Photos fwd: 131th May Day in Korea, Japan and Indonesia

* Image source: Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea

Organization: Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
Slogans: "Realization of the basic wage," " total revision of the labor law," " judge on the Lee Myung-Bak administration!"
In front of Seoul City Hall, 3pm, May 1, 2011
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http://tenthousandthingsfromkyoto.blogspot.com/2011/05/workers-rally-on-may-day-demanding.html

Workers rally on May Day demanding compensation for nuclear victims, more support for disaster victims, end to nuclear power Monday, May 2, 2011

'Around 21,000 unionized workers rallied at a Tokyo park Sunday to push for a faster resolution to the nuclear power plant crisis in Fukushima and compensation for the victims, as well as support for areas devastated by the March 11 quake and tsunami. '
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* Text from Meistra Budiasa on May 2, 2011

'Around thousand of people from many trade unions, students,and urban poor yesterday was join in the May Day rally 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Majority issues for this year May Day is Social security law, No outsourcing, and critic economic policy government because pro neoliberalism. The protest also in several city in Indonesia with the same main issues. Some protester have been chaos with Police when the workers try to blockade Jakarta International Airport. For more look rally yesterday you can see our blog at

http://mediabebas.blogspot.com/ '

Text Fwd: Conspiracy theory on Lotte whodunit

Korea Times
Conspiracy theory on Lotte whodunit
By Jung Sung-ki

A spy break-in of an Indonesian special envoy’s hotel room in Seoul last week made headlines here and abroad and cast doubts on a number of angles.

On the operational side, the state spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), was rightly scorned. Its maneuvers to obtain information on Indonesia’s plans, including the potential purchase of T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer aircraft, jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin of the United States were amateurish.

As for the political side, suspicion erupted about a test of authority between the NIS and the Defense Security Command (DSC), the military’s top intelligence-gathering branch. The two agencies have competed hard to gain up-to-date information about arms sales, which President Lee Myung-bak has called a new growth engine.

Some political insiders and intelligence officials depicted the spy scandal as the results of a simmering power game in the NIS between those supporting NIS chief Won Se-hoon and a group allegedly under the command of President Lee’s elder brother, Lee Sang-deuk.

The media was the subject of debate for making public the details of the botched intelligence operation at the risk of a diplomatic feud.

In all events, the finger was pointed at the NIS in the end for “harming national interest” on T-50 export negotiations that may have been close to a final agreement.

Citing unidentified government sources, many local newspapers claimed the bungled espionage attempt would likely deal a fatal blow to Seoul’s first chance of selling the luxury trainer jet.

It seems they took it for granted that Jakarta was in favor of the $25 billion Korean aircraft over Russia’s subsonic Yak-130 in its advanced trainer aircraft contest to buy 16 planes.

At this point, I can’t help raising my own doubt: Did Indonesia came close to buying the T-50?

From a nationalistic point of view, I hope that they did. But from a journalistic perspective, I can say that’s not the case now.

I’m not against the T-50, but no decision has been made by Indonesia regarding the aircraft, and the prospects for its export remain bleak due mainly to the jet’s high price tag, according to high-ranking officials at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the NIS and the DSC.

After returning from Indonesia in December, former DAPA Commissioner Chang Soo-man, who stepped down last week over a bribery scandal, admitted that the T-50 sale to Indonesia had virtually failed because Jakarta was negative about the Golden Eagle’s high price tag and was being lobbied intensively by the Kremlin. Chang was a key member of President Lee Myung-bak’s delegation at the time.

“When President Lee and (Susilo Bambang) Yudhoyono held a summit, I sat just beside them and listened carefully to their conversation, hoping that the Indonesian leader would mention something about the T-50. But I couldn’t hear any mention of the ‘T’ word, and President Lee was also very disappointed,” Chang recalled in a meeting with reporters.

Following the trip Lee ordered efforts to speed up the privatization of the KAI, as his patience was wearing thin over exporting the T-50. The Korea Finance Corp. subsequently announced plans to sell its 30.1 percent stake in KAI by the year’s end.

On top of that, the head of state is said to have directed an audit of the KAI to look into alleged management failures in exporting the T-50.

A DAPA official in charge of weapons exports also voiced concerns on the outlook for T-50 sales.

“We’ve not engaged in specific negotiations with Indonesians over the T-50, and Indonesia hasn’t given any positive signal for the aircraft purchase,” said the official. “There were a few discussions about the T-50 when the Indonesian delegation visited Seoul last week. I don’t know why such groundless reports have been published, and I’m worried that such hasty action could provoke a backlash in negotiations.”

The T-50 is South Korea’s flagship weapons system and its export will serve as a springboard for the country to quadruple overseas arms sales to $4 billion by 2020 and become a top seven weapons exporter.

Against that backdrop, Cheong Wa Dae could be pressed to make the first sale of the T-50 and show off the CEO-turned-President’s business skills, following the back-to-back defeats in attempts to sell the Golden Eagle to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

One more conspiracy theory occurs to me. Are Lee’s office and KAI smiling behind the scenes because they’ve shifted the blame for an anticipated failure in sales of the T-50 to Indonesia to the NIS? More conspiracy theories may be conjured up before this spy saga ends.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

[ROK MND News Cathch Up] South Korea's military ambition has been expanded

ROK MND News No 714
'Korean troops participate in 'Cobra Gold 2011'
Feb. 14, 2011 (Uploaded on Feb. 21, 2011)

An estimated 10,000 troops from Korea, the United States and Thailand participated in a joint landing exercise in Hat Yao on Feb. 10 as part of the 30th annual Cobra Gold exercise.
[..]
On this day, Korean marines and sailors implemented joint landing operation along with U.S. and Thailand servicemembers by using assault amphibious vehicles under the U.S. 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. The unit known as the first unit to be deployed to Korea in case of emergencies.
[..]
Cobra Gold, which began in 1982, is one of the world's largest multinational military exercises taking place in the Pacific region. Service members from Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia joined hosts of Thailand and the U.S.

Korea had participated in the drill as an observer until 2009 but dispatched regular military unit of 332 marines and sailors last year to join joint combat exercise.

Cobra Gold includes joint non-military convoy operation, live-fire demonstrations, field strategic exercise and community service projects. The joint drill ended on Feb. 18.
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ROK MND News NO 714
Korea and Indonesia deepen military ties
Feb. 14, 2011 (uploaded on Feb. 21, 2011)


EXCERPT
Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin received Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro on Feb. 15 and discussed ways to boost military exchanges, including arms industry cooperation.

[..]

Yusgiantoro, as a leader of special envoy team for defense exchange, visited Korea on Feb. 14 to discuss strategic measures to deepen arms cooperation with Kim.


On Feb. 14, the head of Defense Acquisition Program Administration of Korea and Defense Vice Minister of Indonesia held talks for measures to reinforce long-term and comprehensive arms trade.

Korea and Indonesia have been working hard to deepen military ties by holding minister-level talks such as during the Shangri-La dialogue held in Singapore in June last year, former Minister Kim Tae-young's official visit to Indonesia in August last year and the Asean Defense Ministers Meeting Plus in Vietnam in October last year.
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Korea MND Recent News NO 713
KF-16 jets to be fitted with precision-guided missiles
Feb. 10, 2011 (uploaded on 2011-02-14)

EXCERPT

Korea's Air Force mainstay KF-16 fighter jets will have their performance enhanced by installing and dropping GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision-guided missiles.

[..]

According to the Air Force, JDAM is a precision-guided bomb guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Positioning System that can disable North Korea's long range artilleries and other strategic targets at the same time. So far, the state-of-the-art missile system has been operated on F-15K fighter jets. In order to operate JDAM on KF-16, producer has to either purchase proper software or develop it in Korea.

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Korea MND News NO 712
Feb. 10, 2011 (uploaded on 2011-02-14)
Defense minister visits Afghanistan and UAE

EXCERPT

The Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin was on a five-day trip to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, which embarked on Feb. 7 with an aim to encourage Korean troops and provincial reconstruction team (PRT) who are stationed there for peacekeeping activities, according to the Defense Ministry on Feb. 9.

[..]

The ministry said that Kim inspected bases where "Ashena Unit" and PRT are stationed in the morning on Feb. 8 and examined security and safety conditions. Followed by the inspection, Kim encouraged Korean troops. Some 340 troops are operating to protect PRT to help rebuild the war-torn country.

Ashena means "friend" in the country's local language.

In the afternoon, Kim had talks with U.S. Gen. David Howell Petraeus, the commander of International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and Abdul Rahim Wardak, Defense Minister of Afghanistan to discuss current situation in the local region and direction of mission performance.

During talks with Wardak, Kim asked for Afghanistan's support and cooperation for Ashena Unit.

As construction of unit's base ended on Jan. 24, Korean troops have moved from U.S. Bagram base to Charika base and it is preparing for its full-scale mission.

On Feb. 9, Kim headed for the UAE to meet some 130 Korean troops there.

In the UAE, Kim paid a courtesy visit to HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supremem Commander of the United Emirates Armed Forces, and Lt. Gen. Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces. They discussed measures to boost bilateral military exchanges and enhance cooperaton in the defense industry.

In addition, Kim expressed his gratitude for the support of military operation to capture pirates and save sailors of hijacked Korean commercial ship last month.

Kim visited Korean contingent named "Akh Unit," which was dispatched to the UAE last month for a two-year mission to help train the UAE special forces, and inspect the base as well as encourage troops.

"Kim's oversea trips will be an good opportunity to not only boost morale of Korean troops stationed overseas but also expand military exchanges with the UAE and Afghanistan," said a defense official in Seoul.

Text Fwd: Illegal and Clumsy Intelligence Activity by NIS Brings Shame upon South Korea

Seo Bumkyu, Head of Namdaemun Police Station, briefs about the investigation processes concerning break-in at the hotel room for the special delegation of the Indonesian President on Monday, Feb 21, 2011. However, the investigation about the break-in incident by police will not be acitve considering the remarks by Police Commissioner Cho Hyun-oh to the effect that the incident was for the sake of the national interest of Korea.
Photo by Kim Segu/ Caption by Seol Wontai

Kyunghyang Shinmun
Illegal and Clumsy Intelligence Activity by NIS Brings Shame upon South Korea

Posted on Feb. 22, 2011

It has emerged that the people caught last week after breaking into the Seoul hotel room of a visiting Indonesian presidential delegation were employees of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS is officially denying such claims, but multiple government authority figures have confirmed that the break-in was the work of NIS employees.

The occurrence of such a scandalous incident at a time when the Korean government had invited a foreign delegation numbering more than 50 people, including six ministers of state, and was discussing a plan for economic and military cooperation that included exports of weapons such as fighter aircraft and tanks, brings unprecedented international disgrace upon Korea.

Since the break-in occurred when the delegation was on its way to meet President Lee Myung-bak, moreover, the scale of this diplomatic discourtesy is even greater. The Lee government has itself damaged the national dignity upon which it has placed so much emphasis.

It is not our view that this incident occurred by accident. Since the Lee administration took office, South Korea's intelligence services have become more active both in and outside the country, while it has constantly been claimed that activities previously regarded as illegal have been reappearing.

When Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, visited Korea in May last year, he made an official protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) that he had been tailed by an NIS employee.

In August 2009, a captain from the Defense Security Command (DSC) was caught illegally monitoring civilians taking part in a strike rally at the SsangYong Motor factory in Pyeongtaek. NIS employees also make an appearance in the story of illegal monitoring of civilians by the Office of the Prime Minister and Cheongwadae (the office of the president).

No intelligence agency has apologized for these incidents, however, and there has been no announcement about anyone being punished. The DSC captain, on the contrary, has been promoted. Ultimately, this latest incident can only be regarded as an inevitable result of ignoring or encouraging such unreasonable intelligence activity.

The eagerness of intelligence agencies to produce results that please those in power is also problematic. The opposition party suspects that Lee Myung-bak's policy of achieving weapons exports at all costs may have played a background role in this incident.

Since yesterday, the Indonesian government has been making requests to the NIS, via the MOFAT, for confirmation of whether it was involved in the incident. The Korean government must minimize the adverse effect of this scandal on bilateral relations with Indonesia, by making a serious apology after investigating the truth of what happened and determining who is responsible.

If the Lee government does not do this, how can any foreigner feel safe when visiting Korea, or enter with confidence into negotiations with the Korean government?

National Police Agency commissioner Cho Hyun-oh, however, has shown a passive attitude, asking, "If it turns out to have been the work of NIS employees, they would have been doing it for the benefit of the country, so what would be the practical benefit of punishing them?"

