Defense reform bills fail to pass in parliament

Defense reform bills fail to pass in parliament

A Korean parliamentary committee dealing with national defense failed Friday to pass a set of reform bills aimed at bolstering military readiness against North Korean provocations, as the meeting lacked a quorum. Only six of the minimum nine lawmakers needed to reach a quorum attended the meeting of the National Defense Committee, making it unlikely the bills will pass in the outgoing National Assembly before its term ends next month. The committee has 17 members. The reform plans centered on making the military's command structure more efficient, and giving the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff more power to control the Army, Navy and Air Force. Reforming the military has been one of the government's top policy goals, especially since North Korea's two deadly attacks on the South in 2010. "(We) tried to pass urgent bills such as those related to defense reforms during our final meeting today, but it is regrettable that the meeting could not proceed smoothly due to the aftereffects of the April 11 parliamentary elections," said Rep. Won Yoo-chul of the ruling Saenuri Pary, who chairs the committee. The defense reform bills had been pending in parliament for 11 months mainly due to fierce opposition from opposition parties over their possible destabilizing effects. (Yonhap)

Tunisia looks to Korean democracy

Tunisia looks to Korean democracy

Ammar Amari By Philip Iglauer As a catalyst from where popular pro-democracy youth protests swept North Africa and the Middle East from December 2010 through 2011, Tunisia was at the epicenter of the Arab Spring. Events there began when 26-year old street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself afire in protest of the confiscation of his modest property and against the humiliation inflicted on him by a minor municipal bureaucrat. Bouazizi’s spontaneous act of defiance sparked the passions of ordinary Tunisians to join mass street demonstrations against social and political repression and for democracy. The protests ultimately toppled the decades-old autocratic regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14, 2011, after his more than 20-year abusive reign. Now, the fledgling democracy seeks lessons Korea gleaned from its successful democratization experience that had reached tipping point in the 1980s. The foreign ministers of Korea and Tunisia held talks Thursday to discuss ways Tunisia can learn from Korea’s democratization experience as the North African nation’s new democratic government charts a new course for the North African nation. During the talks held in Kim’s office, the South Korean foreign minister praised the transformative progress Tunisians have achieved since the Tunisian Revolution. Abdessalem thanked Korea for its support of the democratic ambitions of the Tunisian people. “We look forward to Korea sharing its experience in political fields as far as democratization is concerned, as well as in transparency and its legal framework,” said Tunisian Ambassador to Korea Abderrahmen Kraiem. Kim also conveyed Korea’s willingness to contribute to the process of democratization in Tunisia, said an official at Seoul's foreign ministry. South Korea has achieved robust democracy following several popular pro-democracy movements in the 1960s and 1980s. College students, intellectuals and union workers took to the street to fight against then the authoritarian government in the 1980s and this led to June 29 declaration, a milestone event in the nation’s democracy movement, in 1987. Tunisia spark a wave of protest over political corruption, unemployment, food inflation, freedom of speech and other political freedoms in the largest unrest in over 30 years. The protests inspired similar protests throughout the Arab World, sparking an Egyptian popular uprising in which longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak was ousted, in Libya where a destructive civil war broke out, the Yemeni revolution, in which longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to resign and further demonstrations in Algeria, Jordan, Bahrain. In Syria, autocratic scion, President Bashar al-Assad, remains beseiged by more than a year of political unrest, civil war and international condemnation. International assistance could make the difference for successful democratic transition to the North African nation. Abdessalem is on a tour of Asia to build technical and financial support for the new democratic government in Tunisia. He arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a three-day visit, and was in Beijing April 16-18 for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jie-chi. Tunisia received a grant in 2011 from Korean International Cooperation Agency on a $6 million-dollar online management system for procurement markets and a feasibility study for a techno park. KOICA has pledged financial assistance this year an additional $5 million. Abdessalem plans to also meet Education Minister Lee Ju-ho and Park Dae-won, head of the Korea International Cooperation Agency and visited Daedeok Innopolis, the nation’s most important hi-tech research and development center, in Daejeon, South Chungcheong Province.

IOC ethics panel to probe Moon case

IOC ethics panel to probe Moon case

Moon Dae-sung By Kang Seung-woo The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Saturday that it will study a plagiarism case of IOC member Moon Dae-sung and consider whether any action needs to be taken, one day after the suspicion of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis was confirmed by Kookmin University. “We will contact the university in due time,” IOC spokesperson Andrew Mitchell told The Korea Times via e-mail. “The IOC Ethics Commission will only be active, once there is a definitive decision by the university and only after the Commission has received all the information, will it be able to discuss the issue.” The Korean university, where the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo did his doctoral work in 2007, announced Friday that the 35-year-old lawmaker-elect had committed plagiarism in his doctoral thesis, following a preliminary investigation. Right after the announcement, Moon quit the ruling Saenuri Party, issuing a statement of apology, but he didn’t mention whether he will give up his seat. On the back of his rock star status thanks mainly to his impressive victory at the Athens Olympics in 2004, he was elected as a member of the IOC in 2008. The Moon’s case is the second plagiarism issue swirling around the IOC of late. Earlier this month, the IOC said it would examine Pal Schmitt, the former Hungarian president and IOC member, over his plagiarism scandal involving a doctoral dissertation he wrote 20 years ago. Due to the scandal, he gave up his presidency on April 2. Currently, Korea has two IOC members ― Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee and Moon.

Costco inconveniences customers

Costco inconveniences customers

By Lee Hyo-sik Costco Wholesale Corporation, the U.S.-based membership warehouse chain that operates seven outlets here, is facing growing criticism from Korean customers over its payment policy that requires shoppers to pay for purchases with cash or credit cards issued only by Samsung Card, in contrast to wholesale and retail stores. This exclusive business partnership with the card unit of the country’s largest conglomerate has inconvenienced many consumers who do not carry a Samsung credit card. Consumer advocacy groups say Costco’s payment policy is solely designed to avoid high transaction fees it would be required to pay to card firms — the wholesaler pays Samsung only a 0.7 percent in commission. Competitors pay plastic issuers about 1.5 percent of the total charged amount in a transaction fee. They say Costco should end the exclusive contract with Samsung Card, which they argue compromises consumer interests. They argue consumers should have other credit card options when paying for merchandise. Costco refused to explain the reasons behind the exclusive deal with Samsung Card, saying it did not want to discuss the matter. Park Mi-kyoung, 43, who shops at Costco once a week for bottled water and other household items, say she would prefer the wholesale outlet to allow her to use non-Samsung credit cards. “I have many other cards that get me rebates and other benefits. But Samsung Card does not provide me with such perks at all. So obviously I really would like Costco to let me use other credit cards,” said the housewife residing in southern Seoul. “I also want the wholesaler to stop charging me a 35,000 won annual membership fee. It feels like Costco’s membership fees and other polices are less customer friendly, compared to other companies,” Park said. Costco customers have been unhappy about its payment policies. “I go to shop at Costco’s Dangsan store on a regular basis. But I did not know it only accepts credit cards issued by Samsung Card,” an executive at Korea Woman’s Association. “This policy is tantamount to an unfair practice at the expense of customers. Our organization will look into this issue. If its policies are proved unfriendly toward local consumers, we will take all possible action to correct them.” She then said the U.S. wholesaler should stop charging an annual membership fee to be eligible to shop there. “Shoppers at E-Mart and other large stores here do not pay to enter and shop. Costco should correct these ‘unfair’ policies and do more to improve consumer wellbeing.”

Sudden death of woman due to “too much Coke”

MCT image

Natasha Marie Harris, a mother of eight children and a fanatic for Coca-Cola, died suddenly in her home in Invercargill, New Zealand.

The reason, an inquest has heard Wednesday, was because she consumed too much Coke.

According to Harris’s partner Christopher Hodgkinson, “she drank at least 10 litres a day” for the past seven or eight years.

The family bought four 2.5 litres of Coke daily, which Harris drank during the course of the day.

Investigations of the death showed that Harris had consumed an average of seven litres of Coke a day.

Mr Hodgkinson told the court that she had been unwell up to a year before her death which occured February 25, 2010, including vomiting six times a week, but they had initially believed it was caused by the stress of looking after her eight children and gynecological problems.

An autopsy showed Miss Harris had a diseased liver but the cause of death was undetermined.

Medical evidence stated that the main finding of death was from a cardiac arrhythmia.

Dr Dan Mornin told the court Miss Harris probably had severe hypokalemia, a lack of potassium in the blood, relating to excessive consumption of soft-drink.
He said although it was difficult to confirm this from postmortem tests, it was consistent with her symptoms of tiredness and lack of strength and other cases of heavy soft-drink consumers.

He added it was likely the vomiting was due to too much caffeine, medically known as caffeine toxicity.

The inquest is yet to be continued.

Unionized teachers found guilty of 'anti-government' campaign

Unionized teachers found guilty of 'anti-government' campaign

By Yi Whan-woo The Supreme Court upheld a lower-court ruling against unionized teachers for their anti-government activities, Thursday. The ruling was on a 2009 collective statement by the progressive teachers criticizing the Lee Myung-bak government for an alleged suppression of democracy. The majority of justices upheld the lower court’s decision that ruled against three members of the progressive Korean Teachers Education Worker’s Union (KTU), who were charged for collective action banned under the public service law. “Expressing partial political ideas is a violation of political and educational neutrality required by educators,” a judge said. “Such acts infringe on the public’s trust.” The three “politically-biased” teachers include a Daejeon district union leader surnamed Lee, who was slapped with a 2 million won fine in a previous court ruling. Lee organized the group of teachers in his district in June 2009 to participate in the “anti-government” movement. He was also charged for his failure in reporting the specifics on campaign to police in advance. The government filed a lawsuit against him for allegedly violating the teachers’ union law, which prohibits political activity. He was also charged with violating the public service law that bans any group activities. The two other teachers, surnamed Kim and Oh, were also found guilty of collective action against the government. Each of them was ordered to pay 700,000 won. Some justices, however, were skeptical about the court’s decision. “It’s not clear whether those teachers caused any social risk to the public, and I don’t think their action violates the law,” one said. The nationwide “anti-government” campaign caused the administration to put pressure on the KTU in 2009, including a raid of the union’s headquarters by police and disciplinary actions against the union members.

yistory@koreatimes.co.kr

Lose him!

Lose him!

Lawmaker-elect Moon Dae-sung of the ruling Saenuri Party ignores questions from reporters as he sneaks out of the National Assembly, Wednesday, after suddenly cancelling a planned press conference. / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun Saenuri Party sends Moon to disciplinary committee; IOC remains mum By Chung Min-uck International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Moon Dae-sung is not just an embarrassment to the ruling Saenuri Party but also to Korea, an Olympic nation that hosted the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul and will host the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang. Moon, who won a seat in Busan in the April 11 parliamentary elections, has hunkered down, obviously believing that time is on his side, and, if he is patient enough, the brouhaha will blow away. But the gold-medal winning taekwondo star of the 2004 Athens Olympics should think again. Copying somebody else’s thesis to earn a Ph.D. is nothing less than fraud and this violates the ethical code for a lawmaker. For the IOC, allowing him to represent the organization only adds to questions about its relevance. Reflecting this, the ruling Saenuri Party decided to hand over its newly elected lawmaker to the party’s ethics committee to make a final decision on allegations about his plagiarism. The IOC member has been under fire for allegedly plagiarizing an academic paper he submitted to Kookmin University to attain a Ph.D in 2007. “The ethics committee will come up with a solution as soon as possible,” said party spokesman Rep. Hwang Young-chul following an emergency committee meeting presided over by Rep. Park Geun-hye, its chairwoman, Thursday. The ethics committee is to hold its first meeting on Monday. The spokesman also urged the university to speed up its investigation of the paper, which was launched shortly after the allegation surfaced earlier this month. During the committee meeting Rep. Park said “whoever stands in the way of keeping a promise to the people or breaking it will pay the price.” Park is a daughter of the late former President Park Chung-hee and the conservative’s strongest presidential candidate. Observers say her comment seems to indicate the party will dump Moon for tarnishing its image ahead of presidential election slated for Dec. 19. Another lawmaker-elect of the Saenuri Party Kim Hyung-tae voluntarily left the party Wednesday after being pressed to take responsibility for his ethically-flawed behavior in the past. Kim is accused of sexually assaulting the wife of his deceased brother. Party insiders say the biggest punishment the party can impose on Moon is to expel him, despite mounting calls for his resignation. Under the current law, a legislator loses their position if they are imprisoned or fined over one million won for violating the Election Law. The former athlete has refused to renounce his party membership, claiming he didn’t plagiarize his thesis and that he will wait for the results of an investigation before making any decision. Moon currently serves as professor at Dong-A University in Busan. The minor opposition Unified Progressive Party earlier called for the need to introduce a bill to censure Moon as soon as the 19th National Assembly opens on May 30. Critics cite the case of Pal Schmitt, also an IOC member and an Olympics gold medalist, who resigned as President of Hungary earlier this month amid growing pressure over a plagiarism scandal regarding his doctoral thesis he wrote 20 years ago.

Presidential hopefuls making moves

Presidential hopefuls making moves

Moon Jae-in By Kim Jung-yoon Potential presidential candidates in the opposition camp are seeking supporters as they look to decide on whether to run in the December presidential election. The moves come after a defeat in the National Assembly elections and the ambiguous silence of software mogul-turned professor Ahn Cheol-soo on his presidential ambitions. Ahn leads the liberal presidential race in various polls. Moon Jae-in, a senior member of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) who has also been leading in some opinion polls, hinted at running in the election with a support base in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province. Kim Doo-gwan An aide to Moon said he feels a great deal of responsibility to boost the approval rating of the opposition with the possibility of Ahn refusing to join the DUP. In the Assembly elections, Moon won his first parliamentary seat in the Sasang district of Busan, a conservative stronghold, on the DUP ticket, affirming his position as a viable presidential candidate. “It is time to decide whether to make a bid for the presidency. To realize regime change, I will make a decision as soon as possible,” Moon said in a radio broadcast Wednesday. Moon went on to emphasize the need to align with Ahn, who has remained silent on news reports earlier this week that he has decided to run. Meanwhile another potential contender Kim Doo-gwan, also dubbed “little Roh Moo-hyun” has embarked on plans for the December election. Kim is reported to be holding a series of events to launch a book, which will kick off in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 26, in Gwangjoo, about 330 kilometers southwest of the capital on June 2 and in Seoul on June 15. According to multiple sources, Kim also opened an office for his presidential campaign as well as a supporters club in a building in Yeouido, Seoul. Kim said such reports were rumors. Kim, like the former president Roh Moo-hyun, may win support from his home town in the traditionally conservative dominant area of Gyeongsang Province. Experts say that the DUP is targeting Kim as a possible replacement for Moon, with the opposition’s election defeat and Moon’s weakening power in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province. Senior DUP advisor Sohn Hak-kyu is also gearing up for the presidential race by organizing a 10 day trip to five European countries including the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland. He plans to study their labor, welfare and education policies. Sohn is said to launch presidential campaign and publish a book about his economic policies after the DUP’s national convention slated for June 9th. The three candidates, determined to oust the ruling Saenuri party from power, will be vying as a single candidate representing the opposition.

jungyoonful@gmail.com

Kim quits party over scandal; Moon defiant

IOC member says he will stay despite plagiarism allegation

Lawmaker-elect Kim Hyung-tae quit the Saenuri Party on Wednesday over a growing sexual assault scandal, leaving the ruling party with a majority of just one-seat in the incoming National Assembly.

Kim’s defection came just a week after Saenuri’s majority win in the April 11 general election, and as the party prepares to launch a campaign committee for presidential candidate frontrunner Park Geun-hye next month.

“I leave the party as I no longer want to be a burden on the party and emergency committee chairwoman Park Geun-hye with my unfortunate family affairs,” Kim said in a press release.

Kim won his seat in the South Pohang and Ulleung Island constituency by a large margin.

“I will be sure to return to my dear party and honorable chairwoman Park after I resolve the misunderstanding and complete the legal issue,” he added, confirming his intention to hold onto his lawmaker post.

Kim has faced incessant opposition calls to renounce his party membership and parliamentary seat over the allegation that he sexually assaulted the wife of his late younger brother in 2002. Kim denied the allegation and filed a defamation suit against his sister-in-law, arguing that she has been blackmailing him since 2004. Local news reports that the voice in an audio recording apologizing to the sister-in-law and her son belongs to Kim pushed him into further jeopardy.

Another scandal-ridden lawmaker-elect Moon Dae-sung, a former Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo suspected of thesis plagiarism, was widely expected to follow Kim’s step and leave Saenuri. But he later met with reporters and reiterated his innocence, stating he would not be leaving the party at present.

“I will wait (for investigation results). I did not plagiarize,” Moon told reporters.

Moon is suspected of having plagiarized his doctorate thesis submitted in 2007 for Kookmin University, which is currently investigating the claim. Saenuri has said it will wait until the results are out to deal with Moon.

With Kim’s departure, Saenuri’s number of parliamentary seats decreased to 151 in the 300-member assembly.

But letting go of its controversial lawmaker-elect will fall short of controlling the damage, observers said.

“The Kim and Moon cases may just be the tip of the iceberg. The ultimate problem lies with the hasty nomination process for the elections,” said Myongji University politics Professor Kim Hyung-joon.

“If the party wishes to maintain its sincere image of reform, the ruling party should consider additional options such as the chairwoman apologizing for the nomination-gone-awry, and addressing the issue of ethics at the National Assembly,” Kim said.

“There must be fundamental improvement in the current nomination process that is done around the party’s boss. We must consider systems like open primaries of the United States where the voters are given the right to nominate,” he added.

The problematic nomination process had been a source of controversy at both the ruling and opposition parties throughout the parliamentary race.

Senior Saenuri members who were excluded from the nomination lambasted the party’s choice of candidates, with some bolting from the party to run as independents.

The main opposition Democratic United Party’s nomination process was also put under scrutiny over the revelation of past vulgar comments made by its nominee Kim Yong-min, who later lost in Nowon-gu, Seoul.

Opposition parties, in the meantime, called on both Kim and Moon to drop out of the assembly and for the Saenuri leadership to apologize.

“Saenuri must take responsibility for nominating a sex offender to win the election,” said Democratic United Party supreme councilor Namyoon In-soon.

DUP Spokesman Park Yong-jin said, “If Chairwoman Park wishes to become president, she must abandon her treacherous attitude and take responsibility openly and directly.”


By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldm.com)

Lawmaker-elect leaves ruling party over sexual assault allegations

A lawmaker-elect quit the ruling Saenuri Party Wednesday over allegations that he attempted to rape the wife of his late brother 10 years ago, saying he will return to the party after clearing "misunderstandings" about him.

Kim Hyung-tae, 60, who was elected in a district in the southeastern city of Pohang in last week's general elections, said in a statement he decided to leave the party in order not to cause any more trouble to the party and its leader Park Geun-hye because of "my unfortunate family affair."

"Though I am leaving today, I will make sure to return to the party that I love and chairwoman Park that I respect after dispelling misunderstandings about me and sorting out legal problems," Kim said. "I earnestly hope I will be able to return to the party as early as possible" and help it win December's presidential election.

Kim's departure came after reports that the party was considering expelling him.

A journalist-turned-politician, Kim has been accused of attempting to rape the wife of his late brother in 2002 in his studio apartment, commonly known here as an officetel, after asking her to visit Seoul from her home in Busan to discuss tuition for her son.

The sister-in-law claimed that she fought off the rape attempt and reported the allegations to the rival candidate in Kim's district ahead of the April 11 parliamentary elections, claiming that an attempted rapist should not be elected a lawmaker.

Her husband died of cancer in 1995.

Kim has rejected the accusations as a political smear campaign.

On Wednesday, Kim claimed that the alleged incident happened around April 2002 when his sister-in-law made frequent visits to Seoul to get money from him, and "whether it was a sexual assault or not" will be determined in an investigation by law enforcement authorities.

Police are looking into the incident after both sides filed complaints against each other.

But the alleged victim recently made public the audio recording of a conversation purportedly between Kim and her son, where a man believed to be Kim acknowledged the wrongdoing and offered an apology.

Kim's departure will leave the party with 151 seats in the 300-member new National Assembly.

The party has also been considering taking action against another lawmaker-elect, Moon Dae-sung, over allegations of plagiarism in an academic paper for his Ph.D. degree.

A former taekwondo athlete, Moon, 36, rose to stardom after winning gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics with a spectacular knockout kick in the final. He later became an athlete member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a professor at a university in Busan.

Moon denies the plagiarism allegations.

On Wednesday, there was brief speculation that Moon could also announce his voluntary departure from the party, but he later told reporters he would wait and see the results of an investigation under way to determine if his paper was plagiarized.

"My position is that I will wait. My paper was not plagiarized," he said.

Referring to a remark party leader Park made earlier this week that the party should wait for results of the investigation, Moon said he cannot do anything that goes against the party and its leader.

Moon earned his doctorate from Kookmin University, which is looking into the case. (Yonhap News)

New World Bank chief

New World Bank chief

Kim tasked with bringing new perspective The World Bank selected Korean-American physician Jim Yong Kim as its next president at a meeting of the bank’s directors Monday, as widely expected. He was chosen over Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala despite pressure from emerging and developing economies and will succeed outgoing President Robert Zoellick on July 1 for a five-year term. We welcome the selection of Kim, president of the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, not because he is of Korean descent but because he is qualified enough to become a leader of the huge development lender. Rather, we see the plausibility that his Korean roots could be a valuable asset, taking into account that Korea is actually the only country in the world that has transformed from a recipient to a donor nation. It’s also encouraging to see the 52-year-old health expert and educator become the bank’s first leader of Asian descent. Previous presidents have been America’s bankers or Washington officials. Born in Seoul in 1959, Kim moved to the U.S. with his family when he was five. He has served as the president of Dartmouth College since 2009. In the lead-up to his choice, there have been voices of concern about his lack of financial background, particularly from his rivals. Some influential newspapers, in fact, reported that the Nigerian finance minister might be better suited for the top post of the World Bank, one of the two leading international financial institutions along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Despite his shortcomings, he is reputed for having expertise in development and medicine. He has been involved in developing programs to fight diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in poor countries since the middle of the 1990s. In his contribution to the Financial Times last month, he showed confidence about his new job. ``As co-founder of Partners in Health and director of the World Health Organization’s initiative to treat HIV/AIDS, I will bring practical experience to the world.’’ Kim, who became the World Bank leader after the first-ever open competition, will have to bring a fresh perspective to the bank, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner said right after his selection. The World Bank has played a key role in the reconstruction of poor countries since World War II, having far-reaching influence around the world. More recently, however, there has been mounting criticism about the bank’s role with observers saying the donor agency has served only the interest of Western capital, not paying attention to improvements in people’s livelihoods in the developing world. In a statement Monday, Kim pledged to ``seek a new alignment of the World Bank Group with a rapidly changing world.’’ To this end, he has to kill two birds with one stone: addressing poverty problems and easing complaints in the emerging world. In particular, he must deal with his opponents within the bank wisely and skillfully. Given that the U.S. faced an unprecedented challenge in the selection process, their voices could be more vocal than ever before.

World grows smaller for boy band CNBLUE

World grows smaller for boy band CNBLUE

Members of the four-strong boy band CNBLUE pose for the camera at a gallery of the Korea Foundation in downtown Seoul. The popular group have recently released their EP titled "Ear Fun." / Courtesy of enewsworld This is the first of a 15-part series on the stars and trends in “hallyu,” or the Korean Wave, which is gaining global popularity particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times produces this special project in cooperation with the Korea Foundation and CJ E&M. — ED. By Kwaak Je-yup Since their 2009 debut in Korea, CNBLUE have been one of the few rock bastions in the ultra-competitive local music scene dominated by danceable electro-pop. Their lasting success has comforted some about the continuing mainstream appeal of rock, while detractors have accused them of packaging innocuous poppy sounds, even calling them a “fake band.” At a recent interview with the four members, front man Jung Yong-hwa, bassist Lee Jung-shin, guitarist Lee Jong-hyun and drummer Kang Min-hyuk, seemed to weigh in little on the controversy, which has been their biggest asterisk since they began. Rather than theorizing or rationalizing about their career, the barely 20-somethings reveled in it with ample humility. Sometimes, even they were at a loss to describe the reason behind their success. “Compared to when we were touring (East) Asia with the single ‘Love,’ (from their second EP ‘Bluelove’) nowadays K-pop is riding on a much bigger wave,” said Jung, adding that their audience and fan base have expanded thanks to the collective expansion of Korean pop music in the last year. “The stages are bigger for us. Most of our fans used to be in their 30s or 40s; now we have more in their 20s or younger.” Much like their K-pop colleagues, CNBLUE have gone from nobodies to superstars almost overnight, starting with their debut Korean EP “Bluetory” and its catchy lead single “I’m a Loner.” And they have not stopped since, writing and performing new material across the Korean and Japanese markets. Most recently, they released their third mini-album titled “Ear Fun,” with the single “Hey You” topping domestic on- and offline charts. Their continuing run of hits in Korea and even their rise to Japanese stardom came as a surprise to many, simply because they stood nowhere near the usual dancing troupe model of K-pop, now noted across the world. There were many critics, however, including Korean rock legend Shin Hae-chul, who publicly accused CNBLUE of plagiarism and also called the band unworthy of bearing that term. But since their debut, seeing guitars and a drum set on the stage of weekly pop music shows has become less alien. Big Bang, the biggest K-pop boy band that relies heavily on dance, hired a live back-up band. Even indie act Busker Busker, the runner-up on the third season of Korea’s “American Idol” equivalent “Superstar K,” is now gaining mass-market attention, with their recent major-label debut topping local charts. "The format of live television shows hasn’t changed much and so we have a few improvements we would love as a band,” said Jung. “We’re content with the fact that we can let our music be heard.” And they certainly have pushed themselves hard on that front. According to lead guitarist Lee Jong-hyuk, in the first four months of this year, they have had 30 live showcases, including nine concerts outside their usual domains of Korea and Japan. The group is also looking further afield when it comes to giving back. In March, a school named after them was opened in a small village in southwestern Burkina Faso in West Africa, partially funded by the proceeds of the band’s earnings. “A lot of times we want to help but don’t know how,” said Jung. “We recently got to watch a video clip of the school, now all finished and in operation. We are very proud of this.” The band’s management agency, FNC Entertainment, stated that the contribution to the Burkinabe project, organized by the Korea Food for Hungry International, will continue on a consistent basis. Now in their third year as CNBLUE, the members seemed to reflect much longer when asked about their future plans and ambitions. “The lyrics of foreign bands are so much more varied. Some of the subjects are simply unimaginable to me,” said Jung, adding that the group is also stepping away from the syrupy lovesick words the fans have come to associate it with. “I want to take some time out and be alone, maybe travel — alone.” “I want life to be a bit more spectacular,” said Lee Jung-shin. “Our career has progressed endlessly. We need a break.” “I want to space out for a little while,” said Lee Jong-hyuk, half-joking. They were off to an amusement park outside Seoul for their next appointment, at least a two-hour ride from the central business district downtown, where the interview took place. The four members of CNBLUE all looked exhausted from their non-stop schedule, but glowed with hope. “We are going to be together for 20 to 30 years, at least,” the guitarist said firmly. For more, click on www.enewsworld.com.

Lawmaker-elect to leave ruling party over alleged attempted rape

Lawmaker-elect to leave ruling party over alleged attempted rape

A lawmaker-elect quit the ruling Saenuri Party Wednesday over allegations that he attempted to rape the wife of his late brother 10 years ago, saying he will return to the party after clearing "misunderstandings" about him. Kim Hyung-tae, 60, who was elected in a district in the southeastern city of Pohang in last week's general elections, said in a statement he decided to leave the party in order not to cause any more trouble to the party and its leader Park Geun-hye because of "my unfortunate family affair." "Though I am leaving today, I will make sure to return to the party that I love and Chairwoman Park that I respect after dispelling misunderstandings about me and sorting out legal problems," Kim said. "I earnestly hope I will be able to return to the party as early as possible" and help it win December's presidential election. Kim's departure came after reports that the party was considering expelling him. A journalist-turned-politician, Kim has been accused of attempting to rape the wife of his late brother in 2002 in his studio apartment, commonly known here as an officetel, after asking her to visit Seoul from her home in Busan to discuss tuition for her son. The sister-in-law claimed that she fought off the rape attempt and reported the allegations to the rival candidate in Kim's district ahead of the April 11 parliamentary elections, claiming that an attempted rapist should not be elected a lawmaker. Her husband died of cancer in 1995. Kim has rejected the accusations as a political smear campaign. On Wednesday, Kim claimed that the alleged incident happened around April 2002 when his sister-in-law made frequent visits to Seoul to get money from him, and "whether it was a sexual assault or not" will be determined in an investigation by law enforcement authorities. Police are looking into the incident after both sides filed complaints against each other. But the alleged victim recently made public the audio recording of a conversation purportedly between Kim and her son, where a man believed to be Kim acknowledged the wrongdoing and offered an apology. Kim's departure will leave the party with 151 seats in the 300-member new National Assembly. The party has also been considering taking action against another lawmaker-elect, Moon Dae-sung, over allegations of plagiarism in an academic paper for his Ph.D. degree. A former taekwondo athlete, Moon, 36, rose to stardom after winning gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics with a spectacular knockout kick in the final. He later became an athlete member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a professor at a university in Busan. Moon denies the plagiarism allegations. (Yonhap)

Girl group Afterschool adds new member

Korean girl group Afterschool introduced Tuesday its newest member, Ga-eun.

The 17-year-old will make her official debut on the group’s upcoming album, which will be released June 21.

Ga-eun has the Afterschool “vibe” with a baby-face and a model-like figure, Afterschool’s management agency Pledis said. The company pointed out that Ga-eun demonstrated the most powerful vocal and dancing abilities among the candidates who vied to become the ninth member of the group.

Girl group Afterschool. (Pledis)

“Ga-eun went to junior high in Japan and speaks native-level Japanese. We have high expectations for her contribution to Afterschool’s activities in Japan,” the agency said.

The group has had several changes in its members. The agency said that it does not have an ideal number of members in mind, and does not intend to permanently fix the number of members at nine.

According to Afterschool’s “school system,” its members enter and graduate like students, the agency said.

The girl group started as a five-member outfit in 2009 since which two original members have left and six have been added.

Afterschool is scheduled to start a Japan tour on April 27.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldm.com)  

Sistar returns with new album ...on broken heart

Four-member girl group brings mature, sexy look for summer


Korean girl group Sistar stepped back into the spotlight with a press conference announcing their new mini album Thursday, breaking their eight-month hiatus.

Titled “Alone,” the album reflects the group’s attempts to transform its image from energetic to sexy in all aspects ― music, dance, make-up and outfits, Sistar said. The four-member group wore flashy red dresses cut shorter in the front to show off their new subtle moves focusing on their legs and body silhouettes.

“We tried to come up with mature attractiveness for this summer. We put so much effort into this,” said Bora, the group’s rapper. “We used to run around on stage and be all springy before, but this time, we are going to be sexy.”

The music video for the title track “Alone,” a piece whose motif is the pain of a broken-hearted woman, was filmed overseas in Las Vegas. The music video shows Sistar dancing at clubs, bars and on a graphic stage embedded with crystal lights and gleaming metals.

On Thursday, Sistar kicked off their showcase in micro shorts and loose tops with “Lead Me,” a song about a girl’s feelings towards the man she loves. The song composed by Double Side Kick is an R&B piece with a laid-back groove and hip-hop beats.

Korean girl group Sistar with new album, "Alone". (Starship Entertainment)

Then the group changed into red dresses with slits and performed “No Mercy” and “Alone.” “No Mercy,” composed and arranged by Rovin, demonstrates catchy composition and pop-style arrangement, noted for the reduced electronic sound and stronger guitar.

Hit songwriter Brave Brothers said that he wrote the title track “Alone” exclusively for Sistar.

“These girls have unlimited potential. They’ve got the visual (attraction) and have Hyorin, the vocal,” he said. Brave Brothers wrote “Push Push,” the group’s debut single.

The composer added a stronger piano and FX guitar to the piece.

“Sistar made a different shot this time. Previously it was oriented toward electronic pop-style, but now we added ‘real-sound,’ giving more emotions and less tension to the ears,” said Brave Brothers.

The girl group had more than just music to talk about during the question-and-answer session. Soyou shared her low-sodium diet with the audience. Dasom, the youngest member, talked about her coming of age.

“Surprisingly it makes no difference, and the agency head still won’t let me drive,” she said. Dasom added that she shed three kilograms for the new album.

Sistar returned to live TV on MNet Countdown on last Thursday.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldm.com) 

Another cover-up attempt suspected at nuke plant

The emergency power generator at a nuclear power plant in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province was found to have malfunctioned during a special checkup last month, stoking controversy over another possible attempted cover-up.

The diesel power generator at the Yeonggwang-2 unit stopped a minute and 14 seconds after it was manually started for an examination on March 28, and the governor of Yeonggwang knew about it but did not report it to the public or nongovernmental watchdogs.

This comes after authorities at a nuclear power plant in Gori, Busan, had tried to conceal a power failure in February for more than a month.

Two emergency power generators are on standby at every nuclear power plant so they can start operating within 10 seconds in case of a power blackout.

The generator at the Yeonggwang-2 unit came to a halt with an alert for low-cooling water pressure, which the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. explained on Sunday was due to malfunctioning of the pressure switch.

“The actual pressure of the engine cooling water was normal, but the switch had malfunctioned,” the KHNP said in a statement, adding that it replaced the switch and completed the test on the generator.

“Such alerts do not stop the generator during blackouts or other emergency situations. So it could have supplied power in case of an emergency.”

The defect was fixed in about five hours, thereby meeting the rules that emergency power generator problems should be fixed within 72 hours after discovery, the KHNP said.

The government said all diesel power generators were functioning normally as it announced the results of its inspection on emergency power generators in 16 atomic power plants nationwide last month.

Chung Ki-ho, governor of Yeonggwang, confirmed the malfunctioning on the day it happened during a visit to the plant, but did not announce it, prompting anti-nuclear groups to file a complaint with the county office.

The KHNP said the case was not subject to public disclosure.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldm.com)