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February, 2007 From American Politics Journal, Feb 20, 2007So was it a good deal?
By Chris Gelken
It has been a week since parties to the six-way negotiations to close down North Korea ’s nuclear programs reached an agreement. So was it a good deal? After sifting through the comments of the best and the brightest, of the most informed, the simple answer is: we don’t know.
The step by step deal will, in the words of critics, “reward” Pyongyang with 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil in return for freezing activity at its main reactor in Yongbyon. As the North proceeds to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure, it will receive more benefits in return, including more fuel oil, security guarantees and diplomatic normalization.
The Bush administration dramatically toned down its rhetoric and relaxed its hardline stance, leaving the parties with essentially a warmed up version of the 1994 Agreed Framework. Democratic Sen. Carl Levin told Fox News that, “Bush took two steps backwards when he took office by refusing to speak with North Korea . He took two steps forward in the past week or so.” Two questions immediately spring to mind. What possessed a Democratic senator to speak to Fox News, and what prompted Bush into this spectacular turnaround?
C. Kenneth Quinones, a professor of Korean studies at Akita International University in Japan was a member of the State Department negotiating team that resolved the first Korean nuclear crisis. He describes as “bleak” any chance that this current agreement will be successful. That is, to clarify, “bleak at best.” Obviously, not a lot of optimism there. Odd, considering it is very similar to the deal he himself helped broker as a member of the negotiating team for the 1994 Agreed Framework.
Further describing the deal as a “rush job,” Quinones blamed Bush’s “preoccupation” with Iraq and Afghanistan . Preoccupation? You are preoccupied when you accidentally drive your shopping trolley into the heels of the person in front of you waiting at the supermarket checkout. When you are presiding over a war on two fronts, a hostile Congress, and 517,000 hits on Google for “Bush gaffes” – that goes well beyond “preoccupation.”
Quinones assessment is surprising, however. In August 2005 he wrote in the Mainichi Shimbun, “The pace of progress toward a peaceful diplomatic resolution may seem like a ‘never ending story,’ but such a process greatly enhances prospects for a peaceful outcome. After all, erasing half a century of animosity between the United States and North Korea cannot be accomplished quickly.”
That was 18 months ago, and he was commenting on criticism of the 30 months of negotiations since the six-party process began in 2003. Now he describes it as a “rush job.” How very odd.
He explains his position by saying he believes the Bush administration was “desperate for an agreement, overextended in the Middle East, it cannot afford instability on the Korean Peninsula . Thus it shifted abruptly from an extremely hard line, to being mushy on North Korea .”
The United States has been in Afghanistan since 2001 and was already in Iraq when Quinones wrote his Mainichi article. Bush may be many things, but “mushy” he isn’t.
Something changed, obviously. Did Bush “cave in” to the North Korean’s or to a Democrat-led Congress? The trail of events suggest the latter. Bush’s United Nation’s ambassador and North Korea hawk, John Bolton, “resigned” less than a month after he was re-nominated by Bush. His re-nomination for the post came just a few days after the Democrats captured Congress in November midterm elections. Bolton knew for a certainty that Congress would never confirm his appointment. Bush’s Security Council attack dog had been muzzled.
The December round of six-party talks was effectively the last “hurrah” for the hardliners. By January the Democrats had formally taken control of The Hill, and the whole dynamic was changing.
It would be fair to say that conclusion of the Feb. 13, 2007 Beijing Agreement was generally considered unthinkable in December 2006. But to illustrate just how much things had changed, we now see Bush slapping down former close associates. John Bolton was very quick and extremely vocal in criticizing the Beijing Agreement. Bush hushed him, and said of the man who just three months ago he had re-nominated to lead U.S. foreign policy in the United Nations; “He is just flat wrong.” How very, very, odd.
Also commenting on the Beijing Agreement, former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich. He said he is “most skeptical,” suspecting that “ North Korea is lying again as it did by developing the uranium program.”
However, according to sources considered more reliable than the former speaker, North Korea ’s alleged highly-enriched uranium program is precisely that -- alleged.
This is an issue that Quinones and other commentators seem to have brushed under the carpet. It was there, last week, for all to see. Physicist David Albright was recently in Pyongyang for high-level talks. He later told the Reuters news agency, “he believes the U.S. analysis was flawed and no information has emerged supporting the claim of a large-scale North Korean centrifuge plant. There may never have been a plant under construction or even planned.”
(Full report: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N09302593.htm)
There are other authoritative reports that Washington may have overstated the uranium claims, that there is no substantive evidence to suggest that North Korea is in fact engaged in a highly-enriched uranium weapons program. But somehow that snippet slipped beneath the media and pundit radar. It certainly slipped beneath Newt’s.
But given Washington ’s intelligence gaffes over the past several years, perhaps it wasn’t missed by the puppet masters who pull the strings at the State Department and perhaps even in the Oval Office. Perhaps they thought it time to face the reality of the situation and stop basing their negotiating strategy on “suspicions” and “allegations” -- and base it on what they actually know. Or think they know, or as Donald Rumsfeld once famously and succinctly put it: “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we don’t know we don’t know.”
Maybe, just maybe, the negotiators decided to go with the known knowns and leave the known unknowns and unknown unknowns for another time. Or is that too simple?
Postscript: As this article was being prepared, the head of South Korea ’s intelligence agency was quoted as telling a closed door parliamentary committee that he believes North Korea has a secret uranium enrichment program. Maybe something was lost in translation, but “believes” isn’t quite the same as “irrefutable, incontrovertible, evidence.”
