Korean Job Discussion Forums

[julian_w]

So it seems that US citizen and PFC Andre Michael Fisher currently resides within the walls of Seoul 'Prison' (Guchi Seo) in Poil Dong, Euiwang, in southern Gyeonggi Do.

Details remain frustratingly obscure and sketchy, and time is of the essence as his appeal date was set just the other day, for August the 9th. He has already been incarcerated since the first couple of months of the year. He has continued to profess his innocence throughout this time, and his friends, with him on the night of his 'arrest', remain devoted to supporting him, as does his stressed and doting family.

I am not asking you to solve the case, though i share any interest in seeing how it unfolds. I am asking you whether you can help firstly in supporting the person and spirit of Andre Michael Fisher, and his family, by bringing attention to your interest in knowing how the case unfolds. You can do these things easily, by contacting Andre by visiting him in Seoul Prison, and by contacting the family and friends via their facebook group here:
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=inbox&action=read&tid=w9G3cBBAJ3QtRzNDQYBY0Q#!/groups/fishercominghome?id=220924227944105&notif_t=group_activity

and, by contacting your local US or Korean consulate or embassy and asking them to simply to convey your expression of interest in the case, and particularly in the evidence.

[julian_w]

The 'original' news article is available here:

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-luz-hazleton-native-arrested-in-south-korea-20110708,0,2019089.story

[DaHu]

The only thing about prison I know is that everyone says they're innocent.

[julian_w]

[julian_w]

Latest update on the family's facebook page is a new news article which includes a few more interesting details:
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Area_parents_ask_for_help_over_son_rsquo_s_imprisonment_07-14-2011.html?pageType=mobile&id=1&start=1

[SeoulNate]

[World Traveler]

Do you think a Korean citizen would get two years in prison for stealing $88? I've read cases where rapists get no prison time at all here. Same with child molesters. And if they did it was under two years in prison. Do you think Andre Fisher got a longer sentence because he was American/a foreigner/black? I do. I also think he might be innocent.

[Captain Corea]

Sounds like the guys needs a better lawyer.

[julian_w]

@ SeoulNate: Thanks for your question.

I'm interested in this case for a collection of reasons, foremost amongst which are that the whole business seems quite curious, and, due to foreknowledge of the fallibility of the Korean 'justice' system ( - in much the same way as the New Zealand legal system is also fallible - ) particularly including a large set of local examples from recent history in Korea, and another set involving taxi drivers in particular.

There's a bit of discussion about it in the other recent thread, but generally, I'm about as lost in the lack of facts and details available as you or anyone else here, but, social justice issues interest me, and so I'm wondering if this is one such case, or not.

So to answer your question: My connection to the case is due to pure interest, both in the outcome of the story, and in the individual.

[nathanrutledge]

[litebear]

Agree with some of the other posters, considering the strings the US can pull across the world I find it hard to believe they would let an innocent man rot in a jail belonging to one of their closest allies.

Edit: I didn't word that very well. Just think it's weird about the lack of support from the US armed forces or govt, makes me think there must be something in it.

[rkc76sf]

[Died By Bear]

I remember getting into a taxi once, just after a group of four jackass young idiots got out. The driver, who was in his 60's and probably trying to make ends meet, was shortchanged by these young punks. I felt terrible and gave him the difference - his meter was reading 14,000 won and he shows me six dollars. They'd paid him in dollars and they were drunk, so it was "all good" to them.

WTF. Anyway, as for your friend, if he's innocent - then he'd better get a good lawyer. If he's guilty, let him rot. And I'm not saying he is guilty,because there's a conflict in every human heart between the rational and the irrational, between good and evil. The good does not always triumph. Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.

[sojusucks]

A church group might offer some support in the way of visits. It's up to you if you want to get a church involved.

[CentralCali]

It's not that hard to kick someone out of the military. One speedy ticket out is low evaluations. Another is, of course, incarceration by civil authorities. The subject of this thread and its companion thread happens to be covered under the Status of Forces Agreement, aka SOFA. That agreement provides for a few nifty details, one of which is that Fisher won't be separated from the US Army while he's still resident in South Korea. Another detail is that the US military is required to have scheduled visits with him during the entire course of his incarceration here.

To the poster who mentioned something about the US military "letting one of their people sit in jail falsely": well, it's not the military's choice. It's the decision of the Korean courts how long Fisher will spend in jail. The US military will fulfill its obligations to him (health and welfare visits, visits from the military Chaplain, and other permitted/required actions under the SOFA).

To the OP: Fisher's family and friends seem to want some kind of campaign getting the US government and even their local government involved. The US government is involved. The part of the government involved is the US Army. Now, you and they might be interested in this tidbit from the US Embassy in Seoul: