ROK and Inter-Korean relations
December 2016
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'Prosecution covered up Ban bribery'
By Yi Whan-woo
The prosecution secured testimony from an entrepreneur claiming to have offered bribes to now-outgoing U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon while investigating a corruption scandal in 2009, but covered it up, according to a media report, Thursday.
This is the latest in a series of allegations being raised against the outgoing U.N. chief since he virtually declared his presidential bid.
Citing a source close to Park Yeon-cha, the founder of Busan-based shoemaker Taekwang, the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper reported that Park confessed to the prosecution that he gave a total of $230,000 to Ban between 2005 and 2007.
The investigation was initially intended to look into suspicions that Park gave bribes to then-President Roh Moo-hyun during his five-year term ending February 2008.
The prosecution had been under criticism that the probe was politically motivated against Roh by his successor Lee Myung-bak.
The case concluded after Roh committed suicide in May 2009 during the investigation.
After securing testimony from Park, prosecutors pressed the businessman not to divulge anything concerning Ban, according to the daily.
[Ban Ki-moon] [Roh Moo-hyun] [Corruption]
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The War over History in the Republic of Korea
Konstantin Asmolov
In our previous publication on the war over the history of South Korea we covered the heated discussions around the attempts to create a unified national history textbook for junior and secondary schools, which was composed “in order to form a correct and well-balanced view of history and the state”, as “the existing textbooks have liberal and sometimes even pro-North Korean content.”
There were many rumours, and the author postponed this topic until the publication of the first editions so that it would be possible to use them to judge the textbook’s focus based on fact not assumptions. On November 28, 2016, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea published an online version of the textbook. It is planned to conduct closed discussion of it by December 23. In theory, anybody can comment on the new version after registering and, at the end of January next year, the final version will be presented.
http://journal-neo.org/2016/12/29/the-war-over-history-in-the-republic-of-korea-publication-of-the-draft-unified-national-history-textbook/
[Textbooks]
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Quack Clinics Raided in Park Scandal
December 29, 2016 09:37
Investigators on Wednesday raided the homes and clinics of doctors who are suspected of providing unsupervised treatments to President Park Geun-hye.
They include Kim Young-jae, a plastic surgeon who has been close to Park's longtime friend Choi Soon-sil for years, and Kim Sang-man, a doctor formerly employed by the luxury Chaum clinic in Gangnam, who prescribed rejuvenating shots for Park under an alias from 2011 to 2014.
Investigators also raided the Chaum clinic and the home and office of Seoul National University Hospital President Suh Chang-suk, who was Park's official doctor from 2014 until earlier this year.
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[Park Geun-Hye]
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Diplomat Fired for Molesting Underage Girls in Chile
By Kim Jin-myung
December 28, 2016 12:05
A Korean diplomat in Chile has been fired after he was sent home in disgrace for molesting underage girls there.
The diplomat, surnamed Park, defended himself at a disciplinary hearing at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, but the ministry said sexual harassment of minors is beyond the pale.
Earlier this month, Park allegedly made advances to a 13-year-old girl in Chile who had come to learn Korean under an initiative to promote Korean pop culture there.
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A Korean diplomat makes advances to a Chilean girl last week in this screen grab from Chile's Canal 13.
The girl made a complaint, and a local TV station launched a sting operation using a hidden camera and another girl, whom he also promptly molested, and aired the footage.
[Sex]
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Memorial Hall to Honor Victims of N.Korean Torpedo Attack
December 29, 2016 12:25
The Navy opens a memorial hall on Jan. 2 commemorating the 46 sailors who died when a North Korean torpedo sank the Navy corvette Cheonan in 2010.
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A Navy spokesman said the hall will symbolize "the determination of all naval officers and sailors to defend the West Sea."
It has been built at Second Fleet headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
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[Cheonan] [Military industrial complex]
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What Next for South Korea?
by Duyeon Kim
Duyeon Kim (dlk29@georgetown.edu) is a Seoul-based nonresident fellow at the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and visiting senior fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum, a non-partisan think tank run by former South Korean National Security Advisor Chun Yung-woo.The online version of this article is found here.
South Korea has been engulfed by the biggest political crisis in recent memory. The nation is in a precarious situation, caught between a perfect storm of scandals, decisions about its future, and threats by a hostile country. The question for South Korea and its US ally is whether both countries can emerge from the most savage presidential campaigns in a generation with the political resources and will to deal with the volatile, tension-filled world around them.
In South Korea, the Constitutional Court is reviewing the legality of President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, a bill containing 13 charges for allegedly violating constitutional and national laws. The Court has 180 days to deliver a verdict. The state prosecutor and special prosecutor are also conducting investigations. The Court typically rules in favor of public sentiment for high-profile political cases, and this one is no exception – the justices are under immense pressure from an outraged nation that has been demanding Park’s ouster every weekend in massive candlelight rallies since October. The practical limitations on the rule of law from public pressure are a remnant of South Korea’s difficult break from past military dictatorships.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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29 Lawmakers Quit Ruling Party
By Hwang Dae-jin
December 28, 2016 10:06
Twenty-nine lawmakers on Tuesday deserted the ruling Saenuri Party and announced their plan to found a new outfit tentatively called the New Conservative Party for Reform.
The desertion of the lawmakers, none of whom belong to the faction loyal to embattled President Park Geun-hye, reduces Saenuri's seats from 128 to 99 so it is no longer the biggest party in the National Assembly.
The distinction goes instead to the main opposition Minjoo Party, which has 121 seats.
Senior Lawmaker Kim Yong-tae, who already quit Saenuri along with Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil on Nov. 22, joined the new party, bringing its total seats to 30. Nam is also expected to join.
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[Conservatives] [Saenuri]
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Navy denies Sewol claim
By Jun Ji-hye
The Navy said Tuesday that it will take legal action against an online commenter and professor over "false" claims that the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry was the result of a collision with a submarine.
"We once again make it clear there were no submarines in operation or conducting drills in the nearby waters on April 16, 2014, when the accident took place," the Navy said in a statement.
The comment came after the online commentator, known as "Zaro," uploaded a nearly nine-hour-long documentary on YouTube, Monday, claiming the Sewol collided with a submarine according to his analysis of radar recordings. He also said the Navy may have covered this up in order to achieve its goal of sailing 2 million miles without an accident.
Kim Kwan-mook, a nanoscience professor at Ewha Womans University who provided Zaro with scientific advice, also said radar data showed something near the ferry on the day of the accident and claimed it was a submarine passing by.
[Sewol] [Submarine] [Canard]
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Uphill battle awaits Ban Ki-moon
By Jun Ji-hye
Opposition lawmakers as well as media have already begun their own investigations to see if outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is suitable as a presidential candidate.
Ban, who will finish his term of office at the international organization by the end of the year, will return home on Jan. 15, according to his aides. He is expected to engage in various political activities right away as a leading conservative presidential candidate.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Monday that it will set up a task force soon to verify Ban's qualifications.
The move came after the weekly Sisa Journal magazine reported allegations, Saturday, that Ban received $230,000 in bribes from Park Yeon-cha, an entrepreneur who was at the center of a bribery scandal involving the late President Roh Moo-hyun and his aides.
[Ban Ki-moon] [Corruption] [Presidency]
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Lawmakers Question Choi Soon-sil in Jail
By Eom Bo-un
December 27, 2016 09:50
Lawmakers investigating the massive corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-he had a frustrating Monday when they tried to question her longtime crony Choi Soon-sil in jail.
Choi, who is on remand awaiting trial for extortion and abuse of power, refused to come out of her cell when the lawmakers went to see her and had to be questioned in situ, only to deny every charge.
Choi has so far refused to appear in several National Assembly hearings probing the scandal that has brought down Park, so lawmakers eventually decided to question her in jail instead.
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[Choi Sun-sil]
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KF-X project promoted with unauthorized game footage
Left: ADD's promotional video for the KF-X project. Right: Game footage from EA game "Battlefield 3."
ADD, KAI, Nabix involved in the production; nobody claims responsibility for the flawed outcome
By Lee Han-soo, Park Si-soo
A promotional video for South Korea's largest-ever fighter jet development project was produced with unauthorized video game footage, revealing serious loopholes in the project's management.
The footage (scenes of air combat and bombing on an aircraft carrier) was confirmed to have been inserted without the consent of their original producers -- Japan's Bandai Namco and Electronic Arts (EA) of the United States -- which constitutes copyright violation.
The unauthorized game footage from EA's "Battlefield 3" and Bandai Namco's "Ace Combat: Assault Horizon" are shown for about 10 seconds (from 6'53" to 7'03") in the video, which runs for 10 minutes and 16 seconds. At one point, English subtitles of the original game footage are shown in the video.
[Fighter] [Military industrial complex]
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Choi Soon-sil defends herself with lies, excuses
By Yi Whan-woo
Choi Soon-sil
Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in a corruption scandal surrounding her and President Park Geun-hye, denied any alleged links to other key suspects during lawmakers' questioning, Monday.
She answered "No" when the lawmakers asked her whether she knew Park's three former senior aides ? Kim Ki-choon, Woo Byung-woo and Ahn Jong-beom ? who are suspected of being involved in Choi's meddling into state affairs to make illicit gains.
Choi also said she did not know Kim Jang-ja, Woo's mother-in-law who is believed to have used her friendship with Choi for her son-in-law to become Park's senior secretary for civil affairs.
[Choi Sun-sil]
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Justice Ministry Says Impeachment Bill All Above Board
December 26, 2016 10:31
The Justice Ministry in a written opinion for the Constitutional Court on Sunday said the National Assembly bill impeaching President Park Geun-hye "meets all legal requirements."
The ministry, which has been in a pickle since prosecutors started investigating a massive corruption scandal in October that led inexorably to Park’s inner sanctum, had been asked by the court to submit an opinion on the procedural integrity of the bill.
In the 40-page statement, it said the impeachment process, from the National Assembly vote to the filing of related documents, was all done by the book.
An impeachment bill must be proposed by a majority of the National Assembly's 300 lawmakers, and more than two-thirds must vote in favor. The bill seeking to oust Park was supported by 234 lawmakers.
Park's lawyers argue that the bill violates both the Constitution and other laws by lacking "objective evidence" and failing to give the president a chance to respond.
The Justice Ministry offered no opinion on the concrete allegations against the president, noting that an independent counsel is investigating the scandal and a trial of several key suspects is underway.
Back in 2004, when then-President Roh Moo-hyun faced impeachment for alleged violation of the neutrality rule in elections, the ministry told the Constitutional Court that it did not accept the rationale of his opponents and accused the National Assembly of violating the Constitution by seeking to impeach Roh based on "trivial" remarks.
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[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Roh Moo-hyun]
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Parliament questions key figures in scandal at detention center
Korean lawmakers are visiting a detention center Monday to question key suspects in a scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, who have refused to attend a hearing at the National Assembly.
The special committee holds a hearing with Park's confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is in custody at a detention facility on the outskirts of Seoul, at 10:00 a.m. and Ahn Jong-beom, former senior presidential secretary for policy coordination, and Jeong Ho-seong, former secretary for private presidential affairs, later in the day.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Most Separated Families Want Better Ties with N.Korea
By Kim Myong-song
December 23, 2016 12:22
Eight out of 10 South Korean families who were separated from relatives in North Korea by the Korean War want more civilian exchanges between the two sides, a survey shows.
In the survey published by the Unification Ministry on Thursday, 77 percent of respondents said they want civilian exchanges.
The survey was conducted among 6,142 people on a waiting list for family reunions of 51,174.
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[Separated families] [SK NK policy]
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Four new books peel away the fake legend of Park Geun-hye
Posted on : Dec.25,2016 08:44 KST
Books published, from left to right, “Park Geun-hye’s Addiction to Power” by Kang Joon-man, “Arrogance and Incompetence” by Jeon Yeo-ok, “The Words of Park Geun-hye” by Choi Jong-hee and “The Fall of Park Geun-hye” by Jung Chul-woon.
New works offer analyses on how Park managed to turn the state into her own private property
Everyone is curious about Park Geun-hye. The more is revealed about the Choi Sun-sil government interference scandal, the more people’s perceptions of Park go back and forth between “puppet,” “princess,” and “dictator.” They’ve only seen what they wanted to from her.
“A leader just has to be good actor. The President gets placed into the system and just runs from there,” said a prominent, longstanding lawmaker who contributed to Park’s “making.” At root, it’s about confidence in their ability to write the script. The pro-Park lawmakers’ claims that they were unaware of Choi or her role are tantamount to a confession that they expected Park to be a figurehead. It means that in the end, they knew nothing about her.
A number of books have been published about Park, including Kang Joon-man’s “Park Geun-hye’s Addiction to Power,” Jung Chul-woon’s “The Fall of Park Geun-hye,” Choi Jong-hee’s “The Words of Park Geun-hye,” and Jeon Yeo-ok’s “Arrogance and Incompetence.” They’re analyses for people who wonder how the President managed to turn the state into her own private property.
[Park Geun-hye]
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For visit, special bathroom built for Pres. Park, then torn down two days later
Posted on : Dec.25,2016 08:56 KST
President Park Geun-hye at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), the site of Park‘s summit with the leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries, Dec. 12, 2014. (Blue House photo pool)
While on official trips, Park has a reputation for making bizarre requests about bathrooms, mattresses and microwaves
Sources say that a private bathroom (including new plumbing) was built for President Park Geun-hye at an event that she was supposed to visit for about half an hour -- and that the bathroom was torn down two days later. This apparently happened at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), the site of Park’s summit with the leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries between Dec. 11 and Dec. 12, 2014.
According to a source connected with the event, a waiting room was set up for Park to stay in during a brief break during the proceedings, and a “private bathroom” was built inside the waiting room. Since there was no plumbing there, additional construction was required to connect the sink and toilet in the new bathroom to the water lines.
“We were told we had to bring plumbing to the presidential waiting room and build a private bathroom. We connected the water lines to the waiting room and set up the bathroom and then removed it after the summit was over. We wasted several million won [thousands of dollars] of our budget on a waiting area where Park only stayed for half an hour or so over the course of two days,” the source said.
[Park Geun-hye] [Toilet]
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Did Ban Ki-moon take bribes from scandal-ridden tycoon?
A former chief prosecutor who led an investigation into a high-profile lobbying scandal back in the mid-2000s has told Yonhap News Agency that he doesn't know anything about the recent allegations raised against U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"Many people have been calling me since this morning, but I don't know anything about it," said Lee In-kyu, former chief investigator at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, during a meeting with Yonhap in Seoul on Saturday.
Earlier in the morning, the weekly magazine Sisa Journal reported that Ban allegedly received a kickback worth $230,000 from Park Yeon-cha, a businessman who was at the center of the corruption scandal involving close aides to and family members of late President Roh Moo-hyun.
"While I am not sure about the veracity (of the report), I don't know anything about it," Lee claimed.
Citing several anonymous sources close to Park, the magazine quoted Park as saying that he handed a paper bag carrying $200,000 in cash to Ban at the residence of the foreign minister in Hannam-dong, southern Seoul, in 2005. Ban was the foreign minister at that time.
The magazine also reported, citing a person close to Park, that Park asked the owner of a restaurant in New York to pass on another US$30,000 to Ban in early 2007, right after Ban was elected U.N. secretary-general. The money was allegedly given to Ban.
[Ban Ki-moon] [Corruption]
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Constitutional Court plans to speed up main review of Park’s impeachment in the new year
Posted on : Dec.24,2016 13:50 KST
Park’s team will need to account for her whereabouts for seven hours on day of Sewol sinking
The Constitutional Court plans to finish preparatory procedures for President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment hearing within the year and begin its main review of the grounds in 2017.
The hearing appears poised to gain further momentum with the prosecutors announcing plans to hold discussions with the court on submitting investigation records in the Choi Sun-sil government interference case.
“If everything goes smoothly and the parties cooperate, we might be able to finish preparatory procedures before the end of the year,” a court source said on Dec. 23.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Ninth nationwide rally to go ahead with Christmas Eve song and cheer
Posted on : Dec.24,2016 13:46 KST
Youth and civic groups planning a wide range of performances calling for Park to immediately resign, and for a new South Korea
The ninth candlelight rally, which will be taking place on Christmas Eve, is expected to be full of yuletide cheer.
The Youth Campaign for the Resignation of Park Geun-hye announced on Dec. 23 that it was planning to hand out 300 gift sets stuffed with picture books, winter caps and “step down” stickers shaped like animals to children who were at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul around 4 pm on Dec. 24. The group has already recruited 300 “young Santas” for this purpose. Last week, the young Santas sang carols and handed out presents to children while saying, “Our gift to you is democracy.”
[Park Geun-hye] [Protest]
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Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong may have lied about Choi Sun-sil at National Assembly hearing
Posted on : Dec.21,2016 17:51 KST
Prosecutors investigating whether Samsung made a deal to support Choi in return for favors to help Lee take over management rights
The special prosecutor has acquired evidence that Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, 48, was aware that Choi Sun-sil was pulling strings in the administration of President Park Geun-hye around July 2015, when he had a private meeting with Park, the Hankyoreh learned on Dec. 20. Given that Lee testified before the National Assembly’s special investigative committee that he learned of Choi’s existence in Feb. 2016, this is provoking suspicions that Lee committed perjury. The special prosecutor believes that Lee made the final decision at Samsung to provide funding for Choi and her daughter Jung Yu-ra, and it is currently considering the option of calling Lee in for questioning.
After reviewing the records of the investigation into Samsung by the prosecutors’ special investigation team, the team led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo (which is currently investigating the Choi Sun-sil scandal) has reached the tentative conclusion that Lee must have learned that Choi was serving as Park’s unofficial advisor by July 2015 at the latest.
[Choi Sun-sil]
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Prosecutors seek three years in prison for professor who wrote about comfort women
Posted on : Dec.21,2016 17:48 KST
Park Yu-ha is accused of defaming former comfort women; she claims she intended to share “forgotten voices”
Sejong University Professor and author of “Comfort Women of the Empire” Park Yu-ha arrives at Seoul Dongbu District Court for her trial on Dec. 20. (by Kim Bong-kyu, staff photographer)
Prosecutors requested a three-year jail sentence for a Sejong University professor delivered for trial on charges of defaming survivors of sexual enslavement as Japanese military “comfort women.”
The charges against professor Park Yu-ha, 59, stem from claims made in her book “Comfort Women of the Empire.”
The prosecutors’ demand for prison time came on Dec. 20 during Park’s final trial in the 11th criminal division of Seoul Dongbu District Court under Judge Lee Sang-yun.
“[Park] has expressed no remorse for her deliberate distortions of historical fact and severely damaged the dignity of the victims,” the prosecutors said.
[Comfort women] [History] [Free speech]
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In first hearing, Choi Sun-sil changes her tune, says she did nothing wrong
Posted on : Dec.20,2016 18:03 KST
Choi Sun-sil enters Criminal Courtroom No. 417 at Seoul Central District Court on Dec. 19 for a hearing in her government interference scandal. The hearing was held in the same room where former president Roh Tae-woo and Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee stood trial for using slush funds on Dec. 18, 1995. In Mar. 11 of the following year, Roh was joined by Chun Doo-hwan, another former president, when they famously stood in the dock beside each other in a trial for the successful coup d‘etat on Dec. 12, 1979, [and the Gwangju Uprising] on May 18, 1980. (pool photo)
President Park could face criminal conviction, as one former aid has already says she was his accomplice
On Dec. 19, on the fourth anniversary of Park Geun-hye’s election as president, Park, her close aides and her confidante each began seeking their own way out of their predicament.
When Park’s shadowy advisor Choi Sun-sil first entered the office of the prosecutors, she had asked forgiveness for the terrible crimes she had committed. But 50 days later, she appeared in the courtroom with a different attitude, and now she claims she did nothing wrong.
One member of Park’s “doorknob triumvirate,” former Blue House personal secretary Jung Ho-seong, had his lawyer confess to conspiring with Park to commit crimes. On the other hand, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom denied the charges against him, stating that he had only conveyed Park’s instructions.
[Choi Sun-sil]
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[News analysis] Park and Choi trying to paint themselves as fools, not villains
Posted on : Dec.20,2016 18:02 KST
President Park’s political career could be extended as her confidante Choi refuses to admit to any charges
In a hearing in the Choi Sun-sil influence-peddling case at Seoul Central District Court on Dec. 19, Choi denied all of the charges filed against her by the prosecutors. Choi opted for the opposite strategy of former Blue House personal secretary Jung Ho-seong, whose trial began on the same day and who admitted to most of the charges against him.
Choi cannot be charged with abusing her power since she is not a public official. For this reason, the prosecutors charged Choi as an accomplice of President Park Geun-hye and former Blue House Senior Secretary for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom. Choi’s decision to deny having conspired with Park appears to ultimately be designed to clear not only herself but also Park of the charges against them. With Park facing a double whammy of the impeachment trial and the special prosecutor‘s investigation, Choi’s defiant refusal to admit any of the charges against her keeps Park on life support and may sustain her political career past the end of Apr. 2017.
[Choi Sun-sil] [Park Geun-hye]
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Ban Ki-moon declares bid for South Korean presidency
By Lee Han-soo, Park Si-soo
Outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared his bid for the South Korean presidency, saying he is ready to "sacrifice myself" for the country.
He made the remark during a meeting with Korean correspondents in New York on Tuesday (local time). His term as the world's top diplomat expires on Dec. 31.
"If what I have seen, learned and felt as U.N. Secretary-General would help develop South Korea, I am willing to sacrifice myself to achieve this goal," Ban told Korean correspondents at the U.N. "The public is enraged and frustrated by the lack of good politics. I have gotten personal requests about how to improve society that has exposed accumulated problems. I am in deep agony thinking about how to do my part."
He acknowledged the need for a political alliance in Korea, saying politics is not something he can do by himself.
[Ban Ki-moon] [Presidency]
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S. Korea places order to build 2 frigates to support shipbuilding sector
South Korea's arms procurement agency said Wednesday it has placed an order to build two 2,800 ton frigates ahead of schedule to support the ailing local shipbuilding industry.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it signed a contract worth 700 billion won ($585.6 million) with Hyundai Heavy & Industries on Tuesday, which calls for the construction of two warships.
The two will be the third and fourth vessels belonging to the second batch of the Navy's new Ulsan-class frigates. Seoul aims to build a total of eight Ulsan frigates for its second batch.
South Korea is currently in the process of building new frigates and corvettes to replace older vessels in its fleet. The three-stage project, which kicked off in 2006, will run till 2026.
DAPA said that it has decided to place an order to build them three months earlier than scheduled in a bid to support local shipbuilders and their contractors, which are struggling from an industrywide slowdown.
[Military industrial complex]
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Choi Soon-sil Denies All Charges as Trial Starts
By Shin Su-ji
December 20, 2016 10:51
Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of a massive scandal that has brought down President Park Geun-hye, on Monday entered a plea of not guilty to all charges of corruption and abuse of power.
The trial started at 2:10 p.m. with 80 seats in the courtroom open to the public and the rest crammed with the press and other involved parties.
[Choi Sun-sil]
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Pres. Park defending Choi Sun-sil’s government interference, dragging out impeachment
Posted on : Dec.19,2016 17:30 KST
Defense of Park’s actions indicates misunderstanding of South Korea’s Constitution, experts say
President Park Geun-hye’s legal team wrote in a response to the Constitutional Court’s impeachment review that confidante Choi Sun-sil’s involvement in state affairs amounted to “less than one percent of the President’s total governance duties,” and that even that involvement was “permissible in terms of social norms.”
She also clearly signaled her intent to drag the impeachment ruling out by insisting on the Constitution’s principle of presumed innocence and guarantees on the right to defense. Her actions appear part of a strategy to buy as much time as possible to rally supporters behind her again and use them to pressure the court.
[Park Geun-hye] [[Impeachment]
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Park to Fight Impeachment Until the Bitter End
By Jung Nok-yong
December 19, 2016 11:26
President Park Geun-hye on Friday submitted a 24-page written statement to the Constitutional Court disputing every count of the impeachment bill against her.
"There is no reason for impeachment and the court must reject" the impeachment, her lawyer Lee Joong-hwan told reporters after submitting the statement in court. "It is impossible to accept her alleged violations, and there is no evidence for her legal offenses."
The impeachment bill accuses her of five violations of the Constitution and eight legal offenses, including bribery and inaction during the 2014 ferry disaster.
"The allegations are not true and there is no evidence to back them up." Park says in the submission. "They are based on mere suspicion, violating the presumption of innocence."
The statement claims that holding Park accountable for the transgressions of her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who allegedly roped the whole of Cheong Wa Dae into a bizarre extortion racket, constitutes "guilt by association."
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[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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770,000 candles still burning for Pres. Park’s immediate resignation
Posted on : Dec.18,2016 12:01 KST
Eight weekly demonstration goes ahead peacefully, despite counter protests by right-wing groups
The eighth candlelight rally calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye took place in central Seoul on Dec. 17. With conservative groups holding counter protests opposing Park’s impeachment, the police worked hard to prevent a clash between the two groups.
On at 5 pm, the Emergency Public Campaign for the Impeachment of Park Geun-hye gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul to kick off the rally, which they called “the day of dealing with chronic social problems, punishing the accomplices and calling on Park to step down at once.” In light of the cold weather, there was only a concert before the main event, without a preliminary march. Protesters slammed Park for stating in her response to the Constitutional Court the day before that “there was no reason to impeach her” and demanded her immediate resignation. They also urged the Constitutional Court to swiftly review the motion of impeachment.
[Park Geun-hye] [Protest]
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Choi Soon-sil appears at first court hearing [PHOTOS]
The close friend of President Park Geun-hye, who is at the center of an influence-peddling scandal that has led up to the president's impeachment, appeared at the first court hearing Monday.
Choi Soon-sil attended the first preparatory hearing to be held at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, which will mark the first time she has appeared before public since she was called in by prosecutors in late October. She was indicted last month over a string of corruption allegations involving the president and aides.
"Choi Soon-sil will attend the preparatory hearing today," Choi's attorney Lee Kyung-jae told reporters in a text message. "She has expressed her willingness to sincerely go through the trial."
[Choi Sun-sil]
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F-16 combat jets upgraded with bombs, missiles that can strike key N. Korea targets
South Korea's Air Force has upgraded the capability of its F-16 fighter jets by equipping them with bombs and missiles capable of hitting key underground facilities in North Korea and shooting down combat aircraft at long range, officials said.
The completion of the upgrade enables the South Korean jets to fire AIM-120 mid-range air-to-air missiles, according to the Air Force. The missiles have a range of 50 to 180 kilometers.
They will also be equipped with GBU-31JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) air-to-ground guided bombs, which can hit underground military facilities and neutralize the North Korean leadership in the event of an emergency, it added.
The F-16 Peace Bridge Upgrade (PBU) project is part of the Air Force's efforts to enhance the overall capability of its frontline jets.
The U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets have played a key role in conducting air operations for the South Korean Air Force since their introduction in 1986.
But the need for the upgrade has been raised as existing electronic equipment on planes has been halted and precision weapons such as guided bombs cannot be installed in the original models, it said.
In November 2009, South Korea inked a deal to upgrade the F-16 combat planes with Lockheed Martin Corp. A total of around 30 jets have been improved since October 2013.
[Military balance] [F-16] [Lockheed Martin]
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Political turmoil not to change inter-Korean policy
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, and his top officials, including Kim Yong-nam, left, Hwang Pyong-so, second from right, and Choe Ryong-hae, visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, Saturday, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his father Kim Jong-il's death. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said Sunday the government will maintain its hard-line stance toward North Korea despite political chaos sparked by the corruption and influence-peddling scandal leading to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
During a press meeting, Hong also said the government will continue to make efforts to prod Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear weapons.
The comment comes at a time when the parliamentary impeachment against Park has been raising uncertainty over state affairs.
Hong said there will be no changes in the government's position on its North Korea policy under the interim leadership of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn.
[SK NK policy] [Hwang Kyo-ahn]
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A Roundtable Review of Carter Eckert’s Park Chung Hee and Modern Korea: The Roots of Militarism, 1866-1945
By Sino-NK | December 16, 2016
Carter Eckert’s Park Chung Hee and Modern Korea: The Roots of Militarism, 1866-1945 (Harvard University Press, 2016) is set to enter the canon on modern Korean history. Though the controversial South Korean leader forms the bedrock of the title, the book focuses primarily on the formative institutions of militarism in modern Korea, namely the military academies of the Japanese empire that many eager young Korean men of the time took as their pathway to advancement.
[Park Chung-hee]
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Independent Counsel Doles Out Travel Bans in Crony Scandal
By Kim A-sa, Shin Su-ji
December 16, 2016 10:12
Independent counsel Park Young-soo on Thursday slapped a travel ban on President Park Geun-hye's former chief of staff after he was caught lying to lawmakers.
Kim Ki-choon is one of several suspects in the massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal that has engulfed the president who are banned from travel even before the independent counsel formally starts his probe next week.
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Special Prosecutor hoping finish all questioning of Pres. Park at once
Posted on : Dec.16,2016 12:59 KST
Additional questioning is still possible, and start date of Park’s investigation still undecided
The special prosecutor investigating the Choi Sun-sil scandal hinted on Dec. 15 that although he hoped to finish up questioning of President Park Geun-hye all at once, she could face additional questioning.
The message from special prosecutor Park Young-soo reads as a warning that while he may extend some courtesy to Park Geun-hye as a sitting president, the Blue House should also forgo the uncooperativeness it showed toward the prosecutors’ investigation team and approach his investigation with sincerity. The special prosecutor’s team also took preliminary steps for the full-scale operation of its investigative team with a travel ban on former presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon, who is facing abuse of power allegations.
[Park Geun-hye] [Prosecution]
[Park Geun-hye]
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Park's clean toilet obsession 'led to diplomatic blunder'
President Park Geun-hye, center, takes a photo with U.S. President Barack Obama and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after the afternoon session of the the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April 2. / Korea Times file
By Park Si-soo
Why was President Park Geun-hye so sensitive about a toilet's cleanness? With the impeached leader the only person to know the answer, there are allegations her "exorbitant" attachment to a bacteria-free toilet led to a diplomat blunder early this year.
Park missed a ceremonial group photo of state leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April. Back then, the government said Park was in the toilet during the photo shoot, not knowing the event was rescheduled for the summit's smooth progress.
But the explanation was missing details, according to Rep. Kim Kyung-jin of the minor opposition People's Party. The lawmaker said Park "deliberately" missed the photo event to use the toilet at her hotel room, instead of the public restroom next to the meeting venue.
"Park walked away from the meeting room all of a sudden when the meeting was under way," the lawmaker said, based on information he secured from unidentified sources. "Later, it turned out that she left the venue to travel to her hotel to use the toilet at her room. She didn't want to use the public one."
Park returned to the venue and had her photo taken with U.S. President Barack Obama and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte when the afternoon session ended.
[Park Geun-hye] [Toilet]
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President Park, a 'Hikikomori'
By Lee Kyung-min
Testimony from government officials and close associates of President Park Geun-hye have disclosed that she is a "loner," rarely meeting people unless absolutely necessary ? and sometimes even when it is necessary.
According to multiple accounts presented during the National Assembly hearing into the influence-peddling scandal involving Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil last week and this week, Park only rarely met with high-ranking government officials and also preferred having meals alone at her residence inside Cheong Wa Dae.
Given that the main job as head of a country is to listen to people and understand their concerns to better lead it, criticism is inevitable that her lack of communication has resulted in the failure of many policies and eventually of her presidency.
Some internet users have even called her a kind of "hikikomori," a Japanese term referring to a person who avoids meeting others and isolates themselves usually at home.
[Park Geun-hye] [Sewol]
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Suspicions on 7 missing hours remain unanswered
Kim Jang-soo, right, former National Security Office chief, speaks during a hearing at the National Assembly, Wednesday. He said he initially didn't know where President Park Geun-hye was during the critical first seven hours after the Sewol ferry began sinking on April 16, 2014. / Yonhap
Park's Sewol absence remains mystry still
By Kim Se-jeong
Expectation was high that the National Assembly hearing Wednesday would discover what President Park Geun-hye was doing during her "seven missing hours" on the day of Sewol ferry disaster.
However, no clear answers were given, with skepticism rising over whether the Assembly hearing, an independent counsel's investigation or a Constitutional Court review will ever be able to find out the truth.
The main question was whether the President received cosmetic treatment during those hours. Lawmakers grilled 13 witnesses, but no testimony gave a clue, and all denied they performed any treatment or saw that happening.
"I visited Cheong Wa Dae several times to see the President about skin problems, but didn't on April 16, 2014," said plastic surgeon Kim Young-jae, who had been long suspected of performing a cosmetic procedure on Park that day.
[Park Geun-hye] [Sewol]
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NGO sends drone to N.Korea, aims to “blow the statues up” in future
Complete demolition almost impossible, but explosion could still cause damage: expert
JH Ahn
December 14th, 2016
A Seoul-based North Korean defector NGO sent a drone inside North Korea last month, aimed at testing if the device would be capable of detonating and demolishing statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il inside the country.
The test drone successfully reached the North Korean statues and returned, the NGO told NK News.
“It was our top-secret operation; I have no idea how the North found out it was us,” Park Sang-hak, a defector activist and the representative for the Fighters For Free North Korea (FFNK) told NK News on Wednesday.
“As Uriminzokkiri said, we sent the drone from the China-North Korea border regions to North Korea last month.”
Uriminzokkiri, one of many North Korean propaganda outlets, published an article earlier the same day, claiming that Park and other defectors sent the drone to “test if it can blow the (Kim Il Sung – Kim Jong Il) statues” located in the northern border regions.
[UAV]
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Lawmakers Home in on Park's 'Missing Hours' During Ferry Disaster
By Kim Chul-joong
December 15, 2016 11:57
Lawmakers on Wednesday failed to lift the veil on President Park Geun-hye's notorious seven-hour absence in the midst of the worst disaster in Korea's modern history.
A National Assembly committee probing the massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal that has engulfed Park asked witnesses where Park was when the ferry Sewol sank with hundreds of teenagers aboard in 2014.
Suspicions range from a tryst with a lover to cosmetic surgery that kept her from the TV screens, but witnesses were only able to say that she was at her official residence during the critical hours of the ferry accident.
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[Park Geun-hye] [Sewol]
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At parliamentary hearing, picture emerging of Park as a hermit president
Posted on : Dec.15,2016 15:15 KST
Minjoo Party lawmaker Ahn Min-seok shows photos of President Park Geun-hye while asking if she underwent dermal filler injection in May 2014, during a hearing by a special parliamentary audit committee investigating her role in government inference by confidante Choi Sun-sil, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 14. The three photos are from May 9, 13 and 19 2014, and indicate some redness near Park’s mouth, which experts have said is an aftereffect of skin treatment. (by Lee Jeong-woo, staff photographer)
Park would refuse meetings and photos unless her hair and makeup were done, and even top officials couldn’t get meetings with her
The veil of secrecy over President Park Geun-hye’s working habits is being lifted amid hearings by a special parliamentary investigation committee investigating her role in government inference by confidante Choi Sun-sil.
Evidence is emerging that Park’s aloof “hermit” habits, including remaining in her official residence much of the time and having meals alone, contributed to behind-the-scenes power brokers’ ability to interfere in governance.
[Park Geun-hye]
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Samsung had pledged to pay Jung Yu-ra more than $18 million
Posted on : Dec.15,2016 15:27 KST
Only 8 billion won of the agreed upon fee was actually paid, since the Choi Sun-sil scandal came to light
The money that Samsung had promised to pay Jung Yu-ra (daughter of Choi Sun-sil) for her equestrian training through 2018 adds up to 22 billion won (US$18.64 million), reports say, and 8 billion won of this was actually paid. If the Choi Sun-sil scandal had not been exposed, the remaining 14 billion won would also have been given to Choi and Jung.
On Dec. 14, Minjoo Party lawmaker Do Jong-hwan provided the Hankyoreh with a consulting contract between Samsung Electronics and Core Sports. Core Sports was a company that Choi Sun-sil set up in Germany, changing the name to Widec Sports this past February.
In the contract, Samsung Electronics promised to support equestrians and to purchase horses by way of Core Sports for 41 months (from Aug. 26, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2018) and defined the amount of support (that is, the budgeted funds) as 20.06 billion won (based on the Aug. 26, 2015, exchange rate of 1 euro to 1,362.48 won). More specifically, the agreement states that 9.4 billion won would be spent on overseas training for equestrians and that 10.65 billion won would be spent on purchasing horses. Samsung agreed to pay Core Sports an additional 1.94 billion won in consulting fees.
[Choi Sun-sil] [Corruption] [Chaebol]
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Photos suggest Park had beauty surgery amid Sewol tragedy [PHOTOS]
President Park Geun-hye turns her head after finishing the Pledge of Allegiance at the 21st Cabinet meeting at the presidential office on May 13, 2014. Doctors speculate that the bruise on the right side of her mouth is a side effect of facial filler injections. Before the Cabinet meeting, Park had no official schedule for three days. / Korea Times file
By Park Si-soo, Lee Jin-a, Hong Dam-young
There is hard evidence suggesting President Park Geun-hye did "something" to beautify her face while people were overwhelmed with deep sadness and sense of loss from the Sewol ferry tragedy in April 2014.
Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times, examined nearly 40,000 photos taken on the tragic day of April 16 and afterward and discovered a small but visible bruise, despite makeup, on the right corner of Park's mouth that doctors claim was caused by an invasive facelift treatment such as filler. Other forms of post-surgery marks were also visible around her mouth in some photos.
[Park Geun-hye] [Sewol]
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S. Korea starts building new 3,000-ton submarine
South Korea on Wednesday kicked off a project to build a 3,000-ton submarine equipped with ballistic missiles, the state arms procurement agency said.
The third vessel of the Chang Bogo-III batch 1 ships is part of the country's three-stage plan to make a total of nine subs with indigenous technology by 2027 to strengthen its maritime capacity against growing threats from North Korea.
Officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) discussed details of the project on the day during a meeting with its manufacturer Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.
