my timesThe Korea Times
lkm

Lee Kyung-min

Korea Times AI content 2 team Reporter

Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr

Go to EmailGo to URL

Read more

South Korea

POSCO slush fund probe widening

Ex-POSCO E&C vice chairman questionedBy Lee Kyung-min  Chung Dong-hwaProsecutors questioned former POSCO E&C Vice Chairman Chung Dong-hwa, Tuesday, over allegations that he played a central role in creating a slush fund while he served in the post from 2009 to 2012.He is also suspected of accepting bribes from the firm’s subcontractors and business partners.His summons came about two months after the prosecution launched an investigation into the “failed energy diplomacy” conducted during the Lee Myung-bak administration.Chung allegedly masterminded the creation of a 10 billion won ($9 million) slush fund while leading the firm’s overseas construction projects.Prosecutors believe behind Chung was former POSCO Chairman Chung Joon-yang, who maintained close relations with Lee’s aides. The former chairman is also likely to be summoned soon.The prosecution said it will determine whether to seek a detention warrant for Chung Dong-hwa.Five former and incumbent POSCO E&C officials have been indicted for their alleged roles in creating and

May 19, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
POSCO slush fund probe widening
South Korea

Family of civilian victim of US shelling during Korean War wins compensation suit

By Lee Kyung-minAn appeals court ruled Monday that the Korean government is responsible for a civilian’s death caused by a shelling attack by the U.S. during the 1950-53 Korean War.The Seoul High Court ruled in favor of the family of a victim surnamed Bang, ordering the government to pay 48.88 million won ($44,000) in compensation.Bang was killed in an attack by the USS Haven of the U.S. Navy in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, in September 1950.It is the first time that a local court has recognized the government’s liability for a wartime civilian casualty caused by bombing or shelling by the U.S.Earlier, a district court ruled that no liability is incurred on the Korean government in Bang’s case because the U.S. caused his death.However, the high court overturned the ruling based on evidence that the shelling resulted from wrong information provided by the Korean Army.Bang’s family filed the suit after a report in 2010 by a state truth-finding commission, which concluded that the U.S. shelling resulted in his death, and the attack was based on directions f

May 18, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Cats killed most often on Seoul roads

By Lee Kyung-minMotor vehicles kill an average of 10 animals a day in Seoul, according to a study released Monday.The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) study shows that more than 11,869 animals died that way from 2012- 2014.A total of 9,668 cats were killed, accounting for 81 percent of the dead animals, followed by dogs (12 percent), birds and other creatures (7 percent).Of the city’s 25 districts, Gangnam-gu reported the most animal deaths (15 cases daily), followed by 12 cases per day in Guro, Geumcheon, Nowon and Seongdong.An SMG official said city officials were aware of the problem.“Most of the cats killed are believed to be stray animals,” the official said.“Under the law, we have taken measures to trap, spay and neuter, and release them to reduce the number of stray cats.”She said the program, called “trap-and-return” (TNR), was being widely implemented in other developed countries.More than 6,000 cats are spayed or neutered each year.The official said spaying or neutering the cats was preferable to them being killed

May 18, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Lee, Hong will be indicted this week

By Lee Kyung-minThe prosecution said Sunday it will indict former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo and South Gyeongsang Governor Hong Joon-pyo as early as this week on bribery charges, but is unlikely to seek detention warrants against them. The two are among eight people mentioned in a hand-written bribery list left by the late Keangnam Enterprises Chairman Sung Woan-jong before he committed suicide in April.“We are in the process of finalizing the date to bring charges against them,” a prosecutor said.The two have been summoned for questioning.The prosecution said the former prime minister is suspected of receiving 30 million won ($27,000) in illegal funds from Sung during his National Assembly by-election campaign in April 2013.The prosecution suspects that Sung gave Lee the money in his campaign office in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, on April 4.Surveillance camera footage showed Sung's car passed through the Buyeo tollgate at 4 p.m. that day.The prosecution reportedly secured necessary testimony after questioning Sung's former secretary, surnamed Geum, and Lee's

May 17, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

3 men indicted for producing meth in NK

Prosecution says two involved in plot to kill noted defectorBy Lee Kyung-minThree South Korean men have been indicted for producing methamphetamine in North Korea with the help of a North Korean spy, the prosecution said Sunday.Two of the three suspects were also charged with plotting to murder anti-Pyongyang advocates, including Hwang Jang-yup, the highest-ranking North Korean defector, before Hwang died of a heart attack in 2010.The prosecution said that it discovered the case after securing testimony from a former North Korean spy.“This is the first time that we have obtained hard evidence that the North is resorting to drug production to earn foreign currency,” a prosecutor said.The three men ― surnamed Kim, 63, Hwang, 56, and Bang, 69 ― are suspected of producing a total of 70 kilograms of methamphetamine from June to July in 2000 in North Korea’s Hwanghae Province.Half of this amount is believed to have been delivered to North Korean authorities, but how it was sold is unknown, said the prosecution.The rest was given to the three, but they failed to

