Comments on: When honesty is the best policy http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/ Korea... in Blog Format Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:22:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Paul H. http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-95475 Paul H. Sat, 07 Jul 2007 19:19:14 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-95475 Thanks for thupdating this story, as well as the earlier ones. Zero news coverage back here in CONUS that I've seen on cable TV; I suppose it could have been a buried story in a wire service or NYT edition and I wouldn't have seen it. Are all the Filipino diplomats still persona non grata at the PX? Thanks for thupdating this story, as well as the earlier ones.

Zero news coverage back here in CONUS that I’ve seen on cable TV; I suppose it could have been a buried story in a wire service or NYT edition and I wouldn’t have seen it.

Are all the Filipino diplomats still persona non grata at the PX?

]]> By: robert neff http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-95451 robert neff Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:03:22 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-95451 For those interested - I thought I would post the link to the latest article about this incident. https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/07/07/200707070003.asp Reportedly one of the Philippine journalist/activist who spends half his time in Korea and the other half back home has interviewed some of the people involved with the incident. “According to Mark Padlan, a journalist and Kasammako executive committee member who is currently in Manila, the manager of the PX, knowing that Castrence is a diplomat, approached her in a bid to resolve the matter discreetly so as to avoid any embarrassment. “In response,” the press release said, “Castrence told the manager she wanted to smoke a cigarette first before they talk. In the act of taking and lighting the cigarette out of her bag, she dropped the stolen items and kicked them back inside the PX shop. She then tried to deny any wrongdoing.’” For those interested - I thought I would post the link to the latest article about this incident.

https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/07/07/200707070003.asp

Reportedly one of the Philippine journalist/activist who spends half his time in Korea and the other half back home has interviewed some of the people involved with the incident.

“According to Mark Padlan, a journalist and Kasammako executive committee member who is currently in Manila, the manager of the PX, knowing that Castrence is a diplomat, approached her in a bid to resolve the matter discreetly so as to avoid any embarrassment.

“In response,” the press release said, “Castrence told the manager she wanted to smoke a cigarette first before they talk. In the act of taking and lighting the cigarette out of her bag, she dropped the stolen items and kicked them back inside the PX shop. She then tried to deny any wrongdoing.’”

]]> By: MrChips http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94995 MrChips Thu, 05 Jul 2007 03:54:00 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94995 Whatever the true story here is, I find it ironic that a member of the korean media had the balls to say this was "handled in a shoddy and unprofessional manner." USFK has been very consistent in not making public the specifics in regards to investigations of any kind, let alone those political in nature. The apparent "news" that the Korean Herald editor wrote of is almost certainly a very rough sketch filled in with a generous measure of artistic license. Even more certain is that what was written does not match up to what really happened. Then again, you might say that for each and every article in media picked up on street corners here every morning. With the possible exception of sports box scores... Further, it's been a long time since I've seen a Korean media outlet show interest in the abnormally large amounts of centrum and spam that are sold on base or the monopoly on the use of base slot machines by "non-military" folks. Foreigner investigated for shoplifting without charges being levied = big deal. Blackmarketing and gambling by locals,including assemblymen and general officers = no problem. Whatever the true story here is, I find it ironic that a member of the korean media had the balls to say this was “handled in a shoddy and unprofessional manner.”

USFK has been very consistent in not making public the specifics in regards to investigations of any kind, let alone those political in nature. The apparent “news” that the Korean Herald editor wrote of is almost certainly a very rough sketch filled in with a generous measure of artistic license. Even more certain is that what was written does not match up to what really happened. Then again, you might say that for each and every article in media picked up on street corners here every morning. With the possible exception of sports box scores…

Further, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Korean media outlet show interest in the abnormally large amounts of centrum and spam that are sold on base or the monopoly on the use of base slot machines by “non-military” folks. Foreigner investigated for shoplifting without charges being levied = big deal. Blackmarketing and gambling by locals,including assemblymen and general officers = no problem.

]]> By: mateomiguel http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94972 mateomiguel Thu, 05 Jul 2007 01:48:00 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94972 That electronics store was probably not in Korea. In this crazy country they often make moves without certainty in a whole host of issues including foreign policy. That electronics store was probably not in Korea. In this crazy country they often make moves without certainty in a whole host of issues including foreign policy.

]]> By: Ambassador Admits to Shoplifting Incident at Yongsan at ROK Drop http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94947 Ambassador Admits to Shoplifting Incident at Yongsan at ROK Drop Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:32:03 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94947 [...] You can read more about this incident over at the Marmot’s Hole. [...] [...] You can read more about this incident over at the Marmot’s Hole. [...]

]]> By: Maddlew http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94930 Maddlew Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:10:10 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/04/when-honesty-is-the-best-policy/#comment-94930 I feel undernourished, here. The fact that she hid the incident leads me to believe she is a credibility vacuum. Is the USFK in agreement with her, (mistaken identity), or are they keeping quiet to avoid an incident or is it an ongoing investigation? It seems unlikely that they would MISTAKE her for a thief. I worked in loss prevention at a big electronics store and we never made a move without certainty. This ending is underwhelming. I feel undernourished, here. The fact that she hid the incident leads me to believe she is a credibility vacuum. Is the USFK in agreement with her, (mistaken identity), or are they keeping quiet to avoid an incident or is it an ongoing investigation? It seems unlikely that they would MISTAKE her for a thief. I worked in loss prevention at a big electronics store and we never made a move without certainty.
This ending is underwhelming.

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