New details of the River Road Fellowship, the Pine County religious community founded by accused cult leader Victor Barnard, are posted on the Gawker website. A lengthy first person account headlined “The more you commit, the more the leader loves you,” was written by Kehla Backman, whose parents joined Barnard’s church community in 1985 when she was five.
A nationwide manhunt is underway for Barnard, 52. FOX 9 first detailed allegations that he sexually abused two women, part of a group of firstborn daughters of followers whom he called “maidens.” He’s been charged in Pine County with 59 felony counts of criminal sexual conduct.
“Victor’s rise to power was gradual and methodical,” Backman writes. “That’s the thing about cults, and about predators.
There’s a slow but constant grooming. You don’t really realize how drastically things have changed, so it feels normal. And all the while you’re being reassured that what you believe in—what you’ve devoted your life to—is real and right. The more you commit to it the more Jesus loves you. The more Victor loves you.”
Concerned about Barnard’s behavior, Backman’s family ultimately left the group in 1994. Today Backman wonders if she might have been a victim had they remained. “Being the first-born daughter in my family I can’t help but think that if we hadn’t left when we did my name would have been on that list,” she writes, contrasting her situation with that of the women who have accused Barnard. “I had parents that saved me from it; they had parents who served them up to it. It’s unimaginable, incomprehensible.
But it’s the power Victor wielded.”
An editorial in the Star Tribune questioned the delay in prosecuting Barnard. The editorial noted that two women came forward with allegations in 2012 and Pine County Sheriff Robin Cole investigated and forwarded the findings to Pine County Attorney John K. Carlson. Carlson’s office did not press charges for two years, which the editorial calls a “…troubling time lag” that Carlson has not explained.
“Carlson is one of the state’s longest-serving county attorneys, a position that should make him a powerful advocate for crime victims. He doesn’t get to brush off questions about his decisionmaking, particularly those involving whether he used his office’s authority and resources in the best interests of justice,” the editorial continues.
A lengthy story in the Star Tribune, headlined “Caught in a cult’s dark embrace,” followed up on Barnard’s disappearance. The story said that a splinter group from the River Road Fellowship including Barnard settled in Washington state, where they established businesses around Spokane. Barnard and his wife established a nutrition company, and his wife registered Waymarks, a publishing company they’d also had in Minnesota. Several of the so-called maidens opened a cleaning companies.
“Former members say that even after the charges, many followers are standing beside Barnard,” the story said.
Sf: http://www.bringmethenews.com/2014/04/28/cult-leader-recalled-by-woman-who-grew-up-in-his-river-road-fellowship/
2014年6月13日星期五
Salvation sect stages protest rally
By Kang Seung-woo
Followers of the Evangelical Baptist Church staged a protest rally Monday against media coverage of, and the prosecution investigation into, the religious cult and speculation about its links to the operator of the ill-fated ferry Sewol.
Six hundred believers in the religious sect, founded by Chonghaejin Marine owner Yoo Byung-eun, gathered in front of the headquarters of the Korea Broadcasting System in Yeouido, Seoul.
"We are saddened by the Sewol disaster, but the media and prosecution are raising questions that are not related to us," said a follower.
They rejected suspicions that the Evangelical Baptist Church had cross-border transactions with affiliates of the ferry operator.
In addition, they claimed it was groundless that monetary offerings from followers went to Yoo, calling such claims "malicious and lopsided."
They said that unlike reports, most people working for the ferry operator are not connected to their religion.
"Very few Chonghaejin Marine employees are followers of the church; but Captain Lee Jun-seok and most of people in the company are not," they said.
Yoo was previously a member of the religious cult, called Odaeyang, making him a suspect in the cult's 1987 mass suicide-murder. More than 30 people from the group were found dead, bound and gagged in a factory outside of Seoul. Investigators, however, found no evidence tying the event to Yoo. "The Odaeyang incident was declared to be no connection to the Evangelical Baptist Church," they said.
The group also argued that media outlets are misrepresenting its doctrine.
They held a press conference last week and denied suspicions surrounding the religious group.
To prevent a confrontation, police deployed 480 officers around the location of the protest.
The joint prosecution-police investigation team said the religious cult was the source of Yoo's funds, and it is now questioning relevant people about this.
On April 16, the ferry carrying 476 passengers capsized off the country's southwestern coast on its way to the resort island of Jeju, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.
As the country was tracking down people and the failed system responsible for the disaster, investigators were led to Yoo and his family, who controlled Chonghaejin Marine through stakes connecting a series of affiliates.
ksw@koreatimes.co.kr,
SF: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/04/116_156252.html
Followers of the Evangelical Baptist Church staged a protest rally Monday against media coverage of, and the prosecution investigation into, the religious cult and speculation about its links to the operator of the ill-fated ferry Sewol.
Six hundred believers in the religious sect, founded by Chonghaejin Marine owner Yoo Byung-eun, gathered in front of the headquarters of the Korea Broadcasting System in Yeouido, Seoul.
"We are saddened by the Sewol disaster, but the media and prosecution are raising questions that are not related to us," said a follower.
They rejected suspicions that the Evangelical Baptist Church had cross-border transactions with affiliates of the ferry operator.
In addition, they claimed it was groundless that monetary offerings from followers went to Yoo, calling such claims "malicious and lopsided."
They said that unlike reports, most people working for the ferry operator are not connected to their religion.
"Very few Chonghaejin Marine employees are followers of the church; but Captain Lee Jun-seok and most of people in the company are not," they said.
