The Korea Times

Ex-police officer sentenced to jail for raping Vietnamese woman

Gettyimagesbank By Lee Hyo-jin A restaurant owner, who had previously served 20 years as a police officer in Busan, has been sentenced to jail for raping a Vietnamese woman. Changwon District Court sentenced the 54-year-old man to four years in prison, Thursday, for raping the 20-year-old victim. The court also ordered him to undergo 40 hours of treatment for sex offenders and restricted him from getting jobs at child-related facilities for seven years. The man was convicted of raping the college student from Vietnam on her first day at work as a part-time worker at the restaurant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. The crime took place at around 11:20 p.m., Aug. 17, 2020.He committed the crime while drinking with her in the restaurant after working hours. The victim's friends reported the rape to police on the same night it happened. During the police investigation and trials, the accused admitted to having sex with the victim, but insisted that it was consens

Feb 5, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Ex-police officer sentenced to jail for raping Vietnamese woman

North Korea

Meeting with unification minister

Lee Rae-jin, the brother of a South Korean fisheries official who was killed by the North Korean military in the North's waters in September, heads for a meeting with Unification Minister Lee In-young at the Government Complex in Seoul, Thursday. He asked the ministry to deliver his letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, to request Kim to allow his visit to the North to meet officials there and urge a joint investigation into the incident. Yonhap

Feb 4, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Politics

Reduced sentence for ex-presidential aide

Woo Byung-woo, a former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, leaves the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul, Thursday, after having his sentence reduced to one year in prison for ordering the illegal surveillance of public officials. The appellate court reduced the sentence for one of the key figures in the massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye from four years given by a lower court, after dismissing other charges including negligence of duty and abuse of power. Yonhap

Feb 4, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Reduced sentence for ex-presidential aide

Health

Controversy continues over safety of AstraZeneca vaccine for elderly

AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccines are shown in this November 2020 photo. Controversy continues over the safety of the vaccine for the elderly population, following a recent review from a local advisory board that the vaccine can be administered to people over the age of 65. AFP-YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Controversy continues here over the safety of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine for the elderly population, with different countries holding varying views on whether the vaccine can be administered to people over the age of 65.Earlier this week, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced the results of an initial review conducted by an independent advisory board, which concluded that AstraZeneca vaccines may be administered to people over 65, as no significant side effects were found in that age group. While Korea is positively reviewing the administration of AstraZeneca's vaccines to elderly people, several countries are raising questions over its efficacy, adjusting age limits for inoculation.The viral vector vaccine, developed by the British-Swedish drug firm and Oxford University,

Feb 4, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Controversy continues over safety of AstraZeneca vaccine for elderly

Health

What pet owners should know about COVID-19

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin The coronavirus pandemic has affected people's lives, but now it seems that pets have come under the influence of the virus as well. Following the country's first case of a cat testing positive for the virus in late January, concerns have been growing among pet owners here that their furry friends might also contract the virus. The kitten that had contracted the virus was released, Wednesday, from an isolation facility at a pet care center in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. Found in a local religious facility with two other cats, it had tested positive for the virus on Jan. 21.A kitten that tested positive for the coronavirus in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, Jan. 21 / Courtesy of Jinju CityCaretakers had been closely monitoring the animal's health condition under strict quarantine measures, wearing protective gear each time they came in contact with the kitten. “The ill cat did not show particular symptoms other than diarrhea, and only a small amount of the virus was detected in an initial COVID-19 test,” a Jinju City official told The

Feb 4, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

What pet owners should know about COVID-19

Global Community

INTERVIEW 'Korea needs to put immigration policies into action'

Steve Hamilton, chief of mission to International Organization for Migration (IOM) to Korea, speaks with The Korea Times at his office in central Seoul, Jan. 26. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Lee Hyo-jinKorea's willingness to embrace open immigration policies is reflected in its laws, but now it is time to put that spirit into action, says Steve Hamilton, chief of mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to Korea. “Having come from outside, Korea is currently enjoying global prominence especially with its culture. Many people from various countries want to come here,” Hamilton said during an interview with The Korea Times in the IOM Seoul office in Jung District, Jan. 26Now is the perfect time to look at migrant policies and review various ways on how to attract people to stay, work, and live here, he said. Hamilton, who joined the IOM in 1999, was appointed as the head of the Seoul office in December last year. Before his move to Korea, the immigration expert with two decades of experience in the field had been dispatched to seven countries i

