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Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

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Law & Crime

More minors make unauthorized payments amid COVID-19

Hakuna live logo / Courtesy of Hakuna liveBy Lee Hyo-jin A 48-year-old man surnamed Kim living in Eunpyeong district, Seoul, was shocked to find that a lump sum of 130 million won ($114,000), the money he and his spouse had been saving for a new house, had vanished from their account in August.It turned out that the money had been spent on “Hakuna live,” a live streaming app, by his 11-year-old daughter. “Hakuna live” is a Japanese media platform through which anyone above the age of 14 can become what is known in Korea as a “broadcasting jockey,” someone who produces livestreamed video content and interacts with commenters. Viewers and fans are invited to support the streamers by sending limitless amounts of online currency called “diamonds.”Kim's daughter had sent 130 million won worth of diamonds in total to 35 streamers between Aug. 3 and 12, through the mobile payment system on her mother's smartphone. “My wife always leaves her phone unlocked since she is visually impaired and suffers from brain damage,” Kim said, exp

Nov 4, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
More minors make unauthorized payments amid COVID-19
Society

HUFS holds 'Model EU' on climate change

Participants of the Model European Union 2020 pose during the event held Oct. 30 at the Obama Hall in Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS)./ Courtesy of Hankuk University of Foreign StudiesBy Lee Hyo-jin Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) held “Model European Union 2020,” an educational simulation of the EU, on the topic of “climate change and environment.”The full day event was held by the Jean Monette EU Centre of HUFS on Oct. 30 at the Obama Hall on the university's main campus in Seoul. It was cohosted with the Jean Monette EU Centres of Yonsei University and Korea University.Undergraduates and graduate students from 16 universities participated in the model EU executive board meeting, each taking roles of EU commission representatives, ministers for environment of the member states and journalists. Participants shared their ideas on climate change through vigorous debates, after which they performed a mock press conference.At the opening ceremony, Kim Si-hong, director of HUFS Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, gave welcoming remarks, follo

Nov 3, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
HUFS holds 'Model EU' on climate change
Law & Crime

Woman who bit off attacker's tongue recommended for non-indictment

Gwangnam Police Station located in Suyeong District, Busan / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-hoBy Lee Hyo-jinThe police have recommended non-indictment for a woman who bit off part of a man's tongue in self-defense, according to Busan Nambu Police Station, Tuesday.While forwarding the case to the prosecution, the police announced that they did not find legal grounds to charge the woman, who bit off approximately three centimeters of the man's tongue when he tried to rape her. The man claimed that the woman in her 20s caused the man in his 30s severe injury through excessive self-defense.Under Korea's criminal law, it is permissible to use reasonable force to defend oneself or others, but overwhelming counteractions may not be recognized as self-defense. “Although her actions exceeded normal limits of self-defense, based on discussions with external experts and lawyers, we came to the conclusion that it can be justified according to Article 21 of the Criminal Law Act,” said an officer from the police station. The man made a report at a Gwangnam police station in Busan's Suyeo

Nov 3, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Woman who bit off attacker's tongue recommended for non-indictment
Society

Veteran actress receives honorary doctoral degree from KazNUA

Actress Park Jeong-ja (left) poses with Bakyt Dyussenbayev, Kazakhstan Ambassador to Korea during the conferment ceremony held Oct. 28 at Seoul Cyber University. / Courtesy of Seoul Cyber UniversityBy Lee Hyo-jin Veteran actress Park Jeong-ja received an honorary doctoral degree in drama arts from Kazakhstan National University of Arts (KazNUA), recognized for her accomplishments and contribution to the theater industry.The degree was awarded by the Kazakhstan Ambassador to Korea Bakyt Dyussenbayev, at a conferment ceremony held Oct. 28 at the Tchaikovsky hall in Seoul Cyber University.“I perceive this degree to be a message for me to constantly study art, culture, the origin of life and human emotion. Keeping this in mind, I will strive to support young artists to help them fulfil their dreams in the theater industry, and bring hope to people through art in the COVID-19 pandemic era,” said Park. Park, 78, made her debut in 1962 with the play “Phaedra”. She has tread the boards for 57 years inspiring many young artists. She has starred in over 200 plays, gaini

Nov 2, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Veteran actress receives honorary doctoral degree from KazNUA
Global Community

Government urged to improve refugee screening system

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin The government is facing growing calls from civic activists to improve the refugee screening system to ensure fairness and transparency, as the cumulative number of asylum seekers here has passed 70,000.According to data from the Korea Immigration Service (KIS), Monday, the number of people who filed for refugee status here from 1994 to August this year was 70,254. Only 5,069 came to Korea seeking asylum from 1994 to 2012, but it began to increase rapidly in 2013 when the Refugee Act went into effect.The country had 1,574 applicants in 2013, 9,942 in 2017, 16,173 in 2018 and 15,142 in 2019. The data showed the refugee recognition rate has been declining steadily over the past few years, plunging to a record low of one percent this year. In the January-August period, only 1 percent, or 41 of 4,019 asylum seekers, were recognized as refugees.Approximately 12 percent of applicants were given approval from 1994 to 2012. The number stood at 10 percent in 2013 and 6 percent in 2014, and dropped to 1.5 percent in 2019. “The screening process in Europe or