Yoo was previously a member of the religious cult, called Odaeyang, making him a suspect in the cult's 1987 mass suicide-murder. More than 30 people from the group were found dead, bound and gagged in a factory outside of Seoul. Investigators, however, found no evidence tying the event to Yoo. "The Odaeyang incident was declared to be no connection to the Evangelical Baptist Church," they said.
The group also argued that media outlets are misrepresenting its doctrine.
They held a press conference last week and denied suspicions surrounding the religious group.
To prevent a confrontation, police deployed 480 officers around the location of the protest.
The joint prosecution-police investigation team said the religious cult was the source of Yoo's funds, and it is now questioning relevant people about this.
On April 16, the ferry carrying 476 passengers capsized off the country's southwestern coast on its way to the resort island of Jeju, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.
As the country was tracking down people and the failed system responsible for the disaster, investigators were led to Yoo and his family, who controlled Chonghaejin Marine through stakes connecting a series of affiliates.
ksw@koreatimes.co.kr,
SF: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/04/116_156252.html
Prosecution looks into cult in ferry accident probe
INCHEON/BUSAN, April 24 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors said Thursday they are tracking a flow of money from a mysterious religious group to the operator of a capsized ferry, as part of their widening investigation into the cause of the deadly accident.
Prosecutors suspect that funds from members of the religious group, the Evangelical Baptist Church, were used in business operations of Cheonghaejin Marine Co. and Yoo Byung-eun, a billionaire man whose family appears to control the shipping company.
Nine days after the deadly sinking of the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol in southwestern waters, which is likely to be recorded as one of the country's worst maritime disasters, at least 171 passengers have been confirmed dead, with some 130 others still missing.
On Wednesday, investigators of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office raided the head office of Cheonghaejin Marine, the Sewol's operator based in the coastal city of Incheon, just west of Seoul, and some 20 offices of its affiliates, as well as the office of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Yongsan, central Seoul.
Prosecutors said they are analyzing accounting books seized from the church, suspecting that the religious group has exercised influence over the company's management.
The church was established by chief Yoo's father-in-law, Kwon Sin-chan, in the 1960s and is led by Yoo. It is considered as a cult with some 20,000 followers, including most of the senior officials of Cheonghaejin's affiliates and most of the Sewol's crew.
Yoo was also previously a member of the religious cult called Odaeyang, making him a suspect in the cult's 1987 mass suicide-murder. More than 30 people from his group were found dead, bound and gagged in a factory outside of Seoul. Investigators, however, found no evidence tying the event to Yoo.
While establishing 13 overseas units, along with another 13 domestic affiliates, the owner family was found to increase its fortune to more than 240 billion won (US$230.8 million), with more assets expected to be hidden.
The debt-ridden Cheonghaejin Marine is virtually a successor to Semo Marine, which went bankrupt in 1997, hit by a series of scandals, including a sinking of its cruise boat.
Cheonghaejin was set up in 1999 by taking over ships and assets held by Semo Marine's affiliate. Yoo's two sons control Cheonghaejin through a complicated ownership structure.
Some 40 percent of Cheonghaejin is owned by Chonhaiji Co., a shipbuilder controlled by I-One-I Holdings Co. Yoo's two sons hold a combined 40 percent in I-One-I Holdings. Prosecutors, meanwhile, also raided the head office of a private entity responsible for inspecting and certifying ships, as part of their investigation into corruption in the shipping industry.
Investigators swooped on the office of the Korean Register of Shipping (KR), a nonprofit organization in charge of inspecting and certifying vessels on behalf of the government, in the southern port city of Busan.
The KR approved the Sewol for operation in February after doing a safety check on more than 200 items, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said they are looking for any evidence of possible wrongdoing in relation to the safety inspection of the Sewol and whether KR officials were bribed in exchange for lax inspection.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END) SF: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2014/04/24/15/0302000000AEN20140424005500315F.html
Prosecutors suspect that funds from members of the religious group, the Evangelical Baptist Church, were used in business operations of Cheonghaejin Marine Co. and Yoo Byung-eun, a billionaire man whose family appears to control the shipping company.
Nine days after the deadly sinking of the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol in southwestern waters, which is likely to be recorded as one of the country's worst maritime disasters, at least 171 passengers have been confirmed dead, with some 130 others still missing.
On Wednesday, investigators of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office raided the head office of Cheonghaejin Marine, the Sewol's operator based in the coastal city of Incheon, just west of Seoul, and some 20 offices of its affiliates, as well as the office of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Yongsan, central Seoul.
Prosecutors said they are analyzing accounting books seized from the church, suspecting that the religious group has exercised influence over the company's management.
The church was established by chief Yoo's father-in-law, Kwon Sin-chan, in the 1960s and is led by Yoo. It is considered as a cult with some 20,000 followers, including most of the senior officials of Cheonghaejin's affiliates and most of the Sewol's crew.
Yoo was also previously a member of the religious cult called Odaeyang, making him a suspect in the cult's 1987 mass suicide-murder. More than 30 people from his group were found dead, bound and gagged in a factory outside of Seoul. Investigators, however, found no evidence tying the event to Yoo.
While establishing 13 overseas units, along with another 13 domestic affiliates, the owner family was found to increase its fortune to more than 240 billion won (US$230.8 million), with more assets expected to be hidden.
The debt-ridden Cheonghaejin Marine is virtually a successor to Semo Marine, which went bankrupt in 1997, hit by a series of scandals, including a sinking of its cruise boat.
Cheonghaejin was set up in 1999 by taking over ships and assets held by Semo Marine's affiliate. Yoo's two sons control Cheonghaejin through a complicated ownership structure.
