New Army abuse case draws public fire

Another case of physical abuses at a military barracks is drawing fire from the public, with human rights activists blasting the Army for its continued failure to care for the potential victims of bullying.

It was found this week that a 23-year-old Army private first class, identified by his surname Yoon, died on April 7 after suffering a month of physical and mental violence. Yoon was dispatched to his unit of the Army’s 28th Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, on March 2. 

Lim Tae-hoon, head of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, presents photos of a private first class who died in April after suffering physical and mental abuses at his barracks in a unit of the Army’s 28th Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, during a press conference on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Yoon’s death followed repeated vows by the Army to stamp out violence at barracks and improve the outmoded military culture in the wake of a series of violent incidents, including suicides and even a shooting spree in June by a bullied sergeant.

According to the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, an activist group, Yoon suffered “unspeakable” abuse from his senior colleagues. 

Senior soldiers repeatedly beat Yoon at the barracks because they thought he was too slow in responding to their questions and often grimaced, the CMHRK claimed after obtaining part of the military investigation records. 

Yoon was also forced to stay awake and stand in the “saddle stance” at night and lick saliva from the floor, according to the center. The senior soldiers also forced him to apply Antiphlamine, an anti-inflammatory ointment, to his genitals ― which the CMHRK argues should be regarded as sexual harassment.

Yoon was initially reported to have died after his senior colleagues struck his chest, blocking his airway and leading to brain damage. Some observers raised suspicions that the Army was trying to downplay or cover up the case by not revealing the tortures Yoon suffered.

Lim Tae-hoon, head of the CMHRK, argued that a murder charge rather than a manslaughter charge should be leveled against the alleged bullies.

“They apparently sought to destroy evidence after the abuses took place. They also said they wished Yoon had died when he lost consciousness. Considering all these (facts), the manslaughter charge should be changed to a murder charge,” he told reporters during a press conference Thursday.

Regarding the sexual harassment claim, the Army said it would see if it had to press additional charges against those involved. 

The Defense Ministry apologized to the public for the case and reiterated its resolve to eradicate violence in the military.

“We are deeply sorry about causing concerns. We are also sorry to the bereaved family,” said Wee Yong-sub, chief of the ministry’s Public Information Division. “We are taking this case very seriously and will speed up our efforts to craft measures to improve the military culture and root out all violence and abuse.” 

Army chief Gen. Kwon Oh-sung has issued an order to wipe out violence in all units and enhance communication among senior and junior soldiers. The Army has also reprimanded 16 senior officers from Yoon’s unit including the battalion and company commanders. 

The prosecution has indicted five others on manslaughter charges and another on assault charges. Prosecutors are seeking sentences of five to 30 years in jail for the alleged bullies.

Dennis J. Kucinich Become a fan 

Fmr. 16-year member of US Congress; Two-time US presidential candidate

Open Letter to the Korean President: 61 Years After Armistice, Democracy Is More Vital Than Ever

Posted: 07/27/2014 2:46 pm EDT Updated: 07/27/2014 2:59 pm EDT

Open Letter To Her Excellency Park Geun-hye, President, Republic of Korea

Dear Madame President,

As someone who, during 16 years in the United States Congress, has celebrated the US-South Korean friendship and who maintains deep ties with the Korean community in the United States, I respectfully write to express my concern about the policies of your government, which are anti-democratic and which discredit the sacrifices that American soldiers made so many years ago in Korea's defense.

The arrest and imprisonment of an elected member of your Congress, Lee Seok-ki, on charges of sedition, will be noted by members of the United States Congress who are painfully aware of the personal and political risks which can attend challenging an administration whose politics greatly differ. Your attempt to outlaw an opposing political party, your use of your National Intelligence Service (NIS) for political purposes, your cabinet's obstruction of justice in attempts to investigate the NIS, your attempt to cast as disloyal to South Korea all who disagree with your administration, your use of illegal surveillance of civilians, your use of Cold War rhetoric to attack those who legitimately question your policies, and your use of official resources, including state social media resources, to influence the result of elections, raise legitimate questions about whether or not you have any commitment to democratic values.

Today, Sunday July 27th, I join others in Washington DC, and people around the country and around the world, to observe the 61st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. It is my hope that the 33,686 US soldiers who gave their lives in Korea, together with another 8,176 US soldiers who were missing in action, did not make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of your freedom to enable freedom's destruction under your government.

In today's world, there is always an intersection of interests. As members of the US Congress learn of your policies, you may well find that it will be necessary to correct your course by stopping all practices that undermine principles of democracy, self-governance, separation of powers and human rights.

In honor of the Armistice, please give the world a chance to celebrate your commitment to the values which brought this nation to your defense.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of the United States Congress, 1997-2013

Follow Dennis J. Kucinich on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Dennis_Kucinich

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Final stretch for by-elections Issues of economy, ferry disaster add unpredictability to election outcome

The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy are making last-minute efforts to whip up support for their candidates in the crucial by-elections slated for Wednesday.

Referred to as “miniature general elections,” the upcoming elections will seat 15 new members of the National Assembly. For the ruling party, the elections provide a chance to regain a majority in the 300-seat parliament. While the NPAD has no chance of taking a majority in the parliament, a clear win would bolster its claim of having the people on its side. 

The ruling party holds 147 seats while the NPAD holds 127. 
The parties began an “all-out” last-minute spurt on Sunday, prompted by a record-breaking turnout in the two-day early voting that ended on Saturday.

Overall, 7.98 percent of the voters in the concerned regions cast their votes. 

In the strategically important Dongjak-B constituency of Seoul and the Suncheon-Gokseong constituency in South Jeolla Province, the figures exceeded 13 percent. 

In comparison, the figures for last year’s April and October by-elections came in at 6.93 percent and 5.45 percent, respectively. 

The ruling party, which is expected to maintain its majority in the parliament, has made economic recovery its key agenda. According to the two main parties’ assessments, the Saenuri Party holds the upper hand in six constituencies. In addition, ruling party candidates are considered to have a small lead in two, and to be in a close race in three other constituencies. In contrast, the NPAD has a clear lead in only three constituencies in its stronghold of the Jeolla provinces. 

“The government’s special plans for reviving the … economy can only succeed if the Saenuri Party holds a stable majority in the parliament,” Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung said at a rally for Yoo Eui-dong in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday.

Individual candidates are also touting the party’s connection to President Park Geun-hye and its role in supporting the government’s economic plans to garner support. 

Among them is former senior presidential secretary Lee Jung-hyun, who vows to bring a “budget bomb” to the Suncheon-Gokseong constituency in South Jeolla Province if he is elected. 

Aided in part by his connections to President Park, Lee is enjoying unprecedented support in the region, which has long been dominated by the main opposition. 

According to recent polls conducted by local broadcasters, Lee is ahead of the NPAD’s Seo Kap-won by nearly 5 percentage points. 

The main opposition is once again betting on the strategy of highlighting the current administration’s faults in an attempt to use the elections to “pass judgment” on it. 

Citing the failure of law enforcement agencies to arrest Yoo Byung-eun, the de facto owner of the ill-fated ferry Sewol, NPAD leaders stressed the supposed incompetence of the administration. 

“The incompetence and irresponsibility of the Park Geun-hye administration must be stopped now. (The people) must put the brakes on the arrogant, self-righteous, stubborn and uncommunicative politics of the administration,” NPAD cochairmen Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Han-gil said in a joint statement on Sunday. 

“The July 30 elections is a contest between those who want to unearth the truth about the Sewol tragedy and those who want to hide it. It is a contest between those who want change and those who refuse it.”

The NPAD and the minor opposition Justice Party are also seeking a boost from the tried and tested strategy of fielding unified candidates. 

The strategy, used mainly by progressive opposition parties, involves parties or candidates bowing out in specific electorates in order to prevent progressive votes from being divided. 

This time around the “unified candidate strategy” has revolved around individual candidates, rather than on the party level. 

On Thursday, the NPAD’s Ki Dong-min opted to quit and support the Justice Party’s Roh Heo-chan in the race for Seoul’s Dongjak-B constituency. Ki’s announcement was followed shortly after by the resignation of Justice Party contenders for Suwon-C and Suwon-D constituencies. 

There is, however, a tricky variable for the upcoming elections, namely the Sewol ferry tragedy that left more than 300 people dead or missing. 

Ever since the 6,800-ton Sewol sank in the West Sea on April 16, the accident has sparked multiple partisan battles at the National Assembly. 

The partisan tug-of-war over the special Sewol bill is the most recent ferry-related issue likely to influence the coming by-elections. 

The special bill proposes setting up an inquiry panel to determine the causes of the ferry disaster. Parties disagree on whether to give the panel prosecutorial powers. Opposition officials support empowering inquirers with legal authority while ruling party officials reject such proposals.

With public opinion over the bill likewise divided, experts say the ongoing political war over the bill’s legislation will affect voter sentiment before the polls open on Wednesday.

Last week, opposition lawmakers and families of Sewol victims marched on the National Assembly, urging ruling party officials to give prosecutorial powers to an inquiry panel. NPAD floor leader Rep. Park Young-sun even threatened to block the legislation of other bills that Saenuri officials support if governing party officials did not go along with the opposition.

The recent arrest of Yoo Dae-kyoon, the eldest son of the deceased Yoo Byung-eun, could also affect the elections. Authorities grabbed Yoo last week, more than 70 days after the police put him on their most wanted list. 

As for Yoo Byung-eun, a state agency on Friday confirmed that the body found by a farmer on June 12 was indeed that of the 73-year-old fugitive billionaire, but it failed to reveal the cause of his death.

The Yoo family is alleged to be the de facto owners of Chonghaejin Marine Co., which operated the Sewol ferry. Prosecutors accuse the Yoos of indirectly contributing to the disaster by tapping into company funds for personal use. 

By Choi He-suk and Jeong Hunny