Thursday, September 30, 2021
Does Kishida selection by LDP indicate future policy changes?
The policy of the dominant right wing factions in the LDP is already clear. They want a new constitution to get rid of restrictions on their armed forces, they are anti-China, and they want to build up their conventional forces. Their target is to spend 2 percent of Japan's GDP on national defense. Kishida said he favors moving the size the Japanese military budget toward 2 percent of GDP. The difference between him and the far right LDP leaders is that he is against nuclear weapons.
If anyone has inveigled or supported US anti-China policies, it is Japan's conservative elites. There is no uncertainty in the LDP largest cliques about what course they would take. As Suga's administration went on the rocks, under the pressures of the epidemic and the related unpopularity of the Olympics, Kishi and Takaichi made overtures of national security commitments to Taiwan and Vietnam. Previously Suga elicited an unwise commitment from Presdent Biden to defend, of all places. the uninhabited rocks of Senkaku (Diaoyutai Islands) which are subject to a territorial dispute with China. Taro Aso and Sanae Takaichi have said Japan needs nuclear weapons. Takaichi and Kishi (Abe's brother) are both far right. Kishida ranked third in popular polls before he was selected by the LDP factions. Kono, and Takaichi both polled ahead of him. Party support for Kono, Takaichi, and Kishida, all hovered around the 30 percent mark, before whatever political agreements were bartered to reach the Kishida outcome.
The LDP right also seeks emergency powers authorization for a “national emergency” that can be equated with the Nazi Enabling Act. It is not so much that Japan is being directed or “strung along” in the wrong direction by the US or being neglected by the US as some international experts allege. It is in fact, a self reinforcing anti-China alliance in which the US (and the UK and Australia) encourage the worst far right inclinations of the LDP leadership and Japan does its utmost to encourage the most militaristic approach possible by the US. Japan orchestrated the 2016 UNCLOS/ITLOS decision underpinning the west's South China Sea policy. The purpose was to extend the front of confrontation with China away from the East China Sea to spread out the Chinese national security problem.
If one wants to confirm the future direction of Japanese foreign policy, see who ends up in the cabinet. Anticipating a change of Japanese foriegn policy in a moderate direction is wishful thinking. That foreign policy is moving and will continue to move to the right. It is also likely that the LDP will run through a series of prime ministers during the next few years.
So now we know: Japan's next PM Kishida fills ruling party key posts with Abe allies KYODO NEWS - 7 hours ago - 22:42 | All, Japan https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/09/a3896fa3b57f-new-ldp-chief-kishida-eyes-naming-key-faction-members-to-exec-posts.html
Sunday, September 26, 2021
South Korea: Democratic Presidential Primary Update
Lee Jae-myung represents the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in South Korea. The false allegations of corruption raised by the conservative opposition party to try to deflect the mushrooming scandals around their candidate Yoon Seok-yeol and his family were repeated by Lee JM's democratic party rival Lee Nak-yon. Lee NY lost support across South Korea for his poor performance as Democratic Party Leader stalling reforms promoted by the Moon Administration and the so called "candle light revolution" that brought democrats the presidency in 2017. The only reason Lee NY was able to edge Lee JM in the one regional primary in Honam (Gwangju/Jeonam 9.25) was because that area primary is is Lee Nak-won's home region. The less than one percent edge in that primary is deceptive because the other minor candidates Chu Mi-ae, and Kim Du-gwan support Lee Jae-myung. Even in his home region, Lee Nak-yon couldn't win a majority. In the words of one pundit, the theme of Lee Jae-myung's moving appeal to his rival's home crowd was "do you want the spirit of the Kwanju people or just someone who was born here?"