February, 2007 From American Politics Journal, Feb. 7th 2007Six parties, six versions, one truth By Chris Gelken Feb. 7, 2007 -- SEOUL (apj.us) -- The six-party talks aimed at convincing, cajoling, bribing, browbeating or threatening North Korea into giving up its nuclear weapons program are about to get underway in Beijing. The world's media has put the Chinese capital back in the spotlight and for the next couple of days we will be hanging onto every soundbite by negotiators and talking heads to get an idea of what is really happening behind closed doors at the Diaoyutai State Guest House. What they don't say, however, is often as equally or more important as what they do say. Why certain things are left out of a statement or a story can often be put down to innocent omission, ignorance, time or space constraints (in the case of a newspaper) – or deliberate omission. And that makes it an unforgivable attempt to mislead. For example: “The Agreed Framework deal eventually collapsed in late 2002 after Washington accused the communist regime of continuing with its nuclear development activity. Pyongyang later confirmed that it had in fact fired up its Yongbyon facility in contravention of the 1994 agreement.” True and factual in every respect. The above paragraph has been reproduced in various forms many times in official statements, print and broadcast news over the past few years. The impression it imparts is that North Korea unilaterally fractured the Agreed Framework. This fits very nicely with the concept of good versus evil, and the accepted perception that North Korea is a rogue regime that simply can't be trusted to keep its word. I am not suggesting for one second that North Korea isn't governed by a rogue regime and can in fact be trusted, but the addition of one extra sentence to the paragraph in question changes the entire dynamic of the statement. “The North said it had grown frustrated at the slow pace at which Washington was implementing the agreement, accusing the U.S. government of dragging its heels on the construction of light water reactors and the delivery of promised oil supplies for much needed energy generation.” Also true and factual in every respect. Unfortunately, this clouds the issue. Perhaps the North did have a genuine gripe after all. The Republican led congress which came into power shortly after the agreement was signed, then a few years later President George W. Bush, both harshly criticized the deal, saying it rewarded Pyongyang for bad behavior. So yes, the truth is they were dragging their heels on raising funds for the construction of promised light water reactors, and Congress often did not provide enough money to sustain the oil shipments. So, who broke the agreement first? Or at least, who broke the spirit of the agreement? Once a few extra details are thrown into the mix it makes things terribly complicated doesn't it? The six-party talks resumed last December after a 13-month hiatus following Pyongyang's decision to boycott the process in late 2005. The “why” they boycotted the process is often left out, and when it is included, it is usually limited to something like “Pyongyang walked out in protest over U.S. financial sanctions imposed for money laundering, counterfeiting and other illicit financial activity.” The crucial word “alleged” is rarely used. The fact is, to date no concrete and irrefutable proof has ever been presented to substantiate the claims made by Washington. So imagine this scenario; you, dear reader, are being punished by sanctions and castigated by the international media for crimes you are only “alleged” to have committed. What would your reaction be? When the talks reconvened last December, the North opened proceedings by reading out a shopping list of demands, first and foremost was a lifting of the financial sanctions and the release of some $24 million frozen in the accounts of a Macau based bank. The talks got nowhere. The North was accused of being intransigent and was universally blamed for blocking any progress in the talks that wound up with everyone making surly remarks and muttering threats. The U.S. said the financial sanctions were a completely separate issue – in their words “a law enforcement issue” – and totally unrelated to the denuclearization talks. Not to North Korea they aren't. They are upset, and angry. The timing of the economic sanctions, coming as they did just as Pyongyang and its six-party partners had reached a hard fought for agreement on a roadmap for nuclear disarmament, leaves one with the nasty suspicion – a suspicion widely held but vehemently denied – that Washington deliberately sabotaged the so-called September Agreement. Conspiracy theorists suggest, among other things, that Washington needs North Korea as a bogeyman to justify its hugely expensive missile defense shield. Sounds plausible enough. North Korea might be everything its critics claim it is, and more. It is certainly and verifiably guilty of human rights abuses, for example. But is it solely responsible for the nuclear crisis? Was it pushed to the precipice, or was it always their intention to go there? In truth, perhaps a bit of both. By the same token, the United States may be playing the same nefarious games it did during the decades of the Cold War. Who knows? But we would certainly be making progress if we in the media at least kept to the facts, all of them. As the negotiators head back into the talks Thursday in Beijing, there is a atmosphere of optimism that certainly hasn't been seen in a very long time. But the potential for it all to go terribly wrong is already being made evident in pre-negotiation statements – mainly from the United States and Japan. Tokyo has made it clear they won't sign onto any agreement until the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by the North several decades ago is resolved. They want this on the six-party agenda, and the United States has endorsed the proposal. While one cannot have anything but sympathy with the families of the kidnap victims and fully understand Tokyo's desire to get to the truth, the six-party talks should not be held hostage to what is essentially a bilateral issue. After all, and in the interests of open handed fairness that Washington is famous for, the United States refused to discuss the financial sanctions issue within the six-party framework, insisting it was completely unrelated to the dismantlement of the North's nuclear weapons program. Decades old crimes of kidnapping – despicable as they were – are equally unrelated to the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons. Why has Washington so dramatically about-faced on what and what cannot be discussed multilaterally? Interestingly, U.S. negotiator Chris Hill told reporters on his arrival in Beijing that promises by North Korea, even signed and agreed to promises, would not be enough for the United States to lift those contentious financial sanctions. Interesting because previously Mr. Hill had emphatically insisted he had nothing to do with the financial sanctions and that they were a separate issue. A bit of an about-face on that too. Not surprising that North Korea frequently accuses the United States of negotiating in bad faith.
January, 2007 From The Korea Herald January 6th, 2007Commentary
Get smart, or get Thatcher
By Chris Gelken
Trade unions, according to the Wikipedia definition, are; "A continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment."
I think the key words here are "continuous" and "maintaining" -- two things that many Korean trade unions appear to have no concept of. After the violence in Ulsan on Thursday, it is apparent that leaders of the Hyundai Motor Co. union could use the services of a good dictionary. Sure, everyone deserves a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Unscrupulous employers who pay fat bonus checks to themselves and their top executives while crying poverty as they deny benefits to the blue collar workforce, well, they deserve to be brought down a peg or two. The smart employer is one who makes sure his workforce is happy and well fed. And in Korea these days, one that provides maternity benefits and a child care center. It helps guarantee continuity, stability, productivity and so on and so forth. All important things to a company's bottom line. The boss doesn't necessarily need to be a 24-hour cash dispenser for his staff, but being a bit too tight fisted isn't such a clever move either. Lurking out there on the shop floor are the union organizers. Make no mistake, they are reading the business dailies to check on the stock price and who got paid what and what for. Conspicuous displays of wealth are not appreciated by someone sitting on the bus after a 12-hour shift. If they think there is some surplus cash in the kitty, they'll be at the door demanding a fair and equitable share out. Korea's chaebol oligarchs probably still haven't fully come to terms with the concept of collective bargaining and a "reasonable" share-out of the spoils. The unions, meanwhile, have forgotten how to ask nicely, if they ever knew how in the first place. The global notoriety of Korea's unions pre-dates the entertainment phenomenon Hallyu -- and will probably outlive it too. But we have a conundrum. The first rule of capitalism dictates that a company minimizes costs and maximizes profit. The workers, remember, are cost, and the profit goes to the boss, his sons, and the shareholders. Korean conglomerates love that first rule. There has to be a common ground where both sides get something they can be satisfied with, though one side is usually more satisfied than the other. Going back a few years to another time and another place, it is hard to conceive the power that British trade unions held over the country and the government. After an economic upswing in the early 1960s, by the 1970s the economy was under siege and the enemy at the gates were Britain's powerful trade unions. It was a world almost turned upside down. For a relatively short time it was great for the blue collar wage-earners, they were often banking more than their employers. But industries, Britain's proud auto sector for example, began sinking into a decline from which some of them would never recover. But unions were implacable and continued to demand a bigger share of a shrinking pie. Britain simply became uncompetitive. The out of control union virus was killing the host. Unemployment skyrocketed. And then came Margaret Thatcher, Britain's Iron Lady of politics. Through a rapid fire string of anti-union policies and laws followed by a stand up and knock down fight with the coal miners' union, Thatcher dealt a blow to union power from which they too never recovered. It was ugly at times, and Thatchernomics allowed free rein to British business leaders to once again rule the roost, and roll back many of the benefits that workers once had. The gap between rich and poor widened. The pendulum had swung, from one extreme to another. Britain became profitable, a safe place to invest. After a few hiccups -- including rioting in the streets -- the good times began to roll. Korea certainly doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of Britain in the 1960s, '70s and early '80s. But then, it doesn't have to. British companies in those days didn't have many of the opportunities that Korean companies have today. Large among those opportunities is; if it becomes too costly to produce the goods at home, then the company will open a factory where it can realize the potential of the "first rule" to its maximum. Exhibitions of union-orchestrated violence such as we witnessed at the Hyundai Motor Co. New Year's ceremony in Ulsan, did more to strengthen Hyundai's resolve to move production and jobs overseas, than it did to maintain or improve the conditions of their Korean employees. It will be fun to see how quickly the government changes the tax regime when Hyundai cars become an import. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) January, 2007 From The Korea Herald, January 3rd 2007The hagwon from hell?
By Chris Gelken "It was simply awful," a former teacher at the Jeju International English village told The Korea Herald. "I was being screamed at and threatened by the director." In tears, the teacher called the police. A couple of uniformed officers showed up at the village the next day and in a conspiratorial manner ordered the teacher, "Keep this visit a secret, we have been investigating this school for some time." They told her to "sit tight" and continue to behave as a model teacher for the final two weeks of her contract. Showing great presence of mind, the teacher asked for the policeman's details in the event she needed to contact him again. When it came time for her to leave, the village director, identified as Lee Chan-won, refused to pay her final salary. She contacted the police officer, and together with an interpreter, they went to the local Labor Board office. In the car, the officer quizzed her about the school and the activities of her boss. The Labor Department was sympathetic but said unfortunately there was nothing they could do to force the director to pay her, at least not before her flight left later in the day. A few weeks later The Korea Herald called the police officer to ask how the investigation was going. Rather surprisingly he categorically denied the school was under any sort of investigation. He told us he was at the school to check on the passports and other documents of the teachers, a routine visit to see if they were legal and qualified, he said. Obviously this turn of events warranted further investigation. The Korea Herald contacted the Immigration Department to ask if it was normal for police officers to make these "routine" visits to hagwons and English villages. The Immigration Department's investigative branch told us the police have absolutely no authority to conduct document checks of this nature, routine or otherwise. They emphatically told The Korea Herald that documentation checks are the exclusive domain of the immigration and education authorities. When confronted with the statements from immigration, Jeju police cheerfully told us that Seoul had got it wrong, and such checks were commonplace. Someone obviously has it wrong. Director Lee later told The Korea Herald that at no time or for any reason had Jeju police ever had cause to visit the English village. The operators of the Jeju village also run the Oxford English language hagwon in Seoul. The Korea Herald has received a litany of complaints against Lee, his wife Jasmine, and other senior staff. The complaints and accusations range from tax fraud associated with the "After School" program, forging teachers' signatures on fake contracts, failing to provide promised or adequate accommodation, non-payment of salary, forcing teachers to work in locations other than the one on their visa, illegal contracting out, and threatening behavior. The list is long and very disturbing. Teachers have told us about multiple visits to immigration, the Labor Department, and the police. One particular teacher and his partner told us the immigration officer they spoke to offered the information that the school and its directors were under investigation. The Korea Herald contacted this particular immigration officer in early October and asked him about the complaints and the alleged investigation. "Nothing has been proved," he said, essentially confirming that some sort of investigation was taking place. The officer said he'd invited Lee to present himself for an interview, but he hadn't shown up. "I called him again and told him to come to the office. He said he is in the country but very busy and would come in later. We are now still waiting," he said. Another appointment had been made for the Friday following our initial phone call. In a later conversation with The Korea Herald the immigration officer admitted that he had actually gone to Lee's registered place of business. "We went to see the man in person but could not meet him. He had moved or something." Or something? The immigration investigative branch told The Korea Herald that failing to inform the authorities of a change of registered business address would leave the hagwon directors -- and possibly even the teachers -- liable to prosecution. That was two months ago. The Korea Herald contacted immigration again a couple of weeks ago and asked how the "investigation" was going and if the officer had managed to catch up with the elusive hagwon director, Lee. According to the officer, the director still hadn't shown up. In a telephone interview, Lee categorically denied he had ever been contacted by immigration in Seoul and invited for an interview. He also asserted that his registered place of business had not changed in the past three years. A former recruiter for the Oxford School/Jeju International, meanwhile, was delighted to speak to The Korea Herald. In January 2006 they recruited several teachers to work at the Jeju village. Soon after their arrival, the teachers were suddenly hauled before immigration and accused of working in a location other than stated on their visa documents. The recruitment agency was also called in for questioning. "We arranged for the teachers and did the paper work," the recruiter told us, "but then Lee illegally changed the documents to show the teachers were supposed to be working in Seoul." Anxious to restore their reputation, the recruiters filed a complaint against Lee, who in turn accused them of being complicit in the illegal activity. "We eventually learned that the immigration office had come to the conclusion that Lee was lying and we had nothing to do with the changes," the recruiter told us. The agency has had no contact with Lee or his business for almost a year, and advises all reputable recruiters to do the same thing, "Mr. Lee is really a bad and rude man," they told The Korea Herald, "he has a really bad way of doing business." It is well established that Lee and the highly questionable way he conducts his English teaching enterprises have been brought to the attention of the authorities on several occasions. The lack of initiative shown by the police, labor, and immigration departments to conduct a thorough and coordinated investigation is nothing short of disgraceful. The Korea Herald made repeated attempts to contact the hagwon/village for comment, and only at the last minute managed to speak to Lee through his interpreter. Lee told us he had never forged or altered contracts, denied he had been called in for questioning by Seoul immigration, and dismissed claims by Jeju police that they routinely visited the English village. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) From The Korea Herald, January 2nd 2007Washington's rope trick
Commentary
By Chris Gelken
As usual at this time of year people often find themselves reflecting on where they were 12 months ago, and where they expect to be a year from now. Certainly, North Korea's Kim Jong-il is hoping he will be exactly in the same place he is right now. Doubtless the dramatic pictures of his "axis of evil" counterpart Saddam Hussein taking his last few steps to eternity on the gallows probably gave him a little pause.
The events in Baghdad are unlikely to encourage Kim to soften his position, quite the contrary. The controversial rush to judgment, sentencing and execution of Saddam Hussein could possibly play out as the second biggest mistake of the Gulf War -- the actual invasion still ranking as first -- with global ramifications. All of them negative.
Maintaining to the last that he was betrayed by the Americans, the clear message to tyrants and dictators around the world is that you are safe only as long as you remain useful. Depending which conspiracy or geo-political theory you subscribe to, axis of evil poster-boy Kim is probably scrutinizing his "use by date" and his diminishing options.
The bottom line, I suppose, is how much trust he feels he can safely put into the negotiating process to wind back his nuclear ambitions in exchange for a lifting of sanctions and a normalization of diplomatic and economic relations with Washington.
Since the latest round of six-party talks wound up in Beijing just before Christmas, tid-bits of information have been filtering out about what negotiating chips were actually put on the table.
Offering to take North Korea off the list of nations that sponsor terrorism, for example, will open the way for Pyongyang to obtain low interest loans from global financial institutions. Very nice, except most financial institutions are terrified of doing business with North Korea because of the possible repercussions. The offer would have to include guarantees that the U.S. Treasury Department would abandon its policy of trying to isolate North Korea economically. Without this, the offer is empty and meaningless.
Unfortunately for the negotiators, the economic sanctions are a "law enforcement" issue and are not, or so we are told, politically linked or motivated. Consequently, as chief U.S. envoy to the talks, Chris Hill, repeated time and again, they are not on the table.
So where does this leave the North Koreans? They could put their trust in Hill and the U.S. State Department, only to have Treasury work overtime to undermine their economy and destabilize the regime under the guise of "law enforcement" activities. On the other hand, they could hand Hill his hat and coat, and reinforce the general perception that they are a rogue regime unwilling to negotiate. This could lead to even harsher sanctions and a dangerous situation becoming even more dangerous and unpredictable.
Given this scenario, the North is rather caught between a rock and a hard place; damned if you do, damned if you don't. I cannot help but think of the saying: Give someone enough rope and they will hang themselves. Seems to me that while Washington talks about carrots and sticks, in reality it is just playing out rope. Saddam got his. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) From The Korea Herald, December 29th 2006Roh takes aim
at Washington Commentary
By Chris Gelken
Love him or hate him, President Roh Moo-hyun is making absolutely sure you don't ignore him. Apparently unaware he is supposed to be a lame duck, Roh came out with all guns blazing in a speech to the National Unification Advisory Council last week.
