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.

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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."
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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 )