Members of the newly-established Republic of Korea (ROK) – U.S. Alliance Biological Defense Cooperation Joint Working Group (JWG) visited the Biological Identification Capability Set (BICS) training facility in Osan Air Base as part of their ongoing review of the Alliance biological defense programs to ensure that these programs continue to defend South Korea in a safe and effective manner.

This was the first visit to the BICS facility for the JWG since the facility was notified in May that it may have received potentially-live samples of anthrax, from a Department of Defense laboratory in the United States. Upon notification, Osan personnel destroyed all samples in accordance with established medical protocols.

“This joint working group is incorporating information from the Department of Defense review, and it will continue to ensure reliability and transparency of the ROK-US capabilities to defend the Republic of Korea,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hedelund, USFK Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategy, Plans, and Policy and the USFK lead for the JWG. “I am confident that this working group will build on the progress we have made as an Alliance since the date of the incident. Biological defense cooperation will continue to ensure that our Alliance remains ready to defend the Republic of Korea.”

Following the visit to the BICS facility, the ROK lead for the JWG commented on the progress made by the Alliance since DOD first alerted labs within the U.S. and other countries that they may have been inadvertent recipients of potentially-live anthrax samples.

“The JWG will review the background of anthrax delivery to and after measures at the Osan US Air Base. We will also come up with measures that could prevent recurrence of any similar incident in this sort.” said ROK Army Maj. Gen. Kyung-soo Jang, Director General for MND Policy Planning Bureau, and ROK lead.

The U.S. DOD Comprehensive Review was not specific to USFK or Korea. The Alliance continues to work together on the review of our biological defense programs to ensure that these programs continue in a safe and effective manner to protect the Korean people and our militaries.