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Raphael Rashid Profile picture
Raphael Rashid
@koryodynasty
Seoul-based freelance journalist. 라파엘 라시드 | 프리랜서 기자 | '우리가 보지 못한 대한민국' 저자 | 서울 거주. raphael@rashid.kr
Dec 21 • 11 tweets • 5 min read
1/ South Korean media reporting growing concerns about the extent of alleged shamanistic and fortune-telling influences within President Yoon's administration, with multiple spiritual advisers allegedly operating at different levels of power. Image
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Image 2/ Latest revelation shows Noh Sang-won, said to be a key figure in the martial law crisis and former military intel commander, has been working as a shaman/fortune teller from a basement shrine near where the martial law was allegedly planned.

Dec 21 • 8 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Korea's martial law probe has uncovered extraordinary meetings at a burger joint involving a former military commander who, after being dishonourably discharged, was found to be living in a fortune-telling shop where he allegedly practiced divination alongside other shamans. Image
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Image 2/ Two meetings were documented at Lotteria: Dec 1 and Dec 3. Police have confirmed through CCTV that active-duty commander and colonels met with Noh Sang-won, a civilian ex-commander living as a fortune teller, to allegedly plan the martial law operation. koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202…
Dec 12 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
1/ Breaking: President Yoon Suk Yeol has just addressed the nation. He said his martial law declaration was "a constitutional decision and act of governance" (헌법적 결단이자 통치행위) - not subject to legal judgment, comparing it to presidential pardons or diplomatic actions. Image 2/ "How can an act lasting only 2 hours be an insurrection?" Yoon challenged critics. He claimed the deployment of <300 unarmed troops was symbolic, meant to "warn the public about the opposition's anti-state misdeeds" (반국가적 패악을 알려 이를 멈추도록 경고).
Dec 3 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
Breaking: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared martial law Image
Image Breaking: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared martial law. In an emergency address to the nation, he claimed martial law was necessary to protect S. Korea's liberal democratic order from what he termed "pro-North Korean anti-state forces." Image
Aug 26 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
1/ A deepfake porn crisis is gripping S. Korea following revelations of the widespread creation/distribution of such content on Telegram, affecting women of all ages. Victims incl. minors, students, teachers etc. Authorities struggling to contain spread. en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202408… 2/ Numerous Telegram chat rooms dedicated to deepfake porn have been discovered. One channel reported over 133,000 members. Schools nationwide have been affected, including elementary, middle, high schools, and universities.
Jun 20 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
1/ It seems that the "military assistance" in the treaty between Russia and the DPRK suggests financial or military equipment aid in the event of aggression, but the reality is that the wording is vague enough to mean anything, including military intervention. Here's why: 2/ Korean version of Article 4 uses the wording "군사적 및 기타 원조" which translates to "military and other assistance." "군사적" (military) and "원조" (assistance/aid) doesn't differentiate between aid/weapons and troops, although in the past "원조" has at times meant former.
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Jun 4 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
A S. Korean YouTuber is going viral for bringing attention to the horrific Miryang gang rape case from 2004, involving at least 44 high school boys in assaulting several school girls. He claims to have identified some of the now-adult perpetrators and is exposing them one by one. I won't share the videos/channel, but it's difficult to ignore given that it's gone viral. The vigilante's actions seem to have immediate effects, with the alleged perpetrators losing jobs (and their employers saying so on IG) and Korean news outlets picking up on the story.
Jun 4 • 12 tweets • 5 min read
1/ President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden and surprise announcement that vast oil and gas reserves may exist off the country's east coast has raised a lot of eyebrows, including the fact that the U.S. company that conducted the analysis is located in a house that's listed for rent.

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Image 2/ The announcement came during an unscheduled briefing that was only disclosed to reporters a mere 8 minutes beforehand. The abrupt timing has led some to speculate whether the announcement was rushed and if there were political motivations given Yoon's 21% approval rating. Image
May 20 • 12 tweets • 5 min read
1/ #FreeBella: My latest for the Guardian on the sad and urgent plight of Bella the beluga, trapped in a tiny tank at Seoul's Lotte World Aquarium for a decade. It’s heartbreaking. Lotte promised to release her, but such efforts have stalled. For 5 years. theguardian.com/environment/ar… 2/ The @hotpinkdolphins group has led the charge in calling on the Lotte Group, one of South Korea's largest and wealthiest conglomerates, to free Bella from her lifeless tank housed in a glitzy megamall at the foot of the 555-metre Lotte World Tower skyscraper.

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Mar 27 • 26 tweets • 7 min read
1/ Meet Cho Kuk, the leader of S. Korea's newly formed Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP). Cho is a former SNU law professor, and former senior aide and justice minister under the Moon Jae-in admin. He has seen a surge in popularity since launching the RKP less than a month ago. 2/ Cho founded the RKP earlier this month with the aim of opposing what he calls the "prosecutorial dictatorship" under President Yoon Suk Yeol. The party has only nominated proportional representation candidates for the April 10 general elections.

Mar 15 • 19 tweets • 5 min read
1/ An introduction to South Korea's electoral system, where major parties often create "satellite parties" to maximise their seat allocation in the proportional representation (PR) part of the election. Here's how it works:
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Image 2/ In the upcoming South Korean legislative election, the two main parties have created satellite parties: the Democratic Party has created the satellite party "Democratic Union" (더불어민주연합), while the People Power Party has created the "People's Future" (국민의미래). Why?
Jun 17, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
1/ Today's shocking clash in Daegu not only highlights the struggle between intolerance and freedom but also raises serious questions about mayor Hong Joon-pyo's aptitude for his job and his motivations behind mobilizing 500 civil servants to serve his personal homophobic agenda. 2/ It is deeply concerning to witness the mayor of South Korea's third largest city using his position to try suppress an event that celebrates love, diversity, and equality. Such actions raise doubts about his ability to prioritise the well-being and rights of all citizens.
Jun 17, 2023 • 20 tweets • 9 min read
An unprecedented and absurd showdown between intolerance and freedom is unfolding in Daegu right now: 100s of civil servants (yellow) deployed by the homophobic mayor who wants to demolish small pride festival vs. 100s of police ready to protect event's assembly freedom. This clash highlights the ongoing battle between regressive attitudes and the progress made towards greater acceptance and equality. It literally underscores the significance of events like pride festivals.
Jun 16, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Crazy homophobia in South Korea: Daegu mayor Hong Joon-pyo has ordered the mobilisation of 450 people to *demolish* Daegu Pride that "disgusts people" if planners dare to setup booths tomorrow.

*But* major discord: Daegu police say they will protect pride's "freedom of assembly" A court has already rejected the Christian right's injunction application to block Daegu Pride. Mayor Hong argues that Daegu Pride's occupation of the road is "illegal" and that citizens' "right to passage" should take precedence, has vowed to demolish the festival.
May 3, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Just unbelievable and disgusting. Seoul City has *REFUSED* to allow Seoul Pride to use Seoul Plaza on July 1 as organisers had planned, giving priority to a homophobic conservative K-Christian event instead.

Not joking.

Welcome to 2023 "Seoul, My Soul" everyone. My article from 2 years ago on "How religion spurs homophobia in South Korean politics" is just as fitting today, including under the leadership of openly homophobic Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

asia.nikkei.com/Politics/How-r…
May 1, 2023 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
1/ I'm honestly a little tired of constantly being asked to comment on the link between suicide and K-pop. Not a K-pop or mental health expert, but the suicide crisis in Korea is one that affects all backgrounds and generations. Not just K-pop. A small thread: 2/ The K-pop industry is just one manifestation of such pressures, which include intense training schedules, long working hours, lack of privacy and personal time, strict diets, and high expectations for physical appearance and performance. This can take a toll on mental health.
Apr 4, 2023 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
1/ Today, the South Korean government announced that plans to revise its legal definition of rape to include non-consensual sex have been excluded from this year's implementation plan for the gender equality ministry. yna.co.kr/view/AKR202304… 2/ A senior official from the presidential office reportedly stated that they decided not to include the introduction of non-consensual rape as a new crime in the plan for this year's government tasks.
Apr 3, 2023 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Yeah so obviously not a big fan of these travellers coming to Korea, and find their TikTok exploits problematic for several reasons:

1) Entitlement: The couple seems to feel entitled to free transportation from locals, which reflects a sense of privilege. They assume that locals in Korea are willing to accommodate their travel preferences and are quick to blame the country and its people when their expectations are not met. "I never knew travelling in Korea was so exhausting".
Apr 2, 2023 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
Wildfires in the heart of Seoul, this one on Inwangsan, another reported behind the Blue House? Inwangsan is on fire ㅠ
Jan 31, 2023 • 24 tweets • 6 min read
1/ "Chastity education" for students: Seoul Metropolitan Council, which is already considering repealing the Seoul Student Human Rights Ordinance, also wants to teach students that sexual activity should only occur within the context of marriage.

It's deeply troubling.

Thread: 2/ Seoul Metropolitan Council's Education Committee has prepared the "Ordinance on Sex and Bioethics Standards" (aka "chastity ordinance"), and sent an official letter to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to seek opinions. v.daum.net/v/202301301042…
Jan 13, 2023 • 23 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Update on the Itaewon crowd crush, also known as the 10.29 disaster: Police have completed their investigation, with 23 officials (6 detained) referred to the prosecution on fatal professional negligence and other charges.

Senior gov officials have been spared any blame. 2/ The special police investigation team concluded that the crowd crush was a "man-made" disaster caused by the failure of authorities to devise disaster prevention measures and respond quickly to an emergency situation.