Controversy Over Dance Party at USFK Base in South Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it has been reported that US Forces Korea (USFK) soldiers held a dance party on base, sparking controversy.

According to USFK on the 7th, on the night of the 4th, a dance party of the Humphreys Salsa Club was held at the on-base restaurant 'Flightline Taproom' at Camp Humphreys, a US military base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Most of the participants at the time were not wearing masks.

Photos and videos posted on social networking services (SNS) by some participants showed dozens of people dancing closely together without wearing masks or not wearing them properly. This violates not only the Korean government's social distancing guidelines at level 2 but also USFK's own quarantine rules.

The government requested the USFK side to comply with quarantine guidelines through the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) channel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A government official said, "Even if there is a violation of quarantine guidelines on the base while strengthened social distancing is being implemented nationwide, it can be a serious concern from the local community's perspective," and emphasized "the need for sufficient measures by USFK and efforts to comply with quarantine guidelines to resolve this."

In response, USFK is reportedly planning to close the event venue within Camp Humphreys and take necessary measures including quarantine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.