오래된 정원 Ancient Garden

오래된 정원 Ancient Garden

Wind eddies around some stone wall
Hanging vines flutter in the wind
Old moss is lodged above a stone lamp
In a deep cave mountain birds rest and take flight
ah, ah, ah, ah -

In the misty ancient garden, white flowers bloom
I walk alone in bright moonlight

The breeze brushes past the foothills
In the front garden the whispering wind plays
As though the old owner had passed by
It seems pleasant news is on the way
ah, ah, ah, ah -

In the misty ancient garden, white flowers bloom
I walk alone in bright moonlight

[KBS전주] 국악한마당 // 하윤주, 이아름 - 오래된 정원

South Korea: Top Prosecutor's "Mother-in-law" Scandal Continues

(Source- 빨간 아재 3.22.20 youtube) Justice Department Civil Affairs Office gives notice to Jeong Dae-taek, that a decision of 12.18.2013 imposed a strict disciplinary measure on Yoon Seok-yeol for a period of one month. (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clgygCuGC4s )

As the time for the upcoming April 15 general elections in South Korea approaches, the covid 19 epidemic dominates the news cycle. Obscured by the ongoing pandemic story is mushrooming scandal involving South Korea's Supreme Prosecutor Yoon-Seok-yeol's family. At the time Jeong Dae-taek was filing complaints against Yoon's mother in law and wife in 2013, Hwang Kyo-ahn was the Minister of Justice in South Korea. Also at that time, the disciplinary committee for prosecutors was chaired by Hwang Kyo-ahn. The significance of this is that Jeong had filed repeated complaints against Yoon for improper interference in his legal proceedings against Yoon's mother in law, Choi. The Disciplinary Committee responded to Jeong's complaints by determining that Yoon would be disciplined by the committee effective December 31, 2013 for one month. It appears that Yoon received a month suspension with loss of pay. At the time, Yoon was the chief of the Yoju prosecutor's office.

Two of the specifications of the disciplinary measure alluded to unauthorized legal actions taken by Yoon, unearthed in connection with a prosecution of illicit activities by the National Intelligence Service (which ultimately resulted in a sentence against the former Director of NIS, Won Se-hoon). The relevant third specification, described in somewhat vague terms, said that Yoon was derelict in his legal duties with respect to estate accounting and reporting in a matter concerning his spouse in a total amount of approximately a half billion won. It is believed by critics that this finding of dereliction was to dispel and dismiss all further inquiry into the possible legal misconduct of Yoon related to the Choi- Jeong litigation which resulted in Jeong's imprisonment. Jeong's sentence and loss of funds in the civil dispute with Yoon's mother in law, Choi, was based upon perjury by a witness who later recanted and claimed his perjury was induced by bribes from Choi, and her daughter, Yoon's wife, Kim Geon-hee.

(Source- KBS News, July 25, 2019) Supreme Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol with his wife, Kim Geon-hee.

Further details concerning the injustices done to Mr. Jeong who was the business partner of Ms. Choi, are explained in the previous post below. The former Liberty Party Korea leaders, Hwang Kyo-ahn, and Na Kyung-won are currently in the opposition party, the conservative United Future Party. Hwang is running against democrat Lee Nak-yeon, for the highly prized Jongno district seat for the National Assembly. Both Hwang and his opponent Lee are former prime ministers and likely presidential contenders when the Moon Jae-in administration comes to the end of its term in 2022. When and if Yoon Seok-yeol is driven from his position as the Supreme Prosecutor of South Korea, Hwang, Na, and Yoon, may all become vulnerable to prosecution. The steady drip, drip, drip of accusations against Yoon, his family, and the circumstantial evidence of obstruction by Hwang and Na's husband then a judge at the time, will hurt Hwang's chances in his election campaign for a National Assembly seat. The subject is being avoided by the conservative media. This documentary evidence of impropriety by Yoon as shown by disciplinary records, and the government gazette, was initially reported on Kyeong Jae News on March 20. Inexplicably, the report has been removed from their web site.



