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southkoreaandjapan · 1 year

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History, explorations and more amazing food- Part 1

Saturday, June 24, 2023

This is where I start falling behind but I am going to divide this day into two parts - So here we go...

Part 1

We started our day with a private bus tour of downtown Seoul allowing us to better understand the topography of the place and the mountains that protect the city. Once you get the skyscrapers to stop blocking the view you can see the mountainous terrain that have helped to protect this city since it's onset. 70% of South Korea is mountainous with the only region containing large tracts of arable land being the southwest.

After small drive to the upper areas of Seoul we returned to the traffic of Seoul and went to a large plaza across the street from the US Embassy and then walked toward Gyeongbokgung Palace but not before we saw this:

This is King Sejong, the Great (born 1397—died 1450), monarch of the Chosŏn (Yi) dynasty during whose reign (1419–50) cultural achievements in Korea reached their highest point. Sejong is best known for his development of Hangul (Han'gŭl), the phonetic system for writing the Korean language that is still in use. His image is on the 10,000 bill.

The Korean Peninsula had the spoken word but not the written word until King Sejong. This is EXACTLY has language develops BUT you must remember that the written word did exist in kingdoms around Korea so if you see a historic building orginially built prior to King Sejong - say in the 1300s - and it has writing on or about it - it is NOT Korean. We saw an exact example of that a little later.

Seoul was once a massive walled city with 4 gates primary gate matching the cardinal coordinates of the compass and 4 secondary gates tucked between them. Anson and I stumbled on the South Gate or Sungnyemun while exploring on foot a couple of days ago.

The History of these Gates and this city is long and tragic - because as has played out over eons around the entire planet - if you build it and "it" works, someone else will try to take "it". The quest for "it" is great and the destruction of "it" often occurs during the conquest. THAT is also the story of Seoul.

These beautiful gates and walls and palaces are not the original construction but reconstructions albeit reconstructed using the same materials and in some cased the same building techniques as the original - but you are looking at new construction.

Some history - specific to gates and walls and palaces:

Japan and Korea were not friends and had not been friends for decades. Even when Samurai ruled Japan there were "issues." Before we came on this trip, Mark and I watched a series about the Samurai conquests. (OMG!!! Hike, fight, rape pillage, slaughter, rinse and repeat!!) This went on for generations until no one remembered a time without this total war. In 1592 Japan’s Hideyoshi regime invaded Korea (Chosen) but that was not the original target. Hideyoshi had FINALLY united Japan and there was peace but now he had another problem. He had a massive well trained army with nothing to do. He had to keep them busy - so... China has a lot of cool stuff - and a decision was made to get 'em. He appealed to Korea. All he wanted was to access to the Korean peninsula to get to China so he could kick the crap out of them. - but Korea said - NOPE! Hideyoshi said - FINE - we will just kick your ass first and then head to China. That turned out to be a bad move. The point is that Hideyoshi and his crew underestimated the strength of the Korean military and their willingness to protect their land so Japan was defeated.

But that was in 1592 and over the years the two countries monitored each others strength. In the 1880s the Japanese decide to make their move - again and this time they were successful. In 1910 Japan annexed Korea and Korea (Chošen) became a protectorate until 1945.

We all know the rules of conquest and they played out as anticipated: No Korean could hold any job of importance: The Korea language was forbidden. Korean names were forbidden. Korean history could not be studied or discussed. And icons of Korean history had to be demolished. You know - same ol', same ol. So, the gates, the walls and the palaces were destroyed. Sigh...

Today when we visited Gyeongbokgung Palace we saw a re-creation of what was - oh - did I mention that the Korean War 1950-1953 also destroyed everything... OMG! Despite this the place is stunning.

The details are exquisite - below is the ceiling of one of the Palace entry gates. SWEET!!

We got there in time to watch the Changing of the Guard and although there were lots of people there and I had a crappy spot to take pics - I was able to tine this on YouTube. Enjoy!

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One of the things that was fascinating was how many people were there dressed in traditional Korean garb. We asked about it and our fabulous trip leader, Yong, said - "well - none of those people are from Korea. They are just checking off an item on their bucket list because they are addicted to the K-dramas." It turns out he was 100% correct and as we further examined the crowd, we saw people wearing a hijab or a Sieke turban - but still wearing tradition Korean clothes. But, whatever the motivation it was beautiful!!

But new or old - we still love this little mythical guy that keeps everyone safe while keeping the evil spirits at bay. You go, Haechi!!

We walked around this beautiful complex for an hour or so and loved every minute of it. Then we headed out for lunch. ANOTHER HIT!!

Lunch today was gobong samgyetang (a whole small chicken stuffed with rice, gingsing, additional seasoning and spices and cooked in a hot pot.) DELICIOUS!! We went to a restaurant that serves ONLY that.

I simply cannot get over all the side dishes - each one an explosion of tastes. This was not Anson's favorite meal -but he is not a soup guy. I - on the other hand - LOVED IT!!!

After lunch some people went back to the hotel (Mark) and some people (Anson and I) headed to the National Korean Museum. WOWZA. First the building is spectacular...

But on to the contents...

Yong gave us a "smorgasbord" tour - walking us through at a rapid clip and giving us (via the whisperers) a quick overview of the history of the Korean Peninsula.

And THAT my friends will be part 2.

Stay tuned....

#Youtube

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stocklivemarket · 1 year

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Pyongyang is the capital and most populous city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea. It is located on the Taedong River, 110 km upstream from where the river joins the West Korean Sea. The city was separated from the city of South Pyongan in 1946. It has been a city directly governed by its own administrative unit, just like the city of Seoul in South Korea... The name of the city means 'flat land' in Korean. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7MGz0xGrZI[/embed] As the capital of North Korea, which is governed by a totalitarian regime, the dominant ideology of the country is reflected in the entire architectural structure of the city. The city, where tasteless concrete buildings rise, actually shows these features as it was rebuilt after it was completely destroyed in the Korean War. You can visit this city, which is extremely mysterious but very difficult to access as the administration wants to control the flow of information about the country, through private tour companies authorized by the state, as in all North Korea. They are not even allowed to communicate with the public. However, during the small city tours, which have been designed to every detail and decorated to give the impression that you are in a magnificent land of abundance, you can catch a small moment and find the real information about the daily life of the stoic people living in this city. You can see the locals picnicking, listening to music and lazing around on a walk up Moran Hill. Where Is Pyongyang? It is located on the Taedong River, 110 km upstream from where the river joins the West Korean Sea. When To Go To Pyongyang? Pyongyang, which has a humid continental climate, is dominated by cold and dry winds over Siberia in winter. This causes the season to be harsh. Especially between November and March, the air temperatures are below 0 degrees. Summer months are hot and humid. From June to August, the temperature is between 21-25 degrees. Best Places To Visit In Pyongyang The biggest challenge you will experience while visiting the city is the great effort your tour guide will make to show you and appreciate the statues, buildings, buildings, parks, etc. Triumphal Arch The Triumphal Arch was erected to commemorate the Japanese Resistance that took place between 1925-45. It is the second largest triumphal arch in the world after the Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico, 60 meters high and 50 meters wide. In 1982, the arch was erected in Return of Victory Square at the foot of Moran Hill, with the aim of emphasizing and glorifying the role of president and general Kim Il-Sung in the Korean resistance. The 25,000 finely crafted white granite stones used in the construction of the monument, which was unveiled in honor of his 70th birthday, represent a day in Kim Il-sung's life up to that time. Modeled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the arch is 10 meters higher than its predecessor. There are four vaulted entrances to the building, on which there are numerous stairs, chambers, elevators and observation platforms. Each of these is 27 meters high. The words of the lament named Song of General Kim Il-sung are written on the arch. The song tells the story of the general who liberated Korea from Japanese rule in 1925 and made it independent. This tower, which exalts Juche, the administrative ideology of North Korea and formulated by the first leader of the state, Kim Il-sung, was completed in 1982. It is located on the east bank of the Taedong River. To the west of the river is Kim Il-sung Square. The 170-meter-high structure was unveiled in honor of Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday, just like the Arc de Triomphe, and the 25,000 finely worked white granite stones used in its construction represent a day in Kim Il-sung's life up to that time. . The tower can be reached by elevator and a panoramic view of the entire city is visible from the observation platform at the top. On the ground