Taking aim at the Americans, the military, his party, and his former prime minister, Goh Kun, the president essentially declared war on critics and rivals who were doubtless hoping he would accept his role of an "outgoing president" with good grace and simply fade away into oblivion. The target of derision for what the opposition claim are a raft of failed domestic policies, Roh has additionally been lambasted as an "appeaser" for his dogged determination to pursue his engagement initiative with North Korea. Questioning Washington's foreign policy these days or challenging them on issues related to Korea puts one in dangerous territory and immediately earns the pejorative of being a left-wing liberal and a cheerleader for anti-Americanism. Roh Moo-hyun is guilty as charged. Consequently the obvious conclusion is that Korea's president is a dangerous anti-American left-wing liberal with pro-North Korean tendencies. Or mad. Or so conservatives in the National Assembly and the media would have us believe. But in his alleged madness, the president may have hit the nail squarely on the head when he questioned the manner in which Washington has been conducting its diplomatic policy and negotiations process with North Korea. In his speech last week, Roh gave voice to widespread suspicions among so-called "conspiracy-theorists" that the U.S. Treasury Department had colluded with six-party negotiators from the State Department over the timing of its crackdown on the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, something Washington emphatically denies. In September 2005 as the six-party negotiations in Beijing were winding down to their successful conclusion, the U.S. Treasury released a statement claiming (but has so far provided no conclusive evidence) that BDA was acting as North Korea's conduit for illegal funds, and was an active partner in laundering counterfeit U.S. dollars produced by Pyongyang. With the hard-won September Agreement roadmap for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula signed and sealed, Treasury ratcheted up the pressure on BDA, forcing the bank to sever its correspondent links to Pyongyang and freeze all North Korean accounts held on its books. The financial screw had begun to turn. North Korea reacted, as was possibly Washington's intention, with its customary belligerence. They accused the United States of negotiating in bad faith, and tore up the September Agreement. The North's reaction, albeit a provoked reaction, allowed the Bush administration to claim the high moral ground and they quickly denounced Pyongyang's "unreasonable" behavior. Expressing disappointment, Washington added with a theatrical sigh, something to the effect that this is what happens when you deal with a rogue regime. When the six-party talks finally got underway again last week after a 13-month hiatus, the North opened its bid with the demand that Washington lift its financial stranglehold before any negotiations on denuclearization could take place. Once again, with theatrical exasperation, Washington's envoy told the participants, the press, and just about anybody else who was willing to listen; the financial action against the BDA was a law-enforcement issue, and had nothing to do with the nuclear negotiations. The North is being obstinate, U.S. envoy Chris Hill told reporters. For the sake of $24 million they are giving up some wonderful opportunities. So sad. So stupid. We are doing everything we possibly can, we are willing to compromise, they wailed, heaving exasperated sighs for dramatic effect. That has been Washington's line since the beginning, but obviously President Roh isn't buying it. And neither is anyone with common sense. Roh suggested Treasury and State were playing a cunning three handed "go-stop" - a Korean card game - in which these two conspirators were secretly ganging up on their mark to gain the upper hand. The timing of the Treasury's move on the BDA was just too convenient to be a coincidence. Convenient that is if you wanted to sink the September Agreement and still give the impression of being reasonable, of holding the high moral ground. It is beyond belief that two departments of the U.S. government dealing with North Korean issues were not collaborating, or at least exchanging memos. The move against BDA is part of a global effort by Washington to put a financial chokehold on the remaining countries of the "axis of evil" -- Iran and North Korea. This policy has been sanctioned by the White House, and in an interview with the Associated Press, Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey admits putting pressure on private banks and other institutions. "To figure out how to work with the private sector so they amplify what we want to have happen." And the financial collapse of the "axis of evil" is the thing that they "want to have happen." This course of action could not possibly go ahead without the consent of the Oval Office. Not unless you still believe the U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was an accident because the most powerful nation on earth was using out of date maps issued by a French tire company. Given the current climate in relations with the North, a good many people would probably support a coordinated two-pronged approach by Treasury and State to bring a successful conclusion to the nuclear impasse. But when the parties involved attempt this foolish charade, it throws just about anything and everything they say into doubt. So were Roh's comments just another example of his anti-Americanism? Not really. Disagreeing or taking an opposite view from your friends isn't disloyal, especially when they are being so transparently disingenuous. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) October, 2006 From The Korea Herald 1st November 2006Mixed reaction to domestic violence law
By Chris Gelken The same day that The Korea Herald published "The war on terror begins at home" (Oct. 25, 2006), the government's Ministry of Gender Equality announced revisions to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Law. This after some six months of considering proposals and recommendations from women's groups and related NGOs.
But reaction to the revisions, which took effect on Sunday, has been mixed. "The revised laws are clear in that their aims are to protect the victim and their human rights," Shin Yeon-sook, head coordinator of the Domestic Violence Prevention Program at the Korean Women's Hotline told The Korea Herald. "In addition," she said, "the revisions include secrecy acts and increased support for the victims." But the KWH is unhappy that the government did not accept suggestions for the establishment of a Domestic Violence Prevention Council. "Perhaps the government still considers domestic violence simply as a family or social problem, rather than as a crime," she said. "Support for victims by itself cannot solve the problem. It is important to revise the punishment for the offender, and this has not been adequately addressed." Shin is also disappointed by the fact that while the government said they would upgrade facilities and resources for the victims of domestic violence, they did not announce any detailed plans of how they will achieve this. "This can be seen as evidence that the government did not really consider what they are going to do in order to effectively apply the revised laws," Shin said. Although support for victims is important, Shin told The Korea Herald, what is more important is the recognition of domestic violence as a social problem and a serious crime. "In Korea, domestic violence continues to be addressed in terms of trying to keep the families together," Shin said. "In Germany, the U.K. and the United States, for example, the laws concerning domestic violence are focused on rehabilitation of the victims." This, Shin said, is what women's groups and other concerned NGOs consider the most important factor in helping the victims of domestic violence. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) October, 2006 From The Korea Herald 25th October. 2006The war on terror begins at home
By Chris Gelken
It is something that crosses all cultural, economic, religious, educational and racial boundaries. And according to some statistics, it can be found in one in six homes here in Korea. Domestic violence is the terrifying experience of being attacked by a family member, usually a male, and most often physically. It is certainly something a person you know is suffering right now. Except you probably have absolutely no idea what is happening to them. Victims quickly become very accomplished at hiding the signs.
