Spy agent freshly accused of anti-Moon campaign By Kim Young-jin An intelligence agent under suspicion of conducting an online campaign against former liberal presidential candidate Moon Jae-in posted online comments critical of the opposition, police alleged Thursday. The agent, identified by her surname Kim, wrote 78 posts about hot-button issues between August and the presidential election, held on Dec. 19, mostly in favor of the ruling Saenuri Party, they said. The fresh allegation contradicts an earlier probe that said Kim had only made personal comments online and had not interfered with the election.    In the run-up to the Dec. 19 election, officials of Moon’s Democratic United Party claimed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS), ordered the agent to work against Moon by posting online comments critical of him. The election law stipulates that civil servants maintain neutrality in elections. The agent also disapproved of other posters who had made negative comments about the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration of the Saenuri Party, Kwon Eun-hee, a police officer at the Suseo Police Station said Thursday. The agent has been accused of slander against then main opposition presidential candidate Moon by repeatedly posting negative comments about him on the Internet using 11 user IDs. Kim has denied the allegations, insisting she did not violate the election law. According to the NIS, Kim had been tasked to engage in psychological warfare against North Korea and that her posts were related to that. "Kim did not write online posts critical of presidential candidate Moon Jae-in,” it said in a statement. The issue rocked the campaign trail just before the elections. The DUP hammered conservatives for manipulation while Park Geun-hye, the eventual winner, hit back by saying the agent’s rights were being ignored. The DUP compelled the police and the National Election Commission (NEC) to search Kim’s apartment in southern Seoul, which they claimed was being used by an official of the NIS to post negative comments about Moon online. Before this week’s developments police said had they had not secure sufficient evidence to back the claims. yjk@koreatimes.co.kr,

NIS official wrote posts related to presidential poll: police

Published : 2013-01-31 16:36
Updated : 2013-01-31 18:12

A National Intelligence Service official who is suspected of meddling in last year’s presidential poll had posted related writings during the election period, police said Thursday.

The 29-year-old official -- identified only by her surname Kim -- allegedly posted at least 120 writings from Aug. 28 to Dec. 11 about politically sensitive issues, including on presidential candidates, according to Suseo Police Station in southern Seoul.

Most of the postings were favorable to the government and the ruling Saenuri party and critical toward the opposition, police said. The law requires government employees to remain neutral in elections.

“In addition to her writing, (Kim) consistently was in favor of the ruling party of the government,” officer Kwon Eun-hui told Yonhap News. “We are mainly focusing on this fact.”

All of Kim’s verified postings were on two websites: online humor website "Oneului humor" (Today’s humor), and used vehicle trading website “Bobaedrim" (Giving you treasures). She allegedly used 11 different IDs to post comments and writings.

As Today’s Humor is widely known for its members’ leftist views, some came to suspect that the NIS had attempted to defame liberal presidential candidates and monitor the activities of the candidates’ supporters.

According to another report by The Hankyoreh newspaper on Thursday, Kim only posted the writings between 9:00 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on weekdays, and never on weekends. This fueled suspicions that Kim posted the political writings as part of her duty as an NIS official.

Last December, the main opposition Democratic United Party said it received a tip-off that the NIS was working to vilify its candidate Moon Jae-in.

The DUP claimed that the “NIS-affiliated psychosomatic information bureau” was working to ensure Moon’s loss in the presidential election, and Kim had posted slanderous comments against Moon.

The NIS denied the allegations and accused the DUP of carrying out “negative propaganda,” and Kim claimed she has always remained politically neutral.

Earlier this month, however, a police report confirmed that she clicked on the “approval” or “objection” buttons on Internet posts regarding the presidential candidates.

Kim said that she never directly posted any election-related writings and that her activities online were only part of her job to monitor pro-North Korean activities. She added that she only clicked the “object” button to subpar writings.

However, the latest police reports indicate that Kim’s testimonies, at least in part, had been false.

This led many to question the credibility of the police investigation, as police promptly announced after just three days of initial investigating that they had not found any evidence of wrongdoing.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

Bring Democracy Back to South Korea: Fraudulent and Illegal Presidential Election

Bring Democracy Back to South Korea: Fraudulent and Illegal Presidential Election

30,000

11,420

11,420 people have signed. Help get to 30,000

Why this is important

My home country, South Korea, had the 18th presidential election a few weeks ago on Dec 19th, 2012, and so far as many as 250,000 people have signed the petition to request manual counting, suspecting election fraud for numerous reasons. http://bbs3.agora.media.daum.net/gaia/do/petition/read?bbsId=P001&objCate1=1&articleId=130388&pageIndex=1#

However, the current Lee Myung-bak government of South Korea has been completely controlling the media and has already fired or punished 500 hundred reporters or producers. And as the victory of Park Geun-hye, the daughter of the notorious dictator, in this election is already making the situation even worse, no South Korean media has ever spoken for those 250,000 people.

Accordingly, I desperately, yet humbly and earnestly, chose to ask the people around the world to look at our situation. Although South Korean National Election Commission insists they counted the votes manually, lots and lots of South Koreans believe that electronic tabulating system was used. Below, I'm listing some links you might be interested in: (content in English)

<1> Reasons South Koreans suspect rigging in their 18th presidential election. 
http://2012skpreselection.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-actual-vote-counting-hasnt-started.html

<2> South Koreans and electors living overseas published a statement to demand inspection of the election.
http://2012skpreselection.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-statement-for-transparency.html

< 3> Koreans are now petitioning even the white house.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/there-are-election-rigging-made-progressive-program-have-been-used-18th-presidential-election-s/KPVGRdpY

<4> "Daughter of dictator Park Chung-hee narrowly beats liberal Moon Jae-in election that has fired national imagination." http://­www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/19/park-geun-hye-south-korea-election

<5> South Korea was ranked as low as 87th among 133 countries in terms of the freedom of speech in the Gallup poll, which was carried out in 2011.
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120330000023&cid=1104

<6> "The protection of the freedom of expression in South Korea has been undermined significantly under the current government."
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/alrc-news/human-rights-council/hrc11/ALRC-CWS-11-07-2009

<7> The Freedom House has degraded the status of Korea from 'free' to 'partly free.' 
http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2011/south-korea

<8> "South Korean 'joke' may lead to prison"
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-07-03/asia/world_asia_south-korea-north-joke_1_press-freedom-human-rights-whiskey-bottle?_s=PM:ASIA

Thank you very much for your attention

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Bring_Democracy_Back_to_South_Korea_Fraudulent_and_Illegal_Presidential_Election_of_South_Korea/?aeIoQdb&external=

South Koreans question the result of presidential election By Hyun Song (about the author)     Permalink       (Page 1 of 1 pages) OpEdNews Op Eds 1/14/2013 at 08:19:27

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Geun-hye Park, the daughter of a dictator Chung-hee Park who ruled South Korea in the 1960's~70's, was elected in the 18th president of South Korea on Dec. 19th, 2012. The voting rate was as high as 76%, which is much greater than the 54% turnout for the congressional election held in April, 2012, because Koreans realize the country is at a critical turning point. Geun-hye Park was supported mostly by the older generation and conservative groups, while Jae-In Moon, a human rights attorney, was supported by young people and progressive groups.

After the election, many people have been questioning the integrity and accountability of the results; in fact, one citizen shouted in anger during a protest in Seoul, "We feel as if we are losing our nation. There are so many reasons to suspect election fraud."
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsDHg_w17qE)
Koreans are perplexed by the big difference between the exit polls and the final results because several exit polls showed that Moon would win. Many people also doubt the unrealistically smooth S-shape graph for the voting rate, where the ratio of the votes earned between Park (51.6%) and Moon (48%) didn't change after 60% of ballot-counting.
(http://i1.media.daumcdn.net/uf/image/U01/agora/50DF0B914F59270017)
The law of South Korea prescribes that all ballots should be counted by hand, but there have been testimonies that hand counting was not performed in many ballot count facilities. The ballots were only sorted by machine, which may assign ballots to the wrong place, .i.e. to another candidate by error. As of Jan 12th, 2013, about 230,000 citizens have signed a petition demanding a recount by hand, and some Koreans are even petitioning the White House.
(http://wh.gov/QhN2)
Koreans living overseas are also raising their voice to demand a recount by hand, and thousands of Koreans are filing a lawsuit to nullify the result of the presidential election. They also continue to hold candle light protests to express their rights as voters.
(http://cfile40.uf.daum.net/image/171BA14750F12E1A225D2B)

Hyun Song is a computational biophysicsist.
                   

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors. http://www.opednews.com/articles/South-Koreans-question-the-by-Hyun-Song-130113-68.html

Election Crimes by South Korean National Intelligence Service in 2012 Presidential Election

Election Crimes by South Korean National Intelligence Service in 2012 Presidential Election

Election Crimes by South Korean National Intelligence Service in 2012 Presidential Election

해외교포들이 만든 국정원개입 불법, 부정선거 동영상 입니다

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2aZT_OP_3Y

Korean National Intelligence Agency Gate

About a week before the 18th presidential election in South Korea, a scandal broke that a National Intelligence Agency agent, Kim, had been illegally trying to influence election by posting comments or clicking "recommended" or "disapproved of" online. Three days before the election, the police announced that they could not find any trace of Kim's comments - even without looking at her log record! This report encouraged the candidate Park and her Saenuri Party to attack the Democratic United Party and Moon for fabricating a plot, and Park won the election. However, on Jan 2nd of 2013, about 2 weeks after the election, the police published a new report. Obviously, Kim used as many as forty ID's to read about 4,000 pages a day for 74 days, with the log record of 310,000, yielding the average log record of 4189 per day or 175 per hour. Also, by "recommending" or "disapproving of" some posts on cooking or entertainment industry, Kim seems to have tried to prevent the materials unfavorable to Park from becoming one of the most popular postings of the day. Her alleged actions are for sure vulnerable to the accusation of election fraud by a government organization. Most importantly, it is not unreasonable to think, if the investigation was timely and accurate, the result of the election could have been different.

1. "국정원 ‘대선 개입’ 의혹, 신속하게 진위 가려라" ("National Intelligence Agency's 'involvement in the presidential election' should be promptly verified") ,http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/opinion/editorial/565061.html

2. "국정원 여직원 PC 내놨는데… 민주, 사흘째 증거 공개 안 해" ("The National Intelligence Agency agent submitted her PC.. the Democratic United Party has not presented evidence for three days"),http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/12/14/2012121400226.html

3. "국정원女 로그기록도 안본 경찰이 '댓글 없다' 발표" ("The police says 'no comment found' even without examining the log record"),http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201212170300381&code=910110

4. "朴측 '文 기획선거 공작 사과하라' 총공세" ("Park camp attacks, 'Moon camp should apologize for the election plot'"),http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/bulletin/2012/12/17/0200000000AKR20121217055800001.HTML?did=1179m

5. "국정원 여직원 댓글 흔적과 '십알단'의 이외수 공격" ("Traces of the National Intelligence Agency agent's comments and the 'sib-al-dan's attack of Oi-soo Lee"), http://impeter.tistory.com/2067

6. "국정원 선거개입 '사상초유 국기문란 사건'" ("National Intelligence Agency's involvement in the presidential election, 'unprecedented breach of official discipline'"), http://www.amn.kr/sub_read.html?uid=7759. 

7. "오유회원 '액면가 50원'이 국정원을 고발합니다" ("'Facial value 50won,' a member of O-yoo (Today's Humor), charges National Intelligence Agency"),http://www.pressbyple.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=11837. 

8. "국정원녀 사건의 핵심을 보아야 한다" ("We should look at the core of the National Intelligence Agency agent scandal"),http://yetssul.tistory.com/17

9. "국정원 여직원 ‘수상한 인터넷 행적’ 하루 평균 4천 페이지 들여다봐" ("the National Intelligence Agency agent 'suspicious act' of viewing 4,000 pages per day online"),http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/568335.html

10. "국정원 '김씨 업무는 대북, 종북세력 움직임 파악'" ("National Intelligence Agency, 'the agent Kim's job description is to observe the movement of jong-book group (followers of North Korea)'"),http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001822409

11. "서울청, 발표 이틀 뒤 국정원 여직원 ‘아이디’ 자료 넘겨" ("The Seoul police district hands over the agent's 'ID' information two days after their report"),http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201301072152575&code=940202

12. "표창원 ‘국정원 게이트 국정조사 해야'” ("Chang-won Pyo, 'Parliamentary hearing is a must on the National Intelligence Agency Gate'"),http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/568426.html

Bring Democracy Back to South Korea: Fraudulent and Illegal Presidential Election

South Korea had the 18th presidential election (Dec 19, 2012) and approx. 250,000 people have signed the petition to request manual counting. 

As the current Lee Myung-bak government has been comhttps://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Bring_Democracy_Back_to_South_Korea_Fraudulent_and_Illegal_Presidential_Election_of_South_Korea/?aeIoQdb&external=pletely controlling the media, no Korean media has ever spoken for those 250,000 people. 

Although South Korean National Election Commission insists that they counted votes manually, many South Koreans believe electronic tabulating system was used and here's why: (1) Evidences of election rigging (http://j.mp/12wPstl ); and statement published by South Koreans and electors living overseas (http://j.mp/Wl0bQW) Please help us bring democracy back to our country. 

