Stranger Things

Nov. 2: 'Crown Prince' Said to Wield Undue Influence (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Koreans Really Hate Their President's Secret Shamanistic-Evangelical Advisor (Foreign Policy)
How South Korea Can Weather Park Geun-hye's Existential Crisis (The Washington Post)
Furious Korean Students at US University Join Park Protest Rally (The Korea Times)
FKI Admits Blue House Pressure on Foundations (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Mothers Boycott Clothing Tied to Choi (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Park Must Face the Music (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Ex-presidential Secretary Grilled Over Political Scandal (Yonhap)
Choi Scandal Put National Security at Stake (The Korea Times)
Park Seems Determined to Stay in Office Despite Public Outcry (The Korea Times)
Seoul Mayor & Ahn Declare All-Out War on Park (The Korea Herald)
Senior Leaders' Group Speak Out Against Park (The Korea Herald)
World Watching Korea: Nation Should Not Become a Laughing Stock Any More  (The Korea Herald)
Prosecutors Look into Suspected Samsung Payments to Choi Soon-sil (The Korea Herald)
Interview: Indecisive Park Geun-hye Needed Advice From Outside Mentor (The Hankyoreh)

QuoteJeon also shared a story about a "trembling" Park - then leader of the Hannara Party - calling someone for advice in 2006 when the opposition Uri Party attempted to force a National Assembly vote on the relocation of South Korea's administrative capital from Seoul to Sejong (Jeon was Hannara spokesperson at the time).

"The capital relocation vote was a very urgent, very serious situation, and [Park] was just trembling," said Jeon, who was a party spokesperson at the time. "I got so frustrated that I said, 'Why don't you just call [the person you usually do]?" she recalled. "No sooner did I finish speaking than she went to her corner and called. I saw that, and my heart just sank."

Top Babywear Brand Hit for Relationship with Choi (The Korea Times)
Choi Might Have Influenced Arms Procurements (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Former Blue House Secretary An Questioned Over Role in Scandal (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Choi Scandal Stains Entire Family (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Chaebol on Edge Over Donations to Choi (The Korea Times)
Suspicions Re-emerge Over Seven Missing Hours (The Korea Times)
FKI Admits Blue House Pressure on Foundations (Korea KoongAng Daily)

Nov. 3: Everything You Need to Know About South Korea's Extraordinary Presidential Scandal (The Washington Post)

QuoteAfter her mother was assassinated, Park became close not only to Choi Tae-min but also to one of his daughters, Choi Soon-sil, who is four years younger than Park. South Korean media are reporting that Choi Soon-sil "inherited" her father's ability to communicate with Park's mother, and that she took on the role of delivering messages from beyond the grave after the elder Choi died.

Choi Soon-sil Gate Parodies: Let the Fun Times Roll (Korea Expose)
Comply with Probe Sincerely (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteHer lawyer said her plea for forgiveness and her legal accountability are two different things. 
She, however, refuses to answer and denies the hard evidence and testimonies against her. Even the investigators are stunned by her audacity.

Koreans of all Walks of Life Petition for Probe (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Samsung's Money Tied to Scandal (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Prosecutors Seek Warrant to Arrest Woman at Center of Political Scandal (Yonhap Updated Nov. 3)

QuoteProsecutors also put An under emergency detention Wednesday night, saying he's denying the charges against him and has pressured other key witnesses to give false statements. Unless put into custody, An is also feared to destroy evidence, they said. Prosecutors have 48 hours to request a warrant to formally arrest him.

Park Fights Back With PM Nomination (The Korea Times)
Did Choi Soon-sil Kill Hanjin Shipping? (The Korea Times)
LA's Korean American Community Reacts to Presidential Scandal in South Korea (SCPR)
Congratulations South Korea, You Have The Weirdest Presidential Scandal Ever (Buzzfeed)
Girl Talk: Imagine what Hillary Clinton & Park Geun-Hye Discussed in Private (World Tribune)
Prosecutorial Probe Should Break Fence Set by Pres. Park (The Dong-A Ilbo)
Outcry Resonates Over Statue Idolizing Park's Dictator Father (The Korea Times)
Public Sentiment Against Park Worsens After Reshuffle (The Korea Times)
Visual Arts Director Key Suspect in Choi Scandal (The Korea Times)
South Korean President Shown No Mercy in Animated Portrayal of Scandal by TomoNews (Branding Asia)


South Korean President to Offer 2nd public Apology Over Choi Gate Friday (The Korea Times)

Nov. 4: Full Script: President Park's 2nd Apologetic Speech (The Korea Times)
Park Says She Will Accept Prosecutorial Probe Over Choi Scandal (The Korea Herald)
Voice Shaking, S. Korean Leader Says Scandal 'All My Fault' (The New York Times)
Park Geun-hye the Pitiful (The Korean Foreigner)
Citizens Still Angry After President's Emotional Speech (The Korea Times)
Prosecution to Explore Next Moves on Park (The Korea Herald)
Calls for Criminal Investigation of Park Mounting (Korea JoongAng Daily)
32 Prosecutors Look into Choi Soon-sil Scandal (The Korea Times)
It's Choi Soon-sil's Tablet (The Korea Times)
Unfortunate legacies of Korean Presidents (The Korea Herald)
Korea's Teetering Presidency (The Korea Herald)
Massive anti-Park Rally to be Held in Seoul (The Korea Herald)
PM Stresses Importance of Safety at Planned Weekend Protest (The Korea Herald)
Is Arrested Choi Soon-sil Bogus? (The Korea Times) 
Cho Soon-sil to Remain Behind Bars for 20 Days (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Strange Memories of a President's Late & Ambiguous Decisions (The Hankyoreh)

QuoteEven reporters who were pestering the Unification Ministry to quickly release a statement would sometimes give up and go home when the ministry repeatedly said that there had been "no contact from the Blue House." Officials with a more detailed understanding of the situation told us why the statements were taking so long: after the ministry submitted a draft statement to Park, she would send it back after editing it with a red pen. Now I find myself unsure whether the person holding the red pen was Park or Choi.

There was also something mysterious about how appointments and decisions were made. Drafts of policies and candidates for senior positions at government ministries are submitted to the president via the offices of Blue House senior secretaries and Blue House personal secretaries. Some of the policy drafts and appointments that were sent back were marked with circles, triangles and X marks. A circle indicated that the plan should be executed while an X mark meant that the plan should not be executed. But people working at the Blue House often complained that they didn't know what in the world the triangle was supposed to mean.

K-Pop Star Psy Denies Ties to Choi Soon-sil (The Korea Times)
Tidbit: Psy's Father-In-Law is a Cult Leader (Asia Pundits)

Memoir Gives Insight into Choi Tae-min Part 1 (Korea JoongAng Daily)

More information about Choi Tae-min is what I've been waiting and hoping for. I really shouldn't be surprised that Dr. Tark was the man on the scene. I'm proud to call his son, Dr Tark Ji-il,[/b][/url] a very dear friend of mine.

Nov. 5: Secretary of the President Arrested for Official Leaks (Korea JoongAng Daily)
More President Aides Investigated (The Korea Herald)
Tens of Thousands Protest in South Korea, Call for President to Quit (Reuters)
Man Arrested After Staging Anti-Presidential Protest on Bridge Tower (The Korea Times)
Public Anger Peaks in Massive Rally (The Korea Herald)
CJ Group Chairman's Daughter-in-Law Found Dead in US (The Korea Times)

Nov. 6: Park Geun-hye Believed in Choi Tae-min After he Predicted her Father's Death (The Hankyoreh)

QuoteI saw Choi in 1993 after he suggested we meet up. He was going around with six bodyguards -- big guys, which some people said looked like thugs. Choi told me that Park Geun-hye would become president and asked me to help with her campaign. He said that her election campaign should be staffed by the 700,000 members of the Geunhwa Volunteer Group around the country, and he wanted me to be in charge. He told me there was a balance of 1.3 billion won at the Anguk branch of Chohung Bank and that there was 90 million won left in interest.