Some 40 percent of Cheonghaejin is owned by Chonhaiji Co., a shipbuilder controlled by I-One-I Holdings Co. Yoo's two sons hold a combined 40 percent in I-One-I Holdings. Prosecutors, meanwhile, also raided the head office of a private entity responsible for inspecting and certifying ships, as part of their investigation into corruption in the shipping industry.
Investigators swooped on the office of the Korean Register of Shipping (KR), a nonprofit organization in charge of inspecting and certifying vessels on behalf of the government, in the southern port city of Busan.
The KR approved the Sewol for operation in February after doing a safety check on more than 200 items, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said they are looking for any evidence of possible wrongdoing in relation to the safety inspection of the Sewol and whether KR officials were bribed in exchange for lax inspection.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END) SF: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2014/04/24/15/0302000000AEN20140424005500315F.html
Fugitive Cult Leader Accused of 59 Counts of Child Molestation
By Steve Helling
04/22/2014 at 06:30 PM EDT
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Victor Barnard
Washington State Patrol
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
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Victor Barnard had always been known as a charismatic leader with an easy smile and pleasant demeanor. Moving to rural Minnesota in the early 1990s, the affable pastor started The River Road Fellowship, a tight-knit church on several acres of remote land. Within a few years, he had a small but dedicated following.
But the River Road Fellowship was no ordinary church, and Barnard was no ordinary minister. Authorities say that he had a dark side, ruling with intimidation and fear.
After a former church member contacted the Pine County Sheriff's Office in 2012 to report rampant sexual abuse, authorities opened a two-year investigation. On April 11, the county attorney charged Barnard with 59 felony counts of criminal sexual misconduct with two young girls while they were members of his church.
But Barnard is nowhere to be found, and authorities in several states have begun a nationwide manhunt to find the 52-year-old leader.
Although he was last seen in Spokane, Wash., "he could be anywhere," Pine County Chief Deputy Steven Blackwell tells PEOPLE. "He has been to many different places: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio. He has associates all over the world; there's a possibility that he could be in Brazil."
Blackwell adds: "There are a lot of places he could be. We just don't know where he is."
Disturbing Charges
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Barnard persuaded his followers to send 10 girls and young women to live together at a camp facility owned by the organization. Calling the girls his "maidens," he was treated like a "rock star," which included frequent sex with the girls.
According to the complaint, "there was a calendar in the kitchen that scheduled time for each female with Barnard … the females acted very intimately with Barnard when they were in groups, lying down with him and putting their hands on his chest or hair."
The investigation began when one of the victims told investigators about being assaulted by Barnard from the time she was 13 until she turned 22. The complaint alleges that she "was invited to the camp by Barnard. She and her father thought that this was a summer camp, and she decided to go. Nine other females also moved to the camp at the same time. These girls ranged in age from 12–24."
Although the complaint didn't name that victim, she later came forward to speak to CNN. "I don't want him hurting anyone else and ruining other peoples' lives like mine was," says Lindsay Tornambe, now 27.
Tornambe may have cause for concern. According to Chief Deputy Blackwell, Barnard's actions followed an all-too-familiar pattern.
"When a girl got to be older – 18, 19, 20 – she would be at a stage where she could say no to him," says Blackwell. "There would always be a younger girl, maybe 11 or 12, who would replace her."
'He Was Magnetic'
The shocking allegations have left Pine County residents wondering who, exactly, was Victor Barnard. A former standout student hockey player, he had lots of friends at Hobart College in upstate New York.
"He was definitely a very nice guy," college classmate Jeff Talbot tells PEOPLE. "When he talked, people would listen. He made you want to hear what he had to say. He was magnetic."
But according to the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, he joined a cult after a particularly brutal argument with his mother.
After moving to Minnesota and starting the church, Barnard began to wield his authority. Multiple former members spoke to police and, according to court documents, "confirmed Barnard's power over the group through his status as their minister."
Vanished Without a Trace
According to police, Barnard and his followers fled Minnesota when the investigation began in 2012. "We have a lot of credible evidence that the entire group left together," says Blackwell. "They pulled up stakes and went to Washington as a group. We don't know where they went from there." In November of 2012, investigators traveled to Spokane to find him.
One afternoon, while monitoring the group, "the officers saw three different vehicles that moved luggage between them in different parking lots," says the probable cause affidavit. "The officers followed the last vehicle to a gas station. [The Officer] approached the parked car and noted that the rear passenger window rolled up as he neared. He knocked on the driver's window and tried to communicate with the female driver, but she would not respond. There were three females in the car."
Wherever he is, Barnard will be extradited to Minnesota upon apprehension. If convicted, he faces multiple 30-year prison terms.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Victor Barnard, please call the Pine County Sheriff's Office tip line at (320) 629-8342.
SF: http://www.people.com/article/Victor-Barnard-arrested-59-counts-child-molestation
04/22/2014 at 06:30 PM EDT
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Victor Barnard
Washington State Patrol
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
Subscribe for instant access to PEOPLE
Victor Barnard had always been known as a charismatic leader with an easy smile and pleasant demeanor. Moving to rural Minnesota in the early 1990s, the affable pastor started The River Road Fellowship, a tight-knit church on several acres of remote land. Within a few years, he had a small but dedicated following.
But the River Road Fellowship was no ordinary church, and Barnard was no ordinary minister. Authorities say that he had a dark side, ruling with intimidation and fear.
After a former church member contacted the Pine County Sheriff's Office in 2012 to report rampant sexual abuse, authorities opened a two-year investigation. On April 11, the county attorney charged Barnard with 59 felony counts of criminal sexual misconduct with two young girls while they were members of his church.
