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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.

'Quit being an idol': Ex-girlfriend who threatened K-pop singer with sex video gets suspended sentence

The ex-girlfriend of a 26-year-old active K-pop boy group member has received a suspended prison sentence after threatening to release an intimate video of the singer. According to legal platform LawTalk News on Wednesday, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s Criminal Division 12 sentenced the woman, identified as B, to one year in prison with two years of probation for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (coercion using video recordings) and for property damage. The court also ordered her to complete 40 hours of sexual violence counseling and imposed a four-year employment restriction at institutions involving children, teenagers and people with disabilities. She dated the singer, referred to as A, for approximately one year and four months starting in November 2020. When the relationship deteriorated, she allegedly engaged in retaliatory threats. In December 2021, she reportedly created a social media account using the singer's photos and sent a message saying, “Quit being an idol. The only path left for you is the military,” along with a p

Jun 5, 2025By Xportsnews
'Quit being an idol': Ex-girlfriend who threatened K-pop singer with sex video gets suspended sentence

Supreme Court upholds acquittal of ex-top immigration official in travel ban case

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the acquittal of a former chief of the Korea Immigration Service charged with approving an illegal travel ban on a former vice justice minister in 2019. The top court confirmed the not-guilty verdict for Cha Gyu-geun, currently a lawmaker of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, citing no errors in the previous ruling. Cha was indicted in 2021 on abuse of power and other charges in connection with the travel ban imposed on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui in March 2019. At that time, prosecutors sought to reinvestigate allegations that the former vice minister received sexual favors from a local businessman more than a decade ago. Cha, who served as the commissioner of the Korea Immigration Service during former President Moon Jae-in's administration, was accused of approving the exit ban despite being aware that the prosecution requested it using fabricated documents. The district and appeals courts both acquitted Cha, saying abuse of power charges cannot stand given the urgency of the situation at the time. The Supreme Court also upheld the acquit

Jun 5, 2025By Yonhap
Supreme Court upholds acquittal of ex-top immigration official in travel ban case

Supreme Court confirms prison term for ex-Gyeonggi vice governor

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's sentence of seven years and eight months in prison and other penalties for former Gyeonggi Province Vice Gov. Lee Hwa-young convicted of accepting bribes from underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group and involvement in an unauthorized remittance case to North Korea. The Suwon High Court handed down the prison term to Lee in December last year, along with a fine of 250 million won ($184,300) and a forfeit of about 326 million won. Lee served as vice Gyeonggi governor from 2018 to 2020 under then governor and new President Lee Jae-myung. Lee Hwa-young was indicted in October 2022 on charges of receiving political funds and bribes amounting to about 334 million won from Ssangbangwool between July 2018 and July 2022 and colluding in the group's transfer of $8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020.

Jun 5, 2025By Yonhap
Supreme Court confirms prison term for ex-Gyeonggi vice governor

Man accused of killing 3 family members attends arrest warrant hearing

A local court held an arrest warrant hearing Wednesday for a man in his 40s accused of killing his three family members by driving their car into the sea. The hearing for the suspect, identified only by his surname Ji, was held at the Gwangju District Court in the city, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, at 11 a.m. Upon leaving the detention center of the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station, the 49-year-old refused to answer reporters' questions asking if he pleaded guilty to the charges or if he felt sorry for his sons. The man is accused of intentionally driving his family's car into the sea Sunday, killing his wife, also 49, and their two high school-aged sons. Police suspect he escaped from the submerged vehicle alone without making any effort to rescue the others. Police recovered their bodies from the submerged vehicle near the Jindo port, about 350 km south of Seoul. Ji, who was a construction worker, testified to police that he tried to commit suicide with his family due to financial difficulties stemming from his 160 million-won ($116,379) debt. Police have requested the National Forens

Jun 4, 2025By Yonhap
Man accused of killing 3 family members attends arrest warrant hearing

Retrial of ex-President Park's assassin to begin in July

The retrial of former spy chief Kim Jae-gyu, who was sentenced to death for assassinating former President Park Chung-hee in 1979 and executed the following year, will begin next month, judicial officials said Wednesday. The Seoul High Court, which approved the retrial of Kim in February this year, plans to hold the first hearing of the case at 11 a.m. July 16, they said. It came about five years after a family member of Kim requested a retrial of Kim's case, seeking that an insurrection charge on him be cleared. Kim, the former head of the now-defunct Korean Central Intelligence Agency, assassinated Park and Cha Ji-cheol, head of the Presidential Security Service, on Oct. 26, 1979, during a private dinner party and was sentenced to death and executed in May 1980. The court said in its February decision that it found grounds for a retrial after determining that investigators had tortured and assaulted Kim during the investigation. The prosecution appealed the court's decision, but the Supreme Court dismissed the prosecution's request May 13.

