Special counsel raids home of Lee's eldest brother

A special counsel raided the home and office of President Lee Myung-bak's eldest brother on Wednesday on suspicions he played a role in alleged irregularities in a now-scrapped project to build Lee's retirement home, officials said. The raid came as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that Lee's son, Si-hyung, and the presidential security service violated real estate laws and used taxpayers' money to buy a plot of land for the retirement home, which was to be built in Naegok-dong on the southern edge of Seoul. Lee's eldest brother, Sang-eun, reportedly loaned some 600 million won ($542,000) to his nephew for the purchase. "(The raid) was aimed at securing the material we need to verify basic facts such as money flows and details of contracts," special prosecutor Lee Kwang-bum told a press briefing. Lee heads the counsel of 63 members, including two assistant counsels, police officers and special investigators. The special investigation team raided the elder Lee's home in eastern Seoul and his office at the headquarters of automotive seat maker DAS, where he serves as chairman, in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, officials said. The team also raided several other sites related to Lee Si-hyung and two real estate agencies that were involved in the land purchase last year. Opposition parties and civic groups have claimed the security service and the son did not evenly share the cost of the plot, which included land on which to build auxiliary facilities for security personnel. The security service paid a high price for the site for security facilities, effectively allowing the son to profit from buying the site at a below-market price, they claimed. The presidential office has flatly rejected suspicions it was an illicit scheme to help Lee's son profit. Lee later scrapped the project and decided to move into his existing private house in Nonhyun-dong in southern Seoul after leaving office next February. As part of the investigation, the Justice Ministry on Tuesday banned about 10 people from leaving the country, including the 34-year-old son and his 79-year-old uncle. The chairman, however, left for China a day earlier on what DAS officials said was a business trip. He is scheduled to return next Wednesday, they said. Special prosecutor Lee said his team has issued a summons for three people, including a member of the presidential security service, to appear for questioning on Thursday. Counsel officials said they are also trying to reach the land's 56-year-old former owner, identified only by his last name Yu, who is known to be in the United States after having left the country on May 12. The special investigation comes after prosecutors wrapped up an inquiry into the scandal in June this year without filing charges against anyone involved, including the younger Lee, saying all suspicions in the case had been resolved. The prosecutors said there was no evidence of malpractice in dividing the cost of the plot between the president's son and the presidential office. They also said there is no evidence that the president tried to buy land illegally in the name of his son. That decision sparked a wave of public criticism and led the ruling and opposition parties to agree to a reinvestigation.(Yonhap)

Pakistanis probed for illegal money transfers

Police have apprehended a Pakistani man for helping his compatriots working in South Korea illegally transfer money to their families in Pakistan. Some 400 Pakistani migrant workers sent a total of 22.7 billion won ($20.5 million) over the past three years through the 32-year-old, surnamed Ikram. Thirteen other Pakistanis and five South Koreans are also being investigated for collaborating with Ikram. Five of the Pakistanis fled and are being traced, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), Thursday. The workers sent money through Ikram, instead of banks, to save incurring currency exchange fees. He used a company operated by his friends in Pakistan. After receiving money through a false-name bank account, Ikram had the firm remit money to their families. He then bought used computers with the money and shipped them to Pakistan. The firm sold the computers to secure cash. Ikram and his collaborators received fees amounting to some 120 million won for transferring money to the families, police said. Officers suspect there could be similar fraud cases involving migrant workers from other countries. Nearly 700,000 migrant workers, mostly from Southeast Asia and China, are working in South Korea, according to the Justice Ministry. The exact number may exceed 1 million considering those who are overstaying their visas. “Foreign workers should pay high currency exchange and money transfer fees to send money through banks. That’s because they are tempted to use unlawful channels,” the SMPA said in a press release. “Some of them don’t use banks because they do not want to expose their identities in the process of setting up bank accounts and sending remittances.” Police suspect there are many private currency exchange shops that are helping foreigners illegally transmit money overseas. Ikram is known to have attracted “customers” through mobile text messages. He had collaborators in industrial zones nationwide where there are many Pakistani workers, police said.

