koreatimes

Lotte E&C CEO Park Hyun-chul / Korea Times file

By Lee Kyung-min

A total of 55 workers died in accidents at construction sites in Korea during the first three months of this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday. Seven of those fatalities occurred at construction sites overseen by the top 100 builders, down from 14 a year earlier.

Lotte E&C, the construction affiliate of Lotte Group, reported one worker fatality at one of its construction sites in the first quarter of this year. The death is a blow to not only the Lotte affiliate, but also its parent company, following a group-wide liquidity crunch in the fourth quarter of last year. The construction affiliate failed to roll over 3 trillion won ($2.2 billion) in asset-backed commercial papers (ABCP) related to the default of Legoland Korea. Its borrowing exceeded 4.46 trillion won last year, compared to 2 trillion won in previous years.

Deaths reported at sites that had construction orders from state-run entities came to 14 in the same period, up by three from the year before.

The ministry said a special inspection team will be dispatched without prior notice to the construction sites where the deaths occurred.

“The government will take strict disciplinary and punitive measures against construction firms and their officials for violations,” the ministry said in a statement.

Their subcontractors will also be closely monitored for possible violations of related safety laws.

The Lotte worker died at a construction site in southern Seoul’s Seocho District, after being struck by a falling object.

A worker at a construction site run by Seohee E&C in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, died of suffocation, while a Jungheung E&C worker at a construction site in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, died after a structural collapse.

“We will continue efforts to prevent further accidents,” a Lotte E&C official said.

By Ko Dong-hwan

Social networking sites are ARK’s main communication channels with the public.
Social networking sites are the main channels through which ‘refugees in action (ARKs)’ communicate with the public.

The three Korean facilitators from ARK posted an ad on Facebook looking for foreign activists and met Bereket from Ethiopia, Dorcas from the Congo and Musab and Mariam from Egypt in 2021.
Three Korean facilitators of ‘Refugee in Action (ARK)’ posted an overseas activist job advertisement on Facebook in 2021, and met Bereket from Ethiopia, Dorcas from Congo, and Musab and Mariam from Egypt.

“We work as a team so everyone participates and shares ideas,” Dorcas told The Korea Times at Dongjak FM, a public underground space run by Seoul’s southern district office of Dongjak where, according to Bereket, foreign residents of the city often visit for private meetings.
Dorcas told the Korea Times at Dongjak FM, a public underground space run by the Dongjak-gu Office in southern Seoul and where foreign residents come for private meetings, “We work as a team, so everyone participates and shares ideas.”

She declined to share with The Korea Times why she came to Korea 13 years ago, because she was “tired of repeatedly speaking about her dark past publicly.”
Dorcas refused to tell The Korea Times why he came to South Korea 13 years ago because he was “tired of repeatedly talking about his dark past in public.”

Stand up and fight
fight back

ARK, which describes itself as an “ark for refugees from different countries,” stands up to fight for their rights rather than conform to Korea’s immigration system and local society, which can at times be relatively unaccepting and difficult to assimilate into.
ARK, which describes itself as “a refugee ark from many countries,” fights for the rights of refugees, who are often relatively unacceptable and hard to assimilate, rather than conforming to South Korea’s immigration system and local society.

“This is probably the first initiative in Korea which is jointly laid out by refugees and local Koreans,” said Bereket.
Bereket said that the ARK was “the first attempt in Korea to be jointly organized by refugees and local Koreans.”

A professional photographer and a freelance journalist for Pressenza, an international press agency, Bereket fled political usurpation in Ethiopia where he took part in a movement against a rising faction and came to Korea in 2014.
Bereket, a professional photographer and freelance journalist for international news agency Pressenza, came to South Korea in 2014 to escape political extortion in Ethiopia, where she participated in a campaign against a rising faction.

The Koreans and the foreign activists have different roles. The facilitators, using their familiarity with the country, arrange an “empty space” in the country, like a framework, for the rest of the members to fill with their own perspectives and values. This is how ARK strives to be strictly refugee-oriented instead of being planned and orchestrated by Koreans who support refugees.
The roles played by Korean and foreign activists are different. Facilitators use their familiarity with their country to find and provide a framework for “empty spaces” in Korea that the rest of the group can fill with their own perspectives and values. This is how ARK operates as a refugee-centered organization, instead of being planned and coordinated by Koreans supporting refugees.

