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Police to probe participants of Liberation Day demonstrations on COVID-19

Protesters from conservative groups flock Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul's Jongno-gu District, Saturday. YonhapPolice said Saturday that they will probe all participants of demonstrations held in downtown Seoul on the day to look into whether they violated a court decision related to COVID-19 and other regulations. The number of participants reached more than 20,000 people, according to an estimation by police and demonstration organizers. Ahead of the demonstrations, a Seoul court mostly upheld the local government's order to ban large gatherings in light of public safety concerns, and police have warned they will not permit unlawful protests. Despite concerns over fresh outbreaks of the coronavirus and the court decision, far-right groups, such as the April 15 Rigged Election association, and unionized workers held packed demonstrations late in the day amid heavy rains. The government announced the new COVID-19 confirmed cases earlier in the day before the groups' demonstrations. New COVID-19 cases in the country reached a five-month high of 166 due to a surge in confirmed cases in gr

Aug 15, 2020
Police to probe participants of Liberation Day demonstrations on COVID-19

Stricter law needed to prevent dog attacks on people

Calls are mounting for stronger measures to prevent animal attacks on people. / GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin Calls are mounting for the government to implement measures that will prevent dog attacks on people, such as introducing stronger punishments for dog owners in the event their pet attacks someone.Under the current law, when a dog attack results in a person's death, the dog owner can be sentenced to up to three years in prison and fined up to 30 million won ($25,271). If a dog attack causes injury its can lead to the owner facing up to two years in jail and 20 million won in fines. Cho Seong-ja, a professor at Kangwon National University of Law, states that stricter laws are needed to prevent animal attacks. “In Korea, criminal punishment for a dog bite accident is impossible if the victim declines to press charges. Dog owners must be punished regardless of the victim's consent like in other countries such as the United States,” she stated in her 2019 thesis “A Study on Current Developments and Suggestions of Animal Law in the US.” According to Yangju

Aug 12, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Stricter law needed to prevent dog attacks on people

Justice minister warned by auditors over poor management

Korea Board of Audit and Inspection recently warned Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae over poor management of the ministry and its affiliated organizations./ Korea Times fileBy Kim Se-jeongJustice Minister Choo Mi-ae arrives at her office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. YonhapJustice Minister Choo Mi-ae has received an administrative warning from the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) over her poor management of the ministry and its affiliated organizations.According to the BAI's annual audit report, Wednesday, it said the justice minister failed to take adequate disciplinary action against former inmates who violated conditions of their parole.Three parolees failed to fulfill their responsibility of maintaining employment, yet the justice ministry failed to take them back into custody. Choo has been making headlines over her ongoing tussles with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, but her mismanagement of affairs related to prisoners and parolees ― one of her main responsibilities ― is now gaining more public attention. The BAI also criticized the minister for mismanaging governme

Aug 12, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Justice minister warned by auditors over poor management

Briton in custody for alleged illicit filming of Korean women

A British man has been taken into custody in Korea for allegedly filming Korean women using hidden cameras. / gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe National Police Agency said Wednesday it had taken a British man into custody and transferred him to the prosecution on charges that he illegally filmed Korean women via hidden cameras and distributed the videos through his website. The man, who traveled to Korea from Aug. 9 to Aug. 18 in 2018, approached and talked to Korean women on major streets near Hongik University and Itaewon, and filmed the women without consent by using miniature hidden cameras.The man uploaded the videos on the website he ran named www.koreangirlseasy.com. He also allegedly secretly filmed women he had sex with in a hotel. He shared those videos with paid members of the website. The membership fee was $27 per person, according to police.Officers stated that 10 women in Korea had been filmed without their consent, noting that the man is believed to have committed similar crimes in other countries and regions including Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Police began an invest

Aug 12, 2020

Justice minister faces criticism over prosecution reshuffle

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl arrives at work in Seoul, Monday/ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae leaves the ministry headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. /YonhapJustice Minister Choo Mi-ae is facing mounting criticism from opposition party lawmakers and others critical of the Moon Jae-in administration over a recent personnel reshuffle of senior prosecutors.The minister filled 11 key posts with pro-government prosecutors last Friday, while demoting those working closely with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.Conservative lawmakers and commentators claimed Choo's move was a step against the prosecutorial reform. “She promoted prosecutors who kowtow to the government while she demoted those who don't. She has made being at the beck and call of the government the prosecution's No. 1 priority for those prosecutors who wish to retain their posts,” Rep. Kim Woong of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) said. Ahn Cheol-soo, the head of the People's Party, said, “Even if she cuts off Yoon's hands and feet, she will not stop the

Aug 10, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Justice minister faces criticism over prosecution reshuffle

Japanese company appeals S. Korean court's decision on asset seizure

Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Corp.A Japanese company has appealed a South Korean court's ruling to seize its assets in the country to compensate victims of wartime forced labor in a move expected to worsen tensions between the two countries.Nippon Steel Corp. has submitted an immediate complaint against the court's decision to seize some of its stake in PNR, a joint venture established with Korea's top steelmaker, POSCO, the Daegu District Court in the southeastern city of Daegu said Friday.The move, which came days before the order was set to go into effect next week, effectively grants the defendant a chance to again defend its stance, postponing the court's order.The court's review is expected to take months, according to local legal sources, allowing the company to buy time before the forced sale of its assets.The assets subject to sales are 81,075 shares in PNR ― worth about 405 million won ($341,484) at face value.In June, the Pohang branch of Daegu District Court decided to begin the procedure of "Service by Public Notice," as the Japanese foreign ministry has failed to pass th

Aug 7, 2020
Japanese company appeals S. Korean court's decision on asset seizure

'Mukbang' YouTubers face criticism for undeclared paid ads

Famous mukbang YouTubers including Moon Bo-ki have come under fire for hiding paid advertisements. / Korea Times FileBy Lee Hyo-jinFamous “mukbang” YouTubers with millions of subscribers have come under fire for hiding the fact that they were being paid to advertise certain products.Starting Tuesday, a number of YouTubers began issuing apologies admitting that they deliberately or “accidentally” failed to notify viewers about paid advertisements in their videos. YouTuber “Eat with Boki”, better known by her real name, Moon Bo-ki, uploaded an apology to her YouTube community, Tuesday. “I admit and apologize for not mentioning paid promotions in some of my videos.” Moon has more than 4.6 million subscribers and hundreds of mukbang videos on her channel. Tzuyang, another YouTuber with 2.67 million subscribers, uploaded a video Wednesday saying, “I am sorry that I did not fully inform viewers about commercial sponsorship, and promise to notify viewers of all advertisements from now on.” However, as internet users speculated that

Aug 6, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
'Mukbang' YouTubers face criticism for undeclared paid ads

Coast Guard arrests all 18 Chinese who sneaked into Korea on boats

Korea Coast Guard (KCS) officials inspect an unregistered six-seat, 1.5-ton boat at a KCS pier in the western coastal city of Taean, May 25, 2020. / YonhapKorean coast guards have arrested all 18 Chinese nationals who sneaked into the country by sea in April and May, officials said Wednesday.The authorities also arrested a Chinese man who allegedly arranged three illicit journeys from the eastern Chinese port of Weihai to Korea's western port of Taean.The incidents exposed loopholes in Korea's maritime border control and prompted the military and the Coast Guard to enhance monitoring and upgrade surveillance equipment in coastal areas. The Coast Guard in Taean, 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, said the Chinese people traveled 350 kilometers across the Yellow Sea on a rubber boat or leisure boat. Five of them entered Taean on April 19 and another five and eight arrived on May 17 and 21, respectively, all disguising themselves as fishermen.They were arrested in various areas in the central and southern regions of the country.Most of them were found to have records of staying illegall

Aug 5, 2020
Coast Guard arrests all 18 Chinese who sneaked into Korea on boats

Public anger growing over child porn site operator's annulment

Son Jung-woo, who was convicted of running one of the world's biggest child porn sites, is released from Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, July 6, after the Seoul High Court decided to reject his extradition to the United States.By Jun Ji-hyeSon Jong-woo, who operated one of the world's biggest child porn sites, is reigniting public anger after it was reported that his marriage was recently annulled following a suit filed by his former wife.This is raising suspicions that Son used a fake marriage to seek a sentence reduction.Son operated the site “Welcome to Video” on the dark web, inaccessible to those using regular web browsers, until he was indicted with physical detention here in March 2018 for producing and distributing child pornography since 2015.The 24-year-old was found guilty but only sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for three years, and was released.The prosecution appealed the sentence, but prior to this being heard, Son registered the marriage. During the appeal hearing, Son asked the judge for leniency, claiming that he had to s

Aug 5, 2020
Public anger growing over child porn site operator's annulment

Top prosecutor scrambling to tighten grip on office

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl addresses new prosecutors during a welcoming ceremony at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, Monday./ Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl broke a long silence Monday, with a message that many viewed as an expression of his intention to tighten his grip on the nearly 2,300 prosecutors who have seen their standing increasingly falter amid the ongoing prosecutorial reform drive backed by the Moon Jae-in administration.“The core value of liberal democracy is to shun dictatorships and totalitarianism in the appearance of democracy… Liberal democracy can be realized only through the rule of law,” Yoon said at an event to welcome new prosecutors, Monday. “Prosecutors should not turn away from corruption cases and graft involving people with power. Instead, you have to face them.”Earlier that day, Choo addressed to the same crowd insisting prosecutors should stop abusing their powers. “The prosecution office was b

Aug 4, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Top prosecutor scrambling to tighten grip on office
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