The South Korean Political Scandal Started With a Card Game in Macau (The Washington Post)
Choi Scandal Probe Closes in on President (The Korea Herald)
Tens of Thousands Rally in Gwanghwamun, Calling for Park to Resign (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Choi Soon-sil - Shaman or Con Artist? (The Korea Times)
'Tough Mom' Beats Girl During Gwanghwamun Protest (The Korea Times)
Park's Approval Among 20-30s Drops to 1% (The Korea Times)

Nov. 7: Government of Cultists? (The Korea Times)

QuotePark Seung-joo, the nominee for minister of public safety and security, believes he's lived "47 previous lives" and there is a "black box" that contains all the information about him in the sky.

Park Seung-joo Profile Before the Above Came to Light (The Korea Times, Nov. 2)
Choi's Niece Allegedly Flaunted Ties with Park (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Opposition Seeks Confiscation of Choi's Assets (The Korea Times)
Probes Continue into Choi's daughter (The Korea Herald)
Saenuri Heavyweights Turn on Park (The Korea Herald)
'Choigate' Furies, Institutional Failures (The Korea Times)
Dragging President Park Down is the First Step Toward Democracy (The Hankyoreh)

Nov. 8: Prosecutors Suspected of Going Easy on Woo (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Park's Plight Gets Worse, More Talk of Impeachment (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Park's Freefall in Polls Stops After Apology (The Korea Herald)
Don't Call Choi a Shaman, It's A Disgrace to Shamans (The Korea Times)
Scandal Coins New Verb: I'm 'Sunsiled' (The Korea Times)
Choi Soon-sil Asked Gangster to Scare off Daughter's Boyfriend (The Korea Times)
Choi Soon-sil Likely to be Indicted Later Next Week (The Korea Herald)
Park Won't Attend APEC Summit Amid Scandal (Yonhap News)
Editorial: Bullying Businesses (The Korea Herald)
Pediatric Psychiatrist Says Pres. Park Might Have Ripley's Syndrome (The Hankyoreh)

Nov. 9: Choi Recorded Instructing Aide (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteChoi Soon-sil, who held no official position in the government, gave policy instructions to one of President Park Geun-hye's most trusted aides over the phone as if she were his boss, according to recordings of conversations between Choi and Jeong Ho-seong, a former personal secretary for Park for 18 years, which were recently obtained by prosecutors.

Samsung's Foundation Donations Prompt Raids (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Park Surrenders on Prime Minister Choice (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Culture Ministry Admits it Granted Favors to Cha (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Proseuctors Raid Samsung Headquarters in Crony Scandal (Chosun Ilbo)
Bring to Light Park's & Woo's Roles in Choi Sun-sil's Interference in Government (The Hankyoreh)
Powerful Ad Director Arrested in Choi Soon-sil Investigation (KBS World Radio)
Wherever There was Money, There was Choi Tae-min (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Nov. 10: Blue House Aided Cosmetic Surgery Clinic (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteThe Blue House was involved in helping one cosmetic surgery clinic, allegedly frequented by Choi Soon-sil and her daughter, to expand its business overseas - and when its attempt to help the clinic was impeded, it went after a consulting firm that graded the clinic as unsuitable for business expansion, broadcaster JTBC reported Tuesday.

Recorded Phone Calls Show Park Ordering Security Breach (Chosun Ilbo)

QuoteProsecutors have found a recording of a phone call in which President Park Geun-hye orders a presidential secretary to show copies of a speech and other confidential Cheong Wa Dae documents to her friend Choi Soon-sil. The audio file found on Jeong Ho-seong's mobile phone has Park telling him to pass the documents to Choi and find out what she thinks, prosecutors said Wednesday. In another audio file Jeong tells Park that he "sent" the documents to Choi. When presented with the audio files, Jeong admitted the charges. Jeong, a Park aide for nearly two decades, initially claimed that he did not know Choi and denied handing over documents to her.

Choi Soon-sil Still in Denial (Chosun Ilbo)
Companies Must Come Forward (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Conglomerate Tycoons Face Investigation in Choi Scandal (The Korea Herald)
Prosecutors Raid Ex-Presidential Aide's Home on Choi Scandal (Yonhap News)
South Korean President 'Dead' Diplomatically (The Korea Times)
Largest Ever Anti-President Rally Due Saturday (The Korea Times)
Police shielding Pres. Park's feelings by banning protesters from front of Blue House (The Hankyoreh)

Nov. 11: Universities Nationwide Stage Protests (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Gwanghwamun Rally to Become Watershed for Park (The Korea Times)
President Trapped in Deeper Crisis (The Korea Times)
Businesses Vexed by Probe Turning to Chaebol (The Korea Herald)
POSCO chief questioned by prosecutors over political scandal (Yonhap News)
Prosecution Focuses on Probing Companies in Choi Scandal (The Korea Herald)
Choi Soon-sil's Daughter Wants to Quit University Over Scandal (Chosun Ilbo)
Testimony Implicates Park More Deeply in Scandal (Chosun Ilbo)

Nov. 12: Woo's Office Tampered with Probe (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteIt held responsible two officers at the intelligence bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Choi Gyeong-rak and Han, but Choi committed suicide after questioning. He had said the Blue House coerced Han into making a false confession.

Choi-Gate Touches Sewol Sinking (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Anti-Park Rallies Today May Draw 1 million (Korea JoongAng Daily)

2016
March 28: Park's Sister to Run as Minor Party Candidate (The Korea Herald)

May 10: Lawyer Arrested Over Illegal Lobbying Scandal (Yonhap News)

June 21: Prosecutor's House, Office Raided Over Alleged Bribery (the Korea Times)

July 2: Hands Off The Press (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Aug. 21: Irreverent Pop Artist gets W2 million Fine for Satirizing President Park (The Hankyoreh)

Aug. 25: President's Sister was First Target of Special Investigation (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuotePresident Park was the chairwoman of the foundation at the time, but a civic group criticized her and pastor Choi Tae-min, her mentor, for their dictatorial way of running the organization. The group demanded Park Geun-ryeong be named as chairwoman. After the power struggle, the younger Park won control over the foundation. Since then, the rift between the sisters has deepened, and the younger Park has tried to derail her sister's political path. ...

In October 2008, the younger Park married Shin, who is 14 years younger, but the elder Park did not attend the wedding. In 2009, Shin was indicted for defaming the elder Park by claiming she had plotted to kidnap him and have him removed to China and murdered. Shin was ordered to serve 18 months in prison, a sentence that started in 2012.

Sept. 21: Cheong Wa Dae Hit by Another Scandal Involving Park Confidant (Share Trends)
Cheong Wa Dae Hit by Another Scandal Involving Park Confidant (The Korea Herald)

QuoteThe presidential office flatly denied all charges. "There is no need to mention the given allegations as they are not true," presidential spokesperson Jung Youn-kuk told reporters Tuesday.

Sept. 22: Editorial: How Long Will The Blue House Lie About Involvement in Two Foundation Scandals? (The Hankyoreh)

Sept. 24: Construction Companies Neglected Their Own Foundations While Paying Huge Sums to Mir & K-Sports (The Hankyoreh)

Sept. 26: Does The Blue House Fear the People? (The Korea Herald)

Sept. 30: Civic Group Seeks Probe into Park's Confidants (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Oct. 1: Destroying Evidence? Chaebol Shreds Documents Related to Mir and K-Sports Foundations (The Hankyoreh)

Oct. 4: Opposition Zeros in on Mir & K-Sports Scandal (The Korea Times)

Oct. 13: Key Witness Keeps Mum in Nonprofit Foundation Probe (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Oct. 14: Ewha Women's University Embroiled in Park's Aide Scandal (The Korea Times)

Oct. 17: President of Ewha Womans University Under Pressure to Resign (The Korea Herald)

Oct. 18: 'Soon-sil University' (The Korea Times)

Oct. 19: Ewha President Bows Out (The Korea Times)

Oct. 20: Park Must Take Responsibility For Choi Gate (The Hankyoreh)
Two Athletes' Contrasting School Life (The Korea Times)
College Admission is Too Easy for Dressage Students (The Korea Times)

QuoteHer rival, who is identified only with her last name Kim, won the competition in dressage. Immediately after the contest, police officers investigated the head judge on a corruption allegation. He was quoted as saying that he had no idea why he was investigated and asked the police if there was any evidence to support his involvement in the corruption case. The investigators were quoted as saying that they were "informed" about possible corruption in the selection of the winner of the competition by an unspecified source. The judge was released as the police found no evidence.

Oct. 21: Corruption Scandal Threatens to Derail South Korea's President (Financial Times)

Oct. 22: Choi Gate Scandal Snowballing (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Oct. 24: President Stumbles on Choi Gate (The Korea Times)

Oct. 25: Friend's Influence Over President Park Geun-hye Engulfs Blue House in Scandal (Korea JoongAng Daily)
South Korea's President Apologizes Over Speech Scandal (USA Today)
A South Korean Scandal with Overtones of Clinton's Emails (LA Times)


Oct. 26: Choi Sun-sil Tells The President What To Do (The Hankyoreh)
Park's Relationship With Choi Dates Back 40 years (The Korea Times)
Choi Gate & Economic Justice (The Korea Times)
College Students Denounce President Over Choi Gate (The Korea Times)

Oct. 27: Charges Brought Against Woo for Failing to Show (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Prosecution Forms Special Team for Choi Soon-sil Probe (The Korea Times)
Scandal Over Park's Mysterious Helper: What We Know (Japan Times)
Is South Korea's President Really Controlled By A Cult? (Best China News)
The President, Her Friend, & South Korean Secrets (South China Morning Post)
Editorial: With Scandal Raging, is Park Geun-hye Still Laughing?  (The Hankyoreh)
President Park Geun-hye Faces Calls to Resign Over Choi Soon-sil (CNBC)
Long Hide-&-Seek Game Begins for Choi Soon-sil (The Korea Times)
Prosecutors Raid Entities Involved in Choi Soon-sil Scanda (The Korea Herald)
Choi Soon-sil Speaks: Scandal Claims Untrue: (The Korea Times)
Public Fury Grows Over Choi Gate (The Korea Herald)
A Presidential Friendship Has Many South Koreans Crying Foul (The New York Times)


Oct. 28: Pseudo-Christian Shamanistic Cult Alleged To Have Influence Over President Park (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Park Fired Eight Officials Over Yoo-ra Protest  (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Mystery Tablet PC at Heart of Presidential Scandal (Chosun Ilbo)
Special Prosecution Team to Handle Crony Scandal (Chosun Ilbo)
Shamanistic Cult Linked to President (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Leaked US Embassy Cable Warned of 'Rasputin' Behind Park (The Chosun Ilbo)
Choi Surfaces in Germany, Refuses to Return to Korea (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Editorial: Bring Choi Back (Yonhap News)
President Park Embroiled in Leaked Documents Scandal (CNN)
Park Orders Her Senior Aides to Resign (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteChoi allegedly had access to top-secret national security documents, influenced personnel appointments in the Park administration, and apparently was involved in top decisions. ...
Earlier this month, Chief of Staff Lee adamantly denied media reports that Choi had reviewed and edited Park's speeches in advance. Park, however, issued a televised apology Tuesday for having allowed Choi to do so, prompting criticism that the Blue House had attempted to cover up Choi's role and power. ...
Choi is accused of creating the foundations as slush-funds for President Park after she leaves office. Park denied the allegation.

Oct. 29: The Irrational Downfall of Park Geun-hye (Ask A Korean)
Angered Citizens Pour into Street, Calling for Park's Resignation (The Korea Times)
South Korea's Presidency on the Brink of Collapse as Scandal Grows (The Washington Post)
Mass Protest in Seoul Against South Korean President (Channel News Asia)
Choi Hires a Lawyer & Says She Will Cooperate (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Swirling Scandal Involving Shamanistic Cult Threatens S. Korean President (NPR)
South Korea Prosecutors Raid President's Office Over Scandal (Bloomberg)
Influence-Peddling in South Korea: Gift Horse (The Economist)
Cheong Wa Dae Fends Off Prosecutors (The Korea Times)

QuoteProsecutors: The President's resistance is unacceptable

Park Bo Gum's Religion is Being Questioned in the Midst of Korean President Scandal (All K-Pop)

October 30: Scandal Unveils Choi Soon-sil's Toy Boy (The Korea Times)
Artists to Join Anti-President Rally (The Korea Times)
SK President in Religious Cult Scandal (New Zealand Herald)
Presidential Office Fends Off Prosecution Raid (The Korea Times)
Culture Ministry Denies Being Taken Over by Choi & Cha
Why Didn't Park Cut Ties to Chois? (The Korea Herald)

Quote"It has been like how sorcery works," said Chung Doo-un, a former three-term lawmaker from the president's own Saenuri Party. "For Park, the elder Choi has been someone like a demigod, and I assume it is the case until now. I don't think there is another way to explain such a relationship but this."

According to a media report earlier in the week, Park Ji-man had described the president as acting strangely, as if she was "hypnotized," whenever talking about Choi Soon-sil. The conservation was reportedly with former Cheong Wa Dae official Park Gwan-chun, one of the first among Park's aides to expose the alleged influence-peddling of Choi to the public.

Kim Tae-hyung, a psychologist who published his own analysis of President Park in 2015, said Park, who lost her parents when she was young, has a "commitment issue," and the childhood trauma has prompted her to rely too much on the Chois.

"Psychologically speaking, I think the president was held hostage by the Chois," said Kim. "I don't think the president has the ability to address the crisis. Since they cannot help now, I'm afraid she may undergo a mental breakdown."

Mystery of Park's Heavy Reliance on Choi (The Korea Herald)

QuoteWhen Choi Tae-min died in 1994, at age 78, Park's reliance upon him had not dwindled -- it had only moved onto his daughter, Soon-sil, who has also recently been known as Seo-won.

Shortly before he died, the late cult leader made more eccentric remarks than ever, according to magazine articles at the time. He reportedly said in public occasions that he was communicating directly with God and that his blood was white in color, unlike ordinary people.

Scandal-Ridden Presidential Aide Choi Soon-sil Returns (The Korea Herald)
South Korea Presidential Aides Resign Over Influence Scandal (The Wall Street Journal)
Choi Soon-sil Returns; Blue House Raid by Voluntary Submission Continues (The Korea Herald)
Choi Soon-sil Returns, Vows to Attend Prosecutorial Questioning (The Korea Herald)
Choi Soon-sil, Woman at Center of Political Scandal, Returns to S. Korea (Yonhap News)

QuoteThe return came a day after prosecutors raided homes of presidential aides suspected of being involved in the process, as the investigators accelerated their probe into the case.

They also attempted to raid the offices of the aides, but the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae refused them entry, citing the need to protect state secrets. ...  Prosecutors said they attempted to raid the offices a second time Sunday morning but were again denied entry.

Instead of allowing the investigators to directly search the offices, the presidential office is known to be providing documents demanded by the prosecution, which it did on Saturday as well. Prosecutors, however, earlier said the documents provided on the first raid attempt fell short of their requirements and were rather insignificant materials.

Choi Soon-sil Given Time to Destroy Evidence (The Korea Times)
Park Hae-jin to Take Measures Against Malicious Rumors (The Korea Times)
Park Friend at Center of South Korean Presidential Crisis Returns to Face Scandal (The Japan Times)

QuoteChoi Soon-sil was seen in photographs with Park from 1979 when Park, as eldest daughter of then-President Park Chung-hee, was filling in as first lady for her assassinated mother. Park's father, who took power in a military coup in 1961, was shot dead by his disgruntled spy chief later in 1979.

Choi was someone "who gave me help when I was going through a difficult time," Park said in a brief televised address Tuesday. Choi Soon-sil's ex-husband also served as a top aide to Park until her presidential election victory in 2012.