But Barnard is nowhere to be found, and authorities in several states have begun a nationwide manhunt to find the 52-year-old leader.
Although he was last seen in Spokane, Wash., "he could be anywhere," Pine County Chief Deputy Steven Blackwell tells PEOPLE. "He has been to many different places: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio. He has associates all over the world; there's a possibility that he could be in Brazil."
Blackwell adds: "There are a lot of places he could be. We just don't know where he is."
Disturbing Charges
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Barnard persuaded his followers to send 10 girls and young women to live together at a camp facility owned by the organization. Calling the girls his "maidens," he was treated like a "rock star," which included frequent sex with the girls.
According to the complaint, "there was a calendar in the kitchen that scheduled time for each female with Barnard … the females acted very intimately with Barnard when they were in groups, lying down with him and putting their hands on his chest or hair."
The investigation began when one of the victims told investigators about being assaulted by Barnard from the time she was 13 until she turned 22. The complaint alleges that she "was invited to the camp by Barnard. She and her father thought that this was a summer camp, and she decided to go. Nine other females also moved to the camp at the same time. These girls ranged in age from 12–24."
Although the complaint didn't name that victim, she later came forward to speak to CNN. "I don't want him hurting anyone else and ruining other peoples' lives like mine was," says Lindsay Tornambe, now 27.
Tornambe may have cause for concern. According to Chief Deputy Blackwell, Barnard's actions followed an all-too-familiar pattern.
"When a girl got to be older – 18, 19, 20 – she would be at a stage where she could say no to him," says Blackwell. "There would always be a younger girl, maybe 11 or 12, who would replace her."
'He Was Magnetic'
The shocking allegations have left Pine County residents wondering who, exactly, was Victor Barnard. A former standout student hockey player, he had lots of friends at Hobart College in upstate New York.
"He was definitely a very nice guy," college classmate Jeff Talbot tells PEOPLE. "When he talked, people would listen. He made you want to hear what he had to say. He was magnetic."
But according to the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, he joined a cult after a particularly brutal argument with his mother.
After moving to Minnesota and starting the church, Barnard began to wield his authority. Multiple former members spoke to police and, according to court documents, "confirmed Barnard's power over the group through his status as their minister."
Vanished Without a Trace
According to police, Barnard and his followers fled Minnesota when the investigation began in 2012. "We have a lot of credible evidence that the entire group left together," says Blackwell. "They pulled up stakes and went to Washington as a group. We don't know where they went from there." In November of 2012, investigators traveled to Spokane to find him.
One afternoon, while monitoring the group, "the officers saw three different vehicles that moved luggage between them in different parking lots," says the probable cause affidavit. "The officers followed the last vehicle to a gas station. [The Officer] approached the parked car and noted that the rear passenger window rolled up as he neared. He knocked on the driver's window and tried to communicate with the female driver, but she would not respond. There were three females in the car."
Wherever he is, Barnard will be extradited to Minnesota upon apprehension. If convicted, he faces multiple 30-year prison terms.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Victor Barnard, please call the Pine County Sheriff's Office tip line at (320) 629-8342.
SF: http://www.people.com/article/Victor-Barnard-arrested-59-counts-child-molestation
Former Semo Group CEO, 2 sons investigated
http://pds.joins.com/jmnet/koreajoongangdaily/_data/photo/2014/04/22213732.jpg
Yoo Byeong-eon
The owners of the capsized Sewol ferry are the two sons of former successful maritime businessman Yoo Byeong-eon, who was once an evangelical pastor in Korea and a member of a religious cult in the 1980s, according to a report by the country’s financial authority.
According to the prosecution, the three men are also suspected to have remodeled the Sewol ferry in order to load more cargo - a plan that they lobbied government officials for.
Prosecutors in Incheon launched a probe into the senior Yoo, the de facto owner of the Chonghaejin Marine Company, the operator of the doomed ferry, and his two sons on suspicions of tax evasion. The Sewol capsized off the southern coast on April 16 while carrying 476 passengers. The accident, perhaps the nation’s deadliest maritime disaster, has so far left 113 dead and more than 189 missing. The two owners have not responded to the ferry crisis.
“One of the important tasks for the prosecution is compensating the victims,” said an official at the Incheon Prosecutors’ Office. “If Chonghaejin Marine, which we assume had poor management, can’t compensate the victims’ bereaved families, we will ask Yoo’s family to take responsibility for it.”
According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the major shareholders of the Chonghaejin Marine, the official owner of the Sewol ferry, are the two sons of Yoo Byeong-eon, the former chairman of the Semo Group, a large ferry and cruise operator that operated boat trips on the Han River in Seoul until it went bankrupt in 1997.
The FSS audit reports on domestic companies show that the Chonghaejin has two major shareholders: 39.4 percent of its shares belong to Chonhaeji, which specializes in producing container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers and LNG ships, while 7.1 percent is owned by I-One-I Holdings, a business consulting company based in Seoul.
The major shareholder of the Chonhaeji is also I-One-I holdings, which holds 42.8 percent of its stocks.
Yoo Dae-gyun and Yoo Hyeok-gi, the former chairman’s sons, are the major shareholders of I-One-I Holdings. Each holds 19.44 percent of the company’s stocks, or nearly 40 percent combined, the FSS report said.
During the 1980s, the senior Yoo was also a member of the religious cult Odaeyang, making him a suspect in the cult’s 1987 mass suicide-murder.
On Aug. 29, 1987, the bound and gagged bodies of more than 30 people were found stacked in two piles in a factory in Yongin, Gyeonggi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Seoul, in what appeared to be a murder-suicide linked to the cult. It is still a mystery whether the members committed suicide or were murdered.