floor of the tower, a video show explaining the importance and principles of the Juche ideology is shown at certain times. The tower is thought to be modeled after the Washington Monument. However, it is about a meter longer than its counterpart. Juche Tower is the second largest monumental column on earth. The largest monumental column in the world is the San Jacinto Monument and is about 3 meters higher than the Juche Tower. One of the walls of the tower is decorated with 82 friendship plaques, which were gifted by the Juche Working Groups and foreign supporters of the regime. Kim Il-sung Square Kim Il-sung Square is a large city square named after the founding leader of the state. The square, which was designed according to the masterplan of the restructuring process that took place in 1954 after the destruction of the city after the Korean War, was opened in 1964. Located at the foot of Nmsan Hill, the square is on the west bank of the Taedong River. It overlooks the Juche Tower just across the river. It is the 37th largest square in the world. It covers an area of approximately 75,000 square meters. It is an area suitable for gathering 100 thousand people at once. The square has great cultural significance. It is the traditional gathering point used for performances, dances and military parades. The image of this square is used in all news about the country. The square is reminiscent of Tiananmen Square in Beijing in form and design. Since its establishment and opening, it has been celebrated with many different events; Numerous military demonstration marches were organized. In the architectural design of the square, it was aimed and succeeded to create an optical illusion that shows the Juche Tower, which is separated from it by a river but stands directly opposite, as if it were at the other end of the square rather than on the opposite side. Great Mansudae Monument Mansudae Monument located on Mansu Hill is a complex of monuments. At the center of the complex are two 22 meter high statues. These statues belonging to the heads of state Kim Il-sung v Kim Jong-il are made of bronze. Behind the statues is the Korean Revolution Museum building. Paektu Mountain, the sacred mountain where the revolution took place, is depicted in a mosaic on the front of the museum. As you pass by the statues and move away from the museum building, two different monuments are seen. These depict workers, soldiers, farmers, the Anti-Japanese Revolution and the Socialist Revolution. These monuments are 22.5 meters high and 50 meters long. Monuments began to be built in 1972. At first, a statue depicting the country's founding leader, Kim Il-sung, was erected. The statue, which was covered with gold leaf when it was first erected, was later turned into bronze. After the death of the leader and his son succeeded him, a statue of his son Kim Jong-il was also erected. Visitors who want to take pictures are obliged to take the two statues together and in their entirety. Other Must See Places In Pyongyang Zoo Film Studios Tan'gun Tomb Korean Revolution Museum Transportation In Pyongyang It is forbidden for tourists to travel alone in North Korea, except for the tour routes given to them and the journey carried out under the supervision of guides. Local people generally have no barriers to roam freely. However, they are prohibited from using buses. There is a working subway system. It has two lines and is open to foreigners. Trains, albeit old, operate effectively. There are taxis, but Koreans are very reluctant to take foreigners. Pyongyang Cuisine There are restaurants in North Korea where you can find options from world cuisine. However, restaurant prices are quite expensive and the people of the country cannot eat here due to their purchasing power. You can try Sungeoguk soup, which is a special recipe from North Korea, a transparent soup containing ginger, black pepper, garlic, green onions and fish.

There are also rumors that dog meat is eaten in North Korea. In rural areas, rice, soup and stir-fries are eaten for breakfast. In the city, milk and bread are consumed. They have very light lunches. They prefer rice pasta or fried rice. Popular restaurants Chongryu Dangogi Gukjib Okryu Pyongyang Ostrich Farm National Restaurant. Tip: Employees in North Korean restaurants do not expect tips from you. But if you like the service, you can tip 10-15 percent according to your own desire. Shopping In Pyongyang In North Korea, postcards with the purpose of state propaganda are sold in souvenir shops. Do not ignore the possibility that these postcards, which have visual details resembling the propaganda tools of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, will become rare documents about the past in the future. You can also get stamps produced in the same style. The local drink, Insam Liqueur made from rice, can also be an original gift you can bring to your loved ones. However, the price is quite expensive. Pyongyang Nightlife Nightlife in North Korea is not very developed. A small number of bars and clubs are inside the hotels. Apart from these, you can go to places called Diplomatic Club, Random Access Club (RAC) or Friendship near Juche Tower. Pyongyang Festivals Kim Il Sung Birthday Celebrations (April) Dragon Boat Festival (June) Celebrations Of The Founding Of The Workers' Party Of Korea (October) Pyongyang Public Holidays North Korean New Year Kim Jong II's Birthday (February 16) Daeboreum Arbor Day (March 2) International Women's Day (8 March) Day Of The Sun (April 15) Kang Pan–Sok Birthday (April 21) Armed forces day (25 April) Labor Day (May 1) Victory Day (27 July) Freedom Day (August 15) Songun Day (25 August) National Day (9 September) Party Founding Day (October 10) Kim Jong Suk's Birthday (December 24) Constitution Day (27 December) Useful Information For Pyongyang Emergency Assistance: 119 Fire: 119 Police: 119

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mmrmorning · 2 years

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THE REGIME TOUR FINALE IN SEOUL - 공연 일시: 2023년 2월 4일 (토) 6PM / 2월 5일 (일) 4PM - 공연 장소: 올림픽공원 SK핸드볼경기장 - 티켓 예매: 인터파크티켓 - Date/Time: Feb 04, 2023 6PM ~ Feb 05, 2023 4PM - Venue : SK OLYMPIC HANDBALL GYMNASIUM - Ticket : Interpark ticket global https://www.instagram.com/p/Cng5jmypvAW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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rainydaywoes · 4 years

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Crash Landing on You: 5 North Korean Facts or Fiction?

Crash-landed in love with the inter-Korea romantic comedy, Crash Landing on You? Ever wondered how close the depiction of the South-Korean drama is to real-life under the North-Korean dictatorship? Wonder no more! Quench your curiosity as we explore 5 highlights of the drama that will make you exclaim – hurai ggajimala (take the frying pan off your head) – the North-Korean slang for “Don’t lie to me!”

Note: This article contains spoilers up to episode 13.

1. Defecting and accommodation censorship

Remember that nerve-wrecking scene when our leading lady, Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Jin) was caught hiding in the kimchi storage during an accommodation censorship search? According to a North Korean defector, Kang Na-ra, these house searches were as common as a daily occurrence for houses near the borders. Having personally experienced it herself when she was defecting, Na-Ra added that her broker made her hide in the furnace fireplace. So yes, this is very much true!

However realistic the drama depicted of accommodation censorships, defecting from North-Korea is absolutely not as easy as stepping across a piece of wire that physical separates the two warring territories. Ask any North-Korean defectors of their arduous journey out of the authoritarian country and their heart-pounding accounts will have you on the edge of your seat. From paying up to thousands of dollars to brokers, hiding from constant vigilance to swimming across rivers while being shot by soldiers, each step of the defecting journey is fraught with the danger of losing their lives. Even after reaching South Korea, the defectors have to undergo a mandatory three-months long re-education at the settlement center, Hanawon (House of Unity).

I guess, since this is a rom-com K-drama after all, we can relent on this fantastical depiction and finally send our dearest heiress, Se-Ri, back to the South before she loses her beloved company!

2. Cars

Surely, we mustn’t forget to sprinkle in a (car) race-against-time scene for our leading man, Ri Jung-Hyeok (Hyun Bin), as he zooms off in a showy luxury vehicle with the famous traffic-stopping 729 car-plate to save Son Ye-Jin’s character during an accommodation censorship.

Foreign luxury cars are surprisingly not as uncommon as you would imagine in North Korea, albeit mainly seen in the capital, Pyongyang. According to a tour guide who frequently travels to the country, BMW’s, Mercedez Benz and the Audi, you name it, they have it. So this depiction of cars and traffic in the drama is true to a certain extent.

The more important question is – is this 729 car-plate number really as powerful as it seems? Instead of the number “729” which the drama adopts, car plates starting with “727” indeed receive the bows of traffic ladies and are granted with traffic-stopping access in North Korea. You must be wondering – why 727?? The number “727” represents the 27 July. To history buffs, does this date ring any bell? It’s the day that the Korean Armistice Agreement, which brought complete cessation of hostilities of the Korean war, was signed. And, for North Korea, this date represents the extremely important national holiday, the Victory Day. Hence, yes, I would count this as a realistic drama depiction of North Korean vehicles.

