CINA

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With a kind of outspoken gratification today's (f******)K. Times is reporting following:

Ssangyong Union Severs Ties With Progressive Trade Union 
 

Unionists at Ssangyong Motor, the country's smallest carmaker, have voted to bolt from an anti-government [sic!] umbrella union.

About 73 percent of a total of 700 eligible voters, including absentees, favored the disaffiliation from the progressive Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). Ssangyong is the first carmaker in Korea to do so.

Some union leaders claimed the voting was invalid because of technical issues, but the majority of its members have accepted the result.

"When labor disputes erupted, KCTU encouraged us to fight against management rather than put concerted efforts to find a peaceful breakthrough," a Ssangyong worker said. "We are fed up with that."

Another member said, "During my 25 years working at this company, KCTU has paid little attention to the well-being of its members. Instead, it has only sought its own interests."

The withdrawal will deal a blow to KCTU's leadership, which has frequently drawn public criticism for its confrontational approaches, as it is highly likely that other unions will follow suit.

In July, the nation's largest telephony carrier, KT, dissociated itself from the labor union. The move came after several other small-size unions severed their ties with the umbrella organization.

KT was the KCTU's third largest member with 28,000 members, following automakers Hyundai and Kia.
 

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/113_51506.html

Related article:
☞ Ssangyong workers vote to quit umbrella union (JoongAng Ilbo)

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Some of the Planned "Redevelopment" Excesses

in Seoul, Yongsan-gu(*)

 * Currently home for tens of thousands predominantly poorer tenants and workplace (in stores, small workshops, cheap restaurants...) for thousands of people!!

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Following piece (K. Times, 9.05) seems to prove that the "redevelopment" excess in downtown Seoul(*) is becoming limitless:

Seoul’s Skyscraper May Irk UNESCO

Seoul City's plan to build a skyscraper near a Joseon-era relic, designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces strong opposition from a group of historians.

The central government is planning an inspection to see whether the building project is historically insensitive enough to have the relic taken off the UNESCO list of treasures.

The metropolitan government is pushing for a plan to allow the construction of a 36-story, 122-meter-tall building in front of Jongmyo(**), the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

The new structure, if built, would be located in Yeji-dong(***), Jongno-gu district, and block a direct view of the old relic. City Hall received approval for construction in March...

Jongmyo houses ancestral records of the Joseon royal lineage and kings themselves participated in rituals there.

It is the oldest existing royal Confucian shrine and was added to the World Heritage list in 1995.

"The tall building will block the view of Jongmyo. It will also disturb the serene ambience around the shrine," said Hwang Pyeong-woo, director of the CHPRI.

 
Seoul City said the plan has no problems, citing an opinion by experts it had consulted when it reviewed the plan...

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/113_51292.html

* Affected: very likely almost all older buildings in the entire area between Dongdaemun and Sejong-no (E-W direction), incl. the complete Pimatgol, and between north of Jong-no and Myeong-dong (N-S direction).

** There (between the shrine's entrance and Jong-no) the Jongmyo Citizens' Park is located!!!

*** Well, Yeji-dong actually is located south of Jong-no(between Jong-no and Cheonggyecheon). And there - surprise, surprise!! - not only ONE skyscraper is planned, as you can see here:

(viewing direction: N-S)

Or an "alternative" plan you can "admire" here:

(viewing direction: S-N)

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Last week(8.26) AP headlined: "Russia deploys ballistic missile interceptors to counter N. Korea threat". One day later AFP reported following: "Russia is worried about North Korean missile and nuclear tests and has deployed sophisticated air defences in its Far East region to protect against any potential test mishap, Russia's top general said on Wednesday..." And many other int'l news agencies, like Reuters, Itar-Tass, Xinhua, dpa.. reported almost the same.

But about one week later(9.02) KCNA is trying to sell the same story like that:

Russia Takes Countermeasure against U.S. and Japan's Missile Shields 
 

Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, when interviewed on Aug. 26, announced that Russia deployed one battalion of S-400 Triumf air defence systems in the Far Eastern region to be ready to go into action.

