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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.

Criminal ring busted for operating illegal pornography, gambling sites from overseas

Police said Wednesday they have busted a criminal ring suspected of creating and operating illegal pornography and gambling websites to rake in several tens of billions of won. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said two key members of the ring, aged 40 and 36, respectively, have been arrested and referred to the prosecution on charges of distributing child sexual exploitation materials, among other offenses. The police agency also said it was investigating about 10 accomplices, including the ring leader and manager who are believed to be staying abroad. The suspects are accused of systematically operating 18 illegal gambling websites and two pornography websites from Pasay City, Philippines, and other locations since August 2019. They initially attracted users to their pornography sites, which distributed child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials and illegally filmed content, before recruiting gambling members by placing advertisements for their gambling sites on the pornography sites. The total amount wagered on the gambling sites over approximately five years was estimated a

Aug 12, 2026By Yonhap
Criminal ring busted for operating illegal pornography, gambling sites from overseas

Top court orders Nippon Steel to compensate family of another late forced laborer

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling ordering Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel to pay compensation to the family of a late Korean forced into labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea. It marked the top court's latest ruling in favor of families of forced labor victims since its landmark 2018 ruling that found Japanese companies liable for damages to such victims. The court confirmed the order for Nippon Steel to pay 80 million won ($56,500) in total to five family members of the late victim, Min Moon-sik, after they filed the lawsuit in 2019. Min was forced into labor at a steel mill operated by the company in Kamaishi, Japan, for about five months in 1942. He died in 1989. Since the 2018 ruling, courts have ruled in favor of victims of forced labor in multiple cases.

Aug 12, 2026By Yonhap
Top court orders Nippon Steel to compensate family of another late forced laborer

Over 44,000 ethnic Korean laborers secure long-term visas as gov't speeds up integration

In a major overhaul of its immigration framework, the Korean government is rapidly tearing down long-standing bureaucratic divides to offer permanent settlement pathways for hundreds of thousands of ethnic Koreans returning to their ancestral homeland. According to government figures released Wednesday, more than 54 percent of ethnic Koreans holding short-term H-2 visiting employment visas have successfully transitioned to the status of F-4 overseas Koreans within just six months of a reform implemented in February. The total number of H-2 visa holders dropped from 81,447 in mid-February to 31,186 by the end of July, signaling a swift embrace of long-term residency rights. The shift marks a decisive turn in Korea’s approach to diaspora integration. Historically, ethnic Koreans tracing their roots to former Soviet states (Koryoin) or northeastern China (Joseonjok) faced rigid administrative hurdles compared to those holding passport status from Western nations or developed economies. While some received broad rights as overseas compatriots, others were funneled into restrictive, short-

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Over 44,000 ethnic Korean laborers secure long-term visas as gov't speeds up integration

2 ex-Chinese military officers arrested over alleged eavesdropping, leaks

SUWON — Two former Chinese military officers have been arrested for allegedly eavesdropping on communications from fighter jets near a Korean military base and leaking classified material related to Korea-U.S. military exercises, police said Tuesday. One of the suspects, a Chinese national in his 60s, was arrested on suspicions of benefiting the enemy and violating a law on the protection of communications secrets after allegedly making multiple visits to Korea on a tourist visa and tapping communications between fighter jets and air traffic control towers from a hotel near an airport in the southwestern city of Gunsan, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police. The airport is home to assets belonging to the Korean and U.S. Air Forces. Police said the man is believed to have retired after serving many years in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and that his visits, which began in January 2024, coincided with periods when regular Korea-U.S. Air Force exercises took place. The suspect claimed it was his "hobby" to listen to aircraft communications but police said they plan to

Aug 11, 2026By Yonhap
2 ex-Chinese military officers arrested over alleged eavesdropping, leaks

4th victim dies following apartment office arson in Gyeongsan

GYEONGSAN — A woman died Tuesday after sustaining injuries in an arson attack on an apartment management office in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan last month, raising the death toll to four, police said. The woman in her 50s died at a hospital in neighboring Daegu while undergoing treatment for burns, according to the police. The attack occurred on July 23 when an apartment resident, surnamed Ryu, poured flammable material inside the office and set it on fire, injuring eight people, including himself. With the woman's death, four of them have now died. Ryu, who is in his 70s, has also been receiving treatment for full-body burns and is set to be questioned by police once his condition improves.

