USFK Expresses Regret Over 'No-Mask Party'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The United States Forces Korea (USFK) officially expressed regret five days after a so-called 'No Mask Dance Party' took place on a base amid the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

On the 9th, the USFK Command issued a press release titled "Regret over Behavior on Base," stating, "We are aware of activities at two bases that demonstrated foolish judgment and actions inconsistent with USFK's core regulations and COVID-19 prevention measures."

It added, "These activities at Camp Humphreys (Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province) and Osan Air Base do not reflect USFK's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

It was confirmed that events violating quarantine guidelines occurred not only at Pyeongtaek but also at Osan Air Base. The Osan base event is reported to have taken place around the same time as the one in Pyeongtaek.

The USFK stated, "Until further notice, we will close the two facilities related to the recent incidents and continue to implement quarantine measures to ensure that base facilities comply with USFK's core regulations and the Korean government's social distancing guidelines."

On the same day, the USFK also posted a video on its Facebook account showing Lee Peters, the USFK Public Affairs Officer, reading a statement expressing regret.

Earlier, on the 4th, a salsa club dance party was held at a dining facility inside Camp Humphreys, where many attendees were seen dancing closely without masks or not wearing them properly, as revealed through social networking services (SNS), causing controversy. At that time, social distancing level 2 was in effect. After the incident became known, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the USFK to comply with quarantine guidelines through the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) channel, and the USFK reportedly made an apology call to Pyeongtaek city.

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