It's Time To Act! A Petition for RAIN & PR soldiers

Dear Cloud sisters,
Please read the petition letter below and sign if you agree.
To those that can't access TheCloud Official Board, can sign on the comment section
following the format:

Country: (your country)
Name: (your name)

Deadline to collect supporters Thursday, June 28 ~ 00:00 KST
Petition will be sent by the end of this week.

Direct link: http://www.rain-cloud.co.kr/common/board/content.asp?ref=4727&board_id=b_08062719294427&page=1&search_what=&keyword=
By: huhuhuhu

I believe we are all heart broken to see the excessive, overloaded schedules assigned to our prince.  The Cloud has issued a notice (link: http://rain-cloud.co.kr/common/board/content.asp?ref=4723&board_id=b_08062719294427&page=1&search_what=&keyword=) to urge fans to write to the Defense for Public Information Services to voice out our concern.  Korean clouds are taking actions now， and hope overseas fans can join in their efforts.

Based on the information provided by Korean clouds, I have drafted a petition letter.  If you want to support this action and do not have time to gather information and write your letter, we could send in a group petition letter.  If you have time, do write to  the Defense Agency Information Services.  They have responded to comments.

The following is the content of the petition letter.  Please let me know if you want to add your name in this letter.

To: Defence  Agency for Public Information Services

Dear Sir,

We are supporters of  Rain, (pfc Jung Ji Hoon)  from overseas countries.

We are extremely concerned about the hectic schedules assigned to pfc Jung Ji Hoon and other PR soldiers attached to the Defense Agency for Public Information Services.  It has come to a point we could no longer remain silent, and we hope you will take our petition as serious.

Pfc Jung Ji Hoon started his duty as a  PR soldier on 13 March, 2012.  The following were his known schedules from then until 24 June, 2012.

March, 2012
120313 홍보지원대원 근무 시작
120319 한국 베트남 군 우호 친선 콘서트 소리 그 이상의 하모니 (사회)
120320 베트남 하노이 한국국제학교 (방문)
120321 베트남 한국문화원 (방문)
120321 한국 베트남 수교 20주년 기념행사 - 2012년 베트남 한국 우정의 밤 콘서트 (사회)
120322 Korea-Vetnam Friendsip Concert-베트남 군 예술음악대학 (방문)
120326 서울 평화 음악회 (용산)

April 2012
120402 국방FM 국방광장-오늘의 인터뷰 07:20 (인터뷰)
120405 특집공연(국군방송 라디오 공개방송) 향토 예비군의 날 행사
120407 국방FM 2시의 휴게실-특집공연14:00 게스트
120409 2012 위문열차 홍보대사 위촉식
120409 국방FM 박효신의 주고싶은마음 듣고싶은얘기 게스트
120410 제9대 병무홍보대사 위촉식
120414 장애인의 날 행사 장애우들과 동반 청계산 산행 (밀알천사)
120418 국방FM 박효신의 주고싶은마음 듣고싶은얘기 게스트
120419 KFN TV 군대재발견 나레이션
120421~0505 TV조선 다큐 '디펜스 리포트 2012' MC

May 2012
120502 국방FM 박효신의 주고싶은마음 듣고싶은얘기 게스트
120503 건강골 행사 참여
120505 어린이날 기념행사 무대 인사
120508 2012년 현역 병입영문화제 (의정부)
120508 국군방송 위문열차@포천 육군8사단 (포천)
120512 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120513 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00   생방
120517 국군방송 위문열차@진해 해군사관학교 (진해)
120519 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00 생방
120520 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~ 생방
120523 국군방송 위문열차@육군3공수여단
120524 계룡시민과 함께하는 3군 합동 연주회 (계룡)
120526 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120527 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120529 국군방송 위문열차@육군수도방위사령부 (남태령)
120530 3군사령부 군악대 정기연주회 (용인)

June 1 – 24,2012
120601 국군방송 위문열차 KTV '2012 디지털케이블 쇼_국군방송 콘서트 (제주)
120602 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00 녹방
나눔TV걷기대회@사려니숲길(행사장까지 갔다가 버스에서 8시간 대기)
120603 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120604 현충원 방문 (군대재발견 촬영)
120609 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120609 제6회 포천 일동 오뚜기 한마음 축제@일동고등학교 (포천)
120610 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120612 306보충대 입영문화제 (의정부)
120615 2012년도 병역명문가 시상식 사회
120616 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  녹방
       국방홍보원 여수 엑스포 K-POP 특집콘서트
120617 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
120618 국군방송 위문열차@수도기계화보병사단 (가평)
120620 부천시민과 함께하는 군악연주회@부천시민회관 (부천)
120621 국군방송 위문열차@국군기무사령부
120622 라디엔티어링 대회 (현충원)
120623 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00  생방
           밀리터리 뮤직 페스티벌 (공주)
120624 국방FM 질주본능 12:00~14:00

These were just known schedules, and we know there were other duties as well which we are not aware of.  Many of the events were announced and added at very short notice.  As a result, they clashed with the routine schedules that pfc Jung Ji Hoon and others had to carry out.

