South Korea - The Korea Times

US Forces Korea cooperating with police over servicemembers' no-mask parties

gettyimagesbankU.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday it is cooperating with local authorities over allegations some of its members were involved in no-mask parties on a Busan beach over the weekend in violation of social distancing rules.According to police, around 2,000 foreigners, including U.S. soldiers, set off firecrackers and held parties without masks at Haeundae Beach in the southeastern city of Busan, marking U.S. Memorial Day. "USFK is aware of the alleged behavior at Haeundae Beach and is cooperating with the KNP ― who maintain jurisdiction of this investigation ― and local authorities to determine if USFK-affiliated individuals were involved," USFK spokesperson Col. Lee Peters said. KNP stands for the Korean National Police. Police received at least 38 reports of complaints from local residents overnight and dispatched dozens of officers to the scene. The incident took place as South Korea is still struggling to stem the spread of the new coronavirus with cluster infections and variant cases continuing across the country."USFK remains committed to being good neighbors with

May 31, 2021

US Forces Korea cooperating with police over servicemembers' no-mask parties

Foreigners have no-mask parties on Busan beach amid pandemic: police

US soldier apprehended for assaulting 3 Koreans

Officials wearing protective gear disinfects on a backstreet in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul as a precaution against the coronavirus in Seoul in this file photo. Korea Times fileA U.S. Forces Korea service member is under investigation for allegedly assaulting three South Korean men while under the influence, police said Sunday.The 34-year-old staff sergeant, stationed with the Eighth Army in Pyeongtaek, was apprehended by police in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon late Saturday and transferred to the military police.The unnamed soldier is accused of first punching a 20-something man in the face on Itaewon's streets and then knocking a 40-something man from his motorbike before assaulting him further, according to the police. Minutes later, he allegedly punched a third man in his 30s who came after him."The suspect was so inebriated that we had to call emergency medical services on him," a police official said. "We have booked him on assault charges and are investigating him." (Yonhap)

May 30, 2021

US soldier apprehended for assaulting 3 Koreans

Ex-vice justice minister under probe over taxi driver assault allegations

Former Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu / YonhapFormer Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu was questioned by police Sunday over allegations that he pressured a taxi driver he assaulted to destroy related evidence and went unpunished.Lee appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in central Seoul to undergo questioning for the November case where Lee allegedly hurled insults at the driver and grabbed him by the collar in an intoxicated state when the man tried to wake him up after arriving at his home.Police were called to the scene and let Lee go home after confirming his identity. But they later closed the case without booking Lee, as the taxi driver did not want him punished.Lee was a lawyer at that time and was appointed vice minister on Dec. 2.But fresh allegations have emerged that Lee demanded the taxi driver delete the footage from his dashboard camera to destroy evidence.He offered to resign Friday, saying the ministry needs a new worker to better support the Moon Jae-in administration for its remaining one year. (Yonhap)

May 30, 2021

Ex-vice justice minister under probe over taxi driver assault allegations

Naver employee found dead after suspected workplace bullying

The Naver headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, seen in this April 25 photo / YonhapBy Jung Da-minAn employee of Naver was found dead recently after leaving a message implying workplace bullying within the internet giant.According to the Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, the man, in his 40s, was found dead on the afternoon of May 25 near his apartment, located close to the company's headquarters.The police temporarily concluded that there is no suspicion of foul play. And a memo presumed to have been written by the worker was found at the scene of death, which indicated extreme stress from workplace bullying, with the names of several people on it. The police said they would investigate everyone whose names appear in the memo, as well as his coworkers to see if he had suffered from bullying.Some Naver employees using Blind, a local anonymous online community among office workers, wrote that the man had been exposed to workplace bullying such as abusive language and physical punishment.Meanwhile, the labor union of Naver said they suspect the worker

May 28, 2021

Naver employee found dead after suspected workplace bullying

Man spitting on wife's food found guilty of 'property damage'

gettyimagesbankBy Kim RahnA man was found guilty for “property damage,” when he spat on food that his wife was eating. The appellate department of the Seoul Western District Court said, Friday, that it upheld a lower court ruling that slapped a 500,000 won ($447) fine on the man, a 47-year-old lawyer. The man, whose name was withheld, was accused of spitting on side dishes and stew that the couple was eating at home in Eunpyeong-gu, northern Seoul, at around 11:30 a.m. on April 28 last year. He did so out of anger, because his wife was talking on the phone during the meal. He swore at her for answering phone while they were eating and spat on the food. When she snapped at him for spitting on the food, he spat on it again.At the hearing, he insisted that the side dishes and stew belonged to him as well, and thus, that he had not damaged his wife's property. But the appellate court did not accept his claim, saying, “According to the law on property damage, 'property' includes one jointly belonging to the perpetrator and the victim. It was clear that he was not the sol

May 28, 2021By Kim Rahn

Man spitting on wife's food found guilty of 'property damage'

