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2010 Human Rights Report: Republic of Korea
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The Republic of Korea (Korea or ROK) is a constitutional democracy governed by President Lee Myung-bak and a unicameral legislature. The country has a population of approximately 48 million. In 2008 the Grand National Party obtained a majority of National Assembly seats in a free and fair election. Security forces reported to civilian authorities.
The following human rights problems were reported: hazing of military personnel, imprisonment of conscientious objectors, the government's interpretation of laws regulating the Internet and telecommunications, and sexual and domestic violence.
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From:
a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life
There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
During the first six months of the year, there were 35 suicides among military personnel, 13 of which were cited as being caused by hazing, mistreatment, or an inability to adjust to military life. The Ministry of National Defense conducted independent investigations of these incidents and made no arrests. The ministry maintained a suicide prevention program.
b. Disappearance
There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
The law prohibits such practices, and there were no reports that government officials employed them.
During the year the Ministry of National Defense reported 22 hazing incidents resulting in physical injuries. Nine persons were indicted in these incidents. The ministry maintained a hazing prevention program.
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Prison and detention center conditions generally met international standards, and the government permitted monitoring visits by independent human rights observers.
The Ministry of Justice reported the total of number of prisoners at year's end was 45,681, of whom 2,375 were women and 430 were juveniles. Pretrial detainees generally are held at detention centers; when held at prisons, they are separated from the prisoners and are subject to looser restrictions on access to visitors and telephone use.
Prisoners and detainees had reasonable access to visitors and were permitted religious observance. Authorities permitted prisoners and detainees to submit complaints to judicial authorities without censorship and to request investigation of credible allegations of inhumane conditions. Authorities investigated credible allegations of inhumane conditions and documented the results of such investigations in a publicly accessible manner. The government investigated and monitored prison and detention center conditions.
Prisoners can petition the Ministry of Justice's Human Rights Violations Center or the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to make prison abuse claims. During the year 300 petitions were submitted to the justice minister, of which 64 were under investigation. Of the 67 filed with the Human Rights Violations Center, five resulted in findings of relief for the petitioners. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which maintains an office in Seoul, did not request prison visits during the year.
d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention
The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, and the government generally observed these prohibitions. However, the National Security Law grants authorities the power to detain, arrest, and imprison persons who commit acts that the government views as intended to endanger the "security of the state." Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to call for reform or repeal of the law, contending that its provisions do not define prohibited activity clearly. The Ministry of Justice maintained that the courts had established legal precedents for strict interpretation of the law that preclude arbitrary application.
During the year 32 persons were detained for violating the National Security Law; 26 were indicted, one had indictment delayed, one was dismissed, and four others were under investigation. Of those who were indicted, 14 were convicted and 12 were in trial proceedings.
In August authorities arrested a pastor for violating the National Security Law by travelling to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) without prior permission from the government. In December the pastor was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A secondary school teacher indicted in 2008 for violating the National Security Law by distributing banned material remained free on bail. The court heard oral arguments and indicated it would rule on the case in February 2011.
Four NGO members detained and charged in September 2008 with illegal contact with North Korean agents and distribution of North Korean press material for the purpose of exalting DPRK leader Kim Jong-il were convicted during the year. Two of the members were serving prison sentences, and the two others received suspended sentences and probation. All four appealed the sentences and filed a defamation claim against the government. In November a district court judge dismissed the defamation claim and stated that prosecutors did not release false information. The four appealed, and at year's end the case was pending before the Supreme Court.
Role of the Police and Security Apparatus
Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the Korean National Police Agency, and the government has effective mechanisms to investigate and punish abuse and corruption. There were no reports of impunity involving security forces during the year.
Arrest Procedures and Treatment While in Detention
The law requires warrants in cases of arrest, detention, seizure, or search, except if a person is apprehended while committing a criminal act or if a judge is not available and authorities believe that a suspect may destroy evidence or escape capture if not arrested quickly. In such cases a public prosecutor or police officer must prepare an affidavit of emergency arrest immediately upon apprehension of the suspect. Police may not interrogate for more than six hours a person who voluntarily submits to questioning at police stations. Authorities must release an arrested suspect within 20 days unless an indictment is issued. An additional 10 days of detention is allowed in exceptional circumstances.
There is a bail system. Human rights lawyers stated that authorities generally did not grant bail for detainees who were charged with committing serious offenses, might attempt to flee or harm a victim, or had no fixed address.
The law provides for the right to representation by an attorney, including during police interrogation. There are no restrictions on access to a lawyer, but authorities can limit a lawyer's participation in an interrogation if the lawyer obstructs the interrogation or divulges information that impedes an investigation. The courts respected a defendant's right to a lawyer. During the trial stage and, under certain circumstances, during the pretrial stage, an indigent detainee may request that the government provide a lawyer.
Access to family members during detention varied according to the severity of the crime under investigation. There were no reports of access to legal counsel being denied.
The Ministry of Justice reported that special amnesty was given to 2,735 persons during the year; 5,685 others who violated only administrative laws also received amnesty.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
The law provides for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence in practice.
Trial Procedures
The law provides defendants with a number of rights in criminal trials, including the presumption of innocence, protection against self-incrimination, the right to a speedy trial, the right of appeal, and freedom from retroactive laws and double jeopardy. Trials are open to the public, but judges may restrict attendance if they believe spectators might disrupt the proceedings. There is a public jury system, but jury verdicts are not legally binding. Court-appointed lawyers are provided by the government (at government expense) in cases where defendants cannot afford to provide their own legal counsel. When a person is detained, the initial trial must be completed within six months of arrest. Judges generally allowed considerable scope for the examination of witnesses by both the prosecution and the defense. Defendants have the right to be present and to consult with an attorney. They can confront or question witnesses against them, and they can present witnesses and evidence on their behalf. Defendants have access to relevant government-held evidence. The constitution provides for the right to a fair trial for all citizens, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right.
In August the Ministry of Justice added grand jury review to its criminal procedure and installed citizen prosecution commissions at all prosecutors' offices.
Political Prisoners and Detainees
The Ministry of Justice stated that no persons were incarcerated solely because of their political beliefs.
The law requires military service for all male citizens; it does not allow for conscientious objectors, who can receive a maximum three-year prison sentence. The Ministry of Justice noted that the law does not distinguish conscientious objectors from others who do not report for mandatory military service. The ministry reported that during the year there were 6,863 cases of Military Service Act violations, with 1,358 cases referred for trial and 5,505 cases settled out of court.
Watchtower International, a Jehovah's Witnesses organization, reported that in November there were 933 Jehovah's Witnesses members, along with approximately 30 others, serving an average of 18 months in prison for conscientious objection to military service. This number was more than double that of January 2009. Watchtower attributed the rise to the number of conscientious objectors who had delayed beginning prison terms, expecting the Ministry of National Defense to introduce an alternative service system for conscientious objectors. However, in 2009 the ministry reversed its earlier position and announced it would not pursue the introduction of an alternative service for conscientious objectors.
In November Watchtower declared it was monitoring 141 cases on appeal in the Supreme Court and nine cases before the Constitutional Court, two of which involved reservists. Constitutional Court rulings on the matter in 2002 and 2004 upheld the constitutionality of the law.
Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies
There is an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters, and there were no problems enforcing domestic court orders. Citizens had access to a court to bring lawsuits seeking damages for, or cessation of, a human rights violation. There are administrative and judicial remedies available for alleged wrongs.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence
The law prohibits such actions, and the government generally respected these prohibitions in practice. The law establishes conditions under which the government may monitor telephone calls, mail, and other forms of communication for up to two months in criminal investigations and four months in national security cases. According to a National Assembly audit, the number of court-approved wiretappings decreased from 799 in the first half of 2009 to 589 in the first half of 2010.
In September the Ministry of Justice indicted seven working-level officials from the Prime Minister's Office on charges of illegal civilian surveillance. The investigation found that the Public Official Ethics Unit within the Prime Minister's Office conducted surveillance on the former head of Kookmin Bank and known supporter of the previous administration, as well as on a National Assembly member and his wife. The ministry was widely criticized in the local media and by local NGOs for the passive manner in which the investigation was conducted. The investigation failed to reveal reasons for initiating the surveillance, additional records of surveillance, and involvement of any high-ranking officials in ordering the surveillance. In November the court convicted all seven officials and sentenced them to prison.
The government continued to require some released prisoners to report regularly to the police in accordance with the Security Surveillance Act.
The National Security Law forbids citizens from listening to DPRK radio programs in their homes or reading books published in the DPRK if the government determines that the action endangers national security or the basic order of democracy in the country. However, this prohibition was rarely enforced, and viewing DPRK satellite telecasts in private homes is legal.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
The law provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to ensure freedom of speech and of the press. The independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views generally without restriction. Under the National Security Law the government may limit the expression of ideas that praise or incite the activities of antistate individuals or groups.
