South Korea - The Korea Times

Drunk driver hits, kills, boy, 8

The crosswalk where the young boy was killed by a drunk driver in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, Thursday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jinA drunk driver struck and killed a boy, 8, who was on his way to school Thursday in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. The incident happened about 8 a.m. at a crosswalk at an intersection near Buchun Elementary School, where the boy was heading, according to Seosan Police Station. The drunk man, in his 60s, was driving an SUV. The victim was taken to hospital but died soon after. Seosan Police Station confirmed that the driver's blood alcohol level was 0.031 percent, high enough for his license to be revoked. He told police he had consumed three glasses of liquor the day before. The accident site, only 120 meters from the school, was not designated as a school zone. The Road Traffic Act states that an area within 300 meters of the main gate of an elementary school can be designated. It is therefore unlikely the driver will be charged with violating the so-called “Min-sik law,” a traffic-related bill revised in March that carries the name of

Jun 12, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Panel to conduct external review into prosecution's case against Samsung heir Lee

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong leaves the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of Seoul, after a court denied the issuance of an arrest warrant for him, Tuesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiAn outside experts group will review the validity of an ongoing investigation by the prosecution into Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, involving a controversial merger and alleged accounting fraud, it was announced Thursday.Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol accepted a request for this made earlier by South Korea's largest conglomerate after a panel made up of ordinary citizens ― including a taxi driver, homemaker, retired civil servant and a teacher ― overseeing operations by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office voted in favor of an independent examination into the case. The prosecutor-general must organize an experts group such a decision is made. The citizens' panel said it reviewed 120 pages of written opinions ― 30 from the prosecution and 90 from Lee and Samsung's lawyers ― before reaching its decision within a day. It said it was necessary to give an exper

Jun 11, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Panel to conduct external review into prosecution's case against Samsung heir Lee

Man faces indictment for vandalizing Peace Statue

The Peace Statue in Dongjak District, Seoul, was damaged. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin A man in his 20s is facing indictment for allegedly vandalizing a Peace Statue in Dongjak District, Seoul. The statue, also known as the “statue of a girl,” symbolizes victims of wartime sex slavery. They are established in several cities in Korea and overseas by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance.The man was arrested at the site as he was vandalizing the statue by hitting its face with a rock about 6:40 a.m. on May 20, according to Dongjak Police Station. The statue's left cheek, head and shoulder were damaged. After an investigation, police sent the case to prosecutors on Thursday. The charges include property damage and violence. The man was also accused of attacking an official from the district office who was trying to restrain him. Police said the suspect has admitted his crime and is reportedly receiving treatment for mental illness. Police found no connection between the crime and controversies surrounding the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance.

Jun 11, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Man faces indictment for vandalizing Peace Statue

Man attacks friend with knife for 'not visiting during coronavirus crisis'

A man in his 60s has received a suspended jail sentence for a knife attack on a friend. GETTYIMAGESBANKBy Lee Hyo-jinA man in his 60s, who attacked a friend with a kitchen knife after believing the friend had used the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse for not visiting him, has received a suspended jail sentence.According to the Seoul Eastern District Court Wednesday, Judge Kim Jae-eun sentenced the man, surnamed Lee, to six months in prison, suspended for two years, on June 5. The court also ordered monitoring of his whereabouts and 80 hours of community service. Lee was accused of attacking the friend at his home in Songpa District, Seoul, about 11:50 p.m. on Feb. 25, injuring the man's neck, according to the Seoul Economic Daily. Lee said he got upset while drinking with the victim, as he thought his friend had been avoiding him by using the pandemic as an excuse. “Lee's actions might have led to a severe injury,” the court said. “He has a criminal record, with a suspended prison sentence for a similar crime in the past.“The defendant fully admits his crime

Jun 11, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Man attacks friend with knife for 'not visiting during coronavirus crisis'

S. Korea to ban corporal punishment at home by law

GettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe Ministry of Justice is pushing to revise a law to effectively prohibit corporal punishment at home as cases of child abuse, which sometimes resulted in death, continue to be reported. The move comes after legal experts, including Seoul National University Law School Prof. Yoon Jin-soo, said the standing law, which allows parents to take “necessary disciplinary action” to teach their children, could be misinterpreted as allowing physical abuse as a legitimate punishment.Yoon said discipline should be within boundaries that can be accepted as social norms, noting that action causing emotional and physical distress should not be included. A committee of 10 legal experts, including Yoon, advised the ministry in April to remove from the civil law the clause regarding parents' rights to take disciplinary action against their children and replace it with the right to educate the children on acceptable behaviour.In Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, a nine-year-old boy recently died after his father's common-law partner allegedly locked him in a

