The Korea Times

Three detained for fraud after claiming Cheong Wa Dae connections

By Lee Kyung-minPolice said Sunday that they detained three men for allegedly swindling two people out of 200 million won earlier this year after pretending to work for Cheong Wa Dae.According to officers at Hyehwa Police Station, one suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, 59, bears a striking resemblance to Kim Ki-choon, the former Chief of Staff to President Park Geun-hye. He is suspected of defrauding the two victims by pretending to be a relative of the former member of the presidential staff.Kim and his two accomplices, who all have convictions for similar previous offences, are suspected of taking 100 million won each from the two victims after they deceived them by saying they managed state funds stashed in secret accounts.The three told the victims that they would return the money with 100 percent interest within days, as well as 3 billion won as a reward in the near future.They are also suspected of forcing the victims to draft a contract stating that they would be subject to criminal prosecution if they divulged information about the secret fund.  Police are cont

Sep 20, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Lawyer's ad draws mixed response

By Lee Kyung-minAn ad for the office of lawyer Kang Yong-seok posted at Seocho Station in southern Seoul, Thursday. The caption reads: “You! I will sue you!”/ YonhapLawyer Kang Yong-seok, also a TV celebrity, has drawn public attention over an advertisement for his law office which he thinks may best represent his career, while his fellow lawyers say it is degrading and vulgar.In the poster displayed at Seocho Station on subway line No. 2, Kang‘s photo is shown with a menacing look on his face pointing his finger above the caption: “You! I will sue you!”The image of Kang, a former ruling party lawmaker, was taken from a photo of a time when he had argument with another lawmaker during a National Assembly session in 2011 when he was a member of the Assembly.Some say the poster reveals the true Kang, often called “king of the lawsuit.”He was kicked out of the ruling party after he was sued for defamation of character by a group of TV anchorwomen when he said, “Female TV anchors should give their all,” indicating they had to offer ev

Sep 17, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Police hit for failing to prevent murder

Patrol officers arrive at crime scene belatedly due to misjudgmentBy Lee Kyung-minPolice are under fire for failing to prevent a murder after arriving at the crime scene belatedly because they mistook two similar cases as one.Officials at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul said Monday that they detained a woman, surnamed Park, 64, on suspicion of killing her son’s girlfriend.According to police, Park and the girlfriend, Lee, 34 who had long been at odds over several issues, quarreled over the phone on Saturday evening. Lee then came to Park’s house to confront her.Park allegedly waited in front of the house in Hannam-dong with a knife.While quarreling there, Lee allegedly threw her purse at Park and Park then stabbed Lee in the stomach at 9:42 p.m.Park had been on medication for depression and bipolar personality.Before the argument, Park’s son, who feared there might be bloodshed, called police at 9:12 p.m. about 30 minutes before the stabbing, saying his mother was waiting for Lee with a knife.Yongsan Police Station asked patrol officers to visit Park’s house,

Sep 14, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

US ambassador attacker sentenced to 12 years in prison

By Lee Kyung-minA district court Friday sentenced Kim Ki-jong, who attacked U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert in March, to 12 years in prison, but cleared him of espionage charges.Kim was indicted in April for slashing Lippert's face and hand with a 25-centimeter knife at a breakfast seminar in central Seoul on March 5. Lippert sustained an 11-centimeter cut on the right side of his face that required 80 stitches.  The Seoul Central District Court found Kim guilty of attempted murder, obstruction of business and assaulting a foreign envoy, saying Kim deserves harsh punishment for using violence to meet his goals, adding this is the first case involving a serious injury to a foreign envoy here.“The world was shocked and diplomatic relations between Korea and the U.S. could have been put in jeopardy due to his action,” the judge said in a ruling.The court rejected Kim’s claim that the assault was an accident and he did not have the intent to kill, saying the injury could have been fatal.“The depth of the 11-centimeter cut was as deep as three centimeter

Sep 11, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Women outnumber men for first time

By Lee Kyung-minThe number of women exceeds that of men this year for the first time in Korea since official census records began here in the late 1960s.The statistic is attributed to the nation’s rapidly aging population and women's higher life expectancy, government data showed Sunday.According to statistics released by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MOGAHA), as of June, the number of women reported on the Resident Registration in Korea stood at 25,715,796, outnumbering men by 492.The gap has been on the constant rise since: 2,645 in July; 4,804 in August. “Women are known to live longer than men, proven in many developed countries, which Korea is increasingly moving towards,” the ministry said.Such analysis is supported by a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), released last month, which determined that women here live almost seven years longer than men, with life expectancy for Koreans standing at 85.1 and 78.5, for women and men, respectively. It added that Korea has the fastest aging popu

Sep 6, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Justice minister calls for strong anti-corruption drive

By Lee Kyung-minJustice Minister Kim Hyun-woong said Tuesday that he would lead a strong anti-corruption drive in the latter half of this year.According to the ministry, Kim ordered the prosecution to strengthen its crackdown on corruption, especially cases involving high-profile figures in politics and business.In a related move, the ministry recently dispatched more investigators to anti-corruption probe teams at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.It is expected the prosecution will launch massive investigations into the alleged corruption of politicians and business leaders.“Without rooting out such corruption, it is impossible for the country to take another leap in economic development and secure sustainable growth,” Kim said in his written order. “The prosecution has made efforts for an anti-corruption drives since March, and attained some results. But systematic corruption is not dying easily.”The minister told the prosecution to focus on corruption by policymakers as well as large-sized firms’ irregularities that exploit small-s

Sep 1, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Hana Academy under probe for admission irregularity

By Lee Kyung-minThe regional educational authority has launched a special audit into Hana Academy Seoul (HAS) over allegations that the school manipulated entrance exam results to select more boys.The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said Tuesday that it informed the school of the inspection and asked it to submit related documents. After reviewing the submitted material, the office will send officials to the school for an on-site inspection.This is the latest alleged irregularity involving the high school that has been under a number of suspicions since its opening in 2010.HAS, established by Hana Financial Group, opened as an “autonomous” school, a form of elite school allowed greater discretion in selecting its students and curriculum.During a recent special session of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, a teacher at the school alleged that in the admission exams, more girls than boys got high scores, but the school manipulated test results so that it could maintain an equal gender ratio.Regarding the allegation, the school said that it has one dormitory build

Sep 1, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Teachers face dismissal over sexual abuse claims

By Lee Kyung-minFive teachers at a public high school in Seoul, including the principal, face dismissal for alleged repeated sexual molestation of female teachers and students.The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said Monday it would ask its disciplinary committee to punish the five male teachers severely. They are expected to be dismissed or suspended, and those dismissed will never be able to teach again.The decision follows the office’s month-long investigation into the high school, the name of which is being withheld. It has been alleged that the offenders have sexually abused female teachers and students for more than two years since the school opened in 2013.According to the investigation, four teachers sexually harassed the victims. They were suspended after the allegations emerged, and are being investigated for possible criminal charges for sexual harassment and molestation.The principal also allegedly tried to hide or cover up the cases, not reporting suspected sexual abuse cases to law enforcement authorities. He just told the teachers not to touch girls

Aug 31, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

Teachers face dismissal over sexual abuse claims

South Korea

Police seek to ban mini cameras

By Lee Kyung-minThe Korean National Police Agency said Monday it will seek to ban manufacturing and possessing small cameras that are made in various shapes to avoid detection. The move comes amid growing concern about hidden cameras in public places following recent online footage showing more than 100 naked women in water park shower rooms. Police Commissioner Kang Sin-myeong said he would talk with the related authorities about the measures.In a related move, he said 215 undercover police officers would be sent to 97 water parks nationwide to crack down on people who secretly film people in shower rooms or other scenes infringing on privacy.Female officers will be mobilized for female areas.Rewards will also be given to whistle-blowers who report anyone suspected of using hidden cameras at water parks. 

Aug 31, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

'My daughter was teacher, too'

Kim Sung-wook, father of the late Kim Cho-won, a former teacher at Danwon High School who died during the Sewol ferry tragedy, expresses his hope that his daughter, who was a non-regular teacher, will be honored equally with other regular teachers, during an interview near the memorial altar for the victims in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 22. Friday marks the 500th day since the accident./ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulFather struggles to lift non-regular teacher’s honor sunken with SewolBy Lee Kyung-minKim Cho-won, 26, was a teacher at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Every morning she started work at 7:30 a.m., and only came home at 11 p.m. after preparing for the next day’s class for her 39 students.Although the long hours were demanding, she was excited to teach because it was her first job she loved after graduating from college.Only one month after starting with the school, she was aboard the ill-fated ferry Sewol on what was intended to be a school trip to Jeju Island.Soon after the ferry started sinking, Kim and other teachers on

Aug 27, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

Lee Kyung-min

Read more

Three detained for fraud after claiming Cheong Wa Dae connections

Lawyer's ad draws mixed response

Police hit for failing to prevent murder

US ambassador attacker sentenced to 12 years in prison

Women outnumber men for first time

Justice minister calls for strong anti-corruption drive

Hana Academy under probe for admission irregularity

Teachers face dismissal over sexual abuse claims

Police seek to ban mini cameras

'My daughter was teacher, too'

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