South Korean president warns of spreading anti-Americanism

SEOUL, South Korea -- President Kim Dae-jung expressed concern Tuesday about growing anti-Americanism in South Korea and ordered his Cabinet to "improve" rules governing 37,000 U.S. soldiers stationed here.

Many South Koreans are angry after U.S. military courts in November acquitted two American soldiers charged with negligent homicide in a traffic accident that killed two Korean teenage girls in June.

President Bush apologized for the accident, but that failed to stop protesters, who have staged sometimes violent demonstrations. Some broke into U.S. military installations or threw firebombs. There have been no injuries.

"Sound criticism of U.S. policies can be accepted but indiscriminate anti-Americanism is not helpful for our national interest," Kim told a Cabinet meeting.

"Illegal, violent demonstrations can never be justified under any circumstances, so the government will strictly deal with them by law."

Kim ordered his Cabinet to "work out measures to improve the status-of-forces agreement governing U.S. soldiers to prevent a recurrence of similar cases."

He said his defense minister, Lee Jun, will discuss the issue when he meets Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld in Washington this week for annual security consultations.