Nov 2, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Government urged to improve refugee screening system
  • Number of asylum applications tops 70,000 in South Korea
Law & Crime

'Karaoke in prison for therapy, not for entertainment'

An inmate uses a karaoke machine installed in Jeonju Prison located in North Jeolla Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jinIn response to rising public criticism on karaoke and game machines being installed in prisons for inmates, a correctional facility in Jeonju said Friday that they were used for therapy not entertainment. On Wednesday, the Jeonju Correctional Institution in North Jeolla Province announced that it had installed three karaoke machines and two “whack a mole” game machines in the prison.The correctional facility explained that they will help inmates to relieve stress as other rehabilitation programs such as religious activities had been suspended due to the prolonged COVD-19 pandemic. The prisoners are allowed to use the karaoke machine free of charge if they sign up in advance. Those sentenced to death or who are suffering from a psychiatric problem will be given more opportunity to use them. The machines cost approximately 50 million won ($44

Oct 30, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
'Karaoke in prison for therapy, not for entertainment'
Global Community

'Vlog ads of int'l marriage brokers violate human rights of foreign women'

Videos in the form of vlogs uploaded by local matchmakers to promote their businesses can be found by searching 'international marriage vlog' in Korean. /Screen capture from YouTube By Lee Hyo-jin A video posted on YouTube titled “Meeting my oppa for the first time” with more than 600,000 views features a Korean man arriving at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City being welcomed by a young Vietnamese woman. “Oppa” means older brother in Korean and is a popular term of affection that women use for older men.After reviewing documents for the arranged marriage, the man is introduced to the woman's parents, and they spend some time together. The five-minute clip ends with the caption 'This couple plans to hold a wedding in three months, before which the bride will strive to learn Korean.' Similar videos with titles such as “Blind date with hot Filipina” and “20-year-old Vietnamese woman meets 47-year-old Korean man” can be seen by searching for 'international marriage vlog'

Oct 30, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
'Vlog ads of int'l marriage brokers violate human rights of foreign women'
Entertainment

YouTuber bridges Korean, Russian cultures

YouTuber Min Kyung-ha / Courtesy of Min Kyung-haBy Lee Hyo-jin YouTuber Min Kyung-ha may not be very well known among Koreans but she is a celebrity among Russian language speakers who are fond of Korean culture.Min, 29, runs the YouTube channel “Kyungha MIN,” introducing Korean culture in Russian. The channel features around 300 videos about Korea introducing food and beauty products from the country and videos on how Koreans view Russia. Over 670,000 subscribers, 90 percent of whom are from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine, watch her content. Min's pull is so strong that more than 3,000 people gathered for a fan meeting held in Moscow in October 2019.“I was overwhelmed when some people recognized me in the streets. And I was so thankful to some of my fans who came all the way by plane from Kazakhstan or took a train for eight hours to meet me in person,” Min said when she recalled her trip to Moscow. Recognized for her role as a bridge between two cultures, she recently won the monthly influencer award from the Global Influencers Network (GIN) in S

Oct 29, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
YouTuber bridges Korean, Russian cultures
Law & Crime

Bodyfriend indicted for false advertising

By Lee Hyo-jin Bodyfriend, a massage chair brand promoted by BTS, has been indicted for false advertising, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Bodyfriend, a massage chair brand promoted by BTS, has been indicted for false advertising, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. / Courtesy of BodyfriendThe prosecutors' office announced Wednesday the indictment of the corporation and its CEO Park Sang-hyun, 45, on suspicion of violating the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertisement. The firm is suspected of promoting its HighKey massage chair using exaggerated claims and false information from January to August 2019. HighKey is a high-end massage recliner for adolescents, priced at 4.6 million won ($4,050) on its website. Since its launch in January 2019, the chair was widely advertised through portal websites, newspapers and magazines.The description in the ads read that the chair stimulates teenagers' growth through its “brain massage” function. The ad also claimed that the chair improves their cognition skills and enhances their mem

Oct 29, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Bodyfriend indicted for false advertising
Law & Crime

Why is it so hard to revoke medical licenses of misbehaving doctors?

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin In September 2019, a gynecology trainee doctor at a general hospital in Seoul was accused of sexually assaulting an anesthetized patient. He groped the patient before and during surgery and verbally harassed several nurses. The hospital initially suspended him from duty for three months, but following public criticism, his training was canceled. However, his medical license remained untouched.In 2018, a doctor at a private hospital was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for raping and illegally filming a 20-year-old assistant nurse. But he was able to return to his job as his license was not revoked. Recent data shows that in Korea it is almost impossible to revoke doctors' licenses for their alleged crimes and criminal convictions.Between 2010 and 2018, none of the 848 doctors who were arrested on sex crime charges or the 37 apprehended on suspicion of murder had their licenses canceled, according to the National Police Agency. Meanwhile, reissuing revoked licenses seems to be relatively easy. Disqualified physicians may reapply f

Oct 26, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Why is it so hard to revoke medical licenses of misbehaving doctors?
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