The new vessel is estimated to cost 630 billion won ($540.3 million) and take 85 months to build, it added.
The batch 1 vessels will have six vertical missile launch tubes that could house the Hyunmoo-2 short-range ballistic missile with a range of more than 500 kilometers.
Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., the world's No. 3 shipyard, built the first and second subs of the batch 1 models.
The South Korean military plans to deploy new submarines starting in 2020 to replace its aging fleet of 1,200-ton subs that have been in service since 1992. (Yonhap)
[SLBM] [Submarine] [Double standards]
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N. Korea media covers candlelit rallies to 'unite Pyongyang'
By Kim Bo-eun
North Korean media have been reporting on the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye and the candlelit protests which have run for weeks.
They have been covering the anti-government rallies in the South, and reported Park being impeached only several hours after National Assembly passed the motion Friday, unlike many other previous incidents which they reported days later.
The North's news outlets began reporting on the scandal surrounding Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil since it surfaced in late October.
[Park Geun-hye] [Protest]
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Top Court to Take Its Time Over Park's Impeachment
December 13, 2016 13:01
The Constitutional Court on Monday poured cold water on hopes that it will arrive at a swift decision on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye after the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor.
Constitutional Court spokesman Bae Bo-yoon told reporters, "An impeachment case requires the review of all of the issues being claimed by the parties concerned. It is impossible to review only select issues as some are proposing."
Bae made it clear that the court must consider the constitutionality of the entire bill. "Calls by some people that a ruling should be made quickly based on key issues are tantamount to holding a trial with the conclusion already in mind," he said. "We cannot proceed with the case with prejudices."
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[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Choi Sun-sil was effectively treated as Pres. Park’s husband
Posted on : Dec.13,2016 16:20 KST
Investigation findings show that Choi had special access to the Blue House and influence over Park’s decisions
Concrete evidence continues to emerge that the Blue House jumped into action at a single word from Park’s confidante and powerbroker Choi Sun-sil and that the ruling Saenuri Party, the lackeys of the Blue House, were actively involved in this. While Choi had the Blue House and the entire government in the palm of her hand, President Park Geun-hye’s former Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon was the figure in the Blue House who aggressively implemented Park’s version of Yushin rule.
Sources with the prosecutors investigative team who are familiar with the Choi influence-peddling case told the Hankyoreh on Dec. 12 that a recording of a mobile phone call by Park’s former personal secretary Jung Ho-seong (currently in jail awaiting trial) contains concrete evidence that Choi not only helped write Park‘s inaugural address but also supervised affairs in the government even after Park’s inauguration, including the Blue House’s management of crises.
[Park Geun-hye] [Choi Sun-sil]
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With Choi Sun-sil, Blue House was run like a “family-owned company”
Posted on : Dec.13,2016 16:21 KST
Prosecutors’ investigation shows that Choi was actually the most powerful person in government
What the prosecutors’ special office of investigations turned up after two months of investigating Choi Sun-sil’s influence peddling was that the Blue House was run as opaquely as a family-owned company. “The only way to understand the relationships between these people - which have lasted from 20 years at the shortest to 40 years at the longest - is to see Choi Sun-sil as the authoritarian husband who gives the orders, President Park Geun-hye as the wife and the doorknob triumvirate as the cousins,” said a source in the prosecutors who read the investigation findings on Dec. 12.
The decision-making process at the “family-owned company” known as the Blue House made it virtually impossible for Blue House senior secretaries and other presidential aides to give information to Park without going through the doorknob triumvirate. Park’s former personal secretary Jung Ho-seong would often send written briefings containing this information to Park and Choi simultaneously and then relay instructions from Choi to Park. Park would then convey the instructions decided in this manner to former Blue House Senior Secretary for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom over the phone, who busily scribbled them down without even knowing how those decisions had been made.
[Park Geun-hye] [Choi Sun-sil]
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Egypt to send stray dogs to Korea, report says.
By Ko Dong-hwan
Korea has agreed to help Egypt solve the Middle Eastern country's problem of stray dogs, Al Arabiya news outlet reports.
Al Arabiya said on Dec. 10 that Egypt was looking into sending live dogs to Korea.
Egyptian ‘executioners' have been shooting the dogs on sight.
But online reports about the culling have brought strong criticism.
Photos showed public workers shooting stray dogs in Alexandria.
The alleged dog trade was greeted with surprise in Korea.
[Canard] [Image] [Dog]
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N.Korean Commandos Practice Attack on Cheong Wa Dae
By Lee Yong-soo
December 12, 2016 09:07
North Korean commandos have practiced attacking South Korea's presidential compound and abducting key officials as leader Kim Jong-un watched, official media reported Sunday.
Given the state media's practice of reporting events a day late, the attack drill probably took place on Saturday, a day after the National Assembly voted in favor of impeaching President Park Geun-hye.
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North Korean commandos attack a mock-up of Cheong Wa Dae in this photo released by the Rodong Sinmun on Sunday.
The Rodong Sinmun daily featured 27 photos of special forces soldiers infiltrating Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office engulfed in flames and Kim Jong-un smiling.
The drill appears to have been held at a firing range on the outskirts of Pyongyang, where the South Korean military said in April North Korea has built a mock-up of Cheong Wa Dae.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches an attack drill in this screen grab from North Korean Central TV on Sunday.
A government official here speculated that the North staged the drill to celebrate the imminent ouster of Park, who had pursued a hardline policy against the North.
North Korean media also pictured photos of major South Korean government officials hanging on the walls at the firing range.
After the exercise, Kim posed for photos with the elite troops.
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[Unique] [Decapitation] [Response]
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Park Stripped of Powers After Impeachment Vote
By Jeong Si-haeng, Jung Nok-yong
December 12, 2016 12:57
President Park Geun-hye speaks at a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday after the passage of a bill to impeach her.
President Park Geun-hye was holed up in her official residence on Sunday after the National Assembly voted to impeach her over a massive corruption scandal.
Park was immediately stripped of her powers after Friday's vote and is expected to hunker down in the shelter of her official immunity until the Constitutional Court rules on the impeachment bill.
In a Cabinet meeting after the vote, Park was quoted as saying she would respond "calmly" to the Constitutional Court's decision and an ongoing investigation by an independent counsel -- a clear hint that she is refusing to resign earlier.
Aides said the president was "resting and reading."
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[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Pres. Park an accomplice in ordering resignation of CJ Group vice chairman
Posted on : Dec.12,2016 16:13 KST
President Park Geun-hye at her last cabinet meeting at the Blue House on Dec. 9, after the motion for her impeachment was passed. (Yonhap News)
Prosecutors investigation shows a total of eight charges against Park, including abuse of power
President Park Geun-hye was found to have had former Blue House Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs Cho Won-dong order the resignation of CJ Group vice chairperson Lee Mi-kyung from the company’s management front lines.
Prosecutors completed their more than two-month-long investigation on Dec. 11 and delivered their records to the team of special prosecutor Park Young-soo with a suggestion for additional investigation of former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon and Senior Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs Woo Byung-woo.
[Park Geun-hye] [Abuse of power]
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Park's loyalists pressed to leave ruling party after impeachment
Factional fighting is escalating in South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party as anti-Park Geun-hye lawmakers demanded on Monday that its chief and other Park loyalists leave the party.
On Friday, the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Park in a 234-56 vote.
Scores of Saenuri dissenters who played a key role in the passage called for the departure of eight key pro-Park members including party chairman Lee Jung-hyun, to clear the deck for the normalization of the beleaguered party.
They said Park allies should be held responsible for sitting idle as the corruption scandal centering on Park and her confidante Choi Soon-sil unfolded.
Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, a spokesman of the group, said the eight members were virtually the supporters of Choi.
Park loyalists were opposed to the impeachment, opting for allowing the president the opportunity to resign voluntarily.
On late Sunday, some 50 pro-Park lawmakers decided to form their own organization declaring they would fight against the Park dissenters. (Yonhap)
[Park Geun-hye] [Saenuri]
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With impeachment passed, more than 1 million still gather for candlelight demonstrations
Posted on : Dec.11,2016 11:14 KST
At seventh weekly demonstration, participants call on Constitutional Court to uphold Park’s impeachment
The candles will never stop burning. The seventh candlelight rally that was held the day after the motion for President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment was passed was attended by 800,000 people in Seoul and 1.04 million people around South Korea.
As of 8:30 pm on Dec. 10, the group organizing the demonstration (called the Emergency Public Campaign for the Resignation of President Park Geun-hye) estimated that 800,000 people had assembled in Seoul. (The police estimated that there were a maximum of 120,000 people on Sajik Street, Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong Street as of 7:30 pm.)
The organizers said that the number of protesters totaled 1.04 million if demonstrations in Busan, Gwangju and other cities were included. (As of 8 pm, the police estimated that 46,000 people were at demonstrations [in these cities]).
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Protest]
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Candlelight revolution mandates destruction of ancient regime
After the National Assembly passed the motion of President Park Geun-hye's impeachment on Dec. 9 and left the final decision on whether to accept the motion to the Constitutional Court, anti-Park protesters gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, the following day, demanding the scandal-tainted president's "immediate step-down." / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
Why have so many ordinary people poured out onto the cold streets every Saturday over the last seven weeks? Why are they so angry about President Park Geun-hye they themselves elected?
Despite bribery and other allegations against the President, what Park has admitted to so far and apologized for was consulting her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil over state affairs.
The special prosecution team will eventually uncover the truth behind the presidential scandal.
Until she is found guilty of the allegations at trial after being stripped of the presidential post, the President remains innocent -- legally.
However, the people already handed down a judgment on her. She is no longer their President. Park had her friend Choi, who is nobody, meddle in state affairs and extort millions of dollars from business groups.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Protest]
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The People Have Spoken
Koreans in South Korea have a long history of massive street protests that resulted in changes of governments. The April Student Revolution of 1960 led to the downfall of the Syngman Rhee dictatorship. The Bu-Ma Mass Protests of 1979 triggered a series of events that led to the end of the dictator Park Chung-hee's repressive regime. The June Democratic Uprising of 1987 brought democratic political reforms, including direct presidential elections. Now, massive candlelight protests of Winter 2016, which was carried out peacefully with remarkable order, have prompted the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.
Amidst popular outcry, the Park dynasty has come to an end. Park Chung-hee, a former officer in the Japanese Imperial Army who went after Korean independence fighters, made himself a president after staging a coup d'état in 1961, ruling with iron fist while suppressing popular dissent with acute brutality. Park's seemingly-endless reign ended in 1979 when his own Korean CIA chief, fearful of massive bloodshed of protesting people, assassinated his boss. Park Geun-hye, the daughter of Park Chung-hee, was elected to presidency in 2012, under some suspicions of voting fraud and irregularities of government interference. Yet, the Park Geun-hye's demise was her own doing, as the corruption and cronyism surrounding her inner circles finally caught up with her. It can be said then that both the father and the daughter were removed from the president's office, in large part, by the popular will and action.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Park Chung-hee]
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[Editorial] Even with Pres. Park impeached, candles will continue to burn for a better society
Posted on : Dec.10,2016 13:28 KST
On Dec. 9, the motion for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye passed the National Assembly by an overwhelming margin. The National Assembly – which is to say, the people – cast a vote of no confidence against a leader who had turned her back on the people. This historic decision was made possible by millions of candles that glowed in public squares. It is indeed marvelous that public sentiment was able to confirm once again Article 1 of the South Korean Constitution, which says that the Republic of Korea is a democratic republic and that all political power emanates from the people.
But the decision to impeach Park is not the end of this people’s revolution. Park is getting ready to fight the people. There is no telling when the Constitutional Court will make its decision about the motion for impeachment. Amid this uncertainty, the National Assembly’s decision to impeach Park must be the starting point for the cries of the people that have echoed through the squares to lead to major change throughout South Korean politics and society.
Looking back at the entire impeachment process in the National Assembly, it is undeniable that it was not any particular parties or groups but rather the collective intelligence of ordinary people that led this historic bloodless revolution. While politicians vacillated between various solutions such as voluntary resignation, orderly resignation and impeachment, it was only the power of the people that stiffened the resolve of wavering politicians on both sides of the aisle and brought them to vote in favor of impeachment. Thus, the peaceful voices on the plaza forced the National Assembly to impeach Park, which is a precious accomplishment with few precedents in the world’s political history. This experience must create an opportunity to bring common sense and normality back to politics.
