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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.

Gov't seeks public debate on lowering juvenile criminal age amid rising youth crime

The government will convene a public deliberation panel to seek broad consensus on whether to reduce the minimum age at which juveniles can be held criminally liable, currently set at 14. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Monday, the government is considering a two-track approach to discuss lowering the age threshold for juvenile offenders to be exempt from criminal punishment. The plan includes forming an offline public deliberation committee with four other government bodies — the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Police Agency — as well as experts, while simultaneously collecting public opinion through an online platform. Following the direction of President Lee Jae Myung to gather public consensus within two months, related ministries plan to hold a kickoff meeting as early as this month. Under the Criminal Act, individuals under the age of 14 are not subject to criminal punishment. Instead, they are classified as juveniles exempt from criminal responsibility and are placed under protective measure

Mar 2, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Gov't seeks public debate on lowering juvenile criminal age amid rising youth crime

Shaman linked to ex-first lady appeals 6-year prison sentence for taking bribes

A shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee has appealed a court ruling sentencing him to six years in prison for accepting bribes from the Unification Church, legal sources said Monday. Jeon Seong-bae, better known as Geonjin, filed the appeal Friday, days after the Seoul Central District Court convicted him of accepting 80 million won ($55,000) worth of goods from a former church official in 2022 by colluding with Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and other offenses. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team has also appealed the ruling, which acquitted Jeon of violating the Political Funds Act over allegations that he took bribes from a provincial councilmember candidate in exchange for his help with securing his nomination.

Mar 2, 2026By Yonhap
Shaman linked to ex-first lady appeals 6-year prison sentence for taking bribes

Disciplinary committee set for Navy chief over martial law involvement

The defense ministry is set to convene a disciplinary committee against Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kang Dong-gil on Friday over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid in late 2024. The ministry relieved Kang from duty earlier this month following revelations that he aided efforts to form the martial law command on the night of Dec. 3, 2024. Kang, who previously served as chief of the directorate of military support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is accused of ordering his subordinate to help efforts to form the martial law command, following orders from the then deputy martial law commander. The ministry has yet to request an investigation against Kang, citing his active cooperation in providing testimonies and documents related to the allegations. Since his exclusion from duty on Feb. 13, the deputy chief of the Navy has been serving as acting Navy chief.

Feb 27, 2026By Yonhap
Disciplinary committee set for Navy chief over martial law involvement

Head of Nat'l Court Administration offers to resign after parliament passes judicial reform bill

The head of the National Court Administration offered to resign Friday, a day after the National Assembly passed a controversial judicial reform bill that faced opposition from the judiciary, legal sources said. Park Young-jae expressed his intent to resign to Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, after the ruling Democratic Party-controlled parliament passed the bill designed to establish a new criminal offense of "legal distortion," according to the sources. The legislation, one of three judicial reform bills pushed by the ruling party, seeks to punish judges or prosecutors with a maximum prison term of 10 years if they intentionally distort legal principles or manipulate facts. Park earlier called for the judiciary's opinions to be reflected in deliberations for the judicial reform bills. The National Court Administration is responsible for the administrative affairs of the judiciary, including budget management.

Feb 27, 2026By Yonhap
Head of Nat'l Court Administration offers to resign after parliament passes judicial reform bill

Ex-DPK lawmaker appears before police for 2nd day over bribery, misconduct allegations

Former Democratic Party Korea (DPK) lawmaker Rep. Kim Byung-kee appeared before police for a second day Friday to be questioned about suspicions of bribery and other allegations of misconduct. Kim, who quit the ruling party last month to become an independent, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Division in western Seoul, after undergoing a marathon session the previous day. "(I) will continue to sincerely cooperate with the investigation," Kim told reporters. Among the 13 allegations raised against Kim, he is suspected of receiving 30 million won ($21,000) from two members of Seoul's Dongjak Ward Council ahead of the 2020 general elections before returning the money months later. Other corruption allegations include his suspected acceptance of a high-priced accommodation voucher from Korean Air and his wife's alleged misuse of the Dongjak Ward Council's credit card. Kim, who formerly served as the DPK's floor leader, reportedly denied most of the allegations during questioning the previous day, which lasted for over 14 hours.

Feb 27, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-DPK lawmaker appears before police for 2nd day over bribery, misconduct allegations

Headquarters of main opposition party raided over alleged mass recruitment of Shincheonji religious group

Investigators on Friday raided the headquarters of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) over allegations of mass recruitment of followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, legal sources said. A joint team of police investigators and prosecutors carried out the search and seizure at the PPP's office in western Seoul to seize the party's membership list, according to the sources. The sect is accused of forcing its followers to join the PPP with the aim of influencing the results of the party's presidential primary in 2021 and the party's candidate nominations for the 2024 general elections. The joint team is said to have secured statements from former Shincheonji officials that the church encouraged its followers to join the PPP under a project dubbed "Pilates" and tens of thousands of them actually became dues-paying members of the party. The joint investigation was launched last month to investigate allegations of corrupt ties between religious groups and politicians. The team has been investigating Shincheonji on suspicions of violating the Polit

Feb 27, 2026By Yonhap
Headquarters of main opposition party raided over alleged mass recruitment of Shincheonji religious group

Public anger fuels digital vigilantism in Korea as online sleuths dox suspected female murderer

Public outrage over the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's decision to withhold a suspected serial murder's identity has sparked a digital witch hunt, with online vigilantes doxing the 21-year-old woman and driving massive traffic to a social media account presumed to be hers. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, an Instagram account linked by online sleuths to the suspect, surnamed Kim, reached about 11,000 followers. The figure marks a 55-fold increase from just 200 followers 10 days ago. The account features 12 posts, consisting mostly of photos of a young woman, with the latest entry drawing more than 2,200 critical comments. The online frenzy erupted after police said the Gangbuk District motel murders did not meet the legal threshold for brutality required to release a suspect's identity. Frustrated by the legal protection, online users circumvented law enforcement to dig up Kim's personal information. Uncensored photos of the woman's face are now spreading rapidly across platforms. Several individuals are using the unblurred images to drive traffic to their own YouTube channels. Many users cr

Feb 26, 2026By Hankookilbo
Public anger fuels digital vigilantism in Korea as online sleuths dox suspected female murderer

Suspect in drone flights to N. Korea attends arrest warrant hearing

A graduate student accused of sending drones to North Korea denied the main charges against him during a hearing on his potential arrest Thursday, legal sources said. The 30-something student, surnamed Oh, faces charges of benefiting the enemy and violating aviation safety and military installation laws by flying drones to North Korea four times from September to January. The incident became known after Pyongyang claimed last month that South Korea had infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September and January. During the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Oh claimed he was not directed by anyone to send the drones, denying suspicions of links to the military intelligence command. The charge of benefiting the enemy also applies to cases where the military interests of one's own nation are harmed, and Oh's claim appeared aimed at disputing the notion that he harmed South Korea's military interests by stoking tensions with the North. A military-police investigation task force requested a warrant for his arrest last week after concluding he had flown the drones to

Feb 26, 2026By Yonhap
Suspect in drone flights to N. Korea attends arrest warrant hearing

Ex-DPK lawmaker appears before police over 13 allegations of wrongdoings

Former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Byung-kee appeared before police Thursday to be questioned about 13 allegations of misconduct, including suspected bribery. His police appearance came about five months after allegations of various wrongdoings involving his family surfaced last September. Kim, who defected from the ruling party last month to become an independent, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit in western Seoul shortly before 9 a.m. to be grilled as a suspect. "I'm sorry to be in this situation. I'll faithfully undergo the investigation to completely clear up all suspicions and slander and restore my honor," Kim told reporters before entering the police building. The core of the 13 allegations is the suspected bribery, in which Kim allegedly received 30 million won ($21,000) from two members of Seoul's Dongjak Ward Council ahead of the 2020 general elections and returned the money three to five months later. The lawmaker also faces other corruption allegations, including his suspected acceptance of a high-priced accommodation

Feb 26, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-DPK lawmaker appears before police over 13 allegations of wrongdoings

Gov't uncovers record 992 cases of fraudulent receipt of state subsidies in 2025

A record high 992 cases of fraudulent receipt of government subsidies totaling 66.77 billion won ($46.17 million) were detected last year, the budget ministry said Wednesday. The figure marks a 57.5 percent spike from 630 cases uncovered in 2024, also marking the largest number found in any one-year period, according to the Ministry of Planning and Budget. The ministry said the violations included false contracts with subcontractors, the establishment of shell companies and improper use of travel expenses. Once confirmed as fraudulent, offenders face sanctions including the recovery of subsidies and additional fines of up to five times the amount fraudulently received, the ministry said. "Fraudulent receipt of state subsidies undermines the government's policy objectives and results in the waste of taxpayers' hard-earned money," Kang Young-kyu, a senior ministry official, said, pledging thorough follow-up measures against serious cases. The ministry said it will step up efforts to combat subsidy fraud by increasing the number of joint inspections with other relevant ministries from 600 la

Feb 25, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't uncovers record 992 cases of fraudulent receipt of state subsidies in 2025
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