Prosecutors Seeking To Charge President Park With 3rd Party Bribery

After carrying out search warrants at Samsung, Korea Horseracing Authority, Korea Equestrian Federation and related persons' residences, Korean prosecutors are now serving a search warrant at the Korean National Pension Fund.

Korea Times: Prosecution raids Samsung, state pension service

If the prosecutors can find evidence of outside influence in the Pension Fund's casting vote on a Samsung merger, then the President is probably looking at 10 years to life imprisonment, which is what many Koreans are demanding. That is the penalty for 3rd party bribery involving over 100 million won (about $9 million).

In addition to donations to two questionable foundations, Samsung was the only group to donate money to another company owned by Choi Soon-sil, which she embezzled after changing the company name and to the Korea Equestrian Federation. The embezzled money was used to buy a hotel, house a million dollar horse, training and expenses for Choi Soon-sil's daughter. Samsung also pledged to donate around $20 million more in preparation for the Olympics to the Equestrian Federation.

Around the same time, Samsung was trying to push a merger of two companies in order to pass on control of the group to the present vice-Chairman, Lee Jae-yong. The Korean National Pension Fund controlled shares of one of the companies. Many were opposed since the merger would undervalue the worth of the company shares. The Korean National Pension Fund has lost over several hundred million dollars in the deal up to date due to the low share exchange rate used in the merger.

The merger was between Samsung Trading and Cheil Textiles (Samsung Company, many companies named Cheil are Samsung) in 2015.

When any major deal goes down, then there are studies, meetings and approvals. If the decision was due to outside pressure, there surely will be evidence to prove this.

The firm consulting the National Pension Fund just announced that they recommended against the merger. 

The Korea Horseracing Authority let Choi Soon-sil use its facilities free of charge, which is unheard of. The president of the federation is an ex-Samsung president, I think. 

At the Chaum Hospital, they are reportedly telling staff to delete files. 

The Chaum Hospital and a related company is allegedly to have received special favors from President Park. Park frequentely visited the hospital and spa without paying before she became President. She continued to receive prescription by sending her friend, Choi Soon-sil, in her place, according to hospital records.

Another damning case is the Lotte Group. They had already donated to the questionable foundations, but the President allegedly asked the Lotte Chairman to donate another 7.5 billion won (a little less than $7 million) to one of the foundations. Lotte did, but one the day before a search warrant at Lotte, the foundation returned the money.

Everyone suspects a senior presidential aide, Woo Byung-woo informed another aide, Ahn jong-bom, who called the foundation. The foundation called Lotte and said they were returning the money because the land they wanted to purchase was not available or some story like that.

So, the prosecutors should find something. The underlings always have that "it's not my job" mentality which helps greatly. 

More President Park Lies Unvealed

When the first scandal on influence peddling (the Chung Yun-hae scandal (Choi Soon-sil's ex-husband and ex-Presidential Secretary) broke, President Park stated through her spokesman that the rumors were groundless. Eventually, the people who reported the crimes were prosecuted and forced out of office.

When the Choi Soon-sil scandal broke out in April, President Park again stated that the rumors were figments of the imagination and completely false.

In President Park's first apology, after the laptop with classified presidential files was found, she said the foundations involved in the scandal were established after discussions and consensus with business groups and that the business groups made the donations voluntarily.

Under questioning by prosecutors, Lee Seung-chul (ex-vice chaiman of the Federatiojn of Korean Industries) said he was ordered by ex-Presidential aide Ahn Jong-bom to collect donations for the foundations. He had previously told the press that all such rumors were false and that it was his idea to collect donations.

In the same apology, President said that Choi Soon-sil only helped her with editing speeches and promotional materials during the beginning of her presidency until her aides were settled in.

In recordings and notes found during searches, it was revealed that President Park asked Choi Soon-sil's advice or approval on ministerial appointments, an intelligence job appointment, and other government agenda. There also was evidence that Choi Soon-sil asked the President to appoint acquaintances to several government posts and private sector posts.

Hankyoreh News: Even Pres. Park’s public apology was riddled with falsehoods 

President Park has lied so many times that everyone in Korea knows, including her. My guess is that she realizes by now that they have enough evidence to put her away and is just trying to delay prison as long as possible.

On the news, they reported that almost all past Presidents raised money for various foundations they supported. However, they did not mention that none of those foundations raised donations in such a short time (most within 24 hours of establishment of the foundation). Also, none of the past Presidents were recorded giving orders on raising donations and other details. In addition, no one had tried to so blatantly embezzle money from the foundations.

