Japanese Government on Edge as US Marine Arrested for Murder of Japanese Woman

[Anchor]

A U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Japanese woman. The Japanese government, which has been pushing to strengthen its military posture centered around Okinawa, is on edge amid a growing backlash against the U.S. military.

Correspondent Mun Junmo reports from Tokyo.

[Reporter]

Private First Class Devin Jacob Ballard, assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa, has been arrested by Japanese police.

He is accused of robbing and murdering a woman in her 30s at a hotel in Okinawa on October 3.

[Sanae Takaichi / Prime Minister of Japan (October 5): We strongly protest to the U.S. side and strongly demand full cooperation with the investigation, the establishment of strict military discipline, and the prevention of recurrence.]

Defense Minister Koizumi also summoned the commander of U.S. Forces Japan.

An official from the Prime Minister's Office explained, "This is an expression of our sense of crisis, recognizing this as a serious matter at the government level."

Behind this sense of crisis lies the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa.

Located in the middle of a residential area, Futenma Air Base has been called "the most dangerous base in the world" since a 1995 incident in which three U.S. service members abducted and sexually assaulted an elementary school student.

In last month's local election, a progressive candidate advocating for the complete removal of Futenma and a conservative candidate supporting relocation within Okinawa went head-to-head, with the conservative candidate backed by the Liberal Democratic Party emerging victorious.

With the birth of a conservative governor for the first time in 12 years, the Japanese government had also been encouraged in its efforts to beef up military power centered on Okinawa to keep China in check.

However, the latest incident is heightening backlash among Okinawa residents.

[Rally Participant: How many times do we, the residents of Okinawa prefecture, have to experience such frustrating and sorrowful feelings because of U.S. military crimes?]

Crimes committed by U.S. service members in Okinawa reached 101 cases last year, surpassing 100 for the first time in 22 years.

The Governor of Okinawa also added fuel to the angry public opinion by smiling while answering questions at a press conference.

Last night (October 5), an anti-U.S. military rally was held even in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo, leaving the Takaichi administration worried about setbacks to its defense plans as well as a decline in approval ratings.

(Photo courtesy of Yonhap News)

(Reported by Han Chul-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video edited by So Ji-hye | Design by Seo Seung-hyun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.