[identity profile] devilsatin.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] omonatheydid


KARA is currently embroiled in a scandal of epic proportions after their manager in charge of Japanese activities has recently been outed as a member of the Chongryon, a radical pro-North Korean group in Japan. Suspicions had been raised recently by the public and media and officials with KARA have confirmed the fact.

DSP Media, KARA's management company and record label, said, "The man in question is an employee of DSP JAPAN and he is KARA's scheduling manager. We believe that his associations with North Korea will not be a problem, and we are confirming the speculations surrounding him."

The spokesperson for the idol group said, "While we believe this isn't a problem in Korea, there are some in Japan who have strong feelings about this and have brought up the fact [that he is a member of the Chongryon]. There has been a backlash against Korean products like K-Pop in Japan recently, and it seems that even among fans in Japan our ties to North Korea have become a hot topic. We have confirmed that the man in question is a member of Chongryon, and we will continue to monitor the situation and make our standpoint clear."

On Internet communities in Japan, members have found footage and photos of a 2006 raid on the radical Chongryon's headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo which feature a man who looks strikingly similar to KARA's manager. Photos have been compiled of both the man seen in the police raid and KARA's manager, whose similarities are causing many to believe that they are the same person.

On the 18th and 19th of this month, KARA held a concert at the Seoul Olympic Park concert venue, despite the controversy. Photos taken at the event show a disappointing turnout, leaving some to wonder if the scandal has affected their fanbase. 

Source: infoseek
Translation: [livejournal.com profile] devilsatin

Date: 2012-02-21 09:29 am (UTC)
metafictionally: (bitch please)
From: [personal profile] metafictionally
Wow. I am intrigued to see how DSP handles this one.

Date: 2012-02-21 09:29 am (UTC)

Date: 2012-02-21 09:31 am (UTC)

Date: 2012-02-21 09:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] windygables.livejournal.com
I completely want to see what they're going to do with this, last time I checked you can't fire someone for their political affiliations but considering which party he's affiliated with and where ...gonna be interesting

Date: 2012-02-21 01:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cast-no-shadow0.livejournal.com
Why can't you fire someone for their political affiliation? Is it a protected class in S. Korea? I'm pretty sure it isn't in the US.

Or am I looking into the law too much for this and you just meant that's not a good reason to fire someone?

Date: 2012-02-21 07:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mecha-danger.livejournal.com
You definitely can't fire someone for political affiliation in the US, but maybe you can in Korea? I don't know, either way someone in this kind of situation would likely be forced to resign or they would find some kind of other incriminating evidence that would make it possible to fire him.

Date: 2012-02-22 04:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] windygables.livejournal.com
Because then it'd open alot of dubious acts everywhere. Like it'd be easy to fire someone and make up a political affiliation as an excuse if such an act is allowed. I'm pretty sure there's laws against it

Date: 2012-02-22 05:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cast-no-shadow0.livejournal.com
But if you're an at-will employee, you can be fired for any reason except for being in a protected class (see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_class). Political affiliation isn't one of them. I do know of a current case where this is being questioned, so maybe it will change? Howeverrrrrr, national origin is a protected class so that makes things interesting.

Of course, this is in Korea/Japan, not the U.S., so none of what I say really matters. :D I just hang out/work with too many lawyers. Blah.

And according to another poster here, SK prohibits pro-NK viewpoints (?!) so apparently they could have reason to fire him! :0

Date: 2012-02-22 05:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] windygables.livejournal.com
It isn't? WHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, I dont see why there aren't laws against it considering the Red scares and the bs with socialist ties that whole deal threw around! Though that only applies to the US like you said .___.
It just makes so much sense to have laws protecting against such. Lawd, I should've expected that SK would make laws against it. Y u got to be so mean SK

Date: 2012-02-22 02:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pistolkrystle.livejournal.com
I heard differently, what about that guy that will have 10 years in prison because he had a kim jon il shrine? I heard they are very harsh in anything that is anti Korean, I thought u aren't even allowed to sympathize with the opposing party?
I want to know if anyone else heard that.

Date: 2012-02-21 09:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] benihime99.livejournal.com
As I said in Arama:
Considering the fact that SK gov has law prohibiting people to express pro-NK view, I'm surprised that a SK band would have a pro NK manager.
Even if that manager is in charge of their Japanese activity and not their korean activities, that is not a smart move.
SMH

Date: 2012-02-21 03:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] madelyn93.livejournal.com
if i were pro-NK, i wouldn't exactly advertise it in my resume, js...