Commenting on it, public opinion viewed the action as a countermeasure taken by Russia to cope with the U.S. and Japan's daily intensified arms buildup.

Russia's Internet newspaper Ekspert Online put it that Russia's building of missile and air defence systems in the Far East is aimed to cope with the U.S. missile defence system (MD) in the Asia-Pacific and interceptor missile system in Japan.

The first vice-director of the Institute for Geopolitical Studies of Russia said that Russia is building in the Far Eastern region a system equivalent to the U.S. missile and air defence systems gaining in scope from its eastern line, adding that Russia is interested in coping with the threat posed by the U.S. which provoked several illegal wars over the past decade.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2009/200909/news02/20090902-17ee.html

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Wanna "enjoy"(*) the "Workers' Paradise"? But only with..

Taedonggang Beer

* But likely only after you boozed 15 bottles!!^^

Here you can "enjoy" N.K.'s first TV commercial:

☞ “Ah, refreshing! Taedonggang Beer”

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Since y'day activists of the Yongsan Resistance Coalition and some of their supporters are trying to stage a Samboilbae(*) "protest march" to the CheongWaDae, LMB's presidential residence in downtown Seoul.

But although Samboilbae is the most peaceful kind of protest(**) the cops y'day prevented the procession from advancing towards the CheongWaDae and apprehend sixteen activists for "failing to disperse". Today in the afternoon once again the cops arrested several activists on the same way.

Related reports from y'day and today you'll find here, here and here!

* Meaning “three steps and one bow” in literal translation of the Chinese characters:

“Samboilbae” is one of the most sacrificing forms of penance in Buddhism. Each step symbolizes three major evils greed, rage and foolishness while the bow signifies deep atonement for sins in the humblest way possible by kneeling on the ground (source: "Three steps forward, one deep bow..", base21, 2003).

** Almost one month ago the S.K. The Supreme Court ruled that "samboilbae" is not in breach of law: "The method of the protest, samboilbae, is acceptable in light of conventional wisdom, and cannot be seen as unlawful as it does not go against established social rules.", according to Korea Herald(7.29).

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Mistake, Ignorance or Persuasion?

The Hankyoreh is, according to Wikipedia, "a leftist daily newspaper in South Korea". But since some days you can find on its English online edition an (Google)advertisement for Scientology (Church of Scientology International/CSI):

In Germany CSI is seen as a totalitarian organization and is under observation by national security organizations due, among other reasons, to suspicion of violating the human rights of its members granted by the German Constitution..
In France, a parliamentary report classified Scientology as a dangerous cult..
Finally many critics describe CSI simply as a fascistic organization!

So why Hankyoreh is promoting CSI? Just because of a "mistake" or ignorance, resulted by its greed/effort to make some extra profit? Or is this an expression of a specific (political/"religious") persuasion?(*)

Related exemplary article:
☞ Scientology: crisis in France (Guardian, 8.29)

* Either way.. Apparently no problem(^^) for the self-proclaimed "left"! Just remember the "breedy" cooperation between NK's ruling gang (the Kim-Dynasty) with the S. Korean (hardcore anti-communist) Unification Church (see also "Pyeonghwa Motors")...

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Yesterday's Memorial Day for the Victims of the

Yongsan Massacre - Oppressed by Riot Cops

Despite the snooty announcement by the LMB administration to "expand housing supply for the poor" - de facto it's just a tremendous relocation/deportation plan (more about it as soon as possible!!) - the (state)terror against the victims of the Yongsan "redevelopment" project goes on.

So yesterday's "Memorial Day", although carried out in downtown Seoul by only a fistful of activists was confronted with massive forces of riot cops (19 activists were arrested and one transferred to hospital)..

A chronology of yesterday's occurrences you can find here!

Related reports by:
☞ NewsCham

☞ VoP

☞ OMN

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