Thank you very much for your attention.

Why this is important

My home country, South Korea, had the 18th presidential election a few weeks ago on Dec 19th, 2012, and so far as many as 250,000 people have signed the petition to request manual counting, suspecting election fraud for numerous reasons. http://bbs3.agora.media­.daum.net/gaia/do/petition/read?bbsId=P001&­articleId=130388&objCate1=1&pageIndex=1

However, the current Lee Myung-bak government of South Korea has been completely controlling the media and has already fired or punished 500 hundred reporters or producers. And as the victory of Park Geun-hye, the daughter of the notorious dictator, in this election is already making the situation even worse, no South Korean media has ever spoken for those 250,000 people.

Accordingly, I desperately, yet humbly and earnestly, chose to ask the people around the world to look at our situation. Although South Korean National Election Commission insists they counted the votes manually, lots and lots of South Koreans believe that electronic tabulating system was used. Below, I'm listing some links you might be interested in: (content in English)

<1> Reasons South Koreans suspect rigging in their 18th presidential election. 
http://2012skpreselection.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-actual-vote-counting-hasnt-started.html

<2> South Koreans and electors living overseas published a statement to demand inspection of the election.
http://2012skpreselection.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-statement-for-transparency.html

< 3> Koreans are now petitioning even the white house.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/there-are-election-rigging-made-progressive-program-have-been-used-18th-presidential-election-s/KPVGRdpY

<4> "Daughter of dictator Park Chung-hee narrowly beats liberal Moon Jae-in election that has fired national imagination." http://­www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/19/park-geun-hye-south-korea-election

<5> South Korea was ranked as low as 87th among 133 countries in terms of the freedom of speech in the Gallup poll, which was carried out in 2011.
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120330000023&cid=1104

<6> "The protection of the freedom of expression in South Korea has been undermined significantly under the current government."
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/alrc-news/human-rights-council/hrc11/ALRC-CWS-11-07-2009

<7> The Freedom House has degraded the status of Korea from 'free' to 'partly free.' 
http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2011/south-korea

<8> "South Korean 'joke' may lead to prison"
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-07-03/asia/world_asia_south-korea-north-joke_1_press-freedom-human-rights-whiskey-bottle?_s=PM:ASIA

Thank you very much for your attention.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Bring_Democracy_Back_to_South_Korea_Fraudulent_and_Illegal_Presidential_Election_of_South_Korea/?aeIoQdb&external=

Korea did not choose the strongman’s daughter president.

To whom it may concern,

Korea did not choose the strongman’s daughter president.

The one that chose the strongman’s daughter president is the vote counting electronic machine manipulated. Korea chose the former human rights lawyer.

Even to the foreign media’s eye, Moon Jae-in, former human rights lawyer, is a president candidate superb enough to meet the perfect qualification

Are we the Korean foolish? Why did we not choose him? We chose Moo Jae-in.

For the last five years, under the MB government Korea has been ruined.

Democracy has been collapsed to have the government be not less than dictatorial. Many people have become unemployed. Many people killed themselves. But we have endured the tough times. Because a little more endurance can enable us to choose a new president.

We have put all our hope on Moo Jae-in.

We have prepared ourselves for opening up a new era through Moon Jae-in.

And shaking in cold air and our hearts full of expectation throbbing, we cast our votes. But we have heard the sad news of the strongman’s daughter being elected president.

The strongman’s daughter cannot be elected. We are robbed of our president.

But we cannot give up. We should get back our robbed-up-president.

Korea media is dead. We cannot help asking your help.

Please report the news that a vote counting computerized manipulating machine chose the strongman’s daughter.

Please report that Korea chose Moon Jae-in, former human rights lawyer

I earnestly ask you the favor of such help of yours.

I will appreciate it very much if you can help the Korean in such a way

                  vote counting graph provided by SBS

iREPORT to CNN : Election Fraud Suspected, South Korea

Korea had the presidential election on December 19. The strong man's daughter, Kyun-hae Park, was elected. But many Koreans affirm that the election was fraudulent and illegal. Many kinds of evidence for the affirmation were found. The important evidence is the electronic ballot counting. 
Can you help us spread this out? 

- Reasons South Koreans suspect rigging in their 18th presidential election. http://2012skpreselection.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-actual-vote-counting-hasnt-started.html 

- South Koreans and electors living overseas published a statement to demand inspection of the election. http://2012skpreselection.blogspot.com/2012/12/sign-statement-for-transparency-of-18th.html?m=1 

- Koreans are now petitioning even the white house. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/there-are-election-rigging-made-progressive-program-have-been-used-18th-presidential-election-s/KPVGRdpY

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-904967?ref=feeds%2Flatest

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Election Fraud Suspected, South Korea

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:

There are election rigging made by Progressive Program that have been used in the 18th Presidential Election of S. KOREA

South Korean Presidential Election held on Dec. 19, 2012. Korea National Election Commission count votes illegally. Korean demand for manual counting or even re-counting, which is their constitutional right. There are election rigging made by Progressive Programs that have been secretly used to fix the 2012 South Korean Presidential Election. The graphs representing the voter turnout and the votes earned for Mr. Moon and Ms. Park, measured over time, were consistently smooth to have occurred in real life, which have been imply unlawful intervention. Only the graphs implied by the Formula of Logistic Funtion can produce such a beautiful, smooth curves. Please Support the Korean People of Democracy with Free and Fair Election.

So, they can decide their own future for Democracy. Recount NOW!

Created: Dec 29, 2012

Issues: Civil Rights and Liberties, Foreign Policy, Human Rights

Learn about Petition Thresholds

SIGNATURES NEEDED BY JANUARY 28, 2013 TO REACH GOAL OF 25,000

7,996

TOTAL SIGNATURES ON THIS PETITION

17,004

Sign this Petition

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Despite chart ranking, ‘I Got a Boy’ gets positive review from Billboard

Published : 2013-01-06 18:41
Updated : 2013-01-06 18:41

The nine ladies of the K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation made their comeback official with the release their fourth full album, “I Got a Boy,” on New Year’s Day. However, despite not receiving the fan fever that the starlets are accustomed to hearing, Billboard’s recent track-by-track review raved at the group’s new found electro dance pop sound.

“‘I Got A Boy,’ their fourth full-length album, is a confident return home with polished K-pop confections that combine elements of forward-thinking EDM, classic and modern R&B, ’80s new wave, and more,” a review in Billboard Magazine said. “It should more than satisfy not only K-pop fans but also listeners of all types of popular music.”

The nine members of the K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation promote their new album, “I Got a Boy.” (S.M. Entertainment)

The girls, who are best known for their cute and innocent qualities, took on a new image and a more hip-hop/upbeat dance approach with their newest release, which received only 5.8 out of 10 stars on the listener-rated chart on Naver Music, an online music site. The album’s early release track, “Dancing Queen” currently sits at the No. 2 spot on the K-pop Billboard Top 100 charts after two weeks, whereas the “I Got a Boy” title track is at No. 36 in its debut week.

However, despite the title track’s less than stellar rankings on the chart, the Billboard Magazine applauds the girls for their attempts to mesh various sounds and genres.

“The girls’ first Korean single since 2011 needed to be one that caught everyone’s attention. And boy does it.

“I Got A Boy” is not one sound polished and packaged for popular consumption (like past singles), but five completely different sounds stuffed for widespread music consumption,” said the Billboard Magazine review.

“I Got a Boy” is the first full album that SNSD has released in more than a year after their third album, “The Boys,” was released in October 2011.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)

Kara first Korean girl group to hold concert at Tokyo Dome

Published : 2013-01-09 20:44
Updated : 2013-01-09 20:45

Kara performs at the Tokyo Dome. (DSP Media)

Five-member girl group Kara became the first Korean all-female group to hold a concert at the Tokyo Dome with their “Karaisa 2013 Happy New Year in Tokyo Dome” performance on Sunday.

The concert, which attracted 45,000 fans, was part of Kara’s Japan tour which had the girls performing 12 shows in front of more than 100,000 fans across the country including in Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Previous to the girls’ concert, the only other girl groups that had performed at the Tokyo Dome recently were the Japanese acts AKB48 and Perfume.

Kara made its Japan debut in 2010 by signing with Universal Sigma. That same year, the group was named the Japan’s top rookie artist by Oricon and received the “New Artist of the Year Award (International)” at the Japan Gold Disc Awards.

(juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)

Dustin Johnson captures opener of PGA Tour

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) ― Dustin Johnson ended a windy week with a wild ride Tuesday that carried him to the first win of the PGA Tour season.

Despite hitting two drives into native areas that cost him three shots, Johnson never lost the lead at Kapalua. He closed with a 5-under 68 for a four-shot victory in the Tournament of Champions, though it was up for grabs with five holes remaining.