In December the appeals court affirmed a district court's verdict of not guilty in the case of four producers and one writer from the Munwha Broadcasting Corporation's PD Notebook program. The five had been charged with spreading false rumors about the alleged health risks of eating U.S. beef. The prosecution appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
Internet Freedom
There were some government restrictions on access to the Internet and reports that the government monitored e-mail and Internet chat rooms.
According to 2008 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development data, 95 percent of households had access to the Internet through broadband connections. In addition to Internet access from home, public Internet rooms were widely available and inexpensive.
The government blocked violent, sexually explicit, and gambling-oriented Web sites and required site operators to rate their site as harmful or not to youth, based on telecommunications laws that ban Internet service providers from offering information considered harmful to youth. The government also continued to block DPRK Web sites and direct access to the DPRK's YouTube channel and Twitter account. While viewing Web sites praising the DPRK regime remained lawful, disseminating information about the Web sites, including posting links to the sites, is unlawful under the National Security Law.
In December the Constitutional Court struck down clause 1, article 47, of the Framework Act on Telecommunications as unconstitutional, ruling that the term "public interest" was too broad to meet the constitutional requirement of a clear definition. The article, which prohibited individuals from making false communication over the Internet with the intent to harm "public interest," had been used to indict individuals who posted allegedly misleading information about the prospects of financial markets, candlelight protests in 2008, and North Korea's attacks on a South Korean warship and Yeonpyeong Island during the year. Observers expected the case against 47 bloggers, including the blogger Minerva, who wrote more than 200 online postings criticizing the government's economic policies, to be dismissed as a result of this ruling.
In January 2009 the government expanded the Network Act, which requires identity verification in order to post messages on Web sites, to apply to all Web sites operating a domestic server with more than 100,000 visitors (previously set at 300,000) per day, thereby increasing the number of applicable sites from 37 to 167. A civic organization challenged the constitutionality of this act for infringing on freedom of expression. In July the Constitutional Court heard oral arguments but at year's end had not rendered a decision.
Academic Freedom and Cultural Events
There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
Freedom of Assembly
The law provides for freedom of assembly, and the government generally respected this right in practice. The law prohibits assemblies that are considered likely to undermine public order and requires police to be notified in advance of demonstrations of all types, including political rallies. Police must notify organizers if they consider an event impermissible under this law; however, police routinely approved demonstrations. The police reportedly banned some protests by groups that had not properly registered or that were responsible for violent protests in the past.
A law passed in September 2009 by the National Assembly prohibiting public gatherings between sunset and sunrise became invalid when the National Assembly failed to revise it by June, as instructed by the Constitutional Court.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that none of the 24 riot police officers accused of excessive violence during the 2008 beef protests were arrested. In May three were fined, two were assessed fines of one million won (approximately $885) each, and one was assessed a fine of a half-million won ($440).
Freedom of Association
The law provides for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right in practice. Associations operated freely, except those seeking to overthrow the government.
c. Freedom of Religion
For a description of religious freedom, please see the Department of State's 2010 International Religious Freedom Report at //2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/irf/rpt/index.htm.
d. Freedom of Movement, Internally Displaced Persons, Protection of Refugees, and Stateless Persons
Citizens could generally move freely throughout the country; however, government officials restricted the movement of certain DPRK defectors by denying them passports. In many cases travelers going to the DPRK must receive a briefing from the Ministry of Unification prior to departure. They must also demonstrate that their trip does not have a political purpose and is not undertaken to praise the DPRK or criticize the ROK government.
The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in assisting internally displaced persons, refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other persons of concern.
The law does not include provisions for forced exile, and the government did not employ it.
Protection of Refugees
The country's law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. In practice the government provided protection against the expulsion or return of refugees to countries where their lives or freedom would be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
The government did not routinely grant refugee status or asylum. Government guidelines provide for offering temporary refugee status in the case of a mass influx of asylum seekers and an alternative form of protection--a renewable, short-term permit--to those who meet a broader definition of "refugee." In May 2009 the Ministry of Justice increased its staff reviewing refugee applications. The average processing time for refugee applications decreased from 42 months in March 2008 to 12 months in January 2010. In November the refugee adjudication authority moved from the ministry's headquarters to the Seoul Immigration Office, streamlining the bureaucratic procedures and providing better access to translators available at the Seoul office. During the year the government approved 47 applications for refugee status and rejected 168 applicants.
Those granted refugee status are given resident status with employment authorization. They are provided with basic living expenses and medical expenses if their income falls below the poverty line. In May the NHRC provided consultation service to refugees. In March, for the first time, a non-DPRK refugee became a Korean citizen. The government also provided temporary humanitarian protection to 43 persons who may not qualify as refugees.
The government continued its longstanding policy of accepting refugees from the DPRK, who are entitled to citizenship in the ROK. The government resettled 1,407 DPRK refugees in the first six months of the year. In July the Ministry of Unification signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Bar Association to provide legal assistance to the refugees. In September the ministry opened the DPRK Refugee Support Foundation to help defectors adjust to life in the ROK.
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government
The law provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right in practice through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage for all citizens 19 years of age or older.
Elections and Political Participation
National Assembly elections held in April 2008 were free and fair.
Both the majority and the various minority political parties operated without restriction or outside interference.
In general elections, 50 percent of each party's candidates on the proportional ballot must be women, and 30 percent of each party's geographical candidates are recommended to be women. At year's end there were 45 women in the 299-seat National Assembly, with one of 18 National Assembly committees chaired by a woman. One of 13 Supreme Court justices and two of 15 cabinet ministers were women.
There were no members of minority groups in the National Assembly.
Section 4 Official Corruption and Government Transparency
The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, and the government implemented the law effectively. There were reports of officials receiving bribes and violating election laws. According to the Ministry of Justice, as of November 481 government officials had been prosecuted for abuse of authority, bribery, embezzlement or misappropriation, and falsification of official documents. In the National Assembly, as of November one member was in detention and another was on trial for misappropriation and other criminal charges.
By law public servants above a certain rank must register their assets, including how they were accumulated, thereby making their holdings public. Several government agencies are responsible for combating government corruption, including the Board of Audit and Inspection, which monitors government expenditures, and the Public Service Ethics Committee, which monitors civil servant financial disclosures and financial activities. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission manages public complaints and administrative appeals on corrupt government practices. In the first half of the year, the commission logged more than 1,500 corrupt government practice claims. The commission also evaluates "good governance and cleanliness" of public organizations and expanded the number of organizations under its purview to 712, compared with 478 in 2009.
The country has a Freedom of Information Act, and in practice the government granted access for citizens and noncitizens alike, including foreign media.
Section 5 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights
A wide variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Government officials were cooperative and responsive to their views. The government also was cooperative with international organizations. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay and UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression Frank La Rue visited in May.
The NHRC is an independent government body established to protect and promote human rights; it has no enforcement powers, and its decisions are not binding. The NHRC investigates complaints, issues policy recommendations, and conducts education campaigns.
In December the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea disbanded after five years of examining more than 10,000 petitions alleging wrongful civilian deaths caused by military and law enforcement authorities from the time of Japanese colonial rule in the early 1900s, the Korean War, and democracy movement crackdowns from the late 1950s to the 1980s. In its final report, the commission presented its findings on 86 percent of the incidents and deemed the others unverifiable. In many cases the commission refrained from assigning culpability because of difficulty in judging incomplete accounts of past incidents using present-day standards.
Section 6 Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons
The law forbids discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, disability, social status, and race, and the government effectively enforced it.
The law criminalizes rape. Although there is no specific statute that defines spousal rape as illegal, the courts have established a precedent by convicting spouses in such cases. The penalty for rape is at least three years in prison; if a weapon is used or two or more persons commit the rape, punishment ranges from a minimum of five years' to life imprisonment. During the year the minimum prison sentence for rape or sexual assault increased from five years to seven and from three years to five, respectively, when the perpetrator is a relative of the victim.
The Ministry of Justice stated that there were 18,985 reports of rape or sexual violence during the year, resulting in the indictment of 8,385 suspects. In 2009 there were 8,746 reports and 3,858 prosecutions.
The law defines domestic violence as a serious crime and enables authorities to order offenders to stay away from victims for up to six months. Offenders can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and fined up to seven million won ($6,190). Offenders also may be placed on probation or ordered to see court-designated counselors. The law requires police to respond immediately to reports of domestic violence, and they were generally responsive. During the year the Justice Ministry registered 4,363 cases of domestic violence, resulting in 551 indictments.
The law obligates companies and organizations to take preventive measures against sexual harassment, and the government enforced the law effectively. Civil remedies are generally available for sexual harassment claims. At public institutions, administrative remedies are also available. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) conducts an annual survey on sexual violence, and its study during the year found that approximately 2.4 percent of women said they were victims of sexual harassment. The ministry provides sexual harassment prevention training to approximately 15,000 public institutions and reports to the National Assembly annually. In September an assembly member was expelled from his party for making remarks that could be interpreted as sexual harassment to a group of female university students.
The law allows couples and individuals to decide freely the number, spacing, and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so free from discrimination. Access to contraception and maternal health services, including skilled attendance during childbirth, prenatal care, and essential obstetric and postpartum care, were widely available. According to the MOGEF, the estimated maternal mortality rate in the year was 10.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. Women were equally diagnosed and treated for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Women enjoy the same legal rights under the constitution as men. The law permits a woman to head a household, recognizes a wife's right to a portion of a couple's property, and allows a woman to maintain contact with her children after a divorce. The law also allows a remarried woman to change her children's family name to her new husband's name.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) reported that labor participation of women between the ages of 15 and 64 in 2008 was at 54.7 percent. To increase participation of women, the ministry maintained employment-training centers for women at 72 locations to provide job assistance to women, especially those with gaps in their employment history. The ministry also maintained an affirmative action program for public institutions with 50 or more employees and private institutions with 500 or more employees; the program requires institutions that fail to maintain a female workforce that is at least 60 percent that of the average of relevant occupations to comply with a hiring plan devised by the ministry. The ministry reported that the size of the workforce composed of women had increased. It also noted that as of July women filled approximately 42 percent of newly created jobs and made up more than 45 percent of the newly hired workforce.
The number of women in entry-level civil service positions and new diplomatic positions continued to increase. However, women continued to experience a pay gap, since a higher percentage of working women tended to fill lower-paying, low-skilled contract jobs. An MOEL study published in December found that women earned 66 percent as much as men in hourly wages and 62.5 percent when job benefits were included. A September MOGEF study revealed that only 25 percent of working mothers in their 20s and 30s had used extended maternity leave. The law penalizes companies found to discriminate against women in hiring and promotions. A company found guilty of practicing sexual discrimination can be fined up to approximately five million won ($4,420).
Citizenship is based on parentage, which requires that either the mother or the father be a citizen of the country at the time of birth. Citizenship is also given in circumstances where parentage is unclear if a person is stateless. The government allows all persons to benefit from public services, regardless of birth registration, if they are legal residents. There were no reports of a denial of public services due to a lack of proper birth registration.
As of September a total of 6,910 child abuse cases were reported to the Ministry for Health and Welfare. The ministry's Child Protection Center intervened in 4,017 of the cases, 91of which involved abuses in orphanages and childcare facilities. The ministry maintained shelters that provided protection, counseling, and treatment services to the victims of child abuse.
In June high-profile cases of sex offenses against minors prompted the government to raise the minimum prison sentence from seven to 10 years for rape and five to seven years for other sexual assaults involving a minor 13 years of age or younger. Other changes to the law included extending the statute of limitations for another 10 years in cases with DNA or other scientific evidence and expanding the information disclosed on a sexual offender's registry. The MOGEF maintained 10 centers that provided counseling, treatment, and legal assistance to child victims of sexual violence.
The country is not a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. For information on international parental child abduction, please see the Department of State's annual report on compliance at http://travel.state.gov/abduction/resources/congressreport/congressreport_4308.html as well as country-specific information at http://travel.state.gov/abduction/country/country_3781.html.
There is a small Jewish population consisting almost entirely of expatriates. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts.
Trafficking in Persons
For information on trafficking in persons, please see the Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report at 2009-2017.state.gov/j/tip.
Persons with Disabilities
The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or the provision of other state services or other areas, and the government effectively enforced the law. The government effectively implemented laws and programs to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to buildings, information, and communications. The law establishes penalties for deliberate discrimination of up to three years in prison and 30 million won ($26,535). The government, through the Ministry of Health and Welfare, continued to implement a comprehensive set of policies that included encouraging public and private buildings and facilities to provide barrier-free access, providing part-time employment, and employing a task force to introduce a long-term care system. The government operated a national rehabilitation research center to increase opportunities and access for persons with disabilities.
Firms with more than 50 employees are required by law to hire persons with disabilities, and firms with more than 100 employees are required to contribute to funds used to promote the employment of persons with disabilities if they fail to hire persons with disabilities up to a certain percentage of their workforce. In July the government began providing financial assistance to low-income persons with severe disabilities. In 2009 the government raised the target percentage of the workforce at relevant public institutions from 2 to 3 percent and at relevant private companies from 2 to 2.3 percent. At the end of 2009, the percentage of the workforce composed of persons with disabilities was at 1.86 percent at firms with more than 50 employees, compared with 1.35 percent in 2006.
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The country has long prided itself on its racial homogeneity, but its growing ethnic minority population passed the 1.2 million mark in midyear. To meet the projected growth in ethnic minorities due to the increasing number of migrant workers and foreign brides, the MOGEF and MOEL initiated various programs to increase public awareness of cultural diversity and to assist foreign workers, wives, and multicultural families to adjust to life in the country.
The local media reported some violence against foreigners, including a man with a mental disability killing his foreign bride, leading to a swift government crackdown on illegal matchmaking agencies. Other incidents appeared to be isolated in nature. Local NGOs and the media also reported that North Korean refugees, although supported through government-funded resettlement programming, faced discrimination.
Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The law that installed the NHRC prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gives the NHRC the authority to review cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation. During the year the NHRC received six cases of alleged discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons but did not find merit in any of the cases. There are no specific laws punishing or providing remedy to victims of discrimination or violence against LGBT persons. The Ministry of Justice reported the equality principles under article 11 of the constitution apply to LGBT persons. The government punished perpetrators of violence against LGBT persons according to the law.
Societal discrimination against LGBT persons persisted. In June the Constitutional Court heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of the military code of conduct prohibiting consensual homosexual relationship between military personnel. At year's end the court had not issued a ruling.
Other Societal Violence or Discrimination
Some observers claimed that persons with HIV/AIDS suffered from societal discrimination and social stigma. The law protects the confidentiality of persons with HIV/AIDS and protects them from discrimination.
The NHRC reported there were 577 employment discrimination cases filed during the year. A total of 104 complaints alleged age discrimination, and the NHRC recommended remedy in three of the cases.
Section 7 Worker Rights
a. The Right of Association
The law provides workers with the right to associate freely and allows public servants to organize unions. In January the labor law was amended to authorize union pluralism starting in July 2011. The new law is intended to allow multiple unions to form at a single enterprise but permit only a single negotiation channel with management. Amid competition among labor unions to gain bargaining rights, workers would have more options for selecting a labor union, resulting in overall improvement of union services.
The ratio of organized labor in the entire population of wage earners in 2009 was approximately 10 percent. There are two national labor federations, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), and an estimated 4,689 labor unions. The KCTU and the FKTU were affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Most of the FKTU's constituent unions maintained affiliations with international union federations. The MOEL reported that approximately 1.6 million of the country's 16.6 million workers were union members.
The government recognized a range of other labor federations, including independent white-collar federations representing hospital workers, journalists, and office workers at construction firms and government research institutes. Labor federations not formally recognized by the MOEL generally operated without government interference.
The law bans education workers from engaging in certain political activities, such as joining a political party or openly endorsing a political party or candidate. Offenders can serve up to one year in jail and be fined a maximum of 3.6 million won ($3,185). In June and July 2009, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTEWU) launched two rounds of antigovernment petitions. The Seoul District Prosecution Service indicted 159 KTEWU members for violating the Educational Workers Labor Union Act banning certain political activities. Cases were heard at multiple district courts depending on the domiciles of the indicted teachers. The courts made conflicting rulings, and at year's end all cases were pending before various appellate courts. Meanwhile, the superintendent of the Gyeonggi provincial education office who postponed punishing the teachers per the order from Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology was acquitted by both the district and appellate courts in a breach of duty indictment brought against him by the Suwon District Prosecution Service.
The right to strike is provided for in law but limited in certain circumstances. By law unions must submit a request for mediation to the Labor Relations Commission before a strike; otherwise, the strike is illegal. In most cases the mediation must be completed within 10 days; in the case of essential services, within 15 days. Strikes initiated following this period without majority support from union membership are illegal. Striking also is prohibited in cases in which a dispute has been referred to binding arbitration. The law includes a list of essential sectors prohibited from striking that goes beyond international standards. Among the workers employed at major defense corporations subject to the Defense Industry Act, those working in the areas of electricity generation, water supply, or production of defense products are not allowed to strike. In addition, if striking employees resort to violence, unlawful occupation of premises, or damaging of facilities, their actions are deemed illegal. Strikes not specifically pertaining to labor conditions, including wages, benefits, and working hours, are also illegal. The constitution and the Labor Relations Act provide workers the right to strike and exempt them from legal responsibility in the case of a legal strike; however, workers who use violence or participate in illegal activities can be prosecuted under the criminal code on charges of "obstruction of business." The ITUC reported that this charge was used to detain hundreds of trade unionists and criminalize basic union activities. Striking workers can be removed by police from the premises, and, along with union leaders, prosecuted and sentenced. The law prohibits retribution against workers who conduct a legal strike and allows workers to file complaints of unfair labor practices against employers. The MOEL reported that in the first eight months there were 55 strikes, in which 30,623 workers participated.
In May the appeals court affirmed a lower court's conviction of then-KCTU president Lee Suk-haeng related to his role in organizing a general strike in 2008 and increased his sentence from two to four years in prison.
The law prohibits retribution against workers who conduct a legal strike and allows workers to file complaints of unfair labor practices against employers.
Strikes are prohibited for central and local government officials.
b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
The law provides for the right to collective bargaining, and workers exercised this right in practice. The law also empowers workers to file complaints of unfair labor practices against employers who interfere with union organizing or who discriminate against union members. The National Labor Relations Commission can require employers found guilty of unfair practices to reinstate workers fired for union activities.
The law permits public servants to organize trade unions and bargain collectively, although it restricts the public service unions from collective bargaining on topics such as budgetary and policy-making matters.
Workers in export processing zones (EPZs) have the rights enjoyed by workers in other sectors, and labor organizations are permitted in the EPZs. However, foreign companies operating in the EPZs are exempt from some labor regulations, including provisions that mandate paid leave, obligate companies with more than 50 persons to recruit persons with disabilities for at least 2 percent of their workforce, encourage companies to reserve 3 percent of their workforce for workers over 55 years of age, and restrict large companies from participating in certain business categories.
c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children, and there were no reports that such practices occurred.
d. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment
The law provides protections to children from exploitation in the workplace, and the government effectively enforced this law through regular inspections. Child labor was not considered a problem.
The Labor Standards Act prohibits the employment of persons under age 15 without an authorization certificate from the MOEL. Because education is compulsory through middle school (approximately age 15), few such certificates were issued for full-time employment. To obtain employment, children under age 18 must obtain written approval from either parents or guardians. Employers must limit minors' overtime hours and are prohibited from employing minors at night without special permission from the MOEL.
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The minimum wage is reviewed annually. Although the employment and labor minister has the authority to set the minimum wage, the proposed minimum wage is reviewed and approved by the Minimum Wage Council formed by representatives from labor, business, and government. During the year the minimum wage was set at 4,110 won ($3.64) per hour, which was a 2.75 percent increase over 2009 and equal to the increase in the minimum cost of living.
Persons working in the financial/insurance industry, publicly invested companies, state corporations, and companies with more than 20 employees are required to receive premium pay for work in excess of 40 hours per week. The labor law requires employers to allow 30 minutes' rest in a four-hour work period and one hour's rest in an eight-hour work period, to be taken within the work period. It also allows a flexible work hours system under which employers can require laborers to work up to 48 hours during certain weeks without paying overtime so long as average weekly work hours for any given two-week period do not exceed 40 hours (and 52 hours during certain weeks without paying overtime so long as average weekly work hours for any given three-month period do not exceed 40 hours). If mutually agreed, management may ask employees to work up to 56 regular hours in a given week. Workers may work more than 12 hours per day in overtime during a workweek if both the employer and the employee agree. The Labor Standards Act also provides for a 50 percent higher wage for overtime.
The government sets health and safety standards, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) is responsible for monitoring industry adherence to these standards. KOSHA conducts inspections both proactively according to regulations and reactively in response to complaints. It also provides technical assistance to resolve deficiencies discovered during inspections. KOSHA reports on its Web site descriptions of and statistics on work-related injuries and fatalities on a quarterly basis. In the first six months of the year, there were 48,066 work-related accidents and 1,028 fatalities, which were a 6.3 percent increase and 2.9 percent decrease, respectively, from the same period in 2009. KOSHA provided training and subsidies to improve work safety and reduce work-related accidents. Its services were extended to the migrant workers, since its training modules and materials were available in 10 languages and disseminated to various worksites.
Contract and other "nonregular" workers accounted for a substantial portion of the workforce. The MOEL reported that as of August there were approximately 5.7 million nonregular workers, composing approximately 33.3 percent of the total workforce. The MOEL reported that in 2009 nonregular workers performed work similar to regular workers but received approximately 84 percent of the wages of regular workers.
The law on nonregular workers allows companies with more than 300 workers to use temporary worker contracts valid for a maximum of two years.
There were 513,621 foreign workers (465,302 legal and 48,319 illegal) residing in the country at year's end, 220,319 of whom were admitted under the Employment Permit System (EPS). The government implemented a variety of social services and legal precedents to address complaints about the working conditions of foreigners. During the year the MOEL provided training on the EPS to employers hiring foreign workers. The ministry continued programs implemented in 2009 for foreign workers to ease the difficulties of living and working in the country, including free legal advice programs, free translation services, health checkups in their native language, and the establishment of several "human rights protection centers for foreigners."
The government continued to use the EPS to increase protections and controls on foreign workers while easing the labor shortage in the manufacturing, construction, and agricultural sectors. Through the EPS, permit holders may work only in certain industries and have limited job mobility, but they generally enjoy the same rights and privileges as citizens. Foreign workers are limited in their freedom to change jobs. In 2009 the EPS law was amended to provide better protection to foreign workers. The amendments allow more flexibility in the length of contracts, ensure that job changes that are not the fault of the worker are excluded from their three allowable job changes, and permit the worker to change employers if the working conditions are deemed different from the contract terms. Unless the Ministry of Justice grants an extension on humanitarian grounds, workers lose their legal status if they lose their job and do not find a new employer within three months.
NGOs and local media reported that irregular workers were at a greater risk for discrimination because of their status and that foreign laborers sometimes faced physical abuse and exploitation from employers. The NGO Korea Migrant Center received reports of abuse of female entertainment visa holders.
The MOEL reported that foreign workers filed 4,646 complaints related to unpaid wages during the year.


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Having spent the summer of 1993 on a student placement in a gravitational wave lab, I am finding it very hard to stay calm about the rumours that we may have finally detected gravitational waves. Whispers from a few months ago have built to excited headlines this week that LIGO may have detected gravitational waves produced by the merger of two black holes.
We've poked and prodded our contacts in the field but they don't want to comment at this stage – although it seems the rumours are solid and the scientists themselves are getting quite excited. We'll just have to be patient and wait for the LIGO team to analyse their data, which, to be fair, they only finished collecting yesterday. Stay tuned for an announcement over the coming months. And while you're waiting, you can read, watch and listen to some of our favourite physicists talking about black holes and gravitational waves.
What is a black hole? — One of the strangest prediction of general relativity is that the Universe contains black holes. We asked cosmologist Pau Figueras everything you've ever wanted to know about them. Read the articles (What is a black hole – physically? and What is a black hole – mathematically?), listen to the podcasts or watch the video!
How does gravity work? — We explore Newton's gravity, Einstein's gravity and the ripples in space-time called gravitational waves.
What is general relativity? — Physicist David Tong explains the theory and the equation that expresses it. Watch the video or read the article!
Catching waves with Kip Thorne — What happens when one black hole meets another? Kip Thorne shows us how to eavesdrop on these cosmic events by watching for telltale gravitational waves.
I do hope gravity waves have been detected. I'm excited too about the 'LISA' (?) space detector project. I am wondering if the rings of Saturn could be used to detect them. Would not a wave traveling thru them cause a ripple in them detectable by some system, laser beam or whatever.
Thank you,
Jim Oss,
Wa Keeney, Kansas

subset: commoncrawl


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Oh Mr. Colson, it's not like we put you on a presidential Enemies List or anything. Because we'd never do something like that. And you?
"Culture warrior" Chuck Colson thinks he's directing a one-two punch at this here website for pointing out the truth about both the Manhattan Declaration and Chick-Fil-A. But in fact, he's obliterating a basic understanding of the First Amendment. Listen in:
(← click to play audio clip)
[SOURCE: Chuck Colson's Breakpoint]
Okay, so first and foremost: Corporate decision-making is not the same thing as government censorship. Not even a little bit. It's common for folks to confuse the two, but it's never right to do so (even if it's far-right to do so).
