South Korea - The Korea Times

Drug trafficking via international shipping surges in Korea amid pandemic

gettyimagesbankDrug trafficking using international shipping has sharply increased as overseas travel became nearly impossible and online purchases went up amid the coronavirus pandemic, a local customs office said Tuesday.The Incheon Main Customs said it busted 189 cases of drug smuggling into South Korea in the first quarter of this year and has referred 16 suspects to the prosecution. Of the total, 182 cases involved international shipments, compared with the 118 cases reported during the same period last year. The volume of drugs hidden in parcels or letters reached 96 kilograms, up 68 percent from 57 kg a year ago. In particular, the amount of confiscated methamphetamine more than doubled to 58 kg from 23 kg over the same period. The total amount of illicit drugs seized by the office reached 99 kg. Drug trafficking methods have become very sophisticated to avoid surveillance and detection, the customs office said.Many drug dealers buy drugs through secure messenger services or the dark web, an area of the internet only accessible through specific software or authorization, and m

Apr 13, 2021

Drug trafficking via international shipping surges in Korea amid pandemic

Drunk driver flees accident scene with blown tire

A Genesis SUV which collided with two parked cars in Busan's Buk District sits wrecked in the street without a rear tire, after the driver fled the scene. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Police AgencyBy Ko Dong-hwanA man is being investigated on suspicion of damaging parked vehicles and fleeing the scene of an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.The 20-something driver of a black Genesis SUV allegedly crashed into two parked cars in the Gupo area of Busan's Buk District at around 1 a.m. The collision caused the Genesis' rear right tire to burst. Immediately, the driver drove on from the scene, with the rear tire rim shooting sparks as it ground against the asphalt road.A driver inside a Tuscan, one of the two cars hit, witnessed the getaway and reported it to police, which dispatched patrol cars to the area.Police pursued the Genesis for about two kilometers until the SUV was unable to drive any further. The SUV drove 14 kilometers in total with a blown tire.A police officer said the suspect refused to take a Breathalyzer test. He faces multiple charges including vio

Apr 12, 2021By Ko Dong-hwan

Drunk driver flees accident scene with blown tire

Prosecution to investigate stalking murder suspect

Kim Tae-hyun, the suspect of the brutal murders of a woman and her two adult daughters last month, kneels during his press appearance at Dobong Police Station in Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooKim Tae-hyun, 24, the suspect of the brutal murders of a woman and her two adult daughters last month, was handed over from the police to the prosecution for further investigation on Friday. The Dobong Police sent Kim's case to the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office, requesting that he be indicted on charges of murder, burglary, breaking and entering, continued harassment and violation of the act on promotion of information and communications network utilization. During his appearance before the press at the police station, Kim kneeled down and took off his face mask in an apparent gesture of apology and said, “I feel guilty about even breathing so shamelessly.” He also apologized to the victims and the bereaved family members. However, he did not answer questions about his charges.Kim is accused of killing the three women after breaking into their home in Nowon Distri

Apr 9, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

Prosecution to investigate stalking murder suspect

Prosecution seeks arrest warrant for Eastar Jet founder

Rep. Lee Sang-jik / YonhapThe prosecution on Friday sought an arrest warrant for the founder of cash-strapped budget carrier Eastar Jet on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. Lee Sang-jik, an independent lawmaker, is suspected of colluding with a senior company official, who was indicted in February for causing about 43 billion won (US$38.47 million) in financial damage to the airline by paying off long-term loans early and underselling company shares to a specific subsidiary.The prosecution in Jeonju, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul, also believes Lee was the financial official's accomplice in embezzling 3.8 billion won of affiliates' funds.The official, arrested in January, is known to be Lee's nephew. The prosecution believes the man committed the crime under Lee's direction. During a court hearing last month the suspect testified that he just did as he was told from above. The lawmaker is also being probed over alleged violations of laws on political parties, prosecution officials said, while declining to elaborate.Lee, formerly affiliated with the Democratic Party, l

Apr 9, 2021

Prosecution seeks arrest warrant for Eastar Jet founder

'Nth room' creator sentenced to 34 years in prison

Moon Hyung-wook / YonhapA court on Thursday sentenced a key member of an online sexual blackmail ring to 34 years in prison for coercing dozens of women and girls into sharing sexually explicit videos of themselves. A district court in the southeastern city of Andong convicted Moon Hyung-wook, 24, of operating the "nth room" chatrooms on Telegram and distributing thousands of obscene videos of female victims.Moon, known by his username GodGod, was arrested in May 2020 and indicted the following month on 12 counts, including the violation of laws on protecting minors from sexual abuse. The prosecution had demanded a life sentence.Cho Ju-bin, the leader of the operation, was sentenced to 40 years in prison last November. (Yonhap)

