Korea-US Exchange Council - Delay's trips and the Heritage Foundation

[seemslikeadream]

Registered foreign agent - look who's on the board or was till yesterday, Henry Kissinger and who set it up Kim Seung Youn.



Hanwha Chairman Faces Charges

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
...

Prosecutors refused to release details of the interrogation, but said the questioning focused on Kim's role in the group's provision of funds to ruling and opposition parties in 2002. They said it appears certain that Kim violated laws governing the donation of political funds, adding he will soon be charged without detention.

The 52-year-old chairman returned from the United States on Saturday following an eight-month stay that started Jan. 1. He left for the U.S. as investigators were gearing up for a major investigation into the political fund scandal, which resulted in the indictment of a number of political heavyweights and businessmen.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office said that during Monday's questioning Kim admitted to offering bonds worth 1 billion won to former Grand National Party (GNP) lawmaker Suh Chung-won in October 2002, two months before the presidential election.

...

Hanwha announced in January that Kim had gone to the U.S. for study and hospital treatment. One day after his departure, the prosecution imposed a belated exit ban on him, drawing suspicions that he knew of the prosecution's intentions in advance.

Kim had refused to return to Korea despite a summons from the prosecution, citing unfinished matters in the U.S.

Kim reportedly said he had returned because trials involving him and the GNP's Suh had been concluded and he needed to work for his firm, according to the prosecution.

Suh, who took illegal funds from Kim in 2002, was released on Friday after being sentenced to a suspended jail term of three years and 1.2 billion won in fines. Suh took a combined 1.2 billion won in illegal funds from Kim and the Sun & Moon Group during the presidential campaign.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200408/kt2004081717162112070.htm


Strong ties to the Heritage Foundation

Another Asia-related non-government group made up of influential government and business leaders that shares strong ties to the Heritage Foundation is Korea-US Exchange Council (Korusec), which has a pedigree similar to Usmea.

The council was set up in June 2001 by Kim Seung Youn, head of the explosives and chemicals chaebol Hanwha Group. Its purpose is to promote understanding of Korea in the US political community, primarily by exchanging visits with US lawmakers and their aides.

Kim is a close supporter of South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun as well as South Korea's ``sunshine policy'', inaugurated by former president Kim Dae Jung. The policy is based on trading hard cash and business investment for improved relations with North Korea.

The initial idea to establish Korusec was reportedly proposed at a function organised by the Heritage Foundation during the presidential inauguration ceremony for GeorgeWBush in January 2001. Kim was attending the ceremony as the guest of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, whose wife is Elaine Chao.

Korusec's board of directors includes a fair number of US and Korean political heavyweights, including former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, former US ambassador to Korea Richard Walker and former Korean ambassador to the United Nations Park Soo Gil. Heritage president Feulner also sits on the board. Sheffer is an unpaid adviser to Korusec. ASG has close ties to Korusec and has lobbied on its behalf.

Korusec has effectively parlayed its inside connections to reach the highest levels of Washington politics. As part of its inauguration ceremonies in 2001, Korusec flew over then-House floor leader DeLay, his wife and aides. Since then it has played host to a number of senior US politicians, including former president Bill Clinton, who visited Seoul last November. Kim also accompanied Roh on his visit to the US last May, where they met DeLay and Senate Armed Services chairman John Warner.

In February last year, Korusec co-sponsored a conference with Heritage and the government-funded Korean Institute for Defence Analyses. Addresses were delivered by US South Korea ambassador Thomas Hubbard, UN and Korea/US combined forces commander General Leon LaPorte, and Edwin Feulner. Last October, Kim was photographed at a Heritage Foundation meeting with US Vice-President Dick Cheney.

more
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:JQj7NsuUJj4J:www.thestandard.com.hk/txtarticle_v.cfm%3Farticleid%3D46966+Heritage+Foundation+is+Korea-US+Exchange+Council+(Korusec),&hl=en



May 08, 2002 The Korea-U.S. Exchange Council to Host Luncheon
When Wednesday, May 8, 2002
Where B. Smith's Restaurant
Union Station, Washington, DC
Contact Courtney Alexander,
[phone] or [e-mail]
The Korea-U.S. Exchange Council will host a luncheon on May 8th at 12:00 at B. Smith's Restaurant at Union Station. The luncheon will feature three speakers: Balbina Hwang of The Heritage Foundation; Mark Manyin of the Congressional Research Service; former Ambassador to the ROK (under Reagan) Richard "Dixie" Walker.

The conversation will be wide-ranging, from the Korean economy to U.S.-ROK relations to December Presidential elections to the North/South dialogue. Q and A will follow the brief remarks by the speakers.
http://www.kacdc.org/events/archives.html

Encouraging greater bilateral exchanges at the congressional level. Several formal organi­zations already exist within the U.S. Congress to promote bilateral exchanges, including the Korea–U.S. Exchange Council (KORUSEC), the Korea Caucus, and the U.S.–ROK Interpar­liamentary Exchange. They should be encour­aged to expand their activities to include vigorous and more frequent dialogue with their counterparts in the ROK National Assembly, including establishing study groups on specific topics of mutual interest. Furthermore, study groups should be established at the congres­sional staff levels in both countries to target issues of mutual concern and cooperation.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/bg1814.cfm


Kim Seung-youn's Mysterious Departure

Any way you look at it, the sudden departure of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn is a pile of mysteries. Kim is suspected of giving illegal campaign donations during last year's presidential election. To begin with, there's the question of how the prosecution was going about security that he was able to leave for the United States a day before it moved to have him prohibited from leaving the country. If it didn't even know he'd left, discovering the fact as it raided his conglomerate's offices, then that is just pathetic.
There had already been talk circulating of how Kim and his Hanwha Group had given large sums of money to both the ruling and opposition party presidential candidates during the campaign, and there was also giving of "election victory congratulatory money." There was talk also of how this part of the overall investigation might directly affect whether or not we go over the so-called "tenth" threshold. So when Kim calmly makes his way out through Incheon International Airport a day before he would've been prevented from doing so, you naturally wonder how that happened.

How many people would believe they're being told the truth when told the chairman of a chaebol, someone buried in his work, would suddenly leave for a long stint overseas to study the leisurely subject of "U.S.-Korea Relations and the NGO of the Future"? Kim is reputed to be a businessman who is meticulous about the details of everything within his organization.

One also does not believe that Kim would have left simply to temporarily evade investigators. It wouldn't be like a chaebol tycoon, who should know quite well that the government has a whole host of methods to pressure a conglomerate at its disposal. This is why you even hear suggestions Kim made this move because he was advised to do so ahead of time, since getting out of the way would make things less uncomfortable for each party.

If there is to be an avoidance of a situation where such suggestions give birth to suspicions that further endless more suspicions, then authorities must do everything they can to strongly encourage Kim to return and submit to this investigation. Kim, in turn, really should volunteer to return on his own when you consider his importance as someone leading the country's seventh largest conglomerate and the stature of that conglomerate. January 8, 2004

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200401/200401070026.html

Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn to Appear in Court
FEBRUARY 17, 2005 22:50

As the Supreme Public Prosecutor`s Office (head: Park Sang-gil) conducts an investigation into the alleged acquisition scandal of Korea Life Insurance by Hanwha Group, it summoned Hanwha’s Chairman Kim Seung-youn on February 17. At around 1:00 p.m. on the same day, Chairman Kim appeared in the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office building and went into an investigation room after some words to reporters. He said, “I apologize for raising a scandal. I will disclose the details in the office.”

Prosecutors conducted an in-depth investigation into the following: whether or not Chairman Kim was involved in settling an “inside contract” with Australia’s Macquarie Life Ltd when he was forming the Hanwha Consortium for the acquisition of Korea Life Insurance; and whether he had prior notice of the operation or whereabouts of 750 million won, presumed to be used for political lobbying based on circumstantial evidence, out of Hanwha’s total slush fund of 8.75 billion won.


Reportedly, as soon as the investigation on whether or not to provoke judicial power is over, the prosecutors’ office is expected to indict Lee Bu-young, the former chairman of the ruling Uri Party, without physical restraint based on his alleged infringement of the Political Finance Law.


Chairman Kim, who was under investigation by prosecutors regarding the election campaign fund last August, was indicted without physical restraint based on the charge of providing an illegal political fund of one billion won to Representative Suh Chung-won of the Grand National Party last year. In November 2004, he was fined 30 million won by the Seoul High Court.
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005021834298



Korea-United States Exchange Council Supporter of the USO?

http://www.uso.org/related /

Reinforcing friendship, S. Korean firm
to fund renovation at USO headquarters
By B.R. Sargent, Seoul bureau

SEOUL — The United Service Organizations headquarters on Camp Kim will get a huge remodeling job, courtesy of a South Korean company’s $400,000 donation.

“There are moments in life that are never forgotten, both good and bad,” said Kim Seung Youn, chairman of Han Wha Corp. “Sept. 11 is a day that will live for Americans and friends forever. But out of moments of great crisis comes opportunities. … n this case, it gives us the chance to reaffirm a friendship between two peoples who cherish their freedoms.

“Today as a Korean, I take my hat off to the 37,000 American men and women in uniform, who are far from home on the front lines for all that you believe in.”

During a check presentation, Army Gen. Thomas A. Schwartz, U.S. Forces Korea commander, spoke of the alliance between the United States and South Korea.
http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/01/oct01/ed103001e.html



US Foreign Agents Registry for the second half of 2002. These registrants worked as foreign agents on the behalf of foreign governments or political parties during the second half of 2002.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=FARA_late_2002_registrants


Korea - United States Exchange Council - 7 trips

John Carter - Republican Party
November 28, 2003 - December 3, 2003 (6 days)
Seoul, Korea
Purpose - Familiarization trip to Korea, DMZ
Total Cost - $18,832.00

Ander Crenshaw - Republican Party
August 26, 2001 - August 28, 2001 (3 days)
South Korea
Purpose - Educational / Meet with government officials
Total Cost - $27,640.00

Tom DeLay - Republican Party
August 25, 2001 - August 28, 2001 (4 days)
South Korea
Purpose - Educational / Meet with government officials
Total Cost - $28,000.00

Eni Faleomavaega - Democratic Party
November 29, 2003 - December 2, 2003 (4 days)
Korean DMZ
Purpose - mark 50th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice agreement on the Korean penninsula. Will meet with senior official re Korea/United States relations. Visit American Troops at DMZ
Total Cost - $22,098.84

Michael Honda - Democratic Party
December 2, 2003
Seoul, Korea
Purpose - Familiarization with Korea
Total Cost -

Jim McDermott - Democratic Party
November 29, 2003 - December 2, 2003 (4 days)
Seoul, Korea
Purpose - Familiarization trip to Korea, DMZ
Total Cost - $9,340.60

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - Republican Party
August 25, 2001 - August 28, 2001 (4 days)
Tel Aviv-Seoul, Republic of Korea and South Korea to Taipei, Taiwan
Purpose - educational and meetings with governmental officials
Total Cost - $27,960.00

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/congtravel/sponsor_report.php?sponsor=351


by the way forgein agents can't give money to US officals

[BikeWriter]

1. I hope they hang Tom Delay. If they don't we need to raise the roof!

[starroute]

2. I wonder if this links somehow to Reverend Moon

I was looking for a connection earlier and coundn't find anything, but the Heritage Foundation gets it halfway there.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/unif/unif99.html

Meanwhile, there was also a connection between Heritage and the Rev Sun Myung Moon (founder of the Moonies). This first appeared in a 1975 congressional investigation on the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) activities in the US. The report noted, "In 1975, Ed Feulner ... was introduced to KCIA station chief Kim Yung Hwan by Neil Salonen and Dan Feffernan of the Freedom Leadership foundation".

