The Korea Times

CCTV camera thief caught by another camera

By Cho Jae-hyon A university student was caught stealing a surveillance camera at a fast food outlet as he was unaware of the existence of another camera recording him, police said Wednesday. Police booked the 25-year-old collegian for taking a closed-circuit TV camera at a fast food restaurant in Busan where he had previously worked part-time. He stole the camera worth 400,000 won ($355) from the second floor of the store at midnight. Police quoted him as saying he committed the crime as he harbored a grudge against his former boss with whom he had often argued. But the suspect didn’t know there was another surveillance camera installed in the ceiling which recorded the theft.

Mar 21, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

Books

‘Cine Class‘ ― atypical guide to film

By Cho Jae-hyon Film as a medium is much like language — it performs many of the same functions of communication. From opening to ending scenes, films are full of signs, codes, episodes and stories directors want to show and tell. To better understand the language, one needs to have a basic knowledge about moviemaking. Audiences don’t have to fully decipher all of the text and signs implied by directors in the scenes and sounds of movies. As people have their favorite genres, directors and actors, they can enjoy films in individual ways, leaving the parts difficult to understand behind. Sometimes, moviegoers have opportunities to listen to directors explain their work and those accounts, in most cases, can help achieve a better understanding. A movie may not be fully understood and this isn’t always necessary. Still, a basic knowledge of filmmaking may guide viewers into a deeper and broader appreciation of what they are watching. It will also amplify the joy of watching. Though people think they know a lot about movies, they actually might lack some

Mar 16, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Complaint filed against woman critical of naval base

Adm. Choi Yun-hee, the Navy’s chief of staff, filed a complaint with the prosecution Friday against Kim Ji-yoon, a proportional representative candidate for the Unified Progressive Party, for defaming the Navy. The complaint was made after Kim referred to the naval base as a “pirate base.” On her Twitter account, she posted Wednesday, “Let’s oppose the Jeju pirate base to protect Gangjeong” the village on Jeju Island where the naval base is being built. The Navy filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office against Kim under the name of the Navy’s chief of staff. “Kim has groundlessly claimed that the naval base would threaten the safety of the Southeast Asian region. She described the naval base as a pirate base and South Korea’s Navy as pirates. She seriously damaged the honor of the Navy as a whole,” Choi said in the complaint. The rare complaint by the Navy’s chief of staff against Kim underlines the escalating conflict between the military and progressive civic groups over the construction of the base in Gangjeong Village. Under the super

Mar 9, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Singapore unveils concept for Yeosu Expo

By Cho Jae-hyun The much-awaited Yeosu Expo is right around the corner and Singapore has unveiled its theme and concept for its participation to tell an inspiring story of how a fledging developing nation has overcome its challenges and transformed in less than five decades. Under the theme of “Paradox-ity: City of Contrast,” Singapore is participating in the International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012 which will be held from May 12 to Aug. 12. The Singapore Pavilion aims to convey how Singapore balances growth and development with environmental sustainability particularly in waste management, nature conservation, urban planning and water management. Preparation commissioner Eng Tiang Sing said, “We are thrilled to participate in Expo 2012 and is robustly preparing for the opening on May 12. Not only are we committed to deliver a good exhibition in Korea and share our development story with the visitors, we also wish to learn the best environmental practices of other countries.” Visitors will be captivated through a coordinated display of audio visuals, interactive exhi

Mar 5, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Thief caught giving stolen TVs away

A bizarre thief was apprehended for stealing wall-mounted flat screen TVs from hospitals and restaurants and giving them away to homeless people, police said Thursday. The police will have the 37-year-old thief undergo a psychiatric evaluation as he is showing abnormal behavior. According to the police account, the man sneaked into hospitals and restaurants through windows in Jungnang, northern Seoul, mostly at dawn, over the past nine months to steal 10 flat panel TVs and one electronic weighing machine with a combined value of 23.8 million won. Police confirmed that he didn’t sell any of the TVs but instead gave them away to homeless people he was acquainted with. “We will have him undergo a psychiatric examination as he is behaving irregularly by giving away stolen TVs to his acquaintances and living on the street even though he has family,” an officer said.

