Ruling party demands special probe into illegal surveillance

South Korea's ruling party on Saturday called for a special probe into allegations the government carried out extensive spying on both public servants and private citizens.

   Striking journalists at public broadcaster KBS reported in a news program posted on the Internet Thursday that they obtained 2,619 individual government reports that an ethics team under the Prime Minister's Office drew up in 2008-2010 after spying on top officials, politicians, journalists and civilians.

   According to the report, the documents showed that the team, which is tasked with ensuring public officials are not involved in corruption, recklessly collected information on not only government officials, but also civilians considered critical of the government, such as labor union leaders and reporters at unfriendly media firms.

   "The case is a criminal act that infringes on human rights and destroys democracy," Lee sang-il, a spokesman for the ruling Saenuri Party, said in a news conference. "Prosecutors' past investigation results fell short of clearing all suspicions surrounding the case, so we demand the launch of a special probe into the case."

   The Prime Minister's Office dismissed the disclosed documents as nothing new, saying they were part of evidence prosecutors seized, reviewed and turned in to the court when they first investigated the case in 2010.

   The office said in a statement the ethics team has since changed its name and undergone a thorough overhaul, and that the reformed team has been carrying out its missions strictly according to the law.

   The new revelations, however, added to an already snowballing scandal surrounding the government's illegal surveillance of a businessman critical of President Lee and the presidential office's alleged attempt to cover that up.

   The politically sensitive case, which could affect the results of the April 11 parliamentary elections, re-emerged early this month after prosecutors relaunched an investigation into allegations first made in 2010.

   Earlier this month, prosecutors reopened an investigation into the surveillance scandal after one of the officials involved claimed the presidential office attempted to cover up the illegal operation.

   Following the previous investigation, seven officials were indicted for the illegal surveillance of the businessman, who in 2008 posted a video clip criticizing the Lee government for resuming U.S. beef imports. The 2010 investigation concluded the presidential office was not involved. (Yonhap News)

P.M.’s office had more than 2,600 people under surveillance

New evidence suggests prosecutors aware of wider case in 2010


New evidence surfaced on Thursday suggesting that the surveillance scheme operated by the ethics division of the Prime Minister’s Office targeted more than 2,600 people.

While the controversy surrounding the ethics division’s surveillance scheme grew former presidential secretary for employment and labor Lee Young-ho did not appear for questioning, saying that he needed time to prepare, and that he will make himself available on April 2.

Lee, who has claimed that he is the “body” behind the cover-up attempt by Cheong Wa Dae officials had been summoned by the prosecutors’ office to appear for questioning at 10 a.m. Friday. The prosecutors’ office has issued a new summons for Saturday.

Lee Young-ho

The latest evidence was revealed by a news program produced by striking members of the broadcaster KBS’ labor union. A number of cases specified in the documents were categories as “BH Ordered,” implicating a deeper involvement of the presidential office. “BH” is the acronym for “Blue House,” which is translation of Cheong Wa Dae.

According to the PMO, the revealed documents were submitted by the prosecutors’ office as evidence.

With the new evidence suggesting that the prosecutors investigating the case were aware of a much wider scheme, speculation has risen that the prosecutors’ office purposefully reduced the original investigations. In 2010, the prosecutors concluded that the PMO division illegally placed a businessman and a lawmaker under surveillance, and a number of PMO officials were also indicted for destroying evidence in an attempt to cover up the incident.

The investigations were reopened on March 17 after former PMO official Jang Jin-su disclosed that Cheong Wa Dae officials ordered the evidence to destroyed and that they had attempted to bribe him to remain silent. Jang was found guilty of destroying evidence.

The documents revealed Thursday showed that the ethics division had collected information about a large number of people ranging from high-level government officials and businessmen to labor union members and heads of media organizations.

With regards to news organizations’ management, the report had details about personal and professional characteristics.

Regarding YTN president Bae Seok-gyu the report said that his “loyalty to the current administration and the will for reforming YTN stands out,” while KBS president Kim In-kyu was described as being “overly confident and unreserved in words and deed.”

Other media-related documents included one titled “Report on direction of changing KBS, YTN, MBC executives.” The report was specified as “BH ordered” suggesting that the presidential office interfered in related issues.

The 2,619 people monitored by the PMO also include a businessman who had been in contact with Rep. Jeong Tae-keun, who had made his opposition to Rep. Lee Sang-deuk of Saenuri Party, and members of Seoul National University hospital’s labor union. Rep. Lee is President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother, and the hospital’s labor union had produced posters with images parodying the president.

High-level government officials in the list include former Minister of National Defense Lee Sang-hee and former South Chungcheong Province Governor Lee Wan-koo. In addition, with the majority of them having resigned before the end of their terms, speculations that the government used the information in making human resources decisions have risen. The former Defense Minister was described as being extremely strong willed and “created discord with the National Intelligence Service.” He was replaced five months after the report was compiled.

The PMO’s ethics division also appears to have gathered extensive information about retired and serving police officers including National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Hyun-oh.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldm.com) 

