Category: Korea-General Topics

I don’t see the Japanese backing down on their economic retaliation until the ROK government resolves the forced labor court ruling issue:

“Japan may suffer from the government’s strategy in the long term, but by then, the damage on our companies will be even greater,” Kang said.

Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University, speculated Korea will “never beat Japan in the economic tit-for-tat.”

“It’s apparent Japan has planned its retaliatory measures carefully and meticulously, whereas Korea has come up with a counterstrategy hastily and hurriedly,” Park said. “I bet Japan has more cards to play as the economic showdown intensifies. I’m afraid that’s not the case for Korea.”

Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said, “Our countermeasures are not very practical.”

The analysts suggested going “back to the beginning” and resolving the dispute diplomatically.

“Everything started from the diplomatic dispute over Japan’s wartime past. Korea should resume talks with Japan and concentrate on forced labor,” Park said.

As an option, he cited the need for President Moon to send a special envoy, such as National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Shin Yul voiced a similar view.

“I’m not sure whether sending a special envoy is a good idea, but I’m certain mobilizing all possible diplomatic means is necessary at this point,” he said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but the Moon administration may have woken a sleeping giant. If the economic retaliation by Japan is ultimately effective, this could be something the Japanese government continues to turn to every time the ROK government pushes an anti-Japanese issue for domestic political purposes.

The KCTU fresh after getting their leader released from jail is now out trying to increase their ranks by protesting to get contract workers designated as regular employees at the schools:

School workers across the country joined the first-ever general strike by public sector contract employees Wednesday, leaving thousands of children without lunches.

Around 2,500 contract workers at elementary, middle and high schools, which included bus drivers, cafeteria cooks and janitors, took part in rallies across Seoul on Wednesday calling for an increase in their basic incomes and an elevation of their status to workers on regular payrolls. 

The biggest was held in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where around 40,000 contract workers gathered, according to the rally’s organizers. The Labor Ministry estimated the number of attendees at around 26,000.

The strike and rallies are set to continue until Friday.

This week’s rallies, organized by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) – an umbrella organization representing around one million members nationwide – are supposed to draw an estimated 100,000 contract workers in the public sector, with around half of them working at around 6,000 schools across Korea. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

The President likes big things and this Samsung plant near Camp Humphreys was big enough to catch his attention:

U.S. President Donald Trump was so impressed with a Samsung Electronics manufacturing plant, he could hardly contain himself.

“I happened to fly over a building,” he said, according to a White House release of a conversation between the president and some 20 heads of Korean conglomerates on Sunday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where the president stayed. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes. 

“It was one of the largest buildings I’ve ever seen; Samsung. Samsung […]And it was a manufacturing building,” he added. “And you know what I’m talking about, right?

“I looked; I said, ‘What the hell is that?’ It was acre on acre. How tall is that building? Like 12 or 10? Ten stories? I want to see it. I want to see it. I want to get some ideas.” 

Trump arrived on Air Force One at Osan Air Base, a U.S. Air Force Base at Pyeongtaek. He flew from there on Marine One, a helicopter, to Yongsan Garrison.

According to a Samsung official, the company has a semiconductor plant in Hwaseong, slightly north of Osan Air Base. 

“The plant has a Samsung logo on it,” said the Samsung official. “I think that’s what President Trump saw.” 

The flight path from Osan to Yongsan crosses close to Gyeongbu expressway, where Samsung plant is located. 

The plant that Trump probably saw is a new production line that was opened in April and where President Moon Jae-in announced Korea’s “system semiconductor” vision.

It is just 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the U.S. base, and during the weekdays when there is less traffic, it only takes 30 minutes by car to travel from the base to the plant. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

Considering Korea’s defamation laws I am surprised these women are not getting sued and forced to pay the deadbeat dad:

Kim Jun-hee, 42, divorced her husband 16 years ago due to domestic violence. Her ex-husband paid her his court-ordered child support three times, then asked to see his children. When they met, he demanded that the children take a DNA test, saying that he could not trust whether they were actually his children. Since that meeting, he has not given any money to Kim or their children.

In early June, Kim joined Park Ji-young (alias) as she staged a protest against her ex-husband in front of his residence in central Seoul. Park posted a request to the members of the online community “For Childcare: Child Support Solution Association,” asking for support – five members joined, including Kim. According to Park, her ex-husband has never paid his mandatory child support or met with his children since their divorce 11 years ago.

“I have tried literally everything that I can, but there’s nothing I can do but stand outside his house like this,” said Park. “This whole building is his, but the court can’t force him to pay me because he turned over the legal possession to his parents. So legally, he’s broke, even though he flies off every weekend for golf trips.”

