STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG

THE TIME OF INDIA
Sunday 21 November 1999
 
Vietnam War veterans' association take calls from Agent Orange victims
SEOUL: A Vietnam War veterans' association said it began taking calls
Saturday from former South Korean soldiers believed to have been exposed
to Agent Orange while spraying the toxic chemical at the border with
North Korea 30 years ago.
About a dozen people called to register as Agent Orange victims during
the first three hours, said officials at the association of Vietnam War
veterans suffering from exposure to Agent Orange. South Korean officials
confirmed media reports early this week that at least 50,000 soldiers
manually sprayed Agent Orange and two other defoliants along the
demilitarized zone with North Korea in 1968 and 1969 to kill foliage
that was providing cover for Northern infiltrators.
The chemical contains dioxin, which is believed to cause cancer,
deformities and birth defects. Meanwhile, the Vietnam War veterans'
group noted many of those who might have been exposed to Agent Orange in
South Korea would be the same who were exposed to the toxic chemical
while fighting in Vietnam.
"Many soldiers served near the demilitarized zone and then were sent to
Vietnam. And vice versa," said Kim Bok-soo, a spokesman for the group.
"We believe many would have been exposed to Agent Orange twice - in
Korea and Vietnam" The association is waging its own legal battle for
compensation. It is seeking 5.16 trillion won ($4.3 billion) in
compensation from two U.S. Agent Orange manufacturers - Dow Chemical and
Monsato - which have business operations in South Korea, and another $1
billion from the U.S. government.
About 320,000 South Koreans fought in the Vietnam War - more than any
other nationality except Americans and South Vietnamese. About 32,000 of
them are believed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Also on
Saturday, North Korea used the Agent Orange issue to launch one of its
frequent rhetorical attacks against its southern rival.
"This shows how frantic the South Korean authorities have become in
their arms buildup for a war against the North," said the Korean Central
News Agency, the North's overseas news outlet. (AP)