The article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
stipulates that the premises of a diplomatic mission, such as an embassy, are
inviolable and must not be entered by the host country except by permission of
the head of the mission. Furthermore, the host country must protect the mission
from intrusion or damage. The host country must never search the premises, nor
seize its documents or property. Article 30 extends this provision to the
private residence of the diplomats.
Nevertheless, unfortunately, a shameful incident took place in the
heart of Seoul on October 18, 2019 that a handful university students
identified as a coalition of progressive university students held a protest
against the U.S. troop presence in South Korea near the US ambassador’s
residence and several students climbed over the wall into the grounds of the
ambassador’s residence with ladders.
It was reported that the student group had shouted even in the
inside of the compound saying” Stop interfering with our domestic affairs,”
“Get out”, and we don’t need U.S. troops.” They were even holding a banner
saying “Leave this soil, Harris”.
The young students’ inconsiderate behavior has not only violated an
international treaty but also brought an unutterable disgrace to our country
writ large. As a matter of fact, the majority of the fellow countrymen were
dumbfounded at the news.
In this connection, what we the citizens are seriously worrying
about is the reason why the police officers on guard at the U.S. ambassador’s
residence didn’t restrain the students from climbing over the wall at the early
stage. As is often the case with the police suppression on protests, a
responsible police station is believed to have collected information that a
sort of protest would be held at a certain location in advance. For this
reason, the police authorities concerned with this case can hardly be free from
a severe blame.
The news media report that the police officers on guard didn’t
proactively prevent the student protesters from trespassing the ambassador’s
residence because they worried about possible injury of the protesters and
physical contacts especially with the female students in the course of being
arrested.
Consequently, the police officers on guard wasted more than an hour
time to wait for policewomen’s arrival at the scene that had eventually allowed
the student protesters to broadcast the pictures taken inside the compound
through its Face book account.
Whatever the circumstances were on the scene, the on-duty police
officers should have strictly barred the protesters from climbing over the wall
irrespective of local conditions whatsoever because the protection of foreign embassy premises and its personnel
is one of the highest priority responsibilities of the host country and what’s
more, the ambassador’s residence is an area of extraterritorial jurisdiction.
By doing so, the people around the world will find the decency of our country.
In addition, with regard to the current disgraceful incident, I the
writer of this article, would like to attach two photos that show a stark
contrast between the two particularly in
terms of the ladder usage.
In the first photo, the U.S. Marines made amphibious landing at
Incheon on September 15, 1950 during the Chromite operation commanded by
General MacArthur. The US soldiers were climbing over the embankment at the
risk of their own lives with ladders to preserve the freedom for the country
and people they neither known nor met before.
In the second photo, a group of student protesters of the country
saved by the US soldiers 69 years ago were climbing over the wall of the U.S.
ambassador’s residence in Seoul with ladders to hold an anti-America protest on
Friday, October 18, 2019.
In conclusion, I would like to urge our fellow countrymen not to
forget what the United States had done for us. “Let’s not bite the hand that
once fed us”.
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