The Korea Times

Rat painter conviction upheld by top court

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a university lecturer charged with defacing G20 Seoul Summit promotion posters with images of rats. It finalized the 2 million won fine. The 41-year-old lecturer, surnamed Park, was indicted for damaging public property by spraying the picture of a rat on 22 posters near a Lotte Department Store and other areas in central Seoul on Oct. 31, 2010, just 10 days before the opening of the summit. Liberals and many netizens have often used the rat image to mock President Lee Myung-bak, and prosecutors argued the accused was tarnishing the nation at a significant time when it was about to host the G20 event. “Freedom of expression is a basic right protected by the Constitution, but drawing rats on public posters is damaging public property,” the judge said in the ruling. A 29-year-old woman, surnamed Choi, who assisted Park in the vandalism, also received a 1 million won fine on the same charge.

Oct 13, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Malicious online commentator fined

A Seoul district court ordered a man, 47, to pay a 2 million won fine for posting unconfirmed malicious rumors about TV personality Lee Kyung-sil on the Internet. The man, surnamed Lee, has been indicted on charges of defamation with dissemination of false facts on the Internet. In April, he posted rumors that the comedian divorced her husband and remarried after having an extramarital affair with a gang member. “The sentence took into account the fact that the nature of his crime is very serious and she endured a considerable degree of psychological affliction as a well-known entertainer,” the court said in the ruling.

Oct 3, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Middle schoolers accused of usury

Police have launched an investigation into allegations that some middle school students, acting like “loan sharks,” blackmailed and assaulted their fellow student. According to Namdong Police Station in Incheon, the parents of the victimized student, 15, filed a complaint against a group of his classmates who allegedly lent him 65,000 won ($55) and asked for exorbitantly high interest rates. The money they requested him to pay surged up to 500,000 won in a matter of weeks due to interest. If he did not service the loan at a given time, they took him to the bathroom and beat him, police said. The student often took money out of his father’s wallet or withdrew money from his mother’s account, and delivered it to the “loan sharks.” His parents discovered the blackmailing through mobile phone messages their son exchanged with the group of students, police said. The school itself is investigating the allegations and will take punitive action accordingly.

Oct 2, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Vandal critical of Obama wanted

Police are in hunt for whoever sprayed graffiti condemning U.S. President Barack Obama on the wall of the U.S. Embassy building in central Seoul. According to police Sunday, a group of patrolling officers first found the short letters critical of the American President at around 5 a.m., Saturday. Police said they have yet to confirm the exact time when the act was carried out, though they presume that it was around dawn. The content of the graffiti is unknown as the police immediately painted over it. “We are going to catch the perpetrator as soon as possible after analyzing surveillance camera recordings,” a police officer said.

Oct 2, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Warrant issued for US soldier over rape

A local district court issued Saturday a warrant to arrest a U.S. soldier on charges of raping a young Korean woman, citing concerns that he might flee the country. The 21-year-old Army private, identified only as “K” who is assigned to the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division in Dongducheon, is accused of having raped an 18-year-old girl near his unit at around 4 a.m. on Sept. 24. Prosecutors are expected to indict the American soldier soon. She was watching TV alone when he broke into her house, according to the police. Police officers identified the American soldier through a surveillance camera installed near her house and informed the U.S. military of the case. During questioning, the soldier, whose name was not revealed, told investigators that he couldn’t remember what happened because he was drunk. According to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), Korea has the right of trial for a crime committed by an American soldier off duty. On Wednesday, the U.S. government promised to cooperate in the ongoing investigation. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Paci

Oct 2, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Housewife ordered to pay W10 mil. in divorce for obsession with education

A court ruled Wednesday that a housewife pay 10 million won ($8,500) to her husband in a divorce suit, blaming her excessive obsession with the education of their children for the conflicts leading to the collapse of their marriage. The Seoul Family Court said she verbally abused and beat her younger son for his poor academic performance and discriminated against him when her daughter received good exam results. The couple, who married in 1992, had eaten and slept separately in their home since 2008. "The major responsibility for the divorce falls on the wife who one-sidedly blamed the husband for his different ideas about the children’s education," the court said in its ruling. It said she worsened family tensions by not carrying out her duties as a mother and wife after she refused to cook and clean for her husband and son following a major fight in 2008. The court granted custody of the son to the father and that of the daughter to the mother.

Sep 28, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Arrest warrant issued for former presidential aide

A Seoul court has issued a warrant to arrest Kim Du-woo, a former senior presidential aide, on suspicions of receiving money in a corruption scandal involving a suspended savings bank. Kim allegedly received about 100 million won worth of cash and gift cards from Park Tae-kyu, a lobbyist for Busan Mutual Savings Bank, in return for his influence over financial regulators to soften inspections of the bank and to avoid a suspension of operations. Prosecutors will focus their investigation on whether Kim, who has denied the allegations against him, actually exerted influence on regulators to try and keep the bank from being suspended.

Sep 28, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

Companies

PR service launched for Middle East

Communications Korea, one of the nation’s leading PR consulting groups, said it has launched a publicity service to facilitate news coverage of Korean companies for major Arabic and English newspapers, TV and online media in the Middle East. IRIS, the Middle East partner of Communications Korea, will contact the media in the Middle East and secure coverage. Named the Middle East Publicity (MEP), the service will provide various PR services including distributing press releases, arranging interviews with local media, press conferences, and accessing columns. Jamal Al Majaida, who heads Iris with 30 years of journalistic experience in the Middle East, said, “I am proud to participate in this meaningful opportunity which will contribute to demonstrating Korean companies’ outstanding technical skills and services to Middle East countries”. Kim Kyong Hae, CEO of Communications Korea said the launch of the service reflects a growing demand from Korean companies for publicity services in the region. “We will do our utmost to support local companies to expand to Middle East

Sep 22, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Pastor Cho accused of breach of trust

Pastor Cho Yong-gi, the founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, has been accused of a breach of trust by elders of the church. A group of 29 elders of the Seoul-based church filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ office Monday against the pastor and his eldest son Hee-jun. This comes as discord in the country’s largest Christian church has evolved into legal fights between Cho’s family and members of the congregation seeking to keep the pastor’s family from dominating the church’s decision-making bodies. “Pastor Cho allowed his eldest son to use more than 20 billion won of Church funds to invest in stocks, which constitutes a breach of trust,” one elder said. He said they will file additional complaints against Cho as they have secured a lot of evidence to prove other wrongdoings.

Sep 20, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

South Korea

Four year prison term sought for ex-PM Han

The prosecution asked for four years in prison and 940 million won fine for former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook on charges of accepting illegal political funds at a court hearing Monday. She has been accused of having received 970 million won in March 2007 from Han Man-ho, the president of the now-bankrupt Hansin Construction in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. At a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, the prosecution said that the contractor’s testimony was quite credible despite the former premier’s denial of taking illegal political funds. “The quality of her crime is very bad as she has tried to cover up the receipt of more than 900 million won in illegal political funds,” the prosecution said. Before the court hearing, the former prime minister reiterated her position that she has never received money from the contractor. “It’s a story cooked up by the prosecution,” she said.

Sep 19, 2011By Cho Jae-hyon

Cho Jae-hyon

Read more

Rat painter conviction upheld by top court

Malicious online commentator fined

Middle schoolers accused of usury

Vandal critical of Obama wanted

Warrant issued for US soldier over rape

Housewife ordered to pay W10 mil. in divorce for obsession with education

Arrest warrant issued for former presidential aide

PR service launched for Middle East

Pastor Cho accused of breach of trust

Four year prison term sought for ex-PM Han

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