May 17, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

Hearing opens on chemical castration

By Lee Kyung-minThe Constitutional Court held its first public hearing Thursday to discuss whether the law on chemical castration of sex offenders infringes on their fundamental rights.Based on opinions gathered through the hearings, the court will determine the constitutionality of the law by the end of this year.During the hearing, at issue was whether the measure violates offenders’ human rights. There were also heated debates over whether the procedure is the most effective punishment for sex offenders.The discussion also touched upon whether the chemical injection entails any side effects, and if so, whether any countermeasures can be used.Lawyer Jang Woo-seung claimed chemical castration is highly abusive and can possibly change a person’s sexual orientation.“The punishment is excessive, because it involves a hormone injection that might cause an unwanted change to a person’s system,” he said. “It is no less of a punishment compared to physical detention, contrary to its original aim as a supportive measure.”Lawyer Seo Kyu-young represe

May 14, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
South Korea

TV personality found guilty of beating wife

By Lee Kyung-min  Seo Se-wonA district court Thursday sentenced TV personality Seo Se-won to six months in prison, suspended for two years, for assaulting his wife during an argument last year.The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the husband was guilty of physically harming his wife, Seo Jung-hee.“Seo Se-won admitted to his crime, evidenced by surveillance camera recordings, and the degree of physical damage sustained by the wife is not at all negligible,” a judge said.The judge said that Seo did not show enough contrition, and blamed his wife for framing him as a violent husband with a pattern of abusive behavior.“Rather than offering a sincere apology, Seo kept on attempting to assign the blame to the wife,” the judge said.However, the judge added that Seo’s violent behavior was a spontaneous act, providing grounds for mitigation.“Seo did not act with premeditation, and was in an agitated state during a heated argument with her. I took into account that his actions were portrayed in way that might have been taken out of context,&

May 14, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
TV personality found guilty of beating wife
South Korea

Three army reservists killed in shooting

By Lee Kyung-minAn army reservist went on a shooting spree at a military training camp in Seocho, southern Seoul, Wednesday, killing two fellow reservists and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide.The shooter, surnamed Choi, 23, opened fire soon after being handed a magazine containing 10 bullets for his K-2 rifle at the Reserve Forces Training Center in Naegok-dong, according to military officials.“He was standing in line and was about to go through regular zeroing fire,” an official said.“He shot once toward the target and turned around with the loaded rifle and started shooting. It was a split-second incident,” the official said.Choi fired seven shots at the victims before killing himself.Among the four shot, one named Park, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head, was pronounced dead soon after being taken to Samsung Medical Center.Another victim surnamed Yun, 24, who was shot in the head, died while undergoing treatment.The other two, surnamed Hwang, 22, and Ahn, 25, were taken to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital

May 13, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
Three army reservists killed in shooting
  • Breaking: Two dead, three wounded after shooting spree at military training center
South Korea

'Ex-presidential secretary misappropriated W 10 bil.'

By Lee Kyung-minPark Bum-hoonPark Bum-hoon, a former presidential secretary for education, is facing fresh allegations that he misappropriated approximately 10 billion won ($9 million) while serving as Chung-Ang University president.According to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office, Park received the money in donations from Woori Bank in 2009. The money should have been recorded in the university’s accounts book but was entered instead into the university foundation’s accounts book.Of the money, Park spent some 6 billion won on paying health insurance premiums and pensions for university employees, which were supposed to be covered by the foundation, according to the prosecution.Park served as university president before being appointed as the education secretary in 2011 under the former President Lee Myung-bak administration.Prosecutors said that Park violated the Private School Act, under which donations given to a university should be strictly managed by the university alone, and funds for the university and foundation should be managed separately.The prosecutio

May 13, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
'Ex-presidential secretary misappropriated W 10 bil.'
South Korea

Immigration official probed for 'visa sale'

By Lee Kyung-minThe prosecution sought a detention warrant Monday for a Korean Immigration Service (KIS) official who allegedly accepted money from foreigners in exchange for extending their visas.  According to the Seoul Southern Prosecutors’ Office, the official, surnamed Kim, 42, received a total of 11 million won ($10,000) from 20 foreigners ― most of whom are Chinese nationals ― and renewed their visas from February 2012 to December last year.The prosecution could charge Kim with forging official documents and bribery.The investigation is based on a complaint from the KIS, which previously conducted an internal probe into bribery cases.Alongside Kim, the prosecution is also investigating a visa broker who provided assistance to him.The 32-year-old female broker, whose identity was withheld, allegedly introduced Kim to foreigners who sought visa extensions, and charged commission for referrals illegally, the prosecution said.The prosecution believes that the broker overcharged the foreigners and helped Kim pocket some of the money.  Already, the prosecut

May 11, 2015By Lee Kyung-min
previous page
333334335336337
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.