Update March 24:

It has been suggested in another youtube video ( 시사건건 March 23)* that the very same Park Hyung-cheol named in the Government Gazette for disciplinary action in the citation (Dec. 31, 2013) with Yoon Seok-yeol, was also a witness against the former Justice Minister Cho Guk, driven from office a few months ago. These were two violations of prosecutorial standards in the matter of the government twit keul scandal (internet trolls commenting in social media) arising out of the National Intelligence Service. It is suggested that Park hitched his career wagon to Yoon at this point. It was alleged that this Park Hyung Cheol later worked in the anti-corruption office in the Moon Blue House and "blew the whistle" on Cho Guk. The similarity in nature of the two family scandals, those in Yoon's family, and Cho's family has already been noted in this blog. In theory, the two politically potent scandals are antipodes in ongoing power stuggle where the driving movitation is immediately to evade prosecution while driving the opposite party out of power in the larger political struggle. Yoon had said in his own behalf while undergoing hearing by the national assembly in respect to appointment as supreme prosecutor, that he bowed to no one, regardless of power in the pursuit of justice. Was this a statement of ethical dedication to justice or the language of arrogance from one approaching the pinnacle of political power?

*조국 전 장관의 무죄가 입증되다 윤석열키즈 박형철의 배신
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IeNU82S4UE

Has Anyone Seen My Love?

지난 날을 생각하며 I was thinking of past days
여기 왔어요 arriving here
내 마음은 My heart
나그네 되어 became a wanderer
헤어졌던 그 사람을 Seeking the person
찾고 있어요 separated from me
내 사랑을 본 적이 Has anyone seen my
있나요 아~ 아~ love? a..ah
주저앉아 울고 싶은데 I'd like to collapse crying
흠뻑 젖은 가슴을 overcome with tears
씻을 길 없는 no relief for a burdened breast
이 심정을 누가 아나요 Who knows my heart?
거리마다 추억이 Every street a memory
나를 울려요 making me cry
어디에서 Has someone,
그 누가 somewhere,
내 사랑을 Seen my
본 적이 있나요 love?

나는 지금 우울하게 Now I despair
헤매 다녀요 wandering here and there
지난 날을 While regretting
후회하면서 past days
잃어버린 시간들을 I'm looking for
찾고 있어요 those times I lost
내 사랑을 본 적이 Have you seen
있나요 아~ 아~ my love? a...ah.
주저앉아 울고 싶은데 I'd like to collapse crying
내 마음에 흐르는 the burning tears pouring
뜨거운 눈물 from my heart.
어느 누가 보고 있나요 Is there news from anyone?
거리마다 추억이 Each crossroad a memory
나를 울려요 making me want to cry.
어디에서 그 누가 Has anyone, anywhere
내 사랑을 happened to see
본 적이 있나요 My love?
거리마다 추억이 Each crossroad a memory
나를 나를 울려요 Making me..making me want to cry
어디에서 그 누가 Has anyone, anywhere
내 사랑을 happened to see
본 적이 있나요 My love?


정수라
작사 : 박건호
작곡 : 김영광

https://gasazip.com/206637

NY Times' opinion on South Korea's Shincheonji an anti-democratic ploy

There is an apologia for the cult up over at the NY Times:

Being Called a Cult Is One Thing, Being Blamed for an Epidemic Is Quite Another
How one mysterious church became a lightning rod for South Koreans’ anger over the coronavirus outbreak.

By Raphael Rashid

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/opinion/coronavirus-south-korea-church.html

The misleading opinion creates the straw man that the democratic administration of Moon Jae-in "stumbled" in handling the corona outbreak at first, and attacked the cult in defense of domestic political criticism. That is, Moon Jae In's government uses the Shincheonji cult as a scapegoat and blames it for "starting" the epidemic in South Korea. This is consistent with the NY Times preference in favor of far right politicians in South Korea who toady to US policy. The biased opinion represents little more than an attempt to influence the news cycle in South Korea as the general election looms, on April 15, 2020, rather than the Presidential election in 2022, on which the opinion erroneously focuses.  In the election taking place in just weeks the prospects of the right wing opposition are uncertain in contrast to the image created by the Times' opinion.