Lee Jae-myung has won by overwhelming margins on five of six primary reporting dates so far. Lee Nak-yon is regarded as a political hack who favors the so called corrupt special interests in South Korean politics. Lee tends to agree with the conservative politicians representing those interests. He even called for imprisoned former conservative presidents Park Guen-hye and Lee Myung-bak, imprisoned for corruption and abuse of office, to be pardoned which caused a dramatic drop in his public support early on. Chu Mi-ae, another reform candidate and former Justice Minister on the democratic side (she polls about 5%) appears to be staying in the primary race to deal with Lee Nak-yon's negative campaigning. She more or less labels him as a traitor to the party and the party's popular base in her public statements and on social media, so Lee Jae-myung won't have to lower himself to Lee Nak-yon's gutter level politics of ad hominem attacks helping the conservative cause.
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Remember Desert Storm Trading Cards?
https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1991-topps-desert-storm-trading-cards
I had no idea.
Friday, September 17, 2021
Instigating Charges Affair in South Korea ( 고발 사주 사건 )
Follow up to our September 4 report: "Will the legal dam break on Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign?"
(Source- MBC Newsdesk 9.15.21, youtube '고발 사주' 의혹, 대검도 수사 착수‥공수처와 투트랙 ) Choi Gang-wook and Hwang Hwi-suk, National Assembly Members from the Open Democratic Party deliver their charges against Yoon Seok-yeol, his wife Kim Gon-hee, Prosecutor Han Dong-hun, PPP National Assembly member Kim Woong, Prosecutor Son Chun-seong, and Chung Jeom-sik, UFP Legal Support Group Chief, and an unamed party. Charges include interference in elections, violation of the public election law, leaking confidential government information, abuse of powers of public office, and violations of the private information protection law.
(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 9.17.21 youtube 추장군, 충격 폭로!! "조국, 추미애 해임 건의한 사람은 이낙연..." etc.) This particular document pictured here was probably created in support of the democratic charge sheets filed by the victims. The video didn't identify the source clearly but posted this in the background while speaking on a collateral topic (former Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae's disgust with her rival Lee Nak-won, who is running in the democratic primary race for that party's presidential candidacy.) The document outlines a series of alleged communications laying out the alleged actors in a scheme by which public prosecutors in the Supreme Prosecutor's office arranged to distribute charges they had prepared for conservative party members to bring third party private lawsuits against political critics of the Public Prosecutors offices, proponents of legal reforms on the left,and certain critical reporters. The criminal complaints were prepared against democrats and transmitted to the conservative party during the election campaign cycle in April 2020 for them to file as private complainants.
The alleged parties involved in these communications are from the top, prosecutors Han Dong-hun and Son Chun-seong; then between Son and the representative of the Supreme Prosecutor's office at the time, Kwan Soon-jeong on April 2. At that time it is alleged that Han also spoke to Prosecutor General Yoon on the phone 17 times; Below that it says on April 1, 2020, Han, Kwan, and Son transmitted and received 45 messages in an exclusive chat room. The same day Han spoke to Yoon by phone 12 times. Previously on March 31, 2020, after the MBC investigative report on unlawful prosecution-press collusion to facilitate politically motivated prosecutions ( 검언유착 ), Han, Son, and Kwan exchanged 53 messages on KaKao talk chat message service. Han then spoke to Yoon 11 times by phone.
(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 9.17.21 youtube ) This is an early schematic of the alleged process in the preparation and transmission of charges by the Public Prosecutors' Offices to third parties for unlawful private and political purposes. Prosecutor Son (2nd from left) in the Supreme Prosecutor's Investigative Information Policy Office, prepares the charges and transmits them to UFP (now PPP) party candidate for National Assembly, Kim Woong (pictured center right). The graphic then shows party member Kim transferring the charge sheets and related documents to an unidentified informant (far right). This may have been United Future Party staff employee Cho Seong-eun, the informant, or another informant. Cho was privy to the document transfers in digital formats, one of which is identified as "Telegram." Prosecutor Son's name appears on at least one charge sheet. He denies all the allegations. Did then Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, (far left in the graphic) instruct his subordinate prosecutor Son to do this? Yoon claims the entire story is a fabrication made up by his political enemies.
