The US has acted swiftly over the accidental killing of a Korean woman by a military vehicle, in an attempt to avoid the massive public protests which followed a similar incident three years ago.
Kim Myeong-ja, 51, was killed instantly when she was struck by a 2.5-tonne US Forces Korea truck in Kyonggi province, just outside of Seoul on Friday. Police say she was delivering milk and yoghurt.
Within hours of the incident, Lieutenant-General Charles Campbell, commanding general of the Eighth US Army, issued an apology expressing his condolences, while General Leon LaPorte, commander of US forces in South Korea, visited the hospital where services were held for Kim and met her family.
The accident was also raised during a meeting between US President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday.
'We send our deepest sympathies to the woman's families. And I just want you to know our hearts are sad as a result of this incident,' Mr Bush said, expressing his country's 'deepest condolences'.
The rapid response by the US authorities reflects the acute sensitivity to South Korean public sentiment, after the death three years ago of two schoolgirls who were crushed by a US tank. A US court-martial acquitted the two drivers.
