1965 Agreement Behind the Scene

https://youtube.com/shorts/DZIpiDi-WTY?feature=share

Youtube coughed up some great short video with some old JTBC photos from the Korean CIA, circa 1965. I don't know how to share or embed it. This is the link below. Some of the characters in the video are Kim Jong-pil, (of the political troika, the three Kims); Park Jong-kyo, Chief of the Presidential Security Service (for dictator Park Chung-hee); and Kim Hyung-yook, head of the Korean CIA during the Park dictatorship. They are shown partying it up, with Japanese heavies, Kodama Yushio (former Class A war criminal released by the US after WWII with no trial); and Hisayuki Machii, a Korean born Yakuza gang leader in Japan. Kodama, was reported in one historical account I read, responsible for coordinating looting in Japanese occupied territories during WWII on behalf of the Japanese Imperial family. During WWII he was commissioned as a general officer. He also coordinated drug trafficking, smuggling of war materials with Chinese warlords and gangs.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DZIpiDi-WTY

Wikipedia has a this on Hisayuki:

Under the American occupation

Like fellow yakuza powerbroker Yoshio Kodama, Machii had good relations with the US occupation authorities due to his staunch anti-Communist stance: Tosei-kai soldiers were often used as strikebreakers during the occupation years. Machii himself worked with the United States Counter Intelligence Corps.[citation needed] While leaders of the Japanese yakuza were imprisoned or under close scrutiny by the American occupying forces, the Korean yakuza were free to take over the lucrative black markets. But rather than trying to rival the Japanese godfathers, Machii made alliances with them, and throughout his career, he remained close to both Kodama and Taoka.[3]

Machii's vast empire included tourism, entertainment, bars and restaurants, prostitution, and oil importing. He and Kodama made a fortune on real estate investments alone. More importantly, he brokered deals between the Korean government and the yakuza that allowed Japanese criminals to set up rackets in Korea. Thanks to Machii, Korea became the yakuza's home away from home. Befitting his role as fixer between the underworlds of both countries, Machii was allowed to acquire the largest ferry service between Shimonoseki, Japan, and Busan, South Korea—the shortest route between the two countries.[2]

Role in the kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung

...

He was widely believed to have helped the Korean Central Intelligence Agency kidnap then-leading Korean opposition leader Kim Dae-jung from a Tokyo hotel (see kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung).[3] Kim was whisked out to sea where he was bound, gagged, blindfolded and fitted with weights so that his body would never surface.

Kim's life was allegedly spared because of the personal intervention of the US Ambassador to Seoul, Philip Habib, who didn't wait for instructions from Washington to find Kim. This led me to an archived NY Times article basically trying to lionize Kim Hyung Wook

Former Chief of Korea's C.I.A. Kim Hyung Wook
June 23, 1977
https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/23/archives/former-chief-of-koreas-cia-kim-hyung-wook.html

Surprised youtube put the short video with the KCIA photos in the cue, and surprised the old NY Times article opened for me.

So the bottom line here is that the 1965 Japanese-Republic of Korea Settlement Agreement which purportedly absolved Japan of legal liability for any Korean claims including those for war crimes, specifically massive slave labor and sex slave crimes against humanity, was (Surprise!) negotiated by war criminals and yakuza on behalf of Japan. (Kodama's cellmate in Sugamo prison, Kishi Nobusuke was also involved in the negotiations that led to the 1965 agreement).

There are many legal authorities in Korea,(including the Korean high court) and some in Japan, who say it doesn't bar personal claims for war crimes. The agreement doesn't bar personal claims for injury, it precludes property claims, and subrogation claims. There was an internal Japanese Justice Ministry memo to this effect also. Ignorantly, President Yoon said he wouldn't pursue the "subrogation claims" of any South Korean corporation that volunteers to pay for Japan's war crimes. One commentator noted that that Samsung hadn't come forward with any contribution pledge so far. POSCO did (they received a large share of the economic development funding that Japan provided). I saw another video showing that Lee Jae-yong, the Samsung Group Executive Chairman, was in Beijing for the China Development Forum which was attended by 100 corporate executives from around the world, including Tim Cook from Apple.

Wendy Sherman, US Deputy Sec. of State- "Why can't they just get over it?"

(edited 3.29.23 for typos)

Anti-China, pro-Japanese media bias

Aljazeera unwitting anti-China bias? Or do they know when they're doing it?

South Korean opposition leader indicted for alleged corruption
Leader of left-leaning Democratic Party faces charges including bribery, breach of duty and conflict of interest.
22 Mar 2023

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/3/22/south-korean-opposition-leader-indicted-for-alleged-bribery

Aljazeera simply regurgitates the story they get from the South Korean MSM, which, whether they know it or not, is motivated by US and pro-Japanese anti-China interests.

South Korea's Yoon administration is blatantly corrupt, rather than the democratic party opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. The fact is that Yoon Seok-yeol as a prosecutor covered up the Busan Savings Bank scandal which in turn led to the Daejangdong real estate scandal. Yoon's family even received almost 1.5 million dollars in an alleged home purchase from one of the principals in the scandal, Kim Man-be. Yoon's former boss and mentor was involved in covering up the Daejangdong scandal along with about a half dozen other senior prosecutors. Yoon's boss in the special investigation office, is now in jail. He was one of the former prosecutors who belonged to the 5 billion won club, an expression describing the group taking bribes from Kim Man-be's Hwacheon Daeyoo investment company. President Yoon's administration, known as "the dictatorship of lawyers," is following an Orwellian tact of blaming the opposition democratic party leader for the scandal and protecting its own. Anyone familiar with the story, knows how Yoon's "division" of prosecutors operate to line their pockets and frame cases against their political enemies. A superficial regurgitation of headlines based upon the implausible indictment against Lee Jae-myung, unsupported by credible evidence, is exactly what favors the empire's interests. No deeper examination required. The strategy is known as geomeon uchak 검언유착 (prosecution-press collusion). The US and Japan require a corrupt undemocratic South Korea to push their anti China coalition based on "shared values."

Issuing the indictment yesterday was entirely political timing. The domestic political and civil scene in South Korea is in an uproar over Yoon's humiliating and disastrous performance capitulating to Japanese demands at the summit a few days ago. This is the big distraction to divert public attention to the unpopularity of the so called "trilateral alliance," against China, touted by the US. Don't look over there (at Tokyo; at Yoon's corruption and incompetence) look over here!


My favorite characterization of Yoon's behavior in Japan at the summit, described it like this: Yoon performed dogeja 도게자, in return for a rice omlette dish (omurice 오므라이스 ). According to the South Korean Hankyreh editorial:

Yoon government's 'forced labor problem unilateral' was Korea's 'Dogeja' to Japan. In samurai culture, Togeza is the etiquette of kneeling down and bowing head down to ask for forgiveness. Dogeja means giving the other person complete control to the point of even offering his own head.

(bold- I edited the AI translation).
오므라이스 한 그릇과 바꾼 윤석열의 ‘도게자’
https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/opinion/column/1084736.html?_fr=mt2

During the formal meeting at the summit, the South Korean team requested that recording devices be removed from the room. Apparently, Yoon didn't want the home audience to hear what he said there. That's okay, they got it the gist of it from the Japanese news media coverage. But this gives the South Korean foreign minister and others the space to say "that topic wasn't raised in the agenda" and "I don't remember that."

(Source 열린공감TV 3.21.22 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?


Another interesting aspect to the Japan-South Korea summit aftermath on the South Korean side, comes from a National Assembly committee hearing yesterday attended by South Korea's foreign minister. A democratic party representative showed a video of the cult guru "Dosa" Cheon Gong, who is allegedly a spiritual adviser to Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife Kim Gon-hee, during a session questioning the foreign minister about the miserable performance of the South Korean side. In the video Teacher Cheon Gong alleged that no one in South Korea was hurt by the forced labor issue, and that South Korea should apologize to Japan. (I believe the video was from March 2022.) There were some vociferous objections to the presentation of the video by representatives from Yoon's party. Comparisons were made between Cheon Gong and Choi Soon-shil, former President Park Geun-hye's spiritual advisor who appeared to be controlling the president's itinerary before she was impeached (they were tried together). Who is this cult leader? Who finances him? Why was he in New York when Yoon arrived for his attendance at the UN? Allegedly Cheon Gong never completed grade school.