A glorious revolution brought about by the power of the people
The protesters in the squares do not want this to end with the National Assembly’s impeachment of Park. The demand for Park to step down was not the only slogan that was shouted during the candlelight rallies at Gwanghwamun Square that have continued for nearly two months. Anger over wealth being passed down, justice disappearing, and inequality and polarization worsening in South Korean society -- symbolized by Jung Yoo-ra’s (Choi Sun-sil’s daughter) unfair admission to Ewha Woman’s University – were the long-smoldering coals that ignited millions of candles around the country.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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With impeachment, Prime Minister to become acting President
Posted on : Dec.10,2016 13:24 KST
Just after the passage of her impeachment vote, President Park Geun-hye takers her seat at the last meeting of her cabinet, at the Blue House, Dec. 9. On the left is Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who will take over the role of acting President. (Blue House photo pool)
Hwang Kyo-ahn likely to maintain caretaker role and not make many major changes to governance
Barring any unforeseen changes, the passage of an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye on Dec. 9 means Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, 59, will be acting President until the Constitutional Court reaches a decision on the case.
Hwang assumed all presidential authority, including supreme command of the military, the moment the impeachment decision was conveyed to the Blue House at 7:03 pm.
Prior to that, Hwang called Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo immediately after the National Assembly vote to talk about the “possibility that North Korea might attempt to exacerbate disorder in South Korean society through different forms of provocation.” In his call, Hwang asked Han to “strengthen the alertness posture of all armed forces.”
[Hwang Kyo-ahn]
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With Park impeached, changes coming to foreign affairs and security
Posted on : Dec.10,2016 13:14 KST
No summits likely to be held, and next administration could reconsider THAAD and comfort women agreement
With President Park Geun-hye suspended from office after the National Assembly passed a motion for her impeachment on Dec. 9, there are sure to be substantial changes in the areas of foreign affairs and security.
First, Park will be unable to participate in summit diplomacy while her powers are suspended. The trilateral summit with the leaders of China and Japan that the Blue House and Foreign Ministry had stated that Park would attend will almost certainly not be held this year. Diplomats with the Japanese government contacted Seoul and Beijing about holding the summit in Tokyo on Dec. 19 and 20. The South Korean government has signed on to the proposal, but the Chinese government has reportedly neither accepted nor rejected it.
While South Korean government officials have considered having Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn attend the summit in his capacity as acting president, this is unlikely to occur.
[Impeachment] [Foreign affairs] [Japan SK China] [THAAD]
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Impeachment is not the end
After the National Assembly passed the motion of President Park Geun-hye's impeachment on Dec. 9 and left the final decision on whether to accept the motion to the Constitutional Court, anti-Park protesters gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, the following day, demanding the scandal-tainted president's "immediate step-down." / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
Joy and satisfaction filled Gwanghwamun Square this evening, where the first rally took place after the National Assembly passed the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye over the influence-peddling scandal, Saturday.
Braving the freezing weather, 800,000 citizens gathered in central Seoul to welcome the decision that took place the day earlier as an achievement of the rallies of the last six Saturdays.
"This is what the citizens made," Jeong Gwang-ja, co-head of the organizers of the rallies, said on the stage at 6 p.m. "Now we demand of the Constitutional Court: Don't cross our will. Make your decision based on consciousness and justice," she added, amid the acclamation of people.
Other than Park's resignation, people commonly pledged to support the fundamental reformation of society and continuous participations in decision-making process.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Democratisation]
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S. Korea's military chief calls for vigilance against N. Korean provocations
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-jin, center, advises at a frontline post in mid-to-eastern regions to take heed of North Korea's military provocations as the South's Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn began his term as an acting-president on Friday after the National Assembly passed a motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye.
/ Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan
South Korea's military chief on Dec. 10 called for vigilance against North Korea's possible provocations after the National Assembly voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye a day earlier.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-jin issued the mandate when he visited a general post in the front-line facing North Korea. Lee mentioned there is "a high possibility that North Korea's military could make provocative acts in a surprise manner on the occasion of the South Korean political situation in a bid to drive a wedge among South Koreans."
Lee ordered to raise the military's alert level and focus on defending the nation.
Lee's firm grip on the South Korean military came after the National Assembly passed a motion on Dec. 9 to impeach the President over a corruption scandal that rocked the country for weeks. The breakthrough suspended all authority held by the President as the head of state.
[SK NK policy] [North Wind] [Provocation] [ROK military]
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Watchlist Targets Sale of Submarine Parts to N.Korea
By Kim Jin-myung
December 09, 2016 13:08
The Foreign Ministry has put 60 submarine components on a watchlist to deter North Korea from further developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles, a spokesman said Thursday. The North apparently succeeded in test-firing an SLBM in August.
The watchlist includes high-tensile steel for cylindrical submarine hulls, acoustic sound-control coating and underwater communication systems, periscope video systems, and navigation radar.
Another goal of the latest sanctions is to prevent North Korean submarines from launching torpedo attacks by evading South Korean and U.S. surveillance. The list also includes mine detection sensors, torpedo loading racks, torpedo tubes, and torpedo decoy launchers.
This watchlist is unilateral at the moment but Seoul will try to bring other countries on board.
[Sanctions] [SK NK policy] [SLBM] [Double standards]
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A “people’s victory” as 234 lawmakers vote to impeach President Park
Posted on : Dec.9,2016 18:47 KST
Impeachment will still need to pass Constitutional Court review, as opposition parties seek to bring in new era of democracy
Out of a total 300 lawmakers, 234 voted in favor of impeachment with 56 opposed, 2 abstentions and 7 ballots invalidated, and support for the motion far exceeded the two-thirds majority of sitting lawmakers (200) required to pass it.
The people have won. The Park Geun-hye’s presidential powers have been suspended, and the Republic of Korea has embarked on the long journey toward becoming a complete democratic republic once again.
At 4:10 pm on Dec. 9, the motion for Park’s impeachment passed the National Assembly. Lawmakers could not reject the stern command of the sovereign people to punish the anti-constitutional forces in accordance with the constitution. 299 of 300 lawmakers participated in the vote on the motion of impeachment, which was conducted with secret ballots during the main session of the National Assembly. The result was 234 to 56 in favor of impeachment (with 2 lawmakers abstaining and 7 ballots invalidated), and support for the motion far exceeded the two-thirds majority of sitting lawmakers (200) required to pass it. The only lawmaker who was not present for the vote was Rep. Choi Gyeong-hwan of the Saenuri Party.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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[Analysis] Now that Park has been impeached, what comes next?
Posted on : Dec.9,2016 18:49 KST
Opposition will oppose PM Hwang Kyo-ahn as acting president, and three remaining issues could be solved by Park resigning voluntarily
On Dec. 9, the National Assembly overwhelmingly voted the impeachment President Park Geun-hye, and upon receiving the National Assembly’s copy of the motion, her presidential powers will be suspended. The Constitutional Court must review the motion of impeachment and make a ruling on it within 180 days. But the court could very well reach a decision much sooner than that in light of the importance of the case, the urgent need to put the government back on a normal footing and the fact that Constitutional Court President Park Han-chul’s term is coming to an end on Jan. 31, 2017. The problem is that no agreement has been reached by the parties and factions supporting impeachment about what will happen after Park’s authority is suspended.
The first potential problem is whether the opposition parties will allow Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn to take over the president’s powers as acting president. The leadership of the Minjoo Party (including party leader Choo Mi-ae) have declared that they will not tolerate a caretaker government under Hwang. Their argument is that since Hwang is also partly responsible for allowing Choi Sun-sil to exploit the government for her own ends, he must not be given the president’s immense powers for any period of time. The fact that Hwang (who was then Justice Minister) blocked the prosecutors from charging suspects with violating the Public Official Election Act in an investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s interference in the 2012 presidential election is another reason why the opposition parties are unlikely to let Hwang lead a caretaker government.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Hwang Kyo-ahn] [NIS]
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Throughout Choi Sun-sil scandal, a slew of lies and cover-ups by the Blue House
Posted on : Dec.8,2016 16:50 KST
President Park provided Choi Sun-sil with free access to the Blue House, then concealed or destroyed evidence
The lies just keep coming. There are lies to cover up for lies, and more lies to distract people from the lies that have already been found out. That’s how the Blue House has been coping with the Choi Sun-sil scandal.
After the parliamentary hearing investigating the Choi Sun-sil influence-peddling case learned on Dec. 5 that a woman had been prescribed an anti-inflammatory painkiller called Celebrex by the Blue House infirmary, the Blue House claimed on Dec. 7 that this woman was “the wife of a senior official at the Blue House.” This was designed to combat speculation by politicians and the media that the woman was Choi Sun-sil or her older sister Choi Sun-deuk.
The official statement by the Blue House is that “a senior official who lives nearby suddenly said that his wife was in pain, so a Blue House medic visited the official’s house and administered the medicine.” But it seems highly unlikely that a medic assigned to the Blue House would leave their post to pay a call on the family of a Blue House official.
[Park Geun-hye] [Choi Sun-sil]
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President impeached
After being impeached by the National Assembly, President Park Geun-hye looks down as she convenes her last Cabinet meeting Friday, right before the vote that suspended her from office. She apologized to the nation again, and asked ministers to minimize any vacuum in government, and to work on the economy. / Korea Times photo by Ko Yeong-kwon
By Kim Hyo-jin
The National Assembly passed the motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal, Friday.
Park was suspended from office at 7:03 p.m. immediately after the result was officially delivered to the presidential office, and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn began working as acting head of state.
The President's fate is now in the hands of the Constitutional Court, which is expected to make a ruling on whether the impeachment was valid in a few months.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Lopsided result may affect ruling
By Jun Ji-hye
The overwhelming vote in favor of the impeachment of the scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye, Friday, is expected to affect the deliberations of the Constitutional Court.
Among a total of 299 lawmakers in attendance, 234 voted for the motion, while 56 voted against. There were two abstentions and seven nullified votes.
The result means that a considerable number of members of the ruling Saenuri Party, who have stood by Park, also voted for the motion in addition to 171 opposition and independent lawmakers and some 40 ruling party members who do not support the President as well as National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun.
Park is completely stripped of power if the Constitutional Court concurs that she committed a crime that makes her unfit to serve as head of state, after up to six months of deliberations.
But political experts said the top court may spend only two to three months in its deliberations, adding that it would be hard for the court to overturn Park's impeachment, considering the Assembly's overwhelming support in addition to the growing calls from the public for her immediate resignation.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Acting president vows no leadership vacuum
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, center, presides over a Cabinet meeting -- his first job as acting head of state -- at the government complex in central Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Friday, following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, that he will do his utmost to stabilize state affairs as the nation faces many serious challenges.
He also said the government will listen to the people's voice and reflect it in running the country.
Hwang assumed interim presidential power earlier in the day after the National Assembly voted in favor of impeaching the scandal-ridden President Park. Until the Constitutional Court finishes reviewing the legality of the impeachment, which may take up to 180 days, he will lead the government.
[Hwang Kyo-ahn]
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Opposition may attempt to oust PM
Rep. Choo Mi-ae, chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, speaks to reporters after an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye was passed at the National Assembly, Friday. Choo said the party will launch a campaign to oust Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the acting head of state, if he "disappoints the people."
/ Yonhap
Lawmakers call for Cabinet reshuffle
By Kang Seung-woo
Rival parties are expected to clash over the role Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will play as acting president.
The opposition side insists that Hwang should also step down, taking joint responsibility for the current political turmoil, triggered by the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil. However, the ruling party is opposed to the idea, citing possible political uncertainties.
[Hwang Kyo-ahn] [Minjoo]
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Impeachment scenes of Roh and Park
Bedlam breaks out at the National Assembly main hall in Seoul, March 12, 2004, with a clash between lawmakers approving and disapproving of the impeachment of then-President Roh Moo-hyun. The vote was eventually carried out and the impeachment motion was passed. / Yonhap
By Kim Rahn
Both President Park Geun-hye and former President Roh Moo-hyun were impeached. Politicians who initiated the impeachment motions all claimed the moves were inevitable to defend the "constitutional order."
However, there are big differences between the two in terms of why the impeachment was sought, how the presidents responded to the motion, and how the public reacted to the situations, among others.
[Impeachment] [Roh Moo-hyun] [Park Geun-hye]
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Park Geun-hye: from grace to scandal-tarnished shame
Park makes a third public apology on Nov.29, with a conditional offer to resign if the parliament arranges a stable power transfer. / Korea Times file
By Hong Dam-young
It was an explosive saga. And it ended up throwing scandal-rocked President Park Geun-hye into a state of vegetation on Friday with the National Assembly endorsing an impeachment motion against her.
Here are major events, in chronological order, demonstrating how the President fell from grace to scandal-tarnished disgrace.
[Park Geun-hye] [Chaebol] [Choi Sun-sil] [Chronology]
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'Toilet-sensitive' President Park
Incumbent lawmaker and former Incheon city mayor Song Young-gil revealed, Dec. 8, that President Park Geun-hye had replaced an existing toilet in his city office room with a new one to use the restroom. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo
By Ko Dong-hwan
Throughout the past weeks of massive anti-president demonstrations nationwide demanding her resignation and her three national speeches and refusal to step down immediately, President Park Geun-hye hinted she would cling to the presidency as long as possible.
