my timesThe Korea Times
skim

Kim Se-jeong

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.

Go to Email

Read more

Politics

Victim of child rapist to get police protection

Former Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam speaks to child rapist Cho Doo-soon at Cheongsong Prison in this March 16, 2010 file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Se-jeong With convicted child rapist Cho Doo-soon's release from prison a little over one month away, the National Police Agency said Friday it will offer the victim physical protection.According to measures announced Friday, the police will have officers ready at all times so that they can be dispatched to physically protect the victim if a request is made. Cho was sentenced to 12 years in prison after violently raping an eight-year-old girl in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province in 2008. He kidnapped the girl on her way home from her school and raped her violently in a church restroom, leaving her with permanent internal damage. He had 17 previous convictions for a number of crimes including sexual assaults, rape and murder. Cho is expected to be released Dec. 13. Amid growing concerns for the safety of the victim, her family spoke out demanding the government take action to keep him behind bars. The Mayor of Ansan followed suit, demanding ac

Oct 30, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Victim of child rapist to get police protection
Law & Crime

Supreme Court upholds 17-year prison sentence for former President Lee

Local journalists gather outside former President Lee Myung-bak's residence in Seoul after the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday. /YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongThe Supreme Court upheld Thursday an appeals court ruling that sentenced former President Lee Myung-bak to 17 years in prison for embezzlement and bribery, bringing his two-year court battle to a close.Lee Myung-bakThe highest court also confirmed a fine of 13 million won ($11.4 million) and a forfeit of 5.78 billion won ($5.1 million) handed down to him by the appeals court in February. A statement from the judges read, “We do not find any fault in the lower court's ruling,” Thursday.The former president was indicted in 2018 on 16 counts, including embezzlement linked to an auto parts company, DAS, and receiving bribes from Samsung Electronics through the company. A district court found him guilty of embezzling 34.9 billion won of DAS funds and taking 8.5 billion won in bribes and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.But, the appeals court handed down a sentence of 17 years in prison after discovering additional bribes an

Oct 29, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Supreme Court upholds 17-year prison sentence for former President Lee
Health

Clubs, bars in Seoul to close during Halloween to curb COVID-19 infections

Park Yoo-mi from the Seoul Metropolitan Government speaks during a press briefing at City Hall, Wednesday. She explained the city's quarantine measures for the Halloween weekend. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong Popular night clubs and bars in Seoul will voluntarily close their businesses during the upcoming Halloween weekend, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to club owners and city government officials Wednesday.According to announcements from clubs in Itaewon and other entertainment districts, “To prevent the spread of the virus on Halloween, we decided to keep our business shut from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3.” Halloween, a popular American and Canadian holiday, has seen increased popularity in Korea in recent years, with clubs and bars packed with costumed revelers for what is the biggest fancy dress party of the year. Among those that will stay closed will be a club located in Itaewon that was connected to a mass COVID-19 outbreak in May. “The government recommended us to stay closed and we decided to respect the recommendation,” the owner was quoted

Oct 28, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Clubs, bars in Seoul to close during Halloween to curb COVID-19 infections
  • US Forces Korea puts Itaewon off-limits for Halloween weekend over virus concerns
Global Community

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Source of insight into Korea for more than 2 decades: Canadian envoy

Canadian Ambassador to Korea Michael DanagherBy Kim Se-jeongMichael Danagher, the Canadian ambassador to Korea, has been reading The Korea Times since 1993 when he first served in Korea. This is his third assignment in Korea, following 1993-97 and 2009-13. He has served in Africa, Asia and Europe and his recent responsibilities back in Ottawa focused on commercial relations with Asia, regional trade operations and intergovernmental relations. He was appointed as ambassador to Korea in 2018.“The Korea Times is always a great source of insight into what's happening in the country. I think it is as focused on the English-speaking Korean audience as it is on international readers, so the reports in the paper show a sophisticated level of knowledge and analysis on events here,” Danagher said in an email interview. “I particularly enjoy the op-ed page, which I have to say is something I read very carefully every day ― even if I don't always agree with everything.” One of his favorite stories was filed in 2009 on the Canada Ball Hockey Korea, in which he also partici

Oct 28, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
[ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL] Source of insight into Korea for more than 2 decades: Canadian envoy
  • ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Calling for in-depth exploration of ideas
Society

Seoul City, science ministry clashing over new public Wi-Fi service

A poster displayed in public in Seoul informs passersby of the free Wi-Fi service in the area, Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will start a new high-speed free Wi-Fi service in the city on Nov. 1. Yonhap By Kim Se-jeongThe Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to offer new public Wi-Fi services is causing friction with the Ministry of Science and ICT, according to officials Tuesday.On Monday, the city government said it will begin a trial run of the free service in two districts of Seoul on Nov. 1, drawing criticism from the science ministry which claimed the plan violates the law. The ministry even threatened to file a criminal complaint if the city continues with its plan.The ministry's main issue is that the city will use its own intranet for the service, instead of using networks provided by private communication network companies.According to the ministry, this will turn the city into a telecommunications network operator, which violates the Telecommun

Oct 27, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Seoul City, science ministry clashing over new public Wi-Fi service
Society

5th Seoul Brand Global Forum to open Wednesday

The fifth Seoul Brand Global Forum poster By Kim Se-jeong The fifth Seoul Brand Global Forum will open online on Wednesday, featuring three prominent overseas experts.Under the title, “Seoul Initiative: The Future of City Leadership,” the four-hour forum will examine Seoul's leadership strategies in the pandemic crisis.The city invited three experts for the occasion: Simon Anholt, a national identity and reputation expert; Guy Sorman, a public intellectual in economics and philosophy; and Jacques Attali, a counselor to French President Francois Mitterrand and the first chief of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. At the first session, the three speakers will talk and answer questions from the audience. The next session will see Korean scholars discussing Seoul's identity and branding strategies. The list of Korean participants include professor Lim Hye-bin from Kwangwoon University; professor Chun Jong-woo from Dankook University; Kim Joo-ho, forme

Oct 27, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
5th Seoul Brand Global Forum to open Wednesday
Global Community

Mother talks about reunion with her lost daughter

Lee Eung-sun cries during a video chat session in Seoul, Oct. 15, with her long-lost daughter, who went missing 44 years ago at Namdaemun Market in Seoul and was later adopted by an American couple. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong In June 1976, Lee Eung-sun's three-year-old daughter went missing in a crowded market in Seoul. Last week, the mother, now 78, was reunited through a video chat with her long-lost daughter, now 47 and residing in the U.S., after she was adopted by an American couple. The happy, yet tearful reunion session, which was organized by the National Police Agency (NPA), received extensive media coverage by local media outlets in Korea. The lost daughter's two siblings were also present. “I can't describe how happy I am. I feel like dancing all the time. Sleepless nights thick with grief are gone now. I am so happy and can't wait to see her in person,” Lee told The Korea Times after the first video reunion. The daughter, Yoon Sang-ae, went missing at Namdaemun Market in Seoul in 1976 while she was out with her grandmother ― Yoon was renamed Denise McCarty after he

Oct 22, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Mother talks about reunion with her lost daughter
  • Tearful reunion after 44 years
Politics

Korea urged to improve rights of children of illegal aliens

By Kim Se-jeongBorn in 2001 in Korea, Seo graduated from a high school in February but couldn't go to university because she wasn't eligible to take the annual scholastic aptitude test because of her illegal status. Both her parents are undocumented immigrants. “I feel discouraged to see my friends going on to universities but not me. I feel like giving up all the hope,” said Seo who refused to disclose her identity and the country of her parents' origin. Getting a job is not an option for her because she doesn't have a social identification number and is afraid of being deported.“I am under constant fear that I can be deported,” she said, adding Korea is her home country and she'd like to stay where she can speak the language and knows the culture. See's story is not common but not unheard ofThe Ministry of Justice estimates up to 20,000 students across Korea are facing deportation when they graduate high school.In many cases, their parents arrived in Korea under E-9 foreign worker visas or marriage visas but later became undocumented.Before, 2012, high schoo

Oct 20, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Korea urged to improve rights of children of illegal aliens
Global Community

Tearful reunion after 44 years

Yoon Sang-ae, on the screen, talks to her biological family during an online reunion, Friday, in Seoul, 44 years after she was adopted by an American family, Friday. Korea Times Photo by Choi Da-won Mom, adopted daughter reunited through video chatBy Kim Se-jeong A 78-year-old woman was reunited with her 47-year-old daughter who went missing 44 years ago in Seoul, in an emotional video meeting on Friday that connected Korea and the U.S.The daughter, Yoon Sang-ae, was adopted out to a family in the U.S. where she currently resides. Her English name is Denise McCarty. The video reunion was organized by the Korean National Police Agency (NPA). The reunion was possible thanks to a new government service, starting January this year, which took Yoon's DNA sample from the U.S. and sent it to the NPA for a match. The National Forensic Service (NFS) confirmed their biological relation. The mother's DNA sample was collected in 2017.“My darling daughter! I hope to meet you (fa

Oct 18, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Tearful reunion after 44 years
  • Mother talks about reunion with her lost daughter
Society

4 incineration plants lead Seoul's household waste management

Mapo Waste Resource Recovery Plant is one of Seoul's four incineration plants. Courtesy of Mapo Waste Resource Recovery PlantBy Kim Se-jeongFrom delivery boxes to toilet paper, food waste, recyclable items and plastic items ― domestic waste refers to all types of waste produced by households.In Seoul, food waste and recyclable items are collected and processed separately and the rest is either incinerated or buried. Mapo Waste Resource Recovery Plant is one of the four incineration plants where waste is sent and is turned into energy. The plant processes household waste from five districts of Mapo, Jung, Yongsan, Seodaemun and Jongno. It processes an average of 600 tons of waste every day. Hundreds of garbage trucks arrive at the plant every night and early morning and unload the waste into the waste bunker that is 3,000 cubic meters in volume. Garbage trucks unload waste into the bunker at the plant. Courtesy of Mapo Waste Resource Recovery PlantThree giant cranes pick up the trash and load it into three incinerators ― each has the capacity of treating 250 tons per day. Heat from co

Oct 15, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
4 incineration plants lead Seoul's household waste management
previous page
3031323334
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.