'Nut rage' meddling, Sewol bill, and Seoul-Tokyo ties
Today on The Korea Times Podcast: Heather Cho, the Korean Airlines former executive, is indicted on multiple charges and a compensation arrangement has been agreed upon for the Sewol victims’ families. Plus ties between Seoul and Tokyo may remain strained in 2015 and what’s next in the “memo gate” scandal.
'Cho peddled influence in ministry's probe'
The prosecution has concluded that Heather Cho, former Korean Air executive, exercised influence during the transportation authority's investigation into the "nut rage" incident. Prosecutors indicted her on Wednesday on charges of violating the Aviation Safety Law and interfering with the authority's official duties.
Parties reach agreement on Sewol bills
The rival political parties reached agreement Tuesday on a set of measures to compensate the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster that claimed 304 lives. The agreement came 265 days after the Sewol sank on April 16 last year. Chief policymakers of the ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy agreed to deal with the bill at a National Assembly plenary session on Jan. 12.
Seoul sees Tokyo's Dokdo claim as obstacle in bilateral relations
Japan's territorial claim to Korea's Dokdo Islets is an obstacle that disrupts efforts by the two countries to foster future-oriented relations, according to the 2014 Defense White Paper. The latest biennially produced document, released by the Ministry of National Defense, stated that Seoul will "strictly cope with Tokyo's outrageous assertions" over its easternmost islets.
Will Park get tough with Segye?
If Cheong Wa Dae drops a defamation case against the Segye Ilbo, the newspaper that first reported the "memogate" scandal, it could face criticism for applying different standards to those it showed with Sankei Shimbun, an ultraconservative Japanese newspaper, which also faces legal action filed by the presidential office.
Prosecutors concluded that the leaked documents, which claim that a former aide to President Park tried to exert undue influence on state affairs, was fabricated by two other disgruntled presidential aides. Now, they are looking into whether the reports published in the Segye Ilbo and Sisa Journal amount to defamation against the people mentioned in the documents.
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