Jun 10, 2020

S. Korea to ban corporal punishment at home by law

Gov't pushes to ban parental corporal punishment

The Ministry of Justice is moving to revise the law that gives parents the right to use physical force for their children's education. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoThe government will press ahead with revising the law that gives parents the right to use physical force for their children's education as part of its effort to better protect the rights of minors.The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it will draft a bill to ban corporal punishment by parents next month as it pushes to revise Article 915 of the Civil Law that guarantees parents the right to use corporal punishment on their children.The ministry plans to come up with its final draft and propose it to the National Assembly by the end of August.Critics of the clause, which was adopted in 1960, say it is often used to justify the violence of abusive parents. They also point out that the clause conflicts with the child welfare law that prohibits legal guardians from “inflicting physical or mental pain” on their children.The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has urged the Korean government to rev

Jun 10, 2020By Jung Min-ho

Gov't pushes to ban parental corporal punishment

Samsung heir's fate hinges on external committee

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, gets into a car after leaving a detention center in Euiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, after the Seoul Central District Court rejected an arrest warrant for him. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong After the court dismissed the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, eyes are now on an external committee which is set to discuss the validity of Lee's indictment.The 15-person panel is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss the case. The planned meeting will only cover whether or not they will take the case for review, and if they agree to take it, another round of meetings will be scheduled.While many local outlets said the review will be influenced by the court decision, Prof. Han Sang-hee who teaches law at Konkuk University said the result could be affected by the panel not taking up the case.“When you read the court's statement, it indicates Lee should be tried. Given that, I think there are possibilities that the panel supports the prosecution by dropping the case,” H

Jun 9, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Samsung heir's fate hinges on external committee

After avoiding arrest, Samsung heir likely to boost investment into new biz

Two students jump to their deaths in Incheon - just one hour apart

An initial investigation suggests no relationship between the two cases.By Park Si-soo Police are investigating the deaths of two female middle school students who jumped from nearby apartments in Incheon on Monday ― only one hour apart. An initial investigation suggests no relationship between the two cases. Investigators are looking into their mobile phone data and questioning classmates. “They didn't know each other, attended different schools and lived in different towns, so we don't think there is any link between the two cases,” said an investigator. “We are looking into the possibility that behind deaths were school or sexual violence against them.” According to police, the first student, 13, jumped from a 14-story apartment in Incheon's Seogu district at 8:43 a.m. of Monday. She was found on the ground bleeding from the head. She was taken to hospital, but declared dead. Another student, 14, jumped to her death from a 20-story apartment block in the same district at 9:49 a.m.

Jun 9, 2020

Two students jump to their deaths in Incheon - just one hour apart

Prosecution drops animal cruelty complaint against ice fishing festival

A tourist catches a trout during the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, Feb. 10. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoThe prosecution has dropped a criminal complaint against Korea's most famous ice fishing festival.According to the Hwacheon county office Sunday, the Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office recently dismissed the complaint by animal rights activists against the annual event.Given that the country's animal protection law does not apply to fish, the prosecution said it was clear that there were no criminal charges to file against the event host.The winter festival, which brought more than 1.8 million tourists from around the world to a remote mountain town in Gangwon Province last year, has long been denounced by animal rights activists, who view it as “abusive” and “human-focused” amusement.In January, 11 animal rights groups jointly filed a complaint against Hwacheon county head Choi Moon-soon over animal abuse.

Jun 8, 2020By Jung Min-ho

Prosecution drops animal cruelty complaint against ice fishing festival

Samsung chief faces showdown with prosecution on Monday

Tech giant calls on court to make 'objective and reasonable' decisionBy Kim Hyun-binTensions are on the rise over the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant against Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, over allegations of Lee's involvement in 2015 in a controversial merger of two group affiliates, Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries.A Seoul court will hold a hearing to decide whether to issue the warrant at 10:30 am today. If the warrant is approved, it will be the first time since 2017 that Lee will be arrested on criminal charges, which Samsung claims will trigger a leadership crisis in the nation's biggest conglomerate.In a last-minute effort to save the Samsung heir, the group released a statement Sunday rebutting speculative local reports surrounding the case and calling on the court to make an “objective and reasonable” decision to normalize its management.“The ongoing crisis is the one that Samsung has never been encountering before. The drawn-out investigation by the prosecution has been affecting management normalization, and to make matter

Jun 7, 2020By Kim Hyun-bin

Law & Crime