"US soldier gets 10 years in rape of S. Korean" November 02, 2011|New York Times
SEOUL - A South Korean court sentenced a US Army private to 10 years in prison yesterday for raping an 18-year-old South Korean woman, the most severe such ruling in almost 20 years.
The soldier, 21, was attached to the Army’s Second Infantry Division and was not identified by name. He has a week to appeal the sentence.
The soldier was accused of breaking into the woman’s residence in a low-budget motel on Sept. 24, repeatedly raping her, and stealing $4.50. The US government had apologized to South Korea in connection with the case and swiftly handed over the soldier to South Korean authorities. Prosecutors demanded a sentence of 15 years in prison.
“While the defendant satisfied his sadistic and perverted sexual desire for three hours, the victim was forced to endure fear and shame at her own home, where she was entitled to have her peace,’’ said a ruling written by Park In-sik, the presiding justice at the district court in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul.
In 1992, a US soldier was sentenced to 15 years for raping and murdering a South Korean bar worker. That assault helped set off a prolonged civic campaign to demand greater South Korean jurisdiction over US service members involved in crimes and led to protests calling for the withdrawal of United States troops.
Most South Koreans welcome the presence of the 28,000 US troops.
Yuh-huh.
But crimes committed by US service members against South Koreans have often set off anti-American protests.
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Also see: Koreans Rise Up Against Rape
Military first!
"Signs of ‘military first’ for N. Korean ruler; Uniformed uncle may play key role for Kim Jong Un" by Associated Press / December 26, 2011
North Korea is showing the uncle and key patron of anointed heir Kim Jong Un wearing a military uniform with a general’s insignia - a strong sign that he will play a crucial role in helping the young man take over power and uphold the “military-first’’ policy initiated by his late father, Kim Jong Il.
Oh, then he has adopted the AmeriKan model of government.
As North Korea prepares for Kim Jong Il’s funeral Wednesday, it is also warning South Korea against barring visits to Pyongyang by civilian groups hoping to pay respects.
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Related: N. Korea underscores power of Kim’s heir
Globe is beginning to come in last with me.
"North Korea mourns Kim on a grand scale" December 29, 2011|By Chico Harlan
SEOUL - With snow blanketing the wide streets of its gray capital and wailing mourners lining the sidewalks, North Korea staged an extravagant farewell yesterday to its autocratic ruler of 17 years, Kim Jong Il.
The funeral for the man known as North Korea’s “Dear Leader’’ marked an official junction in the nuclear-armed state’s second father-to-son power transfer, as state media assured the nation that its next leader, Kim Jong Un, was every bit as worthy as his predecessor.
The younger Kim, thought to be in his late 20s, headed the funeral procession, walking alongside the black hearse, which was draped in a red revolutionary flag and held his father’s body. His uncle, Jang Song Thaek, an apparent caretaker in the power transfer, walked several steps behind, along with other Workers’ Party and military officials.
State television, broadcasting to the outside world, showed hours of the choreographed imagery that underpins the Kim family personality cult.
That's odd; that is the same feeling I get when I deign to watch television.
The funeral motorcade was led by a black sedan, a massive portrait of a smiling Kim Jong Il affixed to its roof. The hearse followed close behind, flanked by several Jeeps and trailed by a fleet of black Mercedes-Benzes and a formation of goose-stepping, flag-bearing soldiers....
Of course, when AmeriKa does something like that to pay homage to a leader it is called full honors.
At times, snow fell so heavily that the black-clad mourners along the roadside could scarcely see the motorcade until it materialized in front of them.
In the era of global warmi.... ah, never mind!
Based on the television footage, tens of thousands of people, at a minimum, lined the streets. In the open plaza spaces, they formed perfect geometric rows. Television close-ups showed scenes of hysterical grief, with soldiers pulling at one another in apparent agony and women dropping to their knees. One middle-aged man, interviewed by the state news agency, could barely manage to speak.
The displays typified North Korea’s unusual brand of political theater, in which it is often difficult to differentiate the staged from the real....
Of course, AmeriKa has its own.
Related: You Can Not Trust Your TV
I've been convinced for some time now that ALL AMERIKAN NEWS MEDIA is in fact a SCRIPTED and STAGED exercise.
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