RoK veterans’ group condemns AO/dioxin use in Vietnam
The Korean Healthy Security Measures Association (KHSMA), an advocacy group for war veterans, held a press conference with foreign correspondents on May 27 in Seoul to condemn the use of Agent Orange during the war in Vietnam and protest the lack of compensation from the US administration for all the victims in the Republic of Korea (RoK) of the toxic chemical.
Seoul (VNA) – The Korean Healthy Security Measures Association (KHSMA), anadvocacy group for war veterans, held a press conference with foreigncorrespondents on May 27 in Seoul to condemn the use of Agent Orange during thewar in Vietnam and protest the lack of compensation from the US administrationfor all the victims in the Republic of Korea (RoK) of the toxic chemical.
At the event, KHSMA Chairman Kim Sung-woong said that the association aimed to receive the unpaid combat allowances that should have been granted to RoKveterans at least five decades ago.
Millions of people are known to have been exposed totoxic chemicals, used by the US forces during the war in Vietnam, sufferingfrom deadly diseases such as cancers, nerve disorders, skin disorders, andbirth defects.
Speakingat the press conference, Kim said up to 240,000 veterans of the US and someother countries who fought in the war in Vietnam received compensation worth3,700 USD each, yet there were no combat allowances for the 23,000 AO victimsin the RoK.
Heunderlined that AO is a chemical weapon and the use of it in the war in Vietnamwas a crime against humanity. As many as 26 AO victims of the RoK filed alawsuit to a US court in July 1994, yet the lawsuit was rejected and there was nocompensation given.
The USsprayed some 80 million litres of toxic chemicals in Vietnam during the war, 61percent of which was AO containing 366 kg of dioxin. As a result, more than 3million ha of forested land was destroyed, while basic water and food sourcesfor millions of people were contaminated.
Preliminarystatistics showed 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to AO/dioxin. Tensof thousands of people died from exposure, while millions of others went on tosuffer from cancer and other incurable diseases. The children and grandchildrenof many victims have been affected with birth deformities. –VNA
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At the press conference (Photo: VNA) 
