Video captures chaos of S. Korea melee

SEOUL — A 12-minute video released on the Internet shows several confused and frenetic scenes among a South Korean crowd, South Korean police and three U.S. soldiers who say they were mobbed by protesters on Saturday.

The sometimes jerky and fast-paced footage shows two soldiers running to the guarded entrance of a university hospital, an apologetic and clearly distressed third soldier at a hospital bedside, and South Korean riot police sparring with South Korean protesters.

“I’m sorry. I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry. I’m sorry,” says Pvt. John Murphy to Suh Kyung-won, a former South Korean assemblyman who has accused Murphy of throwing the first punch in a melee that spread from a train car to a sports stadium. Murphy, his palms pressed together and taking cues from a South Korean policeman, tells Suh, “I was swinging. I was not looking … I was scared because everybody was hitting me … I’m very, very sorry.”

Suh, 65, lying in bed with his face slightly swollen and bruised, has accused Murphy of assaulting him on a train bound for Uijongbu, where Murphy and Pvts. Eric Owens and Shane Tucker were headed to their post at Camp Red Cloud. The soldiers belong to division artillery at the base.

The video shows snippets of a Saturday, Sept. 14, scuffle that has been recounted in sharply divergent ways: The USFK soldiers say the protesters attacked, threatened and followed them from a train car to a hospital and sports stadium. Protesters say the soldiers started the melee.

U.S. Forces Korea officials say Suh struck Murphy after the soldier refused a flier advertising a protest that day at Kyunghee University Hospital. Suh told Stars and Stripes that Murphy initiated the attack and punched him about 10 times after cursing him.

In the video, Suh recalls that he asked Murphy, “ ‘Why do you curse at me? What did I do wrong?’ I pushed his face and told him to stop cursing more than five times. Then, he [Murphy] stood up and started beating me.”

Two South Koreans interviewed by Stars and Stripes on Wednesday — but who wouldn’t give their names — say Suh touched Murphy’s face first, trying to get him to stop cursing. Then Murphy struck, they say.

According to USFK and corroborated by South Korean witnesses, Owens and Tucker helped Murphy off the train. Soon after, Murphy became separated from the other two. The soldier says the protesters detained him and forced him into a stadium of 6,000 demonstrators, where he was made to sign a statement that only admits he threw punches at the crowd because he was scared. The statement does not mention directly the altercation with Suh.

Murphy was removed or taken into custody by South Korean police, then USFK officials retrieved him sometime later; how long after remains unclear.

The video opens with a one-minute statement by Suh recounting the evening’s events. The next 100 seconds show a chaotic street scene, with squadrons of riot-geared police and protesters running and cursing. Police are running while escorting Owens and Tucker from the mob.

An alarmed Owens and Tucker are seen running to police behind barricades at the hospital entrance.

“One more,” says the other. “Yellow. Yellow shirt. Yellow,” he said, tugging on his own shirt in an apparent reference to Murphy, who wore a school-bus-yellow shirt that day.

The video cuts to a vivid scene between South Korean protesters and riot police. One policeman bashes a protester with his shield, wounding the protester’s face. Other protesters throw items at police and kick them.

The next six minutes of footage show Murphy standing at Suh’s bedside in Kyunghee University Hospital while a Korean National Policeman loosely translates conversations between Suh, Murphy and onlookers.

“I don’t need an apology from him but from the U.S. military commander,” Suh says in Korean. “I am very upset at U.S. military treating Korea worse than a beast. They are supposed to be here for the peace but have caused violence and many other problems.”

Murphy apologizes to Suh in English, while Suh in Korean insists to the police that Murphy should stand trial in South Korean court. The police assure Suh that Murphy will.

“We will definitely handle it by Korean law,” the policeman tells the prone Suh in Korean before turning to Murphy.

“Did you really hit him?” asks the officer in English, acting as a translator for Murphy.

“Did I really?” Murphy asks back. “I don’t know. I wasn’t looking. I was just swinging. I was scared. I had a lot of people hitting me.”

A handful of people with still and video cameras and notebooks surround the bed while documenting the scene.

“No, no, no, I wasn’t looking,” Murphy continues. “I was swinging. I was not looking. I was swinging because other people were hitting me. I was scared because everybody was hitting me and I was the only American there. My friends were far away.”

After more conversation in Korean, Murphy bows, presses his palms together and says, “I’m sorry. I’m very sorry. I deeply apologize. I’m sorry.”

Murphy is whisked to a waiting police van followed by a group of what appear to be reporters photographing and videotaping the event. Three people hold Murphy as he is taken to the van.

“It happened again because Americans despise Koreans,” Suh says. “It is not a personal problem. I need an apology from President Bush, and he [Murphy] should stand in the Korean court.”

In response to the video, which he viewed, 8th Army spokesman Lt. Col. Steve Boylan said, “The statements aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on or the video they’re taped on. “He was scared for his life and did and said things he wouldn’t do in a normal situation.

“We know that he was taped and that he was photographed,” Boylan said. “Everything that happened in the hospital was coerced.”

Boylan said the soldiers turned down all interview requests and would not talk to the media because the investigation is ongoing. He also confirmed that the Army is not considering disciplinary action against Murphy for signing the statement.

Korea protesters say they held soldier because they didn't trust police

By Jeremy Kirk, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, September 19, 2002

SEOUL — Demonstrators held captive a U.S. soldier after a Saturday night subway brawl because they didn’t trust South Korean police to properly handle the incident, a protest leader told Stars and Stripes Tuesday.

Kim Jong-il, who belongs to a group protesting U.S. forces in South Korea, said Pvt. John Murphy was held for 35 to 40 minutes after punching former South Korean lawmaker Suh Kyung-won, 65.

The protesters took Murphy to Kyunghee University Hospital to apologize to Suh, Kim said. While there, Kim said, Murphy voluntarily wrote a statement admitting his guilt.

The account contradicts U.S. Forces Korea’s version of events. Murphy was held for “several hours” and the statement was made under duress, said Lt. Col. Steven Boylan, 8th Army public affairs officer; USFK termed the detention a “forcible abduction.”

Kim said protesters held Murphy because they believe that under the Status of Forces Agreement, South Korean police have no power to deal with U.S. soldiers who commit crimes. The agreement is the code of rules governing how U.S. servicemembers are dealt with under South Korean law.

When questioned about the detention’s legality, Kim countered that it is not right in Korean culture for a young man to punch an older man.

“In Korean culture, we can’t believe a 22-year-old man would hit a 65-year-old man,” said Kim, who said he sat across from Murphy as he wrote his apology in English.

South Korean police officials, however, said the demonstrators acted illegally; the officials said they’re seeking those responsible for the detention.

As of Tuesday, police had interviewed “three or four” of the 6,000 demonstrators at the rally, said Cho Chong-wan, chief of investigations at Chongnyangri Police Station.

“We will try and find out who actually took Murphy to the university,” Cho said.

Three U.S. soldiers happened upon a large group of demonstrators traveling to Kyunghee University Hospital on Saturday to memorialize two girls killed in June by a large U.S. military tracked vehicle, one with tank-like treads.

Murphy, Pvts. Eric Owens and Shane Tucker were returning to their post north of Seoul after a day of shopping in the city. The soldiers belong to division artillery at Camp Red Cloud.

The three, and USFK, claim the demonstrators attacked the soldiers. The demonstrators say Murphy struck first.

The three soldiers were unavailable for interviews Tuesday, said a military spokesman.

Suh, interviewed Tuesday from Kyunghee University Hospital, said he tried to give Murphy a flier promoting the memorial service.

Suh said Murphy shunned the flyer, and when Suh asked him what country he was from, Murphy replied, “You don’t have to worry where I’m from.” Suh said Murphy then cursed at him.

After asking Murphy why he was cursing, Suh said he sat down on a subway bench across from Murphy.

Murphy then approached him, Suh said, and Suh defensively put his arms up. That’s when Murphy punched him up to 10 times, Suh said. Three or four other subway riders then grabbed Murphy, Suh said.

Suh’s version contradicts two others from that night.

In a release, USFK said Suh punched Murphy first.

In another account, Kim said that Murphy punched when Suh approached him the second time and put his hand on Murphy’s lips to stop his cursing.

Suh maintains he touched Murphy only after the punching began, to try to stop him. He remains in Kyunghee University Hospital with two black eyes and a broken nose.

Murphy suffered a bloody nose, Boylan said.

But police spokesman Cho said Murphy suffered no injuries.

USFK said all three soldiers were kicked, punched and spat upon.

Murphy has been charged with assault, the only charge filed in connection with the incident.

Cho said who threw the first punch hasn’t been determined; he said the incident remains under investigation. Murphy will be brought in again soon for questioning, he said.

Suh said he is opposed to U.S. Forces in South Korea because they hurt Koreans.

“The U.S. government says they are here to help Korea but they kill people all the time,” said Suh, who is involved in anti-U.S. protest groups. “I don’t want the U.S. Army to stay in Korea anymore.”

Kim So-yon contributed to this report.

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