3. Division 11

The next puzzling question at the forefront of your mind that follows Jung-Hyeok’s heart-stopping revelation of Se-Ri as his fiancée must be – What in the world is Division 11??? Does it even exist in real life?

To save Se-Ri from the secret police, Jung Hyeok blurted out that the reason for Se-Ri’s lack of identification materials is because she belongs to the mysterious Division 11 – to which, the village ahjummas (aunties) responded with surprised gasps and muffled utterings amongst themselves. In the drama, Division 11 is a military unit of individuals who work undercover in South Korea. This fits perfectly into the plot as it accounts for Se-Ri’s uncommon hairstyle, dressing and most prominently, her Southern accent and slangs.

Unfortunately, the existence of Division 11 remains an unknown due to the lack of official documents. However, considering how one of the drama’s writers is a North-Korean defector with insider information on North Korean officials and their functions, there is room for valid suspicion that this division does indeed exist.

4. K-drama love

There are many reasons why Se-Ri was able to make it past the demilitarised zone, across the North-Korea border and into Jung-Hyeok’s house. Luck, determination, fate – whichever you choose. But if you’re a true fan of the drama, you have to agree that it was due to soldier Kim Joo Muk (Yoo Soo Bin)’s love for K-drama (and the tragic love story of Stairway to Heaven).

“No matter how far you go… Love returns.” Choi Ji Woo’s cameo brought tears in our (and Joo Muk’s) eyes as we recall the iconic scene of the wildly popular 2005 K-drama Stairway to Heaven. Too old a drama for your liking? For the North-Koreans, K-dramas are extremely hard to get access to. Believe it or not, some even risk their lives for this source of entertainment. North-Korean defectors shared that if the citizens were caught watching, they would face punishments such as hard labour, a jail term or even be shot to death. Despite such severity, there is still high demand for it. K-dramas are one of the limited windows through which North-Koreans peek through to understand life in the South that deviates from the national narrative by the dictatorship.

You must be wondering –how do North-Koreans go about getting their hands on such K-drama? Think the drama’s market merchant and her sneaky sale of foreign beauty products. North-Koreans usually buy illegally imported USB drivers with the K-drama saved in it from random ahjummas loitering around the marketplace.

The next time you complain about the slow buffering of your K-drama episodes, think of the risks and hardships North-Koreans have to go through just to get their hands on it.

5. Electricity cuts and train delays

Remember those satellite images of North Korea plunged into total darkness at night? That surprise by the Company Five soldiers at the constantly lit-up Seoul? True to the drama’s depiction, electricity is extremely rare in North-Korea and electricity cuts are merely constants of the everyday life. In fact, citizens receive electricity as rare as 2 hours a month! This irregular flow of electricity meant that there were generally no refrigerators and heating up an apartment with furnaces are the reality. A defector even pointed out that the scene of a village ahjumma riding the electric bicycle generator brought back precious memories and that almost every household had a similar machine to generate electricity during blackouts.

The inconveniences of the inconsistent electricity flow do not end there. The chaebol (conglomerate) heiress’ reaction to the ridiculous 14-hour train delay on the way to Pyongyang is one that most, if not all, Singaporeans who use the public transport can relate to. Surely this is false? Yes, this is indeed false. These delays not only last for merely 14-hours, but could go up to even a week! And the merchants that come running? They are known as the grasshopper merchants. Similar to what was depicted in the drama, these merchants sell daily essentials such as water, toothbrushes, soaps and food. An addition of the reality not reflected in the drama would be the ‘vinyl greenhouse’. Since train delays can last for a week or so, these ‘vinyl greenhouses’ provide warmth and accommodation for those willing to fork out the amount. Unfortunately for the citizens, train delays are considered a norm instead of a rarity and rage-tweeting or angered tagging of their train service providers on social media is certainly forbidden.

Although Crash Landing on You is based on unbelievable premises true to its genre of a fantasy rom-com K-drama, the drama’s depiction of life in North Korea presents its audience with a rare and largely accurate glimpse into the secretive life under the strict dictatorship. With its deviation from the usual representation of North Korea as a poor and harsh regime in the media, the simplicity of life and the relatability of the citizens portrayed bring about an unexplored and refreshing outlook on North Korea and its citizens. So, after reading these fact/fiction of Crash Landing on You how many times did you exclaim hurai ggajimala?

#cloy #crash landing on you #hyun bin #hyunbin #sonyejin #son ye jin #kdrama #north korea #south korea #rom-com

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howwelldoyouknowyourmoon · 4 years

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Messiah Moon on the Run

▲ World Anti-Communist League Rally at the Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan in September 1970. It was sponsored by the IFVC (International Federation for Victory over Communism). The Freedom Leadership Foundation is the American affiliate of the IFVC.

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Moon fled from Korea to America in December 1971. There were fears for his life in Korea. In 1978 he fled to London to escape Donald Fraser’s investigation. Years later, when he was not succeeding in America, he moved many assets, and Japanese members, to South America.

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Allen Tate Wood:

September 1970 – Japan “Mr. Kuboki [President of the UC in Japan] and I got along nicely, speaking as well as we could through an interpreter, usually Miss [Young-Oon] Kim, who had arrived for the [WACL] conference [in Tokyo]… Kuboki told me that President Park [of South Korea] was one of the sponsors of the conference. He also told me that Moon was in some fear of the Park regime and that there was even talk that he was marked for assassination, for religious oppression was the order of the day in the new South Korea. One of the aims of the conference, said Kuboki, was to reassure Park that his aims and Moon’s coincided.

I could hardly doubt that Moon’s strategy had succeeded perfectly. His political aims were perfectly enmeshed in his religious goals…” From his book, Moonstruck, page 112 In the 1970s there were growing problems for Moon in South Korea. Various Unification Church leaders were arrested for tax evasion at Il-Hwa, etc. and at least one was jailed [Nansook Hong’s father]. (ref Prof. Sontag’s book Sun Myung Moon) Moon fled from Korea to America.

On December 11, 1971 Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han arrived in Los Angeles from Korea but were refused entry, and had to fly on to Toronto. The reason seems to have been that Moon was suspected of being a communist. (Perhaps due to his 1944 arrest in Seoul by the Japanese authorities who discovered Moon had been active with communists in Tokyo in 1941-1943. Moon had other communist friends up until 1950 when he fled to South Korea.)

Evidence that Moonies Jump-Started the North Korean Nuclear Program that Now Threatens the US

▲ Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han in Toronto. Also in the group were Won-bok Choi, Young-whi Kim and Mr Ishii (head of UC business in Japan)

December 12-18 Moon and Hak Ja Han in Toronto, Canada (while visa sorted)

Franco Famularo (Canadian National Leader): “In 1971, True Parents journeyed to the United States to begin their ministry there, but U.S. officials initially denied Father entry. Suddenly the Canadian family, which had fewer than a dozen members at the time, learned that True Parents would be arriving in Toronto [on December 12]. Although Father would explain the spiritual significance of visiting Canada, the practical purpose was to obtain a visa for entry into the United States.

Father’s visa situation was resolved on December 17. The following day, he and his party departed for Washington D.C.

In 1976, Father said the following to an American audience: “… vividly remembered my arrival in America on December 18, 1971…. I did not have a visa to enter America from Korea, so I came to Canada instead. Our members in America were very persistent in asking the State Department, “Why won’t you issue a visa to Father?” Ironically, officials kept telling them that I was a communist, so I was undesirable in this country.” (True Peace October 2014 page 24)

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April 1978 – from a newspaper report by Diana Patt, Washington, DC: Unification Church tried to keep Mr Nixon in power during the Watergate crisis Mr Fefferman claimed he did not know why Mr Salonen, head of the Freedom Leadership Foundation as well as of the Unification Church in America, had said the Watergate Project could help improve the standing of the Unification Church with the South Korean Government. But a speech by Mr. Salonen, which appeared in New Hope News, a Unification Church publication, read as follows: “When Father came to the United States his primary purpose was to do things to make him influential in Korea. The Day of Hope tour and specially the rallies in support of President Nixon were far more significant due to the impact they had in Korea than their impact here… If it was important in Korea and if it helped to bring the government and our church close together then it was more important than anything else.”