Illicit drugs detected in wastewater

gettyimagesbankBy Yoon Ja-youngIllicit drugs, including methamphetamine, were detected in wastewater nationwide, implying that they may be in wider use than previously thought. The estimated per capita consumption, however, is still far lower than the figures in Australia or the EU, which have been monitoring their wastewater since a few years ago.According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, various drugs, including methamphetamine, phendimetrazene, phentermine and methylphenidate, were detected in all 57 sewage treatment plants nationwide that it monitored from April 2020 to this April. Propofol, ecstasy and amphetamine were detected in at least 20 of the sewage treatment plants, and a few of them included cocaine, ketamine and LSD.The ministry has been analyzing the wastewater from the sewage treatment plants in order to measure and interpret drug use within the population, which will also allow officials to estimate per capita drug use. It is the first time for the country to try making this estimation with wastewater. The ministry plans to provide the investigators with the

May 27, 2021By Yoon Ja-young

Boy, 10, attacks mom with knife for scolding over computer games

gettyimagesbankBy Kim RahnA 10-year-old boy is under investigation for attacking his mother with a knife when she scolded him for spending too much time playing computer games.Officers at Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon said, Thursday, that they are investigating the elementary student for inflicting injury on his mother, 41.The boy allegedly attacked his mother in their home in the western port city at around 9:55 p.m. on Wednesday, when she told him to stop playing computer games.She sustained injuries to her shoulder and was taken to a hospital after calling an ambulance. The boy also received treatment for bruises.The police said the boy is too young and thus not subject to criminal punishment according to the Criminal Act. Instead he could be ordered to do community service or face other penalties by a local family court. The police said they are still investigating details of the incident.

May 27, 2021By Kim Rahn

Boy, 10, attacks mom with knife for scolding over computer games

Man jailed for fake restaurant reviews

In this March file photo, food delivery workers drive motorcycles on a street in Seoul. YonhapBy Yoon Ja-youngA man who was paid by restaurants to write positive reviews for them has been sentenced to 10 months in prison.The man, who runs an internet marketing agency, left reviews with comments such as, “It was delicious,” without even eating the food. From September 2017 to May 2020, restaurant owners agreed to pay him 300,000 won each for 100 reviews. According to Woowa Brothers, which operates Baedal Minjok (Baemin), the most popular food delivery app in Korea, an appellate court dismissed the man's appeal recently. He was convicted by the Seoul Eastern District Court in November 2020 of writing restaurant reviews without even tasting their food, in exchange for money. The verdict was finalized after he gave up the opportunity to appeal further. He left a total of 35,000 fake reviews to promote the restaurants on the app, reaping 105 million won ($94,000). He left certain keywords in his reviews so that his clients could tell that it was his work.Baemin app users can p

May 26, 2021By Yoon Ja-young

One month on, med school student's death confounds a nation, prompts calls for truth

Flowers are placed near the spot where Son Jung-min, a 22-year-old medical school student, in Banpo Han River Park, Seoul, May 23. YonhapOn the banks of the Han River, the lifeline of Seoul, a middle-aged woman clung to a portrait of a young man and wept uncontrollably."This 'ajumma' will reveal (the truth) no matter what," she said, using the Korean term for a married and typically older woman. "Poor Jeong-min," she cried. Until recently, the woman had never heard of Son Jeong-min, a 22-year-old medical school student who was found dead in the river on April 30. His existence only became known to the nation after news of his April 25 disappearance and subsequent death made national headlines. Still, the woman from Gangwon Province took the first bus to Seoul on Sunday morning to join dozens, at times hundreds, of people mourning Son's death at the riverside park."It's such a shame this happened to a young man who should have carried the future of this country on his back," she said.Son's case has gripped the nation for a month amid sorrow that the future doctor could have had a prom

May 26, 2021

One month on, med school student's death confounds a nation, prompts calls for truth

Korean captain and four others of fishing boat kidnapped near Ghana: report

gettyimagesbankA Korean captain and four crew members of a fishing boat have been kidnapped in waters off Ghana, in west Africa, a report said Thursday.The five crew members of the Atlantic Princess, a tuna boat, were kidnapped on Thursday (local time), according to the report from Dryad Global, a maritime security and intelligence provider."The vessel is understood to have been approached by one speedboat with 8 pirates onboard," it said, adding the incident reportedly took place 65 nautical miles from Tema, Ghana."The vessel was reportedly fired upon prior to being boarded by 5 armed men. The vessel is understood to have been Hijacked and sailed south to a distance of 100nm before pirates departed the vessel," it added.The report said those kidnapped included the captain, who is Korean, along with three Chinese and one Russian crew members.It was not immediately clear whether the captain is South Korean. A call to the South Korean embassy in Ghana to confirm the incident went unanswered."This latest attack ends a significant hiatus of activity within the Gulf of Guinea," the report

May 21, 2021

Law & Crime