Ewha students demand ex-leader statue down
By Bahk Eun-ji
More than 300 students covered the 3-meter statue from head to toe with post-it notes Thursday demanding the removal of the statue. A 24-year-old student, who asked only to be identified by her surname Kim, started the campaign through Ewhaian, an Internet community at the university. “The statue has been controversial for a long time, and some students have brought up the issue. However, as far as I know, no one brought up the issue openly, which should be addressed,” Kim said. Kim said she wanted to carry out the campaign peacefully rather than waging a violent protest with paint or egg throwing at the statue. Kim Hwal-lan, also known by her English name of Helen Kim, was a female pioneer who was the first Korean woman to earn a doctorate. She established the national YWCA Korea in 1922, and assumed the presidency of Ewha Woman’s College in 1939. However, she was involved in pro-Japanese activities during the occupation of the country, and changed her name to a Japanese one in 1941. She is known to have encouraged students to support Japan during World War II through her writings and lectures. The statue was erected in the 1970s. “I’m not proud of her statue at all, considering her pro-Japanese activities. In fact it’s shameful to have the statue on our campus. I participated in the event to remove the statue because the school administration should know what we think of the statue,” said Chang, a 25-year-old student at the school. |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
Ewha students demand ex-leader statue down
Turkey arrests anti-government protesters
Turkey arrests anti-government protesters |
At least 60 people detained as Istanbul protest spreads to Ankara and Izmir, with tear gas sprayed and many injured.
Last Modified: 31 May 2013 23:38
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| Turkish authorities have arrested dozens of people protesting in the fiercest anti-government demonstrations the country has witnessed in years, with riot police firing tear gas on demonstrators in Istanbul and Ankara. At least 60 people were detained on Friday as they protested in Istanbul at a rally which began over the demolition of a park, but which turned into a broader protest against what they see as an increasingly authoritarian government. "The protesters are saying that this is not about trees anymore," said Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh, reporting from Istanbul. Several thousand people had attended the Istanbul protest, and there is "an assortment of tear gas cannisters everywhere" in the city's main Taksim Square, she said. More than 100 people were injured, some left lying on the ground unconscious, while two people were hospitalised with injuries to the head, an AFP photographer witnessed. In the most severe case, a Turkish national of Palestinian origin had to undergo brain surgery after fractures to her skull, but she was doing well in intensive care, according to Istanbul governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu. He said in televised remarks that an investigation was underway and people had been detained for "provoking violence." The demonstrators had occupied the Gezi park since May 28 to prevent bulldozers from completing the demolition, part of the government's redevelopment plan for central Taksim Square. In a victory for the protesters later on Friday, an Istanbul court ordered the temporary suspension of the project to uproot the trees. But the protest spread to the capital Ankara, where about 5,000 people gathered in a park, and with police there firing tear gas to disperse crowds trying to reach the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party. The demonstrators, mostly young supporters of the opposition Republican People's Party, had planned to protest against new laws restricting the sale of alcohol and chanted: "Everywhere is resistance, Everywhere is Taksim." The rallies also spread to two locations in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir. Several protesters in Istanbul were injured when a wall they climbed collapsed during a police chase, and a prominent journalist was hospitalised after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister, the private Dogan news agency reported. Rageh said many protesters complained that the police were using water cannon and firing teargas indiscriminately. "We saw a lot of tourists running to different directions. People are trying to take refuge at coffee shops and the homes around the area. Police have been firing tear gas in different directions," she said. "Certainly the predominant complaint here is that police are firing teargas indiscriminately. "But they are also coming under attack from protesters. You can see them with rocks and there are injuries here. People are very angry." 'Authoritarian' government Many of the protesters are angry at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government, which some Turks argue has been displaying increasingly authoritarian and uncompromising tendencies in its third successive term in office. Last week, the government enacted a law restricting the sale and advertising of alcohol which has alarmed secular Turks who fear an encroachment on more liberal lifestyles. Earlier this week, the government went ahead with a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a disputed third bridge across the Bosphorus Strait which some say will destroy the few remaining green areas of the city. It also named the bridge after a controversial Ottoman sultan believed to have ordered a massacre of a minority Shia Muslim group, instead of choosing a more unifying figure. Gezi Park protestors held a large poster with a caricature depicting Erdogan as an Ottoman sultan with a caption that read: "The people won't yield to you." Erdogan dismissed the protesters' demands for the park's protection, saying the government would go ahead with renovation plans "no matter what they do". The forestry minister said more trees would be planted than those uprooted at Gezi and has defended the government's environmental record. Friday's dawn raid was the latest in a series of aggressive crackdown on protests. Human rights activists accuse Turkish police of using inordinate force to break up protests. On Friday, demonstrators affected by the gas sought shelter at a luxury hotel at Taksim and were tended by guests. Police removed tents and demonstrators' other belongings and mounted barricades around the park. |
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Ryu Hyun-jin hurls two-hitter in win over Angels
ublished : 2013-05-29 14:18
Updated : 2013-05-29 16:41
Updated : 2013-05-29 16:41
 |
| Ryu Hyun-jin (Yonhap News) |
South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers threw his first complete game shutout in his Major League Baseball (MLB) career on Tuesday.
At Dodger Stadium, Ryu gave up only two hits and struck out seven as the Dodgers (22-28) blanked the Los Angeles Angels (23-29) 3-0. He didn't walk a batter.
Ryu improved to 6-2 in his first big league season and lowered his ERA to 2.89. He has struck out 67 and walked 22 in 71 2/3 innings.
Ryu only allowed a single to Howie Kendrick in the second and a double to Chris Iannetta in the eighth. Between those two hits, the South Korean lefty retired 19 batters in a row.
Ryu threw 113 pitches, the second-highest total for him in 2013, and 79 of them went for strikes.
Ryu's six victories lead all rookies in the MLB this year.
The Dodgers went up 2-0 on a two-run home run by Luis Cruz.
A.J. Ellis drove in the third run for the Dodgers in the sixth, and that was more than enough help for Ryu on this day.
Ryu has made 11 starts this year and pitched six or more innings in 10 of them.
Ryu had struggled with the command of his fastball in previous outings but was in complete control with all of his pitches on Tuesday. He reached 153 kilometers per hour (95 miles per hour) with his fastball and effectively mixed in a changeup that traveled just about 120 km/h. He threw around 150 km/h in the eighth and ninth innings, too.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Ryu matched his season high with the average velocity of 147 km/h, and his changeup speed was a season-low 123 km/h. In Ryu's 10 previous starts, the average differential between the two pitches had been just about 16 km/h.
The Angels had eight right-handed batters to start the game against Ryu, but the pitcher pounded the outside corner against them and kept them off balance. The Angels didn't help themselves, swinging early in the count and grounding out weakly when they tried to pull outside pitches.
At the post-game press conference, Ryu said he didn't expect to record his first career shutout this early in the season and added his goal is to keep throwing scoreless innings.
"I always feel much more comfortable at home in LA than on the road," he said. "I was feeling great today, right from the warm-up."
Ryu said he was most pleased about not issuing any walks in the victory.
"After the seventh inning, I thought about going for the complete game shutout," he said. "I hadn't thrown that many pitches up to that point. It feels good to have accomplished the feat with such great teammates."
The Dodgers were one of the largest spenders in the offseason, shelling out big bucks to acquire Ryu and former Cy Young Award winner Zach Greinke, and yet they've been a major disappointment this season. Despite the shutout victory Tuesday, the Dodgers are still last in the National League West at 22-28.
Ryu and the team's No. 1 starter, Clayton Kershaw, have won half of those games together. Ryu said, though, he tries not to put too much pressure on himself.
"I just try to do my best and throw six or seven innings every time out," Ryu said. "I just hope that the team wins whenever I start."
For the Angels, former MVP Josh Hamilton missed the game with back spasms. Their big hitters, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo, were a combined 0-for-10 with one strikeout. Ryu later said shutting down these three hitters was the key to his success on Tuesday.
Ryu had a brief scare in the fourth inning when he took Trumbo's line drive off his left foot. He received some treatment in between innings and finished the game, and yet he limped into the interview room with his foot wrapped up. Ryu said, though, he didn't think he sustained any bone injury.
Ryu is the third South Korean native to throw a complete game shutout in the big leagues. Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean to pitch in the majors, had three shutouts in his 17-year big league career, two for the Dodgers and one for the San Diego Padres. Kim Sun-woo, who pitched in six big league seasons, had one shutout for the Colorado Rockies in 2005.
Ryu had pitched the previous seven years for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the top South Korean league. He had been one of the KBO's most dominant pitchers before signing a six-year, US$36 million contract with the Dodgers last December.
Ryu is the first South Korean to jump directly from the KBO to the big leagues. (Yonhap News)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Audit agency to extend probe into controversial river project
Audit agency to extend probe into controversial river project
SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- The state auditor said Monday it will extend the period of its audit by two months into a highly controversial public project to refurbish the country's four major rivers.
As a trademark of the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, the mega project costing 22 trillion won (US$19.5 billion) is aimed at helping prevent floods and promote tourism along the country's four major rivers - the Han, Nakdong, Kum and Yeongsan.
As a trademark of the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, the mega project costing 22 trillion won (US$19.5 billion) is aimed at helping prevent floods and promote tourism along the country's four major rivers - the Han, Nakdong, Kum and Yeongsan.
(News Focus) Disgraced spokesman leaves blemish on Park's U.S. visit
(News Focus) Disgraced spokesman leaves blemish on Park's U.S. visit
SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye's first official visit to the United States ended in one of the worst ways possible Friday with her spokesman being fired amid allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman during the trip.
The allegations sparked public outrage in South Korea and dealt a serious blow to Park just as she was beginning to regain public confidence through her handling of tensions with North Korea and what appeared to be a successful five-day visit to the U.S.
"(He) completely poured cold water over the accomplishments of the U.S. visit," said one presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's causing an extreme burden to state affairs."
In Washington, Park held a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, delivered a speech at a joint session of the U.S. Congress and promoted investment opportunities in South Korea by traveling with a large business delegation that included Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo.
Far more damaging than anything else to Park's otherwise successful trip to the U.S., however, was the allegations that her spokesman, Yoon Chang-jung, had sexually assaulted a Korean-American woman in her early 20s at a hotel in Washington on Tuesday.
When the scandal was made public, Park was en route to Los Angeles which was her last stop in the U.S. Apparently recognizing the seriousness of the scandal, her office sacked the spokesman, saying that he had been involved in an "unsavory" incident.
Washington D.C. police said they are "investigating the report of a misdemeanor sexual abuse" by a 56-year-old male suspect. A police report said the suspect "grabbed her buttocks without her permission."
It did not identify the suspect, but the age matches that of the spokesman.
Details of the alleged incident have yet to emerge, but a posting on an online community of Korean-American women called on members to help the alleged victim, saying she was sexually assaulted by Yoon.
The alleged victim reportedly worked as an intern at the South Korean embassy in Washington to assist with duties related to the president's visit.
Yoon left Washington on Wednesday without accompanying Park to L.A. After arriving in Seoul on Thursday, he underwent questioning by the office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, presidential officials said.
Presidential chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol met with other presidential staff to discuss an appropriate response to the scandal, they said.
Both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) called for a thorough investigation into the case.
The DP called the scandal a "foreseeable tragedy" and demanded a public apology from the president. Even before the spokesman was picked for the job, critics questioned his ability to do the job.
"President Park and Cheong Wa Dae should deeply reflect on the drop in national status brought about by the wrong appointment of personnel and apologize to the people," DP spokeswoman Rep. Bae Jae-jeung said in a news briefing. Cheong Wa Dae is the name of South Korea's presidential office.
"The presidential chief of staff and senior presidential press secretary should also be held responsible," she said.
The ruling party also expressed "strong regret" and called for a thorough investigation.
"If the allegations of sexual assault are true, it is something that cannot and should not happen," said Saenuri spokeswoman Rep. Min Hyun-joo.
"Not a single speck of doubt must be left with the public through a thorough investigation of the facts and the truth," she said.
Park, who took office in late February, came under fire during the early weeks of her term when a number of her nominees for senior government posts resigned in succession under pressure over allegations of ethical lapses and other problems.
She is scheduled to return home later Friday.
(END)
The allegations sparked public outrage in South Korea and dealt a serious blow to Park just as she was beginning to regain public confidence through her handling of tensions with North Korea and what appeared to be a successful five-day visit to the U.S.
"(He) completely poured cold water over the accomplishments of the U.S. visit," said one presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's causing an extreme burden to state affairs."
In Washington, Park held a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, delivered a speech at a joint session of the U.S. Congress and promoted investment opportunities in South Korea by traveling with a large business delegation that included Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo.
Far more damaging than anything else to Park's otherwise successful trip to the U.S., however, was the allegations that her spokesman, Yoon Chang-jung, had sexually assaulted a Korean-American woman in her early 20s at a hotel in Washington on Tuesday.
When the scandal was made public, Park was en route to Los Angeles which was her last stop in the U.S. Apparently recognizing the seriousness of the scandal, her office sacked the spokesman, saying that he had been involved in an "unsavory" incident.
Washington D.C. police said they are "investigating the report of a misdemeanor sexual abuse" by a 56-year-old male suspect. A police report said the suspect "grabbed her buttocks without her permission."
It did not identify the suspect, but the age matches that of the spokesman.
Details of the alleged incident have yet to emerge, but a posting on an online community of Korean-American women called on members to help the alleged victim, saying she was sexually assaulted by Yoon.
The alleged victim reportedly worked as an intern at the South Korean embassy in Washington to assist with duties related to the president's visit.