In 1978 Moon flew to London under a false name to avoid a Donald Fraser US Government Investigation subpoena

Robert Boettcher: “Bo Hi Pak, as ever the quintessential Moonie, intended to serve as a shield for Moon. Fraser’s volumes of interviews, KCFF files, financial records, and intelligence reports were highly damaging to Moon’s image. But he must not allow Fraser to drag Master into the hearing room as he had been. If necessary, he would be the sacrificial animal at Fraser’s pagan rite. That would be his ultimate act of service to God and Moon. Pak would lay down his very life to avoid having Master degraded by public interrogation.

With so much evidence pointing to Moon, however, Fraser reluctantly concluded he should be questioned. After the ordeal with Bo Hi Pak, he dreaded the prospect of going through something worse with Moon. Moonie intransigence had caused the investigation to spend much more time on the Moon organization than planned. Other important matters were not getting the attention they deserved.

Moon’s lawyer, Charles Stillman, turned down Fraser’s request that Moon be questioned informally by the staff. Stillman then made a counteroffer. Moon would consider a request to meet informally with Fraser and the other Congressmen on the condition they come to his estate on the Hudson, and that they conduct the meeting “in a manner befitting the dignity of a spiritual leader.” Fraser was not at all interested in making a pilgrimage to Belvedere for an audience with the new Messiah. The subcommittee had already issued a subpoena for Moon, and Fraser was prepared to use it. He informed Stillman that Moon had two weeks to agree to answer questions voluntarily. If he still refused, Fraser intended to serve the subpoena. Moon would then be required to appear as a witness at a hearing scheduled for June 13.

Two days before the two weeks were up, on May 13, 1978, Moon ﬂew to London on the Concorde using a false name. Like Tongsun Park two years before, he skipped the country when things got hot.

Bo Hi Pak was furious over Fraser’s suggestion that Moon’s exit had anything to do with the subpoena deadline. The Reverend Moon had long planned to carry his personal missionary work to Europe, Pak insisted. The reason for going at that time was to officiate at a mass marriage of 180 church couples in England. As for the subpoena, Master would fight it in the courts when he returned. Moon might consider accepting the subpoena under one condition: that Fraser also subpoena Pope Paul, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, and the heads of the Baptists, Jews, Methodists, and others. Moon never returned for the announced battle. He remained abroad, in England and Korea, until November 1978, one week after Fraser’s investigation ended.

Fraser was not the only one closing in on the Moonies. The Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation had been barred from soliciting contributions in New York after 1976. The State Social Welfare Board had discovered that less than 7 percent of the funds collected by KCFF for the Children’s Relief Fund could have been used for that purpose.”

From Gifts of Deceit by Robert Boettcher, pages 320-321

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The Mysterious Death of Robert Boettcher in 1984

Donald M. Fraser’s house was attacked by an arsonist just after his investigation into the Unification Church. It was only saved by good fortune.

The house of Mr Justice Comyn was destroyed by arsonists just after the UC lost a massive libel case in London…..

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_Congressional_investigation_of_the_Unification_Church

United States Congressional investigation of Moon’s organization

#Fraser Committee #Sun Myung Moon #subpoena

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coolrunnings87 · 5 years

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The Korean Demilitarized Zone is one of the most dangerous places on Earth. Established after the end of the Korean War, it runs the entire border between North and South Korea. It spans a distance of 160 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. The Korean War, which lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, did not declare a victor. Neither side has admitted to defeat although both sides have suffered significant losses. An armistice was signed between both sides declaring a cease fire. No peace treaty was signed and to this day, both sides are technically still "at war" with one another. For this reason, both sides of the DMZ are heavily fortified with troops, pillboxes, landmines, and a plethora of defensive weapons aimed at keeping both sides out of the others.

Of this dangerous stretch of land, the only area which establishes somewhat of a communication between both sides is the Joint Security Area located in Panmunjom. It is here where the Military Demarcation Line can be seen; it being the literal border between the 2 countries. The MDL, which in this area is a slab of concrete in the middle of the 2 sides, is all that divides the North from the South. On either side of this Demarcation Line, KPA (Korean People's Army) and ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers stand poised and constantly stand guard facing each other in an apparent motive to intimidate the other side. Tensions are at their highest in this part of the DMZ.

It is here where our story begins. Where we learn of 2 brothers.

JOINT SECURITY AREA, PANMUNJOM, SOUTH KOREAN SIDE

The visitors have left for the day. No more tours or historical videos. No incessant chatter of spoiled children. No snaps of camera shutters engulfing the natural silence. It was finally time for Chow Yong Hak's shift as the central MP. He was to relieve the current central MP in the center. He takes off his Army uniform and dons the MP uniform left out for him. Armed with a pistol and Aviator sunglasses, he steps out, relieves his fellow soldier, and takes his place. Draining his face of all emotion, he stands, legs slightly apart, fists clenched and stares down the North Korean soldier facing him.

Being the center MP entitles one to a high honor. And with the honor comes the responsibilities. The requirements to be an MP at the JSA meant being at least 5 '8 tall, be able to stand for long hours and to be highly trained in Tae Kwon Do which he learned from his Army training. Chow was always proud to serve as the MP and to proudly show his allegiance towards the South. He enlisted in the Army and scored highly on aptitude tests. When he learned he was to be sent to Panmunjom, he was ecstatic. It was always a dream to be able to stare down the regime that destroyed his family's happiness.

RYANGGANG, NORTH KOREA, 1953

It was in 1953 near the end of the War that Chow's grandmother gave birth to his father Han Yong Hak. Han’s father fought in the KPA during the war and lost his life during a mortar strike. Han grew up on the North Korean side in a small village near the Chinese border. He met his wife Ki Yung Sun in the village and they were wed after 2 months of courtship. Life was tough, even after the war, as there were constant food shortages, electrical blackouts, and inconsistent running water. Although these hardships affected them daily, they were still able to have children and as such, gave birth to 2 sons in 1982. With his mother, wife, and 2 infant children, Han made a life for himself; until the day came when everything fell to pieces.

Barely 2 years had passed since his sons had been born when KPA soldiers banged on the door to their house demanding entry. They revealed to Han that Ki’s father had unsuccessfully tried to escape the North and cross into China; a highly illegal act of sedition. Because of his treasonable acts, he and his immediate family were to be sent to the Yodok concentration camp for re-education and hard labor.

The reason for Ki’s arrest is due to the law in North Korea which states that if any person is found escaping, escapes, or defects to another country, their entire family is held responsible for their actions and are punished just as much as the defector. This method is used to discourage individuals from escaping due to the danger they put their families in who stay behind.

Han could not believe it. He pleaded and begged the guards to have leniency in the matter, stating that he was a loyal party member and that his wife had never spoken out against the government or Kim Il Sung. The pleas fell on deaf ears as the guards dragged his wife out of the house crying and screaming and threw her into the back of their truck. Han tried to intervene and stop the guards and was met with the butt of a rifle. She was holding one of her sons while she was being dragged out and hoped they wouldn't hurt her because of the child. The guards noticed that the child did not cry even while this horrific ordeal was being carried out. To further test the strength of the child, one soldier took out a knife and nicked a small cut on the child’s cheek. Blood started to ooze out of the wound and Ki began crying hysterically but the child did not. He did not cry once. He merely stared down the soldier looking at him.

“He’s strong, this one. We’ll find use for him”, said the KPA official to his comrade. And with one final look, threw the child into Ki’s arms, closed the truck on both of them, and drove off.

Han felt like he had just lost his soul. With his wife gone and possibly never coming back and his son being brainwashed in education centers, his life went from harmony and peace to turmoil and anguish. The country that he grew up in and convinced him that they were looking out for his best interests had just taken away the 2 most important people in his life for no reason whatsoever. This was not the country he loved anymore. This…was Hell.

With nothing left for him in the North, he fled. Carrying his ailing mother on his back and Chow in a makeshift backpack strapped to his chest, Han crossed the icy Tumen River and sneaked his way into China. From China he took a train to Mongolia where North Korean refugees are granted asylum. From Mongolia, he took a plane to South Korea and landed in Seoul a few months after escaping.

It is impossible for North Koreans to seek any kind of refuge within China. China has an agreement with North Korea in which any North Korean refugee found in China is to be arrested and deported back to the North. This deportation for most is a death sentence as defection and escape are highly offensive crimes that are met with severe punishment.

