Valery Kan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Valery Kan (Russian: Валерий Кан; Korean: 발레리 강; born 1978 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan)^[1] is Deputy of the urban Duma in the city of Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai, and head of the Voyage Taxi Company (Вояж-такси). He is of Koryo-saram descent, and has been active in promoting economic cooperation between Ussuriysk and South Korea.^[2] Aged 25 when first elected, he is the youngest member of the Ussuriysk Duma.^[1]

[edit] Soulfly controversy

Brazilian band Soulfly accused Kan of drunkenly harassing singer Max Calavera's stepdaughter Roxanne while on a flight from Moscow to Vladivostok on April 29, 2005. Kan reportedly approached Roxanne and her mother while they were boarding the plane; a dispute arose, and Soulfly personnel contacted the police. However, when the police arrived, they were unable to intervene in the dispute due to Kan's status as an elected official, which granted him immunity from arrest.

Kan asserted to journalists that he just wanted to have a friendly conversation, while Soulfly later cited this incident as the reason behind their decision to cancel their concert in Vladivostok that same evening.^[3]