This is a pretty well thought out analysis of how the Yoon-Kishida summit undermined the legitimacy of the South Korean government. I recommend the editorial:

Why is Seoul playing dumb about Japan’s unlawful colonial rule?
Posted on : Mar.21,2023

All the controversy over the recent proposal by Seoul to provide third-party payments to victims of Japan’s forced labor boils down to the question of the legal legitimacy of Japan’s colonial rule over Korea

If the head of state denies national identity, then he has given up the right to represent the country. Similarly, if a Korean president aims for a future far detached from international peace or peaceful unification, this goes against his constitutional obligations. President Yoon Suk-yeol has denied the identity of the Republic of Korea itself.

On March 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin announced the government's plan to provide compensation to the victims of Japan’s colonial-era forced labor through payments made by a third party. Regarding the controversial plan, Yoon called it “a decision to move toward a future-oriented South Korea-Japan relationship.”

The most important problem with this “solution,” however, is that Yoon-helmed South Korea has now erased the illegality of Japanese colonial rule on its own. It has also denied the legitimacy of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, the legal traditions which form the foundation of South Korea’s current Constitution.

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1084538.html

The political scientist's analysis supplements other evaluations that impugn Yoon's adoption of so called Japanee "Pan Asian" views to justify conquest of their neighbors territory by force for absorbtion into the Japanese Empire as colonies. Implicit in the 1965 Japanese South Korean "settlement" agreement with pro-Japanese dictator Park Geun-hee, a former officer of Japanese Imperial armed forces, was that Japan hadn't occupied Korea by armed force, which is historical revisionism of the worst kind.

(Source- JTBC News 8.6.2019) Kishi Nobusuke, South Korea- Japan Cooperation Committee President (1963): "No person here thinks of this as a war of invasion." This is the revisionist mythology of Shoin school Meiji imperialists and advocates of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. Kishi was Abe's maternal grandfather and a former Class A war criminal released from Sugamo Prison by US occupation authorities without trial to lead post war Japan.


See- Coming to Terms with Japanese Imperialism- Then and Now, August 19, 2019;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2019/08/coming-to-terms-with-japanese.html

Candlelight Assembly 18 March 2023

(Source- Balgan Agae 빨간아재 youtube 3.18)

(Source- Balgan Agae 빨간아재 youtube 3.18)

(Source- Balgan Agae 빨간아재 youtube 3.18)

(Source- Balgan Agae 빨간아재 youtube 3.18) Yoon is a corrupt authoritarian. He is easily manipulated by the US and Japan because of his politically vulnerability. As far as "values" and "democracy" go, his administration is known as the dictatorship of prosecutors, and his administration politically persecutes his political opposition, officials of the former Moon administration, his critics, and leaders of labor unions and other civic organizations, often using national security laws. How can anyone discuss his policy without mentioning his family corruption and his corruption of the administration of justice in South Korea? Yoon as a Milton Friedman economics advocate has nothing to offer the South Korean people in terms of domestic policy. He represents the legacy pro-Japan 친일파 elites politically. Specifically, those families who became wealthy during the Japanese colonial period, and the dictatorships established under US and Japanese patronage for decades afterward. The last thing the US or Japanese administrations want is a true democracy in South Korea. South Korea is becoming more and more unstable under Yoon''s unpopular policies. Because he has no domestic policy other than oppression of the opposition, he is partial to escalating the national security crisis with North Korea, by responding with larger and larger military exercises with the US including the return of so called US "strategic assets" to the Korean theater. Yoon and the US have literally offered nothing to North Korea since Biden took office. Keep in mind that the US and Japan loathed Moon Jae-in's tangible overtures to North Korea, and preferred the "all or nothing" Libyan approach.

Growing Tension on Korean Peninsula driven by Yoon's political vulnerability

Defense Secretary Austin's letter to the force addressed an "aggressive China" being a "generational threat," using the now typical Orwellian speak about a so called "rules based order." Meanwhile the US systematically salami slices prior agreements with China (the three communiques) and the Chinese redline over Taiwan. The generational threat image is interesting because it brings to mind not only the WWII phrase "the greatest generation" but also the generation skipping nature of US policy toward China. The US had to turn around its hostile policy to China to help extricate itself from its strategic defeat in Vietnam. Now somehow US elites imagine that something has changed in East Asia, that permits it to conduct itself in a colonial manner again, as it did during the early twentieth century, in concert with Japan and England. I see earlier "gunboat diplomacy" by the US and the same partners as one of the key roots of the Great Pacific War (WWII).