Yoo was investigated by the authorities as a possible head figure of the pseudo-Christian cult, and in 1992 he was sentenced to four years in prison on fraud charges related to the incident. However, he was acquitted for his alleged involvement in the murder-suicide.
Yoo’s Semo Group was successful in the 1980s under the Chun Doo Hwan regime, and he drew public attention in 1986 by winning the bid to operate the private cruise business on the Han River.
In 1999, Chonghaejin Marine was established and took over the assets from Semo Group. Though it was chaired by someone else, it was effectively owned by Yoo’s family.
The operator usually runs ferries between Incheon and Jeju.
In 2009, Chonghaejin posted a 2 billion won ($1.9 million) operating profit, mainly from trips on the Incheon-Jeju route. But it has been suffering from poor performance in recent years, posting a 785 million won operating loss last year, amid a sluggish maritime economy.
According to the prosecution, Yoo’s assets reach approximately 560 billion won, and about half of his assets are debts.
BY KIM HEE-JIN [heejin@joongang.co.kr]
SF: http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2988304
Yoo Byeong-eon
The owners of the capsized Sewol ferry are the two sons of former successful maritime businessman Yoo Byeong-eon, who was once an evangelical pastor in Korea and a member of a religious cult in the 1980s, according to a report by the country’s financial authority.
According to the prosecution, the three men are also suspected to have remodeled the Sewol ferry in order to load more cargo - a plan that they lobbied government officials for.
Prosecutors in Incheon launched a probe into the senior Yoo, the de facto owner of the Chonghaejin Marine Company, the operator of the doomed ferry, and his two sons on suspicions of tax evasion. The Sewol capsized off the southern coast on April 16 while carrying 476 passengers. The accident, perhaps the nation’s deadliest maritime disaster, has so far left 113 dead and more than 189 missing. The two owners have not responded to the ferry crisis.
“One of the important tasks for the prosecution is compensating the victims,” said an official at the Incheon Prosecutors’ Office. “If Chonghaejin Marine, which we assume had poor management, can’t compensate the victims’ bereaved families, we will ask Yoo’s family to take responsibility for it.”
According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the major shareholders of the Chonghaejin Marine, the official owner of the Sewol ferry, are the two sons of Yoo Byeong-eon, the former chairman of the Semo Group, a large ferry and cruise operator that operated boat trips on the Han River in Seoul until it went bankrupt in 1997.
The FSS audit reports on domestic companies show that the Chonghaejin has two major shareholders: 39.4 percent of its shares belong to Chonhaeji, which specializes in producing container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers and LNG ships, while 7.1 percent is owned by I-One-I Holdings, a business consulting company based in Seoul.
The major shareholder of the Chonhaeji is also I-One-I holdings, which holds 42.8 percent of its stocks.
Yoo Dae-gyun and Yoo Hyeok-gi, the former chairman’s sons, are the major shareholders of I-One-I Holdings. Each holds 19.44 percent of the company’s stocks, or nearly 40 percent combined, the FSS report said.
During the 1980s, the senior Yoo was also a member of the religious cult Odaeyang, making him a suspect in the cult’s 1987 mass suicide-murder.
On Aug. 29, 1987, the bound and gagged bodies of more than 30 people were found stacked in two piles in a factory in Yongin, Gyeonggi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Seoul, in what appeared to be a murder-suicide linked to the cult. It is still a mystery whether the members committed suicide or were murdered.
Yoo was investigated by the authorities as a possible head figure of the pseudo-Christian cult, and in 1992 he was sentenced to four years in prison on fraud charges related to the incident. However, he was acquitted for his alleged involvement in the murder-suicide.
Yoo’s Semo Group was successful in the 1980s under the Chun Doo Hwan regime, and he drew public attention in 1986 by winning the bid to operate the private cruise business on the Han River.
In 1999, Chonghaejin Marine was established and took over the assets from Semo Group. Though it was chaired by someone else, it was effectively owned by Yoo’s family.
The operator usually runs ferries between Incheon and Jeju.
In 2009, Chonghaejin posted a 2 billion won ($1.9 million) operating profit, mainly from trips on the Incheon-Jeju route. But it has been suffering from poor performance in recent years, posting a 785 million won operating loss last year, amid a sluggish maritime economy.
According to the prosecution, Yoo’s assets reach approximately 560 billion won, and about half of his assets are debts.
BY KIM HEE-JIN [heejin@joongang.co.kr]
SF: http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2988304
Circular argument: Falun Gong vs the eccentric Concentrics at Taipei 101
Falun Gong demonstrators look on as the Concentric Patriotism Association wave their flags outside Taipei 101. (Photo/Howard Shih)
CPA members fly both the PRC and ROC flags. (Photo/Howard Shih)
On most afternoons, a small maroon van rolls up to the square outside Taipei 101 to cheers and applause from busloads of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan's most iconic landmark. Adorned with patriotic slogans and with nationalistic songs blaring through its speakers, the van seldom fails to grab everyone's attention even before it comes to a complete stop.
When it does, out of the van emerge several stern-looking seniors and a tall, middle-aged woman, who together unload equipment, banners and flags as they get set up in a spot across the square from where Falun Gong practitioners have been meditating all day. And that's when it begins.
For more than four years, the Concentric Patriotism Association of the Republic of China (CPA) has been venturing down to Taipei 101 to stage intense protests against Falun Gong, a spiritual movement that is persecuted in China and whose practitioners protest at Chinese embassies and consulates around the world. "Get out of Taiwan, get out of Taipei 101 square," says one of the CPA's signs; "Recognize the nature of the evil cult," says another. But by far the most eye-catching symbol is the PRC flags waved around by the association's enthusiastic octogenarians.