(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 9.17.21 youtube ) This wire diagram depicts the offices public and private allegedly involved in the scheme by prosecutors to have political charges brought by United Future Party figures against democratic party politicians and reporters, basically in retaliation for their efforts to expose corruption in prosecution cases, and advocate of legal reforms adjusting investigative powers of the prosecution. On the left side the top box is Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General/Supreme Prosecutor. Lower left highlighted is the Director of Public Investigations Office, which by highlighting suggests communication with the Investigation Information Policy Office, prosecutor Son Chun-seong (center). Son is alleged to have transmitted the charges and other confidential documentation to Kim Woong, former prosecutor and then National Assembly candidate (top right). In this depiction Kim (possibly ?) transmits the charge sheets and supporting documentation from the prosecutors' offices to Chung Jeom-sik, United Future Party Legal Support Group Chief (bottom right).
(Source- MBC Newsdesk 9.15.21, youtube '고발 사주' 의혹, 대검도 수사 착수‥공수처와 투트랙 ) The informant broke the story to independent digital news source Newsverse. This is former UFP staff employee Cho Seong-eun. She is a source of information and documents supporting the charges brought by the victims of this scheme. She is protected from prosecution by South Korea's public whistle blowers law. She has turned over her digital phone to authorities for forensic evaluation. The case is being investigated by the current Prosecutor General's Office and the new independent Office to Investigate Crimes by High Public Officials, in a "two track" investigation.
Evidence Problems?
There are other pending investigations in South Korea which may adversely affect Yoon Seok-yeol as one of the current leading South Korean conservative candidates for president. Yoon is running in the so called People’s Power Party primary campaign. The election is in early March 2022. Yoon Seok-yeol, the former Prosecutor General of South Korea is suspected of abusing his powers in office to instigate politically motivated investigations and prosecutions of legal reform advocates and political rivals on the left. His right hand man, allegedly was Prosecutor Han Dong-hun. Another suspect is prosecutor Son Chun-seong, who worked in the Supreme Prosecutor's Investigative Information Policy Office, subordinate to Yoon's office.
In late July 2020, Han’s Iphone, an 11XR, was seized under a warrant by a prosecutor from the South Central District Office. Han was suspected of conspiring with a Channel A News reporter to frame an outspoken critic of Yoon and Yoon’s family, Yoo Shi-min, who alleged they had been obstructing justice into investigations of Yoon’s mother in law and wife, for corruption. (Yoon’s mother in law is now in jail for what we would call medicare fraud. She is appealing).
When the warrant for the phone was served an altercation ensued. The phone was sent to forensics and the evaluation tools previously contracted from an Israeli company, Cellebrite, were unable to unlock the security on the phone. Of course, Han would not provide the password. It is believed that there many communications on the phone with Yoon’s wife, the Channel A reporter, and perhaps even Yoon himself. I just read a report within the last week or so, that the phone or a copy, ( I couldn’t determine which), would be forwarded to the Israeli company after a payment of about 15 thousand dollars to break the password and unlock the contents. The report said the password could have been decrypted if it were only ten characters, but the earlier Cellebrite program is having difficulty because allegedly Han used as many as 20 characters. Reportedly, Cellebrite now has the capability to decrypt this now.
South Korea has some defense contracts with Israel, one of which concerns its air defense systems, and more may be in the offing. It remains to be seen whether the Israeli company will unlock the phone and provides a true and accurate report of what is in the phone, because of the adverse political ramifications for the conservative presidential candidate Yoon Seok- yeol. Investigators also desire to obtain the cypher key on the phone of prosecutor Son Chun-seong, which may also prove to be problematic.
April 18 notes: Made some minor typographical corrections and parathentical notes to better explain the graphics. When I saw the detailed "metadata" on the alleged electronic communications in the second graphic, the precision and detail seems to lend veracity to the allegations although the source is not given. The interpretation above of the political scandal in the former Public Prosecutors' offices, goes into some detail, perhaps not desired by most readers. I suspect a few readers may appreciate it. The theory of the case is presented in a more easily appreciated fashion in the blog's September 4 entry. Mistranslated 고발 사주 사건 earlier based on homonyms. Oops!
