Comments on: Police Arrest US Beef Blackmarketers at Namdaemun Market

By: Osan AB and the Songtan Area 2008

Osan AB and the Songtan Area 2008 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:27:52 +0000

[...] have NOT gotten into the thefts by Koreans who work on base. The following was posted to the blog GI ROK Drop: The Korean police are saying the ?suppliers? (black market stores) won?t give the names of the [...]

By: Gerry

Gerry — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:36:32 +0000

JAFO "could we win a war with". The two are not really related, and I doubt any country on earth right now can beat us militarily.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:34:58 +0000

"a group of middle aged women"? I would guess more than several attempts have been made to "restrict" various groups over the years from black marketing. The problem that is run into time and time again is the discrimination based on social profiling and the uproar it causes. "a group of middle aged women", single males, ethnic korean wives, non command sponsored etc.etc. Being married to a Korean and having been stationed in Korea twice, it was not a good feeling knowing you were being treated as a known criminal for the misdeeds of others. Especially when the higher ranks were more or less excluded. I have never considered myself less in social status than anyone else, so the idea that I was being profiled as such irritated me.

By: AD

AD — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:24:20 +0000

I know as FACT that cashiers at the commissary are involved in the black marketing! DECA does not care because it equals $$$$$. The manager at Yongsan Commissary is a jerk and does not care. He is on the take too. FACT!!!!!! Try to file a complaint…he just smiles and says he will look into it. Yeah right…he don’t wanna loose his Beemer and $500 suits!

By: JAFO

JAFO — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:26:37 +0000

Gerry,

So the black marketing will end only when the local Koreans want it to end?

The generals entrusted with safeguarding American interests are powerless to stop a group of middle-aged women openly breaking the rules (or laws) in an area where they have absolute authority?

I am confused.

Could we win a war in which

By: Gerry

Gerry — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:10:50 +0000

JAFO Yes, I think it is a social problem. One of corruption, and a persons ability to make a quick buck. As far as being able to reduce it, the efforts have been made time and time again. It is often only as succesful as the local officials want it to be. Either they are rewarded for looking the other way, or do not wish to upset the local population over a foreigners base in thier couintry. When the locals call for an end to it, it will end. Not before.

By: Leon LaPorte

Leon LaPorte — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:54:45 +0000

Ox tails, one of the good old favorites. Why does CP Casey have 3 freezers dedicated to ox tails? I would force DECA to make the top ten or so host items (items we all know the average soldier and civilian do not consume on a daily basis) into special order items. That would make it a bit more interesting. Also, there would be more room for legitimate items.

Of course, this would curb some of the small scale BM. The big bulk illegal transers happen in-between base between trucks in the wee hours.

Every once in a while a hapless PFC might get busted for buying a couple too many bottles of liquor and cans of spam. AFN celebrates CID’s latest success and we all go back to sleep.

Bottom line: Convert all the management jobs at AAFES and DECA to US citizen GS employees. Service just might improve and they can be held legally accountable. That, my friends, would be a good start. Stuff might fall off the back of trucks less often and when we asked for something we are lees likely to get a “Bu-la.”

By: Villain

Villain — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:35:15 +0000

As a former DECA employee I can tell you a high percent of the management positions are GS US citizen postions. However, quite a few of these US citizens are Koreans who were naturalized or US citizens with Korean wifes. Most of the have been working in Korea in the commissary system for a very long time. Also a lot of GS workers are in the same category. I have been here in Korea for a long time and I see these same people constantly return to Korea or get promoted to a higher position. Also rationing will cause blackmarketing. Ask someone to tell you what it was like in the US during World War II.

By: Huh?

Huh? — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:36:08 +0000

I just visited this site. I think all your bitchin about Korean wifes is misplaced. What about the flip wifes? Those lowlifes are also blackmarketing. The stuff their "boyfrenz" buy on base makes their way into the BM stores.

The BM store outside of Osan air base, on the main street as the UN club and between Dukes suits, has on open display Downey, Mountain Dew, candy with AAFES price tags on them, and the like. I took photos and gave them to the osi; they thanked me and that was that; this happened more than 3 yrs ago.

Nope, osi and cid are totally corrupt and unless they actually get orders to work the BM issue, they will turn their head to it.

Funnily, they care about gi's getting pus-sy but not BM! Now why is that????

By: JAFO

JAFO — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:32:53 +0000

Gerry,

Are you saying this is an issue of Korean social problems and not an issue of installation commanders being unable or unwilling to control their installation?