PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — Six U.S. soldiers questioned in an alleged attack on two South Korean women in Daegu have denied wrongdoing, local police said Wednesday.
Police said they questioned the soldiers for two hours on Nov. 23 at the Daegu Central Police Station.
Police said the soldiers — two women and four men, all from Camp Walker — allegedly punched and kicked the two women when the pair tried to stop them from vandalizing a sign outside a restaurant about 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 18.
The women, a 37-year-old and her mother, 59, owned the restaurant, police have said.
Police said Wednesday they had no word on the women’s condition and on what injuries, if any, they might have sustained.
During questioning Nov. 23, the soldiers denied striking the women and said they had no intention of offering any financial compensation, police said Wednesday.
Moreover, police said, the six told them they were attacked by South Korean onlookers outside the restaurant. Police said that account conflicts with that of the two restaurant owners, who said onlookers had no physical contact with the soldiers.
The onlookers, according to police, said they only watched the alleged scuffle and then called police.
Police said they will question the onlookers further but do not plan to call the soldiers for further questioning.
Police on Wednesday repeated their earlier assertion that the soldiers had been drinking the night of the alleged attack but said they did not give the soldiers blood alcohol tests.
Lt. Col. Brodrick J. Bailey, chief spokesman for the 8th U.S. Army, said Wednesday the U.S. military was continuing to support the South Korean police investigation.
Bailey said he could not immediately provide further details on the case.
Stars and Stripes reporter Hwang Hae-rym contributed to this report.
