The Korea Times

Police's footage leak of murder suspect causes anger

Police officers apprehend murder suspect Koh Yoo-jung at the parking lot of her apartment in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in this video footage shot June 1. A ranking police officer leaked the footage to the media against internal regulations concerning investigations. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunA senior police officer on Jeju Island leaked a video clip to the media, which showed footage of murder suspect Koh Yoo-jung being taken into custody last month. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) has launched an internal investigation into the matter, as disclosing such videos is against internal rules on investigations as well as public relations affairs.The agency said Monday it was questioning the former chief of Jeju Dongbu Police Station, Park Ki-nam, who was in charge of the murder investigation, for handing over the video clip to a local newspaper and a broadcaster.Koh has been indicted for killing her ex-husband at a vacation house on Jeju, dismembering him and disposing of the body parts at multiple locations.In the clip, detectives approach Koh at the parking lot of her

Jul 29, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Police's footage leak of murder suspect causes anger

Health

Nearly 1.2 mil. foreigners subscribe to health insurance

The National Health Insurance Service said Sunday that 1.18 million foreign nationals are currently subscribing to the country's healthcare system. / GettyimagebankBy Kim Jae-heunThe National Health Insurance Service said Sunday that 1.18 million foreign nationals are currently subscribing to the country's healthcare system. The boost in numbers comes on the heels of a new law that makes it mandatory for all foreigners staying Korea for more than six months to subscribe to health insurance.According to the NHIS, the figure is up from the 971,000 at the end of last year ― 664,000 who subscribed through local employers and 306,000 district subscribers, including foreign students. The law took effect on July 16, and was promulgated to prevent foreign nationals from receiving free medical treatment and leaving without paying insurance fees.According to the revised law, all foreigners, including Korean expatriates living in the country, should pay at least 110,000 won per month. Ahead of the revision, all foreigners staying in the country longer than three months were allowed to apply for

Jul 28, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Nearly 1.2 mil. foreigners subscribe to health insurance

Foreign Affairs

'Boycott Japan' leading to cancellations of trips to Japan

A check-in service area for a flight to Japan is uncrowded at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. / Yonhap4 out of 10 flight cancellations are bound for JapanBy Kim Jae-heunA Korean consumer boycott of Japanese products, to protest Japan's export curbs to Korea, has expanded to the tourism sector, and a number of travelers are canceling their trips to the neighboring country.According to local website WeMakePrice (WMP), Thursday, the cancellation rate for flight tickets to Japan has risen five-fold since the boycott began earlier this month.In the last week of June, the cancellation rate for flight tickets reserved through the site was 9 percent of the total for all overseas destinations. However, it increased to 15 percent in the first week of July, then 36 percent in the second and 44 percent in the third.Booking rates have also decreased. In the last week of June, about 25 percent of international flight reservations were for Japan, but this decreased to 10 percent in the third week of July.The boycott has also changed the ranking of Korean tourists' preferred destinations.

Jul 25, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

'Boycott Japan' leading to cancellations of trips to Japan

Law & Crime

Top prosecutor's retirement

Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il leaves the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday, amid a farewell from staff, after finishing his two-year term. The new head of the prosecution, Yoon Seok-youl, will be inaugurated today. / Yonhap

Jul 25, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Society

Over 33% of students contemplate suicide

Nearly one third of teenagers here said they have had suicidal thoughts at least once over the last year due to stress over their scholastic performance or other reasons. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-hoBy Kim Jae-heunNearly one third of teenagers here said they have had suicidal thoughts at least once over the last year, a survey by a state-run institute showed, Wednesday.In the survey by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) of 9,060 elementary, middle and high school students here between June and August last year, 28.6 percent said they thought about committing suicide once in a while and 5.2 percent said they did so very often.The biggest cause of these thoughts was academic pressure, with 37.2 percent answering so, while worries about their future career was the second-biggest reason at 21.9 percent, followed by family troubles at 17.9 percent. The students said their extracrricular study programs left them little time for leisure or hobbies.Over 45 percent of the students said they study for over three hours every day, in addition to time spent at school, and the time sp

Jul 24, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Over 33% of students contemplate suicide

Law & Crime

34 indicted over hazardous humidifier sterilizers

Civic groups and victims' family members protest in front of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser's building in Youngdeungpo-gu, southwestern Seoul, calling for a boycott of their humidifier sterilizer product containing hazardous chemicals that reportedly killed nearly 1,200 people in this 2017 file photo. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soonBy Kim Jae-heunThe prosecution said Tuesday it has indicted 34 people over their involvement in manufacturing and selling hazardous humidifier sterilizers that killed over 100 people with respiratory diseases.The mass arrests and indictments are the second of their kind following a 2016 case which involved disinfectants that contained a different chemical.According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, SK Chemicals former President Hong Ji-ho and seven others, mostly former executives of toxic disinfectant manufacturers, were arrested, while 26 others were indicted without physical detention over their involvement.Those people include officials from SK Chemicals, Aekyung Industrial and E-mart, which produced and sold disinfectants containing the

