This is pretty bad and he wasn’t the only KATUSA to use the Camp Humphreys relocation to go AWOL:
A Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) soldier allegedly went absent without leave (AWOL) and spent the last five months of his service at his home, but the Korean military authorities were unaware of this until another soldier made an anonymous complaint, sources said Wednesday.
The former KATUSA sergeant, who was stationed at the U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) in Yongsan, central Seoul, was to be relocated to USAG Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, early this year. However, he did not follow the relocation order.
Currently, over 90 percent of U.S. forces and KATUSAs who were stationed in and around Seoul have moved to the recently expanded USAG Humphreys, according to a U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) official.
The deserter took advantage of lax personnel management at the time when soldiers were being continuously relocated to Humphreys in large numbers and only a small batch of KATUSAs were left behind at Yongsan.
“The suspect allegedly told Korean Army officers in Pyeongtaek that he was part of a handful of KATUSA and U.S. troops left working in Yongsan, but they did not cross-check this with officers stationed in Yongsan,” a source told The Korea Times.
The man allegedly stayed at home while he was AWOL.
You can read more at the link, but he wasn’t the only KATUSA to use the relocation to go AWOL. Other KATUSAs did so as well, but when one of them got caught he blew the whistle on the KATUSA that went AWOL for five months.
I hope no one is surprised that the Blue House is interfering in the investigation of Justice Minister nominee, Cho Kuk. Really the investigation is pointless because he is going to be confirmed before investigation is completed and then as Justice Minister can shutdown the investigation. All this is right now is the Blue House trying to minimize the public relations blow before he is confirmed:
Cho Kuk
South Korea’s presidential office and prosecution clashed Thursday over an investigation into the family of justice minister nominee Cho Kuk over a series of allegations of misdeeds.
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office made a rare public protest calling on presidential officials to stop intervening in its investigation into Cho’s wife over suspicions that she may have fabricated a school award for her daughter.
The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae immediately denied the claim, saying that it has never interfered with the probe and that it will closely watch Cho’s confirmation hearing slated for Friday.
Cho has faced a string of corruption allegations involving his family, including that his daughter received preferential treatment in entering elite colleges and that his family made a dubious investment in a private equity fund.
Ahead of his confirmation hearing, fresh suspicion has been arising that his wife may have fabricated a certificate to prove her daughter had done voluntary work at an English education center of a university. She became the chief of the center after its issuance.
In an interview on Thursday, an anonymous Cheong Wa Dae official said that a professor who recommended the certificate has been found and that relevant allegations will be clarified in the upcoming hearing.
“Today, a high-ranking official of Cheong Wa Dae suggested in a media interview that it is not a fabrication with regard to the certificate forgery allegation involving the minister nominee’s wife. This can be seen as intervention in the investigation, and it is very inappropriate,” the prosecution said in a text message to reporters, citing one of its own officials.
Wow. There are still those who support Cho Kuk & want to portray him as "just." He also said having sex with minor should not be a crime if there's a consent. But wait. There's more, like corruption, subversion, abuse of authority, China's CCP money…https://t.co/47QHAXpKCqhttps://t.co/6hB3YFAwkc
South Korea-Myanmar summit South Korean President Moon Jae-in (L) speaks during a joint press conference with Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi after their summit at the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on Sept. 3, 2019. (Yonhap)
It appears that the confirmation process for Cho Kuk was drawn out specifically to pass the deadline for calling witnesses like the opposition party wanted to do. Because of this only Cho Kuk will testify and of course he will deny everything and then get appointed as the next Justice Minister and then subsequently have the power to squash any investigation in to him:
Cho Kuk speaks to reporters during his commute to the hearing preparation office on Sept. 4, 2019. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s ruling and main opposition parties on Wednesday agreed to hold a confirmation hearing for a disputed justice minister candidate later this week.
The rival parties had been in a row over scheduling the parliamentary hearing of Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk, who faces corruption allegations involving his family.
The dramatic agreement was reached during a meeting at the National Assembly between Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), and her ruling Democratic Party (DP) counterpart Lee In-young.
