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When justice systems fail to protect women

Women's rights groups rally outside Seoul Central District Court, Nov. 29, calling for Judge Oh Deok-sik to step down for his insensitivity to sexual violence victims. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoonK-pop idol's death questions courts' ability to handle gender-related crimes By Lee Suh-yoonIt is not easy for a sexual violence victim to decide to bring their case to the court and continue a legal battle. They have to be reminded of the horrible incident numerous times during hearings, face countersuits from the offenders and are often subjected to slutshaming in social circles.But victims choose to go through the legal battle because they believe the judiciary will bring justice and give perpetrators the punishment that is due.However, in Korea the reality is that many victims are frustrated with the conservative and male-dominated judiciary's decisions that are very lenient toward male sex-crime offenders, and in some case the court case itself causes the victims more emotional damage.When Goo Ha-ra, former member of K-pop girl group Kara, took her life last month, many who mourn

Dec 4, 2019
When justice systems fail to protect women

Prosecution raids Cheong Wa Dae office in probe of power abuse scandal

TV camera crews and photographers stand outside Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Wednesday. The prosecution raided a division of the presidential office in a widening investigation of an alleged cover-up of an inspection of an ex-vice mayor who faces bribery charges. YonhapThe prosecution raided a division of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday for its probe into an alleged cover-up of an inspection into an ex-vice mayor who faces bribery charges.The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office said it launched the raid on the Cheong Wa Dae office at 11:30 a.m. after securing a warrant from a court.The move appears to be aimed at obtaining evidence in the case of Yoo Jae-soo, the former vice mayor of Busan arrested over bribery charges.The 55-year-old Yoo was under surveillance of a special inspection team of Cheong Wa Dae over allegations that he took bribes from businesses when he served as director-general of the Financial Services Commission in 2017.But Yoo avoided punishment for an unknown reason and became Busan's vice mayor in charge of economic affairs in 2018.The raid app

Dec 4, 2019
Prosecution raids Cheong Wa Dae office in probe of power abuse scandal

'Heavier penalty for child-porn crimes'

This screenshot shows a statement that investigative agencies from 32 countries have closed down a child pornography website named “Welcome to Video.” A 23-year-old Korean surnamed Son was found to have established and run the platform with obscene content featuring children, but the courts’ light punishment he received from Korean courts has caused a controversy both here and abroad. / Courtesy of National Police AgencyBy Kim Jae-heunThe gender equality ministry has called for sentencing guidelines related to child pornography crimes, following criticism that the Korean judiