HOMELY PLANET

Tomorrow, Angry Steve and I go to the Busan Prosecutor's Office to answer for our comedic/artistic crimes as perpetrated in "Babo-Palooza."

The following could happen:

More questioning.

A stern talking-to.

A fine.

All of the above along with DEPORTATION.

We're finally getting our day in... uh... court? No. We're getting our day in front of the one person who will summarily decide our fate. This is the Korean system. The prosecutor makes a decision, and IF appealed, you can present the case in front of a three-judge tribunal. Usually, if you get to that point, you're already fucked.

Wish us luck.

Angry Steve and I met with the Prosecutor today, and it looks like we're getting off with only a warning.  He questioned each of us separately for about forty five minutes.  He stressed that it wasn't the content of the show that was the problem, it was the fact that we charged money for tickets.  I'm not sure if I believe him, but he didn't harp on about us offending Korean culture.   For a stick-up-your-ass prosecutor type, he was pretty cool.  He had even seen a video of the show - evidently one of the undercover cops in the audience had secretly shot it - and claimed to have enjoyed many of the sketches.  Whatever the case, the guy wasn't a ball-buster.

After the questioning, he had us write "statements of regret," in which we apologized for doing a show illegally and promised that in the future we would go through all proper channels when staging a show in which tickets would be sold. 

What was clear from our meeting today is that we're not being deported.  He kept referring to our life in Korea after this thing was to be settled.

He also said that he has "no plans to bring anyone else in."  

He said that he would do his best to conclude the investigation quickly, and that he foresaw "no further punishment."

So...  it  seems that this whole Babo-Palooza extravaganza has finally run its course.  I'm not popping the champagne yet, but it's on ice and ready to go.

(a-SAH!)