Feb 23, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

North Face accused of violation of fair trade

Seoul's Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) said it will file a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission against North Face Korea, accusing the outdoor brand of having engaged in unfair selling practices. It said the American company violated the fair trade rule by forcing department stores and other sales outlets to maintain the price tags set by the company, a scheme the YMCA said is aimed at keeping the price at high levels. The civic organization has said Korean consumers pay about 50 percent more on average for products of the foreign outdoor brand than in other countries. North Face Korea has refuted the allegations. The YMCA said that North Face, favored by middle and high school students here, has forced wholesale and retailers to sell products at prices set by the company, which is in violation of the fair trade rule. “North Face has maintained the identical price tag of the same product at all outlets regardless of the region and store type,” YMCA said. “This shows that the company’s pricing guidelines are functioning behind the same price tag, which is par

Feb 16, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

KTX privatization delayed to after general election

By Cho Jae-hyon The government said Monday that it will start procedures to pick a private company to operate KTX bullet trains after the April 11 general election. The government has said Korail operates KTX and other train services inefficiently, while Korail argues that if a private firm takes over operations, passengers will face a steep rises in fares. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said that it will select a preferred negotiator to operate the KTX by the end of July. The selected company will operate trains departing from Suseo, southern Seoul, for both Busan and Mokpo from 2015. “We’ve decided to adjust the pace of the project. But we will definitely press ahead with the plan after the general election. We will pick the preferred negotiator by July,” said Kim Han-young, director general of the ministry’s comprehensive transport policy. Kim said the government will hold talks with Korail and its trade union to narrow differences on the plan to introduce competition in the monopoly. A new KTX line between Suseo and Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi P

Jan 16, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Korean Air favored by Chinese consumers

Chinese passengers picked Korean Air as one of the best foreign carriers in a poll by an international travel magazine. The nation’s largest flagship carrier made the list of international airlines “welcomed” by Chinese travelers in the survey by the monthly Wue Lu, the Chinese edition of New York-based Travel and Leisure magazine. Based on feedback from ordinary consumers, travel industry insiders and an online poll, they also picked Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and All Nippon Airways as the top foreign carriers. “The award recognizes our continued efforts to upgrade flight services and offer extensive routes easily accessible to Chinese travelers,” Korean Air said in a statement. “Our efforts to make contributions to Chinese communities also boosted our corporate image there.” The announcement was made at the China Travel Awards in Shanghai.

Jan 13, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Woman dies after eating contaminated food

A 72-year-old woman died after eating mixed rice containing a highly toxic compound at a community center in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, police said Sunday. She was one of six elderly residents who ate the rice at the center and all of them suffered stomachaches afterwards. Police sent the leftover food to the National Forensic Service for examination and the institute found methomyl, a deadly compound used in insecticide. Police are investigating the circumstances of how the deadly chemical got into the food. They haven’t ruled out the possibility of treachery in adding the poisonous substance to the rice.

Jan 8, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Man convicted for throwing wife in Han River

A court handed down a two-and-a-half-year sentence suspended for four years to a Korean man who was indicted for an attempt to murder his Korean-Chinese wife by throwing her into the Han River. The Seoul Southern District Court also ordered the 47-year-old man to take anti-domestic violence classes or forty hours. On Aug. 12, Cho assaulted his wife, 47, in a fit of anger after she told him they should break up while they were arguing on the bank of the Han River. Cho hit her in the head multiple times, grabbed her and threw her into the river. She was saved by citizens who rushed to the scene on hearing her screams. According to the court account, Cho lost his temper as he thought she had used him to gain Korean citizenship. “The severity of his crime is far from light. Still, we handed down a suspended sentence as the injuries were recoverable and his wife doesn’t want him to be punished and hopes to maintain their marriage,” the court said in a ruling.

Jan 8, 2012By Cho Jae-hyon

Cho Jae-hyon

Read more

CCTV camera thief caught by another camera

‘Cine Class‘ ― atypical guide to film

Complaint filed against woman critical of naval base

Singapore unveils concept for Yeosu Expo

Thief caught giving stolen TVs away

North Face accused of violation of fair trade

KTX privatization delayed to after general election

Korean Air favored by Chinese consumers

Woman dies after eating contaminated food

Man convicted for throwing wife in Han River

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