Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

U.S. man is found guilty of polluting Han River
The court ruling imposed a six-month prison term on Mr. McFarland who was found guilty of discharging 24 gallons of formaldehyde into the river in February, 2000. The prosecution had originally sought to impose a 5 million won ($4,200) fine in 2001 on Mr. McFarland, but a judge rejected the fine and ordered him to face a criminal trial. Despite court efforts to summon him, Mr. McFarland has refused to appear, saying that the United States Forces in Korea has jurisdiction over him.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200401/10/200401100102052779900090409041.html

Prosecution Slaps Travel Ban on McFarland
On Friday, the Seoul District Court handed down a six-month prison sentence to the U.S. civilian employee on charges of dumping 227 liters of formaldehyde into the Han River through a mortuary sewage drain in 2000. The prosecution on Sunday issued an exit ban for Albert McFarland, chief of the mortuary at the 8th U.S. Army garrison, who was convicted last week of ordering the dumping of a hazardous chemical into the Han River in Seoul through a sewage drain. "We decided to enforce the travel ban so that we can put him in custody after his sentence is finalized," he said.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200401/kt2004011115182011960.htm

15 held for dumping poison into Han
Seoul prosecutors yesterday said they have indicted 15 people for dumping more than 270 tons of a toxic chemical into a tributary of the Han River, just three kilometers (1.9 miles) from locations where drinking water for Seoul is collected. The suspects are alleged to have dumped diluted formaldehyde. An attorney for the wood manufacturers complained that his clients were being singled out for unusually harsh treatment.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200311/02/200311022354215509900090409041.html

What happened to the 15 people?

39 people arrested for polluting Seoul's reservoir
The prosecution said yesterday it indicted 39 restaurant owners for contaminating a huge reservoir near Seoul with untreated sewage and erecting buildings on its shore without permission from the government.
The Seoul District Public Prosecutors' Office also said it imposed fines of 3 million won to 10 million won on another 35 restaurant owners on the same charges. The restaurant owners are accused of dumping untreated wastewater into the Paldang Reservoir 24 km east of Seoul and illegally building parking lots adjacent to their establishments. The man-made reservoir is the main source of tap water for the Seoul metropolitan area.
The Korea Herald (November 4, 2002)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2002/11/04/200211040039.asp

Upstream sewage stirs reservoir water concern
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200206/11/200206112337252359900090409041.html

A majority of foreign residents here give Koreans low marks for ethics and rationality, according to a survey released Saturday.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200311/kt2003111618540511990.htm

[Real Reality]

"We banned him from leaving the country because we were afraid he would flee to the United States."
Prosecutors will request custody if his sentence is confirmed, and threatened to conduct a search for him if he is not produced.

The U.S. military has challenged the court's authority in the matter and said it would not appeal the conviction. They have until Friday, prosecutors said, to change their minds.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200401/12/200401120150450209900090409041.html

What if they do not "change their minds"?
Walk in and take him by force.
Besides, what can the US forces do?

[little mixed girl]

......

[Bulsajo]

Interesting- I wonder why none of the McFarland articles mention what happened to the (Korean) civilian DoD employees who actually did the dumping- did they get off in return for testimony against their supervisor?

[On the other hand]

[Bulsajo]

True enough but I guess I should just come right out and say what I was implying- Korean media (and/or authorities) are focusing on McFarland not because he's the most culpable but because he's foreign- that's just a supposition on my part, and perhaps an unfair and biased one at that... but not inaccurate in this case I'll bet.

[Real Reality]

Why not impose a fine on him (McFarland)? Imposing a fine seems to be usual practice or punishment (3 million won to 10 million won).

What happened to the 15 people?
15 held for dumping 270 tons of poison into Han
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200311/02/200311022354215509900090409041.html

[Zenpickle]

I guess the lesson from this is do not dump into the Han.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the bowel movement threads.

[hellofaniceguy]

Come on! The koreans pour a heck of a lot worst things into the river and oceans than what McFarland did! Look at all the steel mills along the rivers in korea dumping waste into them! And the sewers dumping into the rivers and ocean in some places! Oh no, no talk of that though. We can't bad mouth koreans for doing worse.

[maxxx_power]

He paid a 5 million won fine according to an article in the Sunday Herald.

[Mr. Pink]

[lush72]

[Real Reality]

lush72,
I have looked for updates on the 15 people but I have found nothing in the English newspapers. Has anyone seen any updates? I guess they were given a fine and that was it. It seems to be the usual punishment.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

He should have just given the stuff to me. I'd use it to dip my cigarettes in.



Sparkles*_*

[tsgarp]

Why is it anytime a foreigner does something wrong here the debate turns to "but look at what the Koreans do!" Should we excuse foreigners because Koreans commit the same crimes? The guy screwed up and he should be punished as should any individual, Foreign or Korean, who breaks the law.
I alone should be exempt as my motorcycle riding skills are outrageous so please stop trying to give me tickets.