But even if it were the same thing, what about our speech? All this site and its writer initially did in terms of the Manhattan Declaration app was simply note that the app was in the iTunes store and show some anti-intellectual screen caps from the app's included quiz. From there, the situation played out as these situations do, with others reacting, and some calling for the app's removal. Apple could've ignored the situation, had there been no merit to it. But based on the speech and expression that folks who care about LGBT inclusions presented to the public, Apple determined that this app failed to meet its bar of approval. Americans don't have an inherent right to be downloaded!
Which then brings to Chick-Fil-A, another conversation that began right here on this site. Mr. Colson says of the situation:
But don't think those activists will stop at the Manhattan Declaration. They are on the lookout for any organization that dares to oppose so-called "same-sex marriage." Just last week, homosexual bloggers squawked that the Pennsylvania Family Institute was sponsoring what they called an "anti-gay," "anti-equality" conference; and worse yet, that a prominent food chain, Chick-fil-A, was a co-sponsor. Of course, the conference was no such thing. The conference's title is "The Art of Marriage, Getting to God's Design."
I happen to know the founder of Chick-fil-A—Truett Cathy—a wonderful, outstanding Christian businessman. Why should they be bashed for supporting a good thing—promoting healthy marriages?
More and more, the forces of political correctness and intolerance are seeking to ban Christian beliefs and Christian speech from the public square. And they are targeting corporations and the media to enforce stringent sanctions against what they deem to be politically incorrect speech.
Well again, while it's convenient to his agenda to suggest that we "squawked," all we did in the beginning of the Chick/PFI situation was simply SHOW THE FLYER ISSUED BY PFI ITSELF! That's it. Period. From there, PFI had every right to proudly stand by their flyer -- but they didn't so that. Instead, they abruptly changed it without making any note as to why (which of course raised everyone's suspicions).
And as for Chick-Fil-A corporate: They, just like all proudly pro-equality companies, had every single right to say exactly what Mr. Colson suggests: "So what -- why should we be bashed for supporting a good thing—promoting healthy marriages?" But that is not what they chose to do! Instead, the company worked to distance itself from PFI's claimed sponsorship through a series of delayed, uncomprehensive responses. Perhaps their distance is because we showed that the national organization behind the PFI event, Family Life, has all kinds of anti-LGBT/pro-"ex-gay" material on its website, or perhaps it's for some other reason. Whatever the case, it was their own corporate choice.
And then of course from that initial PFI thing, we found all kinds of data that further demonstrated the company's connection to the larger anti-equality movement. Connection to NOM affiliate The Ruth Institute. A yearly marriage seminar featuring folks like Focus on the Family president Jim Daly, Prop 8 proponent witness David Blankenhorn, NOM chairperson Maggie Gallagher, and Jennifer Roback Morse from the aforementioned Ruth Institute. So far Chick-Fil-A has not publicly acknowledged these other things that we turned up. That being the case, let us get ahead of this one and say: If Chick-Fil-A stands by their marriage seminar that comes with an undeniable agenda against gays' own unions, then that is 100% their right as Americans. ALL WE HAVE DONE IS MESSAGE ON THE SUBJECT! If they think the message makes them look bad, for whatever reason, then that is NOT on us!
The main problem, as we see it, is that folks like Mr. Colson just cannot (or at least will not) see their movement for what it is. Below this post, you will find all sorts of data about the Manhattan Declaration and its signers. But people like Colson will never acknowledge any of it, instead working the "it's simply a good, decent, Christian document" lines. The same goes for things like the Southern Poverty Law Center's "hate groups" list, with the usual suspects attacking SPLC rather than acknowledging the eye-openers turned up in SPLC's work. And the same concept holds for situations like the Chick-Fil-A one, with Mr. Colson not realizing that it's in no way reassuring for equality activists to hear the pickled bun company and its top dogs have support from him, someone who has quite literally compared hurt, soul-numbed Prop protestors to "Bull Conner" and Nazi thugs", and who refers to marriage equality as "Cultural Armageddon" (see below for both quotes).
If Mr. Colson and his fellows would take a little bit more responsibility for what they dish, then they might not be so astounded when the marketplace of ideas determines it's their turn to take it. And that is exactly what this is: The marketplace determining what ideas are good for business, good for maintaining peace, and good for America. "Strengthening marriage" of course sounds good. "Pro-family values" of course sound good. It's when the far-right's refused honesty comes into play that the house of cards collapses and millions of LGBT people see their equal rights as tax-paying American citizens buried under the rubble. We will never apologize for pulling back that curtain.
*SEE ALSO: About that Enemies List, which quite literally sought to use government intimidation to silence speech.
*SEE ALSO: The nine pages of Christian apps that the supposedly "anti-religion" Apple does include in its store.
*SEE ALSO: The actual reasons why a company like Apple might want to stay away from the Manhattan Declaration:
(A) The Manhattan Declaration publicly and proudly touts signatures from Scott "the gay movement is a nuclear bomb" Lively, someone who this year earned considerable attention for his belief that the Uganda "kill gays" bill is a "step in the right direction."
(B) Two other people listed on the Manhattan Declaration's "Religious leader's [sic] signatories" list are Peter Akinola, a man who says "homosexuality does violence to nature", and Rev. Emmanuel Musaba Kolini, who has referred to homosexuality as "moral genocide."
(C) Major Declaration backer Tony Perkins has come right out and said the document represents "a struggle between good and evil." Hint: We're not the ones he puts in the "good"category:
Perkins.mpg [YT user: ptrvns47]
(D) Five SPLC-designated hate groups (Traditional Values Coalition, Abiding Truth Ministries, American Family Association, Family Research Council, Watchmen on the Walls) have at least one associate on one of the two signatories lists. Now, of course the "pro-family" folks are all attacking the SPLC as being agenda-driven and therefore without credence. But not a one of them has even attempted to (much less succeeded at) refuting the documented claims that got these groups on the highly selective list. Which is particularly odd, considering it'd be in the outraged non-listees' interests to note that SPLC does make careful distinctions. But I digress.
(E) The most major voice behind the Declaration, Chuck Colson, has all kinds of nasty, hurtful comments on the record that more than belie NOM's "reasonable and civil debate" claims. Like the time Chuck warned about gays' marriages leading to "Cultural Armageddon," for instance:
Or when he compared Manhattan Declaration supporters' mission as constituting "non-cooperation with evil," for another:
"This kind of principled non-cooperation with evil won't be easy—there are signs of a reduced tolerance for that most basic of American values, religious freedom. As we've discussed many times on BreakPoint, Christian organizations are losing tax-exempt status for refusing to buy in to homosexual "marriage." Some are going out of business rather than cave into immoral demands—such as placing children for adoption with homosexual couples. Conscientious medical personnel are being sued or being fired for obeying their consciences.
I say, enough is enough. The Church must take a stand. And with the release of the Manhattan Declaration, that's exactly what we are doing."
The Manhattan Declaration
Or perhaps our favorite: The time when Chuckles admitted just how he sees the tens of thousands of soul-crushed people who took to the streets in the national, almost entirely peaceful protests against Proposition 8
"When I watched the violence on television, memories came back of earlier generations of thugs: Bull Conner, who, with the help of brutal cops, used violence and intimidation to chase African Americans out of the public square. Or roving gangs of Nazi brownshirts who ruled the streets of Germany during Hitler's rise to power. Do opponents of Proposition 8 who attacked Mormons and their churches think they're any better than Bull Conner, or nicer than Nazi thugs? I don't." [SOURCE]
Civil, huh?
(F) The app in question was also offensive to "reasonable and civil debate" on a purely intellectual level, with the in-app survey pretending to query users on their support for marriage equality and reproductive choice, but then proceeding to tell them they were just plain incorrect if they fell out of evangelical lock-step. If we want to talk about 1984, let's start with this "agree with us or else" survey.
(G) The Declaration repeats (as did the app) the oft-bastardized claim:
"In New Jersey, after the establishment of a quasi-marital "civil unions" scheme, a Methodist institution was stripped of its tax exempt status when it declined, as a matter of religious conscience, to permit a facility it owned and operated to be used for ceremonies blessing homosexual unions."
The reality is that the church pavilion was receiving a SPECIAL tax benefit under the Green Acres tax-exemption. This tax break was always a bonus -- a privilege bestowed upon eligible non-profits that open their private lands and/or accommodations up for public usage. Public, as in ALL of the public, not some. And since LGBT people are part of New Jersey's public and civil unions are the law, A PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION MUST EITHER ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC OR STOP RECEIVING THESE KINDS OF PUBLIC HANDOUTS! A church can ABSOLUTELY keep gay couples from marrying in their own pavilion. However, they cannot receive special state, federal, and local tax breaks if they are going to pick and choose which kinds of couples are allowed to use the pavilion! In this NJ case, they still received the tax-exemption for the rest of their properties, which weren't found to be in violation. But the pavilion in question was acting outside the rules for this particular state program.