Oct. 31: Daughter of Cult Leader With Influence Over SK's Leadership Says 'I Deserve Death' (Business Insider)
The Mystical, Occult Underbelly of South Korea's Fascism (LA Progressive)

QuoteLast but not least, Choi's daughter, a competitive equestrian rider, is given a suspect admission into an elite women's college, which suddenly creates a special entrance category for students who excel in equestrian sports. When Choi's daughter comes in second in a national equestrian competition in 2013, Park fires eight senior officials of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, and the Korean Equestrian Foundation is investigated and audited.

In 1974, a disaffected Japanese-Korean would attempt to assassinate President Park during a public speech. The agile Park ducks, and the bullet hits his wife who is sitting behind him. Mayhem results. Eventually the assassin is subdued and the first lady's dying corpse is dragged out. Park returns to the podium, dusts off his jacket, and then says, without flinching or hesitating, "As I was saying..." and continues his speech, as if nothing had happened. Stoicism or psychopathy? The historical record points to the latter.

Note: Yuk Young-soo's Wikipedia also mentions Park continuing his speech after her death.
The reference is Korean Phoenix: A Nation from the Ashes

Ewha Under Probe over Choi's Daughter (The Korea Times)
Education Ministry Probes Choi's Daughter (The Korea Herald)
Park's Fall From Grace Just Business as Usual in S. Korea (Asia Times)
Friend's Daughter Got Unusual Loan (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteOther allegations involve Choi and a close acquaintance using their influence in a corporate takeover, signaling that her influence extended beyond political affairs. Choi and film director Cha Eun-taek and other aides are suspected of pressing a small advertising company to sell its shares in Poreka, an advertising affiliate of steel maker Posco that was later taken over by the advertising company Comm. Together. A source from Comm. Together confirmed that the movie director and close friends threatened the advertising company.

Choi Flies Back to Korea & Isn't Even Questioned (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Choi Soon-sil, President's Controversial Friend, Returns to Korea (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Friend's Daughter Got Unusual Loan (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Choi Gate Shakes Up Entertainment Circle (The Korea Times)
30,000 Call on Park to Step Down (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Are We Living in 'Republic of Choi'? (The Korea Times)
Plot Thickens in Crony Scandal (Chosun Ilbo)
Ko Young-tae Claims Tablet PC is Not His (The Korea Times)
Choi Soon-sil Lied About Tablet PC (The Korea Times)
Ex-Presidential Secretary Caught Trying to Influence Witness (The Korea Times)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQuNgI7xkgk

Choi Soon-sil to be Questioned Monday 3 pm (The Korea Times)
Choi Soon-sil Apologizes as She Appears at Prosecutors' Office (Yonhap News)
Choi Gets "Shadow President" Grilling (The Korea Herald)
Choi Soon-sil: I've Committed a Capital Offense (The Korea Times)
The Choi Sun-sil Scandal & The Slavery of South Korea's Leadership Class (The Hankyoreh)

Nov. 1: Korean Cultural Scene Dominated by Confidante (Korea JoongAng Daily)
The Choi Soon-sil Gate: The Saddest Political Drama Ever Told (Korean Expose)
China & Japan Closely Watching the Ongoing Choi Sun-sil Scandal  (The Hankyoreh)
Will Park Face Criminal Investigation? (The Korea Times)
Editorial: Not Even Pres. Park Should Be Off Limits in Choi Sun-sil Investigation (The Hankyoreh)
Choi Soon-sil Met by Angry Mob on Arrival for Questioning (Chosun Ilbo)
Prada: An Unexpected Beneficiary of Choi Gate (The Korea Times)
Assembly May Probe Choi Gate (The Korea Times)
Standard Chartered & Citibank Under Probe Over Choi Gate (The Korea Times)
Prosecutors Place Choi Soon-sil Under Emergency Detention After Questioning (The Korea Herald)
Protesters Stage Nonstop Anti-President Rally (The Korea Times)
Choi Soon-sil Arrested Without Warrant (The Korea Herald)
New Allegations Involve Choi's Older Sister & Niece (The Korea Times)
Choi is Finally Forced to Explain Her Influence (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Reporter's Column: A President in Isolation (The Korea Herald)
Ex-Presidential Secretary Faces Investigation Over Choi Scandal
Avid Fans of Park Geun-hye Remain Unshaken (The Korea Herald)
Who's Who in Choi Scandal (The Korea Herald)
Without a Pass, Choi Sun-sil Routinely Sailed Through Blue House Security (The Hankyoreh)
Choi Scandal Undermines Confidence in Democracy (The Korea Herald)
Mobile Games Mocking Choi Soon-sil Emerge in Korea (The Korea Herald)
Park Should Own Up (The Korea Herald)
2014 Sports Event Moved Possibly to Please Yoo-ra (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Prosecutors to Seek Arrest Warrant for Choi Today (The Korea Times)
Is Park Geun-hye a Cultist? (The Korea Times)
Presidential Office Calls for Calm Amid Snowballing Scandal (The Korea Herald)

QuotePresidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk made the appeal when asked about yet another allegation that Choi Soon-sil, at the center of the scandal, had entered and left the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae without going through a security check since Park took office in February 2013. Choi is a private citizen with no security clearance.

Law Professor Jeong Hwang of Hangkuk University of Foreign Studies on Choi Gate (Elise Hu - NPR)
Prosecutors Raid Banks Related to Choi Soon-sil (Yonhap News)
Park Politically Crippled (The Korea Times)
Abnormal, Deformed, Stupid: North Korea Comments on South's Govt. Scandal (Hindustan Times)
News Analysis: Choi Sun-sil at the Core of Quickening Prosecutors' Investigation (The Hankyoreh)

Excavator Rams Prosecution Office, Leaving Security Guard Injured (The Korea Times)
South Korean Man Rams Prosecution Office: I Came Here to Help Her Die (Associated Press)


Great Footage Here. A for effort, C for planning.

Another huge cult story is exploding across Korea. Well, at least there's a cult and a cult leader involved in the scandal's beginnings decades ago.

Below is the start of a collection of links. Lazy blogging I know, but I like lists, and I like having in one place a collection to refer back to later if ever I feel the need. And I think this is a story that can be followed just from the headlines, and there are some great ones with the promise of more to come in the days, weeks, and months ahead. And all this should raise interest in Korean cults in general, of which there is no shortage.

1974
Aug. 15: Original Film Reel: Assassination Attempt On President Park Chung-Hee (Live Leak)

2002
April 29: Former President Park's Son Arrested for Drug Use (The Chosun Ilbo)

2005
Jan. 27: "Is My Dead Father that Frightening?" Park Chung-hee's Son Speaks Out (Chosun Ilbo)

2010
Oct. 24: Assassination of President Park Chung-hee in 1979 (The Korea Times)

2011
June 21: Presidential Hurdles for Park Geun-hye? (The Korea Herald)

Aug. 24: Reliving Yuk Young-soo's Assassination (Korea JoongAng Daily)

2012
Feb. 16: Park Geun-hye's Brother-In-Law Gets Prison Sentence for Defamation (Yonhap News)

July 17: Park Geun-hye's Past & Future (The Hankyoreh)

Aug. 28: Slain Dictator's Daughter Turns to Mother's Legacy in Bid to Lead South Korea (Reuters)

Sept. 2: Mother's Legacy Helps Park Geun-hye in Bid to Lead South Korea (The National)

Dec. 19: Dramatic Life Topped by Election Win (The Korea Herald)

QuoteGeun-ryeong and Ji-man reportedly requested in a letter to then-President Roh Tae-woo in 1990 to "save their sister" from Choi, who they accused of being deceitful. Park's relations with her sister deteriorated in particular as they fought over the operation rights of Yookyoung Foundation in the 1990s.

Park Finds Miracle in Life-or-Death Moment (The Korea Times)

QuotePark was informed of the tragic news while in France. She was 22. The college graduate had planned to stay in the southeastern city of Grenoble at the foot of the French Alps for six months to hone her French. But she had to cut her stay short after being told that "something serious" had happened to her family. At the airport, she saw the front page article in a French newspaper running the story that her mother had been assassinated.

2013
March 25: The Lonely Days of President Park Geun-hye (The Chosun Ilbo)

May 12: South Korea Seeks Journalist's Arrest in Defamation Case (The New York Times)

QuoteIn his reports, Mr. Choo cited a legal dispute between Ms. Park's brother, Park Ji-man, and his brother-in-law revolving around the brother-in-law's accusations that Mr. Park had plotted to kill him and had hired as a hit man the Park relative found dead. (The brother-in-law, the husband of the Parks' estranged younger sister, lost the case and served time in prison for slandering Mr. Park.)

2014
Sept. 20: S. Korea Wins Gold in Team Dressage Equestrian at Asiad (Yonhap News)

Undated Interview with Choi's Daughter:


Oct. 14: Ex-President's Daughter in Moonie Mass Wedding (Chosun Ilbo)

Oct. 15: Satire is Another Casualty of Pres. Park's war on Free Speech (The Hankyoreh)

Oct. 23: Province Vows Legal Response to Change of Venue (KCTV Jeju)

Oct. 24: Artist Arrested for Satirical Flyers of President Park (Korea Bang)

Dec. 3: Pres. Park's Former Aide & His Wife May be at the Center of Ongoing Scandal (The Hankyoreh)

Dec. 4: Park's Brother Embroiled in Influence-Peddling Allegations (The Korea Times)

Dec. 10: Park Ji-man Expected to Depart for Southeast Asia Soon (The Kyunghyang Shinmun)

QuoteConcerning her younger brother, the president stressed, "Ji-man and his wife have never visited Cheong Wa Dae and will not come until the end of my term. After witnessing how previous presidents managed their relatives, I forbade Ji-man and his wife from coming to Cheong Wa Dae."

Dec. 11: In South Korea, Journalists Fear a Government Clampdown on the Press (The Washington Post)

Dec. 15: S. Korean Leader Facing Crisis Over Allegations (Daily Mail)
The Blue House's Role in a Heartbreaking Suicide (The Hankyoreh)

Dec. 16: Blue House Links Questioned as Scandal Grows (Korea JoongAng Daily)
President's Brother Called in Probe (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 17: Prosecutors in Report Scandal Keep Eye on Cops (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 18: Time for Prosecutors to Get Real about State Interference by the "Secret Circle" (The Hankyoreh)

QuoteThe allegations of involvement by Chung's wife Choi Sun-sil (who has since changed her name to Choi Seo-won) shouldn't be taken lightly either. The closeness of Choi's relationship to Park has some suggesting she, rather than her husband, could be the one behind the MCST meddling. Indeed, while Chung has denied being involved himself (he was Park's Chief of Staff when she was a second-term lawmaker), he was less adamant about the possibility that his wife was. "That I don't know," he was reported as saying when asked about it. There's also talk about frequent Blue House visits by Choi - and about a Presidential Security Service staffer being replaced when he raised questions about them.

2015
Jan. 14: South Korean Activist Is Arrested Over Remarks About North (The New York Times)

QuoteEver since Ms. Park took office two years ago, her critics have charged her government with using legal channels to clamp down on free speech, especially about matters concerning Ms. Park and her family. ...

And late last year, several of Ms. Park's presidential aides filed a defamation lawsuit against the local daily Segye Ilbo after it reported internal documents leaked from her office. Some of the documents contained allegations that the aides — as well as Chung Yoon-hoi, the man Mr. Park was rumored to have met in secret in April — had conspired to promote people they favored in her government.

Ms. Park's government called the allegations "groundless rumors." During her New Year's news conference on Monday, she accused those spreading such rumors of causing national confusion.

Jan 25: Blue House Leak on Park's Former Aide Fabricated (The Korea Herald)

Jan. 28: Newspaper Editor Gets Fined for Defaming President Park (The Korea Times)

QuoteIn the article published ahead of the 2012 presidential election, Baek cited rumors that President Park and late pastor Choi Tae-min had an illegitimate son together.

Aug. 19: When Korea Lost a First Lady, I lost An In-Law & Friend (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Aug. 21, 2015: First Lady's Death Alters Politics (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Sept. 10: President's Assassin Struggled for Power (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Oct. 20: President Park Geun-hye: An Eternal Girl With a Father Complex (The Hankyoreh)

Oct. 27: Thousands Mark Anniversary of Park Chung-hee's Death (Chosun Ilbo)

Nov. 5: Remembering the Good Sides of Park Chung Hee (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 11: Top Court Convicts Pop Artist Over Satirical Poster (The Korea Times)

QuoteLee was also charged for his satirical portrayals of politicians including former president Lee Myung-bak and incumbent President Park Geun-hye

Following hot on the heels of the Suzuki violin scandal comes another music-related scandal, this one involving allegations of sexual harassment and general dictator-like behaviour against the president of the Seoul Philharmonic, Ms Park Jyun-jung:

Dec. 2, 2014: Seoul Philharmonic CEO Under Fire for Sexual Harassment Allegations (The Korea Observer)

QuotePark Hyun-jung, president and CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, is under fire over allegations that she sexually harassed employees, verbally assaulted them and abused her power in hiring and promotion decisions.

Insiders of the Seoul-government funded orchestra say Park tried to touch a male employee's genital area in October last year by pulling him by his necktie at a public dinner gathering after drinking an excessive amount of alcohol. "From the look of you, I think you will do well as a (bar) hostess," she was also quoted as saying to a female employee during a meeting.

A petition filed against her reveals that Park told two other female employees at the meeting that they should serve important guests by sitting next to them and doing the duty of bar girls.

Dec. 3: Orchestra president hit by flurry of accusations (Korea Joongang Daily)

QuoteEmployees from the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra released a statement on Tuesday appealing for the expulsion of Park Hyun-jung, their current president, insisting that their 52-year-old leader had violated their human rights. Park was appointed to head the city-run orchestra in February 2013. Her term expires in January 2016.

Seventeen employees among 30 from the management department of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra insisted in their release that Park's "abusive language and sexual harassment" was in violation of their personal rights and that she had "consistently abused her authority on human resources affairs." ...

Since Park's appointment in February, 13 employees have left the company, according to the statement, which accounts for 48 percent of those employed in the management department. The press release also described in detail how Park had supposedly insulted and harassed her subordinates.

The document stated that Park had reiterated on several occasions to employees transferred to new departments that "if any damages occur in regard to the orchestra, you will have to sell your organs, because you won't be able to pay [that debt] on your salary."

She also reportedly told female employees to "go out and sell records wearing miniskirts," and that they would be "better working as barmaids." The statement went on to note that Park abused her authority as a president by revising the organization's provision of personnel, and hiring her friends' children or her students without going through proper employment channels.

Additionally, the employees accused Park of destroying the image of one of the oldest orchestras in Korea, and provided detailed accounts of times when she had insulted workers at official events. The statement went on to say that one foreign representative had relayed to internationally renowned maestro Chung Myung-hun, the orchestra's music director, concern over Park's negative attitude.

Sponsors for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra have also turned their backs, according to the employees. The statement illustrated the sudden drop in the number of members within the orchestra's sponsor group, SPO Patrons. There were originally 44 members when Park was appointed, but that number has since dropped to 11, the statement said. ...

Dec. 11: Orchestra's Director Responds to Scandal (Korea Joongang Daily)

QuoteInternationally renowned maestro Chung Myung-whun, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's artistic director and its principal conductor, spoke out Wednesday morning in front of orchestra members about the recent scandal engulfing the organization's president. Chung returned to Seoul early Wednesday morning from Vienna, where he was participating in rehearsals for other recitals.

Chung discussed allegations surrounding the organization's president, Park Hyun-jung, whose employees have accused of sexual and verbal harassment, with about 100 orchestra members before starting rehearsal, according to Yonhap News Agency.

