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SEOUL – South Korea’s agriculture ministry said on Monday it will issue a temporary nationwide ban on the transportation of poultry to contain the spread of bird flu, with 43 outbreaks recorded in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement that the movement control order will be effective for 48 hours, from 1500 GMT on Monday or midnight in Seoul.
Since the first outbreak of a severe strain of bird flu known as H5N6 was reported on Nov.18., South Korea has ramped up quarantine measures to stop a wider spread of the virus, including issuing a 48-hour nationwide standstill order three weeks ago.
A total of 43 bird flu outbreaks had been confirmed as of Dec. 11, with another nine possible cases being tested, according to the ministry statement.
To prevent the spread of bird flu, the ministry said at least 8.8 million farm birds were culled and plans to slaughter 1.5 million more. That would be over 10 per cent of the country’s poultry population of nearly 85 million.
Although cases of human infections from the H5N6 virus have previously been reported elsewhere including China, no cases of human infection have been found in South Korea.
ZoukOut is still going strong in its 16th year, but the annual dusk-to-dawn beach dance music festival is not one to rest on its laurels.
Over the weekend on Dec 9 and 10, more than 41,000 partygoers were treated to new and impressive stages and noticeably better sound quality across all three stages – Moon Stage for the main acts, Star Stage for more niche acts and the return of the Kaleidoscope stage, which over the years has featured some of Singapore’s best underground talent.
The Moon Stage was uniquely shaped like the iconic Zouk logo of an eye.
Previous stage designs have been more staid, relying less on design and more on functionality.
With “eyelashes” of LED panels reaching to the skies, it made for a spectacular backdrop for the top acts that took the stage.
Day one saw 15,000 partygoers dancing to headlining Dutch DJ Hardwell, while the second day was a far more crowded affair with 26,000 in attendance to see the likes of Zedd and Martin Garrix play. Last year’s ZoukOut attracted 45,000 people over both nights.
The set by Russian-German DJ/ producer Zedd seemed the more power-packed of the two as he constantly drew on his catalogue of multiple commercial hits.
These included his collaborations with pop singers Selena Gomez (I Want You To Know) and Ariana Grande (Break Free) as well as Hayley Williams (Stay The Night).
As a result, the sing-along sessions were frequent throughout his 90-minute set, with the crowd at its loudest on his breakout song, Clarity.
The 27-year-old DJ, whose real name is Anton Zaslavski, seemed to be revelling in it too, constantly taking out his camera phone to record the crowd’s reaction – many of which ended up on his Instagram Stories.
The euphoric highs of his set frequently culminated in confetti explosions and even fireworks.
Dutchman Garrix, recently named the No. 1 DJ in the world in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll, took the stage at 4am, choosing to open with a delicate, acoustic piano version of his breakout hit, Animals.
The 20-year-old then proceeded to drop one club banger after another, including Don’t Look Down, his track featuring American singer Usher; and Lions In The Wild.
Zedd joined him on stage and was spotted bouncing enthusiastically along to his friend’s tunes.
While both Zedd and Garrix are returning acts, it was a debut act – Norwegian producer Alan Walker – who drew an unexpectedly large crowd despite his set being one of the earlier ones at 10.30pm.
A new entry to the scene, Walker is already making waves with club favourites Faded and Sing Me To Sleep.
Over at the smaller Star Stage, rain threatened to disrupt the dancing at around 12.30am, but home-grown DJ Koflow kept his brand of hip-hop flowing through it all.
He was followed by the likes of British electronic duo Snakehips and Los Angeles native Tokimonsta, who put on equally captivating shows.
In keeping with the usual tradition of having local DJs perform the closing sets, resident DJs Ghetto and Zushan rounded off the festivities at the Moon and Star stages respectively at around 7am.
Singapore club Zouk is behind ZoukOut, which is considered one of the top dance music festivals in the region.
The club itself will have its soft launch at its new premises at Clarke Quay on Saturday, after having operated in Jiak Kim Street for the past 25 years.
Mr Chia Yong Jian, 21, who was attending ZoukOut for the third time, says he frequents the club as well.