(H) The Declaration refers to gays who are seeking civil fairness as really seeking "a right to engage in immoral sexual practices."
(I) need not say more. Apple is not the American government with the power to stifle free speech -- it is a company with its own right to make its own decisions. The technology behemoth pulled the app not because they or gays are out to shut down speech, but rather because gay activists gave attention and light to the offenses contained within the app and larger Declaration, and Apple saw fit to make a corporate decision that led to the app's removal. The merits (or lack thereof) are what did the Declaration supporters in.
But of course, yet again, these same supporters take no responsibility for what they have said and done, since the victim strategy makes them seem so much more sympathetic. Or so they think.


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Scope Of Practice
Decision Making Model
As changes occur in the structure of agencies, technology, issues, and programs, nurses often ask the question, "Is this within my scope of practice?" The answer to the question is not simple. Basic parameters of the scope of practice are defined by basic licensure preparation and advanced education. There is not a list of specific tasks, functions, or responsibilities nurses may or may not do. If there were such a list, it would need to be limited to the minimal skills every nurse must possess when they graduate.
As the profession of nursing evolves and technology changes, all licensed nurses continue to share a common base of responsibility and accountability that is defined as the practice of nursing. In addition, nurses who are actively practicing are expected to keep current and increase their skills and expertise. This may be achieved by continuing formal education, in-services, reading professional journals, or other educational opportunities. Therefore, the scope of practice of individual nurses may vary according to the type of basic preparation, practice experiences, and professional development. Each nurse is responsible, both professionally and legally, for determining his or her own personal scope of practice.
When deciding if a task falls within their scope of practice, the nurse has several options. The nurse can decide to accept the assignment, making the nurse legally accountable for its performance. Or, the nurse may learn the skills required for the new task. If the decision is made to learn new skills, the nurse will need to notify their employer that they need additional education to be competent, and make sure there is documentation in their personnel file validating this additional education. The third option is to refuse to perform the task. If this decision is made, it is important for the nurse to document the concerns for patient safety, as well as the process that was followed to inform the employer. The nurse should be aware that if the employer requires a task to be performed that the nurse is uncomfortable with and even if the nurse has legitimate concerns, the employer has the legal right to initiate employee disciplinary action.
To help nurses make decisions about scope of practice, the Missouri State Board of Nursing has adopted the Scope of Practice Decision Making Model. This tool allows the nurse to use their judgment, skill and knowledge to determine if they may perform an activity according to acceptable and prevailing standards of nursing. Click here to view the tool. This tool will help nurses make informed decisions about their scope of practice.
Adapted from Missouri State Board of Nursing Newsletter, Volume 8 No. 1, February, March, April 2006
Return to Table of Contents


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Car Safety
- About Auto Theft
- How To Give a Thief a Hard Time
- Anti-Auto Theft Programs
- Auto Theft Security Devices
- Car Alarms
- If Your Car Does Get Stolen While On Campus
- Additional Tips
About Auto Theft
- A professional car thief can open a locked car, remove what they want and get away in a matter of seconds. Fortunately, most car thieves rely on the carelessness of their victims. Security-conscious drivers lose less than those who are careless.
- According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, most cars are stolen because they are easy to steal. Eighty percent of all cars stolen last year were unlocked at the time. A significant number of automobiles are stolen because drivers fail to remove ignition keys. Believe it or not, forty percent actually had the keys in the ignition.
- Auto theft crimes most often take place at night and are committed by young males. Top spots for auto theft include malls, apartment complexes, stores, churches, and office buildings. No matter where you are, you are always at risk.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) lists the Top 10 Cars Stolen in New York are as follows:
- 2018 Honda Accord
- 2020 Honda CR-V
- 2016 Toyota Camry
- 2020 Honda Civic
- 2019 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
- 2020 Nissan Altima
- 2006 Ford Econoline E350
- 2006 Ford Econoline E250
- 2021 Toyota Corolla
- 2019 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
How To Give a Thief a Hard Time
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recommends the following precautions:
- Park in a well-lighted area.
- Close all windows and lock all doors.
- Activate any theft deterrent device you may have.
- Put packages or valuables out of sight: cellular phones, radios, CD's, tape players, tape and cassette decks and laptop computers, and even your schoolbooks (you know how expensive they are) and other expensive items.
- If you park in a commercial lot, leave only the ignition key with the attendant.
- Do not keep license, registration, or title in the car. If left in the car, thieves can use these documents to sell your car, or to impersonate you when police challenge them. Owners who indiscriminately leave keys, registration, and other identifiable material in their vehicles may return to their residence only to find that they are the victims of a burglary.
- If you have a garage, use it. Lock both the vehicle and the garage.
Anti-Auto Theft Programs
The New York State Department of Justice, in cooperation with CUNY Public Safety, participate in the CAT Program, which is a voluntary decal program that entails a more aggressive police response to auto thefts by authorizing investigative stops of participating vehicles. Vehicle stops are made during the hours of 1-5 a.m. on the basis of two identifying decals affixed to both rear-side windows of the automobile.
Also available through CUNY Public Safety is the VIN Etching Program. This program etches your Vehicle Identification Number in all the windows of your vehicle. This makes the car less attractive to thieves because they can not sell the parts of the car as easy. You also might be eligible for a discount on your insurance.
Auto Theft Security Devices
In order to secure your car, several devices may be installed to deter or prevent theft of the car or any of its parts or contents. Anti-theft devices, expensive or not, are going to deter the inexperienced thieves. The installation of anti-theft devices would provide obstacles to even the most experienced thief by increasing the thief's exposure to arrest.
Ignition Cut-Off: A key-operated or hidden manual switch that interrupts the power supply from the battery to the ignition.
Fuel Cut-Off: Integrated into the fuel line, this device prevents the flow of gasoline once the fuel in the gas line is used. Only a special key deactivates the cut-off.
Ignition Column Guard: This security device can provide protection to the ignition starting system. The device fits around the steering column and over the ignition starting system.
Hood Lock: A secondary hood lock should be installed to prevent access to the power source, battery or siren for an alarm system, via a key-operated bolt, which is accessible from inside the car.
Door Locks: Visible, inside, door lock buttons should be smooth and tapered.
Radio Security: Slide mount removable radio devices are recommended. The idea is simple: If you do not want it stolen, take it with you. Newer vehicles are now equipped with factory installed anti-theft radio sytems. The radio is disabled when it is removed from the vehicle.
Anti-Theft Steering Wheel Lock: Locks on and prevents steering wheel from turning. Its high visibility deters theft.
Guard Plate: Install a guard plate over the trunk lock with carriage bolts to protect the trunk cylinder.
Trunk Lock: As an auxiliary or secondary locking device, a heavy-duty chain lock may be installed inside the trunk and is key-operated.
Wheel Locks: This device replaces one lug nut on each tire and is key-operated. (Hubcaps: Special locking devices are available for certain hubcaps such as the spoked hub, etc.)
Car Alarms
There are several alarm systems that will serve to deter or discourage the car thief, and alert others of forced entry into the car:
Siren: The sounding device, used in lieu of the horn, is installed in the engine compartment and should have an audible range of at least 300 feet.
Pin Switches: Plunger type switches that are installed on the doors, hood and trunk, which, when released to their furthest extension, activates the siren.
Glass Protection: A sensing device is available that can identify the sound of breaking glass and can be used in conjunction with switches for overall alarm protection.
Voltage Sensing Device: This device is attached to the wiring of the vehicle and triggers the alarm when a drain of power is detected such as from an interior, hood, or trunk light.
Motion Sensing Device: Sends out sound waves above human hearing and is activated by any disturbance in the sound wave pattern. (Note: This alarm can and has been activated by vibrations of passing vehicles.)
Mercury or Tilt Switch: Placed in the car, this device detects any motion of the car. (Note: Cannot be used when parked on a hill, slope or other than flat ground.)
Passive Arming: (Automatic arming). A passive arming alarm system will arm itself automatically when you leave the car; turning off the ignition activates a countdown timer (usually 30 or 60 seconds). When the countdown (also called "Exit Delay') ends, the alarm arms. This system is called "Passive" arming because you don't actually do anything to arm the alarm. Most of the better systems are designed to wait until you open and close a door before arming. These are called "Last-Door-Arming" alarms.
If Your Car Alarm Should Go Off:
- Observe activity around your car.
