Who is the criminal?

(Source- Lee Jae-Myung channel youtube, 2.10) "(Prosecutors) have yet to produce one clear piece of evidence." Lee Jae-Myung, Democratic Party leader, symbol of the political opposition to the Yoon Seok-yeol adinistration, outside prosecution offices 2.10.


The historic theme was announced in Lee Jae-myung's press briefing outside the prosecutors' offices to which he was summoned Friday, for his third interrogation.

유권 무죄 무권 유죄
有權 無罪 無權 有罪
If one has power they are not guilty;
If one does not have power, they are guilty.

(Source- KBS 1 History Journal, ep. 199) Ito was assassinated by Korean patriot Ahn Jung-geun, October 26, 1909 in Harbin, China.

There was a remarkable performance by a musical stage group at the 26th candlelight assembly in downtown Seoul the next day. The performance was an adaptation of the song Who is the Criminal, from the musical Hero, about one of Korea's great patriots in modern history, Ahn Jung-geun. Ahn was a leading member of the Righteous Army, a militia organization that opposed Japanese occupation and colonization of Korea. Ahn assassinated Ito Hirobumi, the former Resident General of Korea during the early stages of Korean colonization by the Japanese. Ito also had been a former prime minister of Japan. Ahn shot and killed Ito and then was tried by Japan and executed. The song from Hero, Who is the Criminal, is the dramatic rendition of Ahn's listing of the 15 Korean grievances against Japan in 1909 which justified Ito's assassination.

The fifteen reasons can be read here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Jung-geun

The original lyrics to hero and a video of the stage performance (in Korean) are posted at:

https://culture-ing.tistory.com/60


My interest concerns the lyrics of this contemporary adaptation of the musical performance at the candlelight demonstration February 11, in Seoul. Below is a rough translation. The performers asked that the audience spread the word world wide, but only the Korean subtitles were provided.

First, this large scale candlelight assembly interferes with the traffic of Seoul citizens for which we sincerely apologize.
Yet, as citizens of Korea we must cry out "Yoon Seok-yeol, step down!" and boldly transmit the reasons.

The crime of avoidance of responsibility for the Itaewan disaster.
The crime of quashing the voices of the survivors by force.
The crime of compelling the reduction of budget items for the greater welfare of the Korean people, one after another.
The crime of allowing prices of heating oil and electricity, essential to the citizens' livelihood, double, ruining their lives.

Who is the criminal, who is the criminal?

The crime of stigmatizing the voice of the people as unlawful assembly.
The crime of using the National Security Law to stigmatize organized labor as spies.
The crime of using your overseas tours to degrade the national dignity of Korea.
The crime of blaming others for your overseas blundering and humiliation.

Who is the criminal, who is the criminal?


(Against Kim Gon-hee, First Lady, whom Yoon is protecting from prosecution)
The crime of violating laws against stock price manipulation to make a million dollars in less than a year.
The crime of passing yourself off as someone of presidential status to deceive the people.
The crime of abusing your power to elevate cult leader Jeon Gong over goverment authority.
The crime of fabricating false credentials and plagiarism.

Who is the criminal, who is the criminal?

The crime of desiring US protection for Korea, at the same time bringing large quantities of modern weapons into Korea aggravating the threat of war.
The crime of advocating pre-emptive attack repeatedly, calling for war.
The crime of subordinating Korea to Japan, paving the way for the Japanese armed forces.

Because you are thoroughly destoying peace on the Korean peninsula, you sin against heaven and humanity.

Who is the criminal, who is the criminal?

Avoiding the wellbeing of citizens, incompetent, ignorant Yoon Seok-yeol
The completely manufactured fraudulent life of Kim Gon-hee.

The president and his wife, this is why we say our country is completely screwed.
It is a true honor to fight this without hesitation.
We were born citizens of Korea, to serve our country,
We raise up the candle's light.
This is true glory, we intend to fight without hesitation.

All people, don't be fooled by Yoon's lies and ambitions.
Let the world know-
Yoon Seok-yeol, step down!
Special prosecution for Kim Gon-hee!

Those who fight and serve the nation, is it right to call them criminals?
Who causes the nation to fail?
We raise up the candle lights!
Shall those who serve the country be punished?

Shall we know the suffering of losing our country?

Who is the criminal, who is the criminal?


The South Korean democracy movement uses traditional culture and art forms to advance their goals. Kim Min-jung also performed, including the democracy movement unofficial theme, Morning Dew. What yesterday's demonstration lacked in numbers compared to the prior demonstations, was more than compensated by quality.

South Korean First Lady's Audrey Hepburn pose

Kim Gon-hee wife of South Korea's President Yoon Seok-yeol, poses in Cambodia, Audrey Hepburn style as a woman with compassion. This staged photo shoot, no doubt, was arranged in a fruitless attempt to reverse her unpopularity.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 11.14.22)

Notice she isn't wearing her jewelry for the occasion valued at tens of thousands of dollars.

Kim is allegedly a con artist and vindictive person according to her critics. It is alleged she worked as hostess at the Volcano nightclub at the former Renaissance Ramada years ago. The Volcano was frequented by Seocho's powerful prosecutors including Yoon Seok-yeol. Critics also allege, she changed her name, and used her relationships with prosecutors to help her mother escape conviction in various fraudulent business deals. Kim has changed her identity once, and has also been accused of plagiarism and falsifying her academic resume.  After Yoon was elected his mother in law's conviction and attendant prison sentence in a medicare fraud type scheme worth millions was reversed on appeal.

Allegedly, more recently, Kim and her husband have steered no bid contracts related to her husband's unprecedented move of the presidential office (into the former Ministry of Defense Building, and the associated takeover of the former Foreign Ministry official residence), to friends and cronies. Total cost of the unnecessary move of the president's offices out of the Blue House has been estimated by one legislator at approximately a trillion won, at a time of economic hardship in South Korea. The move also resulted in an extraordinary security burden being placed on the Yongsan-gu police, which directly led to public safety lapses and the unprecedented Itaewon (crowd crush) disaster on the Saturday night before Halloween due to inadequate police presence.

This is just one of Kim's prior Jacqueline Kennedy style outfits:

(Source- Sisain Today 9.14.22)

Yoon was once asked how he as a public employee had managed to accumulate a net worth in excess of ten million dollars. He responded, "it's my wife's, not mine."


Addendum (11.15) More- Saint Kim Gon-hee

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 11.15.22)


Responsibility for the Itaewon disaster is clearly the result of two moves by the Yoon administration. The first moving the official Presidential Office to Yongsan, and placing the National Police organization under the control of the Minister of Interior and Public Safety, removing its independence from political control, and placing it directly under the so called Yoon clique. Keep in mind that this was done by Yoon without National Assembly authorization although the National Police Command Structure was designed by statute to be an independent agency. Second, on the day of the incident, the bulk of Yongsan's police were assigned to watch a demonstration against the administration and therefore were not assigned later to monitor larger crowds (over 100,000) in the tight streets and alleys of the popular Itaewon district. Yet Yoon and the Minister of Interior place the blame on local officials even though there were 4 hours of prior warnings of what was happening in Yongsan and local police did ask higher authorities to dispatch more police support in a timely manner. But could the leader of an incompetent and authoritarian government be married to a saint? Yes according to the public relations handlers at the presidential office who arranged for another "mise en scene" of the first lady in Cambodia and released it to conservative media in South Korea.

South Korean police resist return to the past

(Source- MBC News, 7.24) Police Chief Ryu Sam-yeong, Ulsan Central District Police Commander. organized a meeting of senior police officials to publicly oppose the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's move to subject the National Police Agency to direction, supervision, and management by the Ministry of Interior and Safety. This is a relationship that prevailed during the dictatorship period of South Korean governance and was eliminated by legislation in 1991 making the National Police Agency an independent non-political organization. Ryu said:

"Such a move is unacceptable. That's the gist of it. A return to the mistakes of the past, is clearly what this talk is about. During the prior era when the Command of the National Police was within to the Ministry of Interior, many democratic martyrs were sacrificed at the hands of police. Why was it like that? Because the police were subordinated to the political power of the Ministry."

"The establishment of a new police bureau doesn't act a restraint on police power, rather it is the opposite of restraint. Retraint must be democratic in nature. Now, It is the National Police Committee that operates as a check on the police institutionally. If that is insufficient, upgrade it, ensure its members are politically independent, realizing true contraint must be realized democratically. However, to remove this system of democratically accepted regulation of the police by the National Police Committee, is to impose ministerial control. This is far from the customary democratic practice."

Commanders and other ranking police officials who participated in the Police Commanders Meeting July 23 were swiftly subjected to disciplinary procedures by the Interior Ministry. Reportedly, 50 officers attended the meeting directly, and more online. Later, it was reported that hundreds of officers sent Mugunghwa floral wreaths in support of the meeting. Commander Ryu was informed he was removed from his post on the way home from the meeting and to clear his personal effects from his office. It was later clarified by the presidential office chief that Ryu faces expulsion from the police force.

