The Korea Times

Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to life in prison for leading insurrection

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after a court found him guilty of leading an insurrection linked to his martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. The court concluded that his actions met the legal definition of insurrection but declined to impose the death sentence despite the special counsel’s earlier request for capital punishment. Under Korean criminal law, the offense of leading an insurrection carries only three possible penalties: death, life imprisonment with labor or life imprisonment without labor. The ruling came 443 days after Yoon declared martial law. The court acknowledged Yoon as "the leader of the insurrection,” on the basis that his martial law declaration violated the authority of the National Assembly, an act which constitutes insurrection. “The core factual element of this case is that troops were sent to the National Assembly,” the court said, emphasizing that the act itself represented the use of force against a constitutional body. “It cannot be ruled out that Yoon aimed to paralyze the Assembly for a considerable peri

Feb 19, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to life in prison for leading insurrection

Society

London Bagel Museum operator faces $555,000 penalty for labor law violations after worker's death

A labor ministry investigation has found that the operator of the popular bakery brand London Bagel Museum violated multiple labor laws, including excessive overtime, unpaid wages and workplace harassment, with authorities filing a criminal complaint against the head of the company. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Friday it conducted a special inspection of 18 outlets run by LBM, the company behind London Bagel Museum and its affiliated brands, between October and January. The probe involved anonymous surveys and face-to-face interviews with workers to determine whether labor regulations had been violated. The ministry said LBM chief Kang Kwan-gu faces five charges, including violation of overtime limits, illegal penalty clauses and breaches of workplace safety rules. More than 60 additional violations, such as failure to issue pay statements, lack of health checkups and workplace bullying, resulted in administrative fines totaling 801 million won ($555,132). Authorities also ordered the company to pay 564 million won in unpaid wages, including overtime pay. The inspection foll

Feb 13, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

London Bagel Museum operator faces $555,000 penalty for labor law violations after worker's death

Society

PHOTO Ready for Lunar New Year

Children dressed in traditional clothes called hanbok learn how to perform a New Year’s bow at Daewon Kindergarten in Daegu, Thursday, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday that runs from Monday to Wednesday. Yonhap

Feb 12, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Politics

Former interior minister sentenced to 7 years over role in martial law decree

The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday sentenced former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min to seven years in prison for his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, including relaying orders to cut electricity and water to certain media outlets. This is the second time a member of the former president's Cabinet has been convicted in a lower court over the martial law crisis, following last month’s 23-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. In its ruling, the court said that the actions of Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun — including their attempts to block access to the National Assembly — constituted an insurrection carried out with the intent to undermine the constitutional order. The court noted that the martial law declaration temporarily suspended civil liberties in Seoul and granted authorities sweeping powers over the capital, allowing them to control movement, communications and access to government facilities. The judges emphasized that these measures were not prompted by immediate secur

Feb 12, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Former interior minister sentenced to 7 years over role in martial law decree

Politics

DPK puts brakes on merger plans with Rebuilding Korea Party, for now

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has decided to pause its push to merge with the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, concluding that moving ahead before the June 3 local elections would be impractical. The decision followed a closed-door meeting of DPK lawmakers held Tuesday at the National Assembly. After hours of discussion, most lawmakers concluded that, while party integration might be justified in principle, the timing was inappropriate given mounting internal tensions. Park Soo-hyun, the party’s chief spokesperson, said the meeting reflected growing concern that the merger debate itself had become divisive. “Even if the proposal to merge with the Rebuilding Korea Party was made with sincere intentions to support the Lee Jae Myung administration’s policy agenda, lawmakers shared the view that the process has ended up fueling internal conflict,” Park told reporters after the meeting. He added that lawmakers asked the leadership to “bring the discussion to a swift conclusion” by reflecting the outcome of the meeting. According to party officials, only a small number of

Feb 10, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

DPK puts brakes on merger plans with Rebuilding Korea Party, for now

North Korea

Ukraine holds key as North Korean POW issue enters diplomatic gray zone

Two North Korean soldiers captured on a battlefield far from the Korean Peninsula are now being held thousands of kilometers from home. Despite clear rules under international law, what will happen to the prisoners remains uncertain. South Korea has said it would accept the soldiers if they requested it, but the decision rests with the Ukrainian government, which currently holds them in custody. The two soldiers were excluded from a recent Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange and remain in Ukrainian custody. They have reportedly requested repatriation to South Korea instead of North Korea. This case highlights the gap between legal principles and diplomatic realities in war. With the conflict in Ukraine showing little sign of resolution, experts warn that Seoul risks further straining inter-Korean relations. Seoul’s position is straightforward in principle: The government has repeatedly affirmed that North Korean prisoners of war are considered South Korean nationals under the Constitution and would be accepted if they express a desire to come to the South. In practice, however, officials a