夢
The alleged parties involved in these communications are from the top, prosecutors Han Dong-hun and Son Chun-seong; then between Son and the representative of the Supreme Prosecutor's office at the time, Kwan Soon-jeong on April 2. At that time it is alleged that Han also spoke to Prosecutor General Yoon on the phone 17 times; Below that it says on April 1, 2020, Han, Kwan, and Son transmitted and received 45 messages in an exclusive chat room. The same day Han spoke to Yoon by phone 12 times. Previously on March 31, 2020, after the MBC investigative report on unlawful prosecution-press collusion to facilitate politically motivated prosecutions ( 검언유착 ), Han, Son, and Kwan exchanged 53 messages on KaKao talk chat message service. Han then spoke to Yoon 11 times by phone.
Evidence Problems?
There are other pending investigations in South Korea which may adversely affect Yoon Seok-yeol as one of the current leading South Korean conservative candidates for president. Yoon is running in the so called People’s Power Party primary campaign. The election is in early March 2022. Yoon Seok-yeol, the former Prosecutor General of South Korea is suspected of abusing his powers in office to instigate politically motivated investigations and prosecutions of legal reform advocates and political rivals on the left. His right hand man, allegedly was Prosecutor Han Dong-hun. Another suspect is prosecutor Son Chun-seong, who worked in the Supreme Prosecutor's Investigative Information Policy Office, subordinate to Yoon's office.
In late July 2020, Han’s Iphone, an 11XR, was seized under a warrant by a prosecutor from the South Central District Office. Han was suspected of conspiring with a Channel A News reporter to frame an outspoken critic of Yoon and Yoon’s family, Yoo Shi-min, who alleged they had been obstructing justice into investigations of Yoon’s mother in law and wife, for corruption. (Yoon’s mother in law is now in jail for what we would call medicare fraud. She is appealing).
When the warrant for the phone was served an altercation ensued. The phone was sent to forensics and the evaluation tools previously contracted from an Israeli company, Cellebrite, were unable to unlock the security on the phone. Of course, Han would not provide the password. It is believed that there many communications on the phone with Yoon’s wife, the Channel A reporter, and perhaps even Yoon himself. I just read a report within the last week or so, that the phone or a copy, ( I couldn’t determine which), would be forwarded to the Israeli company after a payment of about 15 thousand dollars to break the password and unlock the contents. The report said the password could have been decrypted if it were only ten characters, but the earlier Cellebrite program is having difficulty because allegedly Han used as many as 20 characters. Reportedly, Cellebrite now has the capability to decrypt this now.
South Korea has some defense contracts with Israel, one of which concerns its air defense systems, and more may be in the offing. It remains to be seen whether the Israeli company will unlock the phone and provides a true and accurate report of what is in the phone, because of the adverse political ramifications for the conservative presidential candidate Yoon Seok- yeol. Investigators also desire to obtain the cypher key on the phone of prosecutor Son Chun-seong, which may also prove to be problematic.
April 18 notes: Made some minor typographical corrections and parathentical notes to better explain the graphics. When I saw the detailed "metadata" on the alleged electronic communications in the second graphic, the precision and detail seems to lend veracity to the allegations although the source is not given. The interpretation above of the political scandal in the former Public Prosecutors' offices, goes into some detail, perhaps not desired by most readers. I suspect a few readers may appreciate it. The theory of the case is presented in a more easily appreciated fashion in the blog's September 4 entry. Mistranslated 고발 사주 사건 earlier based on homonyms. Oops!