Aug 11, 2026By Yonhap
4th victim dies following apartment office arson in Gyeongsan

Court holds arrest warrant hearing for woman over fatal abuse of grandson

CHEONAN — A court on Tuesday held an arrest warrant hearing for a woman accused of fatally abusing her 11-year-old grandson. The woman faces charges of physically abusing and neglecting her grandson, resulting in his death at a hospital in Cheonan, some 80 kilometers south of Seoul, last week. Hospital staff alerted the police after finding signs of abuse on his body. The woman did not respond to reporters' questions as she appeared at the Cheonan branch of the Daejeon District Court. The court is expected to decide whether to issue a warrant for her arrest later Tuesday at the earliest. Police investigators believe the suspect repeatedly abused her grandson who lived separately from her at a church. Just three days before his death, the boy went to a police station to report his grandmother had beaten him. Authorities had previously sought a temporary restraining order against the woman after receiving reports of abuse but a court dismissed the request.

Aug 11, 2026By Yonhap
Court holds arrest warrant hearing for woman over fatal abuse of grandson

Korea, US issue joint advisory on 'Gunra' ransomware attacks

Police on Tuesday called on domestic companies and institutions to strengthen their security against a ransomware variant named "Gunra," as they jointly released details of its latest attack methods with U.S. authorities. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said it has distributed a joint cybersecurity advisory regarding the Gunra ransomware with U.S. agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency. Ransomware, a compound word of ransom and software, refers to malicious codes hackers use to encrypt or block access to data and demand money to restore access. The advisory contains the latest attack techniques and indicators of compromise of the Gunra ransomware to help organizations defend networks from ransomware attacks, the KNPA said. The Gunra ransomware variant first appeared in 2025 and recently evolved into a ransomware-as-a-service operation targeting government and critical infrastructure, as well as various sectors, including finance, healthcare and manufacturing, according to the advisory. It said Gunra ransomware gangs breach c

Aug 11, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, US issue joint advisory on 'Gunra' ransomware attacks

Police raid Korea Airports Corp., transport ministry over Jeju Air crash

Police raided the Korea Airports Corp. (KAC) and two other sites Tuesday to seize evidence related to their ongoing investigation into the 2024 Jeju Air plane crash that killed 179 people. A special team handling the probe said its investigators were sent to the KAC, which oversees most major domestic airports excluding Incheon International Airport, the transport ministry and the Busan Regional Office of Aviation. The raid is aimed at gathering additional material in connection with suspicions of professional negligence resulting in death or injury, one of the charges faced by a total of 74 suspects so far, a team official said. This was the third time investigators searched the transport ministry. Additional charges of causing a serious public disaster could also be applied, according to the police. The investigation has focused on determining the cause of the crash at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, 2024, and whether the responsible agencies handled it properly.

Aug 11, 2026By Yonhap
Police raid Korea Airports Corp., transport ministry over Jeju Air crash

Korea moves to criminalize AI-generated sexual content of fictional people

A bill that would criminalize sexually explicit content featuring fictional people generated by artificial intelligence (AI) has recently been referred to detailed review by the Subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The proposal, introduced by Rep. Huh Young and nine other lawmakers of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), would criminalize the creation, distribution and possession of sexually explicit material made using the technology, even when it does not depict a real person. The amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes comes in response to the proliferation of sexually explicit content created using AI and other new technologies, while related harm is rising rapidly. A report released last month by the state-funded Korean Women’s Development Institute showed that reported digital sex crimes rose 66 percent over nine years, from 9,385 cases in 2015 to 15,612 cases in 2024. Deepfake sex crimes have increased particularly sharply. They accounted for just 31 cases, or 0.3 percent of all re

Aug 11, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea moves to criminalize AI-generated sexual content of fictional people

Gov't to register state-certified trademarks worldwide to stop counterfeit cosmetics

Powered by viral social media trends and precise skin care routines, Korean cosmetics have transformed from a regional favorite into a multibillion-dollar global juggernaut. But as products from top brands flood medicine cabinets from East Asia to Western Europe, an increasingly sophisticated illicit market is following right behind, threatening both consumer safety and the industry’s reputation. In response to the surge of counterfeit items surfacing across major e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay and TikTok Shop, Korean authorities are escalating an international crackdown to protect the integrity of the K-beauty industry. Rather than relying solely on traditional legal remedies, government agencies are building an aggressive, multi-layered defense network designed to track and intercept fake cosmetics before they reach consumers. At the center of this initiative is the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). Specialized monitoring firms equipped with AI tracking tools are actively scouring global digital marketplaces to flag and take down illicit listings. The scale of the

Aug 10, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Gov't to register state-certified trademarks worldwide to stop counterfeit cosmetics
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