"They show up at around three or four in the afternoon on most days," says a young Falun Gong volunteer staffer who regularly puts up graphic signs detailing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at the hands of the Communist Party of China. "They call us an 'evil cult' and blame us for poisoning Taiwan's relations with China."
More recently, the CPA has accused Falun Gong of preventing the controversial trade services pact with China from being passed successfully. The trade pact was the issue at the center of the Sunflower Student Movement that saw university students occupy Taiwan's Legislature for 23 days after the ruling Kuomintang attempted to rush the bill through parliament without committee review.
"They say that if it weren't for China's economic prowess there wouldn't be so many Chinese tourists available for Falun Gong to brainwash," the staffer says, adding that even mainland visitors have been stunned to hear the CPA shout slogans such as "Long live the Communist Party."
The staffer says the Falun Gong practitioners generally ignore the CPA and continue to distribute their leaflets because they "recognize the right to free speech," though witnesses say volunteers can usually be seen encircling the CPA protesters with large pro-Falun Gong banners.
Security officers at Taipei 101, who spend most of their time trying to keep the square clear and spectators moving along, say that every now and then the standoff can get out of hand and police will have to be called. There have been reported incidents of heated shouting matches, minor scuffles and even spitting. CPA's website claims that Falun Gong supporters once cut up their Chinese flags with scissors.
The bad blood between the two groups can be traced back to 2009, when Falun Gong first began disseminating their materials outside Taipei 101 and other tourist spots in Taipei such as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and National Palace Museum, targeting Chinese visitors. In 2010, a physical confrontation at Taipei 101 resulted in a 2012 court conviction against CPA founder and chairman Zhou Qingjun, who was fined and sentenced to a two-month jail term for using violence to interfere with other people's exercise of their rights. The punishment has done little to deter Zhou, however, as he was again fined in January this year and forced to publish an apology to Falun Gong for defamation.
Zhou's background is a curious one. He fled southern China's Guangdong province for Hong Kong in the 1970s after running into trouble with Communist Party authorities. After an unsuccessful attempt to grab a seat in Hong Kong's 1985 local elections, he moved to Taiwan and established the CPA in 1993. The CPA has been accused of many things, including being "the Communist Party's thugs in Taiwan," and is said to have alleged links to Chang An-lo, the former leader of the Bamboo Union triad in Taiwan better known by his nickname "White Wolf," who has made himself a public pro-unification campaigner since his return to Taiwan last year after 17 years in exile. Chang is currently free on bail, having been arrested for his involvement in organized crime on his return.
The CPA's ultimate goal is the unification of Taiwan with the mainland, according to the association's constitution. The majority of the articles on the CPA website, however, are directed at Falun Gong, which it accuses of spreading lies against the Communist Party.
"They say they just sit there and meditate, but why are they only doing it at major tourist sites and landmarks?" says Chang Hsiu-yeh, director-general of the CPA, perhaps the most vocal of all the protesters at Taipei 101 in the absence of Zhou. "Peaceful reunification is necessary for the sake of our future generations!" she shouts into the loudspeaker to the crowd of predominantly Chinese tourists, who respond with raucous approval. Beside her, a CPA senior repeatedly sings "There is no 'New China' without the Communist Party" into a portable karaoke machine, while another shakes hands and takes photos with onlookers. The reaction from the crowd is a mixture of curiousity and amusement, with some appearing to be confused over the purpose of the CPA's presence. "Are they promoting cross-strait peace or are they protesting against Falun Gong?" a 20-something tourist surnamed Lin from Hangzhou asks her boyfriend.
"I agree with what they say about peaceful reunification and strengthening cross-strait ties, but the Falun Gong are harmless — they are just minding their own business," says a middle-aged tourist from Beijing surnamed Guo.
"I find all of this hilarious," says a man surnamed Li from Shanghai. "This whole Falun Gong thing...they are making a big deal out of nothing."
Western tourists were also intrigued by the commotion, with one Canadian visitor who wished not to be named saying he was fascinated by Taiwanese politics. "Everyone here seems to be quite extreme in their views. I don't have an opinion either way, but I applaud their passion and I think it's all good."
For Falun Gong, the CPA is intentionally trying to muddle the issue by calling for cross-strait peace on the one hand while holding anti-Falun Gong signs on the other. "They are just trying to confuse people so they will link the two together," says the volunteer.
"See how they are also holding a Taiwanese flag along with the five-star (PRC) flags? It's because locals would be outraged if they were only waving Chinese flags around Taiwan. It's all political tactics," he added.
Chang Hsiu-yeh denies this, however, saying that the PRC flag is simply there "to welcome our compatriots from China and make them feel comfortable."
"We're not saying the Communist Party is perfect — no political party in the world is perfect," she says. "But everything Falun Gong says and does is anti-China, anti-Communist Party. It's just not right."
The Falun Gongers disagree. "Everything in China is controlled by the Communist Party," says the volunteer staffer. "The People's Daily, CCTV — they control the media so Chinese people only know what the party feeds them. Do they not torture Falun Gong practitioners? Did the Tiananman Square incident never happen? They twist everything but we speak the truth." SF: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140422000122&cid=1501
CPA members fly both the PRC and ROC flags. (Photo/Howard Shih)
On most afternoons, a small maroon van rolls up to the square outside Taipei 101 to cheers and applause from busloads of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan's most iconic landmark. Adorned with patriotic slogans and with nationalistic songs blaring through its speakers, the van seldom fails to grab everyone's attention even before it comes to a complete stop.
