South Korea: 4 US soldiers detained after assault case in Itaewon

Four US soldiers were detained after an early morning altercation in Itaewon, Seoul, on Monday that left two Korean men injured, police said.

The Yongsan Police Station said it detained four US service members and two Korean men on suspicion of joint assault following a fight that broke out at around 2 a.m. in the popular nightlife district in central Seoul.

The soldiers, all in their 20s and stationed at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, allegedly approached two Korean women on the street and asked them to join them.

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The confrontation escalated after the women declined and the soldiers continued speaking to them, leading to a dispute with two Korean men who were accompanying the women.

Two other Korean men who tried to stop the fight were allegedly assaulted by the US soldiers and taken to a hospital.

Police said two of the US soldiers were also booked on injury charges in connection with the assault on the two men who attempted to intervene.

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After questioning the individuals involved, police handed the four soldiers over to US military police in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement, which governs the legal status of US military personnel stationed in South Korea.

Police said they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. /dl

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