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1. Greetings from the ACS Chief
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The current unrest in the Middle East, and in particular the evacuation of U.S. citizens from Egypt and Libya, highlights the importance of letting the State Department know when you travel overseas.  By informing us about your trip or residence abroad, you help the applicable embassy or consulate locate you when you might need them the most.  Signing up is voluntary and costs nothing, but it should be a big part of your travel planning and security.

To sign up, go to https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.  You will create an account by clicking on the “Create an Account” link and following the instructions provided.  This allows you to select a username and password so that you can access your travel data at any time.  The account will also contain your personal information so that it can be saved and used again whenever you travel abroad.  By providing your updated travel or overseas residence information, we can contact you in the event of an emergency or crisis situation overseas.

Finally, some of you have children on school break right now, and others have children whose schools will take spring break soon.  If you plan to travel internationally, please be sure to check the passports of all family members to ensure each has at least six months validity and enough remaining blank pages.  Item number 5 below has information about how to make an appointment to obtain a new passport, or how to obtain additional pages using our courier service.

Enjoy the warmer spring weather.

Robert (Buck) Waldrop
ACS Chief

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2. Holiday Closure, March 1
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The Embassy will be closed on the following days in March:

March 1, 2011: (Monday) Sam Il Jul (Independence Movement Day)

Please be advised that the days just before and after a holiday are usually exceptionally busy in the American Citizen Services Unit of the Embassy.  Do not be surprised at longer waits for consular services on those days, especially if you arrive during the afternoon hours when appointments are not required.

A complete list of all of Embassy holiday closings for 2011 is available on-line at http://seoul.usembassy.gov/p_holidays.html.

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3. IRS Announces 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI)
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On February 8, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service announced a special voluntary disclosure initiative designed to bring offshore money back into the U.S. tax system and help people with undisclosed income from hidden offshore accounts get current with their taxes. The new voluntary disclosure initiative will be available through Aug. 31, 2011.

The 2011 initiative has a higher penalty rate than the IRS’s previous voluntary disclosure program, which ended on Oct. 15, 2009, but offers clear benefits to encourage taxpayers to disclose foreign accounts now rather than risk IRS detection and possible criminal prosecution. In addition, the 2011 initiative includes new guidelines to provide fairness to people with smaller amounts of undisclosed assets or unusual situations.

A full news release about the 2011 OVDI may be found here: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=235695,00.html?portlet=7.  More information, including how to participate, may be found here: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=234900,00.html.

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4. Consular Services in Busan, March 21-22
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In December 2010, the Embassy began offering consular services in Busan on a monthly instead of a bimonthly basis.  Officials from the Embassy’s American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit will offer consular services in Busan on Monday, March 21, and Tuesday, March 22, 2011.  A Consular Officer will be available on March 21, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. and on March 22, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the American Presence Post, Lotte Gold Rose Building (also known as the Job Center Building), #150-3, Yangjung-dong, Busanjin-gu, Room No. 612.  Directions to the APP can be found here: http://busan.usconsulate.gov/contactus.html.

U.S. citizens will be able to apply for U.S. passports, additional visa pages in their current passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, and Social Security cards.  A consular officer will also offer notarial services and provide information regarding voting, federal benefits, and registration with the Embassy.  Any questions about requirements should be directed by email to seoul_acs@state.gov.

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5.  Making Appointments or Using the Courier Service
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Effective August 16, 2010, U.S. Embassy Seoul’s American Citizens Services (ACS) unit began providing non-emergency citizen services by appointment only, from 8:45 to 11:15 AM every business day.  ACS customers without an appointment may walk-in to the Embassy for non-emergency services from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, every business day afternoon except Wednesdays.  Please be advised that ACS is closed on Wednesday afternoons and U.S. and Korean holidays.

Those with appointments can expect to be seen by an officer usually quite a bit faster than walk-ins.  Walk-ins can expect to wait considerably longer for service.  The next time you plan to visit the Embassy, please be sure to make an appointment beforehand: http://seoul.usembassy.gov/acs_appt.html.

If you are applying for extra pages for your passport or applying for an adult passport renewal using form DS-82, we encourage you to use our convenient courier service; this will save you a trip to the Embassy.  For more information on renewing your passport via courier, click here: http://seoul.usembassy.gov/acs_renewal_for_adult.html.  For more information on adding pages to your passport via courier, click here: http://seoul.usembassy.gov/acs_add_pages.html. A full schedule of the consular fees may be found here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html.

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6. Questions of the month: I have questions about taxes.  Who should I ask?  What’s the current Foreign Earned Income Exclusion amount?
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It’s March, which means U.S. taxes are due next month!  While the Embassy does have limited IRS information available, we are unable to answer specific tax questions.

You may submit a “general” tax question on line at www.irs.gov and receive an answer via email.  Just follow the instructions below.  IRS has a team of Tax Law Specialists standing by to take your tax-related questions online anytime.

1.      Go to www.irs.gov
2.      Click on “Individuals” (located at upper left corner)
3.      Click on “International Taxpayers”
4.      Click on “Help with Tax Questions – International Taxpayers”
5.      Scroll down to the bottom of page, enter your email address, select category, and type in your question.
6.      Click on “Submit Query”

Please note that for your protection, the IRS will NOT answer personal account questions via email and will never ask for your personal information, such as your social security number, via email.  Depending on the complexity of your question, please allow 2-7 days for an answer.

Most of you are likely aware of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), which is the amount of income earned overseas that may be excluded from U.S. income taxes if certain criteria are met.  The maximum FEIE amount for 2010 is $91,500.  However, one of the criteria to qualify for the FEIE is the “Physical Presence Test.”  This means the U.S. taxpayer must have been physically present in a foreign country for at least 330 days during CY 2010 or during a period of consecutive 12 months starting or ending in 2010.  The www.irs.gov website has Publication 54 which provides a more detailed explanation of FEIE.

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7. Travel Warnings
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The U.S. Department of State has recently issued travel warnings or travel alerts for the following countries and regions.  If you are traveling to any of these regions in the near future, please consult www.travel.state.gov for more information.

Travel Alerts:
Bahrain   02/18/2011
Tunisia   02/18/2011
ICC Cricket World Cup   02/17/2011
United Kingdom and Gibraltar (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)   01/31/2011
Uganda   01/24/2011
South Pacific Cyclone Season   12/23/2010

Travel Warnings:
Libya    02/21/2011
Egypt    02/18/2011
Mali    02/09/2011
Pakistan    02/02/2011
Haiti    01/20/2011
Tunisia    01/16/2011
Central African Republic    01/14/2011
Niger    01/12/2011
Nepal    01/12/2011
Sudan    01/07/2011
Kenya    12/28/2010
Somalia    12/27/2010
Saudi Arabia   12/23/2010
Cote d’Ivoire   12/19/2010
Mauritania    12/08/2010
Chad    12/08/2010
Guinea    12/03/2010
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of    08/27/2010

Worldwide Caution January 31, 2011
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_4787.html

For additional information about these travel warnings and alerts, please visit:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html

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Embassy Contact Information
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American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy Seoul
32, Sejongno, Jongno-gu
Seoul 110-710, Korea

- or -

American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy, Seoul
Unit #15550
APO AP 96205-5550

Tel: 02-397-4040  (Passport Inquiry line)
Tel: 02-397-4114 (All other services)
Fax: 02-397-4080
DSN: 721-4114
English:  http://www.asktheconsul.org/
Korean:  http://korean.seoul.usembassy.gov
E-mail:  seoulinfo@state.gov

End of newsletter text.

The police have reported that 김길태, the suspect in the recent kidnap and murder of a middle-school girl, has confessed to part of the crimes yesterday including dumping the body and the possibility of kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder.  The police have attempted to secure an official statement from 김길태 that he committed the crimes of kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder.

Up till now, 김길태 has explained the entire process of the crimes but a few parts remain inconsistent and need further confirmation.  In particular, the police have asked Kim if he remembered choking the girl and covering her mouth and will continue to press for more information on the other parts of the crime based on the minor confession they recieved yesterday.

A special theme street will be created in Seomyeon. The street will be focused on the 3 themes of youth, food, and institutions.  The 6.9 billion won project will renovate the 2천110ｍ, 12만㎡ area around 쥬디스태화 by next year so it can host a variety of festivals and events and become a famous tourism spot.

By the end of this year, performance stages will be added to the 270 meter section between 쥬디스태화 and BS bank and the 270 meter section between the 동보 bookstore and the 부전 library, to turn the area into “‘라온 거리” or “youth street.” The other themed sections, 소담거리, or food street, and 늘품거리, or institution street, will be created next year.

The streets will host a variety of events including a hide and seek competition to find works of art.

The city of Busan is stepping in to help manage part of the national government’s eco-friendly, low-energy motivated ’1 million Green homes  project.”

Korea’s “1 million Green homes project” is aimed at making 1 million homes eco-friendly by the year 2020. The natioanl government has offered to support up to 50% of the expenses for installing green facilities.

The local government will provide an investment of 500 million won to help the city reach its goal of creating 5,000 “green homes” by 2020.

The city will also invest 1.8 billion won to add solar power facilities to 58 houses in the East Busan Tour Complex in 기장.

The 15th Asian-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) meeting was held in the APEC climate center for 5 days starting today (15).  100 representatives from 21 nations, including the US, China, and Australia participated to discuss this year’s budget and choose a research project to support.

On the 18th, after the host nation holds a session to introduce new ideas for green growth, all of the participants will tour the 기장 sewage treatment plant and the 해운대 incinerator.  APN, the international climate organization based in Kobe, Japan, was initially launched in 1990 after a suggestion from the US, in order to support a variety of research projects and other activities.

The Busan Transportation Corporation has reported that the ventilation pipes and other equipment at Yeonsan station and 범어서 stations on subway line 1, will be replaced next month.

The corporation has also decided to establish an auto-measuring instrument to monitor inside air quality in Seomyeon station on lines 1 and 2 this June in order to check for pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

The corporation will also check for the cancer-causing agent radon, in order to improve the quality of inside air, in Bujeondong, Hadan, Sasang, Buam, Minrak, Mangmi, Baesan, Yeonsandong, Minam, and Namsanjeong stations this July.

In August, an inquiry will be carried out on other hazardous toxins including asbestos on the subway trains including 45 cars on line number 1, 56 cars on line number 2 and 30 cars on line number 3.

The curtain has been raised on an exhibit of Vietnamese Contemporary Art at the Busan Museum of Art.

100 works from 25 different vietnamese artists will be displayed from the 호우에이 collection of 363 works, donated by the Japanese 이토 collectors.

In the exhibit’s first part, 1 or 2 of the art works will be on display until the 25th of April.

Then, from May 1st to June 11th, the work of 10 Vietnamese artists, including 뚜 쭈엔 will be hung on the walls for citizens and visitors to enjoy.

Reports show that the number of patients suffering from 5 major later-in-life diseases, including high-blood pressure, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and cardiac disorders has increased by about 140 thousand in the period from 2005 to 2009.

Busan already had the highest mortality rate in the country for circulatory organ diseases and ranked 2nd in deaths caused by cancer and endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases in 2008.

Such figures have given Busan the unwelcome title as the “city of diseases,” and reconfirmed the belief that the health condition of local citizens is at a critical level.

According to the report submitted by the Health Insurance Review Agency, the number of patients suffering from the big 5 diseases was 592,000 in 2005 and 731,703 in 2009.

Cases of arteriosclerosis increased the most at 63.5%, followed by cerebrovascular disease at 35%, high blood pressure at nearly 26%, diabetes at 16%, and cardiac disorders at 21%.

Local businesses will create their own industrial complex in Busan, which has been struggling because of a lack of business sites. The Busan Commerce and Industry Complex Development Co. Ltd tomorrow will hold a ground breaking ceremony in 명례리.

The scale of the 명례 industrial complex site stretches 1.56 million square meters and is scheduled to be completed in December of 2013.

Another site, the 장안 industrial complex, which has been developed by the car parts association in Busan, is nearing completion and will hold a ceremony of its own on the 23rd.

0.7 million square meters of the 1.31 million square meter 장안 industrial complex have been developed by the Busan Metropolitan Corporation and the region of 기장군. The rest of the area has been taken over by trusted members of the car parts association in order to reduce the sales price.

Reports show that local capital has been flowing out of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam at an ever faster rate following the global financial crisis of last year.

The report on the 2009 local financial market by the economic research institute at Busan Bank, showed that 14.5% of local capital left the Southeastern region last year, an increase of 1.8% from 12.7% the previous year.

The outflow rate is calculated by subtracting local loan amounts from local income and dividing by the local income.

By area, the outflow rate of capital in Busan was 17.1%, up 2.3%, compared with a 17.1% outflow rate in Ulsan, which represented a 4% increase from the year before.

Opposition is rising among the local community against the foreign car companies that are choosing not to attend the Busan Motor Show.

70 civil groups in Busan including the Busan Consumer Center of the Korean Federation of Housewives Club and the Busan Citizens Network for Saving the Economy, held a meeting in protest and called for the car companies to participate and not to think of the car show as only a marketing opportunity.

They stressed that the absence of foreign car companies was not a result of budget problems but instead showed their disregard for the citizens of Busan. The groups warned that if the companies did not reconsider they would launch an intensive boycott campaign.

Though most international motor shows are held by the car companies or associations, the Busan Motor Show is unusual in that it is organized by the local council in order to foster the local auto-parts industry and add to the city’s slate of festivals.

The city of Busan and the Small and Medium Business Corporation are going to dispatch trade ambassadors to the Indian cities of New Delhi and Mumbai.

The trade ambassadors consist of representatives from 12 countries and will hold an export consulting conference from March 13th to the 19th.

India is one of the most populous countries in the world and has a purchasing power ranked fourth, behind only the US, China, and Japan.

The Renault Samsung company held a ceremony to appoint a native teacher to be responsible for the English school in 신호 elementary school.

The program to support native teachers has been in operation for 4 years and is renewed annually based on approval by the principal.

The English school in 신호 elementary school includes a small “village” complete with a restaurant and supermarket.

The English classes make use of a variety of situational dramas and use a range of multi-media, including TV’s and computers, to teach English effectively.

The city of Busan has confirmed plans to construct a special district for research and development for the parts and materials industry.

 The city is preparing to designate 57.4 square kilometers to the district from different western areas, including the Busan-Jinhae Free Economy Zone or BJFEZ, the 강서 high-tech industry logistics city, 동아 University, 신라 University and the 녹산 industrial complex.The city is planning to set up organzing and pratical affairs committees with help from the BJFEZ, the Busan Development Institute, the Southeast Economy Institute and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology or KITECH.

 If the plans to construct the special district for R & D are successful, major business and national policy institutes would move into the area, enhancing the level of local industry and reducing the regional brain drain. 

The Busan Water Authority is promoting the construction of a small hydropower plant, which will generate electricity using the water level at the 회동 dam. 

The authority decided to build the hydropower plant along with a filtration plant to produce 4 thousand kilowatts of electric power per day.  Once the 1.1 billion won investment is secured, the authority hopes to draw up blueprints next year and start construction in 2012. 

According to an official briefing from the investigative headquarters at the Sasang police station, police have found DNA from murder suspect Kim on the victim Ms. Lee’s body.

The evidence has given the police confidence that the 33 year-old suspect is the murderer and they are working to find him by creating 14 teams with 75 police officers and asking for help from other police stations.  The police assume that the suspect was not able to run far from the scene of the crime and will focus on nearby inns and the suspect’s hometown to make the arrest.

Lee’s body was found around 9:30 pm on the 6th in a water tank on the roof of a one-story house only 50 meters from her home, 11 days after she had gone missing.

 

The Busan Office of Education is pushing to establish an ordinance to force elementary, middle, and high school institutes to end all classes by 10 p.m., bringing the controversy over regulating institutes back to the forefront again. 

The office plans to introduce the bill for legislation by the city council on the 11th.  One representative from the office said, “if the bill passes through the city council it will actually be applied from the second semester after the institutes are given a grace period of 3 months.” 

The office previously established an ordinance in April 2008 to limit elementary and middle school classes to 10 p.m. and high school classes to 11 p.m. 

Reports show that the number of unsold apartments has decreased slightly in Busan and Gyeongnam, to 8200 units at the end of January.  This is a 40.9% decline compared to the number of unsold apartments in December of 2008. 

There are currently 8100 apartments still on the market in Gyeongnam. 

The spike in apartment sales has been attributed to a strong increase in demand. 

The city of Busan will set up and start the country’s first geographic information system.  The city has just completed the second step of the project, which contains geographic information from 8 city provinces and 36 city guns and gus and will finish mapping the entire country by 2012.

 The country’s geographic information system is expected to be an innovative way of using space without spending enormous financial resources to install a major database.

 Up till now, such geographic information was confined to administrative offices but in the future it will be available to private businesses and individuals.