[2020 National Audit] Kim Jin-pyo "US Air Force Stores 1.33 Million Depleted Uranium Rounds at Suwon Military Airport"

"US Military Not Responsible for Personal or Property Damage in Case of Explosion"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] It has been revealed that the U.S. Air Force stores approximately 1.33 million depleted uranium rounds at military airfields (the 10th Fighter Wing of the Air Force) in the areas of Suwon and Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, while not taking responsibility for any resulting damages. In the event of an accident such as an explosion at the ammunition depot, it is estimated that at least about 20,000 households in the Suwon and Hwaseong areas could be affected.

According to the office of Kim Jin-pyo, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea, currently about 1.8 million depleted uranium rounds are stored at the Suwon 10th Fighter Wing ammunition depot and Osan Air Base. Of these, about 1.33 million rounds are stored solely in Suwon, managed by the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Depleted uranium rounds are shells made with depleted uranium, which is produced during the enrichment process of uranium for nuclear weapons or reactors. First used in the 1991 Gulf War, they have been criticized for causing a large number of leukemia and cancer patients and have been classified by the international community as inhumane weapons.

In particular, the 10th Fighter Wing ammunition depot was found to have the highest number of safety distance violations (48 cases) among military airfields nationwide in a 2016 investigation.

Within a 5 km radius of the ammunition depot are large apartment complexes such as Suwon I-Park City 3rd Complex (793 households), Suwon I-Park City 2nd Complex (1,135 households), Suwon I-Park City 7th Complex (1,596 households), Gwonseon Xi e-Pyeon Saeng (1,753 households), and Yeongtong I-Park Castle 2nd Complex (1,162 households), as well as Suwon Bus Terminal and Suwon City Hall. Counting only the major complexes, there are 16,017 households, and including smaller complexes, it is estimated to exceed 20,000 households.

The closest complex, Suwon I-Park City 5th Complex (1,152 households), is only 2.3 km in a straight line from the ammunition depot.

However, even if an explosion accident occurs, the U.S. military does not take responsibility for human or material damages. This is according to the “Agreement between the Republic of Korea Air Force and the United States Air Force on the Storage of United States Air Force Ammunition in the Republic of Korea Air Force Ammunition Facilities” (hereinafter the Magnum Agreement), first signed in 1975.

The agreement stipulates that "the U.S. government shall not be liable for injuries or damages to persons authorized to reside or enter designated explosive hazard areas, nor for damages to property or lives constructed or authorized to enter within explosive hazard areas."

Our military is responsible for the management and maintenance of depleted uranium rounds under this agreement. Although considered harmless to the human body, radiation is detected, so radiation levels are measured quarterly for the personnel in charge, and health checkups are conducted annually. Despite bearing considerable risks, the costs are effectively borne by us.

Additionally, the Republic of Korea Air Force charges the U.S. military a monthly service fee for storage and management, amounting to about 7 billion KRW annually. Initially, the fee was received from the U.S. military, but since the Special Measures Agreement on Defense Cost Sharing was signed in 1991, it has been offset against the defense cost-sharing payments we make to the U.S. In the end, our military is protecting U.S. uranium rounds with our own money.

Representative Kim said, "It is necessary to revise the agreement to strengthen safety measures or to firmly establish the U.S. side’s liability for compensation. Also, a joint investigation team between Korea and the U.S. should be formed to closely examine the expiration date of the ammunition and whether it can be relocated to another area."