The Korea Times

Another SNU professor accused of sex abuse

By Lee Kyung-min  Police said Friday they will seek a warrant to detain a dentistry professor at Seoul National University (SNU) over allegations that he sexually harassed one of his female graduate students.If detained, he will be the second SNU professor to be taken into custody for sex abuse allegations in two months after Kang Seok-jin, a math professor who is now on trial on charges of abusing more than 20 students over a 10 year period.The dentistry professor, whose identity was withheld, has been investigated by Seocho Police Station in southern Seoul since November last year, police said.Officers said that he had groped the graduate student many times, since January last year.The professor kissed her on the cheek multiple times while she resisted near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul in November. The student filed a complaint with police a day after the incident.Police said he has admitted to the student’s accusations.“He said he did not mean to offend the student. We are checking whether there are other victims,” an officer from Seocho said.The SNU Hu

Jan 30, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Families of humidifier sterilizer victims lose suit

By Lee Kyung-min A district court ruled Thursday that the government does not have to compensate the families of pregnant women who died of acute lung failure in 2011 after using hazardous humidifier sterilizers.The families of six victims initially filed a compensation suit against the government, as well as three makers of the sterilizers ― Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, Hanvit Chemical and Cefu.Last August, the six received compensation from the three companies, and agreed to drop the suits.Of the six, two dropped the suit against the government, but the remaining four did not.Seoul Central District Court ruled that the government was not negligent in regulating such products.The ruling is likely to affect separate liability suits filed by the families of more than 100 victims.The amount of compensation offered to the six families was not open to public, but one company reportedly offered 250 million won ($228,000).Ruling against the four victims’ families, the court said the harmful substance was not subject to government approval.“Industrial products are subject to

Jan 29, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Rights agency accuses doctor over patient's death

By Lee Kyung-min A state human rights agency has asked the prosecution to investigate a doctor who allegedly caused the death of a 73-year-old patient in 2013 by tying him to a bed for more than 17 hours.The patient, surnamed Jeon, was receiving treatment for alcohol addiction at a psychiatric hospital run by the doctor, identified as Choi.In a complaint, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said Choi tied Jeon’s hands and feet to his bed and left him unattended for hours.Choi said he did so after being told by a nurse that Jeon kept falling off the bed and refused to sleep.However, according to related laws, hospital staffers are only allowed to deny patients physical freedom for the purpose of treatment. Also, such action is only allowed in limited cases.     The commission said Choi was negligent in his duty by not checking on the patient regularly to monitor possible changes or irregularities in his condition.“Choi’s negligence caused Jeon’s death. He should be held responsible,” the complaint said.According to a separ

Jan 28, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Bomb threat caller detained

By Lee Kyung-min Police detained a man who allegedly threatened to blow up Cheong Wa Dae immediately on his return to Korea from France, Monday.The man, surnamed Kang, son of a former aide to National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa, is suspected of making five calls from France to a call center at the presidential office on Sunday to say he would blow up the office unless “they showed willingness.”Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency said Kang was immediately taken into custody upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport at around 4 p.m. Police plan to question him on charges of intimidation and obstruction of justice. They have secured a detention warrant in advance.Kang’s father visited him in France to ask him to voluntarily submit to police questioning.Before flying to France, the former aide offered to resign Friday after police confirmed that his son left a Twitter message on Jan. 17 threatening to destroy the residences of President Park Geun-hye and her chief of staff Kim Ki-choon.After confirming that the calls were made from France, police asked Int

Jan 27, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Gangster wanted for murdering wife

By Lee Kyung-minPolice said Monday they have launched a manhunt for a well-known gang member who fled after allegedly killing his wife during an argument.Police said the 52-year-old suspect, surnamed Hong, allegedly stabbed his 42-year-old wife, surnamed Kim, three times in her side at their home in Bupyeong, Incheon, at 4:52 p.m. Sunday.Kim was taken to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead after suffering from excessive bleeding, officials said.The couple’s 16-year-old daughter also sustained a cut on her left hand while trying to stop her father from stabbing her mother, police added.The daughter heard them fighting in the bedroom, and then discovered Hong brandishing a knife when she opened the door. The teenager said that the two fought often over personal matters.Police said that the fugitive is a local gang member who has been under their watch. The authorities distributed a wanted poster to police stations near the area, as well as in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, asking for cooperation. They are reviewing surveillance camera footage.Police said that Hong initially

Jan 26, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

'Family in NK entitled to compensation for defector's death'

By Lee Kyung-minA court has ordered the former employer of a North Korean defector who died in an industrial accident to pay 110 million won ($101,640) in compensation to his family living in the North.However, it is impossible for the defector’s family to receive the money because transferring money to anyone in North Korea is illegal. The money will be kept by the defector’s brother, who also defected to the South, and is representing his family in the North.According to Ulsan District Court, Sunday, the employer, surnamed Park, should compensate for the death of the defector surnamed Kim, who worked as a diver at Park’s fishery firm from 2011 to 2013.Kim died in March 2013 as a result of suffocation after using faulty equipment at Park’s company.  “Park’s company failed to maintain the equipment in accordance with safety guidelines,” the court said.“Also, Park’s act of negligence extends to his failure to protect Kim in a timely manner, an obligation he failed to meet as an employer. Also, he failed to direct all other cre

Jan 25, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Ex-UPP lawmakers will ask for retrial

By Lee Kyung-minFormer lawmakers of the now-defunct Unified Progressive Party (UPP) plan to ask the Constitutional Court for a retrial over its recent decision to disband the party, said former UPP floor leader Oh Byung-yoon on Sunday.Their move comes after the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that cleared former UPP party member Lee Seok-ki of "conspiring" to foment an armed rebellion, citing a lack of evidence proving the existence of the Revolutionary Organization (RO), an insurgent group. It further cited absence of details such as dates of actions taken and clear agreements from Lee's supporters.Earlier, however, the Constitutional Court, all but recognized the existence of the RO, cited the high probability of such a rebellion conducted by Lee Seok-ki and some lawmakers. “Most of the alleged conspiring was focused on overthrowing the government by violent means in the event of a war with the North,” the court said.Oh said that the rulings issued by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court are contradictory.“We are seeking legal counsel with regard

Jan 25, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Rights watchdog to inspect private daycare centers

By Lee Kyung-minThe National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) plans to investigate child abuse at private daycare centers, but it can only inspect public facilities for the time being.It said on Friday that it seeks to revise the related laws to expand its inspection authority.The move comes amid public uproar following a series of violent incidents and other abuse of children by daycare center employees.Officials at the NHRC said the primary goal of the change is to prevent any such incidents from recurring.  “We recognize the need for a broad application of the law, considering child abuse keeps happening at daycare centers and about 95 percent of centers are private,” an official said.“Also, the possibility of being investigated would make employees avoid such terrible violence against children.”The NHRC will propose the bill to the National Assembly as soon as the draft is complete, the official added.Civic groups welcomed the move.“As all parents know, more than 90 percent of daycare centers are private, meaning they seek profit, not children&rsq

Jan 23, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Seongnam mayor faces questioning

By Lee Kyung-minLee Jae-myungSeongnam mayor Lee Jae-myung will be questioned today over an allegation that he helped a cleaning service firm which allegedly had ties to the now-defunct Unified Progressive Party (UPP) win a contract from the city government in 2011, the prosecution said Thursday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said that it plans to ask Lee about how the firm, Nanum Environment, won the contract. The firm was founded in December 2010 by Han Yong-jin, a former co-chairman of a fraternity group named the Eastern Gyeonggi Union, a faction of the UPP.The summons came after the prosecution said it found suspected money trails from the firm to the Revolutionary Organization (RO), an underground organization former UPP member Lee Seok-ki and others set up to “overthrow” the government.Lee allegedly exerted undue influence to help the firm win the contract with the city government, the prosecution said.The allegations were first raised in May 2012 by the Seoul Newspaper, a local daily, which Lee denied.In 2013, following the daily’s repor

Jan 22, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

South Korea

Actress ordered to compensate for breach of ad contract

By Lee Kyung-min  A court ordered actress Lee Seung-yeon to pay 100 million won ($92,000) in compensation to Tongyang for violating an advertising contract, Thursday.Seoul Central District Court said that Lee and her management company are responsible for financial damage incurred by the company after Lee was embroiled in a lawsuit on charges of possessing and using propofol, an anesthetic.“According to the contract Lee was under, she should not have engaged in any behavior that could cause negative impact on product sales. The months-long investigation of Lee and her conviction led to a breach of this clause in the contract,” the judge said in his ruling.“During the investigation and trial period, she failed to meet the contract terms because she could not appear on TV with such ongoing drug allegations, which are deemed a threat to public health,” the judge added.In February 2012, the advertiser paid 450 million won for a two-year contract with Lee. Until December, Lee hosted a TV talk show and worked as a model for the clothing line of Tongyang.However

Jan 22, 2015By Lee Kyung-min

Lee Kyung-min

Read more

Another SNU professor accused of sex abuse

Families of humidifier sterilizer victims lose suit

Rights agency accuses doctor over patient's death

Bomb threat caller detained

Gangster wanted for murdering wife

'Family in NK entitled to compensation for defector's death'

Ex-UPP lawmakers will ask for retrial

Rights watchdog to inspect private daycare centers

Seongnam mayor faces questioning

Actress ordered to compensate for breach of ad contract

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