Stricker came within a fraction of an inch of tying for the lead until his birdie putt peeled away from the cup on the 13th hole, which Johnson chopped up for a double bogey. With only a one-shot lead, Johnson pitched in from 50 feet in front of the 14th green to restore his three-shot lead, and Stricker never challenged him after that.

And so, the tournament that didn’t start until the fourth day because of a powerful wind finally ended with a guy who overpowered the Plantation Course.

Dustin Johnson poses with the winner’s trophy in Kapalua, Hawaii, Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap News)

Johnson, who finished at 16-under 203, won for the sixth straight season. Only Phil Mickelson with nine straight years has a longer active streak of most consecutive seasons with a PGA Tour victory.

“He’s very athletic, and he’s just going to continue to get better,” Stricker said. “It’s fun to watch. You never know what he’s going to do, and he’s got a lot of talent.”

Johnson also added a peculiar footnote to his record. He now has won the last three PGA Tour events reduced to 54 holes because of weather ― rain at Pebble Beach in 2009, a hurricane at The Barclays in 2011 and gusts that topped 40 mph in Hawaii from a freak weather pattern that led to a bizarre season opener.

Johnson moved to No. 12 in the world ranking.

The tournament ended just over 29 hours after it started. Then again, 54 holes were all that was needed to show who was playing the best golf.

“It gives me a lot of confidence going into this year,” Johnson said.

Not since Tiger Woods has a player gone straight from college to winning in his first six seasons on tour.

Stricker put up a good fight on one good leg. He has been feeling a shooting pain down his left side on every shot and limped his way around the most mountainous course on tour for 54 holes in two days. He closed with a 69.

“I knew it was going to be tough, but I gave it run for a little while,” Stricker said.

Brandt Snedeker went 5 under during a four-hole stretch on the front nine to get within one shot of the lead until he closed out the front nine with three straight bogeys. Snedeker had a 69 and finished alone in third, six shots behind. He moved to No. 8 in the world ranking, second only to Woods among Americans.

Masters champion Bubba Watson (71) and former PGA champion Keegan Bradley (70) were another shot back.

Johnson overcame the first threat from Snedeker with back-to-back birdies, and just like that, he was ahead by five and looked unbeatable. And he won by four shots, which would appear to be an easy day of work in paradise.

“It was nowhere near ho-hum,” Johnson said. “I had to really fight hard.”

And he had no one to blame but himself.

His tee shot on the par-5 ninth sailed right into a patch of knee-high grass and short trees, and Johnson never found it. Without showing any fear, he stepped up and smashed another driver, and then reached the green in two dead into the wind and salvaged a bogey. He nearly drove the 12th green downwind for a birdie and a three-shot lead over Stricker, and that’s when the fun began.

Johnson hit driver on the 13th and pulled it enough to land into a bunker and tumble into a native area of high grass, trees and plenty more.

“We found a shoe, some sunglasses, about five or six other balls,” said Stricker, who joined in the search. “There might have been a guy living up in the tree.”

Johnson found the ball, but it took two swings to get it back in play, and he had to two-putt from about 50 feet just to escape with double bogey. He thought his lead was gone as he watched Stricker, so smooth with a putter in hand, stand over his 20-foot birdie putt. It turned away at the last second.

With trouble to the right on the 14th, Johnson was predictable as ever. He pulled driver.

“He hit a couple of wayward drives and opened the door me a little bit, and then he stepped up there with a driver again (on 14), and I’m like, ‘OK.’ But then he piped it, and chips it in,” Stricker said with a smile. “Most guys would have been pulling out an iron or some utility club. It’s amazing that he even did that, to tell you the truth.” 

The eagle chip was the end for Stricker.

Johnson hit a beautiful pitch up the dangerous slope on the 15th for a short birdie to match Stricker’s 10-foot birdie, and he made no mistakes coming in.

“It looks like very little fear in him,” Stricker said. “Because he’ll hit one a little crooked, but he’ll pull out that driver again and try it again. And he pulled it off, especially at 14. That was the deciding shot and chip for the tournament. Expect a lot of good things as he continues his career.” 

And don’t expect it to ever be dull.

Johnson headed to Oahu for the Sony Open, which starts in two days. Stricker was headed down the coast of Maui for three days of vacation with his wife and two daughters before going home to Wisconsin for the next six weeks. 

He is going into semi-retirement, playing only about 10 times this year. And he wants to fix his left leg. More than anything, he’d like to win again and come back to Kapalua, even if that means having to take on Johnson again.