The full-time national serviceman says: “To be honest, this year’s event is not as festive as previous years. One reason may be because we all know the club is moving to Clarke Quay. I don’t know what will happen, but it is likely that it will become just another club there. But I hope Zouk retains its original spirit.”
This article was first published on December 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.@sph.com.sg>
HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary John Tsang has resigned from his post, pending an announcement that he will run for the city’s top job next March, Cable TV news reported on Monday (Dec 12).
The resignation ends months of speculation on whether the 65-year-old, currently topping popularity polls, wants to run for Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
Affectionately known as “Uncle Pringles” for his signature moustache, the US-educated lover of fencing and martial arts has served as the former British colony’s finance minister since July 2007.
Candidates running for Chief Executive have to be vetted by a 1,200-strong Election Committee, which will be formed in December. The same committee will decide who will lead the city of 7.2 million people in late March.
The beauty of submissions lies in the ability of a fighter to take an opponent to the ground, advance position via grappling mastery, and swiftly transition to a smooth finish featuring skill and technique.
The last quarter in ONE Championship has seen some of the best submissions in recent memory, led by a handful of incredible technicians.
We look back at the last three months and rank the five best submissions that took place.
1. Jenny Huang defeats April Osenio via gogoplata
ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, 2 December, Manila
25-year-old Jenny Huang of Chinese Taipei has flown largely under the radar since debuting for ONE Championship in June of 2015. She tried to make things interesting by reaching out to audiences in creative ways, such as walking out to the cage in a Street Fighter Chun-Li outfit.
In MMA, however, performances speak louder than anything else, and fortunately for Huang, she is certainly not lacking in highlight-reel submissions.
After figuring in a decision win in her ONE Championship debut, Huang has since strung together three straight submission victories inside the ONE Cage, with the most impressive coming in her last outing.
Huang recently took on highly-regarded Filipina atomweight April Osenio of the famed Team Lakay of Baguio City. While Osenio dominated both the striking and wrestling aspect of the fight, Huang remained dangerous to the very end with her high-level grappling skills.
It does not matter how much trouble Huang may seem to be in. Due to her inherent mat skills, Huang will always be a threat. Against Osenio, Huang made sure the fans were reminded of that.
After scoring points on a reversal, Osenio wound up in top position inside of Huang’s guard, thinking she had just gained the upper hand. That is when Huang worked her magic.
Utilizing an incredibly flexible rubber guard, Huang passed her right foot over Osenio’s left shoulder and snaked it underneath the Filipina’s chin. Casual fans probably did not know what they were seeing, but those who know Brazilian jiu-jitsu recognized the high-level technique that was about to ensue.
In a quick and unexpected finish, Huang executed the first-ever gogoplata submission in ONE Championship history. The foot choke is so rare, that it has only been done a handful of times in professional MMA competition, yet Huang was able to pull it off. Osenio never saw it coming.
2. Yusup Saadulaev defeats Jordan Lucas via rear-naked choke
ONE: STATE OF WARRIORS, 7 October, Myanmar
Yusup Saadulaev has had ups and downs in his career, but it seems he has discovered a new groove recently, culminating in a highly-impressive submission victory over young Australian prospect Jordan Lucas.
With ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov escorting him to the battleground, Saadulaev entered the cage and looked to take the youngster down from the get-go, setting his shots up perfectly with his strikes.
Although Lucas, a former BRACE bantamweight champion, was determined to get a win, Saadulaev made sure his experience shone through, which ultimately made the difference.
The man they call “Maestro” wowed the crowd with an extremely technical submission finish. The result was a spectacular modified rear naked choke victory — a “black belt” move as praised by commentators Peter Davis and Mitch Chilson.
As Saadulaev tightened his grip around the young Lucas’ neck, you could see the resolve slip away from the Australian prospect’s gaze after being forced to tap out.
With the win, Saadulaev proved that he remains a legitimate top contender in ONE’s bantamweight ranks.
3. Toni Tauru defeats Geje Eustaquio via rear-naked choke
ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, 2 December, Manila
Toni “Dynamite” Tauru’s ONE Championship stint didn’t exactly begin as he originally had planned.
The former bantamweight standout entered the promotion with a stellar 10-1 professional MMA record, but lost his first two bouts in ONE, dropping a knockout loss to ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes and then succumbing by TKO to Tajikistani prospect Muin Gafurov.
Tauru did not hang his head too low, however, as the proud Finnish warrior knew it was only a matter of time before he could secure a victory to properly announce his arrival in ONE Championship.
At ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION in Manila, Tauru finally earned his first victory inside the promotion, easily dispatching Team Lakay striking specialist Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines.
Tauru, a grappling maestro, wasted absolutely no time in the stand up with his Filipino foe. Tauru knew Eustaquio was dangerous on his feet, and that standing with him would be akin to a loss.
Tauru shot immediately for a single leg, and drove Eustaquio to the mat with ease. From there, Tauru used his size and strength advantage to power through a rear-naked choke to notch the win in the first round. He even expertly neutralized Eustaquio’s defense by trapping one of the Filipino contender’s arms.
It was a satisfying moment for Tauru, one that he had been waiting for since he first joined ONE, and it came against a big name in Eustaquio. The victory marks Tauru’s eighth submission win in 11 triumphs.
4. Danny Kingad defeats Eugene Toquero via armbar
ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, 2 December, Manila
ONE’s Manila show had some great submissions this year, and this one is no exception.
Unbeaten Team Lakay flyweight prospect Danny Kingad continues to impress with high-level striking and grappling performances. The young gun recently dominating veteran striking ace Eugene Toquero to win by submission in the first round.
When the fight was first announced, fans knew Kingad would be in a tough contest, because Toquero is one of the most complete fighters at flyweight.
Kingad, a relative newcomer to the promotion, was thrust into a very difficult challenge early in his career. With just three professional MMA fights under his belt, Kingad was pegged as the underdog, and rightfully so.
Toquero, who had much more cage experience, was poised to show the youngster a thing or two. But being the underdog did not faze Kingad one bit. Prior to the bout, Kingad told media he felt that he was ready for the biggest challenges, the title shots, and everything that came along with it.
In the fight, Kingad battered Toquero on the feet and maneuvered him effortlessly on the ground before putting together the finish. As Kingad latched on to Toquero’s right arm, the Team Lakay fighter executed a flawless transition into an armbar that left Toquero no choice but to submit.
It was a very impressive performance from Kingad and one that will definitely sets the expectations high for his future fights. One thing is for sure — Kingad definitely has the grappling chops to hang with the best, and that is a good thing to have at such a young age.
5. Bashir Ahmad defeats Mahmoud Mohamed via Heel Hook
ONE: STATE OF WARRIORS, 7 October, Myanmar
Widely regarded as the “Godfather of Pakistani MMA” Bashir Ahmad was one of the first fighters from Pakistan to popularize the sport in the country.
Featuring a complete striking and grappling skill set, Ahmad made his successful ONE Championship debut with a resounding victory over the highly-regarded Shannon “One Shin” Wiratchai.
Heel hook submissions are commonly attempted, but rarely completed. The reason is that attempting a leg lock usually leaves you susceptible to ground strikes from your opponent. It takes a great amount of skill and proper technique to be able to force an opponent to tap from the maneuver.
Ahmad did just that against Egypt’s Mahmoud Mohamed in his most recent bout. After Mohamed connected with a few strikes from range, Ahmad closed the gap and took his opponent to the ground, expertly secured the submission, and got the win in the very first round.
On Friday, One FM 91.3 DJ Glenn Ong will be getting married to his fiancee of five years, former colleague and Class 95 DJ Jean Danker, at the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.
Ask the SPH Radio jock if he has any butterflies in his stomach and he lets out a big laugh.
“Me, wedding jitters? No way,” he says.
The joke going around is that he has no reason to be nervous about walking down the aisle because he has had practice.
Ong, 46, was married twice before – to the late Kate Reyes and Jamie Yeo, both also radio presenters and former colleagues at his previous employer, Mediacorp.
Still, there will be a couple of firsts for him.