夢
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
KBS: Prosecution targeted Lee Jae-myung in 2017-2018
In an exclusive investigative report, released after six months of investigation, KBS News discloses evidence suggesting a scheme by a Seoul Central District prosecutor to frame Lee Jae-myung for soliciting unlawful financial support, personnel support or other favors to his campaign to become governor of Gyeonggi province. At the time, Governor Lee Jae-myung was mayor of Seongnam city. Lee Jae-myung is currently the leading democratic party candidate for president in the ongoing primary campaign for the March 2022 election.* A statement from KBS clarified, this case is about the prosecution not Lee Jae-myung.
*'이재명 표적수사' 보도 KBS 기자 "주제는 이재명 아닌 검찰" 2021.09.08 12:55, https://m.news.nate.com/view/20210908n19482?mid=e02&list=recent&cpcd=
Much of the evidence, comes from voluminous written accounts by and correspondence with Lee Jun-seok (his name is a homonym to the young PPP party leader's name, no relation). Lee Jun-seok was chief executive of Goma Trade, a relatively small corporation with 80 employees at the time. Lee JS was accused at the time of operating an overseas gambling web site. According to Lee JS's account, the as yet unnamed prosecutor, identified only as Mr. Kim, demanded Lee JS provide false statements to incriminate then Mayor Lee Jae-myung. At first, Lee Jun-seok was offered favorable treatment concerning the charges against him. When he declined to provide such statements, he, his family members, including his wife and mother were repeatedly threatened with prosecution and confinement.
The prosecutor's unlawful behavior is similar to that described in detail in the case of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-suk who was imprisoned for financial crimes. The prime minister's prosecution was allegedly based on perjured testimony solicited by the prosecution from an imprisoned white collar criminal who later recanted his testimony. The solicitation of perjury from Lee Jun-seok in the Seongnam case also appears very similar to the inducements and threats delivered to an incarcerated white collar criminal in a similar scheme to implicate director of the No Mu-hyun foundation, Yoo Shi-min, in financial crimes with perjured testimony more recently. The alleged prosecution plot against director Yoo Shi-min was labelled the Channel A News scandal, because the scheme was attempted by a Dong A media reporter, Lee Dong-jae, acting as agent for the prosecutor. In that case, chat records revealed that the suspected prosecutor, was Han Dong-hun, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's right hand man. Ironically, Han who refused to release the code to his encrypted handphone as relevant evidence in that case, made a public statement today dismissing Lee Jun-seok's 3000 pages of evidence as unworthy of belief because it is from a "vulgar source." The former Prosecutor General Yoon, is now a major candidate in the conservative presidential primary contests. He is surrounded by legal controversies.
The prosecution of former Justice Minister Cho Guk and his wife shares similar characteristics. The testimony of one of the key prosecution witnesses, Choi Song-hae, the former president of Dongyang University, against Chung Kyung-shim, Cho's wife, also appears to be perjured in circumstances where Choi was alleged to have presented false academic credentials about himself, and committed financial self dealing while university president. Former university president Choi testified that professor Chung forged an award certificate in favor of her daughter, allegedly to facilitate her entry to another university. The contention there, thus far unproven, is that the former university president was threatened with prosecution to induce false testimony against Professor Chung. So the case related to Lee Jae-myung while mayor of Seongnam suggests a continuing pattern of political corruption and abuse of power in the prosecution offices of South Korea. It's alleged that prosecutions of Cho Guk and his wife were directed by candidate Yoon Seok-yeol as Prosecutor General at the time.
Previously, allegations of abuse of power and politically motivated prosecutions, supported by fabricated evidence, were given little or no coverage or dismissive treatment in the widely conservative South Korean mainstream media. This case is one of the first taken seriously by an established media institution. Just a few days ago, an independent, digital media, investigative web site, Newsverse, disclosed documents tending to show the central public prosecutors office was behind the preparation of charges against two democratic politicians, director Yoo Shi-min, and reporters, in the run up to the April 2020 general elections.* The instant investigative report concerning prosecution actions in late 2017 and early 2018 to target Lee Jae-myung as candidate for governor of Gyeonggi Province, was released by KBS just a few days later. This is probably the largest news institution to allege criminal misconduct by prosecution offices thus far. The misconduct involves solicitation of perjury, abuse of public office, and the use of inducements and threats to perpertrate fraud in a legal proceeding.