“Sometimes it feels time-consuming, but we make some consensus where we can all do it together,” Kang Eun-sook, one of the facilitators and the bookkeeper of ARK, said.
Kang Eun-sook, host of ARK and bookkeeper, said, “Sometimes it feels like it takes a lot of time, but we are forming a consensus that we can all do it together.”

KEY WORDS
■ channel (communication) path[수단]
■ decline (politely) decline, decline
■ repeatedly
■ refugee
■ conform to
■ assimilate into
■ jointly
■ usurpation extortion, usurpation
■ faction faction, faction
■ -oriented[위주의]
■ orchestrate (carefully) organize

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“I’m sorry, Mom… but please send me 20,000 won ($15).”
“I’m sorry, Mom… Please send me 20,000 won.”

That’s the message left by a victim of a home rental scam before committing suicide recently.
This is the message a recent victim of charter fraud left before taking his own life.

The man in his 20s was so squeezed that he couldn’t even pay for water and gas. His wallet contained only 2,000 won. Two other young people facing the same predicament have taken their own lives.
This man in his 20s was financially tight to the extent that he could not even pay for water and gas. The wallet contained only 2,000 won. Two other young men in the same predicament also took their own lives.

These three were the casualties of a rental scam masterminded by a 60-something known as the “Building King” who is now in jail. Led by the Building King, a group of fraudsters bought 2,700 flats with bank loans, swelled their prices by conspiring with brokers and leased the mortgaged homes at higher prices, raking in 12.5 billion won.
The three were victims of a charter scam orchestrated by a 60-year-old known as “The Villa King” who is now in prison. The fraudulent gang, which bought 2,700 houses with bank loans, led by “Villa King”, colluded with real estate agents to inflate house prices and steal 12.5 billion won by renting houses held as collateral at a higher price.

The fraudsters were unable to repay their bank loans as housing prices plunged amid the prolonged property market slump. Some 690 homes have been auctioned off. Little money is left after the homes are sold at auctions and bank loans are paid off. Tenants are evicted from their rented homes, unable to retrieve their deposit money. It was this dire situation that drove the victims to take their own lives. About 2,000 more homes will be auctioned off to repay the bank loans their owners used to buy them.
As house prices plummeted as the real estate market slump lasted, a gang of scammers could not repay their bank loans. About 690 homes went up for auction. After selling the house at auction and paying off the bank loan, he has little money left. Tenants will be evicted from their rental units and will not be able to get their deposit back. This horrific situation forced the victims to take their own lives. About 2,000 units will be auctioned off by homeowners to repay bank loans used to purchase the home.

Behind all this is a unique home rental system prevalent in Korea. Known as “jeonse,” tenants do not pay monthly rent in this leasing scheme, but provide landlords with a deposit, called key money, worth at least half or more of the property’s value. Landlords keep the returns from their investment and repay the lump sum when the tenancy is renewed or terminated after two years.
Behind the case is a unique housing rental system common in Korea. In this type of rental, known as “chonsei,” the lessee pays the landlord a deposit equal to at least half of the house’s value rather than paying the monthly rent. The landlord collects the return on the investment and repays the deposit in a lump sum when the lease is renewed or terminated after two years.

Jeonse spread widely as a form of private financing, as Korea’s rapid industrialization in the 1970s relocated farmers to cities. It was difficult for working-class families to borrow from banks, and interest rates were nearly 20 percent per annum then. The system had some positive sides for cash-short landlords and homeless tenants. A half-century later, various side effects occurred, such as deposit money exceeding home prices amid the sagging property market ― and the ongoing housing fraud.
Jeonse became widespread as a form of private finance in the 1970s as farmers moved to cities due to Korea’s rapid industrialization. It was difficult for middle-class families to get loans from banks, and at that time, the interest rate was close to 20%. The jeonse system had positive aspects for cash-strapped landlords and homeless tenants. Half a century later, while the real estate market is stagnant, various side effects such as deposits for jeonse that exceed the house price and continuing housing fraud are appearing.

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of such tenants gathered to mourn the dead and launch a national organization to deal with the “social disaster.” They called on the government to present fundamental solutions. We agree. The fraud was possible due to the collaboration of many groups ― swindlers, amoral real estate agents, cursory property appraisers and risk-blind lenders. On top of them were financial supervisors and property market overseers, who should have clogged the loopholes of the loose rental system, which cannot stand without trust among all parties involved.
On Tuesday, tens of thousands of affected tenants gathered to commemorate the dead and launched a national organization to address the “social calamity.” They urged the government to come up with a fundamental solution. I agree. The charter scam was possible because a large group of con artists, unscrupulous real estate agents, formal real estate appraisers, and risk-aware creditors worked together. Behind them were financial supervisors and real estate market supervisors who had to close loopholes in a loose leasing system that could not be maintained without trust between the parties.

It would be unfair to say the government has done nothing. After the first signs appeared five months ago, it lowered the lending rate for crunched tenants and provided temporary dwellings for evictees. However, the new bank loans were beyond the reach of most tenants due to strict terms and the alternative homes were too small and far away.
It would be unfair to say that the government was on its hands. For renters whose lives have been shattered since the first signs appeared five months ago, it has lowered lending rates and provided temporary housing to those facing eviction. But the new bank loans were inaccessible to most tenants because the terms were stringent and the replacement homes were too small and too far away.

Moments before the launch of the tenants’ association, the government belatedly asked lenders to put off auctions for a few months. But it was a step to earn time and prevent further tragedy. The policymakers must find ways to return deposits to tenants by, for instance, having state financiers buy these homes and turn them into public leases.
Ahead of the launch of the victim committee, the government belatedly asked creditors to delay the auction for several months. However, it was a measure to buy time and prevent further tragedy. Policy makers will need to find ways to return deposits to tenants, such as buying these homes with state capital and converting them into public rentals.

In the long term, the government needs to rebuild the home lease system by phasing out jeonse and shifting to monthly rentals. In the longer term, the establishment must make a society where homes are not something that must be had by all means, but places in which to live.
In the long term, the government should reorganize the housing rental system by gradually abolishing jeonse and converting it to monthly rent. In the longer term, vested interests need to create a society in which the home is a place to live in, not something to own.

April 20, 2023 (Thursday) The Korea Times editorial

KEY WORDS
■ penniless, very poor
■ take one’s own life commit suicide
■ mastermind (planning complex tasks) commanding[조종]do
■ evict (from a house or land)
■ retrieve[회수하다]
■ terminate to end, to end
■ sag is weakened
■ fraud Fraud (crime)
■ block clog
■ phase out phase out

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DEAR ABBY: My “Uncle Fred” is rude and obnoxious whenever we’re in his presence.
Dear Abby: Uncle “Fred” is rude and very obnoxious whenever we are in front of him.

He talks down to not only me, but everyone around him.
My uncle speaks in a way that seems to belittle not only me but everyone around me.

Holidays are unbearable as he creates constant tension, leaving all guests less than enthused.
My uncle keeps creating tension, so the holidays are hard to bear, and the family never has fun.

He also drinks too much at parties, which leads to obscenities and poor decision-making.
Also, my uncle drinks too much at parties, causing filthy behavior and poor decision-making.

It would be very easy to just stop being in his presence if not for my darling “Auntie June,” who is kind to us all and always insists on hosting her family for holidays.
If it hadn’t been for my dear Aunt Jun, who is kind to all of us and willing to invite our relatives over for the holidays, I wouldn’t have been around my uncle for many years.

Even after numerous attempts by family members who have all voiced their displeasure with Uncle Fred, Auntie June seems to be helpless in dealing with his unruly behavior.
Even after numerous family members express their displeasure with Uncle Fred, Aunt June is helpless to deal with her uncle’s unruly behavior.

How do we move forward without hurting our dear sweet auntie by telling her we no longer wish to spend holidays together?
How can you tell your lovely, sweet aunt that you don’t want to spend any more holidays with them without hurting them?

— ENOUGH ALREADY IN NEW JERSEY
— A New Jersey reader already fed up

DEAR ENOUGH: You have suffered enough.
Dear Tired Reader: You have suffered enough already.

A way to deal with it would be to put it “a tad” less bluntly.
The way out of this situation is to be “a little” less direct.

Say, “Auntie, we love you, which is why we have tolerated Uncle Fred’s drinking and rude behavior as long as we have.
“I love my aunt so much, that’s why we’ve endured Uncle Fred’s drinking and rude behavior all this time.

But we have reached our limit.
But we have reached the limit now.

From now on, other family members will alternate hosting these gatherings, and if Uncle Fred acts up during any of them, he will have to leave.”
From now on, the other family members take turns hosting family gatherings, and if Uncle Fred gets his way again, Uncle Fred has to leave immediately.”

It would be better than walking out of Auntie’s home and leaving her with food she has prepared and no one to eat it.
It would be better to do the above than to leave your aunt’s house without food and no one to eat.

KEY WORDS
■ obnoxious Very unpleasant, very unpleasant
■ in one’s presence ~ in front
■ talk down to
■ unbearable unbearable
■ enthuse to speak passionately, to speak enthusiastically
■ obscenity Obscene language[행동]
■ poor (quality) poor
■ insisted on
■ host host, open
■ voice (words) to express
■ displeasure displeasure, dissatisfaction
■ unruly
■ a bit of tad
■ bluntly
■ limit limit (point), limit
■ act up (a person) do not listen, act rudely

Governors but locals skeptical about city’s ‘mini-subway’
Convening an emergency meeting, but the ‘Little Train’ meeting remains

By Ko Dong-hwan

The Gimpo Goldline ― an automated, unmanned metro service opened in 2019 ― has become unable to handle demand, leading to dangerous overcrowding in train stations.
Gimpo Gold Line, an automated unmanned subway service that opened in 2019, could not meet the traffic demand, leading to dangerous overcrowding of trains.

The new train line connects Gimpo, west of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, to the capital’s subway system via Gimpo International Airport Station. Its two-carriage trains have been derided as a “mini-subway.” But the trains can’t be extended, because the subway platforms weren’t built to fit longer trains.
This new line connects the subway system in the metropolitan area from Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, west of Seoul, through Gimpo Airport Station. The two-car trains on the line have been ridiculed as “little trains.” However, it is impossible to increase the number of trains because the subway platforms were built to accommodate two-car trains.

Servicing 10 stations across a 23.67-kilometer track between Yangchon Station and Gimpo International Airport Station, the subway line is now emerging as a hot-button problem in the country’s public transit sector. Crowds grow beyond the maximum capacity every morning and evening rush hour, raising concerns over a possible crowd disaster.
The Gimpo Gold Line, which runs 10 stations in a 23.67 km section from Yangchon Station to Gimpo Airport Station, has now emerged as a hot issue in public transportation in Korea. Concerns about a stampede accident are raised as more passengers exceed the maximum capacity at every morning and evening commute.

On April 11, a female high school student and a woman in her 30s collapsed on the Goldline platform at Gimpo International Airport Station after showing symptoms of asphyxiation. A similar incident occurred inside a subway car last December. The incidents stirred memories of the Itaewon crowd disaster last October in which at least 158 people died.
On the 11th, a high school girl in her teens and a woman in her 30s collapsed due to breathing difficulties at the gold line platform at Gimpo Airport Station. A similar incident occurred on the Gimpo Gold Line train in December of last year. These incidents brought back memories of the Itaewon massacre that left at least 158 ​​people dead in October.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Minister Hee-ryong held an emergency meeting over the issue on Saturday. The Seoul mayor is one of the major stakeholders of the problem because the Gimpo Goldline is a subsidiary of Seoul Metro, the operator of eight metro lines across the Korean capital run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong convened an emergency meeting on the 24th. Gimpo Gold Line is a subsidiary of Seoul Transportation Corporation, which operates eight subway lines in the metropolitan area managed by the city of Seoul, and the mayor of Seoul is one of the major stakeholders in the matter.

The two politicians agreed that more buses should be mobilized between the two cities as an immediate plan to alleviate the crowding. Won asked Oh to designate more bus-only lanes in western Seoul so that buses can transport passengers to and from Gimpo without traffic congestion, to which the city mayor agreed. But that is not expected to happen until June 2024 as its on-site feasibility will have to be studied further.
The two politicians agreed that as a short-term measure to ease congestion, the number of buses between Gimpo and Seoul should be increased. Minister Won asked Mayor Oh to increase the designation of exclusive bus lanes in western Seoul so that buses can transport passengers to and from Gimpo without traffic jams, and he agreed. However, it is not expected to be implemented until June 2024, as additional field feasibility studies are required.

KEY WORDS
■ skeptical skeptical
■ overcrowding
■ hot-button hot issue[주제]
■ beyond
■ rush hour
■ collapse (usually unconscious)
■ asphyxiation suffocation, fainting
■ run operation[관리]do
■ feasibility

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