The NY Times had an article on a growing South Korean arms industry thus far not exporting to Ukraine.

They’re Exporting Billions in Arms. Just Not to Ukraine.
As traditional weapons suppliers like the U.S. face wartime production shortages, South Korea has stepped in to fill the gap, while trying not to provoke Moscow.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/05/world/asia/ukraine-south-korea-arms.html

What is interesting about NY Times moving its Far East HQ to Seoul is that is has paired up with Joongang Daily, a major conservative South Korean media giant. Lately, multiple South Korean independent investigative media have been reporting on how Joongang, Chosun Ilbo, and Donga Media, the MSM in South Korea, (the mainstay of prior dictatorships) dominate the news cycle in South Korea, with a view toward keeping labor suppressed, social welfare policies checked, and promoting (unpopular) "conservative" pro-Japanese elite perspectives. They cooperate with the legal-judicial officials and corporate elites to repress opposition. The Times had opposed Trump's diplomatic overtures to North Korea after the "fire and fury" crisis. Unfortunately, Trump lost his nerve, backed down from MIC pressure and allowed John Bolton to sabotage the negotiations.

This morning South Korea's state subsidized MBC network ran a seven plus hour long live broadcast feed on youtube covering the escalating military crisis on the Korean peninsula. No commercials all military coverage, with undiplomatic threats exchanged back and forth between North Korea, and South Korea and the US. I think one thing that goes generally unrecognized is that crises of this nature on the Korean peninsula and between mainland China and Taiwan are historically related. It's really hard to predict where a potential war will break out first, across the Taiwan straits or on the Korean Peninsula. Superior US naval power had prevented both fronts from breaking out at the same time during the Korean conflict.

It's ironic that US official denials that the US military strategy in Korea calls for "de-capitation of North Korean command leadership" are repeatedly contradicted in the MBC broadcast which openly refer to the Special Forces operations in South Korea, as taking out North Korea's command headquarters.

(Source- MBC live news, youtube, 3.5) The caption reads... Attack on North Korean command center exercise...unprecedented publication.

The broadcast referred to the various US-ROK joint military exercises to take place this month as "the largest in five years," including "strategic assets" to signal US resolve to respond with nuclear weapons. It also showed South Korean military representatives on board a US SLBN in the US in an unprecedented visit.

All this has been an effort to distract from and compensate for, Yoon's political weaknesses, including his proven lies during his presidential campaign, his quisling status vis a vis Japan, the first lady's family corruption, the pervasive corruption of South Korean MSM, and Yoon's consistent use of judicial administration and prosecutors to persecute political opposition. In fact, it's becoming difficult to distinguish the Yoon administration from prior dictatorships in South Korea.

Kim Yo-jong, dictator Kim Jong-un's sister was quoted as saying that further continuation of provocative US ROK joint military exercises in Korea, will be viewed as a "declaration of war." I guess this is bluster, until Kim Jong-un says it himself. The latest North Korean missile launches were a two shot salvo of 600mm rocket artillery. Interestingly, the graphic MBC used showed how the respective flight tracks of two launches coincidentally showed profiles consistent with attacks on US Air Force bases in South Korea, Kunsan and Cheongju.

(Source- MBC live news, youtube, 3.5)

It's difficult to tell if this is actual video from Friday's combined air exercise over South Korean airspace, with B-1b's, South Korean F-35s and US F-16s or file footage from last year.

(Source- MBC live news, youtube, 3.5)

I scanned videos from a few South Korean independent media sources to try to determine the size of Saturday's Candlelight Movement demonstration in Seoul. I understand the demo included passing by the Japanese embassy. It was difficult to determine the size of the demo, it appeared to be smaller than earlier demonstrations, but it probably was in the tens of thousands. I suspect that threats of national security investigations against organizers has had an impact. I never see any reports of these demonstrations in South Korean or US mainstream media.

Three obvious Yoon Seok-yeol lies that undermine his administration

Under South Korean law, if a candidate lies during a campaign to gain office, he is subject to removal. In the case of Yoon Seok-yeol, as president, this would require impeachment and trial.