Jun 4, 2025By Yonhap
Retrial of ex-President Park's assassin to begin in July

Resignation process of 2 senior prosecutors completed

The resignation process of Lee Chang-soo, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, and Cho Sang-won, deputy chief prosecutor at the same office, has been completed, government officials said Wednesday. They offered to resign on May 20 amid criticism for allegedly mishandling a probe into former first lady Kim Keon Hee over her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme. The Ministry of Justice accepted their resignation on Tuesday and former acting President Lee Ju-ho approved it later that day, the officials said. The senior prosecutors were impeached by the National Assembly in December following impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid on Dec. 3. The Constitutional Court, however, rejected the impeachments in a March 13 ruling.

Jun 4, 2025By Yonhap
Resignation process of 2 senior prosecutors completed

Arrest warrant issued for subway arson suspect

A court on Monday issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 60s accused of starting a fire inside a subway train on Seoul Metro Line 5 over the weekend. Earlier in the day, the Seoul Southern District Court held a hearing to review a warrant request for the suspect, identified only by his surname, Won. The court granted the warrant, citing concerns over flight risk and the likelihood of a repeat offense. "The crime is grave, as it caused serious harm and posed a significant threat to public safety. Given that the suspect prepared tools for the crime in advance based on an unconvincing motive, there is also a risk of recidivism," the court said. Won allegedly poured gasoline and set fire to pieces of clothes inside a Line 5 train running between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations early Saturday morning. The suspect was apprehended on the scene. He reportedly committed the arson after being dissatisfied with the outcome of his divorce lawsuit. Won was asked by reporters at the courthouse whether he committed the crime to protest the result of his divorce suit and said, "Yes." A man claiming to be W

Jun 2, 2025By Yonhap
Arrest warrant issued for subway arson suspect

Court holds arrest warrant hearing for subway arson suspect

A court on Monday held an arrest warrant hearing for a 60-something man accused of committing arson inside a subway train in western Seoul over the weekend. The hearing for the suspect, identified only by his surname, Won, was held at the Seoul Southern District Court in the morning. Won allegedly poured gasoline and set fire to pieces of clothes inside a subway Line 5 train running between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations early Saturday morning. The suspect was apprehended on the scene. He reportedly committed the arson after being dissatisfied with the outcome of his divorce lawsuit. Won was asked by reporters at the courthouse whether he committed the crime to protest the result of his divorce suit and said, "Yes." A man claiming to be Won's elder brother also appeared at the courthouse, saying the suspect was a taxi driver and unhappy with the amount of alimony. Twenty-three people, including Won, were transported to hospitals due to smoke inhalation, and 129 others received treatment on the spot Saturday. Police estimated the relevant property damage at 330 million won ($240,000).

Jun 2, 2025By Yonhap
Court holds arrest warrant hearing for subway arson suspect

Iranian athletes arrested in Korea over alleged sexual assault

Three Iranian nationals — two athletes and one coach — participating in the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, have been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a Korean woman. According to police, a report was filed around 7 a.m. Saturday, stating that a woman in her 20s had been sexually assaulted at a hotel in Gumi. Police responded and arrested two athletes in their 30s and one coach at the hotel. Initial investigations suggest the suspects met the victim at a bar near the athletes’ village in Gumi before taking her to a hotel, where the alleged assault occurred. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the full circumstances of the incident. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

Jun 2, 2025By Hankookilbo
Iranian athletes arrested in Korea over alleged sexual assault

Woman arrested for voting twice, once using her husband's name, in early voting

A Seoul court on Sunday approved a warrant to arrest a woman suspected of voting twice during early voting last week, including once by proxy for her husband, a court official said. The Seoul Central District Court issued the writ against the woman, only identified by her surname Park, citing the risks of her destroying evidence and fleeing. Park, a contract worker at Gangnam District Office's health center, is accused of casting ballots twice, once using her husband's identity, on the first day of early voting on Thursday. She cast her own vote five hours later. For the early voting period, she had been appointed to a post responsible for issuing ballot papers to voters. Park underwent a court hearing on the review of her arrest earlier in the day. Park strongly denied that her actions were premeditated, saying she made a wrong choice at that moment. She also denied having committed similar offenses in the past. "I am sorry," she told reporters before entering the court for the hearing. (Yonhap)

Jun 1, 2025By Yonhap
Woman arrested for voting twice, once using her husband's name, in early voting
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