As I predicted the Korean businessman behind the SSRT corruption scandal will not be seeing any jail time:
The South Korean businessman accused of bribing two AAFES officials in connection with a lucrative Internet contract was sentenced Wednesday to pay a fine.
His company, SSRT, also was fined.
Jeong Gi-hwan must pay 10 million won (about $10,597) and SSRT, also known as Samsung Rental Corp. Ltd., was fined 20 million won (about $21,194).
Judge Kim Mi-ri imposed the sentence in Suwon District Court, saying a fine was sufficient penalty in part because Jeong’s bribery case has left him with scant prospect of gaining future business with the U.S. military. [Stars & Stripes]
Let’s do the math on this one. SSRT was awarded a exclusive $206 million dollar contract by bribing two AAFES officials and they are fined less than $32,000. Folks this is the costs of screwing over soldiers servicemembers in USFK. Why didn’t the Korean court order SSRT to give back all the money they stole from the US servicemembers who gave a year of their lives away from their families to come defend Korea to only get screwed over by corrupt businessmen.Â
The two AAFES officials have been fired and like their Korean counterpart have so far faced no jail time. The last update from Stars & Stripes was that the Air Force OSI had concluded their investigation and handed the results over to federal investigators. These two need to see jail time just like COL Moran because I think they are far worse than the Korean businessman. Â
Is it any wonder why the corruption that plagues USFK continues just about everywhere you look when the penalties for it are so light?Â
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6:11 am on February 1st, 2008 1
I once had a friend in the Army who refered to Koreans as Ferengi. With all the corruption that transpires here you could apply the Ferengi rules of acquisition to Korean business practices.
Rules of Acqusition: ( few to highlight are)
1. Once you have their money, you never give it back.
2. The best deal is the one that brings the most profit.
10. Greed is eternal.
17. A contract is a contract is a contract. But only between Ferengi.
19. Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
27. There is nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
82. The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
181. Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit.
189. Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.
7:57 am on February 1st, 2008 2
This is un-fricken believable. I’ll have to buy the paper to read the article or take a peek at it online when I get to work.
Has Holloway been tried yet? I knew that dude was creepy when he was here.
BTW, only a handful of ’soldiers’ were affected. Many, many airmen were affected.
Finally, you be saddened to know that ROKDrop is no longer reachable from the osan.af.mil domain as of yesterday. It ruins my lunch break. You became my-must read blog after Nomad retired again. You see fewer US-flagged ROK DROP visitors mid-day now. Thank the Comm nazis!
8:07 am on February 1st, 2008 3
I’m just used to saying soldiers but I meant servicemembers in general down in Osan that were screwed by SSRT. The AAFES employees have not been tried yet. OSI turned the investigation results over to the state courts and nothing has been done yet.
Thanks for letting me know about being banned on Osan. How long have I been banned? I wonder if it has to do with my complaints about the corruption surrounding the gambling on USFK bases?
8:23 am on February 1st, 2008 4
Really, can we or should we expect anything less from these so called allies? They’ve always been this way.
9:13 am on February 1st, 2008 5
First off, Wrenchbender, I love the reference to the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition when dealing with the Koreans. It fits so well!
Second, I agree with GIKorea when he rightfully says:
“Is it any wonder why the corruption that plagues USFK continues just about everywhere you look when the penalties for it are so light?”
This is why black marketing and a whole host of other things have gone on for so long.
And finally, yes, GIKorea, you probably were banned from the Osan site for saying bad things about USFK. Naughty boy! Shame on you!!! Hehehehe…..
Tim in Angeles sendzzzzzzzzzzz
P.S. To GIKorea, read my blog for a post that I made just this morning that might be of interest to your readers in Korea.
9:54 am on February 1st, 2008 6
I am shocked, SHOCKED!!! I tell you, that bribery, graft and corruption are basically treated as misdemeanors by the Korean court system. Where was this tried, traffic court?
It’s a shame there were no qualified interpreters in Korea for this case, yet they can be found for certain other cases…
I wonder how much the judge and prosecutor pocketed on this deal.
/wrenchbender, you sir, have nailed it. You are my hero and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
10:10 am on February 1st, 2008 7
I would like to say this does not always apply to ALL Koreans in general, but when dealing with USFK and foreigners (and yes, sometimes with each other) it rings so true. I’ve done business in Korea a number of times and have seen this first hand from a soldier, contractor and business owner point of view. Upon thinking more about it, I think Koreans ARE Ferengi, ladies and gentlemen, the exhaustive (and corrected) list:
The Unwritten Rule:
When no appropriate rule applies, make one up.
Once you have their money … never give it back.
Never pay more for an acquisition than you have to.
Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.
A man is only worth the sum of his possessions.
Keep your ears open.
Small print leads to large risk.
Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
Greed is eternal.
Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
A deal is a deal … until a better one comes along.
A contract is a contract is a contract (but only between Koreans).
A Korean without profit is no Korean at all.
Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Never place friendship above profit.
A wise man can hear profit in the wind.
Nothing is more important than your health–except for your money.
There’s nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
Never make fun of a Korean’s mother … insult something he cares about instead.
It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
Peace is good for business.
War is good for business.
She can touch your balls but never your Won.
Profit is its own reward.
Never confuse wisdom with luck.
Expand, or die.
Don’t trust a man wearing a better suit than your own.
The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Never ask when you can take.
Good customers are as rare as Won — treasure them.
There is no substitute for success.
Free advice is seldom cheap.
Keep your lies consistent.
The riskier the road, the greater the profit.
Win or lose, there’s always soju.
Home is where the heart is … but the Waegooks are made of Won.
Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.
Beware of the Ilbon greed for knowledge.
The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
Never let the competition know what you’re thinking.
Ask not what your profits can do for you, but what you can do for your profits.
Females and finances don’t mix.
Enough … is never enough.
Trust is the biggest liability of all.
Nature decays, but Won lasts forever.
Sleep can interfere with profit.
Faith moves mountains … of inventory.
There is no honour in poverty.
Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
Treat people in your debt like family … exploit them.
Never have sex with the boss’s sister.
Always have sex with the boss.
You can’t free a fish from water.
Everything is for sale, even friendship.
Even a blind man can recognize the glow of Won.
Wives serve, brothers inherit.
Only fools pay retail.
There’s nothing wrong with charity … as long as it winds up in your pocket.
Even in the worst of times someone turns a profit.
Know your enemies … but do business with them always.
Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit.
Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.
Never cheat USFK … unless you’re sure you can get away with it.
It’s always good business to know about new customers before they walk in the door.
The justification for profit is profit.
Employees are rungs on the ladder of success. Don’t hesitate to step on them.
Never begin a negotiation on an empty stomach.
Always know what you’re buying.
Beware the man who doesn’t make time for soju.
Won lasts longer than lust.
You can’t buy fate.
Never be afraid to mislabel a product.
More is good … all is better.
A wife is a luxury … a smart accountant is a necessity.
A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.
Never allow doubt to tarnish your love of Won.
When in doubt, lie.
Deep down everyone’s a Korean.
No good deed ever goes unpunished.
When USFK leaves, it’s all over.
7:05 pm on February 1st, 2008 8
Dave in Songtan,
I was going to say that I could get to this blog fine from work but then I was (and I say was) using the commercial ISP at the office, not the Osan NIPRNET. Today was my last day…cleaned out the office and said goodbye to a few folks. I start the GS job over at Humphreys on Monday.
BTW, I have a lot of Korean friends (male and female) who work(ed) in the Osan BX while Holloway was manager…you wouldn’t believe (or maybe you would) some of the stories they’ve told me about him. It didn’t surprise me one bit when the initial stories started breaking about this corruption scandal.
9:05 pm on February 1st, 2008 9
I see.
Holloway was running scams. Everyone around him knew he was running scams because they saw it happening or were involved. Everyone around THEM knew he was running scams because they told their friends. Any GI, civilian or customer, who thought about it for 5 minutes knew he was running scams because of the way things worked, the way he lived and who he associated with. OSI knew he was running scams because he was ratted out numerous times by people who were sincerely honest or didn’t get a cut of the action. Leadership knew he was running scams because EVERYBODY ELSE knew, or suspected, and they can’t be THAT blind and stupid.
And nothing was done until it “came to light”.
I’m starting to see the pattern.
9:25 pm on February 1st, 2008 10
GIK- I know brother, I just love needling when I can. As far as the ban at Osan, I could access this site on Wednesday, and Thursday I could not. I tried again today and it was still a no-go. Guess the blocking program finally wised up and finally figured out that you run a popular blog. Marmot was blocked very early, followed by Nomad. Of course, all blogs with the term ‘blog’ in the URL are automatically blocked. Oh well, guess it prevents abuse by those who can abuse.
I’m sure no one blocked you on purpose. The one-year airmen in the comm network shop wouldn’t do that if they could. It’s likely an adaptive firewall that finally caught up to you.
Nomad- yeah, it was pretty obvious that Holloway whas dipping his quill into the company ink. Anyway, he sold his pretty (free) BMW to the 7AF deputy commander (1-star) as he left. Boy, if that upholstery could talk.
Congrats on the well-deserved job, my brother. I hope the LQA happened! You’re in the Army now!
10:07 pm on February 1st, 2008 11
No Leon, you are my hero for taking the time to substitute Korean, Won and Klingon in all the rules of acquisition. BTW, Nomad where will you be working over here at the Hump? Well, I just work there but live here in Songtan. The seedy underbelly of Anjeong-ri isn’t a place I like to call home.