Apr 8, 2021

'Nth room' creator sentenced to 34 years in prison

Police raid LH offices in probe into business irregularities

The LH headquarters in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province / YonhapPolice raided the headquarters of Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) and five other locations Thursday as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities involving business contracts.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said its officers searched the state housing developer in Jinju, about 435 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as well as the offices of its suppliers and the homes of three suspects in Gyeonggi Province near the capital.The company is suspected to have given favors to suppliers of construction materials that were introduced by a former company official. Police are said to have booked the former official and the chiefs of two subcontractors.Police said they got the information during a probe into separate allegations that dozens of former and current LH officials purchased land plots, possibly using insider information, before they were designated for development. (Yonhap)

Apr 8, 2021

Police raid LH offices in probe into business irregularities

Police name suspect in possible stalking murder case

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Monday revealed the identity of a suspect in the grisly murders of a mother and two adult daughters last month.Kim Tae-hyun / YonhapKim Tae-hyun, 24, is accused of killing a woman whom he had allegedly stalked, her mother and younger sister at their home in northeastern Seoul on March 23.The police held a committee meeting, comprising three internal officials and four outside experts, on earlier in the day to conclude that the disclosure of the man's personal information, including his photo and name, worked in the best interest of the public given the gravity of his crime and high public interest in the case.The man “meticulously premeditated the crime” and "admitted to the killings," and there is plenty of damning evidence against him, the committee said.In line with the decision, he will not be allowed to cover his face whenever he appears in public or is covered by media. According to police, Kim was caught at the scene sustaining self-inflicted, but not life-threatening, injuries on his neck, two days after the alleged murders.

Apr 5, 2021

Police name suspect in possible stalking murder case

Joint probe launched into school violence cases in Hadong

Seen is one of the traditional-style schools in Cheonghakdong Village, located in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, which has been embroiled in controversy over school violence cases. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe police, education office and county office of Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, launched a joint investigation, Friday, into a series of school violence cases involving traditional-style schools in Cheonghakdong Village there.The provincial police agency said the investigation is aimed at discovering whether there have been additional cases and taking legal or administrative actions against the traditional school operators if they are found to be responsible for the incidents. “We are questioning students living in dormitories of the schools as well as their classmates in regular schools,” a police official said. Cheonghakdong Village is a tranquil mountainous town that maintains a traditional lifestyle. Some 100 children there attend nearby Mukgye Elementary School and Cheongam Middle School, and, after the school hours and at night, stay at the dormitories of the t

Apr 2, 2021By Jun Ji-hye

Joint probe launched into school violence cases in Hadong

Investigators in Korea and Malaysia bust international drug cartel in joint operation

gettyimagesbankSouth Korea's prosecution has busted an international drug cartel and tracked down its drug manufacturing facility in cooperation with Malaysian police, officials said Thursday. The Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) said it worked with the customs office to confiscate 16.4 kilograms of methamphetamine shipped into the country from Malaysia in January-March and shared criminal information and drug trafficking methods with Kuala Lumpur's police.Based on the intelligence, Malaysian police apprehended 13 members of an international drug trafficking organization based in its capital. They also seized illicit drugs worth 5.42 billion won (US$4.78 million), including 64 kg of ketamine and 12.2 kg of methamphetamine, as well as the cartel's production facility. One of the arrested cartel members was found to have trafficked 8.2 kg and 7.6 kg of methamphetamine seized by Incheon and Cheongju's district prosecutors offices, respectively, in January last year, according to the SPO. The prosecution said the confiscated amount of methamphetamine sent from the Southeast Asian country

Apr 1, 2021

Investigators in Korea and Malaysia bust international drug cartel in joint operation

Pastor spreading false information on COVID-19 vaccines faces charges

A flyer which carries false information about COVID-19 vaccine / YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiA pastor from a church in Daejeon produced flyers containing false information about COVID-19 vaccines, which were posted by a member of his church at bus stops and utility poles around Incheon, according to police, Wednesday.The Incheon Metropolitan Police charged the 66-year-old pastor for violating the law on outdoor advertisements. He is accused of aiding and abetting the church member, a 68-year old woman, to post the flyers. The woman also faces the same charge.The pastor allegedly produced 10,000 copies of the flyers last November which carried the false information stating: “The chip in the COVID-19 vaccine lose your life.” [sic]The leaflets also read: “It will connect to your brain and control your thoughts by a computer. You will lose your free will. A growing number of people are suffering from pain after getting the vaccine containing the chip.”The pastor allegedly stored the flyers at the church so members could take them, and the woman allegedly posted 33 copies

Apr 1, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji

Law & Crime