Jul 23, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

34 indicted over hazardous humidifier sterilizers

Politics

YouTubers troubled in wake of Japan boycott campaigns

By Kim Jae-heunJapan's economic retaliation against Korean court rulings on forced labor and Koreans' resultant boycott of Japanese products are influencing YouTubers who review Japanese items or publish Japan-related video clips.As internet users have commented that it is inappropriate to showcase Japanese goods during this time, some YouTubers said they would refrain from posting content related to Japan.A popular YouTuber surnamed Nam, who has 20,000 subscribers, reviews new cameras online. He uploaded a video on his channel last Friday with the title “I am sorry, I use a Japanese camera,” after his subscribers urged him to join the boycott.He had been posting about new Japanese products despite the growing anger from Koreans over Japan's export ban on key chemicals to Korea in retaliation to the rulings that ordered Japanese companies to compensate surviving Korean victims of forced labor during WWII.A number of comments posted on his recent videos read like: “I do not want to watch reviews on Japanese products for a while.”In his video, Nam emphasized tha

Jul 22, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

YouTubers troubled in wake of Japan boycott campaigns

Politics

Typhoon Danas to hit southern regions of Korea

Fishing boats are moving to the Jeju Island port in Hallim in preparation for Typhoon Danas, which is expected to hit the island on Saturday morning. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunTyphoon Danas is expected to land on the Korean Peninsula early Saturday morning, bringing torrential rain, the national weather agency said Friday. In particular, southern regions have been put on high alert for the season's fifth typhoon. “The typhoon, although small in scale, can bring extreme and unusual rainfall to southern regions and Jeju Island,” a Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) official said. “People need to be fully prepared.”According to the weather agency, Danas was traveling off China's coast at 22 kilometers per hour with an atmospheric pressure of 990 hectopascals at its center as of 1 p.m. Friday. After passing west of Jeju Island early Saturday, the storm is forecast to make landfall in South Jeolla Province. It will move further into North Gyeongsang Province before crossing to the East Sea near the coastal city of Pohang on Saturday night.“As the typhoon

Jul 19, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Typhoon Danas to hit southern regions of Korea

Health

Italian restaurant owner provides free pasta for underfed children

Oh In-tae, right, an owner of Italian bistro “Zinjja Pasta,” pose with his business partners at his restaurant in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. / Courtesy of Zinjja PastaBy Kim Jae-heunIt has been three years since 34-year-old Oh In-tae, the representative of Italian bistro “Zinjja Pasta,” opened his restaurant in the popular district of Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and he says business there is never easy. Nonetheless, he recently began serving free pasta to underfed children visiting his restaurant.“I am not making a lot with my business here, but I just could not ignore children starving because they have no money,” Oh told The Korea Times, Tuesday. “I was also poor when I was young and I skipped a lot of meals. I remember how sad I felt then and I do not want children to go through the same experience.”Oh learned about Mapo-gu Office's project to support poorly-fed children when he visited its building last month. The local government issues a card for children in the low-income brackets who often skip meals, especially during vacations whe

Jul 19, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Italian restaurant owner provides free pasta for underfed children

Law & Crime

Actor sent to prosecution for sexual assault allegion

Actor Kang Ji-hwan is taken from Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, as he is being referred to the prosecution on suspicion of sexual assault. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunPolice referred actor Kang Ji-hwan to the prosecution, Thursday, eight days after he was detained for alleged sex crimes against two women. He first denied the allegations, but admitted to them later during police questioning. Investigators are also looking into whether he took illegal drugs at the time of the incidents.Kang, 42, was transferred from a detention center in Gwangju Police Station, Gyeonggi Province, to the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.Kang, wearing a face mask and cap, refused to answer reporters' questions as he was being taken into the prosecution's building.He is suspected of raping one woman and molesting another after drinking with them at his home in Gwangju, July 9. The two women were staff members of a subcontractor working for the entertainment company representing Kang. The three were drinking with other staff at his house, and the two wo

Jul 18, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Kim Jae-heun

Read more

Police's footage leak of murder suspect causes anger

Nearly 1.2 mil. foreigners subscribe to health insurance

'Boycott Japan' leading to cancellations of trips to Japan

Top prosecutor's retirement

Over 33% of students contemplate suicide

34 indicted over hazardous humidifier sterilizers

YouTubers troubled in wake of Japan boycott campaigns

Typhoon Danas to hit southern regions of Korea

Italian restaurant owner provides free pasta for underfed children

Actor sent to prosecution for sexual assault allegion

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