"[I'm not a] person who is aware of what's going on in the administrative department of the orchestra. However, the issue is a clear violation of human rights [against the employees in the administrative department]," he said, adding that "such attitude is not acceptable."

Chung said he had been alerted more than a year ago about Park's conduct toward her staff. "[I heard that] she would call in staff members and scold them severely, treating them without [respect or dignity]," he continued. He went on to explain that "some employees said they would put up with her attitude, but then they began to quit one after another."

Chung added that he could not tolerate her behavior any longer and had told Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon about six weeks ago that he would quit unless Park was expelled. ...

Dec. 11: CEO and President of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Hyun-jung Park Accused of Sexual Harassment, Holds Press Conference, Accuses Art Director Myung-Whun Chung of Staging A Coup (Classical Lite)

QuoteTensions continue to rise in Seoul as president and CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Hyun-jung Park, who was recently accused of sexually harassing and verbally abusing her employees, goes head to head with art director and principle conductor Myung-Whun Chung, who she claims is organizing a coup against her.

Park, who held a press conference Friday, Dec. 5, denied allegations and accused Chung of starting a petition for her removal. She shared that there were documents from audits that track the director's unethical activities and listed four different cases of complaints about his conduct. At the press conference, she personally listed cases where she believed Chung had abused his authoritative power.

These statements come on the tail of recent allegations made against Park's unethical behavior. Hyun Jung Park made history when she became the first female president and CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2013.

But 17 of the Seoul Philharmonic's employees testified in a petition that Park constantly abused them, with one male employee claiming that she had too much to drink at a public dinner gathering and grabbed him by the necktie, attempting to touch his genitals. Three female employees said Park suggested they offer themselves sexually, telling one she would be a good hostess and the other two that they should sit next to important male guests and accommodate their needs.

Many employees said she would often swear at them, threaten to deduct money from their paychecks and say things such as, "You should sell your organs to make up for corporate losses." She has also been accused of unethical hiring and promoting decisions, basing career advancement on connections rather than merit.

When she became president and CEO of the SPO, she intended to restructure the organization and change the business culture. Apparently, Park had an aggressive style of running business that her employees did not like. Due to the conflict and tension between herself and employees, Park became verbally abusive toward them. She explained, "It seems that I thought I could use that kind of language."

She seemed to want to clarify the accusations that she treated her female employees like bar hostesses, saying, "I can't remember accurately but I've never even once referred to myself as a 'madam' [a female pimp for prostitutes]." She continued, "I can't give a definite answer like this. I should have used a bit more refined language, and no matter how despaired I felt or how difficult it was, I should have done better. If there is anyone who felt pain during that time, I feel very apologetic."

But Chung has told the mayor of Seoul he will quit as music director of the philharmonic unless Park is dismissed. After briefing the orchestra at rehearsal, Chung told journalists that "the issue is a clear violation of human rights ... such attitude is not acceptable."

Dec. 23: Seoul Set to Fire Seoul Phil Chief for Sexual Harassment (Yonhap News)

QuoteThe city of Seoul said Tuesday it will soon decide whether to dismiss the president of the city-run orchestra after confirming sexual harassment and verbal abuse allegations raised against the female head.

Members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra have accused President Park Hyun-hung of repeatedly harassing them sexually and verbally since taking office in February last year.

"In the near future, the board of the Seoul Phil will decide whether to dismiss President Park," a city official said as the city's human rights officer announced the result of an investigation into the rights violation allegations. ...

Park strongly denied the city probe result. "It is not true. It is something like a fabrication, distortion and exaggeration," Park told Yonhap News Agency. "Nobody believes my words when (the allegations) are considered to be facts just because it is the opinion of the majority." Park said she will consider counteractions, including a libel action or administrative litigation, against the city. ...

I'm rarely surprised by disturbing acts of dominance and compliance, but this is a story I had to read twice to make sure I didn't read it wrong. 

2015:
July 14: South Korean Police Say Professor Fed Former Student Feces (Associated Press)
Professor Arrested for Torturing Student (The Korea Times)

July 15: Professor Detained After Torturous Assault Claims (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Nov. 26: Abusive Ex-Professor Gets 12 Years in Prison (The Korea Times)

The recent Korean Queer festival sure drew out the extremist element of Korean Christianity. I attended the opening ceremony a few weeks ago and have been quietly collecting links for this thread. The festival culminated in a parade last Sunday (June 28). I only had time for a quick visit, but there have been some disturbingly great photos and videos shared on Facebook and Twitter etc. of the day. The event was a soap opera behind the scenes as nutty Christian groups did their best/worst to stop the event from taking place with outstanding displays of hatred, intolerance, and general sneakiness. I have a lot of links, videos, and photos bookmarked and saved to share. I'll start with a few news items and gradually expand up this thread over the next week or so:

May 29: South Korean Gay Pride Event Sparks Bitter Standoff With Christians (The Diplomat)

QuoteA planned gay pride festival has become the latest flashpoint of conflict between South Korean LGBT activists and conservative Christians, with the religious protestors attempting to book the venue to stop the event. Protestant groups have vigorously opposed plans to hold a LGBT pride parade at Seoul Plaza on June 28, physically blocking applications for the necessary permits.

On May 21, police announced they would accept applications for public events at the end of June on a first-come, first-served basis at Namdaemun Police Station. This prompted a group calling itself the "Love Your Country, Love Your Children Movement" to queue outside the station indefinitely to prevent the festival organizers from applying for a permit.

June 3: South Korea, at Behest of Conservative Christians, Bans LGBT March (The Washington Post)

June 11: Korean Queer Festival Sparks Social Contention (The Diplomat)

QuoteThe event is not without its critics. Most active among them are conservative Christian groups. Such groups have actively sought to stifle the festival's events. As previously covered by The Diplomat, the "Love Your Country, Love Your Children Movement" went so far as to physically block LGBT activists from applying for the necessary permit to host a pride parade at Seoul Plaza by queuing indefinitely outside the police station, where applications are submitted.

The conservative Christian group was successful, insofar as they were able to prevent the LGBT activists from obtaining a permit. The police decided not to issue a permit, claiming a parade would likely disrupt traffic.

June 12: Seoul's Pride Events Are Off To A Pretty Terrible Start (Buzz Feed)
Non-affirming Christians Demand "Fags Out" of Korea at Queer Festival (Korea Observer)

QuotePeter Daley talked with one protester holding a sign in English that said "People['s] body is the temple of god – not for homosexuality." "Her main concern, apart from the 'sin' aspect, is the declining birth rate so I asked her if she plans to have lots of kids," Peter said. "My husband doesn't want children," she replied.

June 14: Global NGO Asks Park to Allow Gay Parade (The Korea Times)

June 16: South Korea Court Rules in Favor of Gay Pride Parade (Business Insider)

QuoteSouth Korea's gay pride organisers have won a court battle against conservatives and police seeking to block their parade celebrating sexual minorities late this month, they said Wednesday.

The Seoul Administrative Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of parade organisers, invalidating a police ban on the parade imposed last month. Police had cited public safety concerns and traffic disruptions as the reasons behind the ban. "Assemblies can be prohibited only when they directly threaten public order," the court said in a statement.

It also noted that the organisers of the annual parade had long been preparing for the event and therefore would suffer great damage should the event be scrapped.

June 28: Thousands Gather for South Korea's Gay Pride Parade (NDTV)

Christian extremists start a fight Seoul Pride

Seoul police remove homophobes from pride festival

July 1: The Hate (Sabrina Constance)

QuoteMany of these bigoted cult members were chanting the most heinous things, some were speaking in tongues, others were abusive to the police in the area. I myself was in a confrontation with a cop who appeared to be taking the side of some of the people who had just attacked me last Sunday.