Salonen was head of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church in the United States. The Freedom Leadership Foundation (FLF), a political arm of Moon's Unification network, was linked to the World Anti-Communist League.

In the early 1980s, the KCIA began making donations to Heritage Foundation. In turn, Heritage established an Asian Studies Centre.

The Wall Street Journal in an edition of August 1995 made reference to the Korea Foundation, one of Heritage's largest donors and an affiliate of the South Korean government, though it did not mention Moon.

http://www.politicalfriendster.com/rateConnection.php?id1=198&id2=1370

".......the church has established a network of affiliated organizations and connections in almost every conservative organization in Washington, including the Heritage Foundation, the largest of the conservative think tanks and an important source of government personnel during the Reagan administration......

"The Unification Church's newfound influence has occasioned intense debate among conservatives. One group of worried young conservatives meets regularly in private to compare notes about the problem. But little of the debate has surfaced in public forums. "Most people are afraid to address the issue because they don't want to publicize the extent of the church's involvement," says Amy Moritz of the Conservative National Center for Public Policy Research.

Because almost all conservative organizations in Washington have some ties to the church, conservatives also fear repercussions if they expose the church's role." (U.S. News and World Report 3/27/89)

{For the benefit of those who haven't been keeping score, that's the same National Center for Public Policy Research that's closely connected to the Jack Abramoff/Tom Delay scandal. I think that should rate double brownie points.)

On edit: See also http://www.jpri.org/publications/workingpapers/wp20.html . Frankly, all this Korean influence-buying stuff is a little over my head, but perhaps someone else can sort it out.

[seemslikeadream]

3. Thanks starroute does this look like John Warner?

last picture on the right.

http://images.google.com/images?q=Kim+Seung+Youn&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

just a tiny thing but didn't Warner arrange the Senate room for Moon awhile back?

edit
Well they did know each other

Korusec has effectively parlayed its inside connections to reach the highest levels of Washington politics. As part of its inauguration ceremonies in 2001, Korusec flew over then-House floor leader DeLay, his wife and aides. Since then it has played host to a number of senior US politicians, including former president Bill Clinton, who visited Seoul last November. Kim also accompanied Roh on his visit to the US last May, where they met DeLay and Senate Armed Services chairman John Warner.
http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:JQj7NsuUJj4J:www.thestandard.com.hk/txtarticle_v.cfm%3Farticleid%3D46966++%22john+warner%22+Korea-US+Exchange+Council&hl=en


Warner Helped the Rev. Moon
Senator's Office Says He Arranged for Meeting Space in March
By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 21, 2004; Page A02


Sen. John W. Warner's office acknowledged yesterday that the Virginia Republican arranged for religious activists to use a Senate office building last March for a ceremony in which the Rev. Sun Myung Moon declared himself the Messiah and said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19-2004Jul20.html

http://www.politicalfriendster.com/showPerson.php?id=1370&name=Rev-Sun-Myung-Moon

[starroute]

4. Warner claimed it was all Gary Jarmin's fault

Supposedly Jarmin, who's been a Moonie for forty years, wrote to Warner saying, more or less, "Hey, can you arrange for us to use this room for a Washington Times Foundation awards banquet," and Warner said, "Sure," and that was his entire connection to the deal. In fact, I see you have a link to the Washington Post story with that version of the event.

On the other hand, this story is starting to curve back on itself in an interesting way, since last fall one of Gary Jarmin's organizations was sending out a Social Security scare letter at the same time that the National Center for Public Policy Research was sending out a very similar Medicare scare letter through the same agency, Response Dynamics.

When we did the series of investigative threads on it last fall, there didn't seem to be anything to link the NCPPR to Moon -- only to the Heritage Foundation. But now I'm starting to get the impression that the Heritage Foundation also has very deep Korean ties -- not so much to Moon himself, but to the KCIA and other official and unofficial Korean government operations.

In light of that, it might be worth taking a closer look at Warner and the possibility that his role in the Moon coronation wasn't as innocent as he claims.