Feb 4, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

[INTERVIEW] 'Korea needs to put immigration policies into action'

Defense

Korea calls Japan 'neighbor,' not 'partner'

The Ministry of National Defense in central Seoul / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea referred to Japan as its “neighboring country” in its newly published defense white paper, instead of the term “partner,” which it used in the last policy publication in 2018. The biennial white paper released by the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday described Korea and Japan as, “Neighboring countries that need to work together not only for bilateral relations but also for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world.”In 2018, it had stated, "Korea and Japan are geographically and culturally close neighbors and partners that need to work together for world peace and prosperity.The change in tone reflects the strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo amidst a series of disputes over historical issues in recent years. The paper stated that Japanese political leaders' territorial claims to the Dokdo islets, as well as Japan's export restrictions imposed in July 2019, have hindered the development of a future-oriented relationship.In addition, a January

Feb 2, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea calls Japan 'neighbor,' not 'partner'

Society

College students choosing leave of absence amid prolonged remote classes

A student walks through a near-empty university campus in Seoul, Dec. 22. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin A college student surnamed Hwang, 22, applied recently for a leave of absence for the upcoming spring semester. The junior student at Korea University said the prolonging online classes influenced her decision. “I didn't want to spend another semester sitting in front of the computer at home. And with most on-campus activities limited, I felt reluctant to pay the 3.5 million won ($3,120) tuition fee for the online classes,” Hwang said. During the first half of the year, she plans to pursue other activities on campus such as internships and foreign language certifications, which will be useful for when she is looking for a job after graduation. “I hope things will return to normal by the time I come back for the fall semester. I really miss my college life with in-person classes, club activities, festivals and other gatherings and events,” she said. As universities here are announcing plans for the new semester, with a large number of classes to be conduct

Feb 1, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

College students choosing leave of absence amid prolonged remote classes

Entertainment

Wavve under fire for accidentally streaming obscene content in the middle of Pororo

Wavve, a local over-the-top (OTT) platform has come under fire for accidentally streaming obscene content in the middle of “Pororo the Little Penguin” a Korean animation for children. / Screen captured from online community websiteBy Lee Hyo-jin Wavve, a local over-the-top (OTT) platform, has come under fire after it accidentally streamed lewd content in the middle of an episode of “Pororo the Little Penguin,” a Korean animation for children. The inappropriate clip was first spotted by an internet user, Friday, who sounded the alarm on a Naver online community for mothers. “I was watching the animated movie Pororo: Cyberspace Adventure on Wavve, and three to five seconds of adult video clips popped up in the middle of it. I was so shocked.” the internet user wrote, attaching screen captures. Several other internet users verified her claim and complained that the streaming platform's customer service team was neither responding nor providing any feedback. There was a huge backlash from users, especially from those with children. “It is unbelie

Jan 31, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Wavve under fire for accidentally streaming obscene content in the middle of Pororo

Health

Heading to COVID-19 treatment center

Medical workers help a little girl put on protective gear, which is too big for her, at the TCS Ace International School in Gwangju, Wednesday, before she boards a bus to head for a nearby COVID-19 treatment center. The unauthorized missionary training school reported 113 confirmed patients out of some 120 trainees. Yonhap

Jan 27, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Lee Hyo-jin

Read more

Ex-police officer sentenced to jail for raping Vietnamese woman

Meeting with unification minister

Reduced sentence for ex-presidential aide

Controversy continues over safety of AstraZeneca vaccine for elderly

What pet owners should know about COVID-19

INTERVIEW 'Korea needs to put immigration policies into action'

Korea calls Japan 'neighbor,' not 'partner'

College students choosing leave of absence amid prolonged remote classes

Wavve under fire for accidentally streaming obscene content in the middle of Pororo

Heading to COVID-19 treatment center

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