According to figures from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, in 2004 there were a total of 90,497 reported cases of domestic violence. By 2005, that figure had risen to 111,191 and in the first six months of this year 65,385 cases were reported to the authorities. These are the "reported" cases; experience however, shows that most incidents are not reported. Depending on your point of view, whether you are an optimist or a pessimist, there is good news, and there is bad news. "The increase in the number of reports is not due to an actual increase in the number of domestic violence cases," Shin Yeon-sook, head co-coordinator of the Domestic Violence Prevention Program at the Korea Women's Hotline told The Korea Herald, "but an increasing awareness among women of their rights and the availability of organizations to help them." Domestic violence cases, she said, account for about 30 to 40 percent of all the calls to their hotline, and that proportion has remained similar over the years. But this also clearly shows that efforts to reduce the incidence of domestic violence are failing. And failing miserably. "The support system for victims is far from sufficient," she said, "and the central and local governments must take domestic violence more seriously." Shin said the government needs to change its perception that violence in the home is simply the result of private domestic problems, and that laws need to be introduced to protect the rights of victims. "Problems have arisen because of the low rate of prosecutions," Shin said. "We are proposing to the National Assembly a revised bill in which police intervention is increased and culprits are subjected to reasonable penalties." Concerns are rising, however, regarding an alternative revision that is being proposed that will suspend the indictment of an offender until after "adequate consultations" have been conducted. "This suspension of indictments in favor of counseling could lead to domestic violence actually not being recognized as a crime," Shin said. A 2004 survey by the Korea Women's Hotline revealed that a large number of people consider domestic violence simply as a "dispute" between the husband and wife, but statistics provided by the agency show that more than 31 percent of the cases reported to them involved near fatal force or lethal weapons. Margaret Wong, the director of Harmony House in Hong Kong insists, "If you hit someone on the street, it's a crime. If you hit someone in the home, then it's still a crime." The agency says the first line of defense is the police who are called out to a disturbance, but their training is inadequate. "With the enforcement of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Law in 1998, there were instances of widespread training and a protocol for dealing with domestic violence has been produced," Shin said. "However, a continuous training system has not been set up, and this leads to the personal views of each police officer affecting the outcome of domestic violence cases." The reasons why an individual becomes an abuser can be as varied as the classifications of abuse, such as actual physical violence, psychological neglect, humiliation, sexual abuse and rape, among others. But why do they do it? "In my experience about 99 percent of cases are where the husband uses violence against his wife," Shin said, "and most of the men beat their partners because they can." Alcohol is often cited as an excuse, Shin said, but the fact is a much larger proportion of people who drink do not become violent. "Therefore the predominant reason for being violent toward the wife is that violent men do not see their wives as an equal." Alarmingly, Shin told The Korea Herald, about 70 percent of the cases of violence towards the wife also involve the children. "However, because the laws and the departments handling the two offenses are different, there is a lack of coordination in handling the cases." What is equally alarming is there are only some 44 safe houses in Korea where victims of domestic violence can seek temporary refuge. "Each house can accommodate up to 10 victims at one time," Shin said, "and while most of them try to accommodate children, some of them do not allow the victims' children to accompany them." To illustrate the size of the problem and what still needs to be done, compare Korea¡¯s 48 million population and 440 places available in safe houses, to Hong Kong's 160 places serving a population of about 6 million. And Hong Kong NGOs say demand still far outstrips supply. Domestic violence is a grim reality, not just here in Korea, but everywhere else. The work of NGOs usually focuses on the empowerment of women, giving them the support they need to break out of an abusive and potentially dangerous relationship. After conducting literally hundreds of interviews with NGO workers and victims, one particular quote from a European victim stands out as a source of inspiration. "Don't feel isolated, don't feel alone. And don't let fear paralyze you." You can contact the Korea Women's Hotline nationwide on 1366. Foreign residents and visitors should call the police and then contact their embassy for assistance. October, 2006 From The Korea Herald 13th October 2006Comrade G.I. Joe
arrives in Busan By Chris Gelken
As the world watches and waits for the latest developments in the tense situation unfolding on the Korean Peninsula, a unique and strange story is about to be unveiled to audiences at the Pusan International Film Festival this coming Monday evening.
From VeryMuchSo Productions, the British producers of the memorable and award-winning "Game of Their Lives" (2002) and "A State of Mind" (2004) comes "Crossing the Line," which tells the story of U.S. Army deserter James Dresnok. It details why a young American soldier walked away from everything he knew and was familiar with, and entered an unknown world full of uncertainties. In 1962, Pvt. Dresnok crossed what at the time, and certainly remains to this day, is the most heavily fortified border on earth -- the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. Filmmaker Nicholas Bonner, who first met Dresnok in June 2004, said at the time Dresnok appeared to be living a simple life, working as a part-time English teacher in Pyongyang. In an interview with The Korea Herald earlier this year, the producers said while the first two films received wide critical acclaim, this one is bigger, better, and in their words, "out of this world." The film focuses on four Americans who defected from the United States to North Korea while they were stationed as soldiers in the South. "Of those, two died in the 1980s and 90s," the company said, "A third, Charles Jenkins is now in Japan, and the fourth, James Dresnok, is still living in Pyongyang." The film contains extensive interviews with Dresnok and his thoughts on various issues. Despite the high technical quality and content of VeryMuchSo productions, the company maintains a fairly low profile when on location. "It is usually done with a very small crew," they said. "The crew for 'A State of Mind' was just three people. Daniel Gordon was the director, Nick Bennet the cameraman, and with Nick Bonner doing just about everything else necessary from soundman to second camera." VeryMuchSo Productions has certainly broken new ground in North Korean film production, at least in the unprecedented access they have been given. Their first major project documenting the lives of the celebrated 1966 North Korean World Cup soccer squad is a case in point. "The football players of 1966 are great heroes there, but they are private citizens, and private citizens in North Korea don't normally get documentaries made about them," the company said. That was a very important first step. Going into peoples' homes and interviewing people who were not celebrities for "A State of Mind" was another breakthrough. The new film, "Crossing the Line," interviews many people, the families and the people involved. VeryMuchSo credits much of their success to the cooperation of the North Korean authorities, in particular the Korean Film Export and Import Corporation. "The productions are a collaborative effort," the producers said, "and we generally work with the same people all the time. They are really nice guys." (chrisgelken@heraldm.com)
Photo courtesy of VeryMuchSo Productions October, 2006 From The Korea Herald October 5th, 2006Playing hardball
in Pyongyang by Chris Gelken North Korea captured world headlines again Tuesday with its bombshell announcement that it "will" test a nuclear device. While Pyongyang asserted its sovereign right to conduct the test in response to what it described as threats from the United States, it also hinted that a test is not imminent. A statement released by the official Korean Central News Agency said the test would go ahead when all precautions were in place to conduct a safe and controlled detonation. Against this backdrop of apparently intractable and inevitable confrontation between Pyongyang and Washington, other, and perhaps more pragmatic agencies are hard at work to defuse the tension and find a way out of a situation that could so easily spiral out of control. It has often been said that biggest business deals and the most significant political agreements have been negotiated over a decent dinner and a drink, or somewhere between the tee-off and the "19th" hole on a golf course, rather than in a boardroom or the more formal setting of a summit, Reminiscent of the "soft ball" ping-pong diplomacy that led to diplomatic reconciliation and ultimately thriving trade between Beijing and Washington, the Korea Sports Marketing Group, the Korea Chamber of Commerce (Pyongyang) and Beijing-based Korea Business Consultants in conjunction with Avid Golf Management, are organizing the Business Golf Challenge at North Korea¡¯s Taesong Golf Course between Oct. 28 and Oct. 31. "What we do in business is just press on with the need to help facilitate business and trade, and bring investment into a business community that welcomes us," Roger Barrett, managing director of KBC told The Korea Herald. "We have parceled business and golf together to remind people, or more likely to open their eyes to the fact that North Korea is more normal than the world media would have us believe." Western participants will be given the opportunity to mix in a relaxed atmosphere with their Korean counterparts over a 18-hole course, mixing business with pleasure. Organizers say the trip is particularly suitable for those who have always wanted to visit North Korea, and is specifically designed to be both informative and fun. Apart from golf, there will be a business seminar outlining opportunities for investment and trade, visits to factories and other Pyongyang based enterprises. "You do not even have to be a golfer," say organizers, "the package is designed to be good fun, and who knows, golf may even change some stereotype perceptions of the country." (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) August, 2006 From The Korea Herald August 23rd 2006Blacklist invades the privacy
of foreign English teachers By Chris Gelken and Cho Ji-hyun
Privacy is defined as a state of being let alone and able to keep certain, especially personal, matters to oneself.
