President Park Blacklisted Opposition Supporters

There were reports on TV news that prosecutors found a copy of the blacklist on a computer in the Ministry of Health.

According to notes taken by deceased former Presidential Secretary Kim young-hwan, Chief Secretary Kim Ki-choon ordered on October 2, 2014 that leftists in culture and arts must be fought against, and again ordered on January 2, 2015 that there was a need to keep track of left leaning film makers and their connections. 

Former Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong has testified that he has seen the blacklist. He stated that about a month before he left the ministry in July 2014, he received a list of a few hundred names from the President's Office. He also stated that before this, the blacklist existed only verbally, with nothing written.

There were rumors that a list with 9473 actors, writers, artists and others in the culture and arts fields, along with their "offenses" which were mainly supporting the opposition or opposing President Park's administration. It also listed if they received any government grants or support. Most listed no government support. 

From a verbal list to a list with over 9473 names. Since 2014, it seems that President Park has censured artists, denied funding, and suppressed anyone opposing her. And this is just the surface. I am sure that it gets much worse.  

Joongang Daily: Indie counsel raids search for evidence of culture blacklist

Korea Herald: Key figures in Choi scandal probed

A mysterious citizen investigator, famous in Korea for uncovering evidence in previous scandals including Korean Intelligence Agency's illegal involvement in the previous Presidential elections. claimed that a submarine caused the sinking of the Sewol Ferry and uploaded a video with his theory on the sinking to Youtube in Korean.

On radar during the sinking an object can be seen to the right of the ferry. The authorities said this was an image of freight containers that had been swept off the ship. The citizen investigator says that containers could not have made the image, since they are travelling faster than the ocean currents. He also encourages the military to releases their radar images. At the time, the military said that these images were secret and couldn't release them. Now, they say they do not have the images. It could be something, it could be nothing. But this citizen investigator has not been wrong, so far. 

Korea Herald: ‘Submarine crash may have caused Sewol sinking’

More Arrests Likely Soon In President Park Scandal

The Special Prosecutor's Office announced that they are carrying out search warrants on the offices and residences of Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun, ex-Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Ki-choon, ex-Minister of Health Moon Hyung-pyo, Presidential Secretary for Health Kim Jin-soo and other locations.

Korea Times: Independent counsel raids home of former top presidential aide 

Yonhap News: Independent counsel raids ex-president aide, minister's homes 

Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun is said to be to President Park and also alleged to have committed offenses.

Korea Times: Culture minister Cho denies making blacklist

Yonhap News: Park's trusted confidante named new culture minister 

The search warrants on ex-Minister of Health Moon Hyung-pyo, and Presidential Secretary for Health Kim Jin-soo are related to the suspicious Samsung merger.

German Prosecutors Only Tracking $3 Million

Contrary to reports of money laundering of over $600 million, Korean news agencies reported that German prosecutors revealed that they are looking at only around $3 million alleged to have been money laundered by Choi Soon-sil.

This makes sense. Why would someone with $600 million bother with embezzlement of millions of dollar? Then again, why would someone need $3 million? Pretty selfish.

More countries are looking at universal income. Less labor, less mind hours are needed for productivity. Pretty soon, humans will not be too expensive to do labor. Companies need less workers, fewer companies will be needed. The world is changing. All over the world, developed countries are having trouble with job growth.

In the future, there will be no need for us to "work" to eat and have a place to live. Even now, if you change the system, there is no need for people in many countries to "work" in order to eat and live. Do the math, include only necessities.

Having people own land will always create class differences, and so on. In an ideal world, if the land is called a country, then the land would belong to the country and all the citizens. Why change the world? It will change eventually.

The Secret Of Consciousness

It's been a while since I read up on consciousness. However, I just happened to see an article in Scientific American on the latest theories into consciousness. Not much has happened in consciousness research.

Scientific American: The Mind–Body Problem, Scientific Regress and "Woo"

Korea Demonstrations - 9th Week

Protesters, demanding that President Park resign immediately and also that the Constitutional Court make a quick ruling on the impeachment, are already gathering at Gwang-hwa-mun Square. It's really cold today.