Feb 10, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Ukraine holds key as North Korean POW issue enters diplomatic gray zone

Defense

Political will, alliance design remain key to OPCON transfer: analysts

South Korea and the United States have moved toward clarifying a timeline for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul. While the Lee Jae Myung administration aims to complete it within its term by 2030, recent media reports suggest the schedule could be pushed forward to 2028. Security experts say 2028 is a feasible target, but caution that the outcome will depend less on completing military milestones than on political decisions and broader alliance planning. The two countries are currently working to complete the verification of full operational capability (FOC) this year, the second step in the three-stage OPCON transition process. The results are expected to be reviewed at the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled for October. A Defense Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the focus remains on completing FOC verification rather than committing to a specific target year. “Whether 2028 is realistic is not something we can determine at this point,” the official said. “Verification must come first, and discu

Feb 9, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Political will, alliance design remain key to OPCON transfer: analysts

North Korea

Foreign policy veteran explains why dialogue with N. Korea remains difficult

The prospect of restarting dialogue with North Korea has resurfaced periodically, often driven by shifts in political leadership or diplomatic messaging. But with inter-Korean engagement at a standstill, Moon Chung-in, a veteran security expert and longtime foreign policy adviser, said the current environment leaves little room for meaningful talks. Speaking in an interview with The Korea Times, Moon said North Korea’s strategic calculations have hardened, making both inter-Korean dialogue and U.S.-North Korea talks far more difficult to revive than in previous periods. Moon, a James Laney distinguished professor at Yonsei University and a former presidential adviser for foreign policy and national security, said Pyongyang now sees Washington, rather than Seoul, as its primary negotiating counterpart. “If North Korea returns to the negotiating table, it will demand clear outcomes,” Moon said. “Those include recognition as a nuclear state, normalization of relations with the United States, and relief from sanctions. But the U.S. cannot realistically accept all of these demands at

Feb 5, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Foreign policy veteran explains why dialogue with N. Korea remains difficult

Security expert urges Korea to lead middle-power coalition

People & Events

One life ended, but 5 others saved through organ donation

When Jung Kang-deok, 53, failed to show up for work on Dec. 26, a colleague noted the absence as unusual. After repeated calls went unanswered, the colleague reached out to Jung’s family. Police were notified and later found him unconscious at his home before he was taken to a hospital. Despite medical treatment, he did not regain consciousness and was subsequently declared brain-dead. He died on Jan. 9 at Korea University Anam Hospital. Through organ donation, he saved five lives. His heart, liver, both kidneys and corneas were transplanted to patients in need, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency. Jung’s family said he had previously spoken about life-sustaining treatment and organ donation. During conversations the previous year, he said that donating organs to help others would be a good thing to do. When faced with his sudden death, the family decided to respect his wishes. Jung was born in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, as the youngest of three siblings. He was known as someone who paid close attention to the people around him and maintained close relationships with

Feb 4, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

One life ended, but 5 others saved through organ donation

Politics

Ruling, opposition parties rocked by leadership turmoil ahead of local elections

Korea’s two major political parties are grappling with internal turmoil as decisions by their leaders stir deepening opposition ahead of a key national election and party leadership races later this year. Criticism in both parties has centered not only on the decisions themselves but also on how they were made. In the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the dispute arose when party leader Jung Chung-rae proposed a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party at a public meeting, without first discussing it within the party. Senior members quickly pushed back, saying the proposal had bypassed internal procedures and came at the wrong moment. The clash came to light during a DPK Supreme Council meeting on Monday, when senior party member Lee Un-ju confronted Jung in person. “This is not the time for a forced merger,” Lee said, adding that the move appeared to reflect “the ambitions of second-and third-ranking figures rather than the will of the party.” She warned that the proposal risked turning the DPK into “a party centered on specific individuals” rather than maintaining its current

Feb 3, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to life in prison for leading insurrection

London Bagel Museum operator faces $555,000 penalty for labor law violations after worker's death

PHOTO Ready for Lunar New Year

Former interior minister sentenced to 7 years over role in martial law decree

DPK puts brakes on merger plans with Rebuilding Korea Party, for now

Ukraine holds key as North Korean POW issue enters diplomatic gray zone

Political will, alliance design remain key to OPCON transfer: analysts

Foreign policy veteran explains why dialogue with N. Korea remains difficult

One life ended, but 5 others saved through organ donation

Ruling, opposition parties rocked by leadership turmoil ahead of local elections

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