Lady Gaga’s week out of limelight in Seoul

U.S. pop star gives media run-around, meets fans on quiet


Lady Gaga has been playing hide-and-seek with reporters and photographers waiting at her hotel and outside Seoul Olympic Stadium this week, trying to remain unseen in public before her concert on Friday.

The 26-year-old artist arrived in Seoul last Friday, a week prior to her concert, raising expectation of her popping up on streets of Seoul. However, reporters and photographers raised eyebrows about the celebrity’s secluded approach, contrasted with that of fellow international celebrity Jessica Alba, who was on a family tour on the same week.

Lady Gaga speaks at a press conference in Seoul in this 2009 file photo. The singer has given no such events in Seoul ahead of Friday’s concert. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

“I took photographs for news reporting for decades, and I took a special-rated photo of Jessica Alba. But Lady Gaga, she just won’t come out,” said a photographer from foreign press who has been trying to catch her since Sunday. “I am getting tired of this.”

Hyundai Card, an official sponsor of Gaga’s Seoul concert, adhered to silence when asked of Lady Gaga and her silence. A PR official with Live Nation Korea identified with only her surname Kim repeated, “I cannot give out anything because I do not know anything. I can only imagine how she feels from her comments on Twitter.”

But she confirmed that her next stop will Hong Kong, as listed in the artist’s official website, and will not stop by the U.S. in between.

Even though the artist played hide-and-seek for six days, she suddenly showed up for her fans waiting at the lobby of The Ritz-Carlton in southern Seoul where the singer has been staying. Some of the fans got to take pictures with their idol, while the press failed to catch a glimpse of her.

One Korean high school student said that she had been “incredibly lucky because she waited only 30 minutes to see Lady Gaga.” She also found it fortunate that the concert will take place on the final day of her school exam period. She looked ecstatic when she whispered that she borrowed an identification card from “someone she knows well” in order to get into the concert. Lady Gaga’s Seoul concert was banned for age under-18s by a government agency, claiming her song “Just Dance” is inappropriate for young people here.

Another high school student who bore with him a present for Lady Gaga expressed his disappointment about the 18-and-up age limit.

“I didn’t go to school on the day when the ticket sales began. I was so nervous, waiting in front of my computer. Later they changed their age limit and I was so sad. My mom felt bad about it too, and tomorrow she is going to the concert all by herself.”

Shin Yu-ho, 20, waited at the lobby with a bag and a design sketch made exclusively for Lady Gaga. “My dream is to become a world-famous fashion designer … I wanted to give this bag designed by myself to Lady Gaga first.”

Fans, hoping to see Lady Gaga, came in clothes that their star would like the most. A Japanese fan named Shoko Kimura dressed up in Gaga-style, striped top and pants with a black leather belt, a pair of sunglasses labeled “Lady Gaga” and a police-style hat.

“She has very big, hot heart … I love her fashion. And Gaga is myself … I respect her and her lifestyle. So I express that with my clothes.”

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

Unclear path for ‘East Sea’ name change

The International Hydrographic Conference wrapped up on Thursday without the adoption of “East Sea” as the name of the body of water between Korea and Japan.

The International Hydrographic Organization will therefore continue to refer to the body of water as the Sea of Japan, as favored by the Japanese government.

The government and civil society are expected to try and convince reluctant states over the next five years until the next meeting, observers said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday said the 18th general meeting of the IHO that ensures uniformity in nautical charts and documents wrapped up in Monaco without a decision on the name change.

A delegation was assigned to persuade 78 out of 80 member states, excluding North and South Korea, to have the international organization formally adopt East Sea because the currently used name reflects unilateral claims by the Japanese administration to sovereignty over the waters.

The IHO publishes “Limits of the Oceans and Seas,” which contains geographic information about maritime affairs. The sea, described as the Sea of Korea in several international historical books predating the colonial era, has been described as Sea of Japan since 1929, which was during the Japanese colonial regime (1910-1945). The name has not been revised despite appeals from the Korean government and civic groups.