Surveillance scandal emerges as key campaign issue

Surveillance scandal emerges as key campaign issue

Members of the KBS chapter of the National Union of Media Workers discuss allegations of illegal surveillance of civilians by the government after an Internet program aired by striking journalists said it had obtained thousands of documents revealing the act, during a press conference in Yeouido, Friday. Korea Times photo by Kim Ju-young Documents reveal extensive spying on civilians by gov’t unit By Lee Tae-hoon The alleged illegal surveillance of civilians by government authorities has emerged as the hottest issue in the run-up to the April 11 National Assembly elections. Both ruling and opposition parties are raising the issue, with the latter even demanding the resignation of President Lee Myung-bak to take responsibility for the scandal. The governing Saenuri Party urged prosecutors Friday to launch a full-scale probe into the presidential office’s alleged involvement in the case, following the disclosure of documents revealing the government’s extensive surveillance activities of civilians. "It is very shocking,” the conservative party’s spokesman Lee Sang-il said. “We urge prosecutors to find who masterminded it. We will closely watch the prosecutors’ investigation and seek other measures if it is deemed insufficient.” Other Saenuri Party officials also denounced the Lee Myung-bak administration’s alleged illegal surveillance activities in an apparent attempt to distance themselves from the scandal. The move came after striking journalists of the state-run broadcaster KBS reported in their own Internet news program, titled “Reset KBS News 9,” that they obtained 2,619 documents that reveal illegal spying on civilians between 2008 and 2010 by an ethics team under the Prime Minister’s Office. The report claimed that the documents show that the ethics team recklessly collected information on not only government officials, but also politicians, journalists and labor union leaders considered hostile to the Lee administration. Political pundits say the Saenuri Party will have no other choice but to withdraw its support for the Lee administration in major political issues despite it’s head of its interim leadership committee Park Geun-hye’s recent efforts to bolster cooperation with the presidential office ahead of the crucial elections. Park recently rejected senior party officials’ request to demand President Lee leave the Saenuri Party. The revelations add to the already snowballing scandal surrounding the government’s illegal surveillance of a businessman, who posted a video clip criticizing the Lee government for resuming U.S. beef imports in 2008, and Cheong Wa Dae’s alleged attempt to cover it up. The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) described the case as a Korean version of the U.S. Watergate scandal, intensifying its attacks on President Lee and the Saenuri party. “The reported truth about illegal surveillance is appalling,” said Han Myeong-sook, chairwoman of the DUP. “The problem is that the results of the surveillance must have been reported to the VIP (President).” The DUP leader urged the President to clarify whether he was aware of the Prime Minister Office’s illegal surveillance activities and if so what role he played in it. Rep. Park Young-sun of the DUP claimed that the fresh revelations are only the “tip of the iceberg” and that Lee should step down from office. “We have defined this case as a Korean version of the Watergate scandal,” she said. “It is time for the country to talk about Lee's resignation.” She claimed that Cheong Wa Dae will continue to hinder authorities’ investigation into the scandal unless the President leaves office. Earlier this month, prosecutors reopened an investigation into the surveillance scandal after one of the officials involved in the case claimed that the presidential office attempted to cover up the illegal operation. Seven officials had been indicted for the illegal surveillance of the businessman critical of the Lee government, but the probe concluded that the presidential office was not involved. On March 20, Lee Young-ho, a former presidential secretary for employment and labor affairs, said in a nationally televised press conference that he ordered his staff to destroy data on surveillance activities when the prosecution first looked into the case in 2010. However, he refused to comply with a prosecution summons for questioning Friday, saying he would appear in front of them today. Prosecutors say they will summon him again for questioning today. The former labor activist said he ordered the destruction of the data to prevent a possible leak of confidential information on public servants, not because they contained any information about illegal activities.

Explosive scandal hits politics before poll

Bombshell revelation gives ammunition to opposition to attack Lee, ruling party


A spying scandal involving former aides of President Lee Myung-bak is rocking Korean politics in the lead-up to an election in which his Saenuri Party may lose control over the parliament.

The main opposition Democratic United Party on Friday went into full-fledged attack mode against Lee and the conservative ruling party, aiming to capitalize on the explosive scandal in the upcoming parliamentary poll.

On Thursday, documents purportedly produced by the Prime Minister’s Office were disclosed by a labor union of local broadcaster KBS, suggesting that the office had conducted an illegal surveillance operation targeting more than 2,600 people from politics, business and media. Some of the documents are signed “BH ordered,” which many suspect stands for the Blue House, or the presidential office.

DUP leader Han Myeong-sook demanded the truth from the president on the suspicions.

“The scope of illegal surveillance, which was revealed by the disclosed documents, is just appalling,” DUP leader Han Myeong-sook said in a press conference in Chuncheon, a stop on her campaign trail for the April 11 election.

“The bigger problem is that it may have been directly reported to the VIP. He must clarify himself regarding the suspicions,” she said, referring to the president.

Her party has equated the case to the U.S. Watergate scandal in the 1970s which ousted President Richard Nixon.

Rep. Park Young-sun of the opposition Democratic United Party (right) holds up a placard showing an enlarged image of a document implicating the Blue House in the Prime Minister’s Office’s illegal surveillance activities at the party’s head office in Seoul on Friday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)

Rep. Park Young-sun took a step further to criticize Saenuri leader and strongest presidential contender Park Geun-hye.

“I cannot but have suspicions about Park who hasn’t spoken a word on the prosecution’s investigation into the illegal surveillance scandal. Particularly because illegal spying prevailed under the military dictatorship,” the politician said.

It was an unmistakable reference to the 18 years of iron-fisted rule by the conservative leader’s late father, Park Chung-hee.

The snowballing scandal is likely to further isolate Lee, who is nearing the end of his term, with the election to pick his successor due in December. Korean presidents are limited by law to a single five-year term.

Korea will hold a nationwide election next month to pick 300 parliamentarians amid strong public dissatisfaction with established politics.

The DUP, having formed an alliance with the far-left Unified Progressive Party, aims to eject the Saenuri from power in the upcoming poll and keep voter sentiment running positive into the ensuring presidential race. Polls so far show the two parties neck-and-neck.

Political pundits said the case is likely to emerge as the biggest election issue and aid the opposition’s efforts to frame the election as a judgment on the Lee administration.

The Saenuri Party, scrambling to contain the scandal’s impact on voter sentiment, called for a thorough investigation on Friday.

“The prosecution must get to the bottom of the case and sternly deal with whoever is involved, regardless of their rank,” said Lee Sang-il, the party’s spokesperson.

Chief Park Geun-hye made similar comments later in the day, when asked by reporters in Daejeon.

The prosecution is currently investigating the 2008 illegal surveillance of a businessman critical of the president by the prime minister’s office. It questioned former presidential aides on suspicions that they directed the operation and its cover-up.

The Saenuri Party countered the opposition’s criticism, saying the case was reminiscent of an eavesdropping scandal under the administration of late liberal President Kim Dae-jung, in which the national intelligence agency was found to have illegally spied on influential figures.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldm.com) 

Samsung declares all-out war on Nokia

Samsung declares all-out war on Nokia

By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics has been fighting Apple over technology patents for mobile handsets and tablet computers. Now, it is facing off against Nokia, an important client for its flat screens, about price fixing allegations. Samsung said it would pursue without compromise a breach of trust case involving the Finnish firm. ``Samsung will appeal to a higher court in the United Kingdom as we aren’t involved in price-fixing for LCDs,’’ said company spokesman Cho Yong-woo. The Korean company is the world’s top supplier of LCD screens for use in almost all digital devices from TVs to handsets. They are used in strategic products by top firms including Apple, Nokia, Hewlett-Packard and Sony. A judge recently ruled in favor of Nokia in a London court, allowing the Finnish company to proceed with the price-fixing dispute that has been running since 2009. Samsung denied that it lost to Nokia after foreign media insisted that Hitachi Europe and Samsung lost their bids to have a U.K. court throw out an anti-trust lawsuit filed by Nokia over the creation of price cartels. ``The latest court ruling means Samsung’s request to dismiss a claim by Nokia asking for compensation from us was dismissed. The U.K. court didn’t rule that Samsung conducted price fixing over LCDs with Hitachi in Europe,’’ said Cho. Nokia officials in Korea weren’t available for comment. The European Union imposed a combined fine of $860 million last year on five LCD makers, including Taiwan-based AU Optronics for creating an LCD price cartel. Sharp of Japan, Samsung and five other manufacturers have previously agreed to pay $538.6 million to settle U.S. antitrust claims filed by indirect purchasers. ``Again, Samsung asked the U.K. court to completely dismiss the claim by Nokia but the issue is still pending," Cho said. Nokia has been losing its edge in the global handset market as its insistence to keep its own mobile platform has hurt the company due to the rapid rise of Google’s Android software. Samsung Chief Executive Choi Gee-sung earlier said his firm will sell more handsets than Nokia this year and added he has no big doubt that Samsung will become the world’s biggest handset manufacturer. By the third quarter of 2010, Samsung had shipped 71.6 million handsets to Nokia’s 117.4 million, claiming a 17.2 percent market share to Nokia’s 28 percent, said market research firm Gartner. A year later, Nokia continued to lead but not by quite as much. In the third quarter of 2011, Samsung’s handset shipments rose to 78.6 million while the Nokia’s declined to 105.4 million. This year, Samsung plans to sell up to 400 million handsets globally from 325 million last year. If this happens it would end Nokia’s 14-year dominance of the market.