Moon vows to renegotiate US FTA

Park Geun-hye, left, the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate, answers questions at a meeting with the student body at Kangwon National University, Thursday; while Moon Jae-in, center, the Democratic United Party’s candidate, drinks water at an event celebrating private kindergarten educators’ day at KBS Sports World, Seoul. Independent Ahn Cheol-soo, right, makes buckwheat noodles during a visit to Hoengseong Hanu Festival in Gangwon Province. / Yonhap Candidates differ on economic vision By Kang Hyun-kyung Rival presidential candidates locked horns over the free trade agreement signed with the United States (KORUS FTA) Thursday, pushing the treaty, which is already in effect, as a campaign issue. Rep. Moon Jae-in, presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), pledged that he would seek renegotiation of the KORUS FTA if elected. Speaking at a seminar held in southern Seoul, Moon said he would “regain the sovereignty over customs clearance” from the U.S. government. “Agricultural issues should be dealt with in multilateral negotiations that handle environmental, socio-economic and other related issues together, not in bilateral trade pact talks,” he said. “We had a vivid memory of the anti-U.S. beef import rallies that swept the nation back in 2008. The rallies showed the people’s deep interest in food safety.” Moon revealed his position on the KORUS FTA a day after Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party opened fire at him for reversing his position on key issues, including the trade pact. “The former Roh Moo-hyun government pushed the plan to build a naval base on Jeju Island to build up Korea’s naval power and security. But those who pushed for the agenda suddenly reversed their position on it,” she said. “They also flip-flopped their position on the KORUS FTA which was also clinched under the Roh government.” The FTA is one of the areas the major presidential candidates differ over. They were also not on the same page on their remedy for four policy headaches _ low birthrates, an ageing society, jobless growth and high unemployment. Rep. Park places a top priority on creativity to solve the problems, whereas Rep. Moon proposed fairness as a key theme of his economic vision. Software millionaire-turned-presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo puts emphasis on the power of innovation. Park pledged to reinstall the ministry handling science and technology to back up her plan to develop new engines for growth. Unveiling economic campaign pledges, Park dubbed her vision as creative economics aimed to boost imagination, creativity, science and technology. “If elected president, I will shift the focus of the role of our education into boosting creativity and imagination,” she said. “I will create the Ministry of Future Science and Technology responsible for laying the groundwork for creative economics. The ministry will educate human resources to have a creative and convergent mindset and support research activities to better prepare for the future and to build and protect the ecosystem of scientific knowledge.” The science technology ministry was abolished after President Lee Myung-bak took power in February 2008. Several other ministries, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, took over parts of its functions. Park hinted at putting a halt to the growth-oriented policies sought under the Lee government as they have been criticized for causing growth without job creation. “Through creative economics, I will set a new model for the Korean economy and end the decades-long practice of emulating other successful economies to boost economic growth,” said she. “Under this plan, my team will switch the policy priority to boosting the employment rate as the current growth-oriented policy has led to jobless growth. I will seek quality-oriented growth which cares for humans and promotes science and technology.” Her remarks came amid deepening social inequality as jobless growth has continued over the past years. Despite economic growth, the income gap between the upper- and lower-class families has widened and decent jobs are increasingly disappearing. Youth unemployment is high, and household debt has soared. These negative signs cemented public skepticism about the growth-oriented economic vision as unlike advocates’ claims, no trickle-down effect to lower-income families has occurred. Moon proposed “fair economics” as the guiding principle for his vision on the economy. He called for curbing corporate greed and redistribution of wealth to resolve social inequality, claiming this will help the economy grow, create jobs, strengthen the social safety net and achieve economic justice. The former presidential chief of staff to the late President Roh Moo-hyun pledged to reform corporate governance of conglomerates, abolish tax cuts for rich people and spend more on the working class. Independent Ahn’s vision is focused on innovation. “All entities in the market suggest their ideas and resources and then put them together to create value-added products. Once this is done, we can distribute the benefits in a fair and equal manner. If this system is in place, everybody is going to win,” he said. The founder of anti-virus software provider AhnLab said he came up with the idea after seeing the win-win model between software giant Apple and its partner firms. The global giant and start-ups formed a network based on their ideas and creativity and this enabled them to achieve innovation, he explained. He dubbed his economic vision as “two-wheel economics” referring to the policy mix of economic justice and welfare on the one hand and innovative economics on the other hand.