President Lee must order the police to conduct a strictly fair investigation. If priority is given to national interest and the matter is covered up, this will do far more harm than good. In this context, abnormal intelligence activities carried out for the sake of national security must no longer be tolerated. (Ed. Feb 22, 2011)

See also Hankyoreh

Text Fwd: [ROBERT D. KAPLAN] Obama Takes Asia by Sea 미 극우 인사 카플란 말하길, 오바마는 바다에서 아시아를 차지

* Image source: Daniel Stolle, New York Times, Nov. 12, 2010

Click the image for larger view
이미지를 클릭하시면 확대됩니다.

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'Robert D. Kaplan, the author of “Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power,” is a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a correspondent for The Atlantic.'(NYT)


New York Times
Op-Ed Contributor
Obama Takes Asia by Sea
By ROBERT D. KAPLAN
Published: November 11, 2010

PRESIDENT OBAMA has insisted that his 10-day Asian journey is all about jobs: “The primary purpose is to ... open up markets so that we can sell in Asia, in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and we can create jobs here in the United States of America.” But this recasting of the agenda, a late reaction to the midterm election, obscured the vital geopolitical importance of the trip.

In fact, the president has been confronting a new strategic map that lies beyond our messy and diversionary land wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In geographical terms, two of the countries on the itinerary, India and Indonesia, are in the same increasingly pivotal region: the southern coastal areas, or “rimland” of Eurasia, which is emerging as the world’s hydrocarbon interstate, uniting energy-rich Arabia and Iran with the growing economies of the Pacific.

Gone today are the artificial divisions of cold-war-era studies: now the “Middle East,” “South Asia,” “Southeast Asia” and “East Asia” are part of a single organic continuum. In geopolitical terms, the president’s visits in all four countries are about one challenge: the rise of China on land and sea.

India is increasingly feeling hemmed in by China’s military might. It lies within the arc of operations of Chinese fighter jets based in Tibet. China is building or developing large ports in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Burma, and providing all these Indian Ocean countries with significant military and economic aid.

Although India and China fought a border war in the early 1960s, they have never really been rivals, separated as they are by the Himalayas. But the shrinkage of distance thanks to globalism and advances of military technology has spawned a rivalry that is defining the new Eurasia.

Indeed, it is India’s emergence as a great Eurasian power that constitutes the best piece of news for American strategists since the end of the cold war. Merely by rising without any formal alliance with Washington, democratic India balances statist China. Even closer links between the United States and India would be better — and no doubt factored into Mr. Obama’s talk of backing India for a seat on the United Nations Security Council — but are made complex by our chaotic land wars.

While President Obama would like to withdraw from Afghanistan, Indian leaders remain afraid he will do precisely that. To Indians, Afghanistan is not a distant Central Asian country: it is historically part of the subcontinent. Empires as distant as the Harappans in the fourth millennium B.C. and as recent as the Mughals in the early modern era made Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India part of the same polity. Indian elites carry this history in their bones.

READ MORE
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Another Blog about Center for a New American Security

Text Fwd: Dozens of ships from 14 countries gather in Hawaii

Stop NATO
Associated Press
June 23, 2010
Dozens of ships from 14 countries gather in Hawaii

HONOLULU — Several dozen ships from 14 nations are converging on Hawaii for a
month of large-scale maritime military exercises.

The Rim of the Pacific drills are held every other year. This year's war games
began Wednesday and are due to last until Aug. 1.

Some 20,000 personnel aboard 34 ships, five submarines and more than 100
aircraft are expected to practice hunting submarines, clearing mines, firing
missiles and other maneuvers.

Australia, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea are among the
countries participating.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet is hosting the exercises.

It says the drills prepare forces to work together, which helps ensure regional
stability.
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Text Fwd: US launches largest Asian war games in Thailand

* Image source: same as the link below
'Thai soldiers carry the flags of participating nations who have joined forces for an annual combined military exercise in Rayong province, Thailand. The US military has begun its largest war games in the Pacific region - an annual training exercise with troops from Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore, now joined by South Korea. (AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)'

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* Text sent from Corazon Valdez Fabros, STOP the War Coalition Philippines on Feb. 1, 2010

Yahoo News
US launches largest Asian war games in Thailand
Mon Feb 1, 8:56 am ET

RAYONG, Thailand (AFP) – The US military began its largest war games in the Pacific region Monday -- an annual training exercise with troops from Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore, now joined by South Korea.