Anti-Park protesters gathering in advance for the best seats in front of the main stage. 

Two blocks down the road, pro-Park protesters demanding the opposite are in full force. Police stated that over 12,000 pro-Park protesters were in attendance. I would estimate around 7,000 to 8,000.

Pro-Park protesters waving Korean flags

The number of pro-Park protesters increased around 4:30. I agree with the police estimate. 

Protest organizers estimate 600,000 participated in Seoul and 100,000 in other cities. They plan to continue the protests until the middle of January 2017. 

Press coverage of the demonstrations:

Korea Herald: Protestors singing carols demand Park’s removal

Korea Times: Anti-president vigil continues on Christmas Eve 

Joongang Daily: All protesters wanted for Christmas is impeachment

The Hankyoreh: Ninth nationwide rally to go ahead with Christmas song and cheer

CNN: 'Santas' march against South Korea's impeached president

BBC: 'Santa protest' against South Korea President Park Geun-hye

Korea Protests On X-mas Eve

Crowds demanding that President Park resign immediately continue protesting for the 9th consecutive week. For details of the demonstrations and marches, read The Hankyoreh article: Protests seeking President's resignation continue on Christmas Eve and into the New Year.

The organizing committee's website is in Korean only and is at bisang2016.net. There you can find all sorts of materials, including pictures of past demonstrations, as on http://bisang2016.net/b/board03/841.

The following editorial is from the Chosun Daily News on President Park's initial written defense statements submitted at the impeachment hearings. The editor asks if President Park is crazy for sticking to her story that she did not know about any criminal activities of those around her, the sports and culture foundations were set up and funded voluntarily, and that she was working at the Presidential residence during the Sewol Ferry tragedy and that she promptly reacted to the situation. This goes against all the recorded phone conversations, instant messages, written notes and witness testimony. The editorial details the President's defense and how it contradicts the facts based on evidence. 

Chosun Ilbo (Daily News): Has Park Lost Her Grip on Reality?

The Constitutional Court which is hearing the impeachment case against President Park asked her to submit details of her whereabouts and actions on April 16, 2014, the day of the Sewol Ferry tragedy. Everyone has asked, but she has never answered. Now, she has to answer or forfeit. No escape. 

The Hankyoreh: Constitutional Court demands to know where Pres. Park was on the day the Sewol sank

Saenuri Party member, Yi Wan-yong, was is accused of promoting witness perjury was caught on picture with members of a regional association drinking heavily at dinner several years ago. In the picture is the lawyer of Choi Soon-sil and a close associate of Woo Byung-woo. Many members of this association are linked to the Choi Soon-sil scandal. Saenuri Party member Yi Wan-yong has questioned witnesses with a strong prejudice towards questions to help Choi Soon-sil's defense. He denies all allegations, but he is under investigation and I suspect he will be found guilty. It will be hard to find concrete evidence. but I hope they find some. 

Joongang Daily News: Photo connects Yi to Choi’s lawyer

The Secret Of How Life Began On Earth

As I read the beginning of this article in BBC News, I wondered about Matter = Energy = Life? Since hydrogen matter is converted to energy in the sun, light is converted into energy on Earth, and energy is converted into life.

Towards the end of the article, I wondered about life and knowledge. Is knowledge just a byproduct of life? What about self awareness?

It was a long article and showed how much research into the origins of life has progressed since I was in school. From theories supporting that amino acids, RNA, compartmentalization, metabolism, or replication was first to the present day, everything at once theory. They have proved to me that life could have started from clay in a pond of warm water. That sort of changed my world. Slightly less mystic. But I still wonder about logic, knowledge, and self awareness (consciousness).

BBC News: The Secret Of How Life Began On Earth

So, how does one link matter and thought? Matter vs. Energy vs. Life vs. Thought? Thought vs. Knowledge? Time vs. Change? Consciousness vs. Thought?

Is this what they meant by "clouding minds"? I am almost sure that Jesus was trying to teach people metaphysics and it clouded a lot of minds.