Why was HUFS picked as Obama’s speech venue?

Why was HUFS picked as Obama’s speech venue?

Students listen to U.S. President Barack Obama speak Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Monday. By Kim Rahn United States President Barack Obama’s speech at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) Monday will certainly become a boon for the university to promote its image as a global school. But why was it picked, leaving other universities jealous? This was the first time for an incumbent U.S. president to visit and give a speech at a university here. An official of the U.S. Embassy said the embassy suggested some schools and it was the White House that picked HUFS. “The White House asked us to recommend some candidate schools, presenting some conditions. After we did, the White House selected. We don’t know the exact criteria, but various things must have been considered, such as the size of the school, school reputation and security issues,” the official said. An official from HUFS said it seems the embassy looked for a suitable school in January and February and the school was informed of the final decision only five days before the event. “We don’t know exactly why we were picked but we presume the school’s image agreed with Obama’s philosophy, pursuing multilateral, peaceful diplomacy and emphasizing foreign language study,” he said. The university provides lectures in 45 languages, and Obama said in his speech, “This school has one of the world’s finest foreign language programs.” HUFS also has held International Model United Nations Assemblies for collegians every year since 1995. It is also said the North Korean defector issue may have affected the speech venue selection, as many students who have defected from the North are enrolled at HUFS compared to other schools. In his speech, Obama mentioned North Korean defectors by saying: “Come and see some of the courageous individuals who join us today _ men and women, young and old, born in the North, but who left all they knew behind and risked their lives to find freedom and opportunity here in the South.” Among the school’s 20,000 students, 700 were lucky to attend the speech through a random selection process. Na In-ae, a senior majoring in interpretation and translation of Italian, said she arrived at the speech venue at 6:50 a.m. for the event scheduled for 10:30 a.m. but a lot of students were already in a queue. “I had heard Obama has a keen interest in Korea but I didn’t feel like it was real. But watching him speak about Korean mobile messenger Kakao Talk, I realized he really does and I was proud. Also he came to my school, and it seemed that HUFS was really a global school in the way that it has always promoted itself,” she said.

Egypt‘s Brotherhood faces double backlash

Egypt‘s powerful Islamists on Monday faced a backlash on two fronts as they try to solidify their hold on the country’s politics, as liberal politicians quit a panel tasked with drafting a new constitution to protest its domination by Islamists.

More ominously, the ruling military issued a veiled threat of a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood if the group persisted in demands to form a new government.

The warning pointed to a growing possibility of confrontation between the Brotherhood and the military, which emerged as Egypt‘s two most powerful institutions since the fall of longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak a year ago. For months, they have moved between cooperating and jostling for position.

But the Brotherhood appears to be growing in confidence over its position. The group holds nearly half the seats in parliament, making it the largest bloc -- and its strength grows even more on some issues in which it is backed by the second-largest bloc, the ultraconservative Islamic Salafis.

Together they have been demanding the ouster of the military-appointed prime minister so they can form their own government. The military has staunchly refused. They have also used their strength in parliament to create a constitutional panel with an Islamist majority, giving them the strongest hand in writing the new charter.

In response to the tensions with the military, the Brotherhood’s leader, Mohammed Badie, said in comments posted on the group‘s website Monday that it was "quite possible’‘ for the Brotherhood to reverse an earlier decision not to field its own candidate in presidential elections due in May.

If the military-Brotherhood quarrel escalates, the transfer of power from the military to a civilian president -- scheduled for before July 1 -- could be in jeopardy. Their dispute could also hand the liberal and secular groups that engineered the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak an opportunity to move back to center stage after months on the side.

The independent Al-Shorouq daily said on Monday that several members of the ruling military council have expressed their disapproval of the makeup of the panel in a meeting with Brotherhood leaders. Brotherhood officials could not be reached for comment, but the report was the latest in a series published in the independent media suggesting that relations between the two sides have become so strained that a rapprochement may not be possible any time soon.

Two prominent liberal Egyptian politicians -- independent lawmaker Amr Hamzawy and Christian activist Mona Makram Obeid -- were the first to announce they were pulling out of the 100-member constitutional panel on Monday.

Lawmaker Emad Gad said 11 other liberal politicians have also decided to pull out and were due to formally announce their decision on Tuesday, a day before the body is scheduled to hold its inaugural session. The group include eight members of the panel and three "reserve’‘ members, who would serve if a member bows out for any reason. Gad is one of the three reserve members pulling out.

"The entire process is a show to conceal the intention to draft a constitution for a religious state,’‘ said Gad, a Christian. "It’s a disgrace to the constitution," Sherif Samir, a spokesman for the secular Free Egyptians Party, said of the religious slant of the panel.

The controversy surrounding the panel‘s makeup drew a guarded reaction from the United States, which has over 30 years regarded Egypt as a key partner in the fight against Muslim militancy.

"We want to see a new constitution for Egypt that upholds democratic values and universal human rights in all of their aspects and provides protections and assurances for the participation and the rights of all Egyptians,’‘ U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington on Monday.

She said the panel has an "obligation to uphold and defend and protect the democratic rights that brought them to power in the first place, including the universal rights of all groups.’‘

Selected over the weekend, the panel includes nearly 60 Islamists and only six women and six Christians. The members were chosen by parliament’s two chambers, where Islamists have a comfortable majority of more than 70 percent.

"I polled those who elected me and the majority of them said they preferred for me to stay on the constituent assembly," Hamzawy wrote. "I gave the matter a great deal of thought and studied the makeup of the assembly. My conscience told me to pull out."

Obeid, a former lawmaker and a prominent women‘s rights activist, said, "the religious nature and the absence of women are behind my withdrawal from the constituent assembly.’‘

The new constitution will determine whether Egypt, a mainly Muslim nation of some 85 million people, will become further Islamized. The charter also will determine whether the decades-old system of a powerful president will be maintained, or instead, an empowered parliament under Islamist domination will set the tone.

The Brotherhood’s spat with the military has its roots in the Islamists‘ resolve to fire the military-backed government of Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, a Mubarak-era politician who is nearly 80.

"The (ruling) military council bears full responsibility for attempts to hinder the process of democratic transition and ... exporting crises to future governments,’‘ said a statement by the Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood’s political wing. The party also charged that the military might try to rig the presidential election to install a favorable candidate.

The military hit back with a strongly worded statement on Sunday saying it was unacceptable to question its commitment to turning over power to a civilian government and to a fair presidential election.

It also made a thinly veiled threat of a crackdown against the group by alluding to the mid-1950s, when the Brotherhood was outlawed and its members detained after the group challenged the rule of the military. (AP)

Intergenerational tension over jobs

Debate underway on extension of retirement age

Supermarket chain Lotte Mart recently filled 400 irregular jobs with people aged 56-60.

Among more than 2,600 applicants for work as a cashier or online picker were hundreds of retired corporate executives, bankers and school principals. About 70 of them held a master’s degree or doctorate.

Although paid less than younger regular staff, most of the senior-aged employees felt satisfied with being placed on the payroll again.

“It’s a win-win for us and the retirees seeking a new job,” said an official at Lotte Mart, which plans to employ 600 more job-seekers in their 50s in the latter half of the year.

Another discount store chain Homeplus has hired more than 1,800 people aged 50-65 over the past four years, with a plan to recruit 400 more this year. It raised the retirement age for its 21,000 staff from 55 to 60 last year.

Such moves by the two retail chains, as their officials say, appear to be keeping pace with the trend that more people want to or are forced to work beyond formal retirement.

With the baby boomer generation born between 1955 and 1963, whose number amounts to 6.95 million, or 14.3 percent of the population, beginning to leave the workforce, calls are mounting for increasing their retirement age.

But social consensus still remains beyond reach as some express concerns that extending retirement age would lead to a further reduction in job opportunities for young people, whose jobless rate is hovering around 8 percent.

In a reflection of the sensitivity of the issue, a body set up to work out measures to retain baby boomers in the workforce failed to reach an agreement to raise the corporate retirement age to 60 after a year of discussion in March 2011.

A participant on the 16-member subpanel under the trilateral commission among the labor, management and government said the “debate became stalled as the possibility of intergenerational conflict over jobs was raised.”

Representatives from management argued that social environment and institutional infrastructure should be forged first, with government policymakers backing them by calling for a “cautious” approach.

Labor representatives insisted on pegging the retirement age at 60, noting that Korea has the lowest retirement age among the 34 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

According to figures from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the average retirement age at workplaces with more than 300 employees has remained little changed at around 57 over the past decade. Public servants are set to retire at 60.

The trilateral commission launched another subpanel on “co-existence between generations” earlier this month. Planned to operate for one year, it is tasked with drawing up methods to increase jobs in a way not to be a zero sum game between the young and old.


Conflicting views

Debate has been under way among experts over the correlation between extended working age for the older generation and reduction in job opportunities for the younger generation.

Many labor experts have argued that extending the retirement age has little impact on youth employment, saying concerns over intergenerational competition or conflict over jobs are exaggerated in most cases.

“On the level of an individual company, they may appear to be substituted for each other,” said Phang Ha-nam, a senior researcher at the Korea Labor Institute, a non-profit research organization in Seoul.

“From the viewpoint of the whole economy, however, they are not seen as conflicting with each other,” he said.

But a report released by the Samsung Economic Research Institute last year suggested job opportunities for young people have been at least partly substituted by the elder generation’s extended career over the years from 2005.

A 1 percentage point increase in the employment rate of people in their 50s translated into a 0.5 percentage point decrease in that of 20-somethings between 2005 and 2010, according to the report.

Particularly over the period of 2007-09 when the global financial crisis brewed and peaked, the rate declined by 0.84 percent for the young while rising by 1 percent for the old.

“It would be desirable for jobs to increase at the same time for both the older and younger generations, but in reality that is not the case,” said Tae Won-you, a SERI research fellow.

“The substitutive relationship becomes conspicuous particularly in decent jobs at large businesses, banks and public corporations,” he said.

Tae noted that corporate efforts to avoid massive layoffs through job sharing and other labor-management concessions in the economic recession led to further reducing the room for hiring young people entering the labor market.

Figures from Statistics Korea showed the employment rate of 50-somenthings rose from 68.1 percent in 2005 to 71.6 percent in 2011, while that of 20-somethings fell from 61.2 percent to 58.5 percent over the cited period. The rate for the economically active population aged 15-64 stood at 59.1 percent last year, up 0.4 percentage point from the previous year.

The number of employed people climbed by about 415,000 from a year earlier in 2011 and around 70 percent of the new employees were in their 50s.



Cautious approach



Some experts say that the youth unemployment problem is expected to be alleviated from 2015 when retirees begin outnumbering college graduates.

The Employment and Labor Ministry estimates the number of college graduates will reach about 502,000 in that year, compared to some 541,000 workers assumed to retire at age 57.

According to the SERI report, however, intergenerational tension over jobs is expected to linger until 2018 when the last batch of baby boomers come up to retirement age.

Government officials suggest they will not hurry in extending the retirement age, reflecting their more sense of urgency with which they handle the high youth unemployment. Including those who have given up looking for jobs, one in five youths is actually left jobless, experts note.

While admitting the country’s retirement age is too early, Employment and Labor Minister Lee Chae-pil recently said his ministry will not impose “artificial guidance” on corporations to raise retirement age for their employees.

Strategy and Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan has proposed placing the focus of policy on hiring young job-seekers by 2014 and then considering increasing retirement age.

Some labor policymakers suggest the government may move to obligate companies to extend retirement age to 60 in 2017.

In what appears to be a bid to woo senior voters in the run-up to the April parliamentary elections and the December presidential poll, political parties have pledged efforts to raise the retirement age beyond 60 to fill the gap with the age eligible to receive state pension payments.

Some companies have already increased retirement age to avoid the shortage of skillful workforce that may be caused by the massive retirement of baby boomer workers.

Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipbuilder, has allowed those coming up to retirement age to work for one more year if they agree to do so.

POSCO, one of the world’s leading steelmakers, increased its retirement age from 56 to 58 last year.

GS Caltex, a major oil refiner, is working on extending its retirement age by two years to 60 from this year, company officials say.



Wage peak system



Experts indicate that the need to prolong the working period becomes increasingly urgent with most baby boomer workers having insufficient money to stop working at the formal retirement age and their life expectancy rising. The proportion of people aged 65 or older, which expanded from 7.2 percent in 2000 to 11 percent in 2010, is projected to climb to 13.9 percent in 2015 and 15.5 percent in 2020, according to Statistics Korea.

Retaining senior and aged people in the workforce will also help ease the pressure on the pension system, which some researchers worry will be exhausted by the mid-2050s if left unaddressed.

A recent report by the Bank of Korea estimated the increase of retirement age by four years would lead to an average rise of 0.051 percent in annual economic growth over the period from 2011 to 2050.

Many experts note the restructuring of the wage system is required to ensure higher retirement age will not lead to a reduction in new employment. As one of the most efficient methods, they suggest the scheme under which the wage for an employee peaks at a certain age before declining in the years to retirement.

“The extent to which the wage restructuring is made will hold the key to whether a higher retirement age and more youth employment can go together,” said Phang, the KLI researcher.

Data from the Employment and Labor Ministry show the proportion of companies with more than 100 workers that have implemented the system increased nearly three-fold over the past five years to 12.1 percent in 2010.

Workers are also increasingly receptive of the wage peak system.

According to a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry last month, about 60 percent of employees polled were in favor of the system, with 80 percent of them ready to accept a maximum 20 percent cut in wage.



By Kim Kyung-ho

(khkim@heraldm.com)　

Saenuri lawmaker denies brother’s alleged bribery

Rep. Huh Tae-yeol of the ruling Saenuri Party denied Monday allegations that his younger brother took bribes from a businessman seeking the party’s nomination in the general election.

“My younger brother has long been out of contact and I would never have confided political issues in him,” said the third-term lawmaker.

“Whatever he may have schemed, I am in no way involved.”

Seoul City’s election commission earlier accused Huh’s brother of taking 500 million won ($438,000) in kickbacks from a family member of a construction firm chief executive in exchange for his nomination.

The panel also demanded that authorities investigate whether the lawmaker, too, was involved.

Huh claimed that he met his brother last August for the first time in years, but the meeting lasted less than five minutes as he showed up with a stranger, who turned out to be the self-proclaimed bribe-giver.

“Sensing that he was up to something, I immediately left and have never spoken to him over the issue since then,” he said.

“I have no idea where he is currently located but will cooperate with the prosecution in finding out.”

Huh also apologized for bringing controversy to the party, especially with the April general elections approaching and the official campaign period kicking off this week.

The given scandal came amid the ongoing disputes that the ruling party’s candidate nomination screening processes were unfair and based on factional interests.

The Busan lawmaker earlier failed to win the aspired candidacy in his longtime constituency but decided to stay in the party.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldm.com)

Three new Japanese textbooks claim Dokdo

Noda’s remarks on Korean sex slaves expected to trigger backlash


The Japanese government on Wednesday approved three new high school textbooks in the latest round of screenings that claim Dokdo as Japanese territory, instantly sparking a strong protest from the Korean government.

The Japanese education ministry announced the first results of the textbook screenings, which are running from 2012-2014 as part of the country’s 2008 and 2009 programs to enhance territory-related education in its schools.

Dokdo still remains a thorny issue between Korea and Japan. Located in the East Sea, the small islets are administered by Korea, which has its Coast Guard stationed there.

The newly adopted textbooks are scheduled to be used in Japanese high schools from March next year.

A total of 39 high school social studies textbooks have been submitted to the Japanese government for the first screenings, the official said. Japan has 103 social studies textbooks for high school students.

“Out of the 39 social studies textbooks, 21 claimed Dokdo was Japan’s territory. Of them, three have mentioned it for the first time, while the remaining 18 had originally claimed it,” the Korean government official said on condition of anonymity.

“We will strongly appeal to Japan, by summoning the Japanese ambassador or consul general to Korea,” he said.

Out of the 19 history textbooks submitted for the screenings, 12 mentioned Korean women who were forced to serve the Japanese military as sex slaves during World War II, he said.

Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho Byung-jae immediately appealed the Japan’s decision, urging it to make corrections in the content of the textbooks.

“Our government strongly appeals the approval of the high school textbooks which justified and embellished a distorted historical view, thus calling for fundamental corrections,” Cho said in a statement.

“It is deplorable that the victims who will suffer the most from the Japan’s textbook screenings will be Japanese youth, who are to shoulder Japan’s future.”

The bilateral relations of the two countries over the so-called “comfort women” is expected to deteriorate, as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihoko Noda reportedly said the Peace Statue -- a monument of a young Korean girl set up in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to highlight Korean sex slaves’ demands for the restoration of the victims’ honor -- distorted facts.

In response to a question by a Japanese lawmaker in Tokyo, Noda said the expression written on the statue, “issues of sex slaves for the Japanese military,” were incorrect, Sankei Shimbun reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Japanese foreign ministry plans to announce the 2012 Foreign Policy Blue Paper on April 6, which is likely to repeat the claim that Dokdo belongs to Japan.

In the past blue paper, Japan stated that “although Korea and Japan have a territory issue concerning Dokdo, the Japanese stance on Dokdo is consistent that it is Japan’s territory based on historical facts and international laws.”
By Kim Yoon-mi

(yoonmi@heraldm.com)

Obama lauds Korea for education, IT

Obama lauds Korea for education, IT

U.S. President Barack Obama Friday nominated Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American, to head the World Bank, a surprise pick for the international financial institution's top job. Obama has often praised Korea since he took office. He lauded Korea for education zeal. He called for more investment in broadband and wireless to catch up with South Korea and other countries. Speaking at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in March 2009, Obama called for the United States to look to Korea in adopting longer school days and after-school programs for American children to help them survive in an era of keen global competition, according to Yonhap News Agency. "Our children -- listen to this -- our children spend over a month less in school than children in Korea every year," Obama said. "That's no way to prepare them for a 21st-century economy." In November same year, the U.S. president praised Korean parents for their enthusiasm in providing an excellent education to their children. At the launch of the “Educate to Innovate'' campaign at the White House, Obama said, “I just want to mention the importance not only of students but also of parents,'' as he mentioned talks he had with President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul. “He said even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education.'' Since his visit to Seoul in 2009, Obama has often talked about the education fervor that contributed to Korea's rapid economic development in recent decades, and has deplored the underperformance of American students, especially in math and science. President Obama has also called for more investment in U.S. infrastructure to catch up with South Korea and other countries, Yonhap said. "We're way behind countries like South Korea in broadband and wireless," Obama told a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in Boston, Massachusetts, in March last year. "That's not a recipe for the future. We're going to have to invest in infrastructure. We used to have the best stuff -- best airports, best roads, best bridges, best ports. We don't anymore."

