By A Korean woman earned herself $1.2 million dollars by illegally signing people on to the installation, according to the Stars and Stripes:
A 48-year-old South Korean woman was arrested Tuesday on charges of using her access to Yongsan Garrison to charge entrance fees in exchange for signing in almost 180 South Koreans during the past three years to gamble, according to Seoul police.
The woman has been accused of charging each person 30,000 won ($30) for access an estimated 900 times between April 2002 and January 2005, and the numbers could be higher, said Chief Detective Jang Sung-yoon, who works in the foreign affairs section of the Seoul Police.
The woman is officially charged with running an illegal currency exchange business, in which she charged interest while exchanging won and dollars, Jang said. The police found a bank account in her name containing more than 1.2 billion won, or $1.2 million, he said.
The woman, whom Jang would identify only by her last name, Kim, gained access to base through her membership in the Korean-American Association, Jang said. He said Kim never had worked on base or for U.S. Forces Korea.
To gain access to a USFK facilty an ID card holder only needs to sign that guest on to post and the guest gives up their ID card until they are signed out by midnight that same night. This whole scam is really amazing. The fact that illegal gambling is going on isn’t amazing, what is amazing is how much money she made signing people on to post. $1.2 million dollars and signing in 900 people in 3 years!? How the heck didn’t anybody notice she was signing in all these different people all the time?
The biggest question I am concerned about is force protection. If USFK has a curfew because of all the terrorists lurking in Itaewon just waiting to get us than you would think access to the camp would be much tighter. Heck the terrorists can get on camp for $30 and bomb us there too unless they get caught up to long on a slot machine. Maybe soldiers are safer in Itaewon after all?
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
7:11 am on January 6th, 2007 1
GI,
Listen up!
The American military is a large social-engineering project inculcating the doctrine of "Inclusiveness".
This doctrine of anti-racism and anti-discrimination makes GI's fearful to hold our "Asian brothers and sisters" accountable.
We saw this when American-military officers cried crocadile-tears and groveled to appease the politically vicious Koreans after the two-girl/vehicle accident.
Normal scrutiny is easily suspected as racial persecution — if applied against a stealthy minority.
You have no choice but to play along — to investigate minimal suspicious behavior could have you marked a "racist".
That would be bad for your military career… and social acceptance.
That is why the Jihad will hire Koreans to do some of its dirty-work against the Americans in Korea.
Another example of how good intentions can have bad consequences.
Don't you think?
At ease.
11:12 pm on October 2nd, 2007 2
Thanks, and God bless!
11:40 pm on October 2nd, 2007 3
Illegal gambiling is what keeps the Dragon Hill Lodge in operation. The whole USFK Chain of Command turns a blind eye when money is involved, especially this much money.
Adjumas, who are or have been married to servicemembers are the ones that openly change money in the DHL and other places like the Main Post Club, hell, even the workers at the Navy Club use the cash register as their personal loan accounts. Watch what happens when dude hits the jackpot, they'll get some ID card holder to fill out the tax paperwork because they aren't entitled to be a patron.
How did she get these 'guests' in? pay the guards of course. I think Kang nailed it. "Normal scrutiny is easily suspected as racial persecution — if applied against a stealthy minority."
USFK is hypocrasy at its finest…fits right in with Korea…
11:50 pm on October 2nd, 2007 4
A lot of people defend the illegal gambling and black marketing as making money for MWR programs and the like but the way I look at is that why should people like this woman make such absurd amounts of money when soldiers work hard all day and don't get anywhere near the amount of money this woman made. Yes she got busted but we all know she is not the only one and knowing Korea justice she probably just got a slap on the hand and kept most of her money.
Also allowing this activity encourages corruption of the gate guards and base employees and creates a widespread perception of corruption in the upper echelons of USFK.
12:49 pm on December 18th, 2007 5
[...] are going to be a lot of upset ajummas around USFK who are making a fortune off military slot machines if this bill comes into [...]
6:38 am on December 29th, 2007 6
Mrs. Kim was back at the DHL a week after her arrest. This was in March 2005, she still is on post just about everyday, DHL, Navy Club and Commiskeys. I wonder how much she has made since then. Everyone knows whats been going on, just ask LTG Campbell.
I wonder if she will start a protest to keep the machines on post! lol We all know she stands the most to lose if the slot machines are banned. MWR will have to get teirs funded.
CNN should do a story on the illegal activities that USFK has let go on for years.
I like how Roxanne at DHL told CSM Wheeler that they do random checks 6 times a day. Maybe they just check the Americans only.
Its sad it took Aaron Walsh to die before they even looked into getting rid of these gambling rooms.
2:50 am on January 30th, 2008 7
[...] should go not because of moral issues or protecting soldiers from gambling but because of the on base corruption it is promoting. The military’s MWR programs will take a hit without the slot machines, but the side benefit of [...]
11:27 am on January 30th, 2008 8
Anonymous,
Does she drive a late model silver-grey Lincoln sedan, SOFA license plate 16DA 6836?
2:49 pm on January 30th, 2008 9
This is Korea and these people are Korean. They have been thieves all along. My friend was here in the late 50s who caught the Koreans tossing full drums of fuel into the river so they could float off base. This is nothing new, I am under the impression that these are the most dishonest people I have ever known. I don't trust anybody and much less someone who is Korean. And thats the bottom line.
8:33 am on May 13th, 2008 10
[...] that Yongsan Garrison is probably going to be around for many more years to come and I can think of quite a few people who will be happy about [...]
8:59 pm on May 25th, 2008 11
[...] article, still a great read: http://rokdrop.com/2005/03/24/korean-woman-earns-12-million-in-yongsan-scam/ A Korean woman earned herself $1.2 million dollars by illegally signing people on to the [...]
3:15 am on May 30th, 2008 12
[...] … yongsan.korea.army.mil/sites/news/2006/WebPressRel… • Found on Windows Live Korean Woman Earns $1.2 Million in Yongsan Scam Korean Woman Earns $1.2 Million in Yongsan Scam … are the ones that openly change money in the [...]
7:13 am on July 7th, 2008 13
[...] crackdown has probably put a cramp in the lifestyle of all the Ms. Kim’s out there making a fortune off of this scam. So when is someone going to take on the golf course [...]