The Minister of the Interior and Safety, Lee Sang-min, claimed Ryu had violated a prohibition on gathering an assembly of public employees but was unable to specificy the specific law violated. The officers met off duty and traveled at their own expense. He characterized Ryu's action as an unconstitutional coup d'etat. This was an interesting reversal as it is the change in government organization by executive fiat without legislation that is unconstitutional according to those opposed to the move by the presidential office. The minister was questioned at a legislative hearing if a meeting of attorneys (a reference to a meeting called by Yoon as prosecutor general to defy the authority of the Minister of Justice?) had been illegal. Lee Sang-min denied this. Then he was asked if private assemblies of prosecutors for meetings were prohibited. "That's different" was the response. On a police social media net an officer asked, "Is a meeting of the National Public Prosecutors Association illegal?".

Prosecution reform legislation passed during the previous session of the National Assembly removed the monopoly of investigative powers from the Public Prosecutors Offices and transferred those investigation powers to police agencies. The effort by the Yoon government to subject the National Police Agency to the control of the Ministry of Interior and Safety is regarded as an attack on the independence and political neutrality of police offices and a "Chu Doo-hwan like" effort to subject police nationally to a an oppressive political monopoly dominated by President Yoon's office.

Another meeting of lesser ranking supervisory police personnel in support of those higher ranking officers subject to review or discipline concerning the July 23 meeting is scheduuled for July 30.


"대기발령 오히려 잘됐다" 류삼영 총경 작심 인터뷰
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2WCWSk0xOY

Yoon post-election crackdown on political opponents underway

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 6.2) This political cartoon depicts the grim bias of the South Korean media in collusion with the justice system again under Yoon Seok-yeol's complete control. Korean mainstream media portray former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's wife, Kim Hye-kyeong, who is being investigated by police for suspicion of misuse of an office credit card while Lee Jae-myung was Governor of Gyeonggido. Police obtained warrants to search 129 commercial establishments including a number of restaurants and cafes. The graphic shows Lee's wife inside the red box apologizing for an alleged unauthorized purchase of meat made on the office credit card for around 100 dollars, while the mainsteam broadcast media on prime time produce numerous exclusive reports and news flashes, portraying horror and shock.

Outside the conservative media coverage (outside the red box), Yoon, his mother in law Choi, and wife, Kim Gon-hee, are portrayed in connection with their latest alleged financial derelictions. Yoon has never revealed what exactly his office expenses, as Prosecutor General, 14.7 billion won (over ten million dollars) were spent on. An accounting has never been released to the public. Choi's trials for fraudulent operation of a rehabilitation center resulting in two million dollars of state medical funds as income to her resulted in an acquittal on appeal after a belated trial. All other suspects received prison terms. Wife Kim Gon-hee was never investigated for her alleged involvement in an insider stock trading scandal (Deustche Motors) also where all the other suspects were given terms of confinement after trial. Kim was alleged to have profited by approximately 3 million dollars in that scheme. Her mother was also alleged to have been involved. Each family member contemplates the proverbial "gold spoon" 금수저 symbolic of the favoritism afforded Korean elites.

Recent news reports indicate that Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung himself is now under investigation for election law violations along with 48 officials elected to local or regional offices in the June 1 elections. Lee just won office as a National Assembly member from an Inchon district June 1, in a race to fill a vacancy, after having lost the March 9 presidential election to Yoon. The legal actions the day after the regional elections are widely regarded as "revenge investigations" but are also considered by some critics to reflect an attempt to establish authoritarian rule through Yoon's consolidated control of the administration of justice by eliminating political rivals from the public stage by prosecuting them.

Lee allegedly promulgated false information intending to affect the campaign outcome by circulating a facebook entry that affirmed he was against privatization of state assets including electric power, water works, airports and railroads. This is alleged by PPP to have been a factual misrepresentation of the conservative administration's position which had not considered "privatization." Lee published his position on facebook on May 18, the day after the Chief of Yoon's presidential secretarial office chief, Kim Dae-gi 김대기 stated, in a National Assembly steering committee hearing, that public assets including those mentioned by Lee, could be financialized by selling off 30 to 40 percent of the public entity in the form of stock to the public. He said it would be a large financial resource to the government. He argued that the fact that the government retained a 51 percent controlling interest and management rights of the state entity made characterizing the transaction as privatization untrue. Yet, this issue had come up in the Lee Myung-bak administration, in whose office Kim had served, where the same thing was tried with Korea Power, a state electric utility, and the failure to produce return for minority stakeholders resulted in repeated litigation, financial losses, and increasing utility bills for customers.

Also to consider is Yoon's avowed admiration for the policies of economist Milton Friedman, and that the top five floors of the so called "People's House" presidential office building on Yongsan garrison are devoted to "public private" partnerships. The investigation of Lee is clearly contrived and politically motivated. The winner of the Gyeonggi Province governor's race, another democrat is also targeted. Lee's election and the election of Kim Dong-yon as Geonggido governor were the high points in the otherwise poor showing of the democratic party candidates in the regional and local elections. Reportedly, in addition to a total of 48 elected candidates being investigated are hundreds of others for alleged election law violations.*

*878 under prosecution probe for alleged violations related to local elections; Yonhap News Agency, 1630 June 2;
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220602006851315

Also see: 인천공항공사 민영화 논란, 지분 40% 매각은 민영화가 아닐까? 김백겸 기자 vop.co.kr 5.20.2022;
https://vop.co.kr/A00001613323.html

"Populist" Yoon Seok-yeol

This Hankyoreh editorial* made some good points about the supply chain and South Korea and China:

Regarding Korea’s involvement in the IPEF, President Yoon Suk-yeol told CNN in an interview on Monday, “Even if we strengthen our alliances with the United States in security and technology, it does not mean that we think our economic cooperation with China is unimportant.”

Yoon also said that, since both South Korea and China depend on their mutual cooperation, he does “not believe it is reasonable for China to be overly sensitive about this matter,” revealing the very easy-going way of thinking of the president.

The IPEF is based on the US intention to exclude China from the global supply chain. A plan is needed that puts the characteristics of the Korean industry and the ecosystem into perspective. For Korea, which heavily depends on trade to keep its economy strong, fully excluding either the US or China is far too risky.

*Is Yoon prepared for the consequences of cold-shouldering China? Posted on : May.25,2022
https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/1044370.html

Yoon is clueless. In fact, he’s on autopilot. He hasn’t changed his personal schedule or conduct to adjust for his new status as the president of South Korea. He appears to think he’s still on the campaign trail. The major Korean media are simply ignoring the problems with his personal life, such as disclosures that he appears to go right to his favorite drinking place right after work, where he ran up a 4000 dollar bill in one evening for himself and his security detail. This was on May 13, the day after North Korea launched three ballistic missiles. An investigative journalist recorded an unidentified witness who said President Yoon was a regular customer there. After he drinks at his favorite watering hole in Gangnam, he stops at another drinking spot close to his luxury apartment, in the Acrovista, in Seocho.

There are rumors that the bar hopping routine is stressful for the presidential security detail who begin working on the security deployments for Yoon’s wining and dining schedule at 2pm. (Yoon reportedly leaves the office at 6pm) The mission doesn’t wrap up until after 11pm. Yoon was quoted by one anonymous source as saying loudly at the end of the one documented drinking episode, “Let’s have just one more drink.” Needless to say, this went viral yesterday (on critical progressive social media).

The conservative media is focusing on photo shots of Yoon and his wife, Kim Gon-hee at his office in the old Ministry of Defense building in Yongsan. She and Yoon posed playing with their dog on the lawn outside the so called “People’s House,” and inside Yoon’s office. Kim was wearing her casual 1000 dollars plus dior sneakers. Presidential spokespeople tried to claim that the photos weren’t taken by presidential office personnel. His wife seems to be posting private photos of them together on her “Gon-hee Love” fan club social media sites.

After an explosion occurred at a Yeosu industrial site (a repeat occurrence apparently), in a separate incident, a mountain fire broke out on the morning of May 31 local time in Milyang. Hundreds of people needed to be evacuated from the surrounding community. Hundreds of fire fighters were committed to fight the fire. Rather than return to office for a National Security Council meeting Yoon was observed shopping in an outdoor market in Busan, posing for pictures having lunch with vendors. Critics complained that Yoon was, in fact, trying to influence the regional elections ending June 1, by campaigning while in office, a prohibited activity. It's rather obvious that Yoon continues his pose as a man of the people, while attempting to advance reactionary "privatizing and austerity policies," contrary to the public interest. Some of the photos emphasized the lunch menu for Yoon's group, going so far as to display the dishes served with labels identifying them. This harkens back to a PR policy adopted by the unpopular former US Ambassador Harry Harris, and the former "US Envoy to North Korea," Stephen Biegun, whose policy views were not accepted by the former South Korean administration, who then appeared in South Korean mainstream media cooking their favorite Korean dishes. This public relations strategy panders to the South Korean meokbang 먹방 food binging/food porn fad, ubiquitous in social media culture and broadcasting.

Meanwhile there are rising complaints from official security guards previously under duty at the Blue House, who now have to serve at Yongsan because of Yoon’s move of the Presidential office to that location. Apparently, there are no finished quarters for them to reside in, and they are quartered in an empty unused third floor of a military building on Yongsan. According to social media reports which appear to be from the guards themselves, the quarters smell (of urine), their isn’t enough furniture to sleep on, and there are no lockers or closets for personal use. Reports say that as a result they are showing up for duty tired, and in messy or incomplete uniforms. This is just one of the problems that was predicted by national security experts when Yoon insisted on moving into the MND building rather than the Blue House.

The South Korean regional elections will conclude on June 1. It is unlikely that Yoon’s performance (and that of his office and the “People’s Party”) will have substantial impact, as news unflattering to them is simply rarely reported. Right wing demonstrators have been demonstrating outside former president Moon Jae-in’s home in a small village in Yangsan, using loudspeakers to accuse Moon and his wife of being criminals, using abusive language and so on. This story gets lots of conservative media coverage. I saw a banner on one truck in a new video that accused Moon of being a “murderer.”

Yoon "술에 취한 대통령" under the influence of alcohol president

술에 취한 대통령 Presdent Yoon Seok-yeol's new nickname among critics is 술통령, drinking president.

(Source-열린공감TV youtube 5.25) Image taken May 13, 2022 at about 11:00 pm, inside restaurant adjacent to the luxury Acrovista apartments where President Yoon Seok-yeol still lives. His collar is unbuttoned and his tie askew.

(Source-열린공감TV youtube 5.25) These images were taken on Friday night (May 13) a day after the North Korean missile launches on Thursday evening which took place between six and seven pm. The red circle highlights Yoon's loosened belt.

(Source-열린공감TV youtube 5.25) The hands of his escorts which appear to be steadying President Yoon on his feet are visible. Their faces are blurred out for privacy and/or security reasons. Typically, identity of non-public figures are protected on Korean media for privacy reasons.

The spokesperson for the so called People's Power Party, has claimed that the images are photoshopped. The original publisher of the images (열린공감TV), who obtained them from an unidentified source, has directly contradicted the photoshop claim by the accuser who threatened legal action against the Democratic Party for disseminating copies or derivatives of these images on social media. A recorded discussion with a worker at the restaurant confirmed that Yoon had been there drinking.

The public policy issue here revolves around the fact, that President Yoon Seok-yeol, is clearly a drinking man. Can the commander in chief of South Korea's military be drunk while its northern neighbor is actively engaged in carrying out missile launches which may occur at any time? Should the commander in chief be under the influence of alcohol at any time? There is also the possibility that North Korea may be preparing to test another nuclear weapon. After the three North Korean missile launches on May 25, Yoon arrived at the office more than an hour after the launches began. The National Security Council had been convened on May 25 in contrast to the security lapse surrounding the May 12 launches, when the NSC wasn't convened and Yoon didn't even return to the office. Images of Yoon coming to the office at about 7:30 am, March 25, were quickly reported on South Korea's major media to show he was on the job, on the latter occassion. Nevertheless, (on the prior occasion) he appears drunk the next day. Is Yoon really "on call 24-7" to deal with national security matters or national disasters?
Note: See my June 1 post, "Populist" Yoon Seok-yeol, for more commentary about Yoon's drinking.

Will Rasputin be advising the new first family in South Korea?

(Source 열린공감TV 3.21 다시 주목받는 3년 전 천공의 용산시대 예언! 윤석열 멘토로서 그의 영향력은 어디까지? ) Teacher Cheon Gong says he isn't Yoon Seok-yeol's mentor but has been "coaching" him according to his conscience. The Yongsan era begins! How far does the mentor's influence extend?


There could be serious problems ahead for South Korea's new administration which takes power May 10. One of the independent journalism channels in South Korea ( 열린공감TV ) has been making the case for the last couple of days, that the Guru, holy man, wizard, shaman whatever you want to call him, Cheon Gong, has been advising either Kim Gon-hee, (the new first lady) and/or President Elect Yoon Seok-yeol, on matters of state policy. Examples: 1) not moving into the Blue House, but the Ministry of National Defense Building in Yongsan disrupting the national security chain of command; 2) advising the president and his transition committee, to not accept the compromise brokered in the National Assembly on prosecution reform and the administration of criminal justice in South Korea which is corrupt and highly politicized; 3) recommending that the Blue House become an “exhibition hall” for the public or museum of sorts (the first lady’s business is booking and managing “art exhibitions” usually paid for by powerful commercial interests). The latter is regarded as a means of illegal sponsorship or cover for influence peddling. Trading in works of "fine art" is actually not uncommon among highly placed conservative politicians’ wives.

So this is a Rasputin type relationship with a first family that has a few screws loose. Imagine a newly elected US president that would not move into the White House but will instead move into a wing of the Pentagon, and demand that the Secretary of Defense or Joint Chiefs move their offices to make it possible. This guru has said that the legislature doesn’t embody the people’s will, but the question of reforming the criminal justice system should be put on a referendum to the people. This in fact, is what the transition committee announced one week later when Yoon's party filed his petition for an injunction against the legislature. This is bizarre to say the least.

Preview of the "dictatorship of prosecutors" in South Korea

It's only been recently that any decent article has appeared in the English language media about the concentration of power in the Public Prosecutors Office which readily enables political abuse and corruption. This article in the Hankyoreh opinion section does a nice job of describing the problem:

[Guest essay] S. Korea’s last chance to prevent a “republic of prosecutors”
Posted on : Apr.20,2022 17:52 KST Modified on : Apr.20,2022 17:52 KST by by Suh Bo-hack, professor at Kyung Hee University Law School,

The Democratic Party must quickly pass legislation that will separate the prosecutors’ powers of investigation and indictment
https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/1039742.html

The "republic of prosecutors" presents an even greater threat with Yoon Suk-yeol taking office as South Korea's new president on May 10. South Korea will remain a republic in name only. "Republic of prosecutors" is a euphemism for dictatorship enforced by prosecutors.

Yoon Suk-yeol, the former Prosecutor General, has nominated his former right hand man and political fixer, Han Dong-hun, for Minister of Justice. Their conservative backers in the so called People's Power Party in the National Assembly are attempting to stonewall any reform of the criminal justice system. Once Yoon takes office it is unlikely that substantive prosecutorial reforms will become law.

Yesterday, the PPP repudiated the compromise proposal reached in the National Assembly on prosecution reform measures. The negotiations were apparently just a stalling tactic.

An agreement had already been signed by the two major party floor leaders in the National Assembly, Park Hang-Geun, for the democratic party, and Kwan Seon-dong, for the conservative People's Power Party. The compromise measure was mediated by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Park Byung-seok. Amazingly, President-elect Yoon's transition committee released an initial statement saying it respected the mediated proposal. The compromise had been approved by both parties in separate party assembly member meetings. When Yoon Suk-yeol and Hang Dong-hun got wind of it, it was immediately repudiated. PPP party leader Lee Jun-seok said that the PPP minority party won't accept a "legislative monopoly in the legislature." What does that mean? One democratic assembly member referred to the events as a "preview of the dictatorship of prosecutors."

So the compromise proposal was agreed to on Friday and repudiated by the PPP executive committee over the weekend at the direction of Yoon, probably through Han Dong-hun, who is the current Yoon nominee for Justice Minister. There is a report that Yoon directly contacted PPP floor leader, Kwan Seon-dong, instructing him to withdraw his party's support for the compromise reform proposal that he had just signed on behalf of his party's national assembly representatives. Han is now known as the "little president," pejoratively meaning the real president or power behind the throne, who will displace the prime minister, the presidential chief of civil affairs, and the prosecutor general, because of his special personal relationship with Yoon. The PPP members in the legislative assembly are now known as "yes men." It remains to be seen whether Han and a number of other Yoon cabinet appointments will get through their confirmation hearings unscathed with the ethical and financial irregularities alleged in independent media.


(Source MBCNEWS youtube 5.25)
2.12M subscribers
0:00 여야 중재안 합의..검찰, 부패·경제범죄 외 직접수사 불가 (2022.04.22_뉴스데스크_MBC)
02:41 '검수완박' 합의 뒤집어..사흘만에 '파기' (2022.04.25_뉴스데스크_MBC)
05:12 민주당, 법사위 단독 소집 "이번주 처리" (2022.04.25_뉴스데스크_MBC)
07:58 국민의힘, 돌연 왜? (2022.04.25_뉴스데스크_MBC)

한동훈 전화에 합의 파기? 국민의힘 뒤집은 '검찰의힘'[뉴스.zip/MBC뉴스]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns1V6-zU8jg

South Korea...Yoon's justice minister pick as "appointment terrorism"

S. Korean Democrats excoriate Yoon’s justice minister pick as “appointment terrorism” Hankyoreh by By Song Chae Kyung-hwa, Apr.14,2022 17:23 KST

The announcement appears to have lent momentum to the Democratic Party’s push to strip prosecutors of their authority to conduct investigations.

The Democratic Party issued a blistering criticism of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement Wednesday that he was nominating Han Dong-hoon, a close associate of his during his time as a prosecutor, to serve as minister of justice.

The party lambasted the selection as an example of “appointment terrorism” meant to “install a loyal servant rather than achieving fairness.”

Following its decision Tuesday to make the separation of the prosecutors’ investigative powers part of its party platform, the party appears likely to use Han’s selection as an impetus for speeding up its efforts to pass related legislation.

In a public meeting of confirmation hearing officials at the National Assembly that day, Democratic Party floor leader Park Hong-keun said, “This isn’t just an appointment catastrophe — this is an act of ‘appointment terrorism’ against the public.”

*
* https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1038973.html

The article goes on to refer to Han's recent "unreasonable acquittal" on charges of "blackmail." Actually Han was charged with conspiracy to frame a political opponent of Yoon, Yoon's wife, and Han. It wasn't an "acquittal" but an ordinary declination to prosecute, which does not preclude charges against Han in the future. The reference to appointment terrorism and "privatizing" the prosecutorial function is an indirect way of saying Yoon will be a dictator, if the appointment goes through, and the democratic party's attempted reform of prosecutorial powers and organization fails. The democratic party was attempting to expedite the reforms by using a 180 vote super majority to overcome the expected filibuster by the conservative PPP party. For unexplained reasons the small Justice Party is refusing to cooperate with the democratic party, which has an estimated vote count of 179 votes at this point. Even if the reform bill were expedited, the appointment and confirmation of Han as Justice Minister would probably serve to neutralize the impact of the bill.

Yoon's wife has admitted communicating privately with Han on a regular basis. Yoon himself was disciplined a year ago by Ministry of Justice professional disciplinary board for unlawfully investigating judges, and intervening in the Channel A News case, (in which Han was alleged to be involved), and politicizing prosecution offices. Yoon's wife and mother in law, have been under investigation for various alleged unlawful acts. His mother in law, was convicted and then acquitted upon review of what we would call medicare fraud. His wife, Kim Gon-hee, is under investigation for insider stock trading where all participants but herself have gone to jail. A small group of demonstrators were thrown out of the Prosecutor General's Office annex yesterday for demanding prosecution of Yoon's wife. She is also alleged to have plagiarized her PhD thesis and falsified her academic resume.

At least two of Yoon's other nominations, those for Minister of Health and Welfare, and Prime Minister, are also alleged to raise ethical issues. The appointment of multiple ethically challenged appointments as alleged by critics, is seen as an effort to steam roll the appointment hearing process. In other words, there won't be enough hearing time to address these issues adequately.

The concentration of investigation and enforcement power in the South Korean centralized prosecutors' offices compares unfavorably to that of other governments such as the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan. By combining the power of President Yoon, Minister of Justice Han, and the Prosecutor General's Office, South Korea will become a defacto authoritarian state. This is something that people are afraid to say. No one wants to admit that Yoon is a potential despot, and that South Korean democracy is in jeopardy.

Human rights expert calls for end to persecution of Cho Guk's family

(Source- OhMyNews TV youtube, 4.7.21)
"I look forward to Professor Chung Kyung-shim's speedy release from prison, and for freedom to return to Professor Cho Guk's family amid these hardships. I assert as long the cruel experience of Cho Guk's family continues, there is no justice," said Professor Baek.

Baek Tae-ung, Professor of Law and international human rights expert, calls for the immediate release of Cho Guk's wife, Chung Kyung-shim, from prison, and the reinstatement of daughter Cho Min's college degrees by the universities which removed her college admission credentials (and consequently her right to pursue a medical career). The two universties' administrative actions were based upon the questionable conviction in her mother's criminal trials for allegedly fabricating a volunteer service award to bolster her daughter's academic credentials for college admission. Professor Baek criticized the universities' decisions as well, saying they reflected an abandonment of academic autonomy and that they had the discretion to decide otherwise. Going forward, the prominent human rights authority, said he looked forward to the quick release of Professor Jung Kyeong-shim from prison, the restoration of Cho Min's professional college credentials and an end to the cruel continuing reality of Cho-Guk's prosecution and family situation. Cho Guk indicated he would pursue legal actions to challenge the university decisions.

(Source- OhMyNews TV youtube, 4.7.21) Cho Guk, "It's a situation as if I'm in a tunnel with a knife at my throat, and my ankles bound in shackles..." To the current president elect, Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General, at the time the prosecutions were initiated, which forced Cho to step down as Justice Minister: "Are you happy now?..." On facebook: "Now please apply the same standards to Yoon's wife and family as held to mine..."

Cho Guk is the former Justice Minister appointed during the Moon adminitration to implement critical reforms to the centralized prosecutors' offices in South Korea, which have been used to selectively prosecute political rivals and critics and, at the same time, to protect corrupt special interests in South Korea. The overwhelming power of the prosecution offices are not subject to meaningful checks and balances, and are therefore prone to political abuse. Some say this is a legacy of the former Japanese adminstration during Korea's colonial period, and also the abuse of the administration of justice during the period of dictatorships. Korea's centralized justice system is unique in this respect when compared to other modern "democratic" states. The continued abuse of judicial administration by prosecutors is a grave threat to South Korean democracy. Democrats in the National Assembly are now considering further measures to divest prosecutors of their monopoly on investigative and prosecutorial powers. On the other side, president elect, Yoon Seok-yeol, who will take office May 10, has indicated that he will strip the office of the Justice Minister of authority to conduct independent legal investigations, and further solidify the complete independence of the prosecutor general's offices from outside supervision or interference. The fear is that with the former Prosecutor General in the presidential office and his league of followers in prosecution offices, South Korea is facing potential tyrany.

*백태웅 교수, 조민 입학취소에…“정의는 없다”
입력 2022-04-07 16:25, 박선현 기자
https://www.etoday.co.kr/news/view/2121828

Baik Tae-Ung (born 1962) is Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is Director of the Center for Korean Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. A leading academic authority on transitional justice, social movement, and human rights in Asia, he specializes in international human rights law, comparative law, and Korean law.[1] Baik is a well-known former South Korean prisoner of conscience.

In 2015, he was appointed to the United Nations Human Rights Council [2] Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) as an independent expert representing the Asia-Pacific region.[3] He is currently serving as Chair-Rapporteur of the WGEID after working as Vice-Chair for two years since 2018.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baik_Tae-ung

What will happen when Yoon Seok-yeol assumes the office of President of South Korea?

The South Korean government will become more authoritarian under the new president Yoon Seok-yeal. Blacklists in broadcasting, journalism, and the arts will be resumed by the right wing regime. Violent police suppression of demonstrations will become the norm again.

Yoon will abandon Moon Jae-in’s three no’s policy. South Korea will become subservient to US-Japan policy foreign policy goals rather than following South Korea’s unique national interests. Yoon’s foreign policy will antagonize China, increasing instability in East Asia, and have adverse impact on the South Korean economy.

(Source- 알리미 황희두 youtube 7.10 ) Political cartoon shows Yoon Seok-yeol, appearing to resemble Hitler as he sometimes does in these cartoons, saying the university decides whether his wife's Ph.D. was plagiarized. So he and his wife Kim Geon-hee appear in the frame suitable for the mainstream press reporting. Outside the scope of that reporting, Yoon wields his prosecutorial club (issuing warrants against multiple colleges) to destroy the former Justice Minister Cho Guk, and his daughter in the picture, because she is listed as an author of a professional paper. The bottom of the cartoon says "Yoon ro nam bul," (윤로남불) a reference to Yoon's hypocrisy and double standards.

Prosecution offices will, to an even greater degree, aim to suppress dissent generally and, in particular, criticism of the alleged corruption of Yoon’s family and his alleged negligent handling of large financial scandals in South Korea while he was prosecutor, namely the Optimus Fund and Daejangdong related scandals (Hwacheon Daeyu, and Busan Savings Bank).

Press-prosecution collusion will become worse as Yoon’s political rivals and their families are slandered in the legacy conservative mainstream media, and prosecuted on groundless or petty charges. Those in Yoon’s network already under investigation or convicted of crimes will be nolle prossed, acquitted, or pardoned, according to the procedural status of each case.

Yoon’s wife, shamans and other quacks will have undue influence on his office.

(Source 열린공감TV 3.21 다시 주목받는 3년 전 천공의 용산시대 예언! 윤석열 멘토로서 그의 영향력은 어디까지? ) Teacher Cheon Gong says he isn't Yoon Seok-yeol's mentor but has been "coaching" him according to his conscience. He claims he coached Yoon to resign (as Prosecutor General). The Yongsan era begins! How far does the mentor's influence extend?

Corruption will run rampant as Yoon’s “empire of lawyers” in prosecution offices and on the bench declines prosecution of corrupt corporate interests.

Yoon will effectively dismantle the prosecution reforms already passed by the National Assembly, block further reforms, and prosecution offices will continue to act with impunity, in effect becoming the primary mechanism of an authoritarian regime.

Sources: 열린공감TV, 언론 알아야 바꾼다, 알리미 황희두 and 시사건건 (all youtube channels from South Korea)

Will Yoon's presidential "command group" move into MND building?

Source- 망신당한 윤석열, 김종대 뼈 때렸다! "이런 아마추어가 없다" - 뜬금없는 용산 시대 선언에 시민들 불만.. 김태년 "문재인 대통령과 윤석열 회동 불발.. 대단한 결례" March 16, 알리미 황희두 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00Y1bVq6z_s
Yoon's inner circle on the march (top) oddly resembles a scene from a mob movie (bottom).


See also 김종대 "尹, 용산시대? 헛소리.. 실컷 검토하라" Mar 17, https://news.v.daum.net/v/20220317062057931

From the English language Hankyoreh article on the proposed transfer of the presidential staff to the Ministry of National Defense Building:

Will Yoon's Blue House office move into MND building?
Mar.18,2022 17:07 KST
Hankyoreh

According to Kim, the Yoon camp is telling the Ministry of Defense to empty their main building and move into the Joint Chiefs of Staff building next door. Although it would be theoretically possible for the defense minister himself to move there, “the policy departments of the ministry will reportedly be moved to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration building in Gwacheon,” Kim said, pointing out how Yoon’s plan would scatter these different departments around in different locations.

“The Ministry of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff are optimized as the last bastion and center of national security in case of an emergency,” Kim commented. “For example, if North Korea detonates a nuclear weapon in the air 60 kilometers above Seoul, it becomes an electromagnetic pulse — almost 100 billion won was spent on the construction of this defense facility alone [to defend it from such attacks]. And they want to send it all packing?” Kim asked.

“The Blue House crisis management center also spent a lot of money to build a system to manage terrorist situations, natural disasters, and national security situations, all of which are [now] useless,” Kim added.

Nevertheless, the Yoon camp still believes the move is a good idea.

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1035426.html


The Yoon Seok-yeol "command group"

"Headquarters Command Risk," summarizing the previously known "wife risk," and "mother in law risk."

망신당한 윤석열, 김종대 뼈 때렸다! "이런 아마추어가 없다" - 뜬금없는 용산 시대 선언에 시민들 불만.. 김태년 "문재인 대통령과 윤석열 회동 불발.. 대단한 결례" youtube March 16, 알리미 황희두

Does the president elect Yoon Seok-yeol want to move into the MND building because he's a wanna be dictator or because his shaman told him the feng-shui of the old Japanese colonial outpost is favorable to his rule? His wife had said she wouldn't live in the Blue House. This preliminary annoucement is another example of his absolute incompetence as a leader. The communities of Yongsan and Gwacheon are opposed to the plan. They voted for him.

This is one of many surprises to come. Yoon told the present prosecutor general to resign. Yoon plans on investigating the outgoing current president Moon Jae-in; for what he did not say. Don't worry he'll make something up. Rumors are that he will nominate Na Kyung-won for Foreign Minister. Na's husband allegedly diverted criminal litigation against Yoon's wife and mother-in-law in the past. Yoon's last minute supporter from the National Party, Ahn Chul-soo, had said just a few weeks ago, that anyone who voted for Yoon would cut off the finger that pushed the button on the ballot for Yoon in a year. Will it take that long? Hong Jun-pyo a former conservative presidential candidate said the building where the first family and Blue House national command authority reside isn't the problem, it's the personnel, an oblique reference to Yoon's clique in the PPP party.

The estimated tax cost of moving the Blue House staff is approximately a billion dollars. That doesn't include the adverse impact on commerce in the affected communities. The military expert cited, who has advised former presidents, and the National Assembly, referred to Yoon as an "amateur" using the English term.

Yoon’s motivation has also been speculated to be a concern over alleged “lack of security” for him personally if he were residing at the Blue House. One couldn’t help but notice that the Blue House is located close to the Gwanghwamoon plaza where the largest demonstrations in Seoul took place in 2017. These huge “candlelight revolution” demonstrations ultimately resulted in impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye and brought down her administration. The plaza and the Blue House perimeter require a relatively large police commitment to contain the crowds and control access to the Blue House perimeter wall. One demonstration last fall by conversative opposition groups did result in the militant Taegukki group moving from Gwanghwamun plaza and attempting to scale the Blue House wall resulting in a number of arrests.

One can reasonably foresee that Yoon at some point will be faced with demonstrations similar to the candlelight movement which involved as many as a million people assembling in or near Gwangwhamun. If the Blue House command authority is moved to the MND the narrower rights of way in the former Yongsan garrison area will make blocking access to the Ministry of Defense building far easier. The Samgakchi plaza at the end of Itaewonno will not accommodate such large assemblies.

Given the communications capabilities of the Blue House bunker in times of national emergency, experts and other critics have remarked that the location of the national command authority isn’t just a matter of the president’s personal security but the security of the Republic of Korea and its people as a whole. Yoon’s capricious and arbitrary desire to move the Blue House staff to the MND building is an indicator not only of his lack of competence in such matters, but also his narcissism, and arrogant self centered focus on all issues. Yoon’s behavior in this context has been compared to the actions of a monarch during the Choseon dynasty period.

Addendum 3.20 Why is Arirang News trying so hard to sell this stupid move by Yoon? They uncritically just repeat the misrepresentations by the Yoon camp. Okay so Yoon won't move into the Blue House, and he's telling the MND in Yongsan to get out of their building, and that there will be two new buildings on the old Yongsan Garrison site. Where are the generals going to move? Who is going to pay for this? Other Korean news sources say the cost of the transition will be approximately 1 billion dollars not counting the adverse affect on commerce in the neighboring communities. Doesn't all this need to be authorized by the National Assembly or does the authoritarian Mr. Yoon just order this? The legislature is controlled by the Democratic Party. Yoon cuts the department of women and children, and is going to reduce civil service employment rolls to "save money," but he's doing this? Shouldn't the public health challenge of the covid surge be the government's first priority? It's pretty obvious that the move itself will be disruptive in terms of South Korean national security and diaster preparedness.

The ultimate Yoon misrepresentation on this issue is that this area will be more "accessible to the people." How many people have actually been in the Yongsan garrison- Samgakji area. This move is being chosen for exactly the opposite reason. It is easier to block public access to the MND building and its approaches. However, the zoning and building restrictions around the Blue House have been developed to provide better security for the national command center particularly from air and ground attack. This cannot be achieved as well around the MND building because of vertical building construction around the area. This is also a reason why developers and local businesses oppose the move.

비밀의 숲 Stranger, the Kdrama

Title is the Stranger in English, in Korean, the drama title is Secret Forest (as in you can't see the forest for the trees). The Stranger is a compelling drama series. Netflix with English subtitles.

This was my description of season one before the presidential election in South Korea:

I think with the 20/20 hindsight of having studied the corruption and political abuse of the administration of justice in South Korea in the last couple of years, the portrayal of that corruption, and the estrangement of any honest prosecutors from that system because they don’t “play ball,” in this 2017 drama is rather realistic. It’s just a microcosm of the much larger systemic abuses in the justice world in South Korea struggling to put their corrupt leader in power as president on March 9, 2022, to preserve their way of life at the public’s expense.

Season 2:

Even before I finished watching season 2, it was obvious that the character of Woo Tae-ha was based on the former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who is currently the president elect of South Korea. I know these dramas have the usual disclaimers about any resemblance to real characters or events are coincidental or non-intentional, but the character and his dialogue are what one might imagine. None of the events in the drama are related and are entirely fictional. The power struggle between police and prosecutors over investigative powers is a genuine major political issue in Korea politics.

Woo Tae-ha is played by Choi Moo-sung who also had a supporting role in Mr. Sunshine. His acting is excellent. His compelling performance in Noktu Flower, about the Korean Tong Hak rebellion is one of the best historical drama series I've ever seen.

The other actors in The Stranger are also outstanding. I posted this here rather than Asian group, because political comments are discouraged there. The investigation of crimes and the administration of justice in South Korea are totally political as depicted in The Stranger. Yoon's election ensures that the so called Republic of Lawyers is not over.


열린공감TV 열린공감TV 1 day ago March 12 다시한번 안내말씀 드립니다.
<열린공감TV>를 향한 저들의 각종 고발,고소 건 등에 대응할 정의롭고 역량있는 법조인을 기다립니다. <열린공감TV>법률 자문 및 변호인단은 당장 구성해야할 정도로 도움이 필요한 부분입니다. 현직 변호사분들의 적극 참여가 절실히 필요합니다.

- 법률대응팀은 별도의 단톡방 운영 등으로 활동할 계획입니다.
- 사안별로 법률 자문 및 변호 수임 등 소정의 비용 지급 및 계약으로 무료법률 지원이 아닌 정당한 노동의 대가를 지불하겠습니다.
- <열린공감TV>로 고소.고발된 사건은 대 부분 정치적 사안이며 보도를 통한 내용에 대해 허위사실, 명예훼손, 가처분 등의 민.형사건 입니다. 현재까지는 몇몇 친분있는 정의로운 변호사분들이 도움을 주셔서 임기응변식으로 사건을 맡겼지만 이제는 좀 더 많은 공격이 예상되어 폭 넓은 변호사팀을 구성하고자 합니다.
- 현재까지 진행된 소송에서는 단 한번의 패소도 없었습니다.
- “변호사님, 도움이 필요합니다”

https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxBaF7DzN3Hsu8ummA1tbhDl1lobIS-8kI

Yoon is the worst thing to happen to South Korea since Chun Doo-hwan.

More evidence of Yoon's role in Hwacheon Daeyoo financial scandal investigation

Newstapa acquired the audio file of a conversation between Kim Man-bae, a key figure in the Daejang-dong case, with an acquaintance in September last year, just before the prosecution's investigation. While explaining the details of the Daejang-dong project in detail, Mr. Kim said, “The Busan Savings Bank case was resolved through Attorney Park Young-soo and Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol at the time;" and "Because of the Mayor of Seongnam, the Daejang-dong enterprise experienced difficulties" (due to financial and construction demands made on behalf of the city by Lee Jae-myung that the investment group did not want to fulfill).*

Other recordings disclosed recently elsewhere on the internet show that Yoon and Park Young-soo, had been drinking buddies for over thirty years. God help the Korean people if Yoon Seok-yeol is elected president of South Korea.


*대장동 사건 핵심 인물인 김만배 씨가 검찰 수사 직전인 지난해 9월 지인과 나눈 대화 음성파일을 뉴스타파가 입수했습니다. 김 씨는 대장동 사업 진행 내용을 자세히 설명하면서 “박영수 변호사와 윤석열 당시 대검 중수부 검사를 통해 부산저축은행 사건을 해결했다”, “이재명 성남시장 때문에 대장동 사업에 어려움을 겪었다”고 말했습니다.

[김만배 음성파일] "박영수-윤석열 통해 부산저축은행 사건 해결" - 뉴스타파
Mar 6, 2022 Newstapa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrdLAL3AT78

And: “박영수-윤석열 통해 부산저축은행 사건 해결”
한상진 2022년 03월 06일 21시 22분
https://newstapa.org/article/ybGav


.

In surprising turn around Yoon Seok-yeol reaches election unification agreement with Ahn Cheol-soo

A report from Seoul from Nikkei Asia today:

South Korean opposition rivals Ahn and Yoon team up for election
With less than a week to go, partnership deals blow to ruling party’s Lee
by KIM JAEWON, Nikkei staff writer
March 3, 2022 09:08 JST

SEOUL — Two opposition candidates for South Korea’s presidency on Thursday said they will forge an alliance to battle the ruling party’s contender, with less than a week before the election.

Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People’s Party announced that he would support Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party to achieve a change of government. Their alliance is seen as a blow to the chances of Lee Jae-myung, of the Democratic Party, who is closely chasing Yoon in opinion polls...

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/South-Korea-election/South-Korean-opposition-rivals-Ahn-and-Yoon-team-up-for-election

Bad news for democratic candidate Lee Jae-myung. Polls indicate that the race is within the margin of error. Ahn’s agreement to ally himself with Yoon makes it more difficult for Lee to win with final votes at the polls to occur March 9. Ahn’s agreement with Yoon, will probably add as much as four percent to Yoon’s margin. There was one KSOI poll which was an outlier showing Lee with an 8 percent advantage a couple of days ago. Other polls conceivably biased in Yoon’s favor showed Yoon with a one to four point advantage. No doubt Yoon’s advisers understood the automated poll’s biases, and were forced to meet Ahn’s terms which are not disclosed as yet, as far as I can tell.

This deal reflects poorly on Ahn, as evidence lately disclosed in investigative journalist reports show clear evidence of Yoon’s wife and mother in law participating in a stock manipulation scheme, (alleged to have occurred before Yoon formed a relationship with with his wife). The scheme was over ten years ago, but the circumstantial evidence suggests later prosecution manipulation of the investigation to keep Yoon’s wife out of prison. It is also alleged that this is part of a larger pattern of prosecution political corruption connected to Yoon.

My theory is that Ahn knows Yoon and his party are in deep trouble. If Yoon wins the presidential election, and massive opposition street politics return to South Korea, an impeachment later may work to Ahn’s political advantage. I’m hoping that the progressive candidate Lee wins against the new odds. No more polls allowed this close to election day.

Progressives in South Korea describe this race as democracy v. a return to authoritarian government by the corrupt special interests (dictatorship really), rather than a campaign over progressive v. conservative governance. It will be a sad and disappointing day in South Korea if Yoon wins. I think Yoon revealed his dominant and intolerant attitude in negotiations with Ahn before they reached this agreement at the eleventh hour. Yoon only conceded to Ahn’s terms because he is desperate to regain control of the judicial administration in South Korea to keep himself, his family and political mentors and cronies out of prison. If Yoon wins the election I predict he will marginalize Ahn no matter what his nominal position in the government. I’m sure Yoon’s followers in Japan and the US are overjoyed by the latest news. Yoon is clearly a fan of the Japanese and will completely reverse South Korea’s efforts to steer an independent foreign policy course based upon South Korean national interests.


March 6 Update: Early voting in South Korea is reported at 36 percent

This indicates voters are very motivated. Over 16 million votes were cast. Democratic party analysts believe that this will be in their favor. Late polls up to the Mar 3 cut off showed less than a one percent difference between the two major candidates. There are conflicting opinions about the impact of Ahn Cheol-soo dropping from the race in support of a so called conservative unity ticket. Less than a week before balloting began, Ahn declared that there would not be a unity ticket and negotiations were broken off. In fact, Ahn said at a rally that if one pressed the button for Yoon on the ballot, a year later they would want to cut that finger off, or words to that effect. After the surprise announcement of his withdrawal from the race, the morning after the last televised debate, there was some bitter and sarcastic criticism of his sell out of “new politics.” He was reminded of his commitment to congruence between word and deed, and now is regarded as a hypocrite, particularly with regard to his comments on removing corruption from government administration, which obviously won’t occur with a Yoon presidency. Numbers from a hypothetical survey showed that Lee would get 31.2 percent of Ahn’s votes, Yoon would get 29.2 percent and the remaining Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung would get 8 percent. The impact on the election outcome would then be neutral.

The implications of a Yoon Seok-yeol presidency in South Korea

A recent article in Responsible Statecraft, by Daniel Larison, examined the foreign policy implications of a possible Yoon Seok-yeol election to the presidency this March 9:

The South Korean presidential election next month will have significant implications for both U.S. and South Korean foreign policies.

Depending on which candidate wins next month, South Korean foreign policy could become considerably more hawkish and combative toward both North Korea and China. If conservative opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol prevails, a renewed emphasis on North Korea’s denuclearization and a rejection of the engagement policy of the Moon administration threaten to undo all the gains of the last several years and put the U.S. and South Korea back on the path to heightened tensions and a new crisis on the peninsula. If the Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung wins, there is likely to be much more continuity in South Korean policy, but that could also mean increased friction with a Biden administration that seems to have little interest in resolving outstanding disputes with the North. No matter who wins, the U.S. will need to manage its relationship with Seoul more carefully and attentively than it has done in recent years.

After elections, South Korea could become more hawkish, combative; Daniel Larison Feb. 14, 2021, Responsibe Statecraft;
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/02/14/after-elections-south-korea-could-become-more-hawkish-combative/

Pretty straightforward analysis of the foreign policy implications of the March 9 presidential election. By limiting itself to foreign policy, the dicey issues of Yoon's politicization of the administration of justice in South Korea are avoided. His family's alleged financial corruption is also avoided.

Few people are willing to examine the circumstances surrounding investigations and prosecutions particularly involving political figures or major financial scandals in South Korea. Most media take the results of investigation and judicial outcomes at face value without questioning them. The truth is administration of justice in South Korea under Yoon's tutelage as prosecutor general became even more politicized and arbitrary than under the two previous authoritarian administrations. Legal reforms limiting prosecution offices' authority to investigate were implemented in 2021 by the democratic super majority legislature. Yoon has indicated his intent to void such reforms, and further to make the office of Prosecutor General independent of any outside control by the Justice Ministry or any independent body such as the Gongsujeo (office for investigation of crimes by high government officials).

Yoon's statements and those of his wife in regard to their critics and political rivals suggest an intent to retaliate against any judges, prosecutors, journalists or politicians who advocate that investigations of alleged corruption by Yoon's offices, colleagues, or family members need to proceed rather than be stuck in limbo as they have during his tenure as Prosecutor General, and now again, during the presidential campaign.

Yoon has stated an intent to investigate and prosecute outgoing President Moon Jae-in, although he never specified what the charges might be. He has also accused presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of corruption during the Daejangdong real estate scandal without a shred of evidence. Current reports in independent media in South Korea suggest that those under investigation are virtually all from the conservative side of the house associated with the former Park Geun-hye administration.

Yoon allegedly recently authored an article in Foreign Policy. One must seriously doubt he is capable of writing such an article, in spite of its slavish adherence to US and Japanese agendas. He has no foreign policy experience whatsoever. He has never been elected to public office. His statements suggest he will return South Korea to a quisling semicolonial status under the direction of the US and Japan if he is elected. The corruption of the republic and the return to authoritarianism will be virtually assured by his election. Yoon's politically problematic presidential campaign is a red flag suggesting that descriptions of South Korea as a "resilient democracy" in western media are more of a myth than fact.

South Korea: Presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol's Shaman Risk

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 2.12.22) This graphic shows "Heaven's teacher," on the left, one of Yoon Seok-yeol's shamanist advisors. On the right is cult leader Lee Man-hui, who was arrested by the Moon administration for lack of cooperation with public health laws which resulted in much of the early spread of covid 19 in South Korea. Recent disclosures by a defector from the cult's management indicate that cult members play an active role in recruiting supporters for Yoon's presidential campaign. "With Shamanists and Sincheonji behind him will you give (Yoon) your support?"

This is from TK's The Blue Roof website concerning Yoon Seok-yeol's shaman risk* :

The highly anticipated recorded phone calls of Kim Geon-hee 김건희, wife of the People Power Party presidential candidate Yun Seok-yeol 윤석열 국민의힘 대선 후보, were full of lowlights. Over the course of nearly eight hours’ worth of phone calls with a journalist whom she had imagined to be sympathetic, Kim spoke freely on the #metoo movement (“Conservatives don’t have #metoo issues because they pay money”) and her plans for adversarial journalists if she enters the Blue House 청와대 (“The police will arrest them whether we tell them to or not”). But in this target-rich environment, one comment by Kim drew the most attention. Denying the rumors that she was previously a high-end hostess with the stage name of Julie (see previous coverage, “The Spousal Risk”), Kim said: “I hate nightclubs - they’re too loud. I’m a spiritual person. I’d rather be reading and chatting with shamans 도사들 about life.” In other parts, Kim also said she would move the State Guest House 영빈관 of the Blue House, because a shaman had advised her to do so.

*Shamans: Yun Seok-yeol Cannot Quit Them
Persistent and long-standing connections with superstition is becoming the Yun campaign's greatest liability.
TK 10 February 2022
https://www.blueroofpolitics.com/p/shamans-yun-seok-yeol-cannot-quit-them/

I recommend the article for a good summary of the shaman risk, such at it is, to Yoon's campaign and the future of South Korea's democracy.  The web site is free but you have to register. T.K., maybe the leading US interpreter of South Korea's domestic politics, suggests that Yoon's superstitious reliance on guru or shaman advisors is the greatest risk to his campaign. Is this greatest risk or the risk allowed to enter the public domain by the gatekeepers of the media in Korea and the US? The truth is the greatest risk is the list of alleged criminal acts by Yoon's family. In the same vein, has been Yoon's politicization of his former prosecution positions to coverup financial scandals and attack political rivals. T.K. doesn't go there, as some South Korean pundits do, because it impugns the democratic reputation of South Korea. Democracy and the rule of law in South Korea are under a sustained assault by the legacy media, corporate interests, and corrupt politicians, as the presidential race enters its final weeks.

The administration of justice and the democratic process in South Korea seem beyond salvation after Yoon's reign as the Prosecutor General. A disciplinary board found Yoon had politicized the office, interfered in investigations, and unlawfully investigated sitting judges. Yoon tried to block the disciplinary findings with an injunction, and left office before a higher court sustained the disciplinary sanctions and remarked that Yoon could have suffered dismissal from office for his professional violations of ethics, rather than just a two month suspension. I've written at length elsewhere of the allegations, investigations, and court cases involving Yoon, his family, and his political victims. T.K. generally avoids "deep  dives" on these subjects and takes the prosecutor's decisions and court judgements at face value.  He described Yoon as "center right" which is simply misleading, he is a far right candidate, and, if elected, will return South Korea to authoritarian rule, if not an outright dictatorship. However, in mainstream media in South Korea and the west, it will still be described as a democratic society sharing our "values."

언알바 has pointed out that for every article even mildly critical of Yoon Seok-yeol in South Korean mainstream media that six articles are published with essentially baseless accusations against the democratic presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung.  In this sense, the South Korean political process is already severely corrupted.  The 언알바 pundit suggests that debates and further adverse disclosures are unlikely to have any impact whatever on the election chances of Yoon Seok-yeol .  Every gaffe, mistake, and adverse report concerning Yoon is either ignored, spun, or otherwise soft pedaled by the Korean legacy media to excuse Yoon.  Yoon Seok Yeol is clearly unsuited for presidential office and it isn't just his superstitious belief in the flying wizards who advise him or his penchant for "so mek" boilermakers.

The conservative Korean Times has described Sincheonji, ostensibly a "church," as a fringe sect. The quotes below are from The World internet site:

“Shinchonji is the only path to God,” Lee tells me. “There is only one shepherd who is with Jesus and God and sends the words of Jesus and heaven.”

“You have to meet the shepherd,” Lee (Ki-won) says.

The shepherd that he is talking about is Lee Man-hee, the founder of Shinchonji...

“...Shinchonji people believe that he will live forever,” says J-il Tark of Busan Presbyterian University, referring to Lee Man-hee.

Tark is an expert on heretical Christian groups, and he says Shinchonji is one of the most prominent of them in South Korea today. Korean Christians are “strongly against Shinchonji,” Tark says.

That's because the believers of Shinchonji, “are attacking the core belief of Christianity,” Tark says, by equating their founder with the second coming of Jesus. That, he adds, puts Shinchonji far outside of the Christian mainstream.

*This apocalyptic Korean Christian group goes by different names. Critics say it's just a cult.
The World, July 11, 2017 · 8:00 AM EDT, By Matthew Bell
https://theworld.org/stories/2017-07-11/apocalyptic-korean-christian-group-goes-different-names-critics-say-its-just-cult

Yoon is supported by other far right fundamentalist Christian churches, such as the Jaeil Sarong Church of demogogue Jeon Gwang-hun.

Reaction to Political Crossroads article by Gregory Erlich

Gregory Erlich has written a brilliant article published in the Counterpunch February 8 issue, Is Korea Heading Toward a Political Crossroads?* Anyone who is interested in Korean affairs and the geopolitical situation in northeast Asia should read it. There is so much distortion in the established media concerning international relations, Erlich's clarity and insights are refreshing. The article provoked some general thoughts on the situation in South Korea with the presidential election results just a month away.

* https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/02/08/is-korea-heading-toward-a-political-crossroads/

President Moon Jae-in came from a poor family that emigrated from North Korea. He’s pretty much a card carrying orthodox Catholic. He was a human rights lawyer, worked with No Moo-hyun and then participated in his presidential administration.

It’s fair to observe that the latter part of Moon's administration has been stalled somewhat since the US-DPRK fiasco at Hanoi, and that the US pressured South Korea to give up on Moon’s tangible North Korean economic, and cultural initiatives. The US threatened South Korea with sanctions. The so called US envoy to North Korea turned out to be the South Korea control officer.

Domestically other reforms that Moon might have achieved were foreclosed by the pandemic, and the social and economic challenges associated with that. He came through it pretty well, at around a 40 percent public approval rating, more popular than any other president of South Korea in the post dictatorship period near the end of his administration. His social agenda stalled somewhat after some attempted reforms of excessive prosecutorial powers even after his party took a filibuster proof majority in the National Assembly in April 2020.

Moon eschewed the more tangible national security issues as much as he could during the current electoral campaign season for obvious reasons. He’s allowed the US to put boilerplate about the Taiwan strait and the Indo-Pacific in joint statements. In spite of this, I believe he’s actually conceded as little as possible. There is a significant portion of his party that is decidedly neo-liberal and is responsible for the inertia in social policy. Lee Nak-yon the prime minister during this period was pretty conservative. Fortunately Lee Nak-yon lost in the recent democratic presidential primaries to “populist” Lee Jae-myung who is both more competent and more progressive.

The problems in South Korean governance were only beginning to be recognized after the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. It will take a consistent determined effort to root out the deep-seated corrupt special interests, to which a good number of lawyers, doctors, journalists and politicians belong. It isn’t just the usual corporate suspects. If the democrats fail to win the presidential election in March, the country will go down the authoritarian road again and conduct itself as a US puppet internationally.

US attempted dominance of Moon’s administration is akin to the Japanese protectorate period 1905-1910 right before the outright Japanese annexation of Korea. South Korea must carve out more room for maneuver diplomatically, improve relations with its other half, maintain a positive relationship with China, and reduce the US footprint on its military and foreign policy. ( Are South Korea's relations with North Korea really foreign policy? )

South Korea on a GDP basis contributes more to its own defense than all other US allies. Nevertheless, a reduced US military presence in Northeast Asia and South Korea in particular needs to be associated with some sort of new diplomatic relationship between North Korea and the US. That would be the right way to do it. The current sanctions regime and hostile regime change relationship promoted by the US is untenable really. Americans need to start thinking of Korea as a national entity, rather than some military staging area or springboard in a war with North Korea or China. The latter US military perspective is just delusional at this point but has been so deeply engrained over seventy years.

夢

More: The major western media such as the Washington Post attempt to portray both South Korean major presidential candidates as politicians engaged in dirty campaign tactics. This is to deliberately mislead the English speaking world. It is the conservative candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, who is decidedly corrupt as well as incompetent. As Erlich points out, he is clearly the candidate favored by the US. Yoon is an authoritarian figure accustomed to giving orders. He appears under the undue political influence of shamanists and his vindictive and deceitful spouse. Kim Gon-hee has changed her identity and her physical appearance before marrying Yoon. She has also falsified her academic and career credentials. A Korean court has dismissed an injunction application seeking to block disclosures about her private life because she is a public figure as the presidential candidate's wife, and her background is a matter of legitimate public interest.

Ill informed Yoon did poorly in the first televised debate the other night and is obviously trying to avoid further debates and public embarrassment (edit 2.12.21) however, three public debates are required by law. It was obvious that he was the least competent leader in the room. Perhaps this is what the west desires. Accusations that the democratic candidate Lee Jae-myung is corrupt as well are simply false. During the time when Yoon was Prosecutor General, and earlier, Yoon's "brigade" in prosecutors' offices, after extensive investions and criminal litigation against Lee, failed to produce a conviction. When Yoon tried to link Lee to the Daejangdong real estate scandal, Lee correctly pointed out not one speck of evidence has been uncovered to link him to any corruption despite years of investigation and litigation. Yet, the same could not be said for Yoon Seok-yeol or his family. The corrupt media and justice administration in South Korea have stalled, derailed, dismissed or postponed investigations of Yoon and his family members successfully over the years. Current cases are being held in abeyance for fear that Yoon may return to power and take revenge on government officials, independent journalists, and others who have uncovered evidence of Yoon's family corruption.

Han Dong-hun's hand phone- an encryption problem or political problem?

Jang Yong-jin TV Midnight News reports* that Han Dong-hun's handphone which is likely to reveal communications between presidential candidtate Yoon Seok-yeol's wife and his right hand prosecutor (and alleged political fixer) has not yet been sent to Israel for password decryption because of "technical problems." The prosecution offices investigating the so called Channel A News scandal have stalled the investigation. In the case, one of the Channel A reporters, Lee Dong-jae, recruited by Han, allegedly attempted to inveigle a prisoner convicted of financial crimes to incriminate former democratic minister and political pundit Yoo Shi-min. Reporter Jang alleges that this is a political problem rather than a technical problem in the current Prosecutor General's office. The investigating prosecutors had nolle prossed the case against Lee, but a final disposition awaits the forensic examination of Han's phone. Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, who succeeded presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol to the office, has the political "noon chi" ( 눈치 ) or sense to know the evidence on Han's phone is likely to adversely affect Yoon's campaign for the presidential office.

*For any officials or reporters looking at this, here's the original video title from youtube, if you want to examine its contents: [장용진TV/오밤중NEWS] 한동훈 핸드폰 포렌식, 왜 중단됐나? / 김만배, 윤석열 보낼 카드는 뭐? Streamed live on Feb 2, 2022; For the opposite political take on the Channel A News "matter," see:
검찰, 한동훈 폰 포렌식 중단… 이스라엘에 안보냈다 Munhwa Ilbo Dec. 30, 2021; http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2021123001070903347001


Why does the current Minister of Justice, Park Beom-kye, tolerate this stalling tactic by the prosecutor general? Jang Yong-jin says that Park is calculating his own individual political advantage rather than acting as a part of the democratic administration that appointed him. Virtually all the pending or potential criminal investigations and current litigation related to Yoon Seok-yeol, his family, or his political victims, have been determined, reversed, delayed, or otherwise politically neutralized in light of the presidential political campaign of Yoon Seok-yeol. South Korea's prosecutors, investigators, judges and other officials, public and private, fear the political retribution of Yoon Seok-yeol, should his network of chaebol (corporate magnates), mainstream media, and prosecutors, judges and other officials achieve unchallengeable power as a result of the upcoming March 9 presidential elections. It's a potential dictatorship in the making. Those who undertake judicial, investigative, or administrative measures now that would potentially be seen by the vindictive Yoon and his wife as threatening their power, will experience retribution from their political machine metastasizing within the administration of justice and the conservative mainstream, Cho-Joong-Dong media cartels. The electoral process in South Korea is to that extent already seriously corrupted.

It's important to note that discussion of this political problem in South Korea is not some "conspiracy theory." A record of Han Dong-hun's discussions with the Channel A reporter (a Dong A media property) was already disclosed in independent media. Subsequently, the courts threw out the seizure of the reporter's phone claiming it was unlawfully executed. Compare this to the treatment of the illegal seizure of professor Chung Kyung-shim's personal computer by the courts which was seized from a secured storage area on campus in a successful effort to depose the reform minded former Justice Minister Cho Guk by indicting his wife. This process against Cho Guk's family was instigated while Yoon was prosecutor general. Also, in her recent "7 hours" plus of recorded phone conversations, Yoon's wife, Kim Gon-hee, disclosed her vindictive nature and desire to seek revenge on critics and opponents, should she "gain power." She offered to make the reporter "her person" by paying him one hundred million won. She also admitted to the interviewing reporter that she spoke to prosecutor Han Dong-hun often.

For background on the Channel A News Scandal:

South Korea's Press-Prosecution Collusion Scandal: the audio transcript, July 23, 2020;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/07/south-koreas-press-prosecution.html

Seoul Judge Cancels Lee Dong-jae Search Warrant, July 26, 2020;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/07/south-koreas-press-prosecution.html

South Korea: Press- Prosecution collusion affair- the cast, August 3, 2020;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/08/south-korea-press-prosecution-collusion.html

See also:

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol suspended for 2 months by Discipline Committee, Dec. 15, 2020;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/12/prosecutor-general-yoon-seok-yeol.html
Yoon obtained an injunction to block the disciplinary sanctions against him. Later, an appellate review court, dismissed the injunction as without merit, found the supporting evidencee sufficient to support the sanctions, and commented that the findings were sufficient to support Yoon's dismissal from office rather than just a suspension. This was the second displinary measure taken against Yoon in his legal career. The first was orchestrated by Hwang Kyo-ahn to defuse accusations by Jang Dae-tek that Yoon had interfered in investigation of alleged perjury, forgery and fraud on the court by his mother in law in earlier litigation which resulted in Jang, her former business partner, being imprisoned in connection with a business dispute. Choi Eun-soon, Yoon's mother in law, allegedly unlawfully took Jang's investment, worth in excess of two million dollars. Yoon's wife in the "7 hours" recordings referred to Jang as a "dangerous person."

South Korea: Civil "lawfare" continues in the Administration of Justice, Feb. 7, 2021;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/02/south-korea-civil-lawfare-continues-in.html
The blog has over a dozen articles related to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and the political corruption in the administration of justice in South Korea posted since March 2020.

South Korea's Top Prosecutor Embroiled in Family Scandals, March 15, 2020;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/03/is-yoon-seok-yeol-obstructing.html
법꾸라지- "Legal eel," 법률 과 미꾸라지, a new word formation reflecting the joinder of related persons, information and knowledge, conjoining legal power and skill in use against public order maneuvering like an eel to skillfully screen the persons involved and elude the punishment provided by law. (original source in hangul, Naver.com)