Park Geun-hye’s crisis

Governing party needs drastic revamping

Alarm bells are ringing in the ruling Saenuri Party as post-Chuseok polls show that support for its presidential candidate Park Geun-hye remains stagnant.

In a closed-door meeting of lawmakers Thursday, some governing party members called for a complete overhaul of Park’s campaign team and the party’s leadership, noting that it would be all but impossible to win the Dec. 19 presidential election if the current trend continues.

Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a deputy chairman of the party’s central election committee and one of Park’s key aides, said all her senior campaign managers ― mostly Park’s close confidants ― must step down from their posts to galvanize the party’s election strategy and win over the hearts and minds of the voters. This means a drastic revamping is needed to win back public trust.

Most recent polls show her trailing independent contender Ahn Cheol-soo in a hypothetical two-way race, although the gap has narrowed in the last few days. She is also in a neck-and-neck race with Moon Jae-in, the main opposition Democratic United Party candidate.

It remains to be seen if voices for reform from inside the party will take concrete shape as Park, the daughter of autocratic former President Park Chung-hee, showed negative responses to the proposal.

The recent situation is similar to that in 2002, when Lee Hoi-chang, the presidential candidate of the then main opposition Grand National Party, the predecessor of the Saenuri Party, lost to the ruling party contender Roh Moo-hyun. At that time, Lee maintained an overall lead over Roh but suffered defeat due to the realization of a single candidate in the ruling camp right before the election.

Little wonder Park is struggling, given aggravated public sentiment toward the incumbent Lee Myung-bak administration. Five years ago, we vividly remember, then ruling party candidate Chung Dong-young lost to Lee by a big margin as voters turned their back on the Roh administration.

While it’s true Park took a hit over her controversial remarks about the legacy of her father’s 18-year dictatorial rule and a string of corruption cases involving party members, this crisis is of her own making and she has to stave off the challenges herself.

While it’s her choice if she wants to let loyal supporters retreat from the frontline, it might become an inevitable decision, considering the need to show people that she and her party are changing drastically.

Most problematic for her campaign is that she is viewed as a contender representing past, regressive forces. In contrast, Ahn is seen as a figure representing future, progressive hopes.

As a conservative candidate, Park needs to show that she is different from her opposition rivals by developing practical policies that appeal to undecided voters in the middle. This is where she can show her strongest points.

It’s natural for candidates to have ups and downs in the run-up to the election, and there is no need to fluctuate between hopes and fears over short-term results. What is needed is for Park to make every effort to change herself and the party and try to get closer to the people. 

US should side with Korea on Dokdo

This is the fourth in a series of contributing articles by international and Korean experts shedding light on Japan’s claim on Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo and other affairs that prove Japan’s lack of remorse about historic misdeeds it has committed. ― E.D. By David C. Kang Diplomatic tensions between Korea and Japan over historical issues and territory flared yet again this summer, being by far the most serious row between the two countries since the mid-2000s. With both sides focused far more on proving each others’ misdeeds than on finding a solution to the issue, the disputes threaten to spill over and potentially affect economic relations between the two countries, as well as distract the respective leaderships from focusing on a number of pressing domestic and foreign issues. While Korean President Lee Myung-bak came into office four years ago pledging not to confront Tokyo over historical issues, these issues remain dormant and always a potential problem for Korea-Japan relations. Indeed, Lee is the third consecutive Korean president to have a “false start” with Japan: both Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun pledged to look to the future with Japan, only to be limited by the past. Much of the controversy over Dokdo has been about whether Korea or Japan had historical ownership of the islands or whether Korea or Japan first provoked the current dispute. However, those issues are not really important, because there are two clear facts in the case: Korea controls the islands, and both Korea and Japan claim the islands. That is, there is no doubt in my mind that Dokdo is Korean, and there is no need to engage in any type of debate with Japan over the islands. Dokdo is Korean, and it is controlled by Korea, so there is no ambiguity at all. However, the dispute rages on, and Koreans and Japanese are increasingly taking actions that may have ramifications for economic, social, and military relations between the two countries. Because Korea and Japan show no signs of resolving the dispute anytime soon, it might be important to ask what ramifications it will have on wider regional relations, particularly with America and China. The United States has tried to remain neutral in East Asian territorial disputes, despite the fact that the United States wrote the 1951 San Francisco Treaty that left many of these territorial disputes unresolved. Furthermore, it is easier for Japan to ignore their history under a U.S. treaty alliance that allows the Japanese to see their history as both “already resolved” and essentially simply a different viewpoint than the Koreans. After all, if the U.S. is neutral, that must mean that Japanese views of history are just as valid as Korean views of history. This is a mistake for American leaders. Ignoring issues that both Koreans and Japanese see as important will not those issues disappear. If anything, the events of the past few years reveal that ignoring the questions of territory and history only makes them more difficult to solve. Furthermore, U.S. leadership in East Asia does not mean trying to force its closest allies to ignore their own priorities and simply concentrate on American priorities ― that will be a losing strategy. Rather, American leadership needs to be exercised in a manner that helps the three potential allies to work through their disputes, and this will involve admission by the U.S. that the U.S. is not a neutral “referee,” but rather deeply involved in the disputes and cannot avoid them. An unfortunate fact that is often missed in analysis of Korea-Japan relations is that there is a perceptible absence of any reliable U.S. mediator to foster detente for Seoul and Tokyo when tensions get high. It is also unclear whether the U.S. can remain “neutral” in the dispute between Korea and Japan, and at the same time, help mend relations so as to bring both states under the trilateral alliance. What is clear, however, is that continued souring of Korea-Japan relations makes the U.S. the equivalent of the shrimp in the fight between whales: Korean and Japanese whales who really care about the issue. At the same time, Korean and Japanese leaders need to be aware that focusing on the Dokdo dispute means that the greatest beneficiary of tensions between Seoul and Tokyo may be China, which can channel the tensions to levy even greater pressure against Japan toward its own territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, as well as deter American plans to counter China by forging greater trilateralism in the region between the U.S., Japan, and Korea. When commentators often cite that Korea-Japan relations are not zero-sum, they forget that there are more than two players at stake. As a direct reverberation of the mounting tensions between Korea and Japan, there was a perceptible feeling from some voices coming out of China that could not help but feel some sense of satisfaction at seeing Japan “cornered.” In sum, the dispute over Dokdo has a wide regional impact. The U.S. position becomes weaker, given America’s inability to help its two allies resolve the dispute. China’s position is probably strengthened, although it may be strengthened in a manner that makes many Koreans uncomfortable. Dokdo is, and will remain, Korean...but Korea should also think about the larger implications of the issue, as well. David C. Kang is professor of International Relations and Business, and director of the Korean Studies Institute, at the University of Southern California. His books include "Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines," "Nuclear North Korea" (with Victor Cha), "China Rising: Peace, Power, and Order in East Asia," and "East Asia before the West: Five Centuries of Trade and Tribute."

