so scared that people will hate America after watching this movie, is going to be one of the reason I'll definitely watch it.It must be a very well made movie if it could incite national hatred.

But the point is, ignore the netizen quotation (coz that is just laziness and stupidity) and don't look at the movie as if it came with that purpose (no matter how it could be exploited).

I have seen movies made in America that rankle my chain (as so many other countries and ethnics in the world)but it's the ignorance of the movie maker that was made obvious by that.

Just watch the movie objectively, and let it make you think rather than just feel.Its what all good movies should do rather than just making you laugh.