When it does, out of the van emerge several stern-looking seniors and a tall, middle-aged woman, who together unload equipment, banners and flags as they get set up in a spot across the square from where Falun Gong practitioners have been meditating all day. And that's when it begins.
For more than four years, the Concentric Patriotism Association of the Republic of China (CPA) has been venturing down to Taipei 101 to stage intense protests against Falun Gong, a spiritual movement that is persecuted in China and whose practitioners protest at Chinese embassies and consulates around the world. "Get out of Taiwan, get out of Taipei 101 square," says one of the CPA's signs; "Recognize the nature of the evil cult," says another. But by far the most eye-catching symbol is the PRC flags waved around by the association's enthusiastic octogenarians.
"They show up at around three or four in the afternoon on most days," says a young Falun Gong volunteer staffer who regularly puts up graphic signs detailing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at the hands of the Communist Party of China. "They call us an 'evil cult' and blame us for poisoning Taiwan's relations with China."
More recently, the CPA has accused Falun Gong of preventing the controversial trade services pact with China from being passed successfully. The trade pact was the issue at the center of the Sunflower Student Movement that saw university students occupy Taiwan's Legislature for 23 days after the ruling Kuomintang attempted to rush the bill through parliament without committee review.
"They say that if it weren't for China's economic prowess there wouldn't be so many Chinese tourists available for Falun Gong to brainwash," the staffer says, adding that even mainland visitors have been stunned to hear the CPA shout slogans such as "Long live the Communist Party."
The staffer says the Falun Gong practitioners generally ignore the CPA and continue to distribute their leaflets because they "recognize the right to free speech," though witnesses say volunteers can usually be seen encircling the CPA protesters with large pro-Falun Gong banners.
Security officers at Taipei 101, who spend most of their time trying to keep the square clear and spectators moving along, say that every now and then the standoff can get out of hand and police will have to be called. There have been reported incidents of heated shouting matches, minor scuffles and even spitting. CPA's website claims that Falun Gong supporters once cut up their Chinese flags with scissors.
The bad blood between the two groups can be traced back to 2009, when Falun Gong first began disseminating their materials outside Taipei 101 and other tourist spots in Taipei such as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and National Palace Museum, targeting Chinese visitors. In 2010, a physical confrontation at Taipei 101 resulted in a 2012 court conviction against CPA founder and chairman Zhou Qingjun, who was fined and sentenced to a two-month jail term for using violence to interfere with other people's exercise of their rights. The punishment has done little to deter Zhou, however, as he was again fined in January this year and forced to publish an apology to Falun Gong for defamation.
Zhou's background is a curious one. He fled southern China's Guangdong province for Hong Kong in the 1970s after running into trouble with Communist Party authorities. After an unsuccessful attempt to grab a seat in Hong Kong's 1985 local elections, he moved to Taiwan and established the CPA in 1993. The CPA has been accused of many things, including being "the Communist Party's thugs in Taiwan," and is said to have alleged links to Chang An-lo, the former leader of the Bamboo Union triad in Taiwan better known by his nickname "White Wolf," who has made himself a public pro-unification campaigner since his return to Taiwan last year after 17 years in exile. Chang is currently free on bail, having been arrested for his involvement in organized crime on his return.
The CPA's ultimate goal is the unification of Taiwan with the mainland, according to the association's constitution. The majority of the articles on the CPA website, however, are directed at Falun Gong, which it accuses of spreading lies against the Communist Party.
"They say they just sit there and meditate, but why are they only doing it at major tourist sites and landmarks?" says Chang Hsiu-yeh, director-general of the CPA, perhaps the most vocal of all the protesters at Taipei 101 in the absence of Zhou. "Peaceful reunification is necessary for the sake of our future generations!" she shouts into the loudspeaker to the crowd of predominantly Chinese tourists, who respond with raucous approval. Beside her, a CPA senior repeatedly sings "There is no 'New China' without the Communist Party" into a portable karaoke machine, while another shakes hands and takes photos with onlookers. The reaction from the crowd is a mixture of curiousity and amusement, with some appearing to be confused over the purpose of the CPA's presence. "Are they promoting cross-strait peace or are they protesting against Falun Gong?" a 20-something tourist surnamed Lin from Hangzhou asks her boyfriend.
"I agree with what they say about peaceful reunification and strengthening cross-strait ties, but the Falun Gong are harmless — they are just minding their own business," says a middle-aged tourist from Beijing surnamed Guo.
"I find all of this hilarious," says a man surnamed Li from Shanghai. "This whole Falun Gong thing...they are making a big deal out of nothing."
Western tourists were also intrigued by the commotion, with one Canadian visitor who wished not to be named saying he was fascinated by Taiwanese politics. "Everyone here seems to be quite extreme in their views. I don't have an opinion either way, but I applaud their passion and I think it's all good."
For Falun Gong, the CPA is intentionally trying to muddle the issue by calling for cross-strait peace on the one hand while holding anti-Falun Gong signs on the other. "They are just trying to confuse people so they will link the two together," says the volunteer.
"See how they are also holding a Taiwanese flag along with the five-star (PRC) flags? It's because locals would be outraged if they were only waving Chinese flags around Taiwan. It's all political tactics," he added.
Chang Hsiu-yeh denies this, however, saying that the PRC flag is simply there "to welcome our compatriots from China and make them feel comfortable."
"We're not saying the Communist Party is perfect — no political party in the world is perfect," she says. "But everything Falun Gong says and does is anti-China, anti-Communist Party. It's just not right."
The Falun Gongers disagree. "Everything in China is controlled by the Communist Party," says the volunteer staffer. "The People's Daily, CCTV — they control the media so Chinese people only know what the party feeds them. Do they not torture Falun Gong practitioners? Did the Tiananman Square incident never happen? They twist everything but we speak the truth." SF: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140422000122&cid=1501
Ferry firm's money trail traced
Financial regulators have launched a special probe into a credit union that has provided suspicious loans to Chonghaejin Marine owner Yoo Byung-eun.
At least four banks, including the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), are also being examined for their loans to the ferry firm and its affiliates, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said Thursday.
Yoo allegedly used the money to expand his business empire which spans from media, construction and food to shipping. The other three banks are the Industrial Bank of Korea, Woori and Kyongnam.
“We are examining whether the credit union and the banks violated rules when they extended loans to Yoo’s firms,” an FSS official said, asking not to be named. “Particularly, the Semo Credit Union, was a key financing channel for his firms.”
The union’s major customers include Chonghaejin Marine, which operated the sunken ferry Sewol. The death toll from the tragedy rose to 171 with 131 still missing as of 4:00 p.m.
The FSS suspects the union also helped the 73-year-old owner create and operate a slush fund, estimated at tens of billions of won, and dodge taxes.
Earlier, the regulator said it was looking into dubious currency transactions among Yoo’s firms at home and abroad, and his overseas assets.
Yoo’s two sons are controlling a dozen firms through I-One-I Holdings. Yoo has no stake in the holding firm, but the prosecution claims he is the “real” owner.
On Wednesday, prosecutors raided Yoo’s home and the offices of a Christian cult, which he has allegedly used to attract funds and sell products. Yoo himself is a long-time member of the cult.
The religious group was involved in a mass suicide in 1987, in which 32 followers were found dead in a hidden garret in a factory in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
The cult and the credit union appear to be at the center of the ongoing investigation.
Yoo ran a cruise operator named Semo Marine until it went bankrupt in 1997. He was left with huge debts, however, he was able to found Chonghaejin Marine two years later, and set up a dozen more firms afterwards.
“His assets are now believed to be more than 240 billion won ($231 million),” another FSS official said. “We believe the cult was behind this successful business expansion. The credit union also appears to have played an important role.”
According to the prosecution, Yoo’s firms hired mostly the cult’s members and their sons and daughters. None of them have open recruitment programs.
Most of Sewol’s crewmembers, including the captain, Lee Joon-seok, are said to be members of the cult. Lee and a dozen other crewmembers were arrested for deserting the ship without taking measures to save the passengers.
The ferry sinking also prompted a broader probe into borrowing practices among ferry and cruise operators.
Chonghaejin Marine was able to borrow money from the KDB and other major banks when it bought used ships. KDB loaned some 10 billion won to the ferry firm.
“We are inspecting how the firm was able to receive such a large amount from the KDB,” the FSS official said.
The regulator is considering making it compulsory for banks to check passenger safety standards of ferry and cruise operators when they receive loan applications from them, the official said.
jj@ktimes.co.kr,
At least four banks, including the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), are also being examined for their loans to the ferry firm and its affiliates, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said Thursday.
Yoo allegedly used the money to expand his business empire which spans from media, construction and food to shipping. The other three banks are the Industrial Bank of Korea, Woori and Kyongnam.
“We are examining whether the credit union and the banks violated rules when they extended loans to Yoo’s firms,” an FSS official said, asking not to be named. “Particularly, the Semo Credit Union, was a key financing channel for his firms.”
The union’s major customers include Chonghaejin Marine, which operated the sunken ferry Sewol. The death toll from the tragedy rose to 171 with 131 still missing as of 4:00 p.m.
The FSS suspects the union also helped the 73-year-old owner create and operate a slush fund, estimated at tens of billions of won, and dodge taxes.
Earlier, the regulator said it was looking into dubious currency transactions among Yoo’s firms at home and abroad, and his overseas assets.
Yoo’s two sons are controlling a dozen firms through I-One-I Holdings. Yoo has no stake in the holding firm, but the prosecution claims he is the “real” owner.
On Wednesday, prosecutors raided Yoo’s home and the offices of a Christian cult, which he has allegedly used to attract funds and sell products. Yoo himself is a long-time member of the cult.
The religious group was involved in a mass suicide in 1987, in which 32 followers were found dead in a hidden garret in a factory in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
The cult and the credit union appear to be at the center of the ongoing investigation.
Yoo ran a cruise operator named Semo Marine until it went bankrupt in 1997. He was left with huge debts, however, he was able to found Chonghaejin Marine two years later, and set up a dozen more firms afterwards.
“His assets are now believed to be more than 240 billion won ($231 million),” another FSS official said. “We believe the cult was behind this successful business expansion. The credit union also appears to have played an important role.”
According to the prosecution, Yoo’s firms hired mostly the cult’s members and their sons and daughters. None of them have open recruitment programs.
Most of Sewol’s crewmembers, including the captain, Lee Joon-seok, are said to be members of the cult. Lee and a dozen other crewmembers were arrested for deserting the ship without taking measures to save the passengers.
The ferry sinking also prompted a broader probe into borrowing practices among ferry and cruise operators.
Chonghaejin Marine was able to borrow money from the KDB and other major banks when it bought used ships. KDB loaned some 10 billion won to the ferry firm.
“We are inspecting how the firm was able to receive such a large amount from the KDB,” the FSS official said.
The regulator is considering making it compulsory for banks to check passenger safety standards of ferry and cruise operators when they receive loan applications from them, the official said.
jj@ktimes.co.kr,
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