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Article: Editorial; Controversy Over Defoliants Spraying.(Editorial)
- Article from:
- Korea Times (Seoul, Korea)
- Article date:
- November 18, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Hankook Ilbo. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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We are shocked at the news that toxic defoliants, notorious for having caused serious health problems among Vietnam War veterans, were sprayed in 1968 and 1969 along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea. What particularly bothers us is that this has been kept secret by the U.S. and Korean governments for the last 30 years.
Another appalling point is that the Korean soldiers spraying the toxic substances were not equipped with any protective gear. The first thing that comes to mind is that presumably a large number of Korean soldiers, exposed to the chemicals in the course of spraying, may have suffered from various chronic diseases ...