Date: 2012-02-21 03:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] benihime99.livejournal.com
They knew about it though

Date: 2012-02-21 09:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] laeryn.livejournal.com
But it says "we are confirming" and "we have confirmed", which kind of means they didn't know at the beginning, but just now, tho.

Date: 2012-02-21 09:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] benihime99.livejournal.com
That's not how I'm interpreting it but I might be wrong.

Date: 2012-02-21 09:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] notochrasy.livejournal.com
Wow did they know of his political ties before employing him?
This is a hugely sensitive issue...I don't even want to know how this will pan out :c

Date: 2012-02-21 09:41 am (UTC)

Date: 2012-02-21 09:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neumi.livejournal.com
It's always something with DSP. I'm about sick of them. My Kara babies do not deserve this shit. I hope the girls are dealing with this okay.

Date: 2012-02-21 10:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 4minutesluts.livejournal.com
haha what

wow

Date: 2012-02-21 10:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chunsakuma.livejournal.com
We believe that his associations with North Korea will not be a problem

lol Okay.

Date: 2012-02-21 11:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] funkaliciousss.livejournal.com
Kara has the best luck ever. I can't even decide if it's sad or funny at this point.

Date: 2012-02-21 12:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] honeebs.livejournal.com
DSP gave that shit answer, they like everyone else didn't know and now they do. He will be gone I'm sure.

Date: 2012-02-21 12:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jokersstarr.livejournal.com
wow DSP why would you even think for a second that this is okay...
smh so much

Date: 2012-02-21 12:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] funkaliciousss.livejournal.com
kara is the worst band ever. and it's not because of the girls.

Date: 2012-02-21 12:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] evivante.livejournal.com
The things K-fandom manages to hide from us =| well not really hide but I feel like they've known about this for quite a while but it's just been reported now. I hope this doesn't affect the girls in any way because they work so hard, but this IS a very sensitive issue to South Korea.. so we really can't blame the people. At this point DSP needs to think hard on how to handle this, and their first response wasn't all that smart tbh.
Edited Date: 2012-02-21 12:34 pm (UTC)

Date: 2012-02-21 12:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] the-erotomanic.livejournal.com
um, so did they hire him after the girls sued dsp? but yikes!

Date: 2012-02-21 12:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] asnindie.livejournal.com
FFS fire him already DSP you dumbtwats before you ruin the group more.

Date: 2012-02-21 01:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] geniebsmart.livejournal.com
Whoa o__o
Is this like...the whole "won't deny employment because of one's belief" thing? Even so, I am shocked.

Date: 2012-02-21 01:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] noneko.livejournal.com
Why would it affect their fanbase? It's not like Kara has any input into who their label hires to manage them.

Date: 2012-02-22 02:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pistolkrystle.livejournal.com
nieztens aren't rational though.

Date: 2012-02-21 01:30 pm (UTC)

Date: 2012-02-21 01:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cast-no-shadow0.livejournal.com
This sucks if it negatively affects the girls considering it's not something they did. I mean, unless people expect them to sue the company again until they fire him. :/

Date: 2012-02-21 02:41 pm (UTC)

Date: 2012-02-21 02:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mouthwash.livejournal.com
wow :( i hate it that this affects the girls when it's not something they did directly. i wonder how dsp is gonna handle this.

Date: 2012-02-21 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fancifury.livejournal.com
HORRIBLE POST please delete & ban OP

Date: 2012-02-21 05:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cettefemme90.livejournal.com
ANDRASTE'S HOLY KNICKERS

Date: 2012-02-21 05:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cettefemme90.livejournal.com
You can't REALLY call it 'KARA's ties to North Korea' without being a little slanderous. Yes, it gives them a tenuous link to NK, but it doesn't make the group themselves some kind of NK sympathiser party.

Ugh, drama stirrers.

Date: 2012-02-21 06:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lydzi.livejournal.com
DSP should just fire him and tell everyone they didn't knew. Even if it isn't true, best thing here is to deny. Be smart DSP (not that you are known for this but at least pretend).

Date: 2012-02-21 11:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] surisays.livejournal.com
if he likes north korea so much, why doesn't he try living there? maybe then he wouldn't be so supportive

Date: 2012-02-22 02:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pistolkrystle.livejournal.com
poor babies :(

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