And on Dec. 8, a lawmaker revealed for the first time the President's other "more private" attachment: a bacteria-free clean toilet.
"The President visited Incheon City Office when I was city mayor (2010-14)," said Rep. Song Young-gil, of the Minjoo Party of Korea.
He made the comment on Dec. 8, as a guest on a YouTube live talk show organized by the main opposition party at the National Assembly.
According to the informant, the office had reported to the President during the morning about the city's current situations and the mayor's performance.
After a luncheon at the office, they went outside for local canvassing with her.
Rep. Song Young-gil (far left) talks about the President's toilet episode at a YouTube live talk show organized by main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea at the National Assembly. / Screen capture from YouTube
"At one time, officials from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae had asked me if the President could use my room for a brief rest," Rep. Song said on the show, at which four other lawmakers were guests.
"I gladly agreed to the request. But then, the presidential secretaries again came to me and said the President wanted to replace a toilet in a restroom inside the room.
"I was totally dumbfounded."
The story was surprising enough to turn heads toward him, with the show's host, former party member Choi Min-hee, being particularly loud about the President's newly found "surreal" penchant for hygiene.
"I guess the President simply did not want to share my toilet," Rep. Song said, laughing.
Another participant quipped, "That is one good example of a creative economy."
The YouTube show continued until 300 lawmakers had cast ballots at a parliamentary vote on impeaching the President late in the afternoon on Dec. 9.
[Park Geun-hye]
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South Korea’s political crisis could become a trigger for bigger change
By Anna Fifield
December 7 at 2:05 PM ?
SEOUL — Opposition lawmakers in South Korea are pressing ahead with their plan to impeach President Park Geun-hye on Friday, but the embattled leader, after saying she would resign if the parliament demanded it, is digging in.
Park is at the center of a corruption and influence-peddling scandal that is astounding even by South Korean standards. She is under intense political and public pressure to step down, with her approval rating at 4 percent and hundreds of thousands of South Koreans taking to the streets each weekend to demand her resignation, with another rally planned for Saturday.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Inequality] [Democracy]
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Suspects Confirm Choi Soon-sil Was Power Behind Park's Throne
By Eom Bo-un
December 08, 2016 10:43
The National Assembly on Wednesday questioned several suspects in the massive corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-hye, but the central figure, her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, dodged the summons.
Instead, lawmakers had to make do with Cha Eun-taek, a flamboyant promo director and drinking buddy of Choi's who came to baffling prominence under Park's rule, including designing a new state-sponsored type of calisthenics that flopped like a beached whale.
There were no massive revelations. Asked whether he thought Choi controlled the president, Cha said, "I wondered what kind of person could behave this way toward the president."
Cha claimed he wrote a report for Choi on "creative culture" and only found out later that the ideas were included in a speech delivered by Park.
"I felt that Choi Soon-sil was almost at the same level as the president," he said.
.
Witnesses raise their hands in a National Assembly hearing Wednesday when asked if they have met President Park Geun-hye's confidante Choi Soon-sil.
And Ko Young-tae, who headed one of the dubious foundations Choi established with corporate donations under the Cheong Wad Dae flag, answered the same question by saying, "In 2014, I came to agree with that view to some degree. That's the feeling I got."
[Choi Sun-sil]
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South Korean Democracy: Consolidated or Not?
By Steven Denney | December 07, 2016
South Korea is slipping and sliding across a slick patch in the history of its 30-year experiment with democracy. Ever since Park Geun-hye came to power there has been talk of regression into authoritarianism, a claim which on the balance of the evidence seems overblown. But for much longer there has also been discussion of whether or not the state has been captured by private (read chaebol) interests, and as I watched the theater in the National Assembly on Tuesday (elected representatives in an open hearing, aggressively questioning the chairmen of South Korea’s nine major conglomerates about their funding of Choi Soon-sil’s activities) I couldn’t help recalling that classic Shakespearean quote, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
However, whether South Korean democracy has lost its substantiveness or not, there is seemingly no fear of the public losing support for it. To look at downtown Seoul on a Saturday night, there is apparently no cause for concern similar to that triggered by a media article suggesting (not altogether accurately) that support for democracy is declining swiftly among young people in “the West.” But what can the data tell us? Steven Denny gets his hands dirty. — Christopher Green, Co-editor
South Korean Democracy: Consolidated or Not?
by Steven Denney
The New York Times review of an article by Roberto Stefan Foa and Yascha Mounk published in the July 2016 issue of the Journal of Democracy has created quite a stir within the political scientist community.1) Comparing data in the aggregate for the United States and Europe, Foa and Mounk claim that support for democracy in the West, especially among younger members of society, is on the decline. This challenges a long-held belief that once democracies consolidate, they never go back.
[Democracy]
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South Koreans want Park out
SooKyung Nam explains the background to the massive protests calling for the resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
November 23, 2016
HUNDREDS OF thousands of South Koreans took to the streets in Seoul demanding President Park Geun-hye's immediate resignation on November 19. This protest was the fourth in a series of weekly mass demonstrations since October when it was first reported that Park was being secretly advised by Choi Soon-sil, a friend of 40 years who holds no official government title.
The scandal involving Park's cronyism and corruption has triggered the worst political crisis in South Korea in decades. The biggest demonstration so far took place on November 12, when about 1 million people gathered in central Seoul.
[Park Geun-hye] [Protest]
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Park Clings to Office
By Hwang Dae-jin
December 07, 2016 09:45
Beleaguered President Park Geun-hye has no intention of quitting voluntarily and will wait for the Constitutional Court to reach a verdict on her impeachment, lawmakers close to her said Tuesday.
Park made the remarks in a fraught meeting with Saenuri Party leader Lee Jung-hyun and floor leader Chung Jin-suk at Cheong Wa Dae.
.
[Park Geun-hye]
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As the Sewol ferry sank, Pres. Park was having her hair done
Posted on : Dec.7,2016 15:56 KST
President Park Geun-hye is briefed on the Sewol ferry sinking at 5:30 pm on Apr. 16, 2014, at the Central Government Complex in Seoul. (provided by the Blue House)
While the ferry disaster unfolded, President neglected her duties to oversee rescue operation, leading to more than 300 lost lives
Park Geun-hye’s whereabouts have been unaccounted for during the seven hours from 10 am on Apr. 16, 2014, when she received the first report about the Sewol ferry sinking, until 5:15 pm, when Park appeared at the government disaster response headquarters. During those seven hours, Park stayed in the Blue House, shutting out anyone from the outside, including key Blue House advisors such as her Chief of Staff, Kim Ki-choon. The secrets of those seven hours have been closely guarded since the day of the sinking, and the slightest mention of them has evoked “royal wrath.”
The Hankyoreh confirmed on Dec. 6 that Park wasted more than 90 minutes of that time having a popular stylist from Seoul’s Gangnam district visit the Blue House to do her hair, rather than taking measures to rescue the passengers on the Sewol.
[Park Geun-hye] [Sewol]
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[News analysis] Pres. Park pledges to fight the people’s will to the end
Posted on : Dec.7,2016 16:01 KST
In meeting with Saenuri Party leaders, Park says she will even resist successful impeachment vote in the Constitutional Court
On Dec. 6, just three days before a vote will be held in the National Assembly on a motion for her impeachment, President Park Geun-hye effectively declared war on the people. If the National Assembly rejects a proposal for Park to step down in April and goes ahead with the vote, Park indicated, she will carry the fight to the Constitutional Court even if the vote passes. Her remarks also reveal her complacent attitude that the current crisis in the government should be blamed on the opposition parties’ obstinacy.
[Park Geun-hye]
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History of corruption: different generations of chaebol implicated in scandals
Posted on : Dec.6,2016 15:57 KST
Hearing of chaebol chairmen who donated to Choi Sun-sil’s foundations highlights collusion between government and business
Chaebol donations to the Mir and K-Sports foundations
Back then, it was the father coughing up the money. This time, it was the son. Back then, it was the father’s administration demanding payment. This time, it was the daughter taking it as President.
Nine chaebol chairmen that made “contributions” to the Mir and K-Sports Foundations are appearing on Dec. 6 before a special parliamentary audit committee to investigate allegations of government interference by Choi Sun-sil and other non-elected figures. A second-generation example of government-business collusion resulted in the largest number of top-ranked chaebol chairmen ending up at a hearing. A growing number of people are now calling for a close look at the roots of this deep-seated collusion - and basic measures to put an end to it.
[Chaebol] [Corruption] [Choi Sun-sil]
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History of corruption: different generations of chaebol implicated in scandals
Posted on : Dec.6,2016 15:57 KST
Hearing of chaebol chairmen who donated to Choi Sun-sil’s foundations highlights collusion between government and business
Chaebol donations to the Mir and K-Sports foundations
Back then, it was the father coughing up the money. This time, it was the son. Back then, it was the father’s administration demanding payment. This time, it was the daughter taking it as President.
Nine chaebol chairmen that made “contributions” to the Mir and K-Sports Foundations are appearing on Dec. 6 before a special parliamentary audit committee to investigate allegations of government interference by Choi Sun-sil and other non-elected figures. A second-generation example of government-business collusion resulted in the largest number of top-ranked chaebol chairmen ending up at a hearing. A growing number of people are now calling for a close look at the roots of this deep-seated collusion - and basic measures to put an end to it.
[Chaebol] [Corruption] [Choi Sun-sil]
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[URGENT] Park has 'intention of resigning in April'
By Park Si-soo
President Park Geun-hye has "intention of resigning in April" and "respecting" the result of the parliamentary vote on her impeachment on Friday, the ruling Saenuri Party's floor leader Chung Jin-suk said Tuesday after having a 55-minute meeting with the scandalized head of state.
[Park Geun-hye] [Resignation]
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LIVE] Tycoons quizzed over Park Geun-hye scandal
Leaders of the country's nine biggest conglomerates are sworn in as witnesses before the parliamentary investigation of the Park Geun-hye scandal, Tuesday. From right, Huh Chang-soo, GS Group Chairman and leader of the Federation of Korean Industries, the nation's biggest business lobby; Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo; Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho; Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin; Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong; SK group Chairman Chey Tae-won; Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn; LG Group Chairman Ku Bon-moo; and CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik. / Yonhap
By Park Si-soo
Leaders of South Korea's nine largest conglomerates are being questioned in a parliamentary investigation of a corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her shadowy confidant Choi Soon-sil.
The investigation centers on conglomerates' alleged behind-the-scenes deals with Choi, and whether the President pressured them to donate to two foundations controlled by Choi.
Attending the session are the chiefs of Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK, LG, Lotte, Hanwha, Hanjin, CJ and GS.
Samsung heir-apparent Lee Jae-yong is expected to be questioned over allegations that the company earned support from the National Pension Service (NPS) for its controversial merger of two affiliates in 2015 in exchange for its cash donation to Choi and her daughter, Chung Yu-ra.
The hearing is expected to affect an opposition-led impeachment vote against Park slated for Friday.
[Chaebol] [Choi Sun-sil] [Corruption]
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Millions of candles show the need for Pres. Park to resign immediately
Posted on : Dec.5,2016 15:44 KST
The largest candlelight rallies in South Korean history last weekend illuminated the whole country, including the cities of Seoul, Busan, Gwangju and Daegu. The organizers estimate that more than 2.3 million people came out for the protests, with 1.7 million at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul alone. This upended predictions that the number of protestors would decrease from the week before.
The reason is clear: the people are enraged at the efforts by the Blue House and politicians to reach a political compromise. The people want President Park Geun-hye to step down right away, but politicians (and the anti-Park wing of the Saenuri Party in particular) are attempting to hoodwink the people with talk of Park stepping down next April or of letting her make an “orderly resignation.” Both the Blue House and the National Assembly need to fully recognize that the people will not accept any other choice or alternative to passing a motion for Park’s impeachment.
The larger number of protestors was not the only thing that set the sixth candlelight rally apart from previous rallies. The main slogan changed from “Park Geun-hye, step down” to “Resign immediately.” Calls to disband the Saenuri Party also received wide-ranging support.
While the rally retained its festive mood, much stronger undercurrents of rage could be felt than before. The banner hung from the headquarters of the Saenuri Party in Yeouido neighborhood that said “We apologize to the people” was pelted with eggs, and a large red banner that displayed the Saenuri Party logo was ripped to shreds. This shows that the public anger is directed not only at the Blue House but also at the Saenuri Party for wavering on impeachment and for attempting to give Park a chance to make a comeback. The opposition parties may also be targeted by this anger.
[Park Geun-hye] [Resignation] [Protest]
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“No plan B” - opposition Minjoo Party going all-in on impeachment vote
Posted on : Dec.5,2016 15:39 KST
Minjoo Party lawmakers stepping up persuasion of non-Park wing Saenuri lawmakers, who still could determine outcome,
With the anti-Park Geun-hye wing of the ruling Saenuri Party shifting its position toward supporting the motion for impeachment against President Park after the candlelight rally on Dec. 3, there is a growing sense inside the Minjoo Party and other opposition parties that it may be possible to pass the motion. There has been a noticeable decline in the pessimistic view that the motion would fail, a view that pervaded the opposition parties last week when they were pushing to hold the vote on Dec. 2.