*Will the legal dam break on Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign? Sep.4, https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/09/will-legal-dam-break-on-yoon-seok-yeols.html
If Lee Jun-seok had agreed to incriminate Lee Jae-myung, the prosecutor agreed to release him from confinement. Lee JS said Lee Jae-myung had never solicited financial favors or other support in kind. The prosecutor told him, "tell us he asked for campaign funds and personnel to support his campaign, if you put it that freely, that will be good." Allegedly, Prosecutor ( 검사 ) Kim, also said, "if you forget what to say, we will tell you." Reportedly, Mr. Kim also threatened to give Lee Jun-seok, 15 years or more in prison, prosecute his wife, brother and mother while imprisoning them right away as co-conspirators, and to shake his company up with a mass investigation. He said he would tie down Lee Jun-seok, in criminal litigation three to four times, which would bankrupt him with attorneys' costs in the hundreds of millions won. Lee Jun-seok, was repeatedly indicted and tried, for multiple offenses, over the years. Some of the cases were described as "out of the cabinet cases" by a legal expert, that is repeating old charges that had previously resulted in dismissals. The prosecutors claim Lee Jun-seok, is an international mafia figure. Lee counters, "with everything they have charged against me (over the years), that charge had never been made."
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Hong Jun-pyo passes Yoon Seok-yeol in conservative poll
While Yoon's public support is his strong point, the so called "Newsverse scandal" which presents documents suggesting Yoon privatized the public prosecutors' offices for his personal and political gain causes Hong's support which had been gaining lately to pass Yoon in the conservative poll. The results could be within the margin of error, but this the first real numerical sign that Yoon's campaign to become the presidential candidate of the People's Power Party is faltering.
See our earlier September 4 post: Will the legal dam break on Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign?
Sunday, September 5, 2021
South Korea- Lee Nak-yon suffers early primary loss to progressive presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung
Lee Nak-yon's greatest blunders? Stalling the reforms sought by the candlelight revolution when they put the democratic party in power after the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. Lee Nak-yon served as Prime Minister to Moon Jae-in and later as Democratic Party leader in the National Assembly. He is perceived as having stonewalled prosecution and press reforms sought by democratic voters. Worse, he later called for the pardon of corrupt conservative authoritarian presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak. Additionally, he was critical of former Justice Minister Cho Guk who led the reform movement. Cho Guk, as a consequence, found himself and his family persecuted in the courts by the dictator in waiting, conservative presidential candidate, Yoon Seok-yeol.
Yoon Seok-yeol, the leading conservative presidential candidate, was Prosecutor General at the time. Lee Nak-yon also failed to support former Justice Chu Mi-ae, who replaced Cho Guk in the office, in her efforts to restrain out of control Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's abuse of office and her efforts to discipline him, and remove his supporters from prosecution offices across South Korea. (Chu Mi-ae is in fourth place in the early primaries, at 6.67 percent.) Lee Nak-yeon's true colors exposed, his public support has plummeted. Virtually half of Lee Nak-yon's supporters say they will vote conservative if he is not the democratic candidate for president in the coming March 2022 election. These conservatively oriented Lee Nak yon supporters are probably about 5 percent of the general electorate at this point as his support has dropped to about 9-10 percent of the overall electorate.
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Will the legal dam break on Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign?
The Hankyoreh has an English language article on the investigative journalism articles appearing in the relatively unknown Newsverse, a South Korean digital media website, about alleged misconduct in the former Supreme Prosecutor's office. Allegedly while Yoon was Prosecutor General, a subordinate office, under his control, instigated charges by third parties, against democratic party figures and journalists in the period immediately before the April 2020 National Assembly elections.*
*How prosecution’s probe on Newsverse article is linked to Yoon Seok-youl, Posted on : Sep.3,2021 17:53 KST Modified on : Sep.3,2021 17:53 KST, Hankyoreh, By Ock Kee-won; https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1010402.html
The Hankyoreh article has a fairly restrained characterization of Yoon's situation, and isn't depicting the full scope and implications of the story as described by Newsverse.* While leaking of confidential investigative information by prosecutors offices is illegal, particularly the private information of subjects and witnesses, this Hankyoreh article tends to downplay the political significance of the Supreme Prosecutor's investigation information office's alleged unlawful acts while the former Prosecutor General was in office.** Charges were contrived for political purposes, including interference in the electoral process. The charges were intended to intimidate elected political officials or candidates, advocating prosecution reforms, as well as reporters, covering stories that were critical of Yoon, or his family members. The prosecution reforms advocated by the targeted individuals aimed at limiting excessive and unchecked investigatory powers of prosecution offices to prevent them from being manipulated for politically partisan purposes.
*[단독] 윤석열 검찰, 총선 코앞 유시민·최강욱·황희석 등 국민의힘에 고발 사주, 전혁수 기자, 입력 2021.09.02 08:59; http://www.newsverse.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=417
** The titles Supreme Prosecutor and Prosecutor General are equivalent titles describing the same office, previously held by Yoon Seok-yeol. Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, the current "Supreme Prosecutor," said the charges will be investigated because they reflect adversely on the reputation of the office. Yoon Seok-yeal is currently the leading conservative candidate for the presidency of South Korea.
The charges concocted by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office were intended, in part, to thwart public reporting of adverse information about Yoon, Yoon's family, and his subordinate prosecutor, Han Dong-hoon. Two of the figures investigated and slated for prosecution for defamation against the aforementioned parties, were the party spokesperson for the satellite democratic party, Choi Kang-ook, and the party leader for the same party, Hwang Hwi-seok, both National Assembly representatives. A third prominent target was Yoo Shi-min, director of the No Mu-hyun Foundation. These two politicians on the left, and outspoken pundit Yoo, have been advocates and supporters of prosecutorial reforms in South Korea, intended to remove excessive investigative powers from the Supreme Prosecutor's offices, and turn them over to separate agencies, the police, a new separate serious crimes investigation office, and another independent new office for investigation of senior public officials.
In effect, the prosecution reforms remove the former investigatory powers of the prosecutors' offices. In the course of their advocacy for prosecutorial reform, the targeted individuals discussed specific instances of alleged obstruction of justice and case interference allegedly related to Yoon's office. In particular, Choi and Yoo were outspoken about the alleged practice of misusing public prosecutors" offices, to protect powerful economic interests, and protect Yoon's family members or subordinates from investigation and prosecution for alleged wrongful acts and corruption. So what this current story is really about is Yoon's alleged practice of using his offices to advance and protect his private personal and political interests. This was characterized in Newsverse, as privatizing the prosecution function, demonstrated by instigating these politically motivated charges at political rivals and reporters.
It is alleged that the Supreme Prosecutor's investigation information policy office unlawfully drafted the charge sheets, without identifying the complainant bringing charges in each case. The charge sheets were allegedly transmitted to a conservative candidate in the United Future Party, Kim Woong, (now serving as a member of the National Assembly), during the 2020 campaign, ultimately for transfer to other private parties to file charges. The Supreme Prosecutor's investigative information office thereby unlawfully sought to induce the private charges which would then precipitate the litigation the prosecution itself as a politicized office was seeking to prosecute for its own private and political benefit.