“One fortunate thing was that no member state supported the Japanese delegation’s idea of sticking with ‘Sea of Japan’ either. Japan has called for a vote but a total of 77 states abstained from the ballot,” a foreign ministry official said.

Baek Ji-ah, head of the delegation, said the two Koreas have been collaborating on the issue, with the North Korean delegation calling for the waters to be named “East Sea of Korea.” The South has been more flexible, asking for the IHO to use both East Sea and Sea of Japan together for its maps.

The government said it will work on convincing the fellow states that the name change, or least the dual adoption, is reasonable. Civic groups have also vowed to continue their campaigns to promote East Sea.

Some suggest that the continuous tension between Korea and Japan is driving other countries away from the issue.

The Chinese delegation has reportedly suggested the abolishment of the Limits of the Oceans and Seas.

“Member states are growing tired of the issue. They think it is better if the IHO does not publish the book anymore,” said professor Kim Hyun-su of Inha University, who was also a member of the delegation,

He suggested that the IHO’s capability to manage the issue has been called into question.

“Members are sharing an understanding that streamlining and redefining the role of IHO is needed at this point,” he said.

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

Samsung Electronics posts record profits

Smartphones, displays up, chips down for tech giant in first quarter


Samsung Electronics saw its first-quarter earnings hit an all-time high thanks to brisk global sales of smartphones, the company said on Friday.

The Korean tech manufacturing giant said that its operating profit reached a record 5.85 trillion won ($5.15 billion) from January to March, up 98.4 percent from 2.95 trillion won a year earlier.

It posted sales of 45.3 trillion won in the first quarter of 2012, up 22.4 percent from about 37 trillion won a year ago, while its net profit was 5 trillion won, up 81 percent from 2.8 trillion won, according to a regulatory filing.

Its revenue and operating profit slightly outperformed earlier expectations of 45 trillion won and 5.8 trillion won, respectively.

A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics pointed out that its IT and mobile business unit was the main contributor to the company’s first-quarter growth. The unit, which consists of mobile communications, telecommunication systems, IT solutions and digital imaging, saw its revenue of 23.2 trillion won, accounting for more than half of total sales.

The company’s flagship “Galaxy” smartphones, developed by the unit’s mobile communications, helped boost the company’s overall earnings, the spokesperson said.

“Despite difficult business conditions including low seasonal demand for major products such as PCs and TVs amid a global economic slowdown, we achieved record quarterly results based on our differentiated products and technology leadership,” said Robert Yi, senior vice president and head of investor relations in a press statement.

“We cautiously expect our earnings momentum to continue going forward, as competitiveness in our major businesses has been enhanced.”

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor business was “bit slow due to seasonal factors,” the spokesperson said, adding that the first-quarter is not usually the best season for chip sales.

Its chip unit’s operating profit dropped 54 percent to 760 billion won year-on-year, according to financial statements.

The spokesperson said that Samsung Electronics aims to bring back its chip business on par with other divisions by focusing on developing “high-efficient DRAM green memory chips” for the global markets.

The company’s display unit made a turnaround, with operating profit of 280 billion won in the first quarter, compared to a loss of 230 billion won a year earlier.

Shares of Samsung Electronics ended up 34,000 won, or 2.54 percent, at 1.374 million won, with its market cap surpassing the 200 trillion won mark.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldm.com)

Seoul faces another beef test

Around this time in 2008, officials in Seoul struggled for weeks to explain to angry protesters that their agreement with the U.S. to resume imports of American beef would not put them at risk of mad cow disease.

Four years later, with the U.S. having reported a new case of the brain-damaging disease in one of its cattle, they face increasing calls to prove that they did not lie and to take immediate safeguard actions.

The government is struggling to handle the politically sensitive issue differently this time -- in a more confident and transparent way and in view of a balance between its trade ties with the U.S. and the need to relieve public health concerns.

American beef is displayed on shelves at a grocery store in Seoul. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik on Friday vowed transparency in the government’s response, be it an import ban or not, apparently mindful of the public criticism from four years ago.

“The government will release related information in a swift and accurate manner,” he said.

“Any government measure will be based on scientific and reasonable grounds,” he said.

The Korean government did not ban imports of U.S. beef, despite the discovery Tuesday of the deadly disease in one dead cow in California, citing the U.S. explanation that the infected animal was a dairy cow that would have never gotten into the food chain.

It has, however, strengthened quarantine inspections and decided to dispatch a team of inspectors to the U.S.

Two major supermarket chains decided to pull all American beef from its shelves, although one of them later reversed the decision.

Korea is the world’s fourth-largest buyer of U.S. beef, buying 107,000 tons of the meat, worth $563 million, in 2011.

Other top importers of American beef -- Mexico, Canada, Japan and the European Union -- are also still buying, while Indonesia has stopped.

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is fatal to cows and can cause a deadly brain disease in humans who eat tainted beef.

U.S. authorities said the infected California cow had what scientists call an atypical case of BSE, meaning that a random mutation in the animal rather than infected cattle feed was the cause.

Korea’s political parties and civic groups, however, urged the immediate halt of imports, calling on the government to honor its pledge in 2008.

The ruling Saenuri Party, apparently mindful of the presidential election at the end of the year, said the government must first halt imports until safety is ensured.

“The government must not give any impression that it puts trade relations with the U.S. before public health,” said Rep. Park Geun-hye, the party’s chief and strongest presidential candidate.

The government should stop quarantine inspections on the imported meat while it is unsure of its safety, she said.

The governing party pointed out that the government had promised such an action in 2008, amid a wave of anti-government rallies sparked by its agreement to reopen the Korean market to U.S. beef. Seoul banned imports in 2003 after the first U.S. case of mad cow disease was reported.

To soothe public fears over mad cow disease, the government ran advertisements in major newspapers, saying that it would immediately ban imports in the event of a new mad cow outbreak in the U.S.

Liberal opposition parties opened a new line of attack on President Lee Myung-bak, saying the government’s “inaction” is another reason not to vote in another conservative president in December.

“Once again, we are in an unfortunate situation where we have to worry about the food we eat,” said Moon Seung-keun, leader of the largest opposition Democratic United Party, accusing the government of endangering public health for the sake of its ties with the U.S.

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

Speculation of gov't weighing U.S. beef import ban unfounded:Cheong Wa Dae

Speculation that the South Korean government is considering a move to halt U.S. beef imports is unfounded since there is no risk to public health, a senior aide to the president said Saturday.

Senior press secretary Choe Geum-nak said media reports that the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae is reviewing the possibility of halting imports are not true.

The comments came as some media outlets reported policymakers are seriously considering a move to halt quarantine inspections tantamount to an import ban due to growing public health concerns.

Seoul has said it will provide up-to-date information on the latest mad cow case to the general public, with the farm ministry taking steps to inspect half of all U.S. beef shipments to make certain they meet import requirements. In the past, only 3 percent of all shipments were checked in accordance with international practices.

"The government places great importance on protecting the health of the people, but all data so far shows there are no risks," Choe said. He stressed that if new information emerges that changes this perception, Seoul will take swift and immediate action.

The comments came after the country's farm minister said Friday that U.S. beef imports will not be affected by the latest discovery of a bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in California. The latest discovery is the fourth detected in the United States. BSE is the official name for brain-wasting mad cow disease that can be transmitted to humans and cause the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Authorities said the cow had contracted a very rare "atypical" form of the brain-wasting disease and pointed out that the animal was a dairy cow over 10 years old. The rare type of disease is not caused by an animal eating protein-based feed that is considered the main cause of animals coming down with BSE.

Seoul had initially banned U.S. beef imports in late 2003 after the first case was reported, but fully reopened the market in 2008 after long-drawn negotiations with Washington.

Government officials said since Seoul only imports beef from cattle under 30 months old, there is no risk that the meat of such animals could reach South Korea. The country also does not import meat from dairy cows.

Despite such assurances, both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party called on the government to prevent U.S. beef from reaching consumers.

(Yohap News)

Park Geun-hye apologizes for scandals of lawmakers-elect

Park Geun-hye apologizes for scandals of lawmakers-elect

Park Geun-hye, the leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, offered a public apology to people Wednesday over scandals involving two of its lawmakers elected in the April 11 general elections. The remarks came after Kim Hyung-tae, who was elected in a district in the southeastern city of Pohang, withdrew from the party on April 18 over allegations he attempted to rape the wife of his late brother 10 years ago. Two days later, Moon Dae-sung, who won a seat in a district in the southern port city of Busan, left the party over suspicions that parts of his doctoral thesis were plagiarized. Moon, a former Olympic taekwondo champion, is currently an athlete member of the International Olympic Committee. "(I) feel deeply sorry that the party failed to thoroughly examine (the two candidates) in advance," Park said during a radio address. "Upon the end of the elections, (the party) should have put its utmost efforts into solving issues that are relevant to people's lives. But past mistakes of some lawmakers-elect have caused concern." Park took over the party leadership in December, when the ruling party was mired in a crisis due in large part to perceptions it is a party primarily for the rich and privileged. She led the conservative party to an upset victory in the general elections, but Saenuri has lost its majority, as the defections of Kim and Moon have reduced its seats to 150 in the 300-seat new parliament. Park also pledged to use the party's crucial win in the elections to deliver on its campaign promises, particularly in the fields of job creation, childcare and housing. Later in the day, several civic groups claimed that Yeom Dong-yeol, another Saenuri lawmaker elected in a district of the eastern province of Gangwon, is guilty of plagiarism in obtaining his doctorate in public administration in February. Yeom is suspected of copying parts of a foreign scholar's doctoral thesis, according to the groups. Yeom denies such allegations. (Yonhap)

Parties at odds over bribery scandal

Parties at odds over bribery scandal

Moon Sung-keun By Chung Min-uck Opposition parties are taking full advantage of the bribery case involving Choi See-joong, former top communication regulator and a close aide of President Lee Myung-bak, to gain the upper hand in the presidential race slated for Dec. 19. Prosecutors on Wednesday issued a summons against the former Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman who allegedly took bribes worth over 500 million won ($438,500) from a real estate development company from 2007 to 2008 in return for influence-peddling in a construction project. Choi flatly denied the accusation saying he accepted the money not in favor of the company but to cover the cost of conducting opinion polls during Lee’s election campaign in 2007. Choi, also known as Lee’s mentor, played a key role in Lee’s victory for the presidential bid. “The prosecutors must open an overall investigation into the funds raised (by the Lee Myung-bak camp) in 2007,” said Moon Sung-keun, acting leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party. The minor Unified Progressive Party (UPP) also called for an extensive investigation into Lee and his close confidants. “President Lee, his mentor Choi and his brother Lee Sang-deuk are on the verge of a collapse. We call for swift action against illegal political funds involving them,” said the UPP in a statement. Lee Sang-deuk, President Lee’s elder brother and a six-term lawmaker, is also suspected of receiving illegal funds from corporations. Experts say the snowballing scandal of the bribery is starting to emerge as one of the key election issues as parties gear up negative campaigns in the lead up to the presidential race at the end of the year. Some say the scandal could worsen public sentiment on the incumbent administration which already hit rock bottom following the illegal surveillance case of civilians. While the opposition parties carry out full-fledged attacks on the current administration, the ruling Saenuri Party is trying its best to prevent the case from spilling over. Concerning the scandal, Rep. Park Geun-hye, interim leader of the ruling party and the conservative’s strongest presidential candidate said “no one is an exception” and that “everyone should be judged according to the law.” Park who successfully led the troubled ruling party to a majority victory in the latest general election has lately been stepping up efforts to distance herself from the Lee administration. Park, also referred to as the “election queen,” earlier called on a thorough prosecutor’s probe into Cheong Wa Dae’s illegal surveillance case and claimed she was also a victim.

Lee suffers end-of-term syndrome

Lee suffers end-of-term syndrome

Former Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi See-joong enters the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Wednesday, without answering reporters’ questions before being grilled over bribery allegations. / Korea Times photo by Cho Young-ho Presidential mentor grilled over bribery allegations By Na Jeong-ju Traditionally, corruption scandals rock administrations during the last stretch at the end of their terms. History appears to be obviously repeating itself as the big guns who helped President Lee Myung-bak to win the 2007 election and enjoyed riding on the cusp of power are now succumbing to a backlash for their avarice. Amid morning drizzle, former Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Choi See-joong, who is referred to as Lee’s mentor, was summoned by prosecutors Wednesday on charges of taking huge bribes. With a big black umbrella, the 75-year-old man, the power behind the scenes, entered the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office in southern Seoul. He told a gaggle of reporters, “I will answer questions to the best of my ability.” It was widely expected that an advanced arrest warrant would be issued to put him behind bars for partially admitting to receiving money from Picity, a real estate developer, during the 2007 presidential campaign. The grilling comes after investigators revealed that they had found clues suggesting his involvement in bribery. The prosecution said it secured testimony from former Picity Chairman Lee Jeong-bae that he offered bribes to Choi as well as another key presidential aide Park Young-joon, a former knowledge economy minister, through a “broker.” There is now keen attention on whether the probe will lead to a full-scale investigation into campaign funds used during the 2007 presidential race. Choi admitted on Monday that he received money from Picity, but claimed that it was not in return for influence peddling and that he spent it on President Lee’s campaign. Arriving at the prosecution office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul at 10:40 a.m., a grim-faced Choi said, “I will answer (questions from prosecutors) sincerely.” Reporters asked a flurry of questions about his involvement, but he refused to answer. According to the prosecution, the Picity chairman, who is now imprisoned, told investigators that he gave at least 6 billion won ($5.26 million) to the broker, who is a middle school junior to Choi, to lobby for a construction project. Prosecutors suspect that some 1.1 billion won was given to Choi and Park. The prosecution will issue a summons for the former vice minister, too. The businessman said he bribed “powerful people” to get a license to build a complex of office buildings and logistics facilities in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul. The project had long been stalled due to its negative impact on traffic and air quality, but Seoul City approved the project in May 2006 when President Lee was mayor. Lee served as Seoul mayor from July 2002 to June 2006. The real estate firm allegedly stashed a slush fund amounting to some 30 billion won. The prosecution is now tracing money transfers between the firm and presidential aides who had relationships with the chairman. Choi, after receiving a complaint from the Picity chairman in 2010, reportedly called Financial Supervisory Service Governor Kwon Hyouk-se and Justice Minister Kwon Jae-jin, then-senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and told them to “take care of” him.

Ex-telecom regulator suspected of money-for-favor deal

Ex-telecom regulator suspected of money-for-favor deal

Choi See-joong, a close confidant of President Lee Myung-bak and a former communications regulator, is suspected of taking bribes from a property developer in exchange for influence-peddling in a construction project, prosecutors said Monday. The 75-year-old Choi stepped down as chief of the state-run Korea Communications Commission in January over allegations that a former aide accepted bribes from a businessman in return for favors. Later that month, Choi was accused of offering money to several lawmakers close to the president in 2008. Prosecutors said they secured testimony that a former head of the property developer, surnamed Lee, gave more than 1 billion won ($877,501) to a broker, also surnamed Lee, to be delivered to Choi in 2007-2008. The money was allegedly payment for Choi's help in winning a permit to build a large trade complex in southern Seoul. Speaking in a local media interview, Choi acknowledged the allegations of money taking were "partly true," but denied it was an exchange for favors. Instead, he claimed he used the money for President Lee's election campaign in 2007. Choi played a key role in Lee's election victory at the time. Prosecutors said they are investigating whether the alleged bribe was delivered to Choi. They also arrested the broker on Saturday on suspicion of accepting lobbying money from the property developer's former head. (Yonhap)

IOC to investigate Moon case

IOC to investigate Moon case

Moon Dae-sung By Kang Seung-woo, Jung Min-ho Moon Dae-sung, Korea’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, who is in trouble for plagiarizing his doctoral thesis, didn’t respond to repeated calls Sunday for comments regarding The Korea Times’ report about the IOC’s plan to investigate the case. Moon, a lawmaker elected for the upcoming 19th term of the National Assembly to represent a district in Busan, quit the ruling Saenuri Party after Kookmin University confirmed he had plagiarized his Ph.D. thesis, Friday. He is facing pressure from the opposition parties to give up his seat but is resisting calls to do so. Meanwhile, the IOC replied to an email inquiry about how it will deal with the Moon case, saying that it is starting an investigation. “We will contact the university in due time,” IOC spokesman Andrew Mitchell told The Korea Times. Kookmin will establish a full-scale committee to completely examine the case within 90 days. “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,” Mitchell said. Officials at the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) and the Korea Taekwondo Association were unavailable for comment. Currently, Korea has two IOC members — Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Moon, who was selected from among Olympian sportsmen and women. Korea hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, and is also slated to host the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. Some reports quoted an unnamed KOC official as saying that Moon is serving an eight-year term at the IOC and is unlikely to renounce his post at least for the time being. 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, Schmitt resigned from the presidency on April 2.

Former news anchor vows to focus on news media policy

Shin Kyoung-min

This is the second article in a series introducing significant lawmakers-elect of the upcoming 19th National Assembly. ― Ed.

The main opposition Democratic United Party was disappointed by the results of the recent parliamentary elections but succeeded in winning some key battles in the capital.

One of the party’s electoral heroes is political rookie Shin Kyoung-min, who defeated Rep. Kwon Young-se, third-term lawmaker and secretary-general of the ruling Saenuri Party in the Youngdeungpo-B constituency.

His victory was all the more valuable to the party as the constituency has long been a conservative seat. Shin started his bid shortly before candidate registration ended, but soon caught up with his right-wing opponent.

The DUP spokesman’s electoral win also carried a symbolic meaning for the liberal camp, as the corresponding district included Yeouido, where the National Assembly building is located.

Before entering politics this year, Shin worked as a reporter and news anchor at the broadcaster MBC.

During his years as a news anchor, he often made biting remarks on current issues at the end of the news program, which earned him an uncompromising and confident image.

The lawmaker-elect, however, must overcome numerous obstacles from the beginning of his first parliamentary term.

The top priority task is to boost the party’s ratings and reputation by the time of the presidential election in December.

The DUP, despite earlier expectations of winning the majority, failed to take the lead over the Saenuri Party, even when allied with the minority Unified Progressive Party.

He will also likely take a role in resolving the ongoing media walkout involving state broadcaster KBS, MBC and daily Kookmin Ilbo newspaper.

“I decided to take the challenge in an attempt to take part in the issue and achieve democracy in the media,” said the former newsman.

“Freedom of the press is the most fundamental factor in democracy.”

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

Prosecutors to summon police chief over Roh remarks

Prosecutors are reportedly considering summoning Police Commissioner-General Cho Hyun-oh in a libel investigation over remarks he made that indicated the late former President Roh Moo-hyun amassed slush funds.

The investigation prompted by complaints by Roh’s family is expected to shed new light on the bribery scandal involving Roh. He killed himself on May 23, 2009, as the prosecution tightened its examination into the allegations of illegal funds. The investigators closed the case after his death.

Cho alluded to Roh’s irregularities at a meeting of high ranking police officials at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in 2010, when he served as the regional chief.

He reportedly said, “Why did Roh kill himself? Just a day before his death, we found his slush fund kept under a borrowed-name account.”

The bereaved family members sued him but the prosecution has been reluctant to delve into the case, claiming that it has been already closed due to Roh’s death.

But the case reemerged as Cho once again implied Roh’s irregularities to a vernacular magazine.

In his interview in the Weekly Dong-a May 1st edition, Cho said, “The comments I made about Roh were inappropriate … but unless the family withdraws the suit, I will say what I have to say. It is for the honor of the police.”

Noh’s family requested on Saturday that the prosecution resume the investigation.

“Cho has threatened Roh’s family to drop the case. He has also tarnished the deceased person’s dignity once again. The investigators should arrest Cho,” the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation stated in a press release.

Cho recently offered to resign from his post after demands he take responsibility for sloppy police work during the response to a emergency call in the Suwon rape and murder case at the beginning of April.

His term will end next Monday.



By Bae Ji-sook

(baejisook@heraldm.com)