He had his first stag night party organised by his work mates Mark van Cuylenburg, better known as Flying Dutchman; Elliott Danker and producer Andre Hoeden; as well as his fans at Clarke Quay club Le Noir earlier this month.
For the solemnisation on Friday, Ong will be writing his own vows, something he has not done before.
He was married to Reyes from 1999 to 2003 and Yeo from 2004 to 2009.
“My pastor told me, there’s the normal thing you guys can say, but it will be nice if you write your own vows.”
Ong and Danker, 37, were a couple for two years before they got engaged in 2011.
This is her first marriage and she says that one of the reasons it took her so long to decide on a wedding date was for both of them to be “surer” of their decision to get hitched.
“I know it’s out there, it’s like the elephant in the room,” she says of his previous marriages.Wedding bells for Glenn Ong and Jean Danker after 7 years together
“But I don’t feel like it’s a big thing, for whatever reason. I’ve never judged him for his past. If anything, I’m always making fun of him about that. I know it’s a serious thing, but that’s just the way we deal with it.”
Danker consulted a close friend and fengshui expert who suggested a few dates this year for the wedding.
The couple ended up picking a December date because it coincided with both of their year-end leave periods.
After the wedding, they will fly off to Bali for a getaway, but both say that not much will change after they become husband and wife.
They each have their own apartments and they will still shuttle back and forth between Ong’s Orchard area condominium and Danker’s Holland Village condominium.
He is letting her call the shots on whether they are having children.
“I’ve always said this, ‘the guy has no say’. It’s easy doing it, but it’s very hard afterwards,” he points out.
Danker says: “It hasn’t been my aspiration, but you never say never, who knows.”
The couple have a five-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Biscuit, who will be walking down the aisle with Ong.
There will be quite a few veteran and familiar faces from the entertainment scene at the wedding, including radio personalities from both SPH Radio and Mediacorp.
The wedding band will be Jive Talkin’, one of Singapore’s most prominent club bands.
“We all grew up with Jive Talkin’ and I know they won’t let me down. It’s so easy to tell (Jive Talkin’ singer) Raffy to ‘just rock the place’ and he’ll know what to do,” says Ong.
Broadcasting veteran William Xavier, or Mr X, will be the emcee at the wedding dinner while radio presenter, singer and songwriter Chris Ho will be the DJ of the night.
Xavier might not have the microphone for long, though, given Ong’s notoriously brazen hosting style.
“I’m going to go around with the mic. I’m going to be talking throughout the evening together with the MC. I don’t want to be quiet and sit down there and be the VIP. I’m going to force people to say good things about us,” he says with a smile.
And while they both pretty much agree on the wedding programme, there was one thing that Danker was adamantly against.
Ong says with a guffaw: “I suggested, ‘let’s get a karaoke machine’ and she panicked. I have all these crazy ideas which I will still go ahead with if she gives me the green light. But I don’t want to embarrass my bride.”
dinohadi@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on December 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
Students from primary school to junior college will have to clean classrooms, canteens and corridors daily when schools reopen next month.
All schools have now implemented cleaning activities, the Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Straits Times in an update.
The aim is to help students cultivate good habits for life.
Schools are given the flexibility to decide on what these daily activities should be and when they take place.
This comes after the ministry announced in February that it will make daily cleaning compulsory across schools by the year end.
There are currently 365 schools.
Xinmin Primary School in Hougang has implemented daily cleaning activities since July.
After teachers finish their last lessons, about 10 minutes before the end of a school day, pupils clean their classrooms.
Vice-principal Clement Lee said this helps pupils develop good values.
At Coral Secondary School in Pasir Ris, students – armed with rags, tongs and disposable gloves – empty the dustbins and arrange the classroom furniture, as well as sweep the floor, for five minutes at the start of the school day.
To motivate them, the school introduced cleanliness checks, done at least twice a term.
After each check, classes are informed of their scores in four respective areas – floor, rubbish bin, classroom furniture, white board and notice board.
Classes that have done well are lauded during morning assemblies at the end of each term.
Mrs Chang-Loy Wee Meng, the school’s vice-principal, said students can also identify areas for improvement.