- Take description, license plate numbers, etc.
- If you see a suspicious person, call 718-960-7777.
- Do Not Take Action, your safety is our first concern.
If Your Car Does Get Stolen While On Campus
- Report theft to the Public Safety Department.
- Obtain form MV78B "License Plate Form" from your local precinct.
- Notify your insurance company.
- Submit Form MV78B to Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Retain a copy of the Department of Motor Vehicles form as a receipt.
Additional Tips
- Affix your Lehman College parking decal to your window. Don't leave it lying on the dashboard window.
- Do not leave your books out in the open (you know how much you paid for them).
- Mark all your stereo equipment with your New York driver's license number. Use an engraving tool to record your serial number.
- Have your registration information readily available in the event your car is stolen.
- If your car should be stolen, call the Public Safety Department at 718-960-7777 immediately.


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King George's War (1744–1748)
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the 1744–1748 War of the Austrian Succession. It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. The War of Jenkins' Ear officially began when a Spanish commander chopped off the ear of English merchant captain Robert Jenkins and told him to take that to his king, George II. War broke out in 1739 between
Spain and Britain, but was confined to the Caribbean Sea and the British Province of Georgia. The war widened in Europe with the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1744, in which France and Spain were allied against Britain.
On the death of Charles VI, emperor of Austria, in 1740, the male line of the House of Hapsburg became extinct, and his eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, ascended the Austrian throne. But there were other claimants, and the matter brought on a war of tremendous dimensions, embroiling nearly all the nations of Europe. Again we find France and England on opposite sides, war being declared between them in the spring of 1744. Of this great war we have little to record here, as little of it occurred in America. Aside from the usual Indian massacres, but one great event marks King George's War — the capture of Louisburg.
Louisburg, as we have noticed, was built on a point of land on Cape Breton Island; it commanded the chief entrance to the greatest of American rivers, except only the "Father of Waters." It was a powerful fortress; it had cost six million dollars, and was twenty years in building. Its walls of solid masonry, from which frowned a hundred cannon, were from twenty to thirty feet high, and their circumference was two and a half miles. The fort was the pride of the French heart in America. It was looked upon as an impregnable fortress, that would keep out every intruder and baffle every foe; yet it was reduced and captured by a fleet of little fighting strength, bearing a few thousand soldiers, chiefly New England farmers and fishermen.
The father of the Louisburg expedition was William Shirley, governor of Massachusetts, and William Pepperell of Maine was made its commander. New England furnished the men, while Pennsylvania sent some provisions, and New York a small amount of artillery. The fleet was composed of something over a hundred vessels of various grades, and just before sailing these were joined by four English men-of-war from the West Indies, commanded by Commodore Warren. On the first day of May, 1745, this motley fleet came under the walls of Louisburg. A landing was soon made, and the "men flew to shore like eagles to their quarry." Every effort of the French to drive them back was foiled. The artillery was managed by the master engineer, Richard Gridley of Boston, who was to figure in the same capacity in two far greater wars. The siege continued for six weeks, when a French war vessel of sixty-four guns, laden with military stores, came to the rescue of the fort; but she was captured by the English fleet in open view of the helpless besieged in the fort. This was the final stroke. The garrison could hold out no longer. On the 17th of June the fort and batteries were surrendered, and the British flag soon waved over the walls of Louisburg.
The French king was astonished at tbe fall of his great fortress in America, and determined to recapture it. He sent D'Annville with a fleet for the purpose, but D'Annville died, and his successor committed suicide, and the project came to naught. The next year the king sent another fleet, but it was captured by the English; and then came the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
The peace, as arranged at Aix-la-Chapelle, restored to each power what it had possessed before the war — save the great sacrifice of life and treasure — and that meant that Louisburg must be restored to the French. A wave of indignation swept over the English colonies when they learned that the fruit of their great victory had been quietly handed back, without their knowledge or consent, to the enemy from whom it had been taken; and here we find one of the many remote causes that led the colonists in later years to determine that American affairs must be managed in America and not by a corps of diplomats three thousand miles across the sea, who had little interest in the welfare and future of their kindred in the New World.


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Subject: UGG 1873 Bailey Button Triplet...
Mon Nov 14, 2011 9:24 am
OFFICIAL UGG Boots
To tell the truth, party cold now for promotion day your way and have no confidence. And the border of the king day and "the earth with longevity" emperor of the state, don't know how much difference, each step difficulties, are not ordinary people can think of. At the very least, promotion day king of state minimum standards is must have the cause of "big king day ability, party now can't cold suggestion."For the primaries, brother, I heard that heaven emperor have a list, called the day waiting list, prince recorded in the above qualifications countless have promotion day king state of ace name, you know not to know this list in what place can watch?" Party cold suddenly asked: "I watch this list, to see some what person in my top, also can make me detailed calculation of the word of the day on the prince who note that place."
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Feather huang was silent for a moment, nods, "indeed there are such a list, the truth is that in the hall inside. Is the speculation in, one of the three big against the king of the legacy of truth king huge power, the truth of the king now by a few big host, strength is not under heaven, is in the other end, also rule against the huge palace. Rumours in, that the list is called the earth with ShouBang, uniting all arrived at the earth with the realm of life of emperor, the will automatically appear in the list. The list from high to low, one of the most promising promotion day king of the superior arrangement in front... so and call for day waiting list prince." Party cold had not thought that, actually in the heaven, and the powers are celestial, called the cult. "Good. Heaven is too big, it is day king will not find out one of the marginal..............." Feather huang way: "the scope of influence of the cult, is very large, from the forehead one hundred thousand of the big states have a very distant distance, even I fly speed, also want to flight for decades, or even the hundreds of years to reach, among which there are countless apart article was itself divide the truth and the king and the creation of the division out the king."
Party with the scepter, listen to these, standing quietly in the air, and seems to be in calculating their huge memory in my mind, that HuangFu avenue, you people, disaster huang, Ning huang, born huang these people in memory, all in his mind the emergence of a a, extraction, calculations, the along while, he just long sighed, "heaven there is too much, and it's not the only celestial masters, but so all right..." "Anyway, we provided the door to strengthen the squad is king." Feather huang way: "now, party cold you back, we provided the door a strong, as long as not day king, but not the shots we, and besides, you still have one day behind chaos support! Now we can hand, the army siege zhongzhou out, cleaning up and then other big states affiliation." "Chaos day king... really chaos? He behind the day king was chaos, king on day support." Many elders then feathered door were all shocked up the emperor, "why did god reading rout huatian jun is legend rod of!"
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"Is chaos day jun and the treasure world reached an agreement...." "Take a growing strength is a must, but this time I've had a lot of treasure in heaven, also want to digest, soldiers, emperor... on emperor. You also GuAo for a long time, I start now increases your strength and your ascension to the earth with all 11 of border. The product, cuts it out!" Nether, with party a cold wave, immediately appear a series of powerful Dan gas, fully 12 pieces invincible holy product "show, every pieces are air suspension, claim to be a holy kingdom, blossom a life of the earth with the supreme authority. "This is the nature of the ancient, WangLu refined out of the great SAN product, cuts the twelve LingBao without the god Dan! Rumours in, swallow, can own after yuan to vanity of refining god on state, for the earth with the life of great help to the state. And, each of these is a Dan medicine, take on a human form, are one honour the earth with longevity Dan medicine ancestor!" And with that, even the feather huang all yelled at it.
It is too shocked. 12 pieces "holy product appears at the same time, each one honour and so one honour the earth with the life of the emperor, half step day king level of supreme exist. In addition to outside heaven, I'm afraid even have some day the supreme ruler patrolling the big teach, do not have the strength,
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the 12 pieces out the product to cures. These holy product, cuts which no horse medicine violent spirit inside the pentium, from bondage to fly out. Feather huang feel are not crackdown, but party cold but easily suppressed, mention lightly, so the direct to suppress and big teach of twelve supreme leader. A boiling, all provided the expert door boiling over. To the disciple, down to the elders, and all the blood boiling, this is fortuitous, big adventure, one-time than the 12 pieces holy product father, this is invincible treasure.
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The 12 pieces of Dan medicine cures holy product the gas of the elegant out, many disciple smell the breath, the whole body is relaxed up, there are some who has the elders of AnShang disciple, smell the breath immediately spit out a passive congestion of wow, the condition of full recovery, to fix for the diligence. Originally, the people don't learn to big king because causal technique, the big desire technique, the big operation cycle, so the dharmadhatu supreme law is still not completely, that "the practice" condensed out is not perfect, but party cold but have learned all the doctrine. Big desire was actually would have got the exquisite fairy and formula, is never practice just, now to fix for this state arrived, a slight movement, between the heaven and earth may force pouring infinite, and immediately you condensed the door was a road. In a moment, three thousand avenue, only the number one big fate was not to.
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Job Description
River Road Pet Clinic in North Tucson is seeking a Associate Veterinarian to add to our growing team. We are a 3-doctor small animal practice with AAHA-accreditation since 2005. Our busy practice serves an educated, affluent clientele that understands the value of high quality veterinary care for their pets. We have a highly-skilled, stable, cohesive staff committed to providing the highest level of patient care, client education, and client satisfaction. Our clinic features digital full body and dental radiography, paperless records, and a focus on high quality dentistry. Our ideal candidate is a team player devoted to providing top notch customer service, is confident in soft tissue surgery, and is passionate about dentistry. Experience with exotics, particularly rabbits, is a plus*
Competitive salary + bonuses, health benefits including medical/dental/vision/life/disability, 401k, CE allowance, licensing/dues, and paid vacation and sign-on bonus!
For more information on our practice, visit us online at http://riverroadpetclinic.com/ .
Tucson, Arizona, United States


text:
Obama's political capital and the slippery slope of Syria
By Robert Reich
Even if the President musters enough votes to strike Syria, at what political cost? Any president has a limited amount of political capital to mobilize support for his agenda, in Congress and, more fundamentally, with the American people. This is especially true of a president in his second term of office. Which makes President Obama's campaign to strike Syria all the more mystifying.
President Obama's domestic agenda is already precarious: implementing the Affordable Care Act, ensuring the Dodd-Frank Act adequately constrains Wall Street, raising the minimum wage, saving Social Security and Medicare from the Republican right as well as deficit hawks in the Democratic Party, ending the sequester and reviving programs critical to America's poor, rebuilding the nation's infrastructure, and, above all, crafting a strong recovery.
Time and again we have seen domestic agendas succumb to military adventures abroad — both because the military-industrial-congressional complex drains money that might otherwise be used for domestic goals, and because the public's attention is diverted from urgent problems at home to exigencies elsewhere around the globe.
It would be one thing if a strike on Syria was critical to America's future, or even the future of the Middle East. But it is not. In fact, a strike on Syria may well cause more havoc in that tinder-box region of the world by unleashing still more hatred for America, the West, and for Israel, and more recruits to terrorism. Strikes are never surgical; civilians are inevitably killed. Moreover, the anti-Assad forces have shown themselves to be every bit as ruthless as Assad, with closer ties to terrorist networks.
Using chemical weapons against one's own innocent civilians is a crime against humanity, to be sure, but the United States cannot be the world's only policeman. The U.N. Security Council won't support us, we can't muster NATO, Great Britain and Germany will not join us. Dictatorial regimes are doing horrendous things to their people in many places around the world. It would be folly for us to believe we could stop it all.
Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, are now arguing that a failure to act against Syria will embolden enemies of Israel like Iran and Hezbollah, and send a signal to Iran that the United States would tolerate the fielding of a nuclear device. This is almost the same sort of specious argument — America's credibility at stake, and if we don't act we embolden our enemies and the enemies of our allies — used by George W. Bush to justify toppling Saddam Hussein, and, decades before that, by Lyndon Johnson to justify a tragic war in Vietnam.
It has proven to be a slippery slope: Once we take military action, any subsequent failure to follow up or prevent gains by the other side is seen as an even larger sign of our weakness, further emboldening our enemies.
Hopefully, Congress will see the wisdom of averting this slope.
Cross-posted from Robert Reich's blog.


text: Microsoft is betting on artificial intelligence (AI) with the creation at the end of September of a new AI and Research Group. This newly formed group brings together Microsoft's research organization and more than 5,000 computer scientists and engineers focused on AI and is now the fourth major division in the company, on par with the Windows, Office and Cloud divisions.\n\n\nThe job of the AI and Research Group will be to work on four overarching initiatives:\n\n\nHarnessing AI through agents such as Cortana, the company's digital personal assistant\nInfusing AI into Skype, Office 365 and every other Microsoft application\nMaking cognitive capabilities such as vision and speech and machine analytics available to external developers\nUsing Azure to build a powerful AI supercomputer in the cloud to provide "AI as a Service\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[ Get ready for the bot revolution]\n\n\n\n\n\nAI tidal wave \n\nWhen Microsoft talks of "infusing" every application with AI, it's reminiscent of the famous "Internet Tidal Wave" email Bill Gates sent to all staff in 1995. In it, Gates outlined his desire to focus the company's efforts on the internet with immediate effect and told them to "assign the internet the highest level of importance" in everything that they did henceforth.\n\n\nIs the creation of the AI and research group effectively a "tidal wave" message? Does Microsoft boss Satya Nadella believe that AI should be assigned the highest level of importance to everything the company does?\n\n\nRob Sanfilippo, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft and former Microsoft employee, doesn\u2019t think so. "Nadella is certainly trying to make some marks on the company and AI is the latest mark he is trying to make, but no, this not as much a pivotal moment as the Gates email and the internet," says Sanfilippo.\n\n\nHis reasoning is that AI has become over-hyped. "I don't entirely believe all the prognostications that have been made about AI. Some of it is real and will be successful, but some things will never come to fruition," he says.\n\n\n\n[ Banks turn to AI for improved customer service, competitive edge]\n\n\n\nAnd although Microsoft has talked enthusiastically about agents and bot frameworks, the practical value of these technologies is doubtful, he believes. "These are really just bits of technology that look good in demos," he says.\n\nThe Cortana problem \n\nMicrosoft seems to be banking on Cortana being one of the key ways its customers access AI in the future. (The company also offers Cortana Intelligence Suite for businesses and developers to add machine learning, image recognition and other intelligent capabilities to their own applications.)\n\n\nThe problem, Sanfilippo says, is that Cortana is not actually very good at what it does. "I do think there are problems with Cortana," he says. "It came from an Xbox character, and then it became a phone entity, and then it came to Windows 10. It looks good, but it is very weak and in the real world it has not had the adoption that Microsoft claims."\n\n\nAnecdotally, Sanfilippo suggests that many people find Cortana gets in the way of work and does not actually do what they want. "Eighty percent of the time it just searches the web for what I want. It bugs me that Microsoft talks about it as a success when most people probably just get annoyed by it," he says.\n\n\nThe danger for Microsoft is that a rival assistant such as Amazon's Alexa or Google's Assistant becomes the de-facto standard way for end users to access AI services and enterprise AI systems. If that happens, Cortana could become the digital assistant equivalent of Windows Phone: a largely irrelevant entity that few people use and even fewer developers bother integrating with.\n\n\n\n[ Review: 6 machine learning clouds]\n\n\n\nSanfilippo points out that many investments in AI have been written off in the past, so there's a very real risk that Microsoft could abandon Cortana in two or three years' time.\n\nStrong in the cloud \n\nThe good news for Microsoft is that even if Cortana is relatively weak, it has a very real competitive advantage in the cloud, where it can harness the computing power of Azure to do intensive computational AI work (such as translating all 1,440 pages of War and Peace from Russian to English in 2.5 seconds.) It can also offer this power to third parties.\n\n\nAnd with its $26 billion purchase of LinkedIn, Microsoft also has access to a social graph of over 425 million business users. This puts it in a strong position when it comes to offering services based on the combination of AI and social networks \u2014 for example by providing customers with a personal newsfeed based on the projects they are working on, or enabling Office to suggest experts to connect with via LinkedIn.\n\nFear of missing out\n\nDavid Schubmehl, a research director at IDC, takes a more sanguine view of Microsoft's AI efforts, and says that AI \u2013 agents and all \u2013 will be central to everything that Microsoft does in a relatively short space of time. "I think as time goes on all enterprise software will have AI functionality, and we are already seeing the green shoots of that," he says.\n\n\nBut, like Sanfilippo, he thinks that some of what Microsoft is saying is motivated by the desire to ensure that it doesn't get left behind. "Four years ago IBM was the only one doing cognitive and AI. Then Google talked about embedding AI into everything. Then Salesforce made its Einstein announcements and Oracle talked about Adaptive Intelligence. That's why Microsoft has established this new division \u2014 but I do think it sees AI as where the computing world is moving to."\n\n\nMicrosoft got left behind when the mobile computing revolution took off, and it's only now that it has begun recovering from that by concentrating on getting its applications and services on iOS and Android. It may well be that, more than anything else, it's the fear of getting left behind in an AI revolution \u2014 if it ever comes to pass \u2014 that is what's driving the company to embrace AI technology.\n\n\nIn other words, the company may not be absolutely sure that an AI tidal wave is about to hit, but it's determined to be prepared for one, just in case.\n\n\n Related video: