August 9, 2021

Originally a friend recommended that I post what I translated

Originally, i did it to learn the language. I translated news articles mostly. She encouraged me to write down what i was doing. I listened to songs and memorized them when I was a driver to pass the time. Eventually i realized how beautiful some of the song lyrics were and began writing them down. When my friend died I translated this song:

친구여 조용필 가사 Dear Friend, by Jo Yong Pil, lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=fCTbT85876s

꿈은 A dream
하늘에서 잠자고 In the sky sleeping
추억은 Memory
구름따라 흐르고 flows following clouds
친구여 Dear Friend
모습은 어딜 갔나 Your visage, where has it gone?
그리운 친구여 Missed dear friend.

옛 일 Past days
생각이 날때마다 each time those thoughts arise,
우리 our
잃어버린 정 찾아 lost affection, I seek
친구여 Dear Friend
꿈속에서 만날까 in a dream shall we meet
조용히 눈을 감네 Quietly, close our eyes

슬픔도 기쁨도 Sadness and Joy too,
외로움도 함께 했지 loneliness too, we had together.
부푼 꿈 을 안고 Risen dream, embrace
내일을 다짐하던 Tomorrow, our promised
우리 굳 센 약속 어디에 Our sure strong pledge where is it?

꿈은 The dream
하늘에서 잠자고 Sleeps in heaven
추억은 The memory
구름따라 흐르고 flows following clouds
친구여 Dear Friend
모습은 어딜 갔나 Your visage, where has it gone?
그리운 친구여 Missed dear friend.

If overtaken by events and I stop to listen to or work on some translation of a beautiful song, it restores my sense of balance and well being. I know poetry or other great art can do the same. These are not my lyrics, but I want others to experience the beauty of these songs.

August 9, 2021

South Korea: Current presidential candidate standings, as of August 5.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 8.8) Joongang survey of public opinion from 8.3 to 8.5: percent approval of leading presidential candidates: Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggido, democratic party, 25% ; Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General, People's Power Party, 19 %; Lee Nak-yon, national assembly member, former prime minister and party leader, democratic party, 11 % ; and Choi Jae-hyung, former government audit agency head, PPP, 4%.


(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 8.8) This line chart follows chronologically from Feb 2021 week one (left) fitness for presidential office opinions by percentage surveyed by NBS up to the first week in August (right) for the top three candidates: Lee Jae-myung, democratic party (top blue line, 28% ); Yoon Seok-yeol, PPP candidate (red line, 22% ); and Lee Nak-yon, democratic party (blue-green line, 10% ).

Lee Jae-myung, is the popular democratic governor of Gyeonggi Do (province) a major suburban area around Seoul. He is regarded as the progressive candidate. Yoon Seok-yeol is the conservative independent candidate who just joined the PPP conservative opposition party. Yoon is a former prosecutor whose family is embroiled in controversy and legal investigations. It is widely believed by critics in social media that Yoon and his family are corrupt. His supporters claim that the allegations against him, his spouse and mother in law are politically motivated and unproven. The conservative mainstream media support him. His mother in law was recently sent to prison for a medical benefits fraud scheme after her first trial. The decision is being appealed.

Lee Nak-yon, is the centrist democratic candidate whose criticisms of former democratic Justice Minister Cho Guk (now subject to prosecution initiated and allegedly politically motivated by Yoon) has eroded his support somewhat inside the democratic party. Lee Nak-yon's expressed desire to pardon former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, has also lessened his popular support recently. Choi Jae-hyung, who like Yoon Seok-yeol, held an important post in the democratic Moon Jae-in administration, is regarded as something as an opportunist now posing as a rock ribbed conservative. The presence of Yoon and Choi as PPP candidates is believed to reflect a weak conservative field of candidates. Party primaries initial and secondary, and party designations of their respective candidates have not taken place and won't be completed till fall 2021. The presidential election is scheduled for March 6, 2022.

August 7, 2021

죽창가 Bamboo Spear Song

The original poem is attributed to Kim Nam-ju ( 故 김남주 시인 ) according to an article in the International Newspaper July 16, 2019 shortly after the final episode of the dramatic series Noktu Flower ( 녹두꽃 ). Noktu Flower portrays the Tonghak reform movement in late 19th Century Chosun.*

* 조국 게재한 죽창가 가사 내용은? 정치권 의견 분분, 이영실 기자, 7.16.19 국제신문 ; http://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=0100&key=20190716.99099007677

This mountain village, soar together!
Let's become a flower. The flower
nurtured by falling tears and broken feet
let's become noktu flowers

This mountain valley all together take flight!
Lets become a bird. A bird
To north and south it cries,
Let's become the flying blue bird

This field alight together
Let's become a fire. A fire
burning plains lighting the darkness
Let's become the field afire

Let's do that, it's time for that
One more time, this village
Let's become a rebellion
Green pine green bamboo fixed in our heart
Let's become the bamboo spear

( 죽창가 / 김남주 시, 김경주 곡 )

I've taken a liberal rather than literal interpretation in order to convey the aesthetic and emotional appeal of the original in hangul. From watching the Noktu Flower drama series and learning from other sources about the period I tried to capture the spirit of the uprising's Bamboo Spear Hymn. The poem by Kim Nam-ju won a literary award in 1989. At some earlier point it was set to music by Kim Kyeong-ju, and sung by college students during the uprising against the Chun Du-hwan dictatorship. A song with similar imagery actually arose during the Tonghak rebellion period. There is an academic argument about the use of the symbolism of the "blue birds" as compared to the use of the symbol in '새야새야' ( Birds! Birds! )a folk song from the period in which the birds could be interpreted to symbolize invading foreign armies alighting on the mung bean (noktu) fields offending the spirit of the ancestors whose souls reside there to ward off the birds.* The seasonal coming and going of the birds takes a entirely different meaning in The Bamboo Spear Song.

*조국 수석의 '죽창가' 인용, 무엇이 문제란 말인가? 19.07.23 12:01l최종 업데이트 19.07.23 19:05l추준우 ; http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002555923

The poem and the song are politically controversial in the early stages of the current South Korean presidential political campaign. It is said by conservatives to represent "harmful" populist nationalism in South Korean politics. There is more on the historical background of the poem in the article at the link below:

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/08/bamboo-spear-song.html

July 29, 2021

Mistranslated doctoral thesis title triggers plagiarism review rocking South Korean politics

Is it hostess "Julie" or "member Yugi?" Only the Kookmin University research ethics committee can decide. Or can it?




(Source- 언론알아야바꾼다 youtube 7.28 ) Kim Geon-hee: I was too busy getting my bachelors, masters, and doctorate to have the time to also work as "Julie."

This sordid episode in ongoing saga of presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol's family corruption came to a head when the leading conservative candidate's wife Kim Geon-hee decided to talk to the press about her alleged wrongful acts in the past. Specifically, she decided to publicly address the viral internet rumors that, years ago, she was employed as a hostess at the night club in the Renaissance Ramada Hotel in Seoul. The allegations originated with the independent investigative web site 열린공감TV on youtube.

....

So Kim chose to defend her reputation publicly by stating in a friendly media interview that allegations about her prior secret life as hostess Julie couldn't be true because she was too busy at the time working on her bachelors, masters, and doctors degrees.


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(Source- 언론알아야바꾼다 youtube 7.28 ) Thesis cover page title: Research study concerning online Fortune Contents user satisfaction or dissatisfaction according to member retention or loss. The now infamous "member Yuji" mistranslation is highlighted in the red box for emphasis. The garbled English translation of the title also shows the translator had difficulty with the reversed syntax in the original Korean title.


Unfortunately, one enterprising reporter obtained some documentation related to Kim's alleged doctorate dissertation, the cover of which appears in the image above. The title page of the thesis reveals two things almost instantly upon a cursory look. The first is that the putative author Kim, really had no idea what the paper was about, because she or someone else obviously mistranslated the title into unintelligible nonsense in which the expression "member Yuji" replaces the expression "member retention," in a marketing research study to evaluate the effectiveness of promotional contents by researching the retention or loss of members of an online marketing enterprise. The error appears to be a common one occurring in mechanical translation applications devoid of context knowledge. Observers joke that it must have been google translate. What it implies is that the author had no knowledge of the context of the thesis either. The second obvious implication in the nonsensical thesis title translation is that a doctoral review committee (ethically) could not have possibly let such a gross error pass through it's academic review. To be precise, it raises the issue whether any such review even occurred.


(Source- 언론알아야바꾼다 youtube 7.28 ) The materials concerning the alleged improper research were submitted for ethics review at Kookmin University on July 6. They have 30 days to for the ethics committee to assemble and discuss formation of a preliminary investigation committee (by Aug 5); The preliminary investigation committee has thirty days (by 9.4) to make findings and to decide whether the calling of the main ethics review investigation committee is required. If the main investigation is required by a formal committee, then it must be formed and meet within thirty days (by 10.4); the main committee then has 90 days to make its findings and final recommendation (by 1.2.2022); the University issues a final judgement by 2.2.2022 (required within six months).

Other aspects of the suspicious nature of the thesis involve independent assessments that large portions of the thesis text are plagiarized. Necessarily, Kookmin University was prompted to initiate what appears to be a rather labored and time consuming administrative investigation and review process which includes a preliminary investigation, the formulation a preliminary investigative committee, the report on its findings, and if warranted, the submission of the findings to a formal consideration by a broader academic ethics review committee yet to be formed, and then a final report on its findings and recommendation. The final decision by the university doesn't have to take place until February 2, 2022, approximately one month before the presidential election March 6, 2022. It almost seems as if the entire schedule were formulated with a view toward the electoral process.

One could easily anticipate that the Yoon family will litigate to interpose a legal injunction of the formal academic ethics review proceeding at some point, as a violation of the prospective first lady's constitutional rights. This is what Yoon did to avoid his suspension by the Justice Ministry's committee appointed to investigate his professional misconduct. Between the injunction and Yoon's later resignation as Prosecutor General of South Korea, the disciplinary committee's findings of professional misconduct and sanctions had no effect whatever on Yoon. Yoon resigned ostensibly to comply with the one year cooling off period that some unelected government officials must abide by to qualify to run for elective office. Yoon is currently the leading conservative candidate running for president of South Korea.

I edited out some of the more salacious allegations. The original is here:

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/07/is-it-member-yuji-or-hostess-julie.html

July 20, 2021

(South Korea) President Moon's "coattails" helping democratic candidate Lee Jae-myung

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Moon Jae-in's remarkable political resilience demonstrated in July 17-18 Korea Research survey of 1,015 persons commissioned by MBC News. Approval 44.2, disapproval 51.6 percent. The term coattails now being applied to President Moon rather than lame duck.


(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) This chart demonstrates the relative support for the presidents of the democratic period in South Korea at the end of the first quarter in the third, fourth, and fifth years in office in their respective 5 year, one term presidencies. Bar graph (left side) From Kim Young-sam, (bottom, earliest), up to (top) Moon Jae-in, the current president of South Korea. The line graph (right) reflects support for each president over their respective five year terms comparatively. In the current period of the 5th year, Moon 43%, Park Geun-hye, impeached, Lee Myung-bak 25%, No Mu-hyun 16%, Kim Dae-jung 33%, and Kim Young-sam 14%. The South Korea Gallup poll is credited as the source. Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung is the only former president with numbers nearly as strong as current democratic President of South Korea Moon Jae-in. Kim Dae-jung's presidency was followed by that of another democratic party president, No Mu-hyun.


(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung, democratic Gyeonggido governor, 27.1 percent; Yoon Seok-yeol, unaffiliated conservative candidate, 19.7 percent; and Lee Nak-yeon, former democratic prime minister, 14.6 percent.


(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Lee Jae-myung, leading democratic party candidate for president at this point versus the three currently declared conservative candidates for president: against Yoon Seok-yeol, 44.0% over 34.9% (top line); against Choi Jae-hyung (middle) 46.8% over 25.3% ; and against Hong Chun-pyo (bottom) 49.1% over 23.9%. About 3 percent of the respondents wouldn't vote for these candidates and from about 18 to 25 percent of those queried either didn't know, were unavailable or didn't answer. It's early in the election campaign cycle, but if these numbers held up, and Lee Jae-myung wins the democratic primary, he would win the presidency in the March 2022.


(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 7.19) Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung at the "candlelight revolution" demonstrations in early 2017 calling for the impeachment of then conservative President Park Geun-hye. The caption under the photo says "following the precedent." Millions of ordinary South Koreans turned out for these demonstrations against corruption and authoritarianism in the conservative administration at that time. It was this movement that resulted in Moon Jae-in's election as President of South Korea. Thus far, he has proved resilient in the face of consistent criticism in conservative media in South Korea, and the US and Japan. Ironically, the placards in the photo calling for impeachment say "by way of the people's power, impeach." The current conservative party opposition in South Korea uses the term "people's power" in the most recently adopted name for their party, People's Power Party.

July 4, 2021

Recent South Korean Presidential Campaign Polling results

(Source- 알리미 황희두 7.3 youtube) 윤석열 지지율 폭락!! etc. Yoon Seok-yeol's support suddenly drops!

This poll was taken after Yoon's June 29 announcement which I described briefly in an earlier post. It is not clear if the poll was finished before Yoon's mother in law's conviction for medical fraud on July 2. The first bar graph shows that Lee Jae-myung, the leading democratic party candidate, has taken an 8 point lead over Yoon Seok-yeol, the leading conservative candidate in a head to head survey. The second graph above shows the results in a theoretical 3 way contest with Yoon running an independent candidacy outside the main conservative party (the so called People's Power Party). In this hypothetical three way contest a nominal PPP candidate would take 9.5 percent of votes reducing Yoon's support to 29.8 percent. Obviously there are all the caveats concerning polls, margins of error, and making inferences so early in the campaign season.


( Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 7.3 youtube) '리서치뷰'의 충격 여론조사 발표!! etc.  Research Review shocking public opinion survey results...

A similar poll examination of a hypothetical three way race among conservative Yoon, and the two leading democratic party candidates is show above. This puts Lee Jae-myung, the leading democratic candidate for president in a dead heat against Yoon Seok-yeol, with spoiler democrat Lee Nak-yeon in a distant third place at 9.5 percent. Lee Nak-yeon's campaign is in distress since he recommended that former conservative presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, both currently in prison for corruption be pardoned for their crimes. His support plummeted precipitously after that.


( Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 7.3 youtube)  Lee Nak-yeon, "I was against the appointment of Cho Guk (as Justice Minister)."

Lee Nak-yeon appeared with other democratic hopefuls in a democratic candidates meet the public interview session on national television yesterday. Lee Nak-yeon and the other minor candidates for president in the democratic party spent their time nitpicking at the leading candidate Lee Jae-myung, the current governor of Gyeonggido, a large province surrounding Seoul. Lee "JM" is somewhat progressive with a proposal for universal basic income and a strong management style regarding economic challenges facing his province and the country. With the exception of the former Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae, the other democratic candidates don't present strong policy initiatives consistent with the current Moon administration's approach.

Alternatively, Lee Nak-yeon as shown by the graphic was distinguished by the poor decision to shoot himself in the foot by criticizing the Moon administration's appointment of Cho Guk as Justice Minister, which has been a debacle, since the indictment and arrest of his wife, and the related indictment of himself, both of which were allegedly ordered by Yoon personally, when he was the Prosecutor General. Many democratic party rank and file members regard the Cho Guk indictments and trials as a politically motivated witch hunt, because Cho was the point man for the long standing democratic party's desire to reform the administration of justice in South Korea.

Lee Nak-yeon claimed in the televised interview, that he (as prime minister) advised the Moon administration two days before Cho Guk's appointment that he was against it. This public admission by Lee Nak-yeon is sure to be viewed very unfavorably by many democrats and will probably reduce his support further. Cho Guk was forced to resign a little more than a month into his appointment by the political uproar concerning the alleged corruption of his wife and himself. He was portrayed, by the opposition party and the conservative press, as a hypocrite as a reform minded politician. It also needs to be observed that Cho Guk would no doubt be a leading presidential candidate today but for these events.  He and his spouse, who was sentenced to four years imprisonment in a trial of dubious fairness, are still embroiled in criminal litigation. His wife is in prison pending the results of her trial on review. Cho Guk's recent memoir of his experience being run out of office and of the politically motivated persecution of his family is currently a best seller in South Korea.

Cho's successor as justice minister, Chu Mi-ae, appears to have orchestrated a solid personnel strategy of dismantling Yoon Seok-yeol's politically oriented machine inside the prosecution offices nationally. Yoon has been tainted with a second disciplinary committee decision finding he breached his professional duties as prosecutor while in office. This measure was directed by Chu Mi-ae and unfortunately squelched (wrongly as it turns out) by an administrative review court temporary injunction. Recently, the Constitutional Court rejected Yoon's appeal of the judgement by the disciplinary committee, but he had already left the Prosecutor General position to run for president. Chu Mi-ae is regarded as having turned in a consistent and principle driven performance at the televised public interview, having maintained her commitment to carry out the necessary political reforms to save the South Korean democracy from corruption and authoritarian practices. Ironically, Yoon had claimed this was his intent in declaring himself a presidential candidate on June 29, to prevent the democratic threat to democracy and stop dictatorship in the making in a ridiculous hyperbole projecting his own authoritarian characteristics onto the democratic administration. Yoon's drive to become President of the Korean Republic has the appearance of a desperate effort to stop further criminal investigations of his family and himself.

July 2, 2021

Kim Hong-do, Korea's Renaissance Painter

(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube, Sept 25, 2020; KBS 한국사전 – 조선의 르네상스를 그리다, 단원 김홍도 / KBS 2007.10.13 방송 )

This is portion of a hanging scroll in the Yongjusa temple in Hwaseong. Kim Hong-do was an artist employed by the court of King Jeongjo. The temple's famous scroll hanging painting by Kim Hong-do has Seokamoni in center, Amitaba to the right and Bhaisajyaguru to the left. Kim and his artists worked on this Buddhist image hanging scroll for 216 days. Prior to painting this scroll, Jeongjo had sent Kim Hong-do and another artist to Beijing to seek out according to his interest art techniques that could be brought back to Korea. There Kim was exposed to currently unknown western art works on display in a protestant church. Kim adopted the techniques he observed there and later used at Yongjusa. In particular he observed and mastered the techniques of perspective and chiaroscuro from the western renaissance style he observed in religious art to give his paintings a life like quality previously unseen in Korea. He is therefore known as Korea's "renaissance artist."

Yongjoosa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is located in on the slopes of Hwasan in Taean-eup, Hwaseong, in the province of Gyeonggi, South Korea. The temple's name means "dragon jewel temple."
...
The temple was initially established in 854 AD, under the name Garyangsa. It was expanded in the 10th century. It was rebuilt in the late 18th century under the orders of Jeongjo in honor of his deceased father, Prince Sado. This is one of few cases where the Joseon royal house supported Buddhism directly. At this time the temple changed to its current name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongjusa

Kim Hong-do was the official court painter for King Jeongjo of Chosun. His paintings of formal court occasions are treasured records of formal Chosun rites, customs and organization. The most famous depictions are the paintings of a procession outside the palace to Hwaseong where Joengjo's father Prince Sado was buried. This is the famous Panchado recording the hwigwoe of King Seongjo's mother (Prince Sado's widow) on the occassion of her sixtieth birthday. The size and order of the procession depict the power of the royal family for the public to see. The procession took place in February 1795. It was planned for two years by King Seongjo. The official record of the royal procession was printed with metal movable type and recorded in multiple volumes. It was completed in 1797. Six thousand persons and 1400 horses were required for the procession. The train of participants extended for four kilometers. Kim Hong-do supervised the royal court's team of artists painting the procession The Panchado depicting the composition of the procession in its entirety is 15 meters long. The court procession is composed of nobles, soldiers, scholars, and civil servants. The royal procession proceeded to the new Hwaseong fortress built in Suwon traveling through the countryside. After his arrival there, Jeongjo excersized the five thousand soldiers of his guard day and night at Hwaseong in a demonstration of his power, to the nobles of the Noron faction who had intrigued against his father. Having restored his father's prestige, Jeongjo began his return to Seoul. This is just a small portion of the procession painting:


(Source- 이명관 기자 mklee kyeonggi.com, 2015. 11. 03 )

Here are other paintings of the Hwigwoe from folding screens:


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube, Sept 25, 2020; KBS 한국사전 – 조선의 르네상스를 그리다, 단원 김홍도 / KBS 2007.10.13 방송 ) The procession crossing the Han River at Noryangjin. This is just a part of one panel of a four panel folding screen.


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube, Sept 25, 2020) KBS 한국사전 – 조선의 르네상스를 그리다, 단원 김홍도 / KBS 2007.10.13 방송 )
Temporary palace at Siheung on the road back to Hanyang (Seoul). This image is part of one panel in an eight panel folding screen depicting the activities of the procession group at Siheung. The royal court on the road could hear grievances of the people, dispense surplus food, and entertain the elderly from village communities.

Below are two pictures are from Kim Hong-do's later life after the death of his sponsor King Jeongjo. Kim is famous for his lifelike portrayals of everyday Koreans of his time in the activities of daily life.


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube Sept 25, 2020 )


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube Sept 25, 2020 )

June 30, 2021

South Korea: Yoon Seok-yeol's controversial presidential campaign announcement poorly received

(Source- Ohmynews youtube 6.30) Yoon Seok-yeol, "Singing the ideologically biased 'Chuk chang ga' (independence fighter song) has brought us to this point (state of affairs with Japan)."


Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol arranged to officially announce his campaign to be the next president of South Korea on June 29 at the Seoul, Seocho Gu, Yoon Bong-gil Memorial. Yoon Bong-gil was a famous independence fighter who attacked Japanese dignitaries in Shanghai in 1932 killing and wounding several Japanese diplomats and general officers. During his presentation Yoon made a derogatory reference to the independence fighters’ song “chuk chang ga” suggesting that such sentiments toward Japan were no longer relevant and their emphasis by the current Moon administration had brought relations with Japan to a new low. He also commented that the issues of the so called comfort women and forced labor problems with Japan harmed South Korean security and trade and needed to be resolved. He further asserted that the 2 plus 2 talks with the US needed to be expanded to include Japan. In other words 3 plus 3 talks should take place on a regular basis. Yoon said that South Korean needed to resolve it’s outstanding issues with Japan by putting everything on the table to achieve a “grand bargain.” As to what steps, compromises, or concessions South Korea needed to make to achieve such a “grand bargain” he failed to specify.


Yoon’s statements critical of the foreign policy of South Korea were not well received. It was pointed out that they were made inappropriately in the venue he had chosen for his partisan political announcement and press conference. The issue was raised almost immediately that the office of President of South Korea was not in position to overrule a legal determination by the Supreme Court regarding the forced labor ruling against Mitsubishi for its war crimes against Korean workers. It was also questioned what view he must take of the previous Park government’s interference causing the delay in the administration of justice of the slave labor cases until the time of the Moon administration. The cases had been pending for years. So what exactly is the criticism of Moon Jae-in on this issue? The Park government’s agreement with Japan concerning the comfort women was made with no consultation with surviving victims of sex slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army nor with any of their survivors. Raising the current issues of trade and security with Japan have been consistently and rudely rebuffed by Japan since the democratic administration took power.


Yoon announced his candidacy and took the opportunity to adopt a pro-Japanese criticism of Moon Jae-in. Yoon’s presentation was poorly received and had an immediate negative impact on his public support. Yoon’s announcement and press conference was criticized by another opposition party presidential candidate who described Yoon as arrogant, acting like a boss, having poor political judgement, and other ad hominem criticisms without addressing the pro-Japanese issue, which is a minefield best avoided on the right. Other observers noted Yoon’s nervous twitch, (his constant back and forth neck rotation) and his general unresponsiveness to reporters’ questions. One pundit observed that Yoon is accustomed to deference from obsequious junior reporters on the judicial beat, and doesn’t know how to react to more senior reporters covering the national political stage where his arrogance ill serves him.


Unfavorable comments about Yoon in mainstream broadcast and press media have been unheard of until the last couple of weeks because of South Korean media’s overwhelmingly conservative bias. Yoon refuses to discuss allegations of corruption by his wife and mother in law and the conservative press rarely if ever mentions it. Yoon’s mother in law is currently subject to a impending verdict announcement in a medical fraud case expected in July. Issues concerning Yoon’s political bias while in office were confirmed by Constitutional Court decision last week. This judgement may perhaps be viewed as a moot political point and was not covered in the mainstream Cho-Joong- Dong conservative media. Yoon had avoided the committee’s decision by obtaining a temporary injunction from an administrative review court. Then he resigned from the Prosecutor General position to meet “cooling off” requirements for public officials under a new election law. The high court dismissed Yoon’s appeal of the adverse disciplinary decision against him. Yoon’s legal arguments against the disciplinary committee which sentenced him to a two month suspension for professional derelictions of duty failed. He was disciplined by an administrative committee formed by the justice ministry. The committee found Yoon had investigated judges illegally, failed to maintain a politically neutral posture as a public prosecutor, and interfered in a case involving his subordinate. Yoon’s appeal was found to be legally insufficient.


Yoon has little political experience outside his prosecutorial milieu. He has never held elective office and has no experience in economic affairs, foreign policy or military affairs. He recently donned a Chonan naval ballcap in a media stunt which received mainstream media coverage, but the fact is he is singularly unqualified on national security and foreign policy prompts observations he is unqualified to be president of South Korea.


夢

February 27, 2021

The Kim Hak-eui scandal and the "illegal ban" of his attempted flight from South Korea.

Kim Hak-eui ascended to the position of vice minister of justice during the Park Geun-hye administration. He was only in office for a few days when he had to resign because of accusations that he had earlier engaged in a course of conduct of sexual debauchery and accepting bribes in the form of sexual favors. During the Park administration, prosecutors nolle prossed ( 무혐의 ) the charges on two occasions.* They said Kim denied being in the video and the victim's specific identity couldn't be determined in a sex video recorded in a luxury country villa in Wonju. Charges of accepting bribes were also dimissed by prosecutors. One victim claimed that she and others had been drugged and raped repeatedly by Kim Hak-eui and another man at the villa. Another female victim allegedly committed suicide. The victim only identified as "Lee" claimed she was physically threatened to not disclose the incidents. She also claimed that the other male defendant threatened to publish the sex videos if she acted up.

* 김학의 별장 성접대 사건, https://namu.wiki, downloaded 2.26.2021

Police believed the evidence was sufficient when they made the referrals to the prosecutors office. Ms. Lee's attorney filed a formal criminal complaint which was basically ignored by prosecutors according to one press observer. At some point it was alleged that another victim prompting the second prosecution determination in 2015 accepted financial support from the suspect bribing Kim Hak-eui and the charges of all victims were thereby discounted by prosecutors and generally discredited in the press. Allegedly, Kim's home and accounts were never searched by prosecutors during the 2013 to 2015 investigations. In 2019, the case was investigated again, and on May 16, 2019, Kim was arrested. At the first trial Kim was found not guilty and the case went up on appeal for rehearing. In October 2020, at the appellate court hearing, Kim was found guilty, and given a prison sentence of two and half years, for accepting different bribes during a later period. The appellate court ruled the statute of limitations had passed on the earlier crimes of receiving bribes and sexual favors.

Before his arrest in 2019, Kim Hak-eui attempted to flee from South Korea to Thailand. This came to the attention of a team of investigators appointed by the Justice Ministry to investigate the earlier prosecution mishandling of the case. Upon discovery of Kim's imminent plan to leave South Korea, a prosecutor assigned to the Justice Ministry team requested that Kim be detained at the airport. According to the supporters of the current Prosecutor General, Yoon Seok-yeol, the travel ban order and detention of Kim at the airport was unlawful because the legal documents prepared were defectively executed and without authority.

*Controversial travel ban on ex-vice minister backfires,
By Kim So-hyunPublished : Jan 14, 2021 - 13:52 The Korea Herald, http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210114000731


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(Source- YTN News file video rebroadcast 2.24.2021) Lee Seong-ryun, ( 이성윤 ) Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Branch, Seoul, regarded as the "restraint" on Yoon Seok-yeol has been subpoenaed in an investigation "turnaround," in which he becomes the suspect. ( 이성윤, '피의자 전환' ) Ultimately, Lee could be a candidate for Prosecutor General, the top position now currently held by Yoon Seok-yeol when the latter's term ends.


So, improbably, the Suwon Prosecutors Office, is now currently investigating, Lee Seong-ryun, the Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, for his alleged role in the "improper" issuance of a prosecutor's order to block the suspect Kim from fleeing South Korea while an investigative process was pending against him. While the conservative press supporters of the current Prosecutor General Yoon Seol-yeol, propagate this narrative of a so called miscarriage of criminal justice, by issuance of the "illegal prohibition" of foreign travel by Kim, there is an ulterior motive behind the investigation.* When Yoon's two year term in office ends this July, Seoul District Chief Lee is very likely to be appointed his successor as Prosecutor General by the Blue House. When this happens, cases currently being investigated by Lee, and other prosecutors assigned to his office are likely to proceed. As a result, in the near future, Yoon and his remaining followers in prosecution offices, will be unable to prevent investigations and indictments of Yoon, relevant subordinate prosecutors, or Yoon's family members from going forward. As in so many other cases, the investigation of Chief Prosecutor Lee is another episode of "civil lawfare in the republic of lawyers."

While it is difficult to keep track of the laundry list of cases which have not yet run up against the statute of limitations, the Channel A News scandal pending against prosecutor Han Dong-hun allegedly involves Yoon. In addition, there is a new so called "mortuary fraud" case involving Yoon's mother in law along with the hospital fraud indictment filed against her last November. There is the Deutsche Motors stock options case against Yoon's wife, which is currently under investigation. Attorney Rim Eun-jeong, ( 임은정 ) a well known critic of the General Prosecutor's Office, has been appointed by the Minister of Justice as a special prosecutor assigned to Lee's office to investigate the political prosecution of former Prime Minister, Han Myeong-suk, which allegedly relied on perjured testimony solicited by prosecutors. Prosecutor General Yoon publicly criticized Rim's appointment and the granting of investigation powers to Rim by the Justice Ministry as "useless."

So the innuendo now disseminated in the conservative Korean media, is that Lee is not a fitting candidate for Prosecutor General, and that someone more to Yoon's liking should be appointed to fill the vacant office after his departure. The media script accompanying the Suwon office's investigation of Lee is criticized by progressives as accurately framing Yoon's desperation, if nothing else. Yoon's upcoming departure is eagerly anticipated by the ruling democratic party. In the view of the Justice Ministry it can't happen soon enough. It is quite unlikely that the Blue House would pick anyone sympathatic to Yoon after all of his political vendettas aimed at sabotaging the democratic Moon administration and the series of prosecution reform initiatives passed by the National Assembly in 2020, and currently being implemented. Incredibly, Yoon is still regarded by conservatives as a viable presidential candidate for the so called People's Power Party in 2022.

* Hol Seu-hyung's 시사건건 youtube channel commentary interpreting these political events. His 2.26 youtube in particular: 너무 초라해진 윤석열의 현재상황. 윤석열의 처참한 말로가 보인다. 이성윤 검찰총장 가즈아.

February 21, 2021

South Korea: More corruption in the administration of justice

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(Source- 타이거행크TV, 2.20 youtube; outtake orig source jtbc news) Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun: "Yes sexual assault, but the meaning is rape."

In 2015 former prosecutor Jin Dong-kyun, raped junior prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun. The case was apparently thoroughly investigated at the time by the Seoul Southern District Branch Prosecutors Office. Jin was allowed to resign and take a job with a prominent company and the incident was covered up. Early in 2018, Seo appeared on JTBC to complain of her treatment by the male dominated prosecutors office and the handling of her case. In the conservative press, Seo was referred to in derogatory terms such as "gold digger," as her case became public. A task force of women prosecutors was formed in response, which found a detailed investigation report of the incident had already been accomplished in 2015. They proceeded to indict former prosecutor Jin. Jin's second trial, confirmed his guilt of "sexual assault." His sentence of only 10 months was confirmed. The court placed him in confinement. The victim Seo has maintained consistently, that the crime is rape, and not a lesser offense.


(Source- 타이거행크TV, 2.20 youtube) Jin Hyung-ku, former prosecutor and defendant's father, (left); the defendant Jin Dong-kyun (center); and (right) Han Dong-hun, ( a close associate of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol), who is currently under investigation for misconduct in the so called Channel A News scandal.


One would expect that a forcible sexual crime by a senior in an employment context, committed against a subordinate would get more serious punishment. The endemic problem among the "silver spoon" class of attorneys in South Korea, is the notion that they are above the law, and entitled to the perquisites of their rank. Sex discrimination and sex crimes are just another category of corruption and immorality in the so called "republic of lawyers." Prosecutors and many of their of their colleagues, stand along with their judicial, media, and chaebol partners above the law, decades after the putative demise of authoritarian government in South Korea. The conservative mainstream media in South Korea has given little attention to this trial outcome according to the source. The report alleges this is because former prosecutor Jin Dong-kyun's wife is Han Dong-hun's sister. This according to critics makes the defendant part of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's "royal family."

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(Source- 타이거행크TV, 2.20 youtube) Attorney Kim Jae-ryun (center) calls for democratic candidate for mayor of Seoul, Woo Sang-ho, to retire from the race because he said that Park Won-soon was a "role model."

The right wing faction of the Me Too movement in South Korean nominally led by private attorney Kim Jae-hyun, has been, not unexpectedly, silent about the sexual violence cover-up by the Yoon faction in the justice world while renewing their proxy campaign against the deceased Mayor Park Won-soon as a form of noise jamming. This faction of the Me Too movement representing conservative elements, is the proxy for the Gook Min eui Him Dang's Na Kyung-won, who is a candidate for Mayor of Seoul. Na Kyung-won also called for the democratic mayoral candidate Woo Sang-ho to withdraw from the race because of positive statements about deceased Mayor Park. Kim Jae-ryun had accused the former Mayor Park of sexual assault and sexual abuse of his secretary while in office. No official investigation has found any wrongdoing by former Mayor Park.* Na tries to portray herself as the women and families' candidate as she literally has nothing to offer otherwise as the corrupt scion of authoritarian aristocrats from the days of dictatorship. She is a former judge, and her husband is currently a sitting judge who allegedly has stalled and diverted criminal complaints against Yoon's family. Prosecutors recently nolle prossed criminal cases against Na, otherwise she may have been rendered ineligible for office. Na failed at re-election to the National Assembly in April 2020, in large part because of her coordination of brawls and sit ins at the National Assembly designed to block legislation to reform administration of criminal justice in South Korea.

*Deceased Mayor Park Won-soon- Trial by Media in South Korea, Sept. 14, 2020; https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/09/deceased-mayor-park-won-soon-trial-by.html