For example, some classes have introduced storage spaces to arrange their files and books.
The initiative inculcates a greater sense of ownership among students in managing common spaces.
“In fact, the cleaners had given positive feedback on the state of cleanliness in the classrooms,” she said.
At Teck Ghee Primary School in Ang Mo Kio, pupils clean classrooms and corridors alongside their teachers for five minutes at the end of the school day.
Songs, adapted to suit the cleaning theme and sung by the teachers, are played over the public address system while the pupils clean.
Vice-principal Raps Azrinah said teachers are role models for the pupils.
“Everyone must play their part to keep shared spaces clean and tidy.”
MOE said feedback has shown that such activities have helped to “cultivate good life habits in students both in school and at home”.
It had looked at similar practices at schools in Japan and Taiwan.
Cleaning the school compound is a daily routine for students there. Many also do not employ cleaners.
Parents who spoke to The Straits Times have given MOE’s move the thumbs up.
Many explained that cleaning activities will teach students important values, especially for those who have maids at home.
Mrs Jenny Lee, 47, who has two teenage sons, said: “Kids these days may take cleanliness for granted. The daily cleaning activities would help them pick up good habits.”
One parent, who would not give her name, however, has her doubts. “Such activities may not be appropriate for the younger ones,” she added.
“They may get tired easily and lose focus on their studies.”
Dr Timothy Chan, director of SIM Global Education’s academic division, said students get more than just clean classrooms.
“It puts all students, regardless of social status or wealth, on an equal footing and builds character in them,” he added.
“Some parents criticise our schools for being like cookie-cutters, producing the same type of students who know only how to pass exams and lack life skills. Hence, getting students to take part in cleaning exercises in school is a good way to impart fundamental life skills.”
Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, said such activities keep students grounded, and cultivate the habit of picking up after oneself.
“It is important to ensure that this cleaning activity is not the latest flavour of the month and will remain a habit for life,” she added.
calyang@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on December 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
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Fans of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station can look forward to spending Christmas there before it closes for an extended period of time.
The heritage site will be open to the public for free on Christmas Day (Dec 25) from 9am to 9pm, the Singapore Land Authority said on Monday (Dec 12).
This will be the railway station’s last open house until the Cantonment MRT station on the Circle Line is completed. The station is slated to be completed by 2025.
Visitors can shop for Christmas treats and feast on delectable food and drinks at the all-day market.
There will be live music performances in the evening by the renowned Richard Jackson Jazz Quartet and a cappella group NUS Resonance, who will be performing a rendition of Christmas carols.
Visitors can spread the Christmas cheer by making a donation to the Community Chest and hop onto the Choo Choo Train that will take them around the national monument. They can also donate their new and pre-loved toys and books to beneficiaries supported by the charity.
For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeLandAuthority
minlee@sph.com.sg
South Korea may be nearing the end of a bizarre political saga in which a slain dictator’s daughter returns to the presidential palace as an elected leader and falls from disgrace upon the revelation she has been a “puppet” of a mysterious woman with a cult background.
President Park Geun-hye’s demise, as melodramatic as it has been, had a very unlikely beginning that can be traced to a card game in Macau sometime last year.
Though some links may seem tenuous, what began as a probe into a crime ring operating an illegal gambling house on the Chinese resort island uncovered corruption and peddling of influence involving baseball players, legal professionals, business tycoons, government officials and, finally, the president’s secret confidante Choi Soon-sil.
The Korea Herald went back to what appears to be the beginning of South Korea’s worst political fiasco in recent years to trace the chain of events that led to Park’s impeachment Friday.
Read Also: Park Geun-hye: From dictator’s daughter to disgraced president
Stage 1. Cosmetics CEO nabbed for illegal gambling
It all began with the arrest of a gangster last year.
In July 2015, a man belonging to a crime ring called the “Pan-Western Clique” was apprehended.
During the probe, it was revealed that he had operated illegal gambling sites in Macau.
From his accounting book, prosecutors learned he had some high-profile clients.
Among them were Jung Woon-ho, CEO of cosmetics firm Nature Republic, and four popular baseball players from Samsung Lions.
Jung was brought to the court on charges of illegal gambling of some 10 billion won ($8.5 million) in Macau.
He was sentenced to a year in prison.
Read Also: Lotte founder’s daughter summoned by prosecution
Stage 2. Legal corruption scandal
During the appeals process, Jung hired judge-turned-lawyer Choi Yoo-jung.
Choi allegedly promised the cosmetics businessman that she would earn him bail and a lenient ruling, using her connections in the judiciary.
Jung agreed to pay Choi 5 billion won in attorney fees.
But their deal turned sour when the appeals court handed down an eight-month prison term to Jung.
Choi filed a complaint against Jung in April this year for assaulting her during an argument over attorney fees.
Their quarrel opened the floodgates to revelations of how lawyers who were formerly judges or prosecutors have used their personal ties with former colleagues to defend their clients in return for huge sums of money.
Choi revealed a list of eight names in legal circles — from judges to high-powered lawyers — whom she said Jung lobbied to get himself a favourable ruling.
On the list was Hong Man-pyo, a prosecutor-turned-lawyer, who allegedly received kickbacks from Jung in exchange for peddling influence over the prosecution.
That is when the name of Woo Byung-woo, the then-civil affairs secretary for President Park who later turned out to be key figure in what we now know as the Choi Soon-sil scandal, was first brought up with relation to irregularities.
During the trial, it was revealed that Jung had allegedly told his lawyer, “I am not worried about the ruling because Hong told me that he got Woo Byung-woo and a senior prosecutor on our side.”
It was only the tip of the iceberg of a wide range of cosy connections circulating business, political and legal circles unveiled in the months to come.
Read Also: “My heart is breaking”, says South Korean President Park Geun-hye in tearful apology
Stage 3. Lotte falls deeper in crisis
In an unexpected turn of events, the investigation into cosmetics mogul Jung Woon-ho uncovered another lobbying scandal involving Lotte Group, a large conglomerate running businesses ranging from duty-free shops to a professional baseball team.
Media reports alleged that Jung had offered kickbacks worth 1 billion won to Shin Young-ja, daughter of Lotte founder Shin Kyuk-ho, in return for getting his cosmetics brand into Lotte department stores and duty-free shops.
Read Also: Lotte chief, family members face embezzlement charges
This added to an extensive investigation already targeting Lotte and its controlling family over allegations that they created slush funds to siphon off company funds.
In the process, the group’s No. 2 man — Vice Chairman Lee In-won — committed suicide.
Shin Young-ja is being tried on charges of bribery in connection with Jung and embezzlement.
Read Also: S Korea retail giant Lotte in crisis as probe widens
Four other members from the Shin family, including group Chairman Shin Dong-bin – are facing charges of embezzlement and tax evasion.
Lotte is also one of the local conglomerates found to have contributed billions of won to the Mir and K-Sports foundations, both surreptitiously controlled by President Park’s longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.
Stage 4. Woo Byung-woo Gate
Despite suspicions related to the legal corruption scandal, Woo’s name was swept under the rug until local media outlets raised fresh speculations against him.
On July 18, South Korea’s biggest, right-wing newspaper Chosun Ilbo broke news of a scandal involving local game developer Nexon, a top-ranking prosecutor and Woo.
Jin Kyung-joon, a vice ministerial-level official, was already under arrest at the time on suspicion of receiving kickbacks in the form of cash and unlisted shares from Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju.
The newspaper revealed that Nexon, possibly at the request of Jin, had purchased land from Woo’s family, who had trouble selling it, at a price much higher than its market value.
The report alleged that Woo, in return, turned a blind eye to the shady connection between Jin and Nexon.
Woo was at that time a presidential secretary in charge of inspections of various government agencies, including the prosecution and had overseen the vetting process of Jin for promotion in 2015.
The next day, a left-wing daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, brought the story back to the cosmetic CEO’s scandal, exposing that Woo had worked with Hong Man-pyo to represent Nature Republic CEO Jung until he was appointed as a presidential aide in 2014.
More allegations surfaced against Woo, but the Presidential Office maintained its silence on them, indicating President Park’s unwavering trust in him. Woo was not investigated, either.
Stage 5. Choi Soon-sil Gate
On July 26, local cable channel TV Chosun broke news about the Mir Foundation, alleging it had raised nearly 49 billion won in donations from local conglomerates in just two months through a dubious process.
Its investigation led to then-presidential secretary An Chong-bum allegedly forcing large firms to donate money to the nonprofit foundation. He reportedly threated the firms with tougher tax audits.
A few days later, the same news outlet reported on the K-Sports Foundation, which raised some 38 billion won in a similar way.
It speculated that there may have been a powerful person running these foundations and peddling influence behind the scenes.
As Chosun media group continued to raise allegations against presidential aides, Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the ruling Saenuri Party, one of Park’s staunchest loyalists, exposed in August how the media firm’s editorial writer Song Hee-young had received expensive trips and favors from a local company in 2011.
The revelation tarnished the paper’s reputation, leading many of the public to question the integrity of its past news reports.
Read Also: Ex-presidential secretaries face investigation over Choi scandal
While Chosun floundered, left-leaning Hankyoreh newspaper brought the corruption allegations involving presidential aides back to life.
That is when the name Choi Soon-sil became connected to the scandal.
The daily claimed that Choi, President Park’s longtime friend and daughter of her late mentor Choi Tae-min, was the one behind the Mir and K-Sports foundations.
Stage 6. Full-blown Park Geun-hye scandal
On Oct. 24, cable TV network JTBC claimed to have found Choi Soon-sil’s tablet computer containing over 200 presidential documents, including scripts of Park’s speeches with apparent signs of editing.
Mindful of the explosiveness of the revelation, Park made a rare public address the following day.
She apologised and admitted to having sought Choi’s advice on public speeches.
Park described Choi as someone who had been by her side at “difficult times.”
Follow-up news reports, however, revealed that Choi’s advice was far-reaching.
Choi, a civilian who holds no official government post and has no policy background, is alleged to have used her ties to the president to peddle influence over state affairs, personnel appointments and force donations from local firms for the embattled foundations.
Read Also: South Korea parliament votes to impeach President Park Geun Hye
Stung by an overwhelming outpouring of public anger, state prosecutors expanded its investigation team on the scandal and started to bring in Park’s key aides for questioning.
In weeks that followed, many were arrested: Choi Soon-sil, former presidential aides An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong, Cha Eun-taek, Choi’s associate accused of exerting massive influence over cultural projects, and former Vice Culture Minister Kim Jong, whom one of Choi’s now-estranged associates described as Choi’s subordinate, like a “personal secretary.”
Indicting Choi, An and Jeong on Nov. 20, prosecutors said the president was an accomplice to the three, but couldn’t be prosecuted because, as sitting president, she was exempt from criminal liability.
As the scandal unfolded, Park made two more televised apologies, reshuffled personnel in the Cabinet, offered to yield some of her executive powers to the parliament and finally offered to give up her presidency in accordance with a parliament-suggested schedule and legal procedure.
But none of the actions was enough to assuage public anger.
Her approval rating plummeted to a record low of 4 per cent, the lowest ever for a sitting Korean president.
On Dec. 3, a record 2.32 million South Koreans took to the streets, pressuring hesitant lawmakers to impeach the scandal-ridden president.
Last Friday, Park became the second president of South Korea to be impeached.
If the Constitutional Court endorses the decision, she would be the first to be dismissed by the parliament.
Read Also: South Koreans gather for candlelight vigil to celebrate impeachment
This, however, may not be the end of the saga.
The president denies any wrongdoing, except that she was friends with the wrong person — Choi Soon-sil.
She is determined to fight for her job and name at the Constitutional Court.
While an independent counsel continues to investigate the scandal, Choi and other key figures are to stand trial on Dec. 19.
Woo Byung-woo, the ex-civil affairs aide to Park believed to have exerted influence over the country’s judicial system, remains unscathed.
So does Kim Ki-chun, Park’s longest-serving chief of staff, who on national television last week denied any knowledge of Choi Soon-sil, her now-arrested associates or any irregularities in the highest office.