However, the privacy of some allegedly irresponsible foreign English teachers is being outrageously, and possibly illegally invaded on the website of a group called the Korea Foreign Teachers Recruiting Association (www.kftra.co.kr).
The association blacklisted some 20 foreign teachers who they say caused trouble or who were accused of some manner of wrongdoing. The alleged crimes of these individuals included what is described as "doing a midnight run" - leaving suddenly without notice, arriving for class drunk, and even of sexually harassing students. The latter being an extremely serious charge, and one that should not be made lightly or without evidence.
"The website was launched in February because there are many illegal foreigners in Korea that are not qualified to teach English here," said Choi Hyeok, president of the association. "Even though a great number of educational institutes were experiencing similar difficulties, we didn't have a place that can share this information."
Until Thursday of last week the blacklist enabled anyone who had prior access to the private details of a teacher, to list that individual's full name, passport number, birthdate, photo and their alleged crime on the association’s website.
After The Korea Herald challenged the operators, the association deleted the passport numbers and birthdates of the teachers.
However, the teacher's names and their alleged crimes are still being published. By law, even the names of suspects in high profile criminal cases are protected until they are indicted by prosecutors.
For example, a legal expert told The Korea Herald, the full names of the French couple who prosecutors have identified as the parents in the now well-known case of the 'freezer babies' were kept private for more than three weeks before their lawyer gave the media permission to release their identities.
Some, or perhaps even all of the teachers on the list may have caused problems at their academies, or so called "hagwons" in Korea, as claimed in the posts. On the other hand, they may be completely innocent, and simply the target of a disgruntled hagwon director or a student with bad grades who bears a grudge. The fact that the people who contributed to the blacklist can hide behind anonymous user-names means none of the claims can be checked for accuracy before they are viewed by the general public. This immediately calls the process into serious question on both legal and moral grounds.
In an attempt to address the situation, last Wednesday a poster using the name "Westerner" wrote: "Do you guys know the laws related to defamation of character? Stating the passport number can bring a lot of trouble. Be ashamed of yourselves." A couple of hours after this post first appeared, the board moderator deleted it.
According to the law, personal information is something that belongs to a specific individual and is a tool that can identify the individual.
"Because a match can come up between a passport number and an individual, we can say a passport is personal information," said an official at the headquarters for e-gov at the Ministry of Government Information and Home Affairs.
Even without the passport number, if the full name and the reason the teacher is on the blacklist is being posted together, that is enough for the teacher to sue the accuser on charges of defamation of character, said a lawyer who only wanted to be identified by his surname "Lee."
"It doesn't matter whether the information is true or false, but if the post had the purpose of defamation, the accuser can be punished," Lee said. "Especially if the person-in-charge of the website didn't fact check the information beforehand."
Lee said it is entirely possible that the individual making the claims on the website had a personal agenda, unrelated to any alleged wrongdoing on the part of the accused.
If the information was not revealed for the public benefit, there is a better chance of punishment - serving time in jail or paying a fine - for the information provider, Lee said. But only the victims can file a lawsuit, he added.
Also, for disclosing personal information, an individual can served up to three years in prison or pay up to 10 million won in fines, according to the law.
Although the privacy of an individual should be protected, many are voicing opinions that a system that can easily do background checks on an applicant for the post of teacher should be made available to schools.
Some have cited the case of John Mark Karr, now the chief suspect in the murder of six-year-old beauty queen, JonBenet Ramsey. Karr taught English for a few months at a Korean academy in 2002. Thai officials arrested him last week for a crime he claims to have committed 10 years ago in the U.S. state of Colorado. A teacher blacklist may have revealed that he had at one time lost his teaching license for possession of child pornography, according to supporters of a blacklist.
Because the demand for native English teachers outweighs the supply in a number of Asian countries, critics have claimed it is too easy for many candidates with forged credentials or criminal records to come and teach in Korea, according to numerous recruiters.
Lee Seung-hae, who works for the online recruiting website Eicoedu, said a resume is what many recruiters depend on when they select their candidates.
"I wish we had an organized system that can check such personal information since the demand for native-speaking teachers is getting higher and higher," he told The Korea Herald, "but I know it won't be so easy." (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) From The Korea Herald August 9th 2006How did it get this bad? (Part 1)
By Chris Gelken
Immature and completely unprepared to face the realities of life, or a victimized group with solid grievances? It depends on who you ask really. Perhaps it is a little of both. They are often the target of derision on Korean language message boards and pilloried in the press as a bunch of overpaid layabouts. On the other side of the coin, the demand for native speaking English teachers is growing.
According to official figures obtained on Monday, there are some 13,774 legal, documented and to all intents and purposes, professional English teachers here in Korea. Unofficial figures estimate there are at least twice that number of undocumented and unqualified foreigners working as teachers in Korean schools. In a recent article, Miok Yoo of the Seoul Help Center told The Korea Herald that a significant number of the calls to their help desk came from distressed or angry foreigners hired to work here as English teachers. Five minutes' research on the internet will throw up enough horror stories relating to breach of contract, unpaid overtime and severance bonuses, failure to reimburse airfares etc., to convince even the most skeptical that there is a big problem out there. This should throw up an immediate red flag to anyone considering coming here to teach English. But according to Sara R. Avrams, a former legal educational advocate in the United States, and now an English instructor at a school in Gangwon Province, most people simply do little or no research. "They usually only start the research after they are signed, sealed and delivered, and smell the rats up close," she told The Korea Herald." Even the ones that do research are often fooled with false promises. "The attractions are rent-free accommodation, travel opportunities, free airfare, excitement, and of course in many cases, recruiters who lie through their teeth, exaggerate, and promise what they can't deliver," Avrams said. "They rely on the naivety of the recruits." Paul Robertson, CEO of the EFL-Law website, an information resource for expat English teachers, is frequently called on to give advice to teachers in trouble. "I think the major problem is the small hagwons who should never have been allowed to hire a foreigner. They are badly run, flout Korean laws, and deceive the teacher who ends up as a victim." So once ensnared what can the hapless victim do about it? "There are numerous laws that govern the industry," Robertson said. "I think the legal resources are sufficient, but the problem is the foreigners' lack of understanding of the Korean legal system." Another problem, according to Avrams, is that official channels seem to handle issues within the framework of the culture from which they stem, "and in short, Koreans don't complain. When they do, it is usually done within the school. They rarely seek outside help." Avrams says the official channels will sometimes soft-pedal the gravity of the issue. Rather than rushing to court, they will often encourage the teacher to try to reach an agreement with the school. "They are not trying to protect the employer, I think. They are aware that if they have to enforce a rule on behalf of the employee, the employee will likely be fired." Avrams says in her experience, once a formal complaint is lodged, the authorities will contact the employer and try to repair the problem. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com)
From The Korea Herald August 16th 2006How did it get this bad? (Part 2)
By Chris Gelken
Out of all the foreign English teachers working here in Korea, it would be virtually impossible to accurately determine the percentage who find themselves victims of dishonest practices by "hagwon" or school directors, conned by recruiters, or who simply didn't read the really small print on what can often be very confusing contracts.