10:43 pm on February 1st, 2008 12
Does anyone really care about koreans?
8:22 am on February 2nd, 2008 13
This is not about dislike of koreans its dislike of corrupt morons
Seems to me you think all this corruption is ok and every man should be judged on what money he should get and not so much on how he got it.
Or you think its ok to park in front of other people and put on your hazzards then walk away because you want to buy a bottle of Soju
Or run a red light because its silly to you to stop
9:44 am on February 2nd, 2008 14
Americans will one day realize that their way isn’t necessarily the right way. Bribing is an accepted business practice in Korea so get over it. What did you people expect the Koreans to do? Hang their own countrymen to satisfy your lust for blood because you didn’t think that it was right? You guys go hang your little AAFES manager, but let the Koreans do whatever in the hell they want in their own country. You could just leave if you don’t like it, you know. This incessant bitching about everything that’s not normal to you Americans is quite sickening. The world’s a big place fella’s.
10:27 am on February 2nd, 2008 15
In reality your quite the loser and your defending the system that makes the the Koreans the worlds most defeated nation in war and in finance. Just in the last few years the US had to bail out Korea finacially and of course they had to bail out the Koreans 50 years ago.
Americans are here to protect your little corrupt world so if you dont like our bitching then find another site be convey your loser practices.
10:43 am on February 2nd, 2008 16
Dave,
The LQA (and all full bennies) happened, wouldn’t have accepted otherwise.
wrenchbender,
I’ll be working for the DOIM, and will continue to live in Songtan…this is home for us.
1:55 pm on February 2nd, 2008 17
Oh and “In Korea too long” and “reality” remember the corrupt Korean rule of thumb number….57 (and yes if its wrong the Koreans will do it) Once the USFK leaves….Its all over
Of course the one principle I see the most ”’ When in doubt, lie
By the way this chronic cheating and corruption in Korea was a standard promoted by a liberal govt….Something the Americans need to remember when they vote this year
8:13 pm on February 2nd, 2008 18
Chickenhead, if everyone knows holloway was running scams, why not list a few.
9:27 pm on February 2nd, 2008 19
scammer,
It doesn’t sound like I need to.
Nomad had a large part of the story from people who were involved before the corruption scandal even broke.
And, he has impeccable credibility.
If you seriously want to know, why don’t you ask him exactly what the people involved had to say?
4:21 am on February 3rd, 2008 20
Corrupts exist everywhere.
5:47 am on February 3rd, 2008 21
Yes Dr YU everywhere in Korea….thanks for playing
10:33 pm on February 3rd, 2008 22
Kingkitty. You are wellcome.
11:08 pm on February 3rd, 2008 23
This is what you said Chickenhead.
“Holloway was running scams. Everyone around him knew he was running scams because they saw it happening or were involved. Everyone around THEM knew he was running scams because they told their friends. Any GI, civilian or customer, who thought about it for 5 minutes knew he was running scams because of the way things worked, the way he lived and who he associated with. OSI knew he was running scams because he was ratted out numerous times by people who were sincerely honest or didn’t get a cut of the action. Leadership knew he was running scams because EVERYBODY ELSE knew, or suspected, and they can’t be THAT blind and stupid”
Don’t pass the buck or try and get a free ride on other people credibilty. Why not list some scams? Fnnny how quickly you turn tail when called out.
11:58 am on February 4th, 2008 24
scammer,
What you represent as turning tail and running in a “fnnny” way, could also be interpreted as offering a perfect opportunity to learn something about what was going on… and apply that knowledge to gain insight to the present situation.
I’m not sure what you mean by “get a free ride on other people credibilty (sic)”. I’m not selling something. The truth sells itself for those interested in buying.
It seems you are more interested in digging at me than exposing any truth… but that’s pretty standard for the majority of the USFK apologists and those who wish to protect their own personal gravy train.
So, that’s OK. Let’s take a look at what I said.
“Holloway was running scams.”
Anybody want to disagree with this? No? Next.
“Everyone around him knew he was running scams because they saw it happening or were involved.”
Don’t take my word for it. Take a look at what Nomad posted.
“Any GI, civilian or customer, who thought about it for 5 minutes knew he was running scams because of the way things worked, the way he lived and who he associated with.”
Let’s see. Rather quickly, he went from being broke to living in one of the more expensive houses in the area. He went from having a wrecked car to a luxury car. The guest lists at his parties included all the biggest scumbag players in the area… and he was treated as part of the Group.
On a more observable level, when I see the BX selling a stack of electric garage door openers… which (of course) never sell… and they vanish into the back room until the price is low… at which point they get suddenly sold… and then resold at a high price to the few rich Koreans who have garage doors which can use them… well… an honest “manager” might notice this sort of thing. Anybody know a GI who needs a shiny, new electric garage door opener? And it was (is still) much, much more than just garage door openers that were (are) oddly out of place to a target market of mostly single GIs on a one-year tour.