The Times opinion article is a sham. It follows the lead of a similar New Yorker magazine article that likewise ignores the basic facts including the chronology of events surrounding the cult and the covid 19 epidemic in South Korea.   That chronology is discussed in my post immediately below. In the Times opinion is no discussion of the church's connections to Wuhan, and specific acts, omissions, and misrepresentations, exacerbating the epidemic in South Korea.

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/03/shincheonji-is-responsible-for-covid-19.html

Lee Man-hee's press conference on March 2, was a carefully orchestrated show.  He "apologized" and bowed to the people and government of South Korea twice, prominently displaying his Park Geun-hye, solid gold presidential watch, in an attempt to elicit more political support from the right.   He affected either being hard of hearing, or incompetent, and had to use an assistant to answer questions incorrectly.  It was a very cunning display in a futile attempt to elicit sympathy and support in a situation warranting neither.   In the end, virtually no information was elicited, except that "case 31" is responsible for everything.   In contrast to the image of senility, Lee and his staff are in complete control of church officials and members on a daily basis according to former members.

One former organization insider said on a YTN news interview today that had Lee Man-hee, who has the status of a god or a dictator wished, and given the word, every single one of his followers would have shown up for corona virus testing in South Korean jurisdictions affected within one day's time. The organization's lack of full cooperation and disclosure is intentional and the recent public statements, apologies and offers of money and cooperation are a pose to disguise their culpability for recklessly aggravating the outbreak beyond all reason.

It is reassuring to know, that a prominent expert on Korean affairs such as T.K. over at Ask a Korean.com has posted a twitter thread today panning the Times opinion for similar reasons. Many medical experts recognize that the South Korean response to the outbreak is the most advanced public health effort of any seen yet in response to this epidemic. Had it not been for the secretiveness, evasiveness, misrepresentations, and lack of cooperation from this delusional cult, the crisis in South Korea would be well in hand at this point.

https://twitter.com/AskAKorean/status/1237040584851939328

Shincheonji is responsible for Covid 19 getting out of control in South Korea

According to a recent news report, 53 percent of South Koreans approve of the Moon administration's handling of the novel corona virus outbreak in South Korea. There is a right wing interpretation of recent events in the New Yorker by Suki Kim that tries to blame President Moon Jae-in for the massive run up in covid-19 numbers.

On January 26th, three days after China’s lockdown on Wuhan, the Korean Medical Association, the country’s largest association of doctors, urged the government to temporarily bar entry to all travellers arriving from mainland China. Moon’s government did not heed that warning. Instead, it donated a million and a half face masks to China. Moon’s defenders point out that the World Health Organization does not recommend a travel ban for virus prevention...*

*How South Korea Lost Control of Its Coronavirus Outbreak
By Suki Kim, March 4, 2020.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-south-korea-lost-control-of-its-coronavirus-outbreak

The New Yorker opinion piece omits certain critical facts that haven't received much press attention abroad because the organization responsible for the massive increase in cases, the Shincheonji cult, was and still is, withholding material information related to the spread of the disease. The epidemic in South Korea, could have been better contained but for the secretive, delusional and manipulative orientation of the cult.

(Source- JTBC Spotlight jtbc 이규연의 스포트라이트 235회 March 6) #2 중국 우한 신천지 복음방의 실체. The truth about the Wuhan Shincheonji mission. One thing is clear, there is a trail connecting the Daegu Sincheonji to Wuhan, but we haven't discovered the details, yet.

The Shincheonji organization concealed it's activities in Wuhan, China. There is a video of Shincheonji spokesperson on March 2, 2020, making a misleading statement stating they had closed their church in Wuhan in 2018. The Chinese government closed the church, but the congregation's members continued to meet for church activities. In Wuhan, after the epidemic became public knowledge there, the Sincheonji reported they were meeting "online." Allegedly, up to some point in December, they had been meeting several times a week in private locations such as cafes, homes and apartments conducting church related functions in groups as large as 20 or more, in confined spaces. One of these locations was only five kilometers from the seafood marketplace in Wuhan suspected to be a nexus of early covid 19 transmission. Three other locations were not much further away inside Wuhan. The JTBC investigative report disclosed 356 Sincheonji Wuhan members into late 2019. Where are they now? This is under government investigation. The church claims it doesn't have the ability to track the whereabouts of its "210,000" members. A document obtained by the JTBC program showed the church maintained 160 evangelical locations (Gospel rooms) in Wuhan.

According to insiders familiar with the organization's practices, an influx of Shincheonji members into South Korea, from overseas, including Wuhan, probably occurred on or before January 12, 2020, when the annual general assembly of the church took place in Gwacheon, South Korea. At the January 12, general assembly of the church, the presence of members from the Chinese elements of the Seoul chapter of the church was acknowledged on a recorded video.

A former church member reported on Lee Kyu-yon's Spotlight investigative journalism program, (March 6, youtube) that a further influx could have taken place on or after January 19, 2020, in anticipation of the lunar new year's holiday. Both of these potential avenues of transmission took place before the Chinese quarantine on travel outside Wuhan on January 23 took effect. Two spotlight sources, respectively, stated that it would be natural to expect sect travelers from China in South Korea during these two periods in January. The key events took place before the dates cited as pertinent in the New Yorker opinion. According to a source, reported by the SCMP, the members had all left Wuhan for the lunar new year break. Current news broadcasts in South Korea indicate based upon public health tracking, that 63 percent of all covid 19 infections are known to be related, directly and indirectly, to the secretive cult. A look at the cluster distribution around Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Cheongdo, suggests circumstantially, that the true number is closer to 90 percent. The Daegu cluster is directly related to the Sincheonji church in that city.

It is documented that church public relations directed followers when interviewed by public health investigators to lie about their contacts with known carriers of the corona virus from the church, and to deny attending church services. The investigation by government officials was characterized as "persecution" of the church. According to the church, this action was the responsibility of one misguided church official.

The leader of the cult, Lee Man-hui, at his press conference has attempted to hold one member,known as "case 31" personally responsible as a "super spreader" for the catastrophic outbreak in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Cheongdo, and related commmunities. This obviates several dimensions of the problem. There remains the consistent effort by the cult to obscure the Wuhan connection from the government and public. Believers were told and this was recorded in one congregation in Pusan, that members from Wuhan were not infected, and that believers would not be affected by the virus. The behavior of case 31 is consistent with a delusion within the sect that sickness is the sign of the devil, and in this specific epidemic, the devil's blow against the organization. This explains why patient 31 refused the covid 19 test on two occasions while infected, and attended packed worship services while symptomatic. It also explains why members of the church told to self quarantine, continued to play active roles in the outside community, including 2 infected members who provided public health services and failed to reveal their Shincheonji affiliation until symptomatic with virus and proven to have covid 19.

Another interesting aspect of the New Yorker criticism citing later dates when the Moon administration placed restrictions on travelers from China, is the attempt to compare Moon's administration to Park Geun-hye's negligent handling of the Sewol ferry disaster. It hasn't gone unnoticed that Lee Man-hui wore his gold "presidential" watch, allegedly presented to him by the impeached and imprisoned President Park during his "apology" press conference which only lasted minutes. This is because his anti-science, delusional christian fundalmentalists were a key part of her base in the Saenuri Party. They are not the only religious fundamentalist supporters of Park that have defied public health efforts during the epidemic. Conservatives promoting blame of the Moon administration's public health efforts are merely covering for the far right base of religious fundamentalists.

A church spokesperson for the foreign chapters says no church members returned from Wuhan, China, from December thru January. This is an unsupported conclusory allegation inconsistent with the statement that the organization is incapable of knowing the whereabouts of its members. The government investigation of this aspect of the church's activities is ongoing. Given the circumstances, it is unlikely that this is true. In contrast to the New Yorker hit piece, the alternative explanation of the "failure" to contain the virus during the so called "golden period," was essentially the result of a pattern of acts, omissions, and misrepresentations by members and leaders of the Shincheonji cult which continues to conceal elements of their membership, their contacts among themselves, and their ties to the travelers from China who left before January 23 and arrived in South Korea before January 26.

Then there is this published in the Korea Times:

The Ministry of Justice said it checked the immigration records of around 245,000 Shincheonji followers at the request of the health authorities as the bulk of infections are linked to a branch church of the fringe sect in the southeastern city of Daegu.

Of the total Shincheonji followers, around 3,600 arrived here from China between July 1, 2019, and Feb. 27, 2020, the ministry said. Among them 42 traveled from the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

42 Shincheonji followers came to Korea from Wuhan over eight months
Korea Times updated : 2020-02-29 19:10
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2020/03/119_285338.html

The figure of 42 persons from the Wuhan chapter of Shincheonji returning to South Korea seems disproportionately low. Where are the rest of the 356 members? Of the eleven chapters of Sincheonji in China, the number of 356 members taken from a church document seems correct. 356 / 3600 is about 10 percent. But only 42 returned to South Korea?

(Source- Daegu MBC News, 03.08.20, youtube upload)

Here is another late report demonstrating evasion of public health measures by Sincheonji followers:

A cluster of 46 Shincheonji related covid 19 cases was discovered March 8, at the the Han Maeum Apartments in Daegu. Two thirds of cases are Sincheonji members. The members had been meeting in three separate places ten people at at a time, spreading the infection. Two of the Shincheonji persons were confirmed cases who violated health regulations by not following directions from health officials to quarantine themselves. 9 of the cluster cases had to be hospitalized. Others were moved to an intermediate care center for quarantine, observation and treatment. (Source is MBC News, 3/8/20) The Daegu authorities had given notice that any Sincheonji who do not turn themselves in for examination by tomorrow will be prosecuted.

(Source- Daegu MBC News, 03.08.20, youtube upload)

Daegu public health officials announced that their investigation of Shincheonji members as potential carriers of the Covid 19 virus was "95 percent complete." For the time being the rate of increase in the number of Daegu area corona virus cases seems to be slowing as shown by the graphic above. But for the Sincheonji cluster at the Maeum Apartment complex, the increase in cases today would have been significantly lower.

(Source- YTN News O3.08.20 youtube upload )

So out of 7,134 cases at the start of the day 3.8, cases related to Shincheonji clusters in Daegu and Gyeongbukdo, are 5.381 and 1,081 respectively. This is 90 percent of all cases in South Korea. The cases officially determined to be connected to the cult, directly or indirectly at this point by public health authorities is said to be 63 percent.

Rites for the Departed ( 초혼 )

초혼, ( 招魂 ) Rites for the Departed, 장윤정, Jang Yoon-jeong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMuunC3YUeU

막내 최고’ 장윤정, 버스킹 장식하는 엔딩 요정★ㅣ트롯신이 떴다 (K-Trot in Town)
South Korean Veteran Trot singers busking at the old post office plaza in Ho Chi Minh city. Jang Yoon-jeong does the (best) final act here in this clip, 초혼, Rites for the Departed. Unfortunately it was cut somewhat short. Probably a teaser to get people to tune in again for the next episode where they'll probably play it again. This is a complete audio version below with the hangul lyrics, I tried to translate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Rt08a6cjU

초혼, Rites for the Departed
Jang Yoon-jeong singer; Kim Soon-gon, lyrics; Im Kang-hyun, music

One I couldn't hold in life,
Because of that one name
my aching heart in tears
i will just set you free
.
Briefly the one i will send
Somehow, comes to me.
It's as if rose's thorns remain
Watching over me in my pain.

If I follow, can we meet?
To the farthest ends of the earth
If you say so, wherever you say,
That way, I think I'll be happy.

***

That way, I think I'll be happy.

Updated covid 19 numbers March 2 from South Korea

(Source- KBS live feed youtube uploaded 0020 EDT O3.02.20 ) So new confirmed cases in South Korea are 476. The total cases confirmed are 4212. There were four additional deaths to report bringing the total deaths to 26. Total cases from Daegu were up to 3081, and total cases from Gyeongbukdo, considered a part of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk clusters were 624.

Without consideration of other confirmed cases from other areas, known to be connected to the Shincheonji cult in their communities and just taking the Daegu-Gyeongbukdo clusters alone, those numbers, totaling 3705 cases, make up 88 percent of all the cases in South Korea. One could refer to this as the Shincheonji cult superwave. An anti-science delusional belief system is threatening to overwhelm the advanced public health system of South Korea which is one of the best in the world.