(Source- repoact.com 01.24.22) Outtake from prosecution records records shows that prosecutor Yang Jae-tek, Kim Gon-hee (then named Kim Myung-shin, now the First Lady) and Choi Eun-soon (Kim Gon-hee's mother) were all charged with two counts of bribery related charges which were nolle prossed by prosecution offices.


Lie Number one- That Yoon's wife Kim Gon-hee, was not directly involved in the Deustche Motors stock manipulation scheme. Account records and transcripts of recorded phone calls show that she was. Kim Gon-hee's mother was also involved. The statute of limitations will run out on this potential criminal case against Kim Gon-hee in the near future. Appointment of a special prosecutor by the National Assembly will be required because the charge against Kim had already been disposed by a nolle prosse. It is highly unlikely that the Prosecutor General or the Minister of Justice would pursue this matter in good faith.

Lie Number two- That Yoon's mother in law, Choi Eun-soon, did not make "one dime" from fraudulent business schemes. An administrative fine was upheld against her in court just recently, January 19, 2019, finding against her in her lawsuit to have the fine set aside:

According to the ruling, the court confirmed that Mr. (sic) Choi was the actual owner of the land in Dochon-dong and judged that the penalty imposed by Seongnam City was lawful. It was said that “the fact that the plaintiff (Choi Eun-soon) violated the real estate law and entrusted the real estate in Dochon-dong with title can be acknowledged.” It also said, "As a result of the disposition in this case, Choi Eun-soon must pay a considerable amount of penalty, but even taking into account all the circumstances that Mr. (sic) Choi claims, the public interest to be achieved by the disposition in this case far outweighs the disadvantages that Mr.(sic) Choi will suffer." He also said, “The real estate real-name law is to contribute to the sound development of the national economy by preventing anti-social behavior such as real estate speculation and tax evasion and promoting the normalization of real estate transactions.”*

'Choi Eun-soon's Dochon-dong suspicion is true'... Yoon Seok-yeol's lie proved by court ruling (youtube translation)
Hyunseok KangEnter 2023. 2. 22. 10:00Edit 2023. 2. 23. 13:37
https://v.daum.net/v/GPwR6vPld1 and:
Newstapa youtube 2.22.23 최은순 도촌동 의혹은 사실’... 윤석열 거짓말 입증 법원 판결 나왔다 - 뉴스타파

(Source- 열린공감TV youtube, composite photo from Yeollin Gonggam TV) Pictured First Lady, Kim Gon-hee(left), Yoon Seok-yeol (center) and Kim's mother Choi Eun-soon (right)


Yoon also had stated that accusations his mother in law, Choi, had purchased land for speculation by violating laws against purchases of real estate with any name but one's own, were "fake news."

Lie number three- That loans from Pusan Savings Bank that provided the seed money for the Daejangdong development scheme in Seongnam-si, Kyeongkido, were ordinary loans and not procured through financial breach of duty and other misconduct. Yoon covered up this misconduct at the time it originally became public as the prosecutor responsible for the investigation then, allowing those involved in Hwacheon Daewoo investment group to carry out their graft and corruption scheme. In fact, Yoon's former boss and long time mentor, Park Young-soo, was a member of the so called 5 billion won club, that took money and special favors from the investment group conspiracy. Yoon's family also received money (1.7 billion won) from the principal's sister for the president's father's home, which Yoon claims was sold for less than market value. Yoon denies any material connection to the conspirators. Instead, his presidential staff, his prosecutors, and the conservative media in South Korea, try to connect, the democratic party leader, Lee Jae-myung to the scandal, to distract from the president's material involvement which basically appears to have been obstruction of justice from its initial stages.

Contenders for Yoon's conservative party PPP leader position, except Kim Ki-hyun, the Yoon clique's candidate, have been effectively eliminated from consideration for one reason or another. The list includes Na Kyung-won, Ahn Chul-soo, and Hong Joon-pyo, among others. One well known candidate, Hwang Kyo-ahn, remains standing. Threats of prosecution were used to depose the former PPP party leader, Lee Jun-seok. Na could probably not withstand any further exposure of her own involvement in a so called college entrance corruption scheme on behalf of one of her children. Ahn Chul-soo attempted to intimidate the favored Yoon candidate for the job by accusing him of real estate corruption while mayor of Ulsan, but the plan seems to have backfired, as Ahn's support collapsed after the allegations. Hong's candidacy for the party leader position has never been strong, he has consistently taken an approach remonstrating against Yoon for various reasons. Hwang on the other hand played a key role in the past, disciplining Yoon as a prosecutor, when Hwang served as Minister of Justice. The one month disciplinary suspension was based upon an apparent conflict of interest that was displayed by Yoon co-habiting with Kim Gon-hee, at a time when, Kim and her mother Choi Eun-soon, were involved in litigation, under Yoon's jurisdiction as prosecutor.

(Source- 뉴스썰TV April 1, 2020) Former Prime Minister during the Park Geun-hye administration, Hwang Kyo-ahn (center) and Supreme Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol (right)

The litigation involved real estate fraud, in which Choi and Kim Gon-hee were accused of defrauding investor Jeong Tae-tek out of approximately two million dollars. The litigation resulted in the complainant himself ultimately being convicted of coercion of Choi and being sent to prison for two years. Subsequently, upon release from prison, Jeong filed a complaint against Yoon for conflict of interest, covering up fraud, perjury, and forgery, in court proceedings involving Choi. Hwang, justice minister at the time, handled the matter as a simple apparent conflict of interest by Yoon, without diclosing the grounds for Yoon's suspension in a letter to Jeong Tae-tek, the aggreived party and complainant. Soon after (2012), Yoon married Kim Gon-hee in an attempt to legitimize the illicit relationship as a normal romance. This was necessary because of Choi Eun-soon's frequent involvement in litigation. Kim Gon-hee had previously co-habited with another prosecutor in the same building under a different name, in a similar scheme, while her mother allegedly sent payoff money to his wife in the US.

(Source- 서울의소리 Voice of Seoul 2.22.23) Jeong Tae-tek, went to prison for two years after litigation against Yoon's mother in law, Choi Eun-Soon.

Hwang knows what the true nature of the relationship between Yoon and Kim Gon-hee entails. It remains to be seen whether this will make him "bullet proof" in political terms. Hwang had fallen out of favor after the debacle of the Park Geun-hye administration, in which he served as Prime Minister and as "acting president" during and after her impeachment proceedings until the inauguration of Moon Jae-in as president. Hwang had been faulted in the past by far right elements for not implementing a martial law plan designed to rescue former President Park Geun-hye from her impeachment proceedings. Yoon's image is that of a leading figure in the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun-hye, for which he seems to get to a pass from conservatives. This helped create Yoon's false image as a prosecutor dedicated to combating corruption.

Hwang like Hong, positions himself as a traditional conservative, and a man of principle. By virtue of not withdrawing as a candidate for party leader, he is, as yet, opposing the Yoon favorite. Thus far, his popularity seems to have remained suppressed. Anyone who opposes Yoon, is likely to be libeled, viewed unfavorably in the conservative mainstream media, or not at all. Further opposition to Yoon, can always result in investigation, jail, trial, and prison.

In a hole, the Yoon government keeps digging

Recent headlines:

Arrest warrant sought for leader of top opposition party for first time in history of Korea’s constitutional government
Posted on : Feb.17, 2023 Hankyoreh
The warrant is being sought on charges of breach of duty and bribery and other suspicions during Lee Jae-myung’s tenure as mayor of Seongnam

"For the first time in Korea’s modern history, prosecutors have sought an arrest warrant for the chairperson of the main opposition party."

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1078690.html

The case is bogus and obviously politically motivated. As a sitting National Assembly member, a majority of National Assembly representatives have to approve an arrest warrant of any sitting member. Indications from the Democratic Party suggest that isn't going to happen. After a fishing expedition involving hundreds of warrants, nitpicking prosecution investigators are trying to cobble together a case. They have been trying to convict Lee Jae-myung of something, anything for years. He went through a series of trials on unrelated charges before the presidential campaign in which he was the candidate opposing Yoon, and he was found not guilty.

At an earlier trial of alleged Daejangdong co-conspirators, nothing in the evidence adduced in court implicated Lee. A lawyer for one arrested witness, Jeong Jin-san, came forward yesterday, and alleged his client was questioned improperly outside his presence, and offered inducements and threats by prosecutors to produce desired testimony (to implicate Lee). The recent statements of other alleged co-conspirators has changed and is incconsistent with their prior trial testimony. If democrats haven't learned their lesson from the persecution of former Minister of Justice Cho Guk and the destruction of his family by politically motivated prosecutors, it is likely Yoon will achieve arbitrary dictatorial rule.

I picked my post's title before I saw this editorial:

[Editorial] An unprecedented arrest warrant request that will spark a political black hole This development has already sparked fierce battles in the political world, giving rise to concerns that the people’s livelihoods will be put on the back burner Hankyoreh Feb.17,2023

...Above all, it is difficult to rule out the possibility that investigation by prosecutors will be used as a means of political oppression, seeing that the subject of their arrest warrant is the leader of the main opposition party. This is why the Constitution states that “no member of the National Assembly shall be arrested or detained without the consent of the National Assembly” during session, and why more caution should be taken so as to not raise questions about the appropriateness and context of the warrant request.

This development has already sparked fierce battles in the political world. Lee stated that “today is the day that the rule of law has collapsed in the ruling party’s attempt to get rid of their political opponents,” while the ruling People Power Party stated that “this was something bound to happen” and pushed for the approval of the arrest motion.

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/1080169.html

Lee Jae-myung, “You Must Ask a Fortune Teller or Prosecutor Before Making Policy Decisions, Otherwise You Will Be Sent to Prison”
By Tak Ji-young Kyunghyang Sinmoon 2.17
http://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=202302171359537&code=710100&utm_source=livere&utm_medium=social_share

This is a reference to the Yoon receiving guidance from the guru Cheon Gong, the leader of a South Korean cult. The relationship is regarded as an abuse of power by Yoon and disputed. Allegedly, a witness to Cheon Gong's interference in official affairs is the former Chief of Staff of the ROK Army. This is according to an independent media source and a book author.

South Korean defence minister denies Vietnam War massacres
Minister said the court ruling dishonoured South Korean soldiers by finding them responsible for the massacre of Vietnamese villagers
Al Jazeera 2.17 (AP)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/17/south-korean-defence-minister-denies-vietnam-war-massacres

This is sort of back handed way of letting Japan off the hook for its war crimes. In any case, Yoon is an admirer of former dictator Chun Doo-won, who was in Vietnam with the White Horse division. It's a facile way to appeal to veterans and the pro-Japanese faction whose forebears benefited from Japanese collaboration during the colonial period and subsequent South Korean dictatorships.

Celebration of Japanese emperor's birthday in Seoul met with protest : 2023-02-17
Korea Times 2.17 Lee Hyo-jin
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/02/281_345653.html?utm_source=tw

A reception held in Seoul to celebrate the Japanese Emperor's birthday has raised eyebrows, especially after it was reported that the Japanese national anthem ― which is widely considered a symbol of Japan's militaristic past here ― was played during the event.

Hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, the reception took place at a hotel on Thursday, ahead of the emperor's birthday on Feb. 23. Among the guests who showed up were Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon and Sohn Kyung-sik, chairman of the Korea Enterprises Federation...

...Japanese media reported that until now, Tokyo has refrained from playing the anthem, acknowledging the anti-Japan sentiment in Korea. But it decided to play it this year due to the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's recent moves to improve bilateral ties.

Not suprisingly, today's candlelight demostration opposing the Yoon administration characterized Yoon as a pro-Japanese traitor in addition to criticizing his administration as a dictatorship led by Yoon's prosecutors. The candlelight movement procession assembled near Namdaemun and marched to Samgachi Plaza, near the Yongsan base where the Presidential Office is located. Yoon had refused to move into the Blue House, on the advice of his wife and allegedly, the cult leader Cheon Gong. The theme of today's assembly was "Let's topple Yoon Seok-yeol." The numbers appeared significant, as police appeared to have difficulty restricting the crowd due to its size and as the day went on, it appeared they were only capable of keeping one lane of traffic open around the massive crowd. I've become accustomed to seeing large numbers of police, barricades, and/or police buses forcing the crowd to one side of main boulevards and keeping at least two lanes of traffic open in both directions. I think because of restrictions on drone flights in Seoul and lack of access to nearby high rises, high angle shots which would give a greater sense of crowd size are not available.

During the demonstration, the organizers claimed there were supporting demonstrations in Tokyo, LA, New York and Maryland. Those in the Tokyo demonstration appeared to be ethnic Koreans and were small in number. I didn't see reports of these supporting demos in the US.

A couple of anti-Yoon, anti Kim Gon-hee cartoons exhibited during the demonstration below in the first image. Kim Gon-hee as Marie Antoinette giving Yoon his homework (left) and Kim Gon-hee as nanny pushing an infantile pro-Japanese Yoon.

When did it begin?

(Source- 롯본기 김교수 live, youtube 11.9) 문재인 윤석열 충격적인 관계! 언제부터 윤석열과 친분을 유지했을까? 언제부터 적폐세력과 한몸이 됐을까? 윤대진한동훈노무현강금원안희정통일은 대박이다! "When did it begin? When did Moon (lower left) join with the corrupt special interests? (Yoon Seok-yeol's long time friend) Yoon Tae-jin (center, pink tie), Han Dong-hun, No Moo-hyun administration (targeted) Kang Geum-won, and Ahn Hee-jung. Amazing!" They joined together to obstruct the reform agenda of the No Moo-hyun administration. Yoon Tae-jin, Yoon Seok-yeol's long time colleague worked with Moon Jae-in when Moon was Secretary for Civil Affairs in the No Moo-hyun administration.*

Kang Geum-won, (pictured above Yoon Tae-jin in the graphic) President No Moo-hyun's (picture top above host) closest friend and his political aide, described as No's right hand, and Ahn Hee-jung, No's "left hand," (picture blue background, face partially covered) were targeted by Yoon Tae-jin for prosecuton by Yoon Seok-yeol to disable the reform agenda of No Moo-hyun. Even after No Moo-hyun's suicide, prosecution of his family members continued. What did Moon do? (lower left) The graphic from the video itelf and "professor Kim's" presentation appear to be the Rosetta stone for cracking the mystery of why Moon Jae-in appointed Yoon as Prosecutor General in his own administration when he devastated democratic reform with politically targeted prosecutions and blocked prosecutions of friends, family, and cronies.

(Source- OhMyTV Koo Yeong-shik special report, 01.30.22) Yoon and wife, Kim Gon-hee, present for a meeting convened by then President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House. Cho Guk, (far left) a cabinet member, Civil Affairs Secretary at the time, their future victim, sat next to Yoon at the meeting. In this screen capture Cho, Yoon and Kim Gon-hee are standing together.

Later, Yoon Seok Yeol, Han Dong-hun, and then prime minister Lee Nak-hyun played a similar role in the Moon administration. After Moon appointed Cho Guk Justice Minister, Yoon began his prosecutions to destroy Cho Guk and his family politically, as a potential presidential contender, and also to block his legal reforms aimed at stripping away excessive prosecution powers. Those powers were still being used by Yoon to persecute politicians related to the democracy movement and to protect his family and cronies involved in scandals. The thesis is Moon Jae-in was a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Yoon's clique was his tool on behalf of chaebol (corporate) interests. This relationship began many years earlier and is documented in the 2.09.23 live Kim Kyo su 김교수 video.* (he calls himself Professsor Kim).

Yet, since Moon's retirement from presidential office, he has been threatened by people connected to the Yoon presidential office. Prosecutors suggested they would investigate Moon's wife for receiving jewelry and expensive clothes and misuse of a credit card. This was similar to a tactic used against previous president No Moo-hyun which ultimately drove him to suicide. Nothing came of the threats of prosecution against Moon and his family so far. At one point Moon thanked President Yoon in a phone call, for letting him retire in peace, after a court order upheld an ordinance passed to keep right wing demonstrators 300m away from his home, and forcing unruly demonstrators to conform to city codes on noise. A few of the demonstrators were arrested. Moon recently said he will run a bookstore during his retirement.

Moon, appears to have been the equivalent of Bill Clinton, or Joe Biden, in presidential politics. Democrat in name only, DINO, is referred to as soobak 수박 (watermelon) in Korean, blue on the outside, red on the inside (the respective party campaign colors, blue equals democratic, red equals conservative).

*Link to "Professor Kim's" youtube on this topic-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQwhcdqkTck&t=2101s