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Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn said yesterday that Seoul and Washington would begin negotiations on revising the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) within two weeks as scheduled, calling for the public to refrain from engaging in anti-American activities.

"As the two sides previously announced, we will wait no longer than two weeks before launching the revision process," Lee told reporters. He expressed concerns with a recent series of violent protests against the bilateral accord that were sparked by mishaps involving U.S. soldiers stationed here.

"I hope that South Koreans will refrain from such undesirable, radical acts, as these could adversely affect Korea-U.S. relations," he said.

Anti-American sentiment surged among South Korean students and civic groups recently when a U.S. fighter experiencing engine trouble dropped bombs on a training range near Maehyang-ri, a village some 80km south of Seoul, to reduce its weight.

The accident followed a string of crimes allegedly committed by G.I.s, including the murder of a South Korean waitress. The incidents have prompted South Koreans to renew their long-standing calls for the revision of the SOFA, which they believe favors the interests of American soldiers.

The SOFA regulations,which Seoul and Washington agreed on in 1966, govern the status of 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in Korea and their use of land and facilities here. The most contentious clause prevents South Korean authorities from taking U.S. suspects into custody until they are convicted.

"At the upcoming negotiations, the government will try its best to guarantee the early handover of these criminals and add a clause concerning environmental problems (involving U.S. troops)," Lee said.

As for the Maehyang-ri incident, Seoul will compensate the civilians affected for their injuries and property damage as soon as the U.S.-Korean joint probe proves their losses, he said.

"I'm well aware that residents living near U.S. military bases are suffering. But we should keep in mind that the U.S. soldiers need grounds and facilities to continue their duty of defending the nation jointly with us," the foreign minister stressed.

The SOFA, which was revised once in 1991, has come under increased fire since the two sides suspended discussions on a second revision in 1996.

In March, South Korean Defense Minister Cho Seong-tae and visiting U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen agreed to reopen the SOFA talks by the end of April, but the two governments later delayed them until the end of this month.