Minari ganghoe (minari bundles with meat)

Minari ganghoe (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Minari ganghoe is a dish of pressed meat, red pepper and egg white and yolk garnish tied into bundles with blanched minari (Korean watercress). It is served with a vinegar and red pepper paste sauce. Minari ganghoe has a beautiful presentation. It best served in the spring when the minari is new and tender.

Ingredients
120g beef (top round), 6 cups water

50g watercress (minari), 3 cups water, 1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 a red pepper

2 eggs

1 tbsp oil

Vinegar and red pepper paste sauce: 2 tbsp red pepper paste, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/2 tbsp sugar

1. Clean blood from beef.

2. Heat water to the boil. Lower the heat to medium, put in the beef, simmer for 40 min. Cool down and slice it into small pieces.

3. Remove the leaves of the watercress, wash the stalks.

4. Panfry egg and cut into strips.

5. Slice the red pepper into strips.

6. Blend vinegar and red pepper paste.

7. Scald watercress in salted boiling water for 30 sec., maintaining the green color.

8. Layer the beef slices, egg garnish and red pepper, bind them in the middle with two turns of watercress.

9. Serve with vinegar and red pepper paste sauce.

Tips
Slice the boiled beef after it has cooled down, or it may become brittle.

If the scalded watercress stalks are too large, halve them.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

K-pop still feels impact of Seo Taiji & Boys

Seo Taiji & Boys sing hit song “Nan Arayo (I Know)” in 1992. (The SeoTaiji Company)

Fans of the three-member group that reshaped Korea’s music scene in the ’90s celebrates 20th anniversary of its debut


Debuting on March 23, 1992, Seo Taiji & Boys ruled the Korean pop world with a string of hit songs including “Nan Arayo (I Know)” and “Come Back Home.” Exactly 20 years have passed, and interest in the legendary group is still very much alive.

Seo’s music, which included elements of heavy metal, hard rock and hip-hop in a dramatic departure from mainstream K-pop, was a sensation in the 1990s. His unique style made him a cultural icon of Korea, giving him the nickname “President of Culture.”

His group’s music and explosive popularity among younger listeners pushed the country’s music industry to put more focus on teenagers, critics said. With the group achieving enormous success in the country’s music industry, entertainment agencies started to nurture young musicians such as H.O.T., Sechs Kies. Fin.K.L. and Shinwha. Korean pop songs also become less sentimental, aiming for a cooler edge to suit the musical tastes of the younger demographic.

“After Seo Taiji & Boys’ success, the country’s music market turned to younger listeners, like teenagers. Agencies also started to produce idol groups targeting teenage fans as Seo and boys themselves were young back then,” Seo Jung Min-gaph, a pop music critic, said in a telephone interview.

Seo is the first Korean musician to become a cultural product himself. He created literally everything in regard to his music activities ― from music, fashion to image-making. He was also responsible for a new marketing term ― mysticism ― both hiding his private life and musical activities when producing his new album.

“Seo completely closed the curtain while producing a new album and this, as a sort of marketing strategy, worked very well in increasing the interests from his enthusiastic teenage fans,” Seo Jung said.

Seo was not only a dancer and musician, but was also an artist who delivered his messages directly to Korean society with his music. However, it is hard to prove whether he really wanted to change the things that he pointed out with his music, critics said.

“I still question the authenticity of his message because he produced and sang songs that sharply criticized Korean society but did not take any action to bring about actual changes,” Seo Jung said.

The boys
Since the group disbanded in 1996, Seo has pursued a solo career, intermittently releasing albums and staging concerts in Korea. Yang Hyun-seok became a very successful businessman in the entertainment industry as the founder and head YG Entertainment, one of the three major agencies here. Lee Juno also became a producer of pop groups.

It was Seo’s revolutionary music that led the other two members join the group.

In a recent interview, Yang, who became a multi-millionaire producing K-pop groups like 2NEI, Big Bang and Se7en, said the two of them met when Seo came to him to learn how to dance in 1991.

Cover of Seo Taiji & Boys’ first album released on March 23, 1992

Seo Taiji’s most recent official photo, taken in 2009 (The SeoTaiji Company)

“His music was sensational, it blew my mind. I offered to work together as a group and later we brought in Lee Juno who was then one of the top dancers in Korea,” Yang said.

Seo’s music also moved Lee Juno.

“I decided to join the new group as a background dancer, despite my reputation, because his music moved my heart,” he said.

Seo’s divorce suit involving actress E Ji-ah stunned the public last year. The couple’s marriage had been kept secret since they were wed in 1997, a year after the group disbanded.

Some of his fans were in complete shock.

“I stopped believing in him because he used to tell us that he was married to music and his fans,” Yoon Hyun-jung, a 31-year-old student, said.

Despite criticisms, many of Seo’s fans remain as loyal as before.

Fan clubs have been known to throw large-scale events for their star. The fans released a special album containing all of his songs and some of his undisclosed video clips for the 15th anniversary of his debut. On the 10th anniversary, Seo’s fans held a concert.

Early this year, ardent fans of the legendary K-pop musician celebrated the 20th anniversary of the singer’s debut by naming a forest after him.

Seo Taiji Mania announced in January that they were creating “Seotaiji Forest” in Brazil’s Guapi Assu rainforest. They signed an MOU last year with World Land Trust, a British environmental organization which conducts tree-planting projects, about the forest creation and conservation. The fans organized a team in 2010 for the ambitious project and raised funds by hosting the Seo Taiji Forest sketch contest and auctioning Seo Taiji dolls. The fundraising ended on Dec. 31 of last year, with about 39 million won ($34,500) collected.

Seo’s agency has not yet announced any special event for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the singer’s debut, or hinted at any new material.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldm.com) 

Image matters in election year

Strong impression a powerful asset but can confound real policies, positions

It is not only policy pledges that candidates are working out and refining to woo voters.

With elections looming, they are busy polishing their images as well, employing the help of experts. Image is important for politicians to communicate with voters. A positive image can be associated with ideology and competence by voters, according to consultants.

Choice of dress, body language, facial expression, haircut, choice of necktie, skin texture and other details impress voters, they say.

“In a visual age, good-looking people, especially with amiable facial expressions, are always welcomed in political circles,” an image consultant who works in Yeouido, Seoul said. “These days, politicians are sort of like entertainers, because for the two jobs, nothing matters more than the public image.”

Beauty is an advantage.

“In the case of Na Kyung-won, former supreme council member of the ruling Saenuri Party, or Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui of the Democratic United Party, beauty may have made a great contribution to their popularity. For some voters, a beautiful face of a woman politician sometimes outshines her policy pledges.

“It’s the same with male politicians. Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon or Rep. Ryu Jung-hyun of the Saenuri Party draw crowds of fans for their handsome faces and gentle manners. Political insiders often joke that their fans did not like their policies but their faces,” he said.

Those with “less acknowledged beauty” try to offset low scores in appearance in other ways, in some cases successfully.

Park Sun-young, a professor of Kukje College Beauty Design Department, who has helped polish the images of many politicians and has written several papers on politicians’ image, said appearance helps create and boost a “brand” image that is hard to tear down.

“Rep. Park Geun-hye’s peculiar coiffure (styled after her mother, the late first lady Yuk Yeong-su) and constant appearance in trousers have built up a steadfast, trust-worthy yet feminine image. Ahn Cheol-soo, an entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist who is sometimes the subject of media speculation that he may run for president, creates a warm and fresh image with his hairstyle and neat outfits,” she said.

“There is talk that plastic surgeons and dermatologists are raking in money this election year from those who want their faces to look natural yet young. They do not like Botox that could stiffen muscles. They prefer non-incisive, non-permanent operations,” another consultant confided.

Styling boosts attractive features and conceals flaws.

Jeong Ki-nam, a Democratic United Party member who sought candidacy in Seongnam of Gyeonggi Province, tried to look like a young, playful but trustworthy next-door uncle. He chose cardigans and warm-tone frames over a stiff suit and austere glasses. He even held a guitar for his promotional shots in order to catch the eyes of young voters as well as middle-aged voters who feel nostalgia for music.

“Red or colorful neckties could add a vibrant and young image. The color of a shirt and pants ― we try to avoid conventional black pants and go with navy or sometimes jeans ― the shade of skin or plastic frames for glasses instead of metal ones help one look much more approachable and likable. Even small items such as a wristwatch or cuff links all do their share in making an image,” Park said.

“Sometimes I ask clients to change their whole lifestyle. It takes months to do so. But all of them follow the instruction, whether they are reluctant or happy to do so,” she said.

“For those who are bold, we try to expose them through active scenes, like making large gestures, running or dancing. We arrange flash mob events or take them to rock festivals and make them wear sneakers. For those who are young, we take them to speech lessons and let them wear dark cloth to give a sense of weight. Styling is essential for complimentary imaging,” said Hwang In-sang, head of the P&C Global Networks, a consulting firm.

Then, how much does “appearance” work for election candidates?

Professor Yoo Sung-jin of Ewha Womans University Scranton College says a lot.

“In 1960, the U.S. Presidential election produced an interesting result. After a TV debate showed a young and vigorous John F. Kennedy versus a seasoned Nixon, polls found a large support for Kennedy.

“But after a radio debate show, Nixon was rated to be more appealing. In the end, Kennedy won. Image has been in the spotlight on the political stage ever since,” he said.

However, image is not always enough.

“For example, when Na Kyung-won tried to bathe a disabled child to show her motherly side, even the journalists at the scene were not convinced because of her luxurious and ambitious image did not match charity works, though in fact she is a mother of a girl with Down’s syndrome,” Kim Dae-jin, head of the political consulting firm, Jowon CnI, said.

“There is no concrete data but Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton benefited from their good looks. Pundits speculate the preppy and neat features of Al Gore or Mitt Romney could distance supporters,” Yoo said.

Consultants, who are veterans of election campaigns, warn that image could outshine the most important part of elections and politics ― policy.

“It is very dangerous for politicians to rely on image because it fades after a certain period. If they make a mistake that could tarnish their brand, it will be fatal to their political career,” Kim said.

“Image leads to populism, which often leaves politicians empty handed. That’s when voters turn their back from their idols,” he added.

Yoo agreed.

“Democratic politics is about politicians’ suggesting policies and voters supporting their pledges by casting votes and then the elected carry out what they have promised. But a blind concentration on image could bring down the quality of democracy,” he said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldm.com) 

Jim Kim: Obama makes surprise pick for World Bank

Passing over better-known candidates, President Barack Obama nominated global health expert and Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim on Friday to lead the World Bank. It was a surprise pick aimed in part at fending off challenges from developing nations eager to end the U.S. monopoly of the top job at the international institution.

 

President Barack Obama stands with Jim Yong Kim, his nominee to be the next World Bank President, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday. (AP-Yonhap News)

Obama's appointment all but guarantees that Kim, a 52-year-old physician and pioneer in treating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in the developing world, will take over at the helm of the World Bank. Although he was born in South Korea, he will extend a tradition of American presidents dating back to the organization's founding in 1944.

The 187-nation World Bank focuses on fighting poverty and promoting development. It is a leading source of development loans for countries seeking financing to build dams, roads and other infrastructure projects.

Several developing nations had sought to break the U.S. leadership streak when current Bank President Robert Zoellick announced he would step down at the end of June. That put Obama in the delicate position of balancing his desire to see emerging economies step forward on the world stage and the pressures of an election year. His support for a non-U.S. candidate could have provoked fresh criticism from Republicans, who frequently question whether Obama believes in the notion of ``American exceptionalism.''

As Obama announced Kim's nomination from the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning, he tried to make the case that an American with a unique background and broad international experience would be a committed representative of the developing world's interests.

``Jim has truly global experience. He has worked from Asia to Africa to the Americas, from capitals to small villages,'' Obama said. ``His personal story exemplifies the great diversity of our country.''

In addition to Kim, Obama was joined in the Rose Garden by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, both of whom could have had the job but were not interested. Senior administration officials said it was Clinton who first recommended Kim to Obama.

Obama, aware of the concerns of the developing world, expanded his search beyond the usual slate of high-ranking government officials and prominent business leaders. Officials described internal White House strategy only on condition of anonymity.

``It's time for a development professional to lead the world's largest development agency,'' Obama said as he announced the nomination.

The World Bank's 25-member executive board will officially select a new president next month. But given that the U.S, as the world's largest economy, has the largest percentage of the votes, Kim is expected to prevail.

He was widely praised by officials in the U.S. and overseas. Former President Bill Clinton, who advocated for Kim during Obama's selection process, said in a statement that the nominee was ``an inspired and outstanding choice.'' Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Kim was ``a true friend of Africa'' and ``a leader who knows what it takes to address poverty.''

Still, Kim's nomination was expected to face some resistance from those who believe it is time for the developing world to take the reins at an organization focused on addressing its needs.

Officials at Oxfam, the international aid agency, urged the World Bank to welcome a genuine debate about its leadership and not just rubber-stamp the U.S. selection.

``It's time for a symbolic break from the past and for a new leader to steer the bank into the 21st century,'' Oxfam spokeswoman Elizabeth Stuart said.

The argument from the developing world was one Obama himself often has made in his travels as president to places like China, India and Brazil. Rising powers, he has said, must play a larger role on the world stage.

Developing countries put forward two candidates, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's finance minister. Jose Antonio Ocampo, a Columbia University professor who had been finance minister for Colombia, also was nominated.

Jeffrey Sachs, a prominent development economist at Columbia University in New York, personally campaigned for the World Bank post and had been expected to be nominated by Italy's representative on the World Bank board. But Sachs announced on his Twitter account Friday that he was withdrawing in favor of Kim.

``Jim Kim is a superb nominee for the WB. I support him 100 percent. I thank all who supported me and know they'll be very pleased with today's news,'' Sachs said in a message.

Kim is expected to travel around the world on a listening tour to rally support for his nomination ahead of the World Bank vote, Obama administration officials said.

Obama picked Kim over several more well-known candidates, including Susan Rice, current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Democratic Sen. John Kerry, a former candidate for U.S. president, and Lawrence Summers, former director of the president's National Economic Council.

Others mentioned for the World Bank post included Indra Nooyi, the head of PepsiCo, and Laura D'Andrea Tyson, who served in top economic jobs in the Clinton administration.

Kim was born in Seoul, moved to the U.S. at age 5 and grew up in Muscatine, Iowa, where he was a high school quarterback in football and point guard in basketball. He is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard University and co-founder of the global health organization Partners in Health. He served as director of the World Health Organization's department of HIV/AIDS.

He began his tenure as president of Dartmouth in 2009, the first Asian-American to lead an Ivy League institution. (AP)

Pakistan, Korea forge closer relations

Pakistan, Korea forge closer relations

Pakistani Ambassador to Korea Shuakat Ali Mukadam I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to the Korea Times for bringing out a supplement on the occasion of the Pakistan Day, March 23. Korea has developed under the dynamic leadership of the President Lee Myung-bak and the Prime Minister Mr. Kim Hwang-sik. Pakistan-Korea have excellent bilateral relation in the political, economic, trade, cultural, military and educational fields. We have the strength of 36 MOUs and agreements, which is a testimony to the solid foundation of our relationship. Our relations which were established in 1968 at the consular level and at the Ambassadorial level in 1983, have progressed exponentially in the intervening years in all gamut. Our bilateral trade which was in the region of 94 million dollars in the 1980s has surpassed $1.55 billion dollars in 2011. Pakistan’s exports being $736 million and Korean export to Pakistan being $819 million dollars. Some of the most significant investments are the $500 million investment by Lotte Group in chemical plant which was acquired from ICI, to produce Pure Terephthalic Acid (PTA) used in textile industry and subsequent acquisition of a food and beverage company, KOLSON Foods. Sambu had built the 8.5 Km Lawari tunnel and is participating in the 84-megawatt New Bong Hydro Power project in Azad Kashmir. A consortium of K-Water, Sambu and Daewoo E&C, have started work on the 150 MW Patrind run of the river Hydro Water Project. Korean companies have expressed their interest to participate in numerous other Hydro power projects in Pakistan. Doosan Heavy Industries and construction co has completed the combined cycle power plant of 175 megawatts worth $160 millions. Ssangyong E&C has completed work on reinforcing old ports and construction of docks and subsidiary facilities at Karachi port. Currently, it is working on the $90-million project on reconstruction of berth in Karachi. The DeokJae Construction Ltd has nearly completed the Mirpurkhas- Hyderabad 64 km dual carriageway public-private partnership project by Sindh government. POSCO, Steel giants have invested in Tawariqi Steel in Karachi, a $260 million dollars project in which 15 million dollars have been invested by POSCO. They have also expressed their interest in the $174 million Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (handling coal, clinker) at Port Qasim. Many high level visits have taken place from Pakistan to Korea in the past which include two president and three prime Ministers. In 2011, the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Qasim Ali Shah visited Seoul, heading a 30 member delegation from Sindh Board of Investment, who had fruitful meetings with Korean counterparts. The visit of Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani to participate in the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit from March 26-27, during which he will also meet the Korean conglomerates will provide further impetus to trade and economic activities. The Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim along with a delegation of 10-12 members is also expected to visit Korea from April 25-30. Pakistan will also participate in the Yeosu Expo-2012 from May-August in Yeosu town. There exists a Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) which encompasses all areas of political, economic, trade, educational and cultural relations. The Bilateral Policy Consultation is another forum to foster our linkages. Talks are held regularly between the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and the Vice Minister of Korea. The last talks were held at Seoul on Nov.18, 2011. The Pakistani community in Korea is 10,341 which include workers, businessmen, professionals and students. A number of Pakistanis have been here for the last 20 years and established their own business in South Korea. The number of workers are 4,700 and students are 513. The Pakistani community is very active and engaged in promoting Korea-Pakistan relations. They participate wholeheartedly in the economic development of Korea.

Opposition parties reaffirm joint election campaign

Opposition parties reaffirm joint election campaign

By Lee Tae-hoon Leaders of two opposition parties Sunday expressed their resolve to abide by their early promise to launch a joint election campaign for the April 11 National Assembly elections, downplaying concerns over a rift in their alliance. “We’ve gone through a truly difficult and painful time,” Han Myeong-sook, chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) said in a joint press conference with the minority Unified Progressive Party (UPP) “I have decided to push it because I firmly believe in the need to form an opposition alliance for the April 11 elections despite a flurry of furious reactions from our party.” The opposition coalition between the DUP and UPP faced a crisis last week after aides to Rep. Lee Jung-hee, a co-leader of the UPP, were found to have rigged a survey to win a primary. Lee voluntarily withdrew her candidacy Friday to take responsibility for the fraudulent primary as DUP lawmakers accused her of jeopardizing the opposition coalition for her own political purpose. “The opposition coalition has gotten off the ground after overcoming numerous challenges and hardships,” the UPP co-chairwoman said. “I’ll fight against those attempting to undermine the alliance.” Han and six senior DUP party officials as well as Lee and the three other UPP co-leaders will serve as the co-chairs of the joint election campaign committee, according to party officials. They said the two left-leaning parties have decided not to have a separate office for the committee’s headquarters, but launch joint campaign teams in major regional areas, while maximizing the use of social network service for inter-party cooperation and campaign rallies. Moon Jae-in, one of the strongest presidential contenders from the opposition block, arranged a meeting of Han and Lee last Thursday to salvage the alliance. The two parties had agreed to select and support unified candidates for the Assembly elections to increase their chances of winning more seats against the governing Saenuri Party.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr