European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 202007 stars and stripes Page 3 area ii cuts approved broker list by 60 some relisted real estate agents say there being targeted unfairly by Erik Slavin stars and stripes Seoul a decision to Cut the list of area approved real estate brokers from More than 60 Down to 21 has some whole passed Muster applauding a move that they say will remove unethical practices meanwhile some newly Unap proved brokers say that fraud May have occurred in a few cases but add that the March 2 list is More about one housing employees revenge than fair prac Tice some brokers falsified property ownership details and lied about Square footage area h spokesman David Mcnally wrote in an email reply to a stars and stripes query there have also been some allegations of bribery and kick backs Mcnally said in the past six months the housing Divi Sion has had to reply to six Crimi Nal investigation division investigations involving realtors practice ing illegal activities housing officials might add some of the real estate agents Back to the list next month Mcnally said the new conditions for being approved to work with us forces Korea personnel require Bro kers to speak English hold an offi Cial South korean real estate certification sign nondiscrimination and ethical practice declarations and Complete additional paper work v some of the companies that were Cut from the list used Bro kers who were uncertified but worked alongside brokers who had passed the certification tests it is relatively common practice in South Korea for the uncertified broker to work on a contract and then bring in the certified broker to Seal the Deal they say this practice is Legal said Kim Hyunjung of the land Register division of Yon san District of fice but it Doest meet area is criteria and that is probably Why one broker whose firm works mostly with service members says it is no longer on the list Treyve basically said of your business is finished said the broker who like most of those who were Cut requested anonymity because they fear retribution when there trying to get Back on the approved list the broker and others sent an email to the area ii housing of fice asking Why they were no longer approved and received no response the broker said i have no any clue at All Why we were not approved said an other broker Unity realty Jina Park a manager with 12 years of experience Unity is fully devoted to catering Only to Usk customers some brokers were Cut be cause they  speak English or we rent following area ii rules and that is justified Park said however she claimed that int the Case with her company and some of the others some say they believe that the new list of pare Down brokers int about higher standards but Erik and stripes dream land realty Agency above and Han Shin real estate consulting both located near Yon san Garrison South Korea Are two of More than 40 companies that didst make the Cut for the March 2 list of us forces Korea approved real estate brokers rather favouritism by a longtime housing official Kim Dongsik has worked for Usk for More than 25 years and once served As a housing manager he still works for the area ii housing office though not As the offices head from 2001 to 2003 the army investigated Kim three times on allegations of bribery conflict of in Terest and intimidation although investigators told stripes they had no doubt he was guilty no charges were Ever filed in november 2003 Kim received a letter from it col Steven Roemhildt of the director ate of Public works that stated i have lost Confidence in you and no longer Trust you to faithfully execute the responsibilities of your position however Kim had not yet received a final review and apparently was retained in 2003 Kim said he was the victim of overzealous investigators and that he fought hard to keep real estate brokers and land lords from ripping off the base he also cited a 2002 award while he was under investigation for exceptional performance of duty that he received from area ii officials on Friday Kim declined to comment and directed All queries to Public affairs officials goo Soonyoung of the area i approved acres and dollars realty says Kim is an innocent Man she also praised the Mili tary for setting the new standards and eliminating those who have contributed to distorting real estate markets and doing harm to Usk customers and licensed realtors no approved brokers still can do business with us personnel but there is a much larger paper work Burden for landlords consequently landlords Are less Likely to work with them unapproved brokers say nevertheless one relisted Bro Ker complied with the added paperwork Only to lose the Deal when the contract came Back with a new two paragraph stamp saying that the housing office has limited ability to assist person Nel who sign with unapproved brokers customers when they see that they get really knocked out the broker said the broker said he Doest know a single service member who signed the Deal after Reading the warning stamp email Erik Slavin at 0 new rent policies questioned by Erik Slavin and Hwang Harrym stars and stripes policies at area is housing office could mean changes in How much of Post landlords can collect from ser Vic member tenants for rent the new practices have area ii evaluating fair rent values of of Post residences with a custom computer program that takes into account taxable land value and other factors landlords and their agents however use Only the Market value when pricing rents result ing in higher figures than the new area ii evaluations some real estate brokers applaud area is efforts to stand up to landlords who Jack up prices for services members those same brokers however admit the new policy could mean their landlords will Stop renting to us personnel and instead target other foreign renters whose companies will pay the higher prices i think the service member ten ants will experience inconvenience in searching for their houses said Park Gyungae of la realty one of area is approved brokers however i believe All the parties Are going to come up with solutions area ii officials say that even with the new system rent prices wont fluctuate More than 10 per cent in either direction of the pre Vious years fair Market value for example a landlord who was receiving 4 million won about per month for an apartment from a servicemen Ber would not receive any More than 44 million won or less than 36 million won during the next year however a Grandfather clause in the new policy allows a service member with an existing lease to extend at the same rate paid last year area ii officials said the current us forces Korea land value assessment in the Yon san commuting area was conducted by the army corps of engineers far East District in july 2006 email Erik Slavin at email Hwang Harrym at ban from any Usaj base now Means ban from All by Bryce s Dubee stars and stripes Yokota air base Japan if you get banned from one us base in Japan dont count on being Able to enter another in an agreement signed this month All us military bases in Japan and Okinawa will share names of people barred from entering their facilities and enforce the Debar ments of other bases the names on the list will also be for warded to base civilian personnel offices throughout Japan in Case barred individuals try to get jobs on other bases this Means that if you Are barred from one youre barred from All said Marine maj Neil f Murphy Deputy director of Public affairs at us forces Japan this agreement will enhance the ability of us forces to identify and prevent barred individuals who have committed serious misconduct on other installations or posed unacceptable risks to those installations from entering other bases Murphy said in the past troublemakers who have been barred from entering a certain base have gone to other bases in Japan to Start trouble All Over again Murphy said in addition All bar from entry orders written in the future will include language that states that the order applies to All us military facilities in Japan Murphy pointed out that this agreement does not limit or infringe on the individual installation commanders authority to Grant permission to enter a base and that a barred individual can seek permission v from the commander to enter a facility email Bryce s Dubee at