Asia-Pacific

S Korea to probe alleged burial of Agent Orange

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-23 12:43

SEOUL - A joint inspection team composed of government officials and civilians is due to launch an on-site inspection of Camp Carroll, the suspected burial site of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange by the US military over 30 years ago, on Monday.

The move came after South Korea and the United States agreed to conduct a joint inquiry into allegations that the US military secretly dumped large amounts of Agent Orange at the US military base in Chilgok, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

After presiding over a government task force meeting on the toxic chemical issue on Sunday, Yook Dong-Han, a deputy minister at the Prime Minister's Office, said that the United States actively sought discussions with South Korea as they recognized the urgency and significance of the issue.

The US military will share with Seoul internal records related to environmental conditions at Camp Carroll and allow a group of experts and area residents to visit the base for inspection, Yook said.

The allegations of the massive dumping of the hazardous chemical by the US military came to the surface after a US television station reported, citing three US Army veterans, about 250 drums of the substance were buried in 1978 at Camp Carroll.

The news prompted Seoul's environment ministry to send last week a team of officials and experts to the site to check soil and underground water around the camp.