The Korea Times

No more verbal abuse against call center workers

Call center employees suffer from chronic depression due to repeated caller abuse./ Korea Times fileCall center workers take strong action against foul-mouthed customersBy Lee Kyung-minA call center employee at a large local card firm said on condition of anonymity that she felt sick when listening to unrelenting, degrading remarks from consumers.Her job was making calls to credit card holders asking about unpaid debts, which means no one ever welcomes her calling.“As soon as I say ‘You have some amount unpaid…’ then they start cursing, including using sexually abusive language,” she said.Although a barrage of abusive words follow for up to 20, or 30 minutes, hanging up on the caller was not allowed, because it meant a poor grading in evaluation reports, leading to pay cuts. According to a recent survey conducted by the Korean Finance & Service Workers’ Union on 1,118 call center employees surveyed, more than 80 percent said they suffer from chronic depression due to repeated caller abuse for a prolonged period. Their symptoms include mig

Aug 14, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Woman sentenced to 7 years for beating her cheating husband to death

By Lee Kyung-minAn appellate court on Friday reduced the prison term of a woman who beat her husband to death because she suspected he was cheating on her.The Seoul High Court reduced the lower court’s 10-year prison term for murder to seven years for a charge of manslaughter, citing a lack of evidence to prove she had the intent to kill.According to the court, the woman, 65, surnamed Lim, and her husband, whose identity was withheld, 71, had been fighting since 2011 over his continued extramarital affair.They frequently fought because the husband was suspected of regularly meeting a woman and giving her money.  On the day of the incident ― Sept. 10 of last year ― Lim started beating the husband at 7 a.m. in their home in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, saying he was getting ready to meet the woman again.She bashed him using a 50-centimeter plastic back-scratcher, a plastic broom, a piece of a broken wooden chair and a frying pan.Lim stopped when her daughter visited unannounced at about 10:30 a.m., but restarted the attack when she left at 11:30 a.m.The man died at 1:5

Aug 14, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Singapore Airlines accused of negligence over in-flight violence

By Lee Kyung-min Singapore Airlines took improper initial moves in response to a recent in-flight assault by a drunken Singapore man against a Korean passenger and a flight attendant, industry officials said Thursday.The incident, which could have become a serious safety threat to other passengers, drew a negligent reaction from the airline, they said.On July 23, on a flight bound for Incheon from San Francisco in the U.S., a drunken Singapore assailant, 20, stood up in the middle of the flight and slapped a flight attendant in the face, according to multiple sources.He then barged into the flight galley and grabbed a fork and a bottle of champagne and poured it on the passenger in front of him, a Korean woman identified only as Kim.He allegedly threatened her and kicked her several times, including in the stomach.When the plane arrived at Incheon International Airport, the carrier initially called Incheon International Airport Police (IIAP) saying the incident was the act of a mentally disturbed man, but failed to request an investigation.  An official at a local carrier s

Aug 13, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Singapore Airlines accused of cover-up of in-flight violence

An illustration showing a woman being assulted by a drunken Singaporean man on a Singapore Airlines flight. / Captured from YTNBy Lee Kyung-minSingapore Airlines is drawing fire over allegations that it attempted to cover up an in-flight assault committed by a drunken Singaporean man against a Korean woman and one of its flight attendants, sources said Wednesday.It is alleged that the carrier only called an emergency crew to send the drunken assailant to a nearby hospital, saying it was the act of a mentally disturbed man.When contacted by The Korea Times, the Singapore Airlines official admitted that it failed to report the case immediately to the police.According to YTN, a local cable network, on July 23 on a flight bound for Incheon from San Francisco in the U.S., the drunken Singapore assailant stood up in the middle of the flight and slapped a flight attendant in the face.He then barged into the flight galley and grabbed a bottle of champagne and poured it on the passenger in front of him, a Korean woman whose identity was withheld. He then allegedly kicked her multiple times.La

Aug 12, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Curator files damage suit against ex-president's son

By Lee Kyung-minA curator, who helped Chun Jae-kook, the son of former president Chun Doo-hwan, purchase a high-end art collection, has filed a damages suit against the eldest scion of the former military strongman, a district court said Tuesday.According to Seoul Central District Court, the curator surnamed Jeon is seeking 100 million won ($98,000) in compensation for financial damages and emotional distress after complying with Chun’s request to go to the U.S. to evade prosecution questioning in July 2013. The Chun family was under investigations over allegations that they were indefinitely postponing tax payments by refusing to forfeit illegal financial gains and creating an overseas slush fund.  The case’s first mediation hearing was held in May; the second is scheduled for Aug. 19.During the first hearing, Jeon claimed that he had no choice but to leave the country at the request of Chun who gave him 30 million won in July 2013 and asked to stay in the United States for five months until a tax investigation into the family was concluded.He said that he

Aug 11, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Hearing adjourned for US amb. attacker

By Lee Kyung-minA court hearing for Kim Ki-jong, who attacked U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert in March, has been adjourned due to disturbances caused by the defendant.Seoul Central District Court said Tuesday that Kim denounced the proceedings for accepting a request from the prosecution to add a charge of violating the National Security Law which bans openly praising or assisting North Korea.The prosecution initially charged him with attempted murder, assaulting a foreign envoy, and obstruction of business, but added the latest charge during a hearing on July 22.   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.The accused said he will not accept the additional charge because the prosecution failed to inform him prior to the proceedings starting.“It was only on July 29 that I was notified by my lawyer, more than a week after the prosecution filed for a charge amendment. I did not have time to prepare for the newly added charge,” Kim said.Kim argues that he

Aug 11, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

'Sex offenders abuse positions of power'

By Lee Kyung-min A series of sex abuse cases has shocked the nation as most of the offenders are lawmakers, teachers, and police officers. Experts say that most of them perpetrate sex offenses by abusing their positions of power.According to Gyeonggi University criminology professor Lee Sue-jung, the recent sex offenders are all in a position to assert authority over their victims,“They are well aware that their position enables a chance to get away with abusive behavior including sexual harassment,” she said.She said that they don’t think their behavior is a crime as they are in full control.“Their primary thought is ‘Do as I please, simply because I can,'” she said.  Public distrust of authority figures ultimately hurts social cohesion, she added.“Teachers and Police officers are people we trust. But who would have faith in them if they are ethically this corrupt?”  Harsher punishment is the only effective way to help change such a distorted cultural perception, she added.“The current punishments such as a suspens

Aug 10, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

'Sex offenders abuse positions of power'

South Korea

Another Japan's sexual slavery victim dies

Protesters hold up banners stating, “We will not forgive Abe’s politics,” in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Sunday. The group is against Japanese rearmament and possible militarism. / YonhapBy Lee Kyung-minPark Yoo-nyun, 94, one of the women who suffered during Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of women across Asia has died, according to a civic group, Sunday.She was the eighth such Korean victim to have died this year. With her death, of the 238 government-registered such victims, only 47 remain alive, most of them aged 80 or older with deteriorating health conditions.According to the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, Park died Saturday at the home of her stepson in Arizona where she had moved to in 2007.During her stay there, she had been hospitalized for lung and heart conditions, and suffered four emergency episodes this year alone, according to the group.“Her condition significantly declined this year, and she decided to choose the comfort of her family instead of hospital treatment,&rdqu

Aug 9, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Heat wave continues Heat advisories issued nationwide

Air shimmers with heat on a street in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, when midday highs rose to 34 degrees Celsius. The government sent a text message to people in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan areas to take extra caution against the heat./ YonhapBy Lee Kyung-minThe government sent text messages urging people in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan areas to take extra caution against the heat, Thursday.This was the first time this year the Ministry of Public Safety and Security issued such a message throughout the region, while it has done so in other parts of the country about 20 times. “People are advised to refrain from farm work under the sun or outdoor activities, drink a lot of water, and take care of those vulnerable to heat such as the elderly and children,” the message said.Most of the country issued the advisories. Midday highs reached 37 degrees Celsius in Daegu, 35 degrees in Daejeon, Gwangju and Ulsan, and 34 degrees in Seoul.The current heat wave is expected to continue with many regions having more than 33 degree midday highs, according to the Kor

Aug 6, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

Heat wave continues Heat advisories issued nationwide

South Korea

Controversy rises over ending state bar exam

People preparing for the state-administered bar exam call for the government to maintain the current exam system, which is scheduled to be abolished in 2017 and replaced with a law school system, during a press briefing at the Seoul Central District Court, Thursday. / YonhapBy Lee Kyung-minKorea will abolish the state-administered bar exam by 2017, making graduating from law school the only way to gain entry to the legal profession. Controversy is mounting over the decision, as many students preparing for the exam are protesting against the move.Until 2009, passing the bar exam ― one of the toughest tests for any student ― was the only way to become a lawyer.However, the government revised related laws, making it easier for people to join the profession by entering law schools. There are 25 law schools nationwide accepting a total of 2,000 students a year.The change in policy was aimed at increasing the number of lawyers, meaning the public could receive quality legal services at manageable fees through increased competition among firms.The nation will maintain the bar exam

Aug 6, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

Lee Kyung-min

Read more

No more verbal abuse against call center workers

Woman sentenced to 7 years for beating her cheating husband to death

Singapore Airlines accused of negligence over in-flight violence

Singapore Airlines accused of cover-up of in-flight violence

Curator files damage suit against ex-president's son

Hearing adjourned for US amb. attacker

'Sex offenders abuse positions of power'

Another Japan's sexual slavery victim dies

Heat wave continues Heat advisories issued nationwide

Controversy rises over ending state bar exam

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