At the opening ceremony in the eastern Thai province of Rayong, US Ambassador Eric G. John said that the "Cobra Gold" exercise, now in its 29th year, had become a "multinational showcase event".

"The US continues to view this exercise, which is our premier training event in Thailand, as an important symbol of US military commitment to maintaining peace and security in Asia," he told the audience.

John welcomed South Korea's participation in the event, which runs until February 11 and will see soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from the six countries taking part in operations across Thailand.

He said the focus of the exercise was on joint peacekeeping operations and humanitarian and disaster responses, for which it offered "unparalleled" preparation, citing the 2004 tsunami relief operation as an example.

"It's imperative that our separate militaries learn to work with each other -- together -- and rehearse for the day their services are needed to answer that call for help," he said.

"As Cobra Gold is the US military's largest exercise in the Pacific region -- and indeed, the largest exercise of its kind in Asia -- we welcome the contributions of all the nations who will participate in the coming days," he said.

In total representatives from more than 20 countries will participate, observe or support, he added.

Thailand and the United States are long-time allies, but a large sum of US military assistance to the Southeast Asian nation was suspended after a Thai coup in 2006. The aid was resumed after elections in December 2007.

Text Fwd: Marines to Join Drills in Thailand

Image source/ caption: Yonhap News
‘S. Korea to join multinational drill in Thailand:
Jan, 8, SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean navy and marine corps will join "Cobra Gold," a U.S.-led annual multinational exercise in Thailand that will start on Jan. 28 this year. It is the first time for South Korea to send troops to the drill, although it has previously joined as an observer. (Yonhap) (Photo courtesy of Navy)”

Korea Times
01-08-2010 19:44
Marines to Join Drills in Thailand
By Jung Sung-ki, Staff Reporter

About 330 South Korean Marines and sailors will participate in the U.S.-led multinational Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand to hone their joint humanitarian and peacekeeping operational skills with other nations, the Navy announced Friday.

The exercise will be held from Jan. 28 to Feb. 11, it said in a news release.

Cobra Gold is a joint exercise designed to ensure regional peace and strengthen the ability of allied forces to respond to regional contingencies.

South Korea has taken part in the drill, which the U.S. and Thai armed forces began in 1982, since 2002 as ab observer.

The exercise has expanded to include Singapore, Japan and Indonesia. Observers include Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mongolia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

The South Korean Marine Corps will dispatch 187 troops, along with eight amphibious assault vehicles — a 2,600-ton landing ship tank. A total of 146 Navy sailors will accompany the Marines, according to the release.

The Korean Marine Corps is the second largest in troop strength in the world, with more than 27,000 personnel. The service saw action during the Vietnam War, fighting alongside the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy SEALs. During the war, the Korean Marines were never defeated on the battlefield, earning nicknames such as "Ghost Busters."

During the 1950-53 Korean War, the South Korean Marines successfully carried out the renowned Incheon landing operation with the U.S. Marines to reclaim the capital of Seoul, then occupied by North Korea.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr


* Related blog

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2010/01/text-fwd-s-korea-to-join-us-thai-led_08.html
Friday, January 8, 2010
Text Fwd: Thailand: South Korea To Join "Asian NATO" Exercise For First Time

Text Fwd: Thailand: South Korea To Join "Asian NATO" Exercise For First Time

StopNATO

Xinhua New Agency
January 8, 2010
S Korea to join U.S., Thai-led Cobra Gold exercise in late January

SEOUL: South Korea will join the Cobra Gold, an annual combined-joint training
exercise led by the United States and Thailand, for the first time, in late
January, the Republic of Korea Navy said Friday.

About 380 soldiers at the squadron level will participate in the multilateral
exercise slated from Jan. 28 to April 11, a navy official in Seoul told Xinhua.

It is the first time South Korea takes part directly in the drill since the
country first joined it in 2002 as an observer, the navy said.

Along with Thailand, the United States and South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia,
Japan will be fully participating in the exercise to prepare for complex
multinational operations and improve military relations in the countries.

The exercise...will enhance South Korean navy's joint combat capabilities in
deterring various international security threats, according to the navy.
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