Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Len8]

I've often wondered why petty criminals are allowed to hide their faces when the TV shows up. The bigger you are though the less chance you have of hiding your ugly mugs. Would like to see more faces when the news comes on instead of faces covered with coats. Might deter a lot more people from commiting crimes in the future.

[ryleeys]

They do the same thing in America... you are allowed to hide your face if you choose.

[SuperHero]

Do you really want your face all over TV after comitting a crime?

[maxxx_power]

[Gwangjuboy]

[Homer]

[hellofaniceguy]

No, not ashamed; they don't want people to see their faces so when they get released, they can continue to scam victims or crime. That was told to me but some korean cops I was teaching English to a few years back.

[Homer]

Thats the same deal with criminals everywhere hellofaniceguy!...

What you think criminals back home don't want to keep on scamming people?

[diver]

Gwangjuboy wrote:

[Gwangjuboy]

[diver]

Gwangjuboy,

I just wanted to inform folks of your lack of critical reading skills, nothing else. You have also avoided saying anything like "Gee...you're right...I misread the post...' and decided to go on the attack...again.

You called the OP's post stupid (you misread it). I called you on it, and now you are in a snit. Sucks to be on the other side doesn't it.

The OP was why the accused in Korea are allowed to cover their faces. He (or she) believes they should not be allowed. I know that in North America they can cover their faces if they want, but someone always digs up a high school yearbook photo or some such thing. He was wondering, and I am too, why they don't do it here.

The incident I am referring to is the case of the American KBL players getting busted on the roof of a club in Seoul for smoking hash. They were arrested with a Korean man. All the Americans had the teams they played for, their full names, ages and hometowns listed. The Korean was identified only by his surname. In my opinion, that is unfair.

I could not find the link to the original story. It was in the Times or Herald (can't remeber, and they are basically the same anyway). I also didn't consider the fact that some belligerent memeber of a public message board was going to ask me to 'prove it' years down the road, and thus failed to save a copy.

I have only been able to find another source for the story which I have linked to below. It is not as detailed as the original article, but still makes my point (though not as strongly as the article I am still searching for). There is also a link to an article about the accused in the Daegu subway fire, where he is only identified by his surname (though the rest of the information is available from other sources).

Anyway, while off topic (Why do they allow the accused to cover their faces), you asked me to 'inform' you...so here you go...



http://www.sppo.go.kr/drug/ph_news/apr_e_02.htm
Korea Herald) Several foreign players with local professional basketball teams are under investigation for alleged drug use, following the recent drug scandal that hit Korea's entertainment industry.

Prosecutors in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, booked Jackie Jones of KCC Egis without physical detention Saturday for allegedly smoking and possessing hashish, a narcotic made from the cannabis plant.

The Uijeongbu Branch Office of the Seoul District Public Prosecutor's Office also arrested a 27-year-old Korean, identified only by his surname Seo, on charges of smoking the drug.



http://www.getforme.com/globalcities_seoul.htm
South Korean police have sought an arrest warrant for a man who allegedly sawed off his wife's leg in a dispute over her supposed promiscuous behaviour. The 44-year-old man, identified only by his surname, KIM, cut off a lower part of his wife's left leg at their home in the southern port of Yosu, said police. (Straits Times 23 Jun 2001)

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200311/21/200311210101181679900090409041.html
. A day later, a man identified only as Choi, 48, and three associates were arrested on charges of forging employment records for 24 Chinese migrant workers for 300,000 won each.

http://lists.essential.org/intl-tobacco/msg00257.html
The plaintiff in the case, identified only as Kim, claimed that he could
not find any causes for his cancer other than his 36 years of smoking.


http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/posting.php?mode=reply&t=15293
Special Prosecutor Cha Jeong-il's team formally arrested Shin Seung-hwan, the younger brother of the Prosecutor General Sunday on charges of influence peddling after receiving W166.66 million from a man identified as Kim

http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,169331-1-9,00.html
A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of having set fire to a South Korean subway train in the south-eastern city of Daegu, YTN television reported.
The man, identified only as Mr Kim, was taken into custody for questioning, YTN said.


http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200401/kt2004010516501212070.htm
A man accused of sexually abusing two preschoolers was on Monday convicted based on the victims� videotaped testimonies.
The Seoul District Court sentenced a 60-year-old kindergarten driver, identified only by his surname Kim, to eight months in prison for child molestation.

http://www.google.com/search?q=a+korean+man+identified+only+as+kim&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=50&sa=N
... the enraged members of the unit murdered Kim Soon-woong ... Police said a man, identified only as Mr. Lee, pretended he was a salesman for the Korean branch of ...

http://www.nautilus.org/napsnet/dr/0110/OCT30.html
Kim instructed officials to prevent ROK citizens from being involved in drug-related crimes in the PRC. Officials said the 41-year-old man, identified by his family name of Shin, was executed September 25

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2235362.stm
A church official phoned police and the man, only identified as Hwang, was arrested 30 minutes later at the scene. Witnesses said police had to use tear gas to subdue him.

[little mixed girl]

.....

[Gwangjuboy]

[diver]

Gwangjuboy,

'Typically' does not mean 'always'. I am aware of the difference. I also concede that the Korean press does not always hide the full name. I did so in my post. I can also show you an example of where the Chosun Ilbo listed foreign accused by only the first letter of their last name. I applaud the fact that they are treating the two groups (Korean and foreign) the same. Other publications do not, and I have provided the links that you asked for to demonstrate that. I actually had more, but got tired while posting. I think that I have provided enough examples to show that the Korean press (and perhaps the police/prosecutors because theyare the ones who release the info to the press) does often do their best to hide the identity of the accused, if they are Korean. I admit now, that that is something I didn't think about before. Maybe the press only print what they are told, and it is the police and/or prosecutors office that determines what we get to read.

Getting back to the original post, does anyone know if the press is prohibited from publishing such information (it doesn't seem so), or if they practice a form of self-censorship? I also agree with the OP that full disclosure might prevent (some) crimes in the future (though this, I guess has never been proven). I know that years ago in Canada the police wanted to print the names of johns that had been busted for soliciting prostitutes in an effort to combat prostitution. It was a great idea...except that the newspapers said that they would refuse to print the names.

Finally, I think what we have learned is that Gwangjuboy is not man enough to stand up, say he made a mistake, and apologize to the OP for suggesting that he was stupid. That was the thrust of my first post. But this is nothing new for Gwangjuboy.

[Ilsanman]

Why shouldn't they be allowed to. Not everyone who is accused of a crime is guilty, you know.