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but a Korean man who built a website to shame deadbeat dads was sued for defamation and forced to pay the deadbeats:

While the managers of the site stay anonymous, Koo Bon-chang, 56, is the public face of Bad Fathers. He helps parents list the names of their uncooperative former spouses and assists with protests. As a result, Koo had been reported by 15 people listed on the website for defamation and was charged with a 5 million won ($4,330) fine in May. The Korea Communications Commission did not shut down the site, however, stating that “its benefit to the public is bigger than the damage inflicted onto each individual.”

You can read more at the link.

Worse than that is SK President @moonriver365 using children to pose with the man who ordered that #JamalKhashoggi be murdered. The @TheBlueHouseENG should be ashame & apologize. @KarenAttiah pic.twitter.com/7O7VxUgKVn

— Greg DeRego (@gregderego) June 26, 2019

I find it interesting that the Moon administration allows journalists that print facts to be arrested and languish in jail, but union allies that break the law they allow to go free:

Kim Myeong-hwan, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a militant labor umbrella group, was released on bail Thursday, a week after being arrested on charges of masterminding assaults on police during outdoor rallies.

The Seoul Southern District Court approved Kim’s release on a bail of 100 million won ($86,360) but attached a condition under which he should only stay in his residence.

Kim was also ordered to obtain court approval before moving out of his residence or going on an overseas trip and to comply with a summons from the court.

The same court issued an arrest warrant last Friday for Kim, who was accused of overseeing violent illegal acts during KCTU members’ four protest rallies in front of the National Assembly compound on May 21 last year, as well as March 27 and April 2 and 3 this year.

During the protest rallies, labor activists knocked down parts of the fence surrounding the National Assembly in Seoul’s Yeouido, assaulted police officers, destroyed police equipment and attempted to force their way into the compound illegally to block the passage of labor bills, including those calling for extending statutory flextime from three to six months to minimize side effects of the government’s mandatory 52-hour workweek policy.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but the KCTU who is well known for their violence, pro-Kim regime stance, and anti-Americanism vowed to launch massive protests against the Moon administration if Kim was not released. Sure enough Kim is released while journalists languish in jail.

You would think with such a discrepancy the international media would be all over this, but very few are reporting on this.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon hired these light blue-vested thugs tossing people to the ground. Dozens were injured. https://t.co/VUxfUGLgHv

— Tara O (@DrTaraO) June 26, 2019

You can read more at my prior posting about this violence in Seoul.

The Saudi Crown Prince received a very warm welcome in South Korea despite the controversy around his alleged ordering of the killing of a journalist:

President Moon Jae-in held a summit Wednesday with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and de facto ruler of the oil-rich kingdom, and agreed to diversify and expand bilateral cooperation. 

The governments and companies from the two countries signed economic agreements worth over $8 billion.

The summit took place at the Blue House in the afternoon as a part of the crown prince’s two-day trip to Korea. During the summit, the two leaders discussed moving beyond traditional cooperation in energy and infrastructure industries, according to a joint press release. 

Moon expressed support for Saudi’s Vision 2030, an economic and social reform initiative pushed by the crown prince. The two leaders agreed to strengthen a bilateral strategic partnership to promote the program, according to the statement. 

Saudi Vision 2030, announced in April 2016 by the crown prince, is supposed to reduce the country’s dependence on oil while diversifying its economy. Korea is one of Saudi Arabia’s eight strategic partners in the project, along with the United States, Japan and China. 

Saudi Arabia is Korea’s largest supplier of crude oil. It is also Korea’s most important economic partner in the Middle East. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

Effective today, the legal blood alcohol content limit in South Korea is .03 percent. The new law states drunk drivers can be imprisoned for 2-5 years and fined 10 million won ($8,950) to 20 million won if caught more than twice.

— U.S. Forces Korea (@USForcesKorea) June 24, 2019

Here is another crazy guy that slammed his car into the gate of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul:

 A South Korean man was arrested Tuesday for crashing his sedan into the front gate of the U.S. Embassy in central Seoul, police said. No one was hurt in the incident.

Officials at the Jongno Police Station said the 40-year-old man, identified only by his surname, Park, suddenly turned his car toward the embassy gate and rammed into it. Some 20 cans of butane gas were found in the car.

Investigators are trying to find out about his motive for the crash. They plan to seek a warrant on Wednesday to formally detain him.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but last year another crazy guy slammed his car into the U.S. Embassy gate as well. At least we know it is a well constructed gate.