But according to Jung Bong-soo, a lawyer with the KangNam Labor Law Firm, the problem is not as widespread as many people believe. "Of course there are teachers who will get into a dispute with their boss," he told The Korea Herald, "and I have helped them get severance pay, delayed wages and so on. I have also managed to help teachers who were unfairly dismissed. But out of all the teachers here, I believe only about 5 percent ever run into problems. I think this is quite a normal figure in any society." Jung said he is confident that the labor law is applied equally to Koreans and foreigners, an assertion supported by Paul Robertson, CEO of EFL Law - with some conditions. "The law courts are always available to foreigners. I think the resources are sufficient," he said. "But the problem is a lack of understanding of the Korean legal system among foreigners." Sara R. Avrams, a former special education legal advocate who now works as a teacher in Gangwon Province, says the figure quoted by Jung is a little misleading. "I would think the number of teachers working for hagwons and having problems is more along the lines of 70-90 percent. The number who actually seek help is probably closer to 5 percent." If a foreign teacher believes they are being treated unfairly, their first point of contact should probably be the Seoul Help Center, a government-run agency where they will be directed to the relevant labor office for their district and, if necessary, a labor lawyer. "The government does enforce rules when complaints are filed," said Avrams. "In my limited experience, for the most part, official agencies will call the employer, inform them of the rules and expect that the employer will repair the problem." It all sounds so simple and easy, once you know the rules. In fact, given that the law is explicit and reportedly enforced, it should be quite an exceptional event when an English teacher posts a "help" message on an EFL message board. But perhaps the operative word in the previous quote by Avrams is "expected" rather than "enforce." Many of these issues do not arise until the last month of a teacher's contract, Robertson told The Korea Herald. "Many small hagwons do not pay taxes, pension or health benefits. And at the end of the contract, they attempt to cheat the teacher out of their severance pay." With the hapless teacher racing against the clock to resolve the issue before their visa expires, time and experience in manipulating the system are on the side of the school. The odds of seeing justice run its course are stacking up against the victim. "By the time things get really bad, most victims aren't willing (or can't afford) to stay around to see the case to the end, they'd rather just go home," said Avrams. "So while the issue of the complaint may be officially 'resolved,' the end result can and often is bad for the employee. And the school is free to go out and get fresh meat," Avrams said. For the majority of teachers who come here to work for the smaller hagwons or schools, as opposed to universities or more reputable institutes, the EFL sector is a dangerous minefield for the unwary and inexperienced. Teachers contacted by The Korea Herald for this article mostly agree that a standardized contract and a formal, credible teachers' association to represent them would go a long way to clean up the EFL sector. Union membership is an option. "If the labor department recognizes the foreign English teacher as a legal employee, based on the Korean labor laws, the foreigners can join any union," Huh Man-yook, a Labor Department official told the Korea Herald. However, teachers we spoke to said language difficulties and the overly political nature of many unions here is a disincentive to join. KOTESOL, the Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, an established teachers' association that boasts both foreign and local members, has been suggested as the most viable candidate to fill this void. The association's president, Louisa T. C. Kim, told The Korea Herald that they are considering these issues and are preparing to respond. Robertson, however, isn't optimistic that KOTESOL has the potential to be a significant player in the sector. "Even if KOTESOL did have the legal ability to act as a quasi-union, the vast majority of foreign teachers in Korea are not members, thus it would have little or no impact unless KOTESOL extended its services to members and non members alike." Avrams is also doubtful that any association would have the necessary clout to intervene in disputes between teachers and schools. "Mediation requires voluntary participation by both parties, employer and employee. And the key to effective mediation is a level playing field." And in a society where employers have traditionally held all the power, Avrams said, it will take Herculean efforts to level that playing field. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com)
August, 2006 From The Korea Herald, July 26th 2006Pensions demystified
by Chris Gelken
It seems some folks are still a bit befuddled by the National Pension Scheme and how it affects them as individuals. Well, first and foremost, almost everyone working here gets to pay. Nationals from some 18 countries, however, are exempt. If your home country does not collect social security contributions from foreign workers, then you can opt out of the scheme. These countries include South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Check with your embassy. The rest of us have to front up 4.5 percent of our hard earned cash, and our employer matches that amount for a grand total of 9 percent equivalent of our salary. And that's where the similarities between the eclectic mix of nationalities working here abruptly ends. People from countries whose national pension scheme allows for a lump sum payout to foreigners leaving the country before retirement age, will enjoy the same benefit here. If you are leaving Korea, then you can pick up the total contributions paid during the term of your employment. Consequently, if you are from India, Indonesia, the United States or Canada, for example, then you are looking at a nice little bonus. Not so if you hail from the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand. Since these countries do not offer lump sum payments to foreign workers contributing into their pension schemes, the same rule applies here. Essentially, you get nothing. Sorry. "That's not true," Kim Jeong-ha, manager of the International Relations Team at the National Pension Service told The Korea Herald. "Anyone contributing to the scheme gets survivor's and disability cover," she said. So if you die or get injured on the job, then benefits will be paid to your next of kin. But there are certain requirements. "For example, if you become disabled or die from a pre-existing condition that you had before coming to Korea, then you would not be eligible for benefits," she cautioned. However, anyone contributing into the scheme for 10 years or more qualifies for an old-age pension when they retire. "And that pension will be paid anywhere in the world," Kim told us, adding that while the current retirement age is 60, that may change. But what about those poor Brits, Kiwis and Aussies who pull up pegs and move on before the 10-year minimum? "Nothing," Kim said, "no lump sum, no pension." Now while some of you might be thinking this is outrageously unfair, the situation is reciprocal. Koreans working in the United Kingdom, for example, face exactly the same situation. "Negotiations are underway with Australia and New Zealand," Kim said, "And a limited agreement has already been reached with Great Britain." Under that limited agreement, anyone "posted" here from the United Kingdom, and who continues to pay into the British national pension scheme, will be exempt from paying contributions here. More detailed information on the scheme, and which countries qualify for what, can be found at the National Pension Service website, http://www.nps4u.or.kr/eng/g-index.html. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com)
July, 2006 From The Korea Herald, July 20th, 2006Missile threat facing Israel By Chris Gelken Despite fighting a determined enemy on two fronts, the Israeli Defense Force still controls the battlefield, and the sky above. Compared to the formidable arsenal arrayed against them, the weapons deployed by the Palestinians and Hezbollah are relatively weak. From The Korea Herald, July 19th, 2006British kindergarten offers education alternative
By Chris Gelken Expatriate parents of young children will soon have an alternative to the education choices currently on offer here in Seoul. With an initial investment of some $8 million, the British International Kindergarten in Hannam-dong will shortly open its doors in September 2006.
Trevor Wilson, founding principal of Orbital Education which is setting up the British kindergarten, said the school for 2- to 7-year-olds will be a welcome change from the generally American-dominated education market in Korea.
"There is a fundamental difference between British education and American education," Wilson told The Korea Herald. "The British system really begins formal education at 4 years old. They have to spend an hour on numeracy and an hour on literacy every day. They have to do science at least three times a week. They also have to do some humanities ?and they have to do some art and music. And also IT and physical education," he said.
In the American system, only children in the upper kindergarten begin preparatory work in reading and math before they enter formal education.
"So basically when the children leave this school they will have done three years of full-time, structured English national curriculum, whereas the Americans will have only done two, so there is a clear advantage for the children at that stage," Wilson said.
The opening of the British kindergarten coincides with the launch of the Yongsan International School of Seoul, which will follow an American high school curriculum. The decision to award the International Christian School the license to operate the new campus over the British International School caused an uproar in the local expat community.
"It was a surprise. Orbital Education has been involved on the periphery (of the Yongsan school project)," Wilson said. "As we understood it, the objectives of the Korean government was to create a new international school with a British curriculum, that would be a secular school. But they seemed to have awarded the contract to a non-secular organization with an American curriculum."