Another Arrest In The Park Scandal

After weeks of questioning, an arrest warrant has been issued for ex-Vice Minister of Culture, Kim Jong who is accused of abuse of power and giving unauthorized access to classified information. He is the third government official to be arrested.

Prosecutors also applied for an arrest warrant for former Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs, Cho Won-dong, who is accused of coercing CJ Group to dismiss vice-Chairwoman, Lee Mie-kyung.

Chang Si-ho, a niece of Choi Soon-sil, was arrested days earlier for alleged embezzlement of millions of dollars from her sports center. Samsung and the govermment had donated millions of dollars to the sports center.

Korea Times: Ex-vice culture minister arrested over influence-peddling scandal

Many many more arrests are expected.

Olympian Swimmer Park Tae-hwan Reveals Existence Of Recording

Olympian swimmer, Park Tae-hwan was found guilty of using banned substances in very suspicious circumstances several years ago. A doctor injected him with a banned substance without informing him. Some suspect that someone persuaded the doctor to do this.

Anyway, he was banned from competition, but his ban ended and he was eligible for the Olympics. Suddenly, the Korean swimming body made a rule banning athletes who use banned substances from competing for 3 years.

Park contested this rule in domestic courts and international court and won.

Park Tae-hwan held a press conference and said that Kim Jong, the ex-vice minister of culture (arrest warrant pending), pressured him to give up on competing in the Olympics offering him a professorship, sponsorship from major corporations among other things.

Kim Jong has stated that Park Tae-hwan is lying and that he met Park only to give encouragement.

It is rumored that someone wanted Park Tae-hwan out of the Olympic team to make room for another swimmer.

Park Tae-hwan said he recorded the conversation and will make it available to the public soon.

Korea Times: Olympian Swimmer Park Another Victim In President Park Scandal 

Lead By Corruption and Coercion

If the claims against President Park are true, then she set a fine example for many government employees and politicians around her. I am almost certain that they followed her example considering they are talking and acting exactly like her.

There are still people in the government eagerly accepting President Park's orders. I sure as hell hope they are not re-elected and/or are fired from their positions. How can they say they didn't know, when there were rumors and scandals for years? They always say the rumors are groundless, figment of the imagination and threaten legal action, even today.

President Park cannot explain away her lies. She may think she can. Many would say that if a President blatantly lies to the people, then that person is unfit to rule and should be considered mentally unstable.

Two Years Later President Park Reveals Her Whereabouts

Two years after the Sewol Ferry tragedy, where about 300 students died trapped inside a ferry over the course of several days, the Presidential Office just announced yesterday that President Park was working from her private residence in the Blue House during that day.

If that is all that happened, why did they refuse to answer any questions on President Park's whereabouts for over two years?

Korea Herald: Park was in residence during Sewol disaster

Many feel that the investigations into the ferry disaster were hindered and are still demanding for a fair and thorough investigation along with punishment of those involved as only lower level officials were punished.

And why does it always seem like prosecutors are going after protesters, union leaders and opposition figures?

The Hankyoreh News: Prosecutors seek two-year sentence for Sewol march organizer 

The Hankyoreh News is well respected in Korea for not being afraid to print the truth and has been voted the most trustworthy news organization in Korea for 9 years consecutively including 2016. 

Wikipedia: The Hankyoreh News

A Tactic Used By Dictator Park

When Park Jung-hee he ran into opposition or scandals, they used to arrest lots of actors and singers for marijuana. This would make headlines in those days and divert attention from the scandals.

In the past six months, we have seen almost daily news of drug busts and several thousand have been rounded up. Deja-vu. Just coincidence?

Today's headline on Yonhap News TV, "785 people arrested for drugs".

On Korean TV, I saw only one report about pot legalization in California and it seemed like reefer madness all over again.

Another favorite tactic was to frame opposition figures as communist sympathizers or spies. A tradition that resonates even today.

Between 2-3 million are expected to demonstrate against Park this Saturday. President Park and her cronies are confident that the protests will eventually peter out and her army of "guest commentators" on TV news shows are out in full force defending the President and trying to stir up indignation. Her army of protesters (allegedly backed by the Federation of Korean Industries which is allegedly controlled by Presidential aides) are out on the streets.

Korea Times: Park supporters 'hit JTBC reporters' 

A great way to deflect attention would be for President Park to come out in favor of medicinal marijuana and say that research into medicinal uses should be allowed. She could also call for legislation to allow export zones (maybe where unemployed old people could work there) to grow it for export to the US, and other countries. That would definitely create a lot of controversy and stir up emotions. Pharmaceutical and alcoholic beverage companies would go to war!