U.S. troops in South Korea will continue to be restricted to their bases from 1 to 5 a.m. for "mission readiness," according to their top commander.
"This curfew is imposed due to operation and mission-readiness requirements," Gen. James Thurman, chief of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said in a recent memorandum carried by the Stars and Stripes, a U.S. military newspaper. "I expect USFK will maintain an appropriate state of awareness and mission preparedness for a significant period."
Former USFK leader Gen. Walter Sharp lifted a 9-year-long curfew in 2010.
Three months later, however, Thurman reintroduced it following a series of rapes and other criminal cases involving U.S. soldiers outside of their compounds, added the newspaper. (Yonhap News)
