Osan Air Base is home to the 51st Fighter Wing and 7th Air Force in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. (Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Police in South Korea arrested a U.S. airman from Osan Air Base on suspicion of car theft and drunken driving after finding him sleeping in the vehicle on Sunday.
Police said the unidentified airman stole an unlocked car from in front of a hotel in Pyeongtaek, about 30 miles south of Seoul, at 1:14 a.m., a city police investigator told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.
South Korean officials regularly speak to the media on the customary condition of anonymity and do not reveal identifiable information of criminal suspects, including their name, age and military rank.
A technical sergeant from Osan was arrested Sunday by Pyeongtaek police, 7th Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Rachel Buitrago confirmed by email Thursday. “Any type of service member misconduct is unacceptable and is taken very seriously,” she said.
Buitrago declined to provide further information, citing the command’s ongoing investigation.
The airman drove erratically for roughly 550 yards before a wheel came off the car, the investigator said. The wheel was found on a farm next to the road.
Reports of a drunken driver brought Pyeongtaek police, who found the airman asleep in the driver’s seat, according to the investigator.
The airman’s blood alcohol level exceeded 0.03%, the legal limit for drivers in South Korea, although the investigator refused to disclose the exact result. By comparison, all 50 U.S. states have set 0.08% as the legal limit for driving under the influence or while impaired.
A drunken driving conviction in South Korea brings a potential two-year prison term and loss of a driver’s license, according to the Road Traffic Act.
The airman was promptly released to U.S. military police, the investigator said. U.S. Forces Korea maintains custody of its personnel in criminal matters unless they are accused of serious crimes like homicide.
The investigator said Pyeongtaek police plan to question the service member at a later date.
“[Osan Air Base] remains committed to being good ambassadors and neighbors with our host nation,” Buitrago said in her statement. “We will ensure full cooperation with Korean authorities in accordance with [the] Status of Forces Agreement.”
Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