“GenieTalk” tops app chart to mixed reviews

As the automatic translation application “GenieTalk” has taken the No. 1 spot on AppStore’s free popular app chart just one day after launching, early adopters across the nation and overseas are busy posting reviews on social network services -- on both the good and the bad.

“GenieTalk,” a free Korean-English translation app developed by the Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institution with support from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, was introduced on Wednesday and jumped straight to the top of the free app chart as of Thursday, defeating popular game apps.

Users speak or type a phrase and it instantly gives a text translation. If the user taps on the text, the app provides four sub-functions to choose from: voice translation, bookmark, modify and delete options.

The platform has such a user-friendly design that the features are perfectly navigable within five minutes of starting to use the app. In addition, the setting menu allows users to easily convert the language on the interface and choose between a male or female voice mode.

Korean speakers who downloaded the app applauded its excellent usability and convenience on a customer evaluation list at AppStore.

“I strongly recommend this. The interface is well designed and works pretty quickly. I will use it when I go abroad,” one user wrote.

While getting positive responses from most Koreans, the speech synthesis system’s English recognition capability was found to be insufficient. Additionally, the application doesn’t work offline or in low-signal areas.

Three to five alternative translations that relate to the text entered appear on the screen when a user runs the audio function. While the function is helpful for a speaker who has obtained a certain level of language skills, beginners may not know which option to choose.

Testing out the app abroad, users from the U.S. and New Zealand said they found problems operating the speaker function due to a weak signal.

“When I tried to translate English to Korean by typing, the result came out fine, but the speak function doesn‘t work at all. I’ve tried it several times and it either translates the wrong thing or says ’weak signal area,’” said Tiga Seagar, a Kiwi web designer in Auckland.

Also, the usual problems found with prepositions and idiomatic phrases make it more suitable as a phrasebook than an actual translator.


By Park Han-na
(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)

‘Gangnam Style’ hallyu star Psy heats up Australia

South Korean K-pop singer Psy, who has earned global fame with his sensational song “Gangnam Style,” took a step toward becoming an “international singer” ― as he wants to be known ― with a number of shows in Australia, where his song topped the country’s music chart for three weeks.

Psy, who landed at Sydney Airport on Tuesday, made his first appearance in Channel 7’s music competition program “The X-Factor Australia,” as a special guest the same evening. During the show, Psy sang his viral song “Gangnam Style” and also performed his signature “horseback riding” dance with Spice Girls member Melanie Brown.

South Korean pop sensation Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, performs for fans at a promotional event by the “Sunrise” breakfast television show in central Sydney on Wednesday. (AFP-Yonhap News)

On Wednesday, Psy appeared on a morning show, “Sunrise,” performing live at Martin Place, a pedestrian mall in Sydney’s central business district. Psy wore his usual kitsch costumes along with his now signature round sunglasses and received enthusiastic responses from the crowd for his energetic performance.

“Looking at these fans makes me completely forget about my exhaustion and jet lag,” said Psy on “Sunrise.”

Psy also posted a photo of himself with renowned Australian actor Hugh Jackman on his Twitter page on Tuesday. The photo showed Hugh Jackman and Psy dancing the “horseback riding” dance while wearing film character Wolverine’s blade claws. The photo was taken during Psy’s visit to the set of “Wolverine 2,” scheduled to be released in 2013.

The singer will finish out his three-day schedule in Australia with a performance at The Star recreational facility near Darling Harbor today. He will then leave Friday for Los Angeles, where he is scheduled to hold local promotions and prepare for his first U.S. album in the United States. His new album, which will be produced in English, is scheduled to be released at the end of November.

By Lee Hyun-jae, Intern reporter
(lhj137@heraldcorp.com)

Ahn holds virtual town hall talk with overseas voters

Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo held a virtual town hall meeting at his campaign headquarters on Friday in an effort to woo overseas Korean voters, who will be eligible to participate in the presidential election for the first time this year.

Young Korean voters primarily in their 20s residing in the United States, Japan, Norway, Malaysia and other countries asked Ahn questions over video chat in real-time. Also present at the forum were Facebook and Twitter users as well as campaign volunteers.

Ahn walked in carrying his signature black North Face backpack and a wide smile across his face, considerably more at ease than he was in previous official political outings. His bodyguards stood at a distance behind the audience as the computer software mogul curiously looked at the array of flatscreen TVs and video equipment standing in front of him.

“So, what’s in your backpack?” asked Kim Yong-soo, a 27-year-old campaign volunteer who was the first to take the podium.

Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo talks during a video chat with expatriate Koreans at his election committee headquarters in Gongpyeong-dong, Seoul, Friday. (Yonhap News)

“I have been carrying this bag for 10 years now,” Ahn replied, proceeding to unzip his bag to reveal the contents. “I carry today’s newspapers, foreign magazines, various memos, and also a toothbrush.”

Ahn then faced the webcam to take questions from overseas voters. A Twitter user asked what he thought of Korean companies’ practice of requiring English test scores such as TOEIC even from those whose work will not involve English.

“Our country is often called a ‘spec society,’” Ahn replied, referring to the rat race among college students to pad their resumes with better “specifications” in their search for jobs that often yield a pool of homogenous resumes for company recruiters. “Because there aren’t many ways to distinguish between candidates, test scores prove to be one such way, and that leads to an ongoing negative cycle.”

Ahn added that the government sector should lead the way in not asking for English test scores if the area of work does not involve the use of English.

The virtual town hall meeting comes a day after the National Election Commission announced the low registration rate among overseas voters. The Commission announced on Thursday that with 10 days left before the registration deadline, only 5.9 percent of eligible voters overseas had registered to vote ahead of the upcoming Dec. 19 presidential election.

“Having to spend a total of four hours to cast a vote is a difficult investment to make,” replied Ahn when a college student in upstate New York expressed frustrations that he would have to travel two hours to Manhattan to vote. “But voting is a precious opportunity in taking our future into our own hands. Even if it is difficult to vote this year, please do cast your vote with a sense of duty in the days to come.”

By Samuel Songhoon Lee
(songhoon@heraldcorp.com)

Park In-bee wins LPGA event in Malaysia

Korean golfer Park In-bee won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia tournament on Sunday for her third career victory. At Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Park overcame a two-shot final round deficit against compatriot Choi Na-yeon. Park fired a four-under 67 on Sunday for the four-round total of 15-under. Choi managed only a 71 to finish two shots behind Park in second place. Park picked up six birdies over her first 14 holes, and clung to the victory despite closing out with two bogeys. Choi had three birdies against a bogey on the front nine, and came undone by a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Park, ranked sixth in the world, ended as the only player in the field who shot in the 60s in each of the four rounds. She also took home $285,000 for the winner's check, further padding her lead on the tour's money list over Stacy Lewis. Lewis finished in a tie for 19th at 4-under. Ryu So-yeon was a third South Korean in the top 10, finishing a solo fifth at 10-under. The LPGA Tour comes to South Korea for its next tournament, as Sky72 Golf Club near Incheon International Airport prepares to host the LPGA KEB·HanaBank Championship starting Friday. Park joins Shin Ji-yai as South Koreans with multiple LPGA victories this year. (Yonhap)