Yoon left Washington on Wednesday without accompanying Park to L.A. After arriving in Seoul on Thursday, he underwent questioning by the office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, presidential officials said.
Presidential chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol met with other presidential staff to discuss an appropriate response to the scandal, they said.
Both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) called for a thorough investigation into the case.
The DP called the scandal a "foreseeable tragedy" and demanded a public apology from the president. Even before the spokesman was picked for the job, critics questioned his ability to do the job.
"President Park and Cheong Wa Dae should deeply reflect on the drop in national status brought about by the wrong appointment of personnel and apologize to the people," DP spokeswoman Rep. Bae Jae-jeung said in a news briefing. Cheong Wa Dae is the name of South Korea's presidential office.
"The presidential chief of staff and senior presidential press secretary should also be held responsible," she said.
The ruling party also expressed "strong regret" and called for a thorough investigation.
"If the allegations of sexual assault are true, it is something that cannot and should not happen," said Saenuri spokeswoman Rep. Min Hyun-joo.
"Not a single speck of doubt must be left with the public through a thorough investigation of the facts and the truth," she said.
Park, who took office in late February, came under fire during the early weeks of her term when a number of her nominees for senior government posts resigned in succession under pressure over allegations of ethical lapses and other problems.
She is scheduled to return home later Friday.
(END)
Ex-spy chief grilled again over political intervention
Ex-spy chief grilled again over political intervention
SEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) -- The former chief of the nation's main intelligence agency was questioned by prosecutors again over suspicions that he directed spy agents to influence public opinion ahead of last year's presidential election, according to officials Tuesday.
Won Sei-hoon, who headed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for about four years until early this year, is under suspicion of intervening in domestic politics by ordering agents to post a slew of politically sensitive comments on the Internet in order to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling party candidate prior to the Dec. 19 election.
Won Sei-hoon, who headed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for about four years until early this year, is under suspicion of intervening in domestic politics by ordering agents to post a slew of politically sensitive comments on the Internet in order to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling party candidate prior to the Dec. 19 election.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Ex-Seoul police chief questioned over NIS scandal
Published : 2013-05-26 20:48
Updated : 2013-05-26 20:48
Prosecutors questioned a former Seoul police chief Saturday over suspicions that he had hampered a police probe into the national spy agency’s alleged attempt to influence public opinion ahead of last year’s presidential election.
It was the second time that Kim Yong-pan, who had headed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) for about two years until early this year, has undergone questioning in connection with the case.
Kim is alleged to have pressured a police investigation team not to delve too deeply into the spy agency’s alleged wrongdoing.
He was first questioned by prosecutors over the case on Tuesday, during which he reportedly denied the allegations.
The prosecution probe came after a female police officer, who had looked into the alleged wrongdoing by the National Intelligence Service, claimed that she could not fully investigate the case because of pressure from her superiors. (Yonhap News)
Updated : 2013-05-26 20:48
Prosecutors questioned a former Seoul police chief Saturday over suspicions that he had hampered a police probe into the national spy agency’s alleged attempt to influence public opinion ahead of last year’s presidential election.
It was the second time that Kim Yong-pan, who had headed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) for about two years until early this year, has undergone questioning in connection with the case.
Kim is alleged to have pressured a police investigation team not to delve too deeply into the spy agency’s alleged wrongdoing.
He was first questioned by prosecutors over the case on Tuesday, during which he reportedly denied the allegations.
The prosecution probe came after a female police officer, who had looked into the alleged wrongdoing by the National Intelligence Service, claimed that she could not fully investigate the case because of pressure from her superiors. (Yonhap News)
Police agency under fire for covering up NIS scandal
Published : 2013-05-27 20:01
Updated : 2013-05-27 20:01
Seoul’s police agency is under fire for trying to conceal evidence related to its alleged attempt to whitewash a probe into national intelligence officials.
Prosecutors believe the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber crime unit deliberately erased investigation data of the National Intelligence Service’s illegal interference in the presidential election last December.
According to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office, a head of the cyber unit, whose name was undisclosed, is currently under investigation over the use of anti-recovery software called “mooO.”
The program is designed to erase all recoverable data on computers. The official reportedly used it to format hard drives used for investigating the NIS case, the prosecutors said.
The announcement came after the prosecutors raided last week the Seoul Metropolitan Police as part of a widening probe into the NIS’ alleged politicking in the presidential election.
Although the SMPA is denying the allegations, the prosecution is looking into whether the NIS had any influence on the investigation.
“A computer where the data had been deleted did not contain any investigative records regarding the National Intelligence Service,” an SMPA official said, denying the prosecution’s accusations.
The cyber unit acquired the data from the Suseo Police Station during its investigation against the NIS officials last December to April.
An initial police investigation before the December election found no wrongdoing, but now police say at least two agents, including a 28-year-old employee surnamed Kim, conducted smear campaigns by making more than 100 posts using 16 IDs on websites to vilify then the opposition election candidates.
Rep. Shin Kyung-min of the Democratic Party blamed on Monday the ruling Saenuri Party’s reluctance for the sluggish progress of the prosecutor’s investigation.
“The rumor of NIS’ enforcement is becoming to be true. The ruling party should not remain silent about the issue,” he told a local radio station.
Lee Jeong-mi, spokeswoman of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, urged prosecutors to reveal high-rank officials linked into the case and punish them.
The prosecutor’s investigation captured headlines last month, when they summoned NIS former director Won Sei-hoon, and raided its Seoul headquarters.
The prosecutors also summoned recently Kim Yong-pan, the former chief of the SMPA.
Reports suggest that Won, who has been banned from leaving the country since the investigation began, could be summoned again for further questioning.
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)
Updated : 2013-05-27 20:01
Seoul’s police agency is under fire for trying to conceal evidence related to its alleged attempt to whitewash a probe into national intelligence officials.
Prosecutors believe the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber crime unit deliberately erased investigation data of the National Intelligence Service’s illegal interference in the presidential election last December.
According to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office, a head of the cyber unit, whose name was undisclosed, is currently under investigation over the use of anti-recovery software called “mooO.”
The program is designed to erase all recoverable data on computers. The official reportedly used it to format hard drives used for investigating the NIS case, the prosecutors said.
The announcement came after the prosecutors raided last week the Seoul Metropolitan Police as part of a widening probe into the NIS’ alleged politicking in the presidential election.
Although the SMPA is denying the allegations, the prosecution is looking into whether the NIS had any influence on the investigation.
“A computer where the data had been deleted did not contain any investigative records regarding the National Intelligence Service,” an SMPA official said, denying the prosecution’s accusations.
The cyber unit acquired the data from the Suseo Police Station during its investigation against the NIS officials last December to April.
An initial police investigation before the December election found no wrongdoing, but now police say at least two agents, including a 28-year-old employee surnamed Kim, conducted smear campaigns by making more than 100 posts using 16 IDs on websites to vilify then the opposition election candidates.
Rep. Shin Kyung-min of the Democratic Party blamed on Monday the ruling Saenuri Party’s reluctance for the sluggish progress of the prosecutor’s investigation.
“The rumor of NIS’ enforcement is becoming to be true. The ruling party should not remain silent about the issue,” he told a local radio station.
Lee Jeong-mi, spokeswoman of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, urged prosecutors to reveal high-rank officials linked into the case and punish them.
The prosecutor’s investigation captured headlines last month, when they summoned NIS former director Won Sei-hoon, and raided its Seoul headquarters.
The prosecutors also summoned recently Kim Yong-pan, the former chief of the SMPA.
Reports suggest that Won, who has been banned from leaving the country since the investigation began, could be summoned again for further questioning.
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)
Seoul police agency denies wrongdoing in spy agency scandal probe
The Seoul police agency on Monday denied allegations that it had destroyed evidence and hampered a probe into the national spy agency's alleged attempt to influence public opinion ahead of last year's presidential election.
Prosecutors on Sunday said that a mid-ranking official of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), whose identity has been withheld, had allegedly permanently deleted data on a computer hard disk ahead of a prosecution raid into the agency's headquarters.
A team of prosecutors and investigators raided the cyber crime unit of the SMPA in central Seoul a week ago, seizing computer hard drives and relevant documents to verify claims that the agency had pressured a police investigation team not to delve too deeply into the spy agency's alleged wrongdoing.
"A computer where the data had been deleted did not contain any investigative records regarding the National Intelligence Service (NIS)," an SMPA official said, denying the prosecution's claims,
That mid-ranking official claimed that he had deleted the data at his own discretion without any order from higher-ups.
The SMPA, however, said that official has been transferred to another department within the agency as his behavior could have created misunderstandings.
The prosecution probe came after a police officer, who had looked into the alleged wrongdoing by the NIS, claimed that she could not fully investigate the case because of pressure from her superiors at the SMPA.
The NIS is suspected to have mobilized some of its agents to illegally post a slew of politically sensitive comments against the then main opposition candidate on the Internet to sway public opinion ahead of December's presidential vote.
A former SMPA chief was questioned by the prosecution on Saturday. It was the second time that Kim Yong-pan, who had headed the SMPA for about two years until early this year, has undergone questioning in connection with the case. (Yonhap News)
Prosecutors on Sunday said that a mid-ranking official of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), whose identity has been withheld, had allegedly permanently deleted data on a computer hard disk ahead of a prosecution raid into the agency's headquarters.
A team of prosecutors and investigators raided the cyber crime unit of the SMPA in central Seoul a week ago, seizing computer hard drives and relevant documents to verify claims that the agency had pressured a police investigation team not to delve too deeply into the spy agency's alleged wrongdoing.
"A computer where the data had been deleted did not contain any investigative records regarding the National Intelligence Service (NIS)," an SMPA official said, denying the prosecution's claims,
That mid-ranking official claimed that he had deleted the data at his own discretion without any order from higher-ups.
The SMPA, however, said that official has been transferred to another department within the agency as his behavior could have created misunderstandings.
The prosecution probe came after a police officer, who had looked into the alleged wrongdoing by the NIS, claimed that she could not fully investigate the case because of pressure from her superiors at the SMPA.
The NIS is suspected to have mobilized some of its agents to illegally post a slew of politically sensitive comments against the then main opposition candidate on the Internet to sway public opinion ahead of December's presidential vote.
A former SMPA chief was questioned by the prosecution on Saturday. It was the second time that Kim Yong-pan, who had headed the SMPA for about two years until early this year, has undergone questioning in connection with the case. (Yonhap News)
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Online press unveils list of suspected tax evaders
An independent journalists' group in South Korea on Wednesday exposed a list of high-profile Korean businessmen and their families suspected of running slush funds in tax havens, in what could cause a huge social ripple amid a slew of ongoing probes into secretive money owned by the rich.
The Korea Center for Investigative Journalism (KCIJ), a non-profit organization set up by former journalists, disclosed three names of heads of family-owned conglomerates, known here as chaebol, who allegedly have stashed secretive money through a paper company account in the British Virgin Islands and the Cook Islands.
"We're first releasing the names of those that have considerable economic clout so that the disclosure will be in accord with the public interest," Kim Yong-jin, the KCIJ chief director, told reporters at a press briefing held in Seoul.
The findings are based on a joint investigative journalism project by the KCIJ and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), in which the KCIJ has taken part since last month.
According to its preliminary investigation, there are 245 Koreans who have set up a bogus company in the tax haven regions and are suspected of having at least one slush fund account. Some of them have fake financial accounts under false names to avoid being caught by the authorities.
The three names released on Wednesday were Lee Soo-young, the owner of polysilicon-making giant OCI Co. and his wife; Lee Young-hak, the wife of former vice president of Korean Air Lines Co.; and relatives of the 25th-largest conglomerate Hyosung Group.
The research is based on an internal database consisting of information on 130,000 clients and over 122,000 paper companies obtained from two agencies that set up paper companies by proxy.
The KCIJ said it will announce another list of tax evaders' names in the following press conference next Monday. (Yonhap News)
The Korea Center for Investigative Journalism (KCIJ), a non-profit organization set up by former journalists, disclosed three names of heads of family-owned conglomerates, known here as chaebol, who allegedly have stashed secretive money through a paper company account in the British Virgin Islands and the Cook Islands.
"We're first releasing the names of those that have considerable economic clout so that the disclosure will be in accord with the public interest," Kim Yong-jin, the KCIJ chief director, told reporters at a press briefing held in Seoul.
The findings are based on a joint investigative journalism project by the KCIJ and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), in which the KCIJ has taken part since last month.
According to its preliminary investigation, there are 245 Koreans who have set up a bogus company in the tax haven regions and are suspected of having at least one slush fund account. Some of them have fake financial accounts under false names to avoid being caught by the authorities.
The three names released on Wednesday were Lee Soo-young, the owner of polysilicon-making giant OCI Co. and his wife; Lee Young-hak, the wife of former vice president of Korean Air Lines Co.; and relatives of the 25th-largest conglomerate Hyosung Group.
The research is based on an internal database consisting of information on 130,000 clients and over 122,000 paper companies obtained from two agencies that set up paper companies by proxy.
The KCIJ said it will announce another list of tax evaders' names in the following press conference next Monday. (Yonhap News)
Apple's CEO faces U.S. Senate questions on taxes
The U.S. Senate sharply questioned the CEO of Apple Inc., the world's most valuable company, over allegations that its Irish subsidiaries help it avoid billions in taxes, and Tim Cook declared, “We pay all the taxes we owe _ every single dollar.”
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report Monday that held up Apple as an example of the legal tax avoidance made possible for companies by the U.S. tax code. It estimates that Apple avoided at least $3.5 billion in U.S. federal taxes in 2011 and $9 billion in 2012 by using its tax strategy and described a complex setup involving Irish subsidiaries.
Even if additional tens of billions from Apple began flowing into the U.S. Treasury, the money would barely put a dent in the $642 billion federal budget deficit. But Apple as a symbol resonates with politicians seeking to make the case that a powerful corporation shouldn't be excused from its fair share of taxes.
The subcommittee also has examined the tax strategies of Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other multinational companies, finding that they too have avoided billions in U.S. taxes by shifting profits offshore and exploiting weak, ambiguous sections of the tax code.
The spotlight on Apple comes at a time of heated debate over whether and how to raise revenues to help reduce the high U.S. deficit. Many Democrats say the government is missing out on billions of dollars because companies are stashing profits abroad and avoiding taxes. Republicans want to cut the corporate tax rate of 35 percent and ease the tax burden on money that U.S. companies make abroad. They say the move would encourage companies to invest at home.
Cook reaffirmed Apple's position that given the current U.S. tax rate, it has no intention of bringing that cash back to the U.S. Like other companies, it has a responsibility to shareholders to pay as little as possible in taxes. Cook added that Apple is the nation's largest corporate taxpayer.
Thanks largely to the iPhone, Apple is also one of the world's most profitable companies. It earned $41.7 billion in calendar year 2012. It's neck and neck with Exxon Mobil Corp. as the world's most valuable company.
Apple's enormous profits mean that it has more cash stashed overseas than any other company: $102 billion.
Sen. Carl Levin, the panel's chairman, said Apple's use of loopholes in the U.S. tax code is unique among multinational corporations.
Apple uses five companies located in Ireland to carry out its tax strategy, according to the report. The companies are located at the same address and share members of their boards of directors. While all five companies were incorporated in Ireland, only two of them also have tax residency in that country. That means the other three aren't legally required to pay taxes in Ireland because they aren't managed or controlled in that country, in Apple's view.
The report says Apple capitalizes on a difference between U.S. and Irish rules regarding tax residency. In Ireland, a company must be managed and controlled in the country to be a tax resident. Under U.S. law, a company is a tax resident of the country in which it was established. Therefore, the Apple companies aren't tax residents of Ireland or the U.S., in Apple's view.
“Apple is exploiting an absurdity,” Levin said.
Cook argued that the Irish subsidiaries don't reduce the company's U.S. taxes. Rather, the company avoids paying the 35 percent federal tax rate on profits made overseas by not bringing those profits back to the U.S., a practice it shares with other multinationals.
The U.S. tax code contains provisions designed to force companies that sell their products overseas to pay U.S. taxes on the profits from those sales. But certain loopholes allow companies to legally bypass those provisions. The Irish subsidiaries are set up to take advantage of those loopholes, according to the committee's report.
Apple's stock fell $3.27, or less than one percent, to close at $439.66 in Tuesday's trading.
Levin also called Ireland a “tax haven,” an appellation Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny rejected when speaking in parliament in Dublin on Tuesday. He also denied the assertion in the subcommittee's report that Apple had negotiated an Irish corporate tax rate of less than 2 percent. All companies pay the standard rate of 12.5 percent on profits from Irish operations, the prime minister said.
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report Monday that held up Apple as an example of the legal tax avoidance made possible for companies by the U.S. tax code. It estimates that Apple avoided at least $3.5 billion in U.S. federal taxes in 2011 and $9 billion in 2012 by using its tax strategy and described a complex setup involving Irish subsidiaries.
Even if additional tens of billions from Apple began flowing into the U.S. Treasury, the money would barely put a dent in the $642 billion federal budget deficit. But Apple as a symbol resonates with politicians seeking to make the case that a powerful corporation shouldn't be excused from its fair share of taxes.
The subcommittee also has examined the tax strategies of Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other multinational companies, finding that they too have avoided billions in U.S. taxes by shifting profits offshore and exploiting weak, ambiguous sections of the tax code.
The spotlight on Apple comes at a time of heated debate over whether and how to raise revenues to help reduce the high U.S. deficit. Many Democrats say the government is missing out on billions of dollars because companies are stashing profits abroad and avoiding taxes. Republicans want to cut the corporate tax rate of 35 percent and ease the tax burden on money that U.S. companies make abroad. They say the move would encourage companies to invest at home.
Cook reaffirmed Apple's position that given the current U.S. tax rate, it has no intention of bringing that cash back to the U.S. Like other companies, it has a responsibility to shareholders to pay as little as possible in taxes. Cook added that Apple is the nation's largest corporate taxpayer.
Thanks largely to the iPhone, Apple is also one of the world's most profitable companies. It earned $41.7 billion in calendar year 2012. It's neck and neck with Exxon Mobil Corp. as the world's most valuable company.
Apple's enormous profits mean that it has more cash stashed overseas than any other company: $102 billion.
Sen. Carl Levin, the panel's chairman, said Apple's use of loopholes in the U.S. tax code is unique among multinational corporations.
Apple uses five companies located in Ireland to carry out its tax strategy, according to the report. The companies are located at the same address and share members of their boards of directors. While all five companies were incorporated in Ireland, only two of them also have tax residency in that country. That means the other three aren't legally required to pay taxes in Ireland because they aren't managed or controlled in that country, in Apple's view.
The report says Apple capitalizes on a difference between U.S. and Irish rules regarding tax residency. In Ireland, a company must be managed and controlled in the country to be a tax resident. Under U.S. law, a company is a tax resident of the country in which it was established. Therefore, the Apple companies aren't tax residents of Ireland or the U.S., in Apple's view.
“Apple is exploiting an absurdity,” Levin said.
Cook argued that the Irish subsidiaries don't reduce the company's U.S. taxes. Rather, the company avoids paying the 35 percent federal tax rate on profits made overseas by not bringing those profits back to the U.S., a practice it shares with other multinationals.
The U.S. tax code contains provisions designed to force companies that sell their products overseas to pay U.S. taxes on the profits from those sales. But certain loopholes allow companies to legally bypass those provisions. The Irish subsidiaries are set up to take advantage of those loopholes, according to the committee's report.
Apple's stock fell $3.27, or less than one percent, to close at $439.66 in Tuesday's trading.
Levin also called Ireland a “tax haven,” an appellation Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny rejected when speaking in parliament in Dublin on Tuesday. He also denied the assertion in the subcommittee's report that Apple had negotiated an Irish corporate tax rate of less than 2 percent. All companies pay the standard rate of 12.5 percent on profits from Irish operations, the prime minister said.
Ex-Seoul police chief summoned over attempt to cover-up spy agency scandal
Prosecutors summoned a former head of the Seoul police agency Tuesday for questioning over suspicions that he had hampered a police probe into the nation's spy agency's alleged attempt to influence public opinion ahead of last year's presidential election.
The summons came after a female detective, who led the police investigation, claimed that high-ranking police officers of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) had pressured her to treat the case lightly.
Kim Yong-pan, who headed the SMPA at the time, appeared for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul around 10:00 a.m., prosecutors said.
Police have been probing allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) systemically and extensively meddled in the presidential election by using its agents to illegally post a slew of politically sensitive comments against the opposition candidate on the Internet to sway public opinion ahead of the December vote.
On April 18, Seoul's Suseo Police Station, which investigated the case for four months, announced that at least two NIS agents illegally intervened in domestic politics by posting political comments and replies on various Web sites ahead of the election.
But it cleared them of charges of violating the election law under which they could face heavier punishment.
Kwon Eun-hee, the lead investigator on the case at the time, claimed a day later that she could not fully look into the case due to immense pressure from her superiors.
On Monday, a team of 27 prosecutors and investigators raided the headquarters of SMPA in central Seoul, seizing computer hard drives and relevant documents to verify the claims.
The superiors pressed her team to drastically decrease the number of search words for analyzing one of the NIS officers'
computer hard drives, Kwon said.
Prosecutors have questioned Kwon and her bosses, including the former head of the Suseo Police Station, over her claims since early this month. (Yonhap News)
The summons came after a female detective, who led the police investigation, claimed that high-ranking police officers of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) had pressured her to treat the case lightly.
Kim Yong-pan, who headed the SMPA at the time, appeared for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul around 10:00 a.m., prosecutors said.
Police have been probing allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) systemically and extensively meddled in the presidential election by using its agents to illegally post a slew of politically sensitive comments against the opposition candidate on the Internet to sway public opinion ahead of the December vote.
On April 18, Seoul's Suseo Police Station, which investigated the case for four months, announced that at least two NIS agents illegally intervened in domestic politics by posting political comments and replies on various Web sites ahead of the election.
But it cleared them of charges of violating the election law under which they could face heavier punishment.
Kwon Eun-hee, the lead investigator on the case at the time, claimed a day later that she could not fully look into the case due to immense pressure from her superiors.
On Monday, a team of 27 prosecutors and investigators raided the headquarters of SMPA in central Seoul, seizing computer hard drives and relevant documents to verify the claims.
The superiors pressed her team to drastically decrease the number of search words for analyzing one of the NIS officers'
computer hard drives, Kwon said.
Prosecutors have questioned Kwon and her bosses, including the former head of the Suseo Police Station, over her claims since early this month. (Yonhap News)
Monday, May 20, 2013
CNN report : UN Petitioned to Investigate Fraudulent South Korean Presidential Election
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