PRESENT DAY

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Chow was very young when his father escaped from the North and as such, has no idea what happened to his mother and brother. His father and grandmother raised him. Han did not seek marriage again as he was emotionally and mentally scarred forever from the experience that ripped his wife and son from his life. As Chow grew older, his father became more and more distant, often going for days without saying a word to anyone and simply staring out the window and listening to the sounds of the birds. On days that he would speak, he would only say one word. “Kim.”

“Father who is Kim?”

“Kim…Kim…Kim…Kim”

“Father, Kim is not here. Who is Kim?”

“Kim…Kim…Kim…Kim”

This would go on for hours until finally he would speak himself to sleep. Chow had just come home from his shift and had a few days off before returning to the border when his father had woken up from his nap.

“Hello father.”

“Kim…Kim…Kim”

“Nice to see you too,” he replies to himself.

Fed up with not knowing what happened that had turned his father delusional, he questioned his grandmother; now a very old and frail women. Residing in a hospital for terminally ill patients, she spent most of her days in bed dying of cancer.

“Hal-muh-nee (grandmother), I have never asked you what happened so many years ago and how we came to live here. You only told me that we came here a long time ago and that my mother died when I was young. Tell me what happened hal-muh-nee. What caused my father to check out?”

The old women stood up and showed a face of utmost sadness, “Forgive me Chow, I should’ve told you earlier but I never had the heart to do it. It’s time you knew the truth.”

JOINT SECURITY AREA, PANMUNJOM, NORTH KOREAN SIDE

Kim Yong Hak was a good soldier and comrade. He was devoted to the Supreme Leader and his family and had utmost reverence for the Juche philosophy. His life had been carved out it. He longed for the day to see U.S. troops leave the peninsula. Like all North Koreans, he believed the only way to unify Korea is without U.S. intervention. For their presence at the border as well as their participation against them in the War, he developed an utmost hate for the country.

Kim remembers little of his early life. Those who knew him as a boy told him that his father had offered him into the hands of the KPA and that the Army had adopted him into its ranks. He was placed in a military school, learned the Juche philosophy and teachings of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, and harbored a unique hatred for the West in their inability to leave Koreans alone. For his devotion to the party and to the Supreme Leader, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and given the task of guarding the border at the JSA. Just like in the South, this was a very high honor. When he donned his Army uniform, he developed a confidence unlike any he ever felt before.

The North and South hold very different stances and positions while being positioned near the MDL. 3 South Korean MPs will stand facing the North with their legs slightly apart, fists clenched, and emotionless faces. Of the 3, 2 will stand slightly behind the blue JSA buildings on adjacent sides which are built right on top of the MDL. They will cover half of their bodies behind the buildings while still showing the other half to the North in their defensive postures. They cover half of their bodies so that it becomes harder for North Korean troops to shoot at them if they were ever to come under attack as well as allow them to silently signal to other guards of any suspicious activity. The 3rd MP will stand directly in the middle with his body fully exposed. The North Korean guards will stand in a much different position. 2 guards will stand directly next to the MDL but will face each other rather than the ROK MPs. A 3rd guard will stand behind them facing towards North Korea. The 2 guards face each other so that each can stop the other from crossing the MDL and defecting. The 3rd guard will stand facing towards North Korea in order to stop anyone from leaving the North. The fact that they do not face their enemy serves as an insult to the ROK.

He mentally prepared himself, built up his hatred for the West, and marched out onto the JSA towards the MDL. Taking his place as the center guard, he stared down the MP’s trying to intimidate him. Just as he was about to turn around to face his beloved country, he took notice of the middle MP and saw a familiarity he did not understand. A flash of childhood; A burst of joy and then…gone.

The next day, after his shift was over, he returned to his barracks to find a package on his bed. He teared open the package to find a brand new Army uniform. Puzzled as to why he was only given this gift, he searched through the uniform pockets for any clues. Inside of the pockets he finds a handwritten note in Korean as well as 2 photos. The note reads:

Kim,

You don’t remember me and I will probably never get to meet you again in this lifetime. But I need you to know what happened to your family. You need to know the truth. Your mother did not die giving birth to you. She died at Yodok. I’m sure you know what happens at Yodok. Your father and I escaped after they took you. We are right across from you here in Seoul. Your father does not stop thinking about you since the day they took you. But that is not why I wrote this letter. I need to tell you about one other person whom you have never met but I’m sure you have seen. Kim, you have a brother. The photos will explain everything. Take care, my sweet child. You may have never remembered me but I have always loved you. Goodbye

- Hal-muh-nee

He puts the letter down, perplexed and insanely confused. He picks up the 2 photos and studies them. The 1st one is of a man, woman, an elderly woman, and 2 small children. Kim realizes that this is his father, mother, grandmother, brother, and himself he is staring at. The 2nd picture almost causes him to faint. Staring back at him with the face he has seen countless times…the middle MP from the South; legs slightly apart, fists clenched, emotionless face. His brother.

The North had lied to him. They told him he was a child cast away by his parents. They told him his mother died giving birth. They told him he was an only child. They told him exactly what they wanted him to know. His entire life…One big lie. What kind of country does this to their countrymen? The guilt. The remorse. The flood of emotion is too much for Kim to bear. Alone in the barracks under the cover of night, he breaks down crying and wishing for his life to end right there. The North had never been his home. A home does not lie. A home does not separate a family and have them become enemies against one another. The North, the Supreme Leader, the KPA…it was all a lie. Kim Yong Hak feels like he had just lost his identity. There was no coming back from this. He would do it tomorrow. His brother would be there.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Chow listened with great apprehension as he heard the story of his family. How his father had been beaten; how his mother had been taken away; how he had a brother; a brother that he has seen across the MDL glaring at him from time to time; how his grandmother had secretly sent a message to Kim about his past through a friend in the North. So much information to digest…after all these years. Chow wished he had more time to process this but he could not. He was to report to the border tomorrow at dawn. Unable to miss the shift without being called a deserter, he suppressed his emotion and made his way to the border. Donning the MP uniform and Aviator sunglasses, a distraught Chow took his position as the central MP and tried with all of his might not to think about the revelation he was told just a day ago. Just as he was about to regain his composure, the KPA troops stationed there had their shift change as well. The 2 guards took their position next to the MDL while Kim positioned himself behind them. Then, they made eye contact.

It seemed years had gone by in that single look. Rather than facing the North as ordered, Kim continued staring down his brother. Chow could not contain himself any longer; he removed his sunglasses and slowly started inching his way towards the MDL. The other 2 KPA guards noticed this and radioed their commanding officer of the incident. The other 2 ROK MP’s noticed Chow’s behavior and radioed their commanding officer as well. The MP on Chows left side, Jong Sun Un, came over and placed his hand on Chows shoulder, telling him to relax stop walking. Meanwhile, Kim continued staring at Chow and vice versa. Kim’s commanding office finally showed up and barked at Kim to turn around. Kim did not pay attention to him. That was when Chow’s voice broke the stagnation.

“BROTHER!” yelled Chow

The silence may have only been for mere seconds, but it was deafening and effective. Immediately, the commanding officer and the other 2 guards seized Kim and began taking him away from the MDL. He knew he was in trouble. He had started tension on the border and disobeyed a direct order from his superior. Yodok was probably going to be his home now, just like his mothers. They began taking him up the stairs into the Panmungak building on the North side. That…was when Kim responded.

He pushed the 1st guard off of him; making him fall back down the stairs. He head-butted the 2nd and he fell as well. The commanding office still holding his arm reached for his gun but Kim batted it away and punched him in the face. Now finally free, he made his 1st move as a free man. He started running towards the MDL…towards South Korea…towards his brother. The minute he made his move, the KPA loudspeaker system blared all throughout the JSA.

“SERGEANT! YOU ARE HEREBY DECLARED AN ENEMY OF THE STATE. STAND WHERE YOU ARE OR YOU WILL BE FIRED UPON!”

Chow as well as the many other troops on the South began chattering into their coms; relaying orders, asking for permission for action, and watching the scene fold out in front of them. Chow saw Kim racing towards him and prayed he would make it. He was so close, yet so far.

Kim ignored the loudspeaker announcement, risked his life, and ran. He ran as hard as he could. Chow was waiting for him; a relic of his past life. He would be reunited with his brother soon and that was all that mattered. A warning shot was fired and both sides tensed up. The loudspeaker comes alive once again.

"STOP! BY ORDER OF THE GREAT LEADER, STAND WHERE YOU ARE OR YOU WILL BE SHOT!”

Kim Yong Hak is racing at tremendous speed towards the MDL. 20 feet, 15, 10, 1, inches away; he jumps over the MDL and embraces Chow. Chow embraces his brother tightly; finally understanding the unspoken bond of brotherhood. All these years of hatred for one another had been for nothing. They were meant to grow up together, not apart. The hate from the War, which seemed a lifetime ago, dissolved from both of them. There was no North. There was no South. There was only family and now…his brother.

It felt like an eternity had passed when he saw them. Standing on the North Korean side, 3 guards with rifles raised at his brother, ready to shoot him for defection. Chow did not think. He spun Kim around and threw him to the ground just as the guards fired. All 3 bullets hit Chow and he fell. The MP’s and U.S. troops retaliated; firing back at the guards. The skirmish lasted only for a couple seconds, but it was enough. When it was over, Chow was lying on the ground bloodied while a KPA guard lay dead. Both sides knew they had ignited something here and that this skirmish would not be the last. Kim got up, raced to his brother, and picked his head up off the ground, holding him in his arms.

“Brother, what did you do?! Why did you do this?! Why did you push me out of the way?!!” cried Kim

Dying and bleeding heavily Chow responded, “You…deserve…to live free…as well brother. You’ll live a life you never knew you could live. And…you’ll see father…he misses you so much…”

Crying and confused Kim did not know what to do, “Brother…what do I do? Where do I go? Where am I?”

Chow said one last thing to Kim before slipping away into death. He brought Kim's face close to his and spoke.

“You are home brother. You are home.”

THE END

#shortstory #writings #south korea #north korea

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dprdabin · 6 years

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DPR: ‘We Did this Ourselves From the Ground Up’

From a hit debut album to an upcoming world tour, producer DPR REM and artist DPR LIVE talk about their hip-hop crew’s ambitions and expansion plans

Talking to the members of DPR is almost always like a productive frisson that leaves you breathless and excited for the things to come. On the day we chat, the voices of producer Scott Kim—better known as DPR REM—and Hong Dabin, aka DPR LIVE, crackle through the phone on a fine Seoul evening, merging together in waves of introspection and quiet, focused ambition. They’re gearing up for their first world tour, but also trying to wrap their heads around the fact that it’s finally happening.

“Everything is just still so surreal for us. It’s not like we’ve done this in a past life or we had experiences in other entertainment companies. This is all ‘Do It Yourself’, like DIY,” says DPR REM. “Every day is a new experience and a new journey, and I think this world tour is one of the biggest steps we’ve taken in that direction.”

On the off chance that you’re a stranger to DPR, short for Dream Perfect Regime, it’s worth noting that ‘Do It Yourself’ is the cornerstone of the septet’s philosophy. The crew, which has morphed into one of the most prominent and creative voices to emerge from the Korean hip-hop scene, is a completely organic and independent effort–a rare feat in South Korea’s label-saturated music industry. They first gained prominence through their captivating and cinematic visual output which included music videos for K-pop acts such as Big Bang and MOBB, courtesy of in-house director and free-spirit extraordinaire, Christian Yu (known as IAN within the collective.)

Rapper DPR LIVE, essentially the face of the collective, is both a founding member and their first formal artist. LIVE started out by uploading his music on YouTube and eventually commanded people’s attention through his tightly packed, spitfire rap on the viral collaborative 2016 hit “Eung Freestyle.” Then in 2017 came Coming To You Live, his debut EP featuring an impressive roster of collaborations and an even bolder declaration—DPR had arrived in full swing. This, however, was followed by the comparatively mellowed out HER the same year. While Coming To You Live was a grand display of confidence, HER was more focused and convergent in its themes, essentially a one-man act that took DPR LIVE to No. 8 on the Billboard World Albums Chart. “I think going off of CTYL, it was hard to just really stick with one theme because there was just so many people involved. We wanted to keep it open-ended for the artists to translate and interpret the way they wanted to,” says DPR REM, who’s produced both albums. “On the cover album for CTYL, we have a change of seasons going on in the background.” DPR used that as a metaphor of how they wanted to offer different varieties of songs and themes, so it not only introduces DPR LIVE as a rookie artist but also incorporates a lot of the other artists that featured on this project to display their thematic lyricism.

However, REM goes on to explain that when it comes to HER, it became a very solo project for LIVE. “It was solo for being not only for his own experimental purposes, but also in that he really wanted to zone in on his artistry and portray his story, and really give the fans like, ‘Okay, this is me, really like raw, without anybody around. This is the music I want to do right now, the vibes I want to put out.’ I think that’s the distinction.”

At just 26, LIVE is succinct but assertive, prefers to channel his words through music and is always aware of his values and goals thanks to his time in the army, which he says brought focus to his music. “I went to school in Guam. I knew how to speak Korean, because that was the only language my mom and my dad can speak, but I definitely wasn’t good at it.” When his family came to Korea, he had to enlist in the army within a year of arriving. “You have to stay in this military camp for two years, being told what to do, when to eat, when to sleep, and stuff like that. I actually really just honed in on myself, my goals, what I wanted in life, my values, and I learned patience and focus there. I think it was a very good thing to do though, because I don’t think I would have learned another way,” he says.

With millions of online views on their videos and the label of an underground collective left in the past, the members of DPR are gearing up to perform at sold out shows in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Here are excerpts from our conversation with REM and LIVE, where they discuss their success, music, and plans for expanding in the future.

On their collaborations with other artists and Coming To You Live:

LIVE: I think for collaborations, it’s always important to meet the person you’re working with, to get a vibe of their energy, their lifestyle, their beliefs. Just getting to know someone as a human is so helpful in understanding them as an artist. Through various talks and meet-ups, I think that’s where the music just naturally comes about. At least in my experience, that’s how you can be versatile. Meeting with various individuals and just communicating – it really opens you up to new thoughts and experiences.

REM: We were actually very lucky with that, because it just all timed perfectly. Usually, you hear a lot of stories where schedules don’t match up or you’re waiting for some other person and they get back to you, which is very often in the entertainment industry, but just—I don’t know what it is. I like to think it’s a lot of luck, to be honest, there’s a lot of great timing and luck that happened.

On music videos and DPR’s visual output:

LIVE: Not just my input, but everyone’s input goes into our visuals. It’s a collective effort, and that’s exactly the reason as to why I think we are able to deliver top notch quality works. We each present a different piece to the puzzle.

REM: I dedicate a lot of that to Christian. He’s a genius when it comes to that. I really think he’s just a crazy gifted kid that you just can’t put into words at times. It just happens for him.

“I don’t want our tour to just be your typical ‘show’ or ‘performance.’ I want fans to gear up for an actual party–a family reunion,” says DPR LIVE. Photo: Courtesy of Dream Perfect Regime

On being independent artists in South Korea:

LIVE: We really did this ourselves from the ground up. Countless mistakes were made, but through just pure diligence, we were able to get to a point where now we can constantly create and make what we want to. That freedom is priceless.

On their Billboard charting and online success:

LIVE: Although I’m super grateful and humbled, I try my best not to focus on stuff like that. The more you start thinking about certain stats and whatnot, I just believe it tends to really limit and almost negatively impact your career. Constantly being burdened and stressed with thoughts like that seem to do way more bad than good. I think these days I’ve just been working on trying to create constantly and explore myself as an artist more and more.

REM: We’re still young kids if you really think about it. Beyond the fame, beyond the success, it’s the fact that we have influence, and that’s what drives us, right? I think we’ve gone various letters in the email and handwritten letters from our fans all across the world, saying ‘Your music has shifted me in this direction and it’s for the better’ and ‘Your music has really inspired to go and pursue my dream, my passions.’ When we get things like this, it’s a very surreal experience. I’m sure a lot of artists feel the same way, but for us, really coming from the ground up, really not knowing anything that we were doing, going through countless mistakes, countless failures, it’s a really rewarding experience, more than anything.

On getting more people to hop on board:

REM: The short answer is: of course, we’d love to build this movement. I think the betterment of the team is just getting more people on board. The bigger your movement becomes, the bigger impact you get. The long answer to that, now, is that because we’re so family oriented, it does get a bit tricky. You have seven kids that grew up together making this DPR dream a reality. At this point, and we’ve said it before, we know each other so well. If we had disagreements and communication problems, it’s exactly how a family would handle it. This is not a company vibe at all, and I feel like, going off of that, we want to conserve that culture as much as can. That’s where it gets difficult, because you have somebody from the outside coming in, and it’s just like… can they really adapt to this environment? Can they adapt to this culture that we’ve set up before it already? I think that’s the hard question for us.

On the upcoming tour and possible new locations:

LIVE: Besides the fact that I’ll be able to finally see my fans face to face, I’m most looking forward to just being in a space filled with people who really support our movement and resonate with us. I don’t want our tour to just be your typical ‘show’ or ‘performance.’ I want fans to gear up for an actual party–a family reunion. Anybody that supports DPR knows up front that our culture goes hand in hand with family. So for us, this tour is similar to like seeing your long lost relatives, or getting together with family members you haven’t seen in years. That’s the level of excitement the team and I have.

REM: We really tried to include as many cities as we could in this tour. It is a world tour and we wanted to hit as many cities as we could, even despite our physical health or whatever. We really wanted to make the time and effort to get to any place that really knows of us or wants us. Even other Spanish-speaking countries or places like India or South Africa… we have tons of fans hitting us up saying we have fans here and there, and we want to cater to those markets much as we can, but at the same time just thinking about the whole bigger picture of the scheduling and the logistics it just couldn’t work out.

That’s what we told our fans, that ‘Hey, just because we’re doing this first world tour doesn’t mean it’s the last world tour. We’re just getting started here, right?’ This is just the beginning, so it builds momentum for the next few cities that we have yet to hit. We’re like, ‘Hey, we see you guys. We know you’re there. Just wait for us.’

#dpr live #dabin #hong dabin #dpr #scott #christian yu #article #181003 #rolling stone india

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straycatreadsthat · 6 years

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China has long used foreign nations' access to its economy as a political tool. When the Oslo-based Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Chinese political dissident Liu Xiaobo with the 2010 Peace Prize, China punished Norway by heavily curtailing imports of Norwegian salmon. When, in 2016, in spite of Beijing's objections, Seoul agreed to allow the United States to station THAAD - a highly advanced radar system - in South Korea, China responded by curtailing tour groups from traveling to Korea and suspending business at more than half of Korean conglomerate Lotte Group's ninety-nine China stores. And when, late in 2016, the Mongolian government allowed the Dalai Lama to visit, China expressed its displeasure by imposing new fees on Mongolian exports to China.

Dinny McMahon, “China’s Great Wall of Debt”

I think it’s important to note here that, while true, this is ultimately the result of CCP posturing and political insecurity...when we say “China” does this or that, we can fall into the trap of not separating the Chinese people from the Communist Party regime. Not that McMahon doesn’t make that distinction, but we don’t often hear enough from citizens, and all we in the “West” see is what the CCP wants us to see. But that’s his point, ultimately - it’s very hard to penetrate the “great wall” of soft power, propaganda and censorship.

#china's great wall of debt #dinny mcmahon #finance #politics #china #currently reading

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mmrmorning · 2 years

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WWW.REGIMETOUR.COM THE REGIME TOUR FINALE IN SEOUL 🇰🇷 DPR IAN, DPR LIVE, DPR CREAM 2023.02.04, SAT, 6PM 2023.02.05, SUN, 4PM #THEREGIMETOUR #DPR https://www.instagram.com/p/CmWbOkGLv4h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#theregimetour #dpr

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expatimes · 4 years

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North Korea to redevelop flagship tourist resort

North Korea to redevelop Mount Kumgang resort

Pyongyang plans to redevelop its flagship Mount Kumgang tourist complex into an international resort, a year after leader Kim Jong Un ordered South Korean-built buildings there demolished, state media reported on Sunday.

The resort – once a prominent symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation – was built by South Korea’s Hyundai Asan on one of North Korea’s most scenic mountains, drawing hundreds of thousands of Southern visitors.

But last year, Kim condemned the development with South Korea as an eyesore and described facilities there as “shabby” and built like “makeshift tents in a disaster-stricken area or isolation wards”, ordering their removal.

On Sunday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Tok Hun, North Korea’s premier, stressed “the need to build the tourist area our own way” to turn it into a “cultural resort envied by the whole world”, during his visit to the area.

He also called for pushing ahead to turn the area into a “modern and all-inclusive international tourist” resort, it added.

The Mount Kumgang complex was once one of the two biggest inter-Korean projects, along with the now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex, where Southern companies employed North Korean workers while paying Pyongyang for their services.

But its tours came to an abrupt end in 2008 after a North Korean soldier shot dead a tourist from South Korea who strayed off an approved path, and Seoul suspended travel.

Reclusive North Korea has long wanted to resume the lucrative visits, but they would now violate international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes – although South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in has long championed engagement with Pyongyang.

In June, North Korea blew up a liaison office with South Korea on its side of the border – paid for by Seoul – saying it had no interest in talks.

“The Kim regime will struggle to find the resources to redevelop Mt Kumgang and needs outside investment, but is signalling it will downgrade South Korean partners and stakeholders,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

“By holding Seoul’s hopes for engagement at risk, Kim is pressuring the Moon administration to find ways of resuming financial benefits for the North.”

#world Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=15792&feed_id=23942 #asiapacific #news #northkorea

#AsiaPacific #News #NorthKorea

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howwelldoyouknowyourmoon · 4 years

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World Domination – Sun Myung Moon’s many attempts ended in failure

▲ Sun Myung Moon in his $1billion Cheongpyeong palace. He died in September 2012, before taking control of even one country.

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Korea

“Park Chung-hee [President of South Korea 1963-1979], gave orders to create a new Christian influence that would weaken progressive Christians who fought against his dictatorship.*” Moon’s Unification Church was one of the groups – from that time politics was key to the existence of the UC and the survival of Moon himself, in both Korea and the US. *Korea Herald, November 2, 2016 by Ku Yae-rin, student of international relations, Kyung Hee University, Seoul LINK

In order to rule the world, Sun Myung Moon had to start with Korea.

“Moon used to play golf regularly with Kim Jong-pil”

The Moon Organization and the KCIA – ‘Privatizing’ covert action

At a later meeting in June 1983 on Korea’s Cheju Island, Moon told a church group that four things were necessary for world consolidation: ideology, economy, science and technology, and journalism. “With journalism, we have now reached success by establishing The Washington Times,” Moon said, according to Yoshikazu Soejima. “We now have a direct influence on Reagan through The Washington Times.”

Moon’s Japanese Profits Bolster Efforts in U.S. By John Burgess and Michael Isikoff – Washington Post Staff Writers September 16, 1984 LINK

Sun Myung Moon – Emperor, and God

The FFWPU / Unification Church and Shamanism

The Korean regime imprisoned former Unification Church members who revealed the inner workings of the UC

After Moon’s help, North Korea Launch an SLBM Missile in 2019

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USA

Statement of Linda Anthenin to the Fraser Committee EXHIBIT 11 dated February 11, 1976 I was a member of the Unification Church for two and one-half years. I met a church member in the summer of 1968 when I was eighteen years old, and left the church in late December of 1970. At that time Moon’s organization in this country was called the Unified Family. The teachings of Sun Myung Moon were often referred to by other members as an “ideology” that would change the political systems of the world. It was made clear to me that so long as the church-related aspects of the group were emphasized, Moon’s followers would be in a protected position as far as first amendment religious freedom was concerned and be able to take advantage of tax laws as well. I was told that America had a special mission in “Master’s” (Moon’s) plan: this nation offered the most favorable climate for the establishment of his worldwide organization. In order to better present itself as a religion and more effectively influence the institutions of this country as was its goal, the Unified Family eventually changed its name to the Unification Church. (See Edwin Ang’s letter of November, 1968: “Since there is religious freedom here in the U.S., there is no danger of outright opposition, at least for some time to come.”) _______________

In 1969, when the FLF was being organized, W. Farley Jones explained to me and the rest of the Berkeley Unified Family members that is was “Master’s” wish that we now begin the “political assault.” According to Moon’s dualistic thought, the Unified Family would continue to be the inner hidden policy-making force, while the FLF would be the outer, active political arm of the movement. In soliciting for FLF and working in the “political sphere,” we were told not to discuss our religious affiliation, even though they were essentially the same organization. On any one day, I could act as a representative of the Unified Family and pass out literature for it, and then turn around at a moment’s notice and disseminate political brochures for the FLF.

The FLF was conceived of as one organization in “Master’s plan” to help him gain political influence and ultimately control American politics in his bid to “restore” every level of society. Linda Anthenien March 10, 1976

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The Times, April 4, 1978 by Diana Patt, Washington, DC: “The Unification Church tried to keep Mr Nixon in power during the Watergate crisis. Mr Fefferman claimed he did not know why Mr Salonen, head of the Freedom Leadership Foundation as well as of the Unification Church in America, had said the Watergate Project could help improve the standing of the Unification Church with the South Korean Government.

But a speech by Mr. Salonen, which appeared in New Hope News, a Unification Church publication, read as follows: ‘When Father came to the United States his primary purpose was to do things to make him influential in Korea. The Day of Hope tour and specially the rallies in support of President Nixon were far more significant due to the impact they had in Korea than their impact here… If it was important in Korea and if it helped to bring the government and our church close together then it was more important than anything else.’”

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Minions and Master

The Political Setup of Moon’s Organization – a 1977 Report.

Fraser Committee Report on Moon org.: “these violations were related to the overall goals of gaining temporal power.”

Statement of Linda Anthenin to the Fraser Committee

Notarized Statement of Linda Anthenien to the Fraser Committee

FBI and other reports on Sun Myung Moon

United States Congressional investigation of Moon’s organization

Gifts of Deceit – Robert Boettcher

Politics and religion interwoven

Robert Parry’s investigations into Sun Myung Moon

The Resurrection of Rev Moon

The Fall of the House of Moon – New Republic

Moon Shadow –  Journal of Church & State 2001 note: 1. Sun Myung Moon and Mr Kamiyama were jailed for document fraud AND tax evasion. 2. Moon’s youngest son is not Hyun Jin. He is Hyung Jin Moon.

Sun Myung Moon’s One-World Theocracy

The CIG constitution is the paperwork for what Fraser and every Moon org critic has warned was the Moon org’s goal all along

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Central and South America

Consortium News: A couple of years ago, Moon shifted his personal base of operation to a luxurious estate in Uruguay. The church has been investing tens of millions of dollars in that nation since the early 1980s when Moon was close to the military government. In a sermon on Jan. 2, 1996, Moon was unusually blunt about how he expected the church’s wealth to buy influence among the powerful in South America, just as it did in Washington.

“Father has been practicing the philosophy of fishing here,” Moon said, through an interpreter who spoke of Moon in the third person. “He [Moon] gave the bait to Uruguay and then the bigger fish of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay kept their mouths open, waiting for a bigger bait silently. The bigger the fish, the bigger the mouth. Therefore, Father is able to hook them more easily.”

As part of his business strategy, Moon explained that he would dot the continent with small airstrips and construct bases for submarines which could evade Coast Guard patrols. His airfield project would allow tourists to visit “hidden, untouched, small places” throughout South America, he said.

“Therefore, they need small airplanes and small landing strips in the remote countryside. … In the near future, we will have many small airports throughout the world.” Moon wanted the submarines because “there are so many restrictions due to national boundaries worldwide. If you have a submarine, you don’t have to be bound in that way.” (As strange as Moon’s submarine project might sound, a cable from the U.S. Embassy in Japan, dated Feb. 18, 1994, cited press reports that a Moon-connected Japanese company, Toen Shoji, had bought 40 Russian submarines. The subs were supposedly bound for North Korea where they were to be dismantled and melted down as scrap.) Moon also recognized the importance of media in protecting his curious operations, which sound like an invitation to drug traffickers. He boasted to his followers that with his vast array of political and media assets, he will dominate the new Information Age. “That is why Father has been combining and organizing scholars from all over the world, and also newspaper organizations – in order to make propaganda,” Moon said. Central to that success in South America is Tiempos del Mundo. LINK

How Sun Myung Moon’s organization helped to establish Bolivia as South America’s first narco-state.

Suicide of Moon money mule in Uruguay

Sun Myung Moon organization activities in Central & South America

Consortium News, 1998 by Samuel Blixen  – compiled from two of his articles “In 1996, for instance, the Uruguayan bank employees union blew the whistle on one scheme in which some 4,200 female Japanese followers of Moon allegedly walked into the Moon-controlled Banco de Credito in Montevideo and deposited as much as $25,000 each. The money from the women went into the account of an anonymous association called Cami II, which was controlled by Moon’s Unification Church. In one day, Cami II received $19 million and, by the time the parade of women ended [after a week], the total had swelled to about $80 million.   It was not clear, however, where the money originated and whether it came from illicit sources. Nor was it known how many other times Moon’s organization has used this tactic – sometimes known as “smurfing” – to transfer untraceable cash into Uruguay.

Rev. Moon’s Uruguayan Money-Laundry  – by Samuel Blixen August 19, 1998

Rev. Moon’s 1998 Uruguay Bank Scam  – by Samuel Blixen November 6, 1998 The right-wing theocrat ‘craters’ a bank.

Unification Church Invests Heavily In Uruguay   – The Chicago Tribune December 8, 1994

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Japan, China and Mongolia

September 1970, report from Japan by Allen Tate Wood: “Mr. Kuboki [President of the UC in Japan] and I got along nicely, speaking as well as we could through an interpreter, usually Miss [Young-Oon] Kim, who had arrived for the [WACL] conference [in Tokyo]… Kuboki told me that President Park [Chung Hee of South Korea] was one of the sponsors of the conference. He also told me that Moon was in some fear of the Park regime and that there was even talk that he was marked for assassination, for religious oppression was the order of the day in the new South Korea. One of the aims of the conference, said Kuboki, was to reassure Park that his aims and Moon’s coincided.

I could hardly doubt that Moon’s strategy had succeeded perfectly. His political aims were perfectly enmeshed in his religious goals…” Moonstruck by Allen Tate Wood, page 112

A huge FFWPU scam in Japan is revealed

Top Japanese FFWPU defector, Yoshikazu Soejima, interviewed Moon’s Japanese Profits Bolster Efforts in U.S.

How Moon bought protection in Japan

The Comfort Women controversy

Group Founded by Sun Myung Moon Preaches Sexual Abstinence in China

Mongolia – Battleground of the Han and Kwak groups

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Europe

Sun Myung Moon was eager to infiltrate the European Parliament

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Russia

ABC Religion & Ethics Luke Bretherton October 4, 2011

In the early 1990s I met the then Russian minister for education. He alleged that a representative of Rev. Sun Myung Moon offered him $1 million as a personal gift if he would distribute textbooks extolling the virtues of the Unification Church in all Russian schools.

The response he related to this offer was unforgettable: “I will not sell the souls of Russia’s children.” However, the minister had the wisdom to know that while he could reject the Moonies offer, he was still left with the problem of how to teach virtue to Russia’s children.

As the conversation developed, it was clear that the minister was seeking some kind of textbook in order to accomplish the task of inculcating virtue. But he was perplexed by the need to find an alternative to the godless ideology of the Communism Russia was rejecting, but without thereby embracing a sectarian dogma. …

Luke Bretherton is Reader in Theology and Politics, and convenor of the Faith and Public Policy Forum at King’s College, London. His most recent book is Christianity and Contemporary Politics: The Conditions and Possibilities of Faithful Witness (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), and he is currently writing a book on community organizing and democratic citizenship. LINK

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My experience within the hierarchy of the Moon cult during its years of expansion in Russia and in the CIS

Press Release on the FFWPU by the Department of Communication, Nizhny Novgorod province, Russia

Bizarre entry to Moon’s orbit as empire fell and a cult flourished

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Sun Myung Moon’s desire to take over the League (WACL) for his own financial and political ends

Sun Myung Moon and the United Nations

Sun Myung Moon: The Emperor of the Universe

Hak Ja Han’s Cheon Il Guk Constitution is troubling

FFWPU human trafficking is despicable

#Sun Myung Moon #emperor of the universe #world domination #FFWPU #Family Federation for World Peace and Unification #Unification Church

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