As alleged by Newsverse, the resources of the former Prosecutor General's office and personnel were used to collect evidence and draft the charges. The official responsible for the alleged wrongful acts, subordinate to Yoon, at the relevant time was Son Chun-seong, from the Supreme Prosecutor's investigation information policy office ( 손준성 대검 수사정보정책관 ).* It is believed by many observers that it is unlikely that Son acted on his own without Yoon's knowledge. It is also alleged that Son's office was engaged in collection of all media reports critical of Yoon and his family members suggesting the latter had committed unlawful acts. What would be the motive of assembling such a collection other than intimidation or retribution against critics and accusers? Son denies the allegations. Woong the conservative National Assembly representative from Songpa, who received the charge sheets and another judicial decision document, claims he doesn't know who transmitted them. About the time the charge sheets went public, the messenger service facilitating the transfer was erased. Those in communication on the service at the material time are allegedly unknown. Kim Woong the UFP/PPP politician who received the charge sheets and court document basically authenticated them with his misleading statements and claims he "can't remember" the pertinent details. Kim is a former prosecutor with a preexisting connection to Son.
* [분석과 해설] 범 여권 인사 야당 고발 사주는 명백한 정치공작...윤석열 '검찰권 사유화' 이진동 기자 : 입력 2021.09.02 08:56: http://www.newsverse.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=424
It's not clear who the original sources are who leaked the materials supporting this story. More investigation is necessary. The current Prosecutor General, Kim Oh-soo, and Minister of Justice, Park Beom-gae, intend to pursue investigation of the alleged wrongdoing. Son is reported to have received a warrant for his electronic communications. This case may be subject to referral to the new and, as yet, untested Office to Investigate High Public Officials. There is speculation that the leaks and publication of the details thus far disclosed by Newsverse originated on the conservative side by politicians hostile to Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign to become the People's Power Party candidate for president. Ironically, Yoon claims the charges against his offices are a "political fabrication."
Thursday, September 2, 2021
님은 먼 곳에. My love far away
님은 먼곳에 ( 김추자, 조관우 ) - 통기타여신 강지민–노래가★좋아 Kang Jimin*
So this is the Vietnam War era South Korean pop hit performed originally by singer Kim Chu-ja. The lyrics are credited to Yoo Ho ( 유호 ) with melody credited to Shin Joong-hyun ( 신중현 ). Singer Cho Gwan-oo performed the song in more recent times. This later performance took place on a talent competition program won by guitar player/singer Kang Jimin. Kang performs many US popular songs as well, mostly oldies. I saw another youtube of this same performance by Kang Jimin dated 2017. That's her father celebrating with her onstage.*
*link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7odwz5vodCY
Kim Chu-ja's original performance is 1969, on an album with a patriotic theme. The album fits in with the militaristic culture back then during the Park Chung-hee dictatorship. I like her version, but her recording has a night club or cabaret sound to it, which i guess was popular back then but sounds dated now. Kang Jimin's more contemporary style is mellow and pleasant sounding I think. I had a copy of Kim Chu-ja's album years ago, and would play it driving cross country. I knew the words by heart. When I tried to translate it to English, I had some trouble because the subject in some the lyric phrases isn't expressed clearly, often the case in Korean. That also gives the listener the option of subjective interpretation. So I assumed the context to be the theme of the soldier who left home to fight a war and didn't come back. Other youtube video presentations of the song confirmed this to be the case. There is also more upbeat patriotic song on Kim's same album, called (Sunburned) Sergeant Kim back from Vietnam (월남에서 돌아온 새까만 김상사 ) which makes the context clear.
님은 먼 곳에 My love far away
사랑한다고 말할 걸 그랬지 I would have said I love you,
님이 아니면 못 산다 할 것을 if you aren't my love I couldn't live
사랑한다고 말할 걸 그랬지 I would have said I love you,
망설이다가 가 버린 사람 I hesitated and now that person is gone away
마음 주고 눈물 주고 Gave his heart, gave his tears
꿈도 주고 멀어져 갔네 dreams, too, he gave, now gone far away
님은 먼 곳에 My love to a far away place
영원히 먼 곳에 To a forever far away place
망설이다가 While I hesitated.
님은 먼 곳에 My love went to a far place
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)