On-base Internet service was talked (complained) about loudly and rabidly… and the discrepancy in quality of service/price compared to “over the wall” was so large that it HAD to fall into scam territory.
“OSI knew he was running scams because he was ratted out numerous times by people who were sincerely honest or didn’t get a cut of the action.”
I know of not one, but TWO people who called OSI with inside information. I believe there were more. Others, who have publicly posted on places such as this, have called OSI concerning their own observations about AAFES-related fraud, waste and abuse… and gotten the “We are looking into it” run-around. Because of this, he should have been under some scrutiny by OSI… and, because of that, he should have quickly been found out… as, like a flashy drug dealer, his lifestyle invited questions.
“Leadership knew he was running scams because EVERYBODY ELSE knew, or suspected, and they can’t be THAT blind and stupid.”
Certainly leadership interested in the well-being of the majority of airmen might question why garage door openers (or other unnecessary or outrageously-expensive items popular with Koreans) are in such large supply when there are shortages on more useful items. Certainly somebody in a leadership position is interested to know why their servicememebers are taking it in the rear with overpriced and substandard Internet service month after month. Certainly they get reports from OSI. Certainly SOMEBODY is aware of what is happening on base. My statement only becomes false if there is a BLINDING degree of incompetence in base leadership… which, sadly, is another possibility.
In the end, scammer, the proof is that he was fired and evidence was turned over to American legal authorities. Further, most of the scams going on were (are) pretty easy to spot… and it takes very little work by trained investigators with full access to find who is responsible.
Scammer, you might have noticed that I target corrupt and incompetent military leadership who are responsible for damage to America’s military while enriching themselves at the expense of all around them… yet spouting words like “honor”, “integrity” and “duty”. I am generally pretty quiet about civilians and contractors.
My comments on Holloway, of which I am only casually informed, come because (especially with hindsight) it was overlooked by corrupt leadership until it was forced into the light… much like slot machines were… and golf is.
Do you think I should take a closer look at civilian contractors?
Scammer, if you are interested in exposing the full truth and changing the AAFES culture and selfish leadership culture to better serve GI Joe, you might be better served by asking the right questions of the right people.
If you are only trying to poke at me, fine. I like the platform for a painfully detailed explanation.
2:15 pm on February 4th, 2008 25
This is all you got?
“On a more observable level, when I see the BX selling a stack of electric garage door openers… which (of course) never sell… and they vanish into the back room until the price is low… at which point they get suddenly sold…”
That is all you got? Oh and you brought up the SSRT stuff that everyone already knows about.
So much for this comment:
“Holloway was running scams. Everyone around him knew he was running scams because they saw it happening or were involved. Everyone around THEM knew he was running scams because they told their friends.”
I challenged you. You tried to run away, and hide under Nomad’s apron. I challenged you again, and you tried to filibuster, but still only came up with one fishy story.
5:10 pm on February 4th, 2008 26
I seen the Stanley PX when I was on a 6 week detail that always had a Beer shaped package for the same woman each night
And the Same woman who works in the commissary would come in and by tons of candy and cannned goods then pay for them all in the back of the store. The employee noticed I was looking at him and told her she had too much stuff.
She stormed over to me and said she was buy stuff for little league…I said every day?
She was embarrassed and I called the MPs…luckly the beotch was parked in the Handicap spot (another Korean trait) and the MP was writing her up….So when she opened her trunk she had a whole mess of stuff from the PX…duplicate items
6:22 pm on February 4th, 2008 27
kingkitty, I bet she was back at the commissary and PX the next day.
2:14 am on February 5th, 2008 28
No this woman WORKED in the Commissary yet she bought things in bulk in the PX that she could of bought …..if authorized…. in the Commissary…and she did this everyday I was there
10:32 am on February 5th, 2008 29
scammer,
You are right…
…and now you have exposed my elegant, yet diabolical, designs to achieve fame and fortune clinging desperately to the informational apron strings of others instead of using my natural psychic ultra-powers to divine the situation.
My accuracy is best judged by the intensity of personal attacks… and the noticeable lack of comments attempting to refute the actual message.
Thanks for the personal validation, buddy.
4:44 am on February 9th, 2008 30
Round one and round two goes to scammer. The chickenhead never answered the question.
The Chickenhead did have much to say without answering.
2:15 am on February 24th, 2008 31
[...] surrounding the expansion project, but this scandal doesn’t bother me as much as the recent SSRT corruption scandal because servicemembers were getting directly screwed by the corruption in that scandal. In this [...]
2:40 am on July 4th, 2008 32
[...] illegal gambling, golf course scams, gate scams, housing scams, shady contracts, etc. are examples of illegal means that Koreans are making millions off the USFK presence in [...]
10:04 pm on July 10th, 2008 33