SEOULcast Extras: "The Hate"

2017
Nov. 20: Nut Rage Whistle-Blower Says Korean Air Retaliated Against Him (The New York Times)

Dec. 21: Top Court Acquits Korean Air Heiress in Nut Rage Case (The Korea Times)

2018
March 27: Nut Rage Cho Set to Make Comeback (The Korea Times)

April 13: Police Looking into Water Rage Incident (The Korea Times)
Korean Air Family Discovers Bottle Rage (Korea JoongAng Daily)

April 14: Police Take Up Bottle Rage Incident (Korea JoongAng Daily)

April 15: Korean Air heiress Returns Home to Barrage of Criticisms & Probe for Violence (The Korea Herald)
With Nut Rage Sisters, Korean Air is Nowhere to be Seen (The Korea Times)
Recording Reveals Korean Air Water Rage Heiress in New Angry Outburst (The Korea Times)


April 16: Korean Air Heiress Lawyers Up (The Korea Herald)
Nut Rage Sisters Feared to Fan Anti-Biz Sentiment (The Korea Times)

April 17: Police Seek Travel Ban for Korean Air Heiress (The Korea Times)

April 18: Korean Air Faces Complaints Over Its Corporate Title & Identity (The Korea Herald)

April 19: Rage Probe: Police Search Korean Air Headquarters (The Korea Times)
Korean Air Under Investigation (The Korea Times)

April 20: Water Rage' Scandal Escalates into Customs Probe (The Korea Herald)
How Korean Air's Cho Family Smuggled Their Stuff (The Korea Herald)
KAL Owners Used Planes to Smuggle Private Goods (The Korea Times)
Past Comes Back to Haunt Korean Air's Cho Family (The Investor - Korea Herald)

April 21: Chos Allegedly Smuggled Sausages & Furniture (Korea JoongAng Daily)

April 22: Korean Air Rage Sisters Removed From Management (The Korea Times)
Korean Air Chief Apologizes & Fires Daughters Over Water Rage (The Korea Herald)

April 23: Korean Air Ousts Nut Rage Heiress & Her Sister (CNN)
Korean Air Chief's Wife Under Probe Over Assaults (The Korea Times)
Korean Air Family Under Siege Despite Father's Apology (The Korea Herald)

April 25: Officials Seek Evidence of Alleged Tax Evasion by Korean Air Owning Family (The Korea Herald)
Mother's Violent Outburst Raises Pressure on Chos (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Korean Air Chairman Accused of Excessive Disciplinary Action (The Korea Herald)

April 28: Korean Air Heiress to be Questioned Tuesday (The Korea Times)

April 30: Ex-Korean Air Heiress in Infamous Nut Rage Case Faces Divorce Battle (The Korea Herald)
Korean Air Nut Rage Heiress Facing Divorce Lawsuit (The Korea Times)
Korean Air Workers to Rise Up in Arms Against Abusive Chairman Family (The Korea Times)

May 1: Nut Rage Sister Faces Fruit Juice Questions in S. Korea (New Straits Times)

May 2: Korean Air Heiress Denies Assault Allegations (The Korea Times)

May 4: Ediya Coffee Terminates Contract With Korean Air Heiresses (The Korea Herald)
Korean Air: Masked Staff Protest Against Company Family (BBC News)
Korean Air Staff Protest Against Nut Rage Family (Reuters)
Prosecution Rejects Korean Air Heiress' Arrest Warrant Over Alleged Assault

May 11: Immigration Officials Raid Korean Air in Connection with Alleged Illegal Employment (The Korea Herald)

May 14: Korean Air Purser Booked for Slapping Security Guard Out of Irritation (The Korea Herald)
Immigration begins investigating Cho Family (Korea JoongAng Daily)

May 16: Korean Air Raided Over Alleged Foreign Exchange Law Violation (The Korea Times)

May 21: Korean Air Chief's Wife to be Quizzed Over Alleged Abuse on May 28 (The Korea Times)

May 24: Korean Air Heiress Questioned Over Filipino Housekeepers (The Korea Times)

May 27: Korean Air Chief's Wife to be Quizzed Monday Over Alleged Abuse (The Korea Times)

May 30: Korean Air Chairman's Son to be Probed Over Illicit College Admission (The Korea Times)

July 2: Arrest Warrant Requested for Korean Air Chief (The Korea Times)

July 9: Asiana & Korean Air Employees Hold Joint Rally Against Their Bosses (The Korea Herald)

Sept. 21: Korean Air Chief Questioned on New Charges (Korea JoongAng Daily)

2015
Jan. 1: Vengeful Text Message Casts Light on Younger Cho (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Jan. 2: Korean Air Heiress Pleads Terminal Confusion (The Chosun Ilbo)

Jan. 6: Korean Air Chief Promises to Reform Business Culture (The Chosun Ilbo)
Former Korean Air VP to Be Indicted Over Nut Rage (Yonhap News)

Jan. 7: Ex-Korean Air VP to Stand Trial Over In-Flight Nut Row (The Korea Herald)
Korean Air Heiress Faces Further Charge (The Korea Herald)

Jan. 21: Korean Air Heiress Denies Violating Aviation Rules (The Chosun Ilbo)

Feb. 2: Cho Beat Crew, Korean Air chief Steward Tells Court (The Korea Herald)

Flight Attendant 'Pressured to Sanitize Nut Rage Account (The Chosun Ilbo)
SK Prosecutors Seek three Years' Prison for Nut Rage Woman (The Guardian)
3-Year Jail Term Sought for Ex-Vice President of Korean Air (The Korea Herald)

Feb. 3: Purser Testifies in Nut Rage Trial (Chosun Ilbo)
Flight Attendant Job Loses Luster After Nut Rage (The Chosun Ilbo)

Feb. 4: Prosecutors Ask Court to Put Nut Rage Heiress in Jail for 3 Years (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Korean Air Heiress in Tearful Court Appearance (The Chosun Ilbo)

Feb. 8: Cho Hyun-ah Involved in the Entire Investigation Process (The Kyunghyang Shinmun)

Feb. 9: Nut Rage Purser Takes More Sick Leave (Chosun Ilbo)

Feb. 10: Nut Rage in SK Spotlights Culture of Punishing Long Hours (The Christian Science Monitor)

Feb. 12: Korean Air Heiress Gets 1 year in Jail (The Korea Herald)
Heather Cho Still Has No Sense of Guilt (The Korea Times)

Feb. 13: Korean Air Heiress Appeals Nut Rage Conviction (Yonhap News)
Editorial: Lessons From Nut Rage (The Korea Herald)
Korean Air Heiress Guilty in Nut Rage Trial (The Chosun Ilbo)

Feb. 15: Nut Rage Prompts SK to Consider Law Against High-Handed Conduct (Reuters)

Feb. 16: Korean Air Heiress Deposited W200 Million With Court (The Chosun Ilbo)

Feb. 23: Prosecution Appeals Guilty Verdict of Korean Air Heiress (Yonhap news)

March 11: Nut Rage Victim Files Civil Suit in US (The Korea Herald)
Korean Air to Mull Measures Against US Suit After Review (Yonhap News)

March 12: Flight Attendant Sues Korean Air Heiress Over Nut Rage (The Chosun Ilbo)

March 20: Korean Air Also Admits Wrong Passengers (Chosun Ilbo)

April 1: Korean Air Heiress Pleads for Mercy (The Korea Times)

April 21: Korean Air Heiress Appeals for Clemency The Chosun Ilbo)

May 21: Korean Air Heiress to Get Appeals Verdict on Nut Rage Case Friday (The Korea Herald)

May 22: Ex-Korean Air Executive Freed (Yonhap News)
Korean Air Heiress Sprung from Jail (The Chosun Ilbo)

May 23: Court Suspends Prison Term for Cho (Korea JoongAng Daily)

May 29: Nut Rage Heiress Faces Another Appeal (The Chosun Ilbo)

June 18: Nut Rage Heiress Could Return to Korean Air (The Chosun Ilbo)

July 14: Korean Air Heiress Wants Nut Rage Trial Here (The Korea Times)
Ex-Korean Air VP Asks US Court to Dismiss Nut Rage Case-Related Lawsuit (The Korea Herald)

July 31: Korean Air Nut Rage Executive Wants Lawsuit Moved to South Korea (UPI)

I've been meaning to create a board here for a while now for people who act cultishly but who aren't necessarily leaders or members of cults. And by "act cultish" I mean lie, threaten, scam, abuse authority/power, commit acts of violence (mental, physical, and sexual), and all the other usual suspects.

Let's begin at the beginning were it all started. A very nice place to start:

2014
Dec. 8: Korean Air Scion Faces Probe for Bad In-Flight Behavior (The Korea Times)
Gov't to Review Korean Air Heiress' Discipline of Flight Crew (Yonhap News)

Dec. 9: Korean Air Chief Apologizes for Daughter's Action, Pledges to Take Appropriate Steps (Yonhap News)

Dec. 10: Nut Rage Spat Latest Stumble for Korean Air Family (Associated Press)

Dec. 11: Gov't Calls in Korean Air VP for Questioning Over 'Nut Rage' (Yonhap News)
Korean Air Forces Purser to Give False Statement & Screens Flight Attendants' KakaoTalk Messages (The Kyunghyang Shinmun)
Airline Heiress Resigns Vice Presidency Over 'Nut Rage' (The Chosun Ilbo)
Korean Air Executive Resigns over Nuts on a Plate Row (CNN)

Here is her biography as it appeared on Nanyang Technological University's website on Dec. 13.

QuoteHeather CHO
Executive Vice President, Korean Air
Chief Executive Officer, KAL Hotel Network

Ms Heather Cho is the Executive Vice President for Korean Air, the national carrier and largest airline of South Korea, where she manages the Catering and In-flight Sales Business, Cabin Service and Hotel Business divisions.

Since joining the company in 1999, Ms Cho has been actively involved in establishing a new corporate identity for Korean Air. This includes newly designed uniforms with the collaboration of GianFranco Ferre, new cabin interiors and caterings as well as the successful launch of the Airbus A380.

Ms Cho is also the Chief Executive Officer of KAL Hotel Network, a hoteling affiliate of Korean Air. Korean Air has five hotel properties: two in Jeju Island, one at Incheon International Airport, and two in Los Angeles and Hawaii. Under her leadership, Hyatt Regency Incheon was successfully opened on September, 2003. It has demonstrated one of the best business performances worldwide among the Hyatt chain, and is still growing rapidly.

Apart from managing all these hotels, Ms Cho is also in charge of three new projects, which include the development the second Hyatt Hotel (Incheon, Korea), the rebuilding of Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles, and the development of a luxury hotel in downtown Seoul.
Ms Cho is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, New York. She also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California.

Dec. 12: Confusion at JFK as Korean Air Nut Incident Broke( Reuters)
Korean Air Chief Apologizes for Daughter's Actions (The Korea Herald)
Korean Air Scandal Escalates (Chosun Ilbo)
Korean Air Headquarters Raided in 'Nut Rage' Probe (The Korea Times)

QuoteIt is also alleged that the airline company inspected the phone message records of flight attendants in hopes of discovering the identity of a whistleblower, and there were concerns that those attendants may be pressured not to give testimony against Cho.

Dec. 12: Former Korean Air VP Asks for Forgiveness Over 'Nut Rage' (Yonhap News)

Dec. 13: Uproar Prompts Koreans to Buy Macadamia Nuts (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 14: 'I Kneeled Before Her': Flight Attendant Reveals Full Extent of 'Nut Rage'(Sydney Morning Herald)
Former Korean Air Executive Visits Air Stewards (BBC News)

Dec. 14: Ex-Korean Air VP Apologizes to Crew Members Over 'Nut Rage' (Yonhap News)

Dec. 15: Korean Air heiress could be facing arrest warrant (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 15: Prosecutors to Question Former Korean Air VP Over 'Nut Rage' (Yonhap News)
Heather Cho Likely to Face Trial (The Korea Times)

Dec. 16: Korean Air to Face Heavy Sanctions After Nut Incident (The Korea Herald)

And just when you thought this couldn't get any better, the New York Times comes to the rescue:

Dec. 16: Korean Air Faces Flight Suspensions Over Executive's Snack Tantrum
The New York Times

QuoteSome of those Korean Air officials asked janitors at the government building to clean the women's restroom again because Ms. Cho would most likely use it, the local media reported this week. A Korean Air spokesman said he could not immediately confirm or deny the reports. ...

I like this piece about nepotism in these huge Korean companies (chaebals), but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Yoo Byung-eun in relation to "nut rage". The Sewol ferry sinking can also be blamed on nepotism/corruption, in that case inside a criminal cult as opposed to a "legit" (cough cough) chaebal. It was only the biggest story of the year. If the sinking of the Sewol didn't diminish nepotism, what chance does a bag of nuts have?

Dec. 15: End Rampant Nepotism in Family-Run Conglomerates

Dec 17: Korean Air's Former VP Summoned Over Nut Rage (The Korea Herald)

Dec. 18: Korean Air Heiress Denies Flouting Aviation Laws (The Chosun Ilbo)

Dec. 19: Korean Air Execs Slapped with Travel Bans (Chosun Ilbo)
Nut-rage Heiress Grilled for More than 12 Hours (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 20: Korean Air Grilled Over Cover-Up (The Korea Herald)

Dec. 22: Korean Air Heiress Suspected of Evidence Tampering (Chosun Ilbo)

Dec. 23: Airline Heiress' Sister Blunders into 'Nut Rage' Fray (Chosun Ilbo)
Ex-Korean Air Exec Faces Arrest Over 'Nut Rage' (The Korea Times)
Prosecution to Seek Arrest Warrant for Korean Air Heiress (The Korea Herald)
Prosecution to Seek Arrest Warrant for Former Korean Air VP (Yonhap News)
Arrest warrant sought for former Korean Air VP (Yonhap News)

Dec. 24: Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant for Korean Air Heiress (The Chosun Ilbo)

Dec. 25: Offical Arrested in Nut Rage Probe (The Korea Herald)

Dec. 26: Civic Group Asks Prosecution to Probe Free Upgrades by Korean Air (Yonhap News)
Korean Air Business Drops (The Chosun Ilbo)

Dec. 28: Ministry Under Fire for Flight Upgrades (The Korea Herald)

Dec. 30: Korean Air Heiress Arrested (The Korea Herald)
Eight Ministry Officials to Be Disciplined Over Nut Rage (Chosun Ilbo)

Dec. 31: Korean Air Heiress Arrested (The Chosun Ilbo)
Korean Air Ex-VP's Sister Slammed For Vowing Revenge Over Nut Rage (Yonhap News)

2016
Jan. 13: Bungled Approach To Sex Crimes (The Korea Times)

April 25: South Korea Allows Chemical Castration Of Sex Offenders (Opposing Views)

Oct. 25: Korea to Implement Next-Gen Ankle Monitors to Prevent Crime (Korea Bizwire)

2017
July 18: Government Seeks to Expand Chemical Castration (The Korea Herald)

July 19: Attempted Rape & Voyeurism to be Punished With Chemical Castration Under New Reforms (Korea Biz Wire)

July 28: Peeping Toms Face Chemical Castration (The Korea Times)

Oct. 19: NK Defector & Ex-Con Caught 78 Days After Fleeing Mental Hospital (The Korea Herald)

QuoteAfter serving a jail term for the attempted murder of his half brother, he had been ordered by a court to 10 years of medical treatment for delusions. He escaped from the hospital in Naju on Aug. 1, breaking the electric anklet he had been ordered to wear.

Dec. 3: Criminals Can Now Be Chemically Castrated For Attempting Rape in South Korea (Next Shark)

Dec. 21: Parliament OKs Bill Allowing Chemical Castration of Attempted Rapists (Yonhap News)

2018
April 10: Sex Offender Fled Abroad While Wearing Ankle Monitor (The Korea Herald)

April 11: Man With Anklet Evades Security at Incheon (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Loopholes in Police & Airport Security (The Korea Times)

April 20: Despite Ankle Monitors, Ex-Cons Fly Under Radar (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 27: Convicted Sex Offender Caught for Rape Attempt (The Korea Herald)