“There‘s no point in worrying about whether the motion will or will not pass. The three opposition parties burned their bridges the moment they jointly sponsored the motion for impeachment,” said Woo Sang-ho, floor leader for the Minjoo Party of Korea, on Dec. 4.
“Since the anti-Park wing of the Saenuri Party has agreed to vote for the motion for impeachment, our objective should be to convince them to help us pass the motion,” said another key member of the party.
Given the mood in the opposition parties, the Saenuri Party resolved to call on Park to step down in April and to hold the next presidential election in June, but the fierce support for Park’s immediate resignation or impeachment in the candlelight rallies held over the weekend not only in the capital area but also in the southeast Yeongnam region (a traditional conservative stronghold) appear to have had an effect.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Minjoo]
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Park may deliver fourth address this week
Speculation is growing that President Park Geun-hye may deliver yet another address to the nation over a corruption scandal involving her and her longtime friend, in a last-ditch effort to foil an impeachment vote slated for later this week.
Observers said that the embattled president may specify the exact time for her resignation during a speech that could be made on Tuesday or Wednesday -- at least a few days before an impeachment motion is put to a vote on Friday.
[Park Geun-hye] [Ploy]
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Park 'could face up to life in prison'
"The conviction of core allegations would warrant at least a 10-year sentence," said Yun Ho-jung, lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party. / Courtesy of Twitter
By Lee Han-soo
What would the court's ruling be like if President Park Geun-hye is dethroned and stands trial for all the allegations against her?
An opposition lawmaker claimed the scandal-tarnished head of state could be sentenced to "life in prison."
Rep. Yun Ho-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party claimed the sentence could be reduced to 10 years, but Park is very unlikely to avoid imprisonment when she leaves the presidential office either by resigning or impeachment.
The three-term lawmaker, who is chairman of the party's policy committee, said his forecast was based on the opinions of his legal advisers.
"Park can be sentenced to up to life in prison if she is convicted of all allegations," Yun told fellow lawmakers last week.
"The conviction of core allegations would warrant at least a 10-year sentence."
The prosecution has pinpointed Park as a "criminal suspect" involved in allegedly multiple criminal acts, including extortion and abuse of official power.
Park may face more allegations because the prosecution is carrying out a sweeping probe into her close aides and businessmen who allegedly gave bribes to Park's long-time friend, Choi Soon-sil, in exchange for business favors.
Independent counsel Park Young-soo has vowed a "no-holds-barred" investigation of the scandal with his 100-member team, raising the possibility that the team would uncover fresh evidence against Park.
[Park Geun-hye] [Prosecution] [Imprisonment]
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N. Korea condemns S. Korea's unilateral sanctions
Updated : 2016-12-05 10:11
North Korea has condemned South Korea for imposing new unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang, calling them a "pipedream," Pyongyang's state media said Monday.
A North Korean committee issued a statement on Sunday in response to Seoul's latest announcement of its punitive measures, including blacklisting more key North Korean officials and entities.
"The 'independent sanctions' announced by the (South Korean President) Park (Geun-hye) group are nothing but a pipedream," said a spokesman at the National Reconciliation Council.
It said that Park and her followers should bear in mind that the unilateral sanctions are nothing more than "malicious fuss" which will only accelerate their miserable end.
South Korea on Friday unveiled its own punitive actions over North Korea's nuclear test in September, just a few days after the United Nations Security Council adopted a new sanctions resolution.
Seoul's move is aimed at choking off the main sources of the North's hard currency by blacklisting more officials and entities suspected of helping bankroll its nuclear and missile programs.
In March, South Korea slapped its own sanctions in response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in the following month. (Yonhap)
[Sanctions] [SK NK policy]
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Anti-Park Saenuri lawmakers yield to public fury to back impeachment
Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party who do not support President Park Geun-hye, including former floor leader Yoo Seong-min, third from right, attend a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday, to discuss whether to back impeaching the scandal-ridden President. / Yonhap
By Kim Hyo-jin
Anti-Park lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party have succumbed to growing public calls to oust the scandal-hit President, joining forces with the opposition parties to vote for her impeachment Friday regardless of whether she announces her voluntary resignation or not.
They said the rival parties should still negotiate a roadmap for President Park Geun-hye's early resignation but if the efforts fall through, they will participate in an impeachment vote scheduled for Friday at the National Assembly.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Saenuri]
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Pro-Park ralliers claim scandal concocted by N. Korea
By Kim Rahn
Conservative civic groups and members of President Park Geun-hye's fan club have claimed that the current influence-peddling scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil is a "witch-hunt" against the President organized by North Korea.
About 30,000 people from pro-Park groups, including the group "Park Sa Mo" (literarily meaning people who love Park), held a rally in front of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Saturday.
It was a separate gathering from the massive anti-Park candlelit protest in Gwanghwamun where 1.7 million people called for the President's resignation over the Choi scandal.
Mostly in their 60s and older, the participants said the candlelit protests were orchestrated by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
[Park Geun-hye] [North Wind]
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Torches blaze as 2.32 million people calling for Pres. Park’s immediate resignation
Posted on : Dec.4,2016 11:49 KST
Sixth weekly demonstration bigger than previous weeks, with explosion of anger toward Park’s third statement and political bungling
Demonstrators hold torches in front of Gwanghwamun Gate as they march to the Blue House in central Seoul, Dec. 3. There were 416 torches, symbolizing the date of the Sewol ferry sinking (Apr. 16, 2014).
The candlelight spirit finally erupted into torches. The broad squares and roads of South Korea were packed with candles as far as the eye could see. The people’s anger was set alight once again by a sleazy President and foolish politicians.
The sixth candlelight demonstration on Dec. 3 to call for Park’s immediate resignation was a veritable tsunami of rage. The organizers estimated a historic high of 2.32 million people (in person-hours) lifting candles in over 100 sites around South Korea. It was the most ever - some 400,000 more than at last week’s nationwide “focused action” demonstrations.
“Resign, Park Geun-hye.”
“We can’t take any more.”
“A honorable resignation? No way.”
“Arrest Park Geun-hye.”
What finally enflamed the silent populace once again was Park’s sneaky third address to the public over the Choi Sun-sil scandal, and the bumbling response from politicians.
“Throughout the demonstrations, the Blue House kept saying it would ‘take the public’s wishes seriously’ - and it was all lies,” said Lee Seong-gwon, a 44-year-old businessman from Seoul’s Jangan neighborhood who attended for the first time on Dec. 3 with his children. “With the third address [on Nov. 29], I thought, ‘Maybe this time,’ but instead she just maintained her own innocence and put responsibility for everything on the National Assembly. Whatever hopes I might have had are gone now. There’s no choice - the people have to bring her down. I came to offer what little support I could.”
The historic demonstrations that day were a surprise. Some had predicted a smaller turnout than on Nov. 26, when a “general assembly” was attempted at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul.
“Last week, I thought the public had made its feelings felt with the candles, but then President Park made her third address to the public where she basically refused to step down voluntarily,” said one of the organizers. “I think that’s what brought more people into the streets.”
According to the organizers, 30,000 people nationwide attended the first candlelight demonstration on Oct. 29; 300,000 the second on Nov. 5; 1,060,000 the third on Nov 12; 960,000 the fourth on Nov. 19; and 1.9 million the fifth on Nov. 26.
[Park Geun-hye] [Protest]
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[News analysis] The road to Pres. Park’s impeachment still packed with landmines
Posted on : Dec.3,2016 14:37 KST
Kim Moo-sung, Yoo Seong-min and other members of the ruling Saenuri Party’s non-Park wing wait for reporters to leave a meeting of the party’s emergency council, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 2. (by Lee Jeong-woo, staff photographer)
Three opposition parties pushing for impeachment vote on Dec. 9; ruling Saenuri Party pushing Park to resign in April
Weakening opposition coordination on impeachment of President Park Geun-hye was restored as the three main opposition parties agreed at a leaders’ meeting on Dec. 2 to push for a vote on Dec. 9.
The move came one day after the opposition was left in disarray when members of the ruling Saenuri Party’s non-Park wing broke ranks on the issue. But the road to actually passing an impeachment motion is still packed with potential landmines. Not only does the opposition lack much bait to lure the non-Park wing back from its position favoring Park’s resignation in April, but even many within the opposition are viewing negotiation of a swifter resignation and preparations for an ahead-of-schedule presidential election as a more realistic approach.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Opposition decrying Saenuri conservatives’ attempts to remain in power
Posted on : Dec.3,2016 14:34 KST
Minjoo Party lawmakers chant slogans calling for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, on the second day of a nighttime sit-in, in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 2. (by Lee Jeong-woo, staff photographer)
Ruling party seeking ways to let Pres. Park “off the hook” and get another conservative administration into office, Choo Mi-ae says
The opposition is questioning the political motives of the Saenuri Party’s new platform, arguing its calls for President Park Geun-hye’s resignation in April and an early presidential election in June are actually a strategy to keep the party in power.
Speaking at a supreme council meeting on Dec. 2, Minjoo Party leader Choo Mi-ae called the April resignation scenario “a way of letting the President off the hook” and said, “Its final destination ties in with a strategy of getting another conservative administration elected.”
“The President has already carried out appointments for the police managing assemblies and demonstrations, and with her prosecutor general appointments next month she is going to try to bring the prosecutors targeting her in line and use the ‘premium’ of her office to get out of the special prosecutor’s investigation that is set to extend through April,” Chooadded.
[Park Geun-hye] [Prosecution]
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Motion for impeachment accuses Pres. Park of crimes including extortion and bribery
Posted on : Dec.3,2016 14:32 KST
The floor leaders of the three main opposition parties join hands before submitted a motion for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 2. From left to right, Park Jie-won of the People’s Party, Woo Sang-ho of the Minjoo Party and Noh Hoe-chan of the Justice Party. (by Lee Jeong-woo, staff photographer)
Park is also accused of violating the constitution by handing over classified documents to her confidante Choi Sun-sil
The motion for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye that the three opposition parties submitted to the National Assembly on Dec. 2 states that “The impeachment of President Park and her dismissal from public office are designed to repair the damage done to the fundamental constitutional order, which far exceeds the harm to the country and the leadership vacuum in the government that would result from the suspension of Park’s presidential duties.”
“Through this motion for impeachment, we will reconfirm the inviolable constitutional principle that the people of the Republic of Korea are sovereign over the government and that it is unacceptable for anyone in the government, even the president, to exercise power in a way that betrays the trust and will of the public,” the motion said.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Seoul targets upper ranks of North Korea’s leadership with new sanctions
Posted on : Dec.3,2016 14:33 KST
Lee Suk-joon, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, announces independent South Korean sanctions on North Korea, at the government complex in Seong, Dec. 2. (by Shin So-young, staff photographer
Figures targeted include officials with past experience in inter-Korean dialogue, endangering future possibility of talks
The South Korean government announced its own plan on Dec. 2 for independent sanctions against North Korea for its fifth nuclear test on Sep. 9.
The measures come a few days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved Resolution 2321 on Nov. 30. Targets for sanctions include the majority of chief figures in Pyongyang with the exception of leader Kim Jong-un’s family, along with the Korean Workers’ Party and all other institutions of power.
Seoul announced another set of independent sanctions on Mar. 8 in response to the North’s fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, including abandonment of the Rajin-Hasan project.
Critics said the sanctions are unlikely to have any effect as long as inter-Korean relations remain fully severed, while contending that the inclusion of key partners in dialogue and negotiation as targets sends the message Seoul never wants to have dialogue with Pyongyang again.
With the new sanctions, Seoul expanded the number of individuals targeted for “contribution to nuclear and missile development and the procurement of its resources” from 43 to 79 people and the number of groups from 34 to 69. Individuals added to the list included the second- and third-ranked members of the North Korean power hierarchy, Korean People’s Army General Political Bureau chief Hwang Pyong-so and KWP Central Committee vice chairperson Choe Ryong-hae.
[Sanctions] [SK NK policy]
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Record 2.3 MILLION people join sixth mass anti-Park rally
By Park Si-soo, Choi Ha-young
It seems to have become a weekly street ritual in which hundreds of thousands of people all across the country are making their collective wish: the termination of President Park Geun-hye's presidency.
The winter chilling didn't wind down their fiery aspiration. Rather, the determination got stronger in the face of Park's tenacious resistance, bringing staggering 2.3 million people into the sixth mass anti-President rally on Saturday demanding the resignation of scandal-tainted head of state. It marked the highest turnout so far of the six rallies and far exceeded the previous record of 1.9 million set last Saturday.
