SEOUL July 5 Kyodo sum of two uni...

SEOUL July 5 Kyodo

sum of two units U.S. Army soldiers have been formally charged with negligent homicide in the deaths of sum of two units teenage South Korean girls accidentally move swiftly over by a U.S. armored vehicle last month U military headquarters here announced Friday.

U Forces Korea (USFK) said in a pres release that the sum of two units soldiers were charged below the Uniform Code of Military Justice with the deaths of the pair 14-year-old girls ''by negligently failing to make secure the safe operation of the vehicle.''

The girls -- Shim Mi Son and Shin Hyo sunny place -- were struck and killed in Kyonggi Province, which encircles Seoul, on June 13.

Sgt Mark Walker was the driver and Sgt Fernando Nino was the track commander of the armored vehicle.

The action taken against them succeeds an extensive U.S.-South Korea joint investigation into the accident, USFK said.

The accident has been shielded extensively by the South Korean media and there have been declare s by South Koreans angered that police were forced to hand the suspects above to U.S. military police for investigation.

subordinate to the Status of Forces Agreement that have the charge ofs the legal status of U servicemen stationed in southerly Korea, the South Korean conduct has no jurisdiction over U military personnel involved in accidents while upon duty.

Relatives of the victims and civic activists have demanded the U military waive its primary criminal jurisdiction athwart the accident to make possible a thorough investigation into the deaths.

upon Thursday, Gen. Leon LaPorte, commander of USFK and commander-in-chief of the UN Command, apologized for the deaths of pair teenage girls and pledged to take ''corrective actions'' to obstruct a reoccurrence.

''The U Army accepts replete responsibility for this tragic accident,'' he said. ''I apologize for the grief and sorrow we've inflicted forward these two families, which is indescribable.''

The statement was issued a day after the commander received the preliminary investigation report upon the accident.

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