“There was a gap in our opinion, but we’ve agreed to hold a confirmation hearing for Cho on Friday judging that it is desirable to fulfill the parliament’s duty,” Na told reporters.
Lee said the two sides have agreed not to request that Cho’s family members attend the hearing.
“The legal deadline for summoning witnesses has passed. We will be proceeding with the confirmation hearing without witnesses,” the DP floor leader said.
I think the most blame should be put on the mother who did not ask anyone for help though I would not be surprised if she was suffering from depression that contributed to her death:
Han Sung-ok has the recognition in death she never received in life
Han Sung-ok, 42, seemed determined to pick through nearly every lettuce on the market stand. She turned each one over and examined it while her six-year-old son clambered on the fence nearby.
The vegetable seller in the southern Seoul suburb looked on, annoyed. This was one picky customer and she didn’t even buy a lot of vegetables – only one or two items for as little as she could pay. On this occasion it was a lettuce for 500 won (about $0.40; £0.33).
Uttering only a few words, Han handed over her money and left with her son.
Just a few weeks later, both were dead.
Having fled food shortages in her native North Korea and dreaming of a new life, Han and her son are believed to have starved to death in one of the wealthiest cities in Asia. Their bodies lay undiscovered for two months until someone came to read the water meter and noticed a bad smell.
Mother and son were found apart on the floor. The only food in their tiny rented apartment was a bag of red pepper chilli flakes.
You can read the whole thing at the link, but she definitely had a hard life and trouble adapting to South Korean culture. People in the government probably should have done more to check on her welfare, but ultimately if she would have reached out to defector organizations or even a local church she could have gotten help instead of starving to death.
Tougher check on coal ash imports from JapanEnvironmental officials conduct a radioactive test on coal ash imports from Japan at the eastern port of Donghae on Sept. 2, 2019, in line with tougher inspection rules amid a Seoul-Tokyo trade row. (Yonhap)
I am not used to news commentators asking good and informative questions. Kang made the point that the current trade dispute is about the South Korean court ruling on compensating forced laborers, not North Korea export controls as Japan claims. I think everyone agrees on this point and the Japanese are using the North Korean export issue as its legal cover to put pressure on the ROK government on the forced labor issue.
In my opinion Kang did not explain very well how the 1965 Treaty is no longer relevant in regards to settling compensation claims. She kept saying it was the South Korean Supreme Court that came up with the ruling, not the ROK government. However, it is the ROK government that can settle the compensation issue by paying the compensation claims with the money given to the ROK in 1965 by Japan. If they did that to begin with this current trade dispute would not happen. Instead they want to confiscate Japanese property in South Korea.
I believe the Japanese are responding hard on this issue because they want to prevent compensation claims coming from other countries that they have already had settlement agreements with if they paid the South Korean claims. The ROK government knows that Japan is not going to pay the compensation, but are using the dispute for domestic political purposes to obscure their bad economic policies, corruption, and other issues.
I would have liked to have had Foreign Minister Kang asked if she thinks Chinese property should be confiscated if victims of Chinese aggression during the Korean War demand it.
The interview then goes on to talk about the US-ROK alliance and North Korea. Hardtalk asks Kang if South Korea has been sidelined in the negotiations with North Korea as well as the upcoming US-ROK cost sharing talks. Kang says that is not the case, but does not make a very convincing argument. For the cost sharing issue she says that a reasonable amount needs to negotiated for the upkeep of US troops that can pass through the National Assembly. The reported amount that the US is looking for would not make it through the National Assembly.
The interview is pretty long, but I recommend watching the whole thing. I would be surprised if Foreign Minister Kang appears on the show again considering the grilling that she received.
Here is an important update from Yongsan Garrison in regards to its upcoming end of medical services on October 1st. There will be a town hall on September 9th at the Post Chapel at 1500 to discuss.
What does it say that so many mainland Chinese living outside their country with full access to global media and information still fiercely condemn protesters in Hong Kong. Patriotic education and propaganda instilled since youth works!