Samsung hits new milestone

Samsung posted record quarterly operating profit of 8.1 trillion won for the July-September period thanks to the continued stellar performances of its smartphones and other consumer electronics products such as memory chips, TVs and monitors. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Technology giant posts record operating profit of W8.1 tril. in Q3

By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung Electronics said Friday that it posted record operating profit of 8.1 trillion won ($7.3 billion) in the third quarter of this year on the back of robust smartphones sales. It is the fourth straight quarter of record operating profit.

The preliminary estimate for the July-September period is a 90.6 percent rise from 4.3 trillion won a year earlier and a 20.5 percent gain from the previous quarter, the company said in a regulatory filing. It is the first time a Korean company has exceeded 8 trillion won in quarterly operating profit.

In the filing to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the electronics giant also said it recorded record sales of 52 trillion won during the three-month period, up 26 percent from a year ago.

``For the first nine months of this year, Samsung has reaped 144.87 trillion won in revenue, while the combined operating profit reached 20.67 trillion won. It’s possible for Samsung to clinch 200 trillion won in revenue and 25 trillion won in operating profit for the entire year,’’ said a company spokesman.

The firm plans to announce the breakdown of its quarterly performance by business division later this month.

Samsung officials say smartphone sales have been good, while its consumer electronics and display-panel divisions also helped improve quarterly earnings and revenue.

“Our smartphone business was very impressive in the third quarter. We expect the phone-making division took up 68 percent by reporting at least 5.5 trillion out of the 8.1 trillion won quarterly operating profit,’’ said the official.

Samsung shipped 57.1 million smartphones in the third quarter, said leading local brokerage Daishin Securities. That will surpass the 50.5 million the firm shipped the previous quarter, a new high for a single vendor.

Sales of the Galaxy S3 surpassed 20 million in the 100 days after its May debut, the firm said on Sept. 6. The company is also marketing the Galaxy Note 2, equipped with a stylus and a larger screen than the S3, after the first version sold more than 10 million.

But the official stressed the firm’s other businesses have improved or at least secured their bottom line despite the debt-crisis in Europe and a slowdown in consumer spending in the United States and China.

``This is a good sign for Samsung as its rivalry with Apple is expected to heat up in the fourth quarter after the release of Apple’s new iPhone,’’ said the official.

Samsung’s consumer electronics unit, which mainly handles its television business, reported some 700 billion won in operating profit in the last quarter thanks to the rising popularity of high-end TVs in Samsung’s strategic business markets of Europe, North America and China.

Samsung’s semiconductor division, which is a traditional cash cow, is seen to create some 1 trillion won operating profit during the July-September period helped by an increased shipment of mobile application processors for use in smartphones and tablets and flash-type memory chips.

But executives admit they are nervous about the company’s dependency on the booming smartphone business.

The profit contribution from its phone-making business was between 20 and 30 percent before smartphones came out. But it was 73 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to Samsung.

``This is a new challenge for us. We are asked to find the next smartphone to diversify our business portfolio and lower the heavy dependency on that business,’’ said a Samsung executive by telephone.

According to a recent study by market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA), the demand for smartphones priced over $300 will lower to 30 percent next year from this year’s estimated 39 percent, meaning Samsung will suffer from a possible decline in average selling price (ASP) _ a barometer to gauge profitability.

Samsung and Apple are dominating global demand for smartphones. But the rapid rise of China’s budget smartphone manufacturers including ZTE are posing another threat to Samsung and urging its top decision makers to develop other businesses for corporate sustainability.

``I can say today’s smartphone boom is just like a carbonated drink. I mean smartphones don’t need huge investment, unlike memory chips, and could be a short passing phase,’’ said another Samsung official.

U.N. condemns Syria’s Turkey shelling

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ― The U.N. Security Council overcame deep divisions to unanimously approve a statement condemning Syria’s shelling of a Turkish town that killed five women and children “in the strongest terms.’’

Council members managed to bridge differences between the strong statement demanded by the United States and its Western supporters and backed by their NATO ally Turkey, and a weaker text pushed by Russia, Syria’s most important ally, after negotiations that began late Wednesday and continued through Thursday.

In the press statement, which needed approval from all 15 council members, the U.N.’s most powerful body said the incident “highlighted the grave impact the crisis in Syria has on the security of its neighbors and on regional peace and stability.’’

It also extended condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey.

Demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans as they take part in a protest against a possible war with Syria in Istanbul on Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap News)

The council demanded an immediate end to such violations of international law and called on the Syrian government “to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors.’’ Russia’s agreement that the Syrian shelling violated international law was a key concession by Moscow.

The original Western-backed draft, proposed by Azerbaijan, condemned the shelling “in the strongest terms” and called it a violation of international law. Proposed Russian amendments never mentioned any breaches of international law, so the inclusion in the final text was a concession by Moscow.

Earlier Thursday, Syria’s U.N. envoy said his government is not seeking any escalation of violence with Turkey and wants to maintain good neighborly relations.

Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari said the government hasn’t apologized for the shelling from Syria because it is waiting for the outcome of an investigation on the source of the firing.

He read reporters a letter he delivered to the Security Council that sent Syria’s “deepest condolences” to the families of the victims “and to the friendly and brotherly people of Turkey.”

It urged Turkey and its other neighbors to “act wisely, rationally and responsibly” and to prevent cross-border infiltration of “terrorists and insurgents” and the smuggling of arms.

During Thursday’s negotiations on the text when the outcome was still in doubt, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters “we think it’s very important that the council speak clearly and swiftly to condemn this shelling.”

“This sort of cross-border military activity is very destabilizing and must be stopped,” she said.

The border violence has added a dangerous new dimension to Syria’s civil war, dragging Syria’s neighbors deeper into a conflict that activists say has already killed 30,000 people since an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime began in March 2011.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm Thursday at the escalating border tensions and warned that the risks of regional conflict and the threat to international peace is increasing, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The U.N. chief called on all parties “to abandon the use of violence, exercise maximum restraint and exert all efforts to move toward a political solution,’’ he said.

Nesirky said Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy, has been in contact with Turkish and Syrian officials “in order to encourage an easing of tensions.’’

Syria’s Ja’afari said the “Syrian government is keenly interested in maintaining good neighborly relations with Turkey.’’

“The Syrian government is not seeking any escalation with any of its neighbors, including Turkey,’’ he stressed.

But he said Syria wants to explain to the Turkish people that their government’s policies supporting the opposition “are wrong and have been wrong since the beginning of the crisis.”

Ja’afari said Turkey responded to the incident by launching artillery shells into Syria starting at 7 p.m. local time Wednesday and stopping at midnight. Turkish troops then resumed artillery shelling Thursday morning until 7 a.m., injuring two Syrian army officers, he said.

“Our forces practiced self-restraint and did not respond to this Turkish artillery shelling,’’ Ja’afari said.

The Syrian ambassador said he delivered another letter to the Security Council seeking its condemnation of four suicide bombings in the country’s largest city and commercial capital, Aleppo, which killed scores of innocent civilians and took place about the same time Wednesday as the cross-border shelling. He called them “suicide terrorist attacks.’’

Guatemala’s U.N. Ambassador Gert Rosenthal, the current Security Council president who read the statement on Syria, said he is awaiting final approval from all council members on another press statement on the Aleppo attacks. The deadline for objections is 10:00 a.m. EDT Friday, he said.

Ja’afari urged the Turkish government to show “the same kind of sympathy’’ to the hundreds of innocent Syrian civilians killed in the suicide bombings as the Syrian government showed to the Turkish victims.

Some of the suicide bombers “came through the Turkish-Syrian border, so things should be balanced,’’ he said.

Psy goes all out with 80,000 fans

Psy performs at Seoul Plaza on Thursday night in front of some 80,000 people. (Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald)

Cheering, singing, soju and a shirtless Psy ― now that’s ‘Gangnam style.”

Thursday night was truly a night to remember for the global galloping sensation Psy, who put on a mesmerizing visual performance as though it were his last, and electrified the city of Seoul with his energetic stage presence. What more could 80,000 screaming fans ask for?

Even though Psy has not yet overtaken Maroon 5 at the top of the Billboard chart, a feat for which he promised to dance shirtless for the world to see, he still gave his fans what they had been waiting for. The gracious singer, who thanked everyone throughout the night for all their passion and support, finally gave the people of Seoul a night of stripping down, letting go and of course, imaginary horse-riding.

Psy, who is no stranger to drinking on the stage during his performances, also chugged an entire bottle of soju. In such a joyous atmosphere, he expressed heartfelt gratitude for his country and his local fans saying, “This is for Korea” before downing the bottle in one shot as the crowd roared.

The concert was also broadcast live on several social networking media such as YouTube to allow all his global fans to join him on the momentous occasion. Psy stated that the live streaming of the performance was an excellent opportunity to show all his fans worldwide how well Koreans can go all out.

The scene at Seoul Plaza the night of the show was like none other. Many people regarded this moment as “historic,” and people of all ages ― children, teens, adults and even dancing senior citizens ― were present to show their support for the quirky rapper, who is currently the biggest force in spreading K-pop globally.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)

Cheesy ‘B-class culture’ sweeps Korea

From Psy to cult cartoons, subculture in full bloom

This man is no Prince Charming.

He’s a rather chubby man with a sneaky grin and whose shirt buttons seem about to pop. He is attired in a full suit with dress shoes and stands next to a fancy car. His shades are too small to cover his eyes and he doesn’t mold all of his hair with pomade.

He boasts that he can win any girl he likes and that he prefers women who understand class. But in reality, all he can do is hit on any girl while looking at their legs and dancing on an imaginary horse. The girls that hang out with him are grannies in a tour bus and when he’s tired he wraps a towel around this waist and relaxes at a sauna.

But he still doesn’t lose his confidence. He is the “man of men” and “knows how to play.” He even teaches his “loser” friends how to dance to pursue sexy ladies.

Oddly enough, the less-than-ordinary-looking guy has captivated pop lovers around the globe. He is Psy, of course, a maverick singer who named himself a psycho.

A screen shot of Psy’s “Seoul Style” concert in front of 80,000 screaming fans at the Seoul Plaza on Thursday night shows the singer’s face superimposed over a shot of the audience. (Yonhap News)

The singer and producer once explained that his milestone song “Gangnam Style” was all about the “B-class culture,” somewhere between the mainstream and a cult. The phenomenal success he currently enjoys demonstrates has sometimes, vulgar, cheesy, quirky and corny elements that work magic.

“I wanted to go back to my roots, the ‘thug’ spirit,” Psy said before the release of the song. After his triumphant return to Seoul from the U.S. on Sept. 26, he said, “I love being an underdog. I was born an underdog and whenever I come up with cheesy music, it gives me the goose bumps.”

And thanks to the “Psy phenomenon,” people are rethinking “B-class culture” and its spirit.

“‘B-class culture’ is used as a general term depicting something outside the major trend mixed with satire, retro, criticism, alternative suggestions and others,” said Jang Seok-yong, head of the Korean Art Critics’ Association.

“B-class culture is not about quality of the art itself. It is the direction and aim of the culture. Therefore, it doesn’t seek to make it to the mainstream.

“For instance, the rebellious underground theatrical play of Pumba or modernized version of Korean traditional percussion music, ‘samulnori,’ has become classic of B-class culture because they have those factors,” he said.

And at the moment, Koreans are enjoying every bit of it.

Rebellion against mainstream
In its early days, B-class culture here was more of a “two-for-one,” stressing the low budget aspect and the “hungry spirit,” or a strong drive to succeed. Later on, it began to be recognized as an independent area for art. Still, it never reached mainstream status.

“I believe it derived from post World War II German film directors who self-deprecatingly called themselves B-class compared to the lavishing Hollywood production system. But now it depicts all fields of art or culture that has a low budget and is relatively free-spirited, with a little cynical point of view,” Jang said.

Professor Lim Hong-sun of Seo Kyeong University said that Koreans becoming more individualistic has propelled the B-class culture.

“In traditional Korean society everyone was highly conscious of what others thought of him or her. But today, not many care. They feel free to speak up about what they think and what they want.

“For a long time being different or unique was perceived as a negative thing. But today, it is something to celebrate,” he said.

“It is now cool,” Jang said.

‘Don’t try to be mainstream’
The essence of B-class culture is being “unperturbed by others.” If you feel like changing your direction, admit it quickly rather than make stupid excuses. Don’t ever try to be mainstream or crave it, it shouts.

Seven entertainers of MBC’s Saturday show “Muhandojeon (Infinite Challenge)” struggle to complete for some of the most miscellaneous goals every week. Looking chic or cool is not an option. They dare to cross-dress, run after each other doing slapstick gestures, desperately striving to “make the audience laugh.”

A scene from MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” (MBC)

They are all at the top of their fields, they always call themselves losers and happily agree to make fun of themselves.

“Maeumeui Sori (Voice Within the Mind),” one of the most-viewed webtoons, speaks about trivial matters in life. The pictures aren’t pretty and the topics are so trivial that very few people would have even thought about them before.

“The most shocking thing of the year was ―” one of the characters said in one of the episodes “― was when I learned what seesaw was,” insinuating that he had always thought the term was Korean. People commented, “I have never thought about that either!” The cartoon has run 665 episodes so far.

“I love people undermining my cartoon saying, ‘It’s for kids,’” Cho Seok, the cartoonist said in an interview.

“B-class culture touches and explores the basic instinct and desire of ordinary people, without the pressure of having to look classy,” said Lee Dong-yeun, a professor at Korea National University of Arts.

Don’t be serious
Psy told an American TV presenter that his motto is “Dress classy, dance cheesy.”

B-class is all about being fun, having fun ― even when people are in the midst of their deepest despair or at a classy occasion.

Chang Ki Ha & the Faces (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

Acoustic band Chang Ki Ha & the Faces sings about how a jobless young man could spend a day meaninglessly ― drinking a leftover cup of coffee, scratching up his bedroom floor, brushing his teeth so hard his gums bleed. The lyrics and expressionless, flat voice of the singer spares little room for the listeners to detect the singer’s frustration but in the end, yes, many people get it.

Hyeongdoni wa Hangjuni and several other pop groups are composed of comedians and serious musicians. The odd combination inspire each other, allowing musicians emancipation or deviation from their serious music while letting comedians make a soft landing in the new field with the help of professional musicians.

Their song, “Anjoeulttae Deuleumyeon Deo Anjeoeun Norae (The Song that Makes you Feel Worse When you Feel Bad)” sprinkles salt on the wounded hearts of broken love. The duo, which dresses in tight T-shirts and gold chains like low-class thugs, mumbling imprecise pronunciation that makes it difficult even for Koreans to understand the lines, topped the chart earlier this year.

Limits
But whether B-class culture can root itself in mass culture scene is questionable.

Lee says it is highly unlikely that the Korean public will enjoy it as a regular flank of art and culture. “Let’s take Psy as an example: People were stressed and the horseback-riding choreography was easy to dance to and gave a few giggles. But that’s the end. I think Koreans are yet too conservative to retain the flame,” he said.

“Of course B-class culture will remain. And every now and then when the stress level reaches its peak, we will turn around and seek fun. But it will never become mainstream,” he said.

Lim said once B-class becomes part of popular culture, it loses its charm. “The reason you enjoyed the subculture is because you perceived it as something extraordinary, something unrefined. But when you are ‘overexposed,’ I think the freshness and everything you loved about it will disappear,” he said.

Of course, from time to time we see some B-culture widely loved for a long period of time ― look at more than half the women on the streets with pierced ears, people dancing to reggae music calling for Jamaican liberty and others. They were once a minor fraction of culture but are now part of our everyday lives. 

Clinton to answer questions on Libya attack

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed Wednesday to answer lingering questions about last month’s deadly attack on a U.S. mission in Libya, seeking to counter a barrage of Republican criticism.

“There are continuing questions about what exactly happened in Benghazi on that night three weeks ago and we will not rest until we answer those questions and until we track down the terrorists who killed our people,” Clinton said.

“The men and women who serve this country as diplomats deserve no less than a full and accurate accounting, wherever that leads.”

But the top U.S. diplomat warned against snap judgments, despite a growing clamor for information about the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi in which the U.S. ambassador, Chris Stevens, was killed with three other Americans.

“Let’s establish all the facts before we jump to any conclusions, and let’s do so so that we can get to the bottom of what did happen,” Clinton said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during a meeting of the U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Commission at the State Department in Washington on Wednesday. (AP-Yonhap News)

Four weeks before the Nov. 6 elections, the attack is a dominant theme of the campaign, as Republican opponents seek to make political capital out of it, alleging there were serious security lapses.

Republican Representative Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has called a hearing on Oct. 10 to probe the events in Benghazi, and urged Clinton to provide answers.

Republicans have lashed Obama over the attack, raising questions about the administration’s security and foreign policies, and suggesting there has been a cover-up into security failures.

Initially, the Obama administration insisted the Benghazi assault was a spontaneous protest against an anti-Islam film, which had sparked demonstrations the same day in Cairo when the U.S. Embassy was stormed.

But late last week, it finally acknowledged that al-Qaida elements may have been linked to the attack in which the Benghazi compound was gutted by fire.

U.S. military and intelligence services have mobilized to figure out exactly who carried out the attack and to launch operations to capture or kill the militants, a U.S. defense official said.

The official confirmed the manhunt was a top “priority” and would be carried out in cooperation with intelligence agencies and the Libyan government.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that it had gained access to the ruined compound, which is supposed to be guarded by local Libyan security staff, and found sensitive documents scattered about the rooms.

The documents included information on a weapons collection scheme, personnel records of local Libyan staff, and Stevens’s travel plans for the week.

Last week, CNN reported it had found Stevens’s diary in the gutted building in which he alleged he had been on an al-Qaida hit list, redoubling the questions about whether he was given proper security.

Clinton urged there should be a “rigorous, careful” investigation, but did not answer a question about allegations that requests for extra security in Libya had been denied.

She has set up an inquiry into whether security measures at the consulate were properly implemented, headed by veteran diplomat Thomas Pickering, and including Admiral Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“I am aware too that many people are eager for answers. So am I. And no one wants the answers more than we do here at the department,” Clinton said after talks with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov.

She added that she has asked the review to move “as quickly as possible without sacrificing accuracy. In the interim, we will provide as much accurate information to the Congress and the public along the way.”

In his letter to Clinton, Issa detailed a dozen attacks or threats against U.S. and Western staff in Benghazi in the months before the attack ― including two bomb attacks on the consulate.

Voters in 40s, ‘PK region’ key to election result

Korea Herald survey shows Park keeping lead but lagging behind in two-way races


Voters in their 40s and those living in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province who are open to ideological standings and prefer practical economic measures are likely to decide the upcoming Dec. 19 presidential election, a survey commisioned by The Korea Herald showed Thursday.

The ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye maintained her slim lead against her progressive rivals in a three-way race. But she lagged behind both Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party and independent Ahn Cheol-soo in hypothetical two-way contests.

These and other results were shown in the survey conducted by The Korea Herald and polling agency Realmeter on Oct. 2 on 1,000 respondents through random digit dialing. The survey has a 95 percent confidence level with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.

In two-way polls of 40-something respondents, the former chairwoman fell behind Moon by 17.8 percentage points with 38.9 to 56.7 percent. The veteran politician also came after Ahn by 18.7 percentage points with 38.7 percent to 57.4 percent.

Those in their 40s have been described as the key swing voters in various elections as they remain ideologically progressive but practically conservative in everyday life. The survey also showed the widest vote fluctuations among the age group compared to the more progressive 20s and 30s or the more conservative 50s and 60s.

Over 25 percent of the respondents in their 40s replied they were willing to change their support. While 24.6 percent of the 30-something respondents also said they may change their minds, their options were mainly among the two opposition candidates.

According to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, 8.9 million in their 40s, 21.9 percent of the 40.5 million electorate, are eligible to vote in the yearend race.

Those living in the southern region encompassing Busan, South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan ― also known as the “PK region” ― were also shown to be the key swing voters, unlike their original political allegiance to the conservative Saenuri Party. Both Moon and Ahn hail from the constituency.

In the region-based survey, Park failed to gain a majority by only collecting 43.8 percent. It was higher than Moon’s 20.1 percent and Ahn’s 24.8 percent, but much lower than the 65 percent support that had went to then-candidate Lee Hoi-chang in 2002.

“The direction of the support by those in their 40s and living in the PK region tend to coincide with the support ratings of each candidate. They are considered the powerful voting bloc,” said Lee Taek-soo, head of Realmeter.

Nationwide, both Ahn and Moon beat Park in a two-way race by 5.7 percentage points and 2.4 percentage points respectively. Ahn, in particular, enjoyed whooping 71.9 percent of support from those in their 30s, and a comfortable lead in Seoul with 54 percent and Gyeonggi and Incheon region with 55.2 percent against Park.

Park, however, maintained her sturdy lead in a three-candidate race, by earning 37.4 percent compared to Ahn’s 30.1 percent and Moon’s 22.6 percent.

Alarmed by her teetering popularity, Park is expected to complete her election committee lineup by naming a prominent figure as the chairman by early next week, and targeting those in their 20s, 30s and 40s as well as the PK region. On Thursday, Park flew down to Busan and Ulsan to launch her regional campaign committee.

To a question on who should become a single opposition candidate, 40.1 percent picked Ahn while 38.7 percent chose Moon in the tight competition. Moon is expected to notch up his campaign using his partisan support as a major strength, while Ahn is to continue courting the Jeolla Province voters, the political stronghold of the opposition forces, for the time being.

The survey, meanwhile, also showed that nine out of 10 already decided who they will vote for. The number of non-respondents to a hypothetical one-on-one race between Park and a single opposition candidate also decreased largely to around 5 percent.

Of the respondents, 77 percent also said they did not change their choice despite various allegations surrounding each candidate over the past couple of weeks.

By candidate, Park showed the sturdiest support base with 83.5 percent of her supporters saying they have not changed their mind and will not do so.

For Ahn, on the other hand, 64.2 percent of his supporters said they will continue upholding Ahn, while 60 percent of Moon’s supporters said they will remain committed.

By analyzing the respondents’ types, Park was seen to be popular among those in their 50s and 60s and operating their own businesses. She also enjoyed high 41 percent of support among women. Moon on the other hand was popular among 40-something office workers, while Ahn was favored by students and those in their 20s and 30s with white-collar jobs.

In case of a Moon-Ahn alliance, 41.8 percent of the respondents said they will support them regardless of who becomes the single candidate.

Among the self-described non-partisan voters, 42.6 percent said they will support whoever comes out from the alliance, while 16.4 percent answered they would rather pick Park, while 6.4 percent said they will abstain.

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

Psy enthralls fans in ‘Seoul Style’ concert

Psy performs at Seowon University in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Sept. 26 for the school’s annual festival. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

“Gangnam Style” fans must wait another week if they wish to see Psy at the top of the Billboard chart.

Despite not yet being able to say he has the No. 1 song in the U.S., Psy still held a free public concert, dubbed “Seoul Style,” at Seoul Plaza on Thursday to show gratitude for his locals fans for their support.

The excitement and the expectations for this concert were high, as though the city were welcoming home a national hero. The city government not only closed off traffic in the surrounding areas, but also gave the concert priority over a number of performances that had been scheduled as part of the on-going Hi Seoul Festival.

Road blocks were set four hours prior to the start of the concert and the city pushed the city buses and subway running times to 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., respectively, in order to accommodate the large number of fans. The city government expected a crowd of some 50,000 to gather in front of Seoul City Hall. The concert was streamed live on Youtube at Psy’s official channel.

Maroon 5 are still at number one on the U.S. chart, with Psy remaining at the number two slot. The results were extremely close with “Gangnam Style” trailing less than 500 chart points behind “One More Night.” This is a tremendous leap considering last week there was a 3,000-point margin between the two.

“This week’s points difference between Nos. 1 and 2 is the thinnest, in fact, since the Feb. 18 chart,” said an article published by Billboard.

The article also went on to speculate that the key reason behind Maroon 5’s success over Psy is radio airplay, claiming that the radio play of Psy’s hit is still in its early stages.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)

‘Gangnam Style’ shakes up wealth hierarchy

Yang Hyun-suk

By Kim Tong-hyung


It seems that the Internet’s most popular dance has shaken up the hierarchy of Korea’s super-rich. Entertainment mogul Yang Hyun-suk is galloping up the chart of the country’s wealthiest businessmen, according to latest financial figures.

Signing Psy, now an international rap sensation thanks to the immensely popular song ‘Gangnam Style,’ has clearly been his best move ever as founder and head of YG Entertainment.

Yang’s shares in YG were valued at around 130 billion won (about $117 million) at the end of January, making him the country’s 130th richest person in stock holdings. The company’s share prices have increased by a staggering 162 percent since, owing to the release of ‘Gangnam Style’ and the outbreak of the invisible horse-riding epidemic.

As of the end of September, Yang’s shares in YG were valued at 340.2 billion won, pushing him way up to 49th on the stock wealth chart.

SM Entertainment’s Lee Sooman finished at 64th with 262.2 billion won worth of shares, according to Chaebul.com (www.chaebul.com), an analysis firm focused on big businesses.

While Yang’s rise on the wealth table in recent months has been nothing short of meteoric, there were little changes at the tippity top.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee continues to be the country’s richest stock holder, with his shares valued near 11 trillion won (about $9.8 billion) as of September, representing a 2 trillion won increase over the past nine months. Stock prices of Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest maker of televisions, mobile phones and computer memory chips, has increased by nearly 25 percent since the start of the year.

Psy

Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo came in second with 7.3 trillion won worth of shares, which represented a 13 percent increase since the start of the year. His son Chung Eui-sun, vice chairman of the carmaker, came in third with 3.42 trillion won worth shares.

Amore Pacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae came in fourth with 2.9 trillion worth of shares, followed by Chung Mong-joon, another Hyundai scion and controlling shareholder of Hyundai Heavy Industries, fifth with 1.9 trillion worth of shares.

Computer software mogul Ahn Cheol-soo, now an independent presidential candidate, was 79th on the list with 222 billion worth of shares in computer virus maker AhnLab.

Ahn chooses Daum over Naver for campaign blog

By Cho Mu-hyun

Software entrepreneur-turned-politician Ahn Cheol-soo has chosen Daum over the more popular Naver to host a promotional blog for his bid to become Korea’s next president.

The choice is raising eyebrows because NHN’s search engine is the more obvious choice as it far surpasses competitors, including Daum, in terms of online traffic. Naver controls more than 70 percent of the market share, according to industry officials as of September.

The presidential candidate opened his official campaign blog on the runner-up search engine provider’s blog service Tistory, Tuesday, which will be used in tandem with his Facebook page.

There is widespread speculation of a possible rift between NHN and Ahn’ camp due to a recent incident involving the Web portal’s word association search engine that could have potentially damaged their campaign.

Naver’s search engine, which provides a continuously updated ranking for the most searched words, phrases or topics and displays them beneath the search tool bar, has caused controversy because of certain word associations it has provided.

“Ahn Cheol-soo room salon (Korean hostess bar)” topped the ranking table in mid-August, prompting NHN to be criticized for not filtering adult content. But the biggest concern was over potential damage to the candidate’s “clean” image. Ahn maintains that he didn’t visit a hostess bar as the phrase suggests and said he was concerned of false and slanderous rumors spreading through the Internet.

NHN CEO Kim Sang-hun issued an apology for the occurrence and vowed to filter inappropriate words. He personally attended an explanatory press conference and announced that the company will have an external party routinely review its search word service. But the issue hasn’t gone away.

Ahn’s friendship with Daum’ founder Lee Jae-woong is also considered another reason for his selecting the portal for his blog. Lee is a vocal supporter of the founder of computer virus vaccine maker AhnLab’s bid. The two are first generation information technology venture capitalists that became successful in the 1990s

Five complaints about iPhone 5

By Jake Nho

The new iPhone 5 from Apple sold 5 million units during the first five days of sales and is set to set new records in the market. While the popularity is certainly explosive, there has also been a wide array of complaints.

According to a report on the Internet, there are five major complaints among customers, representing a love-hate relationship in the IT industry.

There are all sorts of complaints about iPhone 5 spreading throughout the market, the report said. Here is a summary of the complaints, excluding those of iOS6, the operating system of iPhone 5, which is a software issues rather than the hardware:

▲ Scratches: While the design and functions of iPhone 5 are applauded, users are saying that the aluminum casing scratches easily. Apple, for its part, has said that the scratches are common in all aluminum products.

▲ Dock connector: Users have been complaining that the adoption of the “lightning” cell in the minimized charger does not make sense. Owing to this change, it is difficult to use apparatuses such as speaker systems. Even the iPod Out application, which sells for $39 including cables, are not fully adaptable to iPhone 5.

▲ Too light?: One of the strongest competitive edge of iPhone 5 is its lightness but many people are saying that it is in fact too light. Apple has said it is the “weirdest” reason for complaining about a mobile phone.

▲ Monitor problems: Apparently, bubbles form on sites like YouTube when using iPhone 5, mostly because of the flickering troubles that result from some of the IT applications.

▲ Leakage of lighting: Some of the users have been complaining that lights screen out of the monitor on the side and have been asking for replacements.

S. Korea presses Japan on wartime sexual slavery at U.N

Kim Sung-hwan, Foreign Minister of Korea, addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Friday. (AP-Yonhap)

In a thinly-veiled swipe at Japan, South Korea's top diplomat urged the world to make utmost efforts to end "wartime sexual violence" and exhorted any offender to face "the dark side of its history and rectify past wrongdoings."

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan also implicitly criticized Japan for continuing to claim the South Korean islets of Dokdo, saying "no country should abuse" the rule of law to infringe upon another's territorial integrity. Although Kim did not mention Japan by name or directly refer to

historical issues raising tensions with Tokyo in his speech, such as so-called "comfort women" and Dokdo, it was the first time South Korea has raised such issues at the U.N. assembly.

"Wartime sexual violence is a fundamental infringement of human rights, and is in fact an affront to human dignity and integrity," Kim said.

Kim urged the world to "make utmost efforts to put an end to such atrocities, not only taking all measures to protect women and girls in armed conflicts, but also providing effective remedies and reparations for victims."

"It requires a sound historical consciousness and heartfelt soul-searching on any past wrongdoings in order for solid peace and stability to be established between nations," Kim said.

The remarks were seen as taking aim at Japan over repeated denials of its legal responsibility over the issue of "comfort women," a euphemistic reference to up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, who were forced to serve as sexual slaves for front-line Japanese soldiers during World War II.

The matter is one of the most emotional pending issues between South Korea and its former colonial ruler, Japan. Seoul has repeatedly stressed that the issue should be resolved urgently as most victims are elderly and may die before they receive compensation or an apology from Tokyo.

Japan has so far ignored Seoul's demand for official talks on the matter, claiming all issues regarding its colonial rule were settled in a 1965 package compensation deal reached when the two established diplomatic relations.

"A country's true valor is proven when it confronts the dark side of its history and endeavors to rectify past wrongdoings," Kim said.

Diplomatic tension remains high between South Korea and Japan following the unprecedented Aug. 10 visit to Dokdo by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who cited Tokyo's unrepentant attitude over its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula as a key reason for the trip.

In his U.N. speech this week, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said his nation has "consistently" accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and called for strengthening the rule of law in resolving territorial disputes, in an apparent message taking aim at South Korea.

South Korea has flatly rejected a Japanese proposal to take the issue of Dokdo to the ICJ, saying that no territorial dispute exists regarding Dokdo and the matter is not one to be dealt with through diplomatic negotiations or judicial settlement.

The South Korean foreign minister warned that Japan should not "abuse" the rule of law.

"It is the firm conviction of the Korean government that respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty as enshrined in the United Nations Charter should be the guiding principle for stable international relations," Kim said.

"No country should abuse international legal procedures and the notion of the rule of law in order to infringe upon the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other countries, or to distort the historical justice," he said.

Dokdo, which lies closer to South Korea in the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, has long been a thorn in relations between the two countries. South Korea keeps a small police detachment on the islets, effectively controlling them.

South Korea views Tokyo's claims to Dokdo as a sign Japan has not fully repented for its imperialist past and a denial of Korea's independence because the country reclaimed sovereignty over all of its territory, including Dokdo, after the colonial rule ended.

On North Korea, Kim said the North's "nuclear program continues to pose a threat not only to the security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, but indeed to the very basis of the international non-proliferation regime."

Kim called on North Korea to "take concrete measures aimed at denuclearization which will also open an avenue to improving the livelihood of its people."

Ending his speech, Kim asked the U.N. member states to solicit their support for Seoul's bid for two-year Security Council membership. The world body is scheduled to take a vote on the South Korean bid on Oct. 18. South Korea, which last sat on the council in 1996-1997, aims to return to the council for 2013-2014.

"A country that has risen from the ashes of war, we have learned the values of peace and security. It is in this context that we earnestly hope to have the opportunity to promote such values by serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2013-14 term," Kim said.

South Korea "is determined to fulfill this role with the greatest enthusiasm and devotion. We hope the member states of the UN understand and support our bid for the membership," Kim said.

In Seoul on Saturday (local time), a senior foreign ministry official described Kim's U.N. speech as a "stern rebuke" to Japan's unrepentant attitude for its wartime atrocities.

"The name of Japan was not used because of a diplomatic protocol that avoids referring to a certain country at the multilateral diplomatic stage, but the speech contains a stern rebuke over Japan's attitude based on its incorrect understanding of history," the official said on condition of anonymity.

'Gangnam Style' conquers British music chart

K-pop viral phenomenon Psy's hit "Gangnam Style" jumped to No.1 in the formal British music chart on Sunday (local time).

It is the first time that a Korean singer conquers the Official Singles Chart.

"He’s done it! Gangnam Style fever has swept the globe this month and today officially conquers the UK, galloping all the way to Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart," the Official Chart Company said on its Web site. The company compiles various official British record charts.

It said Psy plans to visit Britain "very soon."

"Thanks to all the UK fans out there for supporting me and 'Gangnam Style.' Guess what? I am coming!" the company quoted Psy as saying. (Yonhap News)

A scene from Psy`s "Gangnam Style" music video (YouTube)