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Lee Kyung-min

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South Korea

Ex-KNOC head questioned over 'failed energy diplomacy'

By Lee Kyung-min Kang Young-wonThe prosecution questioned Kang Young-won, former CEO of the Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC), Monday over allegations that he caused more than 1 trillion won ($1 billion) in losses to the state-run company through improper investments in 2009.The summons is part of an ongoing probe into the “failed energy diplomacy” of the former Lee Myung-bak administration.When attending the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Kang told reporters, “I’ll tell everything to prosecutors. I’ll fully cooperate in the investigation.”Prosecutors questioned him over why and how he decided on the investment in Harvest Operations, a Canadian oil producer, and its money-losing refinery unit, North Atlantic Refining Limited (NARL).In 2009, the KNOC acquired Harvest and NARL for 4.6 trillion won and 1.2 trillion won, respectively. The acquisition of NARL was not its initial plan, but it was included at the last minute.It is alleged that the KNOC did not properly review the affiliate’s business value, an

Jun 1, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
Ex-KNOC head questioned over 'failed energy diplomacy'
South Korea

Education ministry under fire for”exploiting” college students

Education ministry criticized for ‘exploiting’ studentsBy Lee Kyung-minThe Ministry of Education is under mounting criticism for paying students employed at the World Education Forum 2015 held in Incheon less than the minimum wage on a daily basis.According to the forum organizer and Bak Hong-geun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, Sunday, the ministry paid 20,000 won ($18) daily to 141 college students who each worked for up to seven hours a day during last month’s forum, which had a budget of 4.5 billion won.The current minimum wage in Korea is 5,580 won an hour.Along with the payment, the ministry offered the students certificates recognizing their participation in the event and the number of hours they worked.Such low pay comes amid controversy about “passion pay,” a term coined to describe a practice where employers do not offer due payment to interns and apprentices but only exploit their “passion” to get jobs amid high youth unemployment.A ministry official in charge of managing the students during the forum said the payment w

May 31, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Taxi ride-sharing to be allowed on Fridays

By Lee Kyung-min The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said Sunday that it will allow taxis to provide a ride-sharing service on Friday nights near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul by as early as August.The move is in response to high demand for taxis there late at night when buses and subways have stopped operating.The SMG will run a pilot operation for four hours between 10 p.m. on Friday and 2 a.m. on Saturday for two months.“Currently, it is illegal for cabbies to carry additional customers before reaching the first passenger’s destination. But the transport ministry told us that it is not against the law if passengers want to share taxi rides,” said an SMG official.Those wishing to share a ride can take the same vehicle only when departing from Gangnam Station. Taxi drivers cannot take additional passengers in the middle before reaching the destinations of the first passenger.Sharing is also available only when passengers agree. The SMG is considering offering those sharing taxi rides a 20 to 30 percent discount on their fares.Depending on the result in

May 31, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Eastar Jet captain flies without fixing defective door

By Lee Kyung-minThe captain of an aircraft operated by local budget carrier Eastar Jet is facing a pilot license suspension for ordering a crewmember to “hold tight” a defective door during a flight.While flying from Incheon to Jeju in January of last year, the captain found a defect in an aircraft door and made an emergency landing at Cheongju Airport. However, he failed to follow due safety procedures and continued on to Jeju, telling a crewmember to hold on to a door knob.At Jeju Airport, the captain had maintenance workers merely put duct tape on the door, and then flew to Gimpo Airport, where the airplane received proper maintenance.The captain was supposed to record the incident in a flight log, but failed to do so. It is unknown how many passengers were on the flights.Such negligence was made public after the Seoul Administrative Court ruled Thursday against the captain, who filed a suit to nullify a 30-day license suspension slapped on him by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. “His negligence posed a grave danger to aircraft safety,&rdq

May 28, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Court orders Lone Star to pay tax

By Lee Kyung-minAn appeals court ruled Wednesday that Lone Star Funds should pay some 64.8 billion won ($58 million) in a corporate tax refund suit filed by the U.S. buyout fund against a regional tax office.The Yeoksam Tax Office levied some 104 billion won in corporate tax on Lone Star over about 245 billion won in gains it made in 2004 from the sale of the Star Tower building near Yeoksam Subway Station in southern Seoul. But the firm filed a suit to nullify the tax, claiming that the deal was made through a firm based in Belgium, with which South Korea has a double-taxation avoidance deal.A district court ordered Lone Star to pay the full amount of tax levied by the tax office, dismissingthe company’s claim that it should be exempt from any taxation here.The Seoul High Court, however, partially upheld the ruling, saying Lone Star should pay 64.8 billion won of the 104 billion won levied on it.“The imposition of part of the corporate tax lacked no legal grounds,” the court said in its ruling. “However, we believe that Lone Star used an overse

May 27, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Two foreigners sought for graffiti on trains

By Lee Kyung-minThe Ministry of Justice is seeking Interpol’s help to find two graffiti artists ― a Greek, 24, and a German, 29 ― who left the country after allegedly spraying the word “BLiND” on several trains in Incheon and Daegu about two weeks ago.According to the Daegu Suseong Police Station, the two, whose names were withheld, will face charges of destroying public property and trespassing. The crimes carry a prison term of one to 10 years.Police said the two entered the country on May 7 through Incheon International Airport, and rented a car to shop at an art store near Hongik University.They bought cans of pink, black and green paint, and then travelled to Daegu and Incheon to paint the words on the windshields and sides of trains parked at subway stations.The suspects stayed in Incheon on May 8 and in Daegu on May 10.On May 10, they went separate ways at Incheon International Airport, leaving behind the rented vehicle.  “The two suspects are believed to have entered the country with intent to commit offences of spraying graffiti on publ

May 26, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Seoul to create new tourism slogan

By Lee Kyung-minThe Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) will gather public opinion to create a new tourism slogan for the capital, which will replace the current “Hi Seoul,” it said Tuesday.The new slogan will be chosen October 28 which is Seoul Citizens’ Day.The move is to reflect an increasing need to introduce a new slogan that best captures the vibrancy of the city which is gaining global recognition, according to a city official.  “With the number of foreign tourists visiting here surpassing 10 million a year, the city government is looking for a new, fresh yet memorable phrase that best reflects the need from both here and from the tourists,” the official said.Already, the city government has launched a 28-member committee last year solely devoted to raising the public awareness of the project.An additional panel comprising citizens, marketing experts and foreigners will be formed to support the committee, the city official said.“The whole purpose of the project is to induce active participation from the public. Already, almost 300 peopl

May 26, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Jail term for Sewol owner's son reduced to two years

By Lee Kyung-min  Yoo Dae-gyunAn appeals court Friday reduced the jail term for Yoo Dae-gyun, the eldest son of the late Sewol ferry owner Yoo Byung-eun, to two years.He was sentenced to three years by a district court in November, after being convicted of embezzlement and breach of trust.The Seoul High Court upheld the convictions, but reduced the jail term.“The financial damage he incurred on companies is being recovered,” the court said. “Also, he deposited 1.3 billion won with the court and has no prior offences.”The court said he practically extorted firms owned by his father using his status as the son of the company owner.Yoo was indicted in August for embezzling 7.3 billion won ($6.7 million) from seven of its subsidiaries after charging them to pay trademark fees.“The gains he made were comparable to merely picking fruit from a tree, rather than putting hours of effort to growing the tree,” the court said.Yoo’s family members and key officials of the company have been indicted on a series of charges, including breach of tru

May 22, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
Jail term for Sewol owner's son reduced to two years
South Korea

Korean Air heiress freed from jail

Former Korean Air Executive Vice President Heather Cho makes her way through a swarm of reporters following a ruling at the Seoul High Court, Friday. She was released from prison after the court found her not guilty of changing the aircraft’s route in the infamous “nut rage” case. / YonhapAppeals court finds Heather Cho not guilty on key charge By Lee Kyung-minFormer Korean Air Executive Vice President Heather Cho was released from prison Friday after an appeals court found her not guilty of changing an aircraft route in the infamous “nut rage” case.She had been in prison since a district court sentenced her to one year behind bars in December, convicting her of risking flight safety by ordering pilots to change a plane’s route at JFK International Airport in New York.The Seoul High Court, however, overturned the ruling and sentenced her to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years.She changed clothes about 30 minutes after the ruling, made her way through a crowd of cameramen without saying anything and jumped into a car to return home.Cho

May 22, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

'Domestic violence is public matter'

By Lee Kyung-minMichael FeuerLos Angeles City Attorney Michael Feuer stressed that the government needs to strengthen services for intervening in cases of domestic violence and child abuse.Unlike a public perception here that incidents of domestic violence are a “family matter,” the issue is regarded as more of a social issue in America, he said.“In California, the offence of domestic violence is considered a public matter not merely a private one,” he said during an interview.Feuer is visiting Korea to participate in the 2015 International Criminal Law Conference, which started on Wednesday and will end today.A group of Korean-American prosecutors  are also attending the forum.He said how seriously such crimes are regarded and the nature of each offense should have a major impact on the legal system.The prosecution in the U.S. continues to pursue a case if an alleged victim withdraws charges but the prosecution believes an offence occurred.“After holding the perpetrator accountable, it is important to try to change that behavior to prevent further

May 21, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
'Domestic violence is public matter'
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