S Korea, U.S. begin joint investigation of sites within Camp Carroll

A South Korea-U.S. joint inspection team on Thursday began inspections of sites within a U.S. military base in the southeastern part of South Korea where large amounts of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange were allegedly buried over three decades ago.

The team will use ground-penetrating radars to survey the helipad as well as camp sections 41 and D in Camp Carroll in Chilgok, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, local media reported. The team will also collect samples of groundwater at Camp Carroll.

The joint investigation within Camp Carroll came after a meeting of the environment committee under the two countries' Status of Forces Agreement on Wednesday.

During the meeting, officials from the two sides agreed to use ground-penetrating radars, and underground water analysis within Camp Carroll to verify whether Agent Orange was buried.

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S Korea, U.S. to collect groundwater samples over alleged burial of Agent Orange

South Korea and the United States are set to initiate a joint investigation on Friday, which involves collecting groundwater samples near a U.S. army base in South Korea suspected to be a burial site of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

Experts from the Ministry of Environment in South Korea plan to collect groundwater samples on Friday afternoon at 10 locations near Camp Carroll in Chilgok, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in the presence of U.S. officials, local media reported.

Seoul's Yonhap news agency quoted a ministry official as saying that it would take more than two weeks for analysis results of the groundwater samples to come out.

The investigation comes after three U.S. Army veterans revealed last week that they helped bury drums of Agent Orange at Camp Carroll in 1978.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Eighth Army in South Korea said a 1992 study showed that a "large amount" of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals were buried at Camp Carroll in 1978 but were removed during the following two years, along with 40 to 60 tons of soil. It did not know if Agent Orange was among the chemicals.

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S Korea, U.S. discuss threat of bioterrorism

 South Korea and the United States are holding three-day discussions over joint anti-bioterrorism drills, officials here said Thursday.

The discussions, called "Able Response 11", are first such joint dialogue between the allies aimed at deterring bioterrorist threats and potential attacks, according to Yang Young-mo, a defense ministry official in Seoul. The discussions kicked off Wednesday.

Andrew Weber, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, are among the U.S. officials engaged in the discussions, he said.

South Korea has never held anti-bioterrorism attacks on its own, and it has yet to be decided whether the allies would continue holding anti-bioterrorism meetings, Yang added.

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