South Korea - The Korea Times

Criticism rises over subway ad on lawyer for sex offenders

Jo Ju-bin, the main operator of a Telegram group chat named “Baksabang” where obscene materials, including those involving children, were produced and distributed, responds to reporters' questions in front of Jongno Police Station in central Seoul, March 25. Korea Times fileBy Kim RahnA lawyer has caused a stir with an ad in a subway station in southern Seoul publicizing his successful defense of many sex offenders, including one person involved in the notorious Telegram chatroom sexual exploitation scandal.Facing strong backlash from subway users, Seoul Metro, which is in charge of the space, removed the ad recently.The lawyer, surnamed Kim, placed the ad in mid-September at Seoul National University of Education Station on lines 2 and 3. The ad showed a photo of Kim's face and cited his handling of many cases involving voyeur videos, sexual harassment and rape, to establish his expertise in defending sex offenders.He highlighted that he handled cases of possession of child pornography, adding he had an arrest warrant rejected for one of the offenders involved in the &ld

Dec 29, 2020By Kim Rahn

Criticism rises over subway ad on lawyer for sex offenders

Police close probe without conclusion on ex-Seoul mayor's alleged sexual misconduct

Mourners kneel before ex-Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at his funeral house in Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District on July 10, 2020. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentPolice said Tuesday they have closed a five-month investigation into allegations that late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon sexually abused a former secretary, failing to reach a conclusion on the high-profile case. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which launched the investigation in July, said it has wrapped up the case without indictment and will transfer the case to the prosecution."We looked into the submitted documents and called in the victim and witnesses but since Park was found dead we plan to transfer the case to the prosecution without indictment according to the relevant law," the police said.Police said they have called in 26 witnesses and five defendants, including those who worked at the metropolitan government's secretary office, for the probe.Park was found dead at a Seoul mountain on July 10, two days after the former secretary filed a sexual abuse complaint against him.Police said t

Dec 29, 2020

Police close probe without conclusion on ex-Seoul mayor's alleged sexual misconduct

Court notices take effect on sell-off of Japanese firm assets to compensate wartime forced laborers

A woman walks past a sign for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Tokyo, Tuesday, July 23, 2019. AP-YonhapPublic notices issued by a local court to move forward with the legal process of selling off local assets of a Japanese firm to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor took effect Tuesday, in a procedure likely to raise diplomatic tension between Seoul and Tokyo.The public notification was given to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries after the company failed to carry out a 2018 order from the Supreme Court to compensate five plaintiffs, including one 91-year-old victim. The notification, sent by a district court in Daejeon, is a procedure employed when a defendant refuses to receive court documents necessary for trial proceedings despite the need to move the pending case forward.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reportedly plans to appeal the case in a move likely to stall the compensation process and set the stage for another round of legal battles, which could further strain already taut relations between the two countries.The two public notices that took effect Tuesday are among four

Dec 29, 2020

Court notices take effect on sell-off of Japanese firm assets to compensate wartime forced laborers

Online petitioner berates teachers having sexual escapade in school

A person has anonymously accused two teachers at an elementary school in North Jeolla Province of repeatedly having sex on the premises, on the presidential petitions website. The above classroom is unrelated to the incident. YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanA person has anonymously accused two teachers at an elementary school in North Jeolla Province of repeatedly having sex on the premises ― apparently even when children were around ― on the presidential petitions websiteThe petitioner wrote, Dec. 24, that a married male teacher and his single female coworker repeatedly had sex in classrooms, hallways and during school field trips. “On a field trip, the couple went behind the scenes while relegating their duties to a part-time instructor the school had hired,” the petitioner wrote. “In hallways, the female teacher recorded her counterpart lying on a sofa, which school children witnessed and must have construed as the couple being more than coworkers.” The petitioner added the couple at the school in Jangsu County chatted during class-hours using a messenger used by the

Dec 28, 2020By Ko Dong-hwan

Online petitioner berates teachers having sexual escapade in school

Pandemic to change next year's crime trends: police

Getty Images BankBy Jung Da-minChanges are expected in next year's crime trends and patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report issued by a policy research institute run by the National Police Agency.The report on 2021 crime trends, released Sunday by the Police Science Institute, said white-collar crimes such as fraud are expected to increase next year while the total number of crimes will decrease due to the impact of COVID-19. It also said the coronavirus situation is expected to affect the pattern of crimes related to drug and sex offenses.According to the report, there were 1.18 million crimes committed as of September this year, a decrease of 0.2 percent from the same period last year. But the total number of white-collar crimes was 315,206, up 13.8 percent from 2019. Of these cases, breach of trust and violation of the Check Control Act both decreased by 14 percent and 46.2 percent respectively, while fraud increased by 15.6 percent.The number of voice phishing crimes decreased 16.7 percent, with activities of members of fraudulent groups restricted due to the

Dec 28, 2020

Pandemic to change next year's crime trends: police

Court grants injunction against suspension of top prosecutor

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youlProsecutor General Yoon Seok-youl resumed his duties Thursday after a court granted an injunction against his suspension by the justice minister amid their feud over prosecutorial reform and politically sensitive investigationsThe decision by the Seoul Administrative Court amounts to a setback for Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, who has been at odds with Yoon for months.On Dec. 16, the ministry suspended Yoon from duty for two months after a disciplinary committee found him liable on four counts of alleged misconduct, including the surveillance of judges hearing the case of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, and those involving presidential officials' alleged abuse of power to sway the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018 to bring victory to one of President Moon Jae-in's longtime friends.Yoon filed for the injunction Dec. 17, along with a separate administrative lawsuit against the punitive action, claiming that the formation of the disciplinary committee had procedural errors and the allegations against him were untrue.He also argued the suspension, barring hi

Dec 24, 2020

Court grants injunction against suspension of top prosecutor

Trial of ex-justice minister's wife again shows ethical lapses of Moon administration

Chung Kyung-shim, a professor at Dongyang University and wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. Chung was detained after being sentenced to four years in prison and fined with 500 million won ($453,992) for forging her daughter's academic records. YonhapBy Jung Da-minThe prison term handed down to the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, announced after her conviction for multiple criminal acts, is an unfavorable factor for President Moon Jae-in and the ruling party which defended Cho.The court decision adds to criticism of the Moon government for its ethical lapses, as a number of high-ranking officials have also been embroiled in influence-peddling scandals. The controversy surrounding Cho, in particular, has been so far the biggest considering he was trusted by the President to lead prosecutorial reform and the prosecution's investigation into corruption allegations surrounding him brought about the months-long conflict between the ruling bloc and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.The Seoul Central D

Dec 24, 2020

Trial of ex-justice minister's wife again shows ethical lapses of Moon administration

Ex-justice minister's wife gets 4-year prison term over academic fraud scandal

Chung Kyung-sim arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Wednesday, for a trial over charges related to illegal document fabrication to get her daughter admitted to a medical school and illegal investment in a private equity fund. YonhapFormer Justice Minister Cho Kuk's wife was sentenced by a Seoul court on Wednesday to imprisonment of four years for academic fraud.The Seoul Central District Court handed down the jail sentence, together with a fine of 500 million won (US$451,000), to Chung Kyung-sim, the wife of the former presidential secretary for civil affairs and a close aide to President Moon Jae-in.The court also ordered the immediate imprisonment of Chung.Chung was indicted in November last year on 15 counts of charges related to her daughter's college admission and her dubious investment in a private equity fund (PEF).Chung is accused of being involved in fabricating documentation from 2013-2014, including a college presidential citation, in order to get her daughter admitted to medical school.Chung's lawyer, Kim Chil-jun, answers to journalists after

Dec 23, 2020

Ex-justice minister's wife gets 4-year prison term over academic fraud scandal

Vice justice minister apologizes over unpunished assault against driver

Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu / YonhapVice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu apologized Monday amid public uproar over his unpunished assault against a taxi driver last month."I am deeply sorry for causing concern to the people with a personal matter," he wrote in a statement sent to reporters. "I also apologize again to the taxi driver."Lee has come under fire after it was reported late last week that he got away free following the altercation in early November. Lee, who was a lawyer at the time, allegedly grabbed the driver by the collar in an intoxicated state when the man tried to wake him up after arriving at his home in southern Seoul. He was appointed vice minister on Dec. 2."I believe the police will review my case and determine right from wrong," Lee said. "As I am now a public official, I will watch my behavior ever more carefully."Police are looking into past cases to determine whether officers took appropriate steps over Lee's case, according to a police official."We will once again thoroughly review legal precedents with the help of former jurists, lawyers and senior offi

Dec 21, 2020

Vice justice minister apologizes over unpunished assault against driver

Vice justice minister said to have run-in with taxi driver before appointment

Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-guVice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu allegedly engaged in an altercation with a taxi driver while intoxicated in early November, when he was working as a lawyer, police officials said Saturday.Lee grabbed the taxi driver by the collar at an apartment complex in southern Seoul one night, as the driver was waking him up, according to officials at the Seocho Police Station.Lee, who had served as a judge before practicing law, was appointed to the No. 2 post at the Ministry of Justice on Dec. 2 amid the government's campaign to revamp the prosecution.Police were called to the scene at that time, and Lee was allowed to go home after his identity was confirmed, the officials said.Police closed the case later without booking Lee after the taxi driver objected to his punishment. (Yonhap)

Dec 20, 2020

Law & Crime