Wilson said there has already been enormous interest in the British kindergarten from expatriate families, and they would have been happier if BIS had won the operating license for the new high school.
"I am sure they feel that all the expatriates coming from European countries should have more choice than they have currently. And they felt that the next international school here should have been based on the British curriculum," he said.
"I think as far as the Seoul metropolitan government is concerned, I think they must realize quite clearly the need for another international school to encourage expatriates to come, to be an inflow of foreign investment into Korea. I think they have not made the best decision in giving this particular license to an American system school," Wilson added. The kindergarten is in a completely new building constructed to the specifications of a good British school. It has the full range of facilities for 2- to 7-year-olds. In addition to large and well-lit classrooms, there is a spacious and specially designed and equipped gymnasium as well as an art room and a ballet/dance studio.
The school will be staffed by qualified teachers, with most of them coming from Britain, including a British principal.
Orbital Education has set up more than 20 British-style schools over the past 16 years in cities around the world including Moscow and Shanghai.
And Orbital's ambitions for Korea don't end with the kindergarten.
"The hope is that eventually youngsters can graduate from this British kindergarten and enter a British high school here in Seoul," said Wilson. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) July, 2006 From The Korea Herald July 12th, 2006
June, 2006 From The Korea Herald June 28th, 2006Discrimination still alive and well
By Chris Gelken
The job advertisement pinned to the notice board was certainly eye-catching. Offering $5,300 a month, it was guaranteed to attract the attention of passersby. But a quick scan of the requirements quickly eliminated most of the readers. The applicant had to be a female, below 39 years old, and white.
Not the sort of advertisement you would expect to see considering the fact that under Korean law, a person should not face discrimination for race, skin color, age or gender. The agency that placed the advertisement on the notice board also reproduced the ad on their internet website. Contacted by The Korea Herald, they were at first dismissive, saying the inclusion of age- and gender-specific requirements in a job advertisement were common enough practices here. Then they became concerned. And then rather worried. "I personally didn't agree with the way the advertisement was worded," said the consultant named as the point of contact on the advertisement, "but I had no choice. It was what the client wanted us to say." The client in this case is a well-known American retailer and consumer goods producer. A telephone call to their Korean office met with a blank denial of the job vacancy and any knowledge of the job placement agency. A follow-up e-mail with the advertisement attached and a request for comment was ignored. Two e-mails to the group's U.S. head office generated a bland "we are looking into this" reply. The job placement agency describes itself as a leading head-hunting outfit, but the consultant claimed that this was the first time he had personally worked on a commission for a foreign client. This does not completely explain his ignorance about how offensive the substance of the advertisement could be to some people, since age and sex discrimination are big issues in Korea. It certainly does not excuse the client, a 100-year-old company with operations in several countries around the world employing more than 151,000 people. Achieving the status of the world's 10th-largest economy shows just how far Korea has come in the past couple of decades. Advertisements like those reproduced here show just how far it still has to go. (chrisgelken@heraldm.com) June, 2006 From The Korea Herald, June 21st 2006Help is only a phone call away
By Chris Gelken
Arriving in a strange city can be a scary experience, especially for the less-experienced traveler. Having a medical crisis or a dispute with an employer in a country with an alien language and customs can quickly turn a bad situation into a nightmare. The feeling of being alone and isolated can be crushing. The Seoul Help Center for Foreigners offers a range of services that can help remove at least a few of these feelings of isolation and helplessness. "Basically we provide general information on daily living, business and tourism," SHC deputy director Miok Yoo told The Korea Herald. "One of our main services is a medical referral service that provides medical center information. We have volunteers who are medically-trained professionals who can refer callers to the appropriate medical facility, 24 hours a day." Apart from the medical emergency service, SHC offers a general helpline service that deals with a raft of enquiries from simple directions to a popular venue to help with errant "hagwon," or private institute, directors. "English teachers, I think, make up the bulk of people calling with one problem or another," Miok Yoo said. "Most of the complaints are enquiries relating to their employment status. They often say their hagwon or employer is in breach of their contract." Generally, the SHC can offer simple advice, but if the problem is more serious, they can put the complainant in touch with the labor office. "If it is a legal problem, the Seoul Bar Association provides free legal advice for any foreign resident in Seoul for three hours every Monday afternoon. We often send English teachers to the Seoul Bar Association," Miok Yoo said. The center also gets involved in helping foreign community groups stage cultural events, and Miok Yoo told The Korea Herald this is one of their busiest years yet. "This year we are supporting eight events with sponsorship from 3 to 5 million won, including things such as traditional dance, or exhibitions of art." Perhaps the biggest event will be Korea's first international touch-rugby tournament which will be held in September. Funded by the Seoul government and operated by the Foreign Investment Promotion Team, the center has seven fulltime staff and 10 foreign volunteers for the general information service, and nine foreign medical professionals operating the Medical Referral Service. "The ultimate goal of the center, which was founded three years ago, aims to facilitate foreign investment into the city by improving the living environment for foreigners," Miok Yoo said. "I think our service allows people to feel safe and comfortable. We are only a telephone call away," she added. Despite the wide range of services, there are some gaps. "In regard to spousal abuse or domestic violence, our medical team can connect them to counselors, but we do not directly intervene or become involved in domestic violence cases," Miok Yoo told us. "I do not think there are any shelter facilities here for foreign wives. I think this could be a challenge for us as we expand our services to improve the environment for foreign residents," she said. Foreign residents suffering from depression or related problems will also be referred to a counselor, but the center doesn't offer any direct or long-term support system. The service is nonprofit and totally free to callers, but does rely heavily on volunteers. Right now Miok Yoo told us, they are looking for native speakers to offer a proofreading service. For more information on the Seoul Help Center, visit their website at shc.seoul.go.kr June, 2006 From The Korea Herald June 10th, 2006Team E-Rain hopes to
close the gap in Beijing By Chris Gelken
More than 30,000 spectators are expected to crowd into the Goldenport Circuit in Beijing this weekend to watch the latest round of the Asian Festival of Speed, featuring the Asian Touring Car Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and Formula BMW Asia.
E-Rain Racing, Korea's only international racing team, will be hoping to improve on their performance in the Formula BMW Asia competition. After two rounds of the seven-round competition, Team E-Rain are trailing the leaders, Team Meritus, by 78 points. Formula BMW is considered the best entry level championship for young and talented drivers. The single seat open-wheelers have a 1200cc engine producing 140-brake horsepower. For the Formula BMW drivers this will be the first time any of them have raced at Goldenport. So while there are some gaps in the championship points, it will be a level playing field for all the drivers. However, unlike in previous seasons, there are no Korean drivers in the team. Team manager Jeon Hongsik told The Korea Herald that despite the fact there is plenty of talent, it is difficult for Korean drivers to raise the sponsorship money needed to race internationally. "There is no doubt that we want to have Korean drivers in our team, and present the face of Korean motorsport to the world," Jeon said. The team is doing rather better in another competition, the Formula Renault V6, or FV6A. The Renault is far more powerful than the BMW with a 3.5-liter engine producing 380-brake horsepower, and a Formula One-style six-speed paddle gearshift. "Only good and experienced drivers can control this car properly," Jeon said. This is E-Rain¡'s first season in V6 and they are running two cars driven by Hanss Lin from Taiwan, and Karun Chandhok from India. "We had two podium placings in the first round in May, with Karun first and Hanss coming in second. From my point of view as the team manager, things couldn't be better," Jeon said, adding, "I am confident this will last until the end of the season." The next round of FV6A will take place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on June 24. |
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