This reflects that Park's third speech of apology on Tuesday didn't work at all to defuse public anger. Rather, the President only added fuel to the people's anger by making it clear that she has no intention of stepping down voluntarily.
"I wouldn't come here if I was not angry," said a housewife surnamed Ko, 48. "Park's third speech shows she has no remorse for what she did. Park should resign with dishonor. I don't need to listen to her fourth apology."
Another protester standing next to Ko said, "The most embarrassing thing I found in the third speech was when she said ‘I've never pursued my own interest (in office),'" referring to a line of Park's latest speech that provoked many people. "Everybody knows the truth," said a protester, surnamed Jung, 48. "I was watching the speech with my friends and we were so upset with the speech."
[Park Geun-hye] [Protest]
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Impeachment vote set for Dec. 9
By Rachel Lee
Three opposition parties agreed Friday to put their impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye to a National Assembly vote on Dec. 9, calling on lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party not aligned with the President to join forces to remove her from power.
After the agreement, they jointly submitted an impeachment motion to the Assembly after gathering consent from their lawmakers.
Assuming that all 172 opposition and independent lawmakers vote for the motion, at least 28 votes are required from the ruling party for the passage of the motion, which requires support from two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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Park's crocodile tears
President Park Geun-hye looks around Seomun Market in her hometown of Daegu, Thursday, after part of it was burned to the ground by a huge fire a day earlier. The visit is Park's first scheduled outing in 35 days, following the eruption of an influence-peddling scandal surrounding her and her friend Choi Soon-sil. / Yonhap
By Park Si-soo
President Park Geun-hye shed tears on her way back to Seoul from a fire-ravaged market in Daegu, her spokesman said on Thursday -- believe it or not.
The spokesman might have spoken of Park's emotion to emphasize the embattled President's "sincere sympathy" for victims of the blaze in the face of deepening public distrust of herself.
But now few take the comment at face value. Rather, most people consider it as yet another political gimmick to help Park survive the ongoing crisis and extend her span in office. And her behavior at the gutted Seomun Market shows why.
Park spent only 10 minutes inspecting the site, surrounded by multiple layers of security guards and keeping affected merchants at bay.
[Park Geun-hye]
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S. Korea blacklists scores of N. Koreans, entities linked to nuke, missile program
Updated : 2016-12-02 11:37
South Korea unveiled a set of its own punitive measures against North Korea on Friday, blacklisting scores of people and entities suspected of supporting the regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The move came days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 2321 on Wednesday condemning the North's fifth and most powerful nuclear test in September, with the main focus placed on significantly restricting the country's coal exports deemed to be a major source of its hard currency.
"We have expanded the number of those subject to sanctions by adding to the list 35 entities and 36 individuals that are playing a critical role in developing weapons of mass destruction and contributing to the North Korean regime's efforts to secure foreign currency," Lee Suk-joon, the top official in charge of government policy coordination at the Prime Minister's Office, told reporters.
Included in the blacklist were Choe Ryong-hae, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, and Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong-so, director of the military's general political bureau, both of whom are regarded as close aides for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Workers' Party and the State Affairs Commission were also added along with other entities suspected of supporting the regime's efforts to export its coal and generate earnings.
In particular, Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development and four of its executives were included on the list, marking the first time that a Chinese firm is facing South Korea's unilateral sanctions.
The company is under investigation on suspicions that it exported aluminum oxide -- a nuclear bomb ingredient -- to the North at least twice in recent years. In September, the U.S. blacklisted it along with its owner and other company officials. (Yonhap)
[Sanctions] [SK NK policy]
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The Current Crisis in south Korea and the Korean Peninsula Issue
(November 28, 2016, Choe Un Ju, Research Fellow,
Institute for Disarmament and Peace, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPRK)
The recent hideous political scandal in south Korea reveals that south Korea’s each and every policy has been totally controlled by a superstitious fortune-teller.
After all, “unification and security policies” of the current south Korean authorities were nothing but preposterous ones based on a fortune-teller’s groundless presumption that the DPRK would “collapse” in two years.
South Korea’s such reckless and irresponsible “unification and security policies” have severely affected the issues related with peace, nuclear, inter-Korean relations and reunification of the Korean peninsula.
[Choi Sun-Sil] [Park Geun-hye] [SK NK policy]
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North Korean defector says Park Geun-hye scandal could help Pyongyang
Probe into influence of South Korean president’s confidante Choi Soon-sil will stoke anti-South sentiment, and could provide a welcome distraction for Kim Jong-un
By Jessie Lau
10 Nov 2016
South Korea’s political crisis and the nation’s worsening ties with China will only help the North Korean regime, said North Korean defector and activist Hyeonseo Lee.
The country is in political turmoil following recent revelations that President Park Geun-hye has been taking secret advice from Choi Soon-sil, a confidante with no policy background and who holds no public office. Tens of thousands of South Koreans protested in Seoul last weekend to demand the resignation of Park, who is facing a corruption investigation into whether Choi manipulated state decisions.
North Korean media is playing up the scandal, said Lee, who said it was the “perfect chance” for the regime to further stoke anti-South Korean sentiment.
[Choi Sun-sil] [SK NK policy] [Defector]
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[Analysis] South Korean politics in disarray amid moves for Pres. Park’s impeachment
Posted on : Dec.1,2016 12:26 KST
Saenuri floor leader Chung Jin-suk addresses a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 1. They agreed on a party platform of President Park Geun-hye stepping down in April, followed by a presidential election in June. (Yonhap News)
Impeachment vote could come on Dec. 9, followed by Constitutional Court ruling in March, then early presidential election
The political schedule remains in a fog after President Park Geun-hye’s recent third public address, in which she mentioned the possibility of her term being shortened. It’s hard to know what obstacles are lurking there until a collision occurs. All possibilities are a matter of pure statistical odds.
The day after the address, leaders of the three main opposition parties met on Nov. 30 to agree on pushing for Park’s impeachment and prosecution as scheduled, while rejecting any negotiations with the ruling Saenuri Party. The possibility of the two sides negotiating a shortening of Park’s term and an “orderly departure” appear gone for now - all that remains is the path toward impeachment and prosecution. A vote appears more likely to happen on Dec. 9 than on Dec. 2, as the Saenuri Party’s non-Park faction - which holds the deciding vote - needs to be given more time. Dec. 2 is also the date the 2017 budget plan needs to be passed.
Floor leader Chung Jin-suk and other members of the Saenuri Party are pushing hard to delay an impeachment and prosecution vote until after Dec. 9. But they have their work cut out for them bucking the tide of public anger in the wake of Park’s third address. Popular demands for impeachment have crossed the threshold of impatience; another candlelight demonstration is set to take place on Dec. 3.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment] [Resignation] [Saenuri]
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Opposition taking hardline stance to push for Pres. Park’s impeachment
Posted on : Dec.1,2016 12:29 KST
The leaders of the three main opposition parties meet at the National Assembly to discuss a plan for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye after Park’s third public address, Nov. 30. From left to right, People’s Party emergency committee leader Park Jie-won, Minjoo Party of Korea leader Choo Mi-ae and Justice Party leader Shim Sang-jung. (by Lee Jeong-woo, staff photographer)
President still offering sneaky plans to avoid impeachment, such as suggesting a shortening of her term
The opposition is doubling down on plans for an immediate impeachment of President Park Geun-hye after her recent third address to the public over the ongoing Choi Sun-sil government interference scandal.
The opposition’s decision appears based on the cool public response to the President’s third address, in which she opted to leave responsibility for the timeline of her departure or retreat to a secondary role up to the National Assembly without stating her own plans. But the Saenuri Party’s non-Park faction, which holds the deciding vote in an impeachment, showed a more reserved stance than before, insisting on a Dec. 9 date for the impeachment vote while asking for negotiations with opposition leaders over a possible April resignation.
[Park Geun-hye] [Impeachment]
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'EIGHT SECRET FILES' could spell the end for Park
Some of the leaked classified presidential documents in November 2014. The documents, obtained by Segye Ilbo daily, revealed the shadowy link between President Park Geun-hye and her longtime confidants, including Choi Soon-sil and her husband Chung Yoon-hoi. The daily's former CEO says he has eight more documents, which if made public, would deal a devastating blow to Park's faltering leadership. / Korea Times file
By Lee Han-soo, Park Si-soo
confidential presidential documents, which ? if made public ? would deal a "finishing blow" to embattled President Park Geun-hye.
But he has refused to publish them, saying "I'm afraid these documents would shake not only the President but also the country's legislation, judiciary and administration to their roots."
He made the disclosure during an online talk show on Nov. 21. Cho said he would not reveal more because"Her (Park's) criminal acts stipulated in the documents are grave enough to be considered a sort of rebellion."
The former journalist added, "If the documents are revealed to the public, the country's democracy will be under a cloud internationally."
Segye Ilbo was the first media outlet to shed light on the shadowy link between the President and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil in November 2014, when Cho was the daily's chief.
[Choi Sun-sil]
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S. Korea to begin preliminary design work for indigenous fighter jet in 2017
South Korea aims to begin preliminary design work on the country's indigenous fighter jet next year, which will help the country maintain a potent air defense capability in the coming years, the state defense procurement agency said Thursday.
"The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will hold a system functional review this month to see if the Korean Fighter Experimental (KF-X) project meets all the specifications requested by the military and other requirements," the DAPA said in a statement.
"If the DAPA concludes the project is ready, it will kick off the preliminary design process."
However, the DAPA did not provide the exact timeframe for when the design would start being drawn up.
[Fighter] [Military balance]
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Park Leaves Decision on Resignation to National Assembly
By Jung Nok-yong, Eom Bo-un
November 30, 2016 10:43
President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday she is willing to step down, but wants to leave it to the National Assembly to decide the timing and method of her resignation.
"If the National Assembly sets out a path for a stable transition of power, I will resign from the presidency and reduce the confusion as much as possible," she said in a public address.
Ruling Saenuri Party leader Chung Jin-suk said Park's address signaled her intention to bow out before her term ends. But opposition parties immediately rejected the offer, calling it a political gambit aimed at buying the president some time as she attempts to thwart their push for impeachment, which is scheduled for early next month.
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[Park Geun-hye] [Resignation] [Ploy]
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Park leaves her fate up to Assembly
President Park Geun-hye leaves the Cheong Wa Dae briefing room, Tuesday, after delivering a national address that she would follow any National Assembly decision on whether she should step down. / Yonhap
President's gambit distracts lawmakers from impeachment
By Jun Ji-hye
President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that she will leave the decision on the timing and method of her resignation up to the National Assembly, rejecting calls for her to step down immediately.
In response, the opposition parties criticized her, saying she was attempting to delay a parliamentary vote on impeaching her and hang on to power. They added she must resign voluntarily and "stop playing tricks."
In her third address to the nation since the corruption scandal involving her and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil erupted in late October, Park said she will follow any measures drawn up by the Assembly to minimize any confusion arising from the unexpected transition of government.
"I will leave all decisions, including the shortening of my presidential term, up to the Assembly," she said. "Once the ruling and opposition parties draw up a measure to stably turn over the reins of government, I will step down from the office in line with that timetable and legal procedures."
[Park Geun-hye] [Resignation] [Ploy]
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Speech stokes people's anger
By Kim Bo-eun, Kim Se-jeong
Updated : 2016-11-29 20:15
President Park Geun-hye's address to the people Tuesday failed to quell public anger as her third apology was not seen as sincere in the eyes of most people.
In the nationally televised speech about the influence-peddling scandal surrounding her confidant Choi Soon-sil, Park implied that she believes she herself did not commit any wrongdoing and will not willingly step down.
The President's remarks came even after the prosecution labeled her as an accomplice and criminal suspect in Choi's extorting funds from conglomerates for Choi's benefit and for letting her see state documents.
"I have never worked for my personal interest, but for the country and its people for the past 18 years since I became a lawmaker," Park said. "The series of events that have occurred are a result of my pursuit of good for the nation. And I did not take the slightest bit of benefit during the process."
[Park Geun-hye] [Public opinion]
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Early presidential election inevitable
Rep. Choo Mi-ae, third from right, chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), and other DPK lawmakers sign a motion at the National Assembly Tuesday to impeach President Park Geun-hye, after watching Park's national address. The opposition bloc is likely to put the impeachment motion to a parliamentary vote Friday. / Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
President Park Geun-hye is highly unlikely to finish her term, so political parties must begin preparing for an early presidential vote, analysts said Tuesday.
Park indicated Tuesday in a national address she will not step down voluntarily, but said she will quit if the National Assembly reaches an agreement on the transfer of power. The opposition parties plan to submit a motion to impeach Park.
Whatever the case, Park is not likely to complete her term that is scheduled to end in February 2018, so the country needs to hold a presidential election earlier than December 2017 when it is scheduled, analysts said.
[Park Geun-hye] [Election]
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