The schedules were so packed that in some cases (in particular the regional community events), pfc Jung Ji Hoon, and others,  had to make day trips between regions and had to travel at night right after a performance, returning to their base only next day morning, and had to work right afterwards.

Looking at the schedules, it appeared that pfc Jung Ji Hoon did not have proper rest days in the month of June.

Of course we fully support pfc Jung Ji Hoon and others to participate in genuine military events to boost the morale of Korea’s 500,000 military members.

But many overseas fans had attended these activities, and we discovered that they were not official military events.  We also found out pfc Jung Ji Hoon in particular, had been exploited.  To give some concrete examples:

120609 제6회 포천 일동 오뚜기 한마음 축제@일동고등학교 (포천)

This had no relation to military affairs.  In fact last year, this festival took place as an independent, private sector event in the city of Pocheon without the participation or assistance from the Defense Agency for Information Services  PR support group.  We do not understand why this year the PR soldiers had to be mobilized to the festival.  Overseas fans went there and witnessed a complete disorder in the audience, with people falling down while rushing to occupy seats and some were injured in the process.

120616 국방홍보원 여수 엑스포 K-POP 특집콘서트

A PR soldier is an official member of the military service, and not a celebrity entertainer.

We cannot see how Yeosu Expo is related to Army activities.  All the promotions suggested to us it is a civilian event to attract visitors to the Expo.  The fact that only pfc Jung Ji Hoon was being asked to host a press interview even gave the impression it was his solo concert.

The promotion was very successful, with a huge number of visitors on that day, many from overseas who came specially for the concert, as reported by media news.

This is good, and we are happy to see a successful Yeosu Expo.  But what has it to do with the army?   What is the role of pfc Jung Ji Hoon here?  A PR soldier or a celebrity entertainer?  Isn’t this a civilian event  disguised as a military  concert?  Are there any guidelines to define the meaning of military events?

120620 부천시민과 함께하는 군악연주회@부천시민회관 (부천

We had evidence that pfc Jung Ji Hoon had been exploited here in Bucheon,.

Media news showed local community leaders taking photos with pfc Jung Ji Hoon (not in military uniform).  Fans had seen pfc Jung Ji Hoon being exposed to unexpected onslaughts of autograph requests from people with acquaintances related to the military.



These are just some examples.

While we applaud the fact that Rain, the artist we cherish and support, is given the honorable duty to boost the morale of Korea’s soldiers, and he has been doing his best as we can see in all his performances, we feel very sad and concerned that his own physical condition seemed to suffer because of the excessive, overloaded schedules.  We are concerned that the busy schedules do not allow him to recover fully from his cellulitis. He had just caught a flu due to overwork a few days ago.  We know other PR soldiers also suffered physically from such work overloads and we feel very sorry for them as well.

We therefore petition the Defence Agency for Public Information Services to disclose the official schedule of duties assigned to the PR soldiers.  Currently, the schedule of the official military event “Consolatory Train” is publicly available.  This is good and clear to allow the PR soldiers themselves to know their own duties.

We would like to know, other than “Consolatory Train”, if there are other official military events scheduled for 2012, or at least for the next three months.  We believe the capable and efficient Defense Agency for Information Services should have good planning, and it is not too much to ask for  a 3 month schedule. We know schedules may change, therefore it is even more important to have the schedules in advance, so that proper planning and management could be made to avoid clashes.

Last but not least, we petition the Defense Agency for Public Information Services not to allow the abuse of authority to disguise private broadcast and regional community events as military activities.

We believe a system is in place when soldiers have to perform overtime work, they get compensation holidays, and we believe this applies to PR soldiers as well. We urge the Defence Agency for Public Information Services to review the schedules of the PR soldiers regularly to make sure they have a good balance between work and rest.

Thank you for listening to our voices.

From overseas supporters of pfc Jung Ji Hoon (Rain):

Country: Hong Kong

Names:


Country: China

Names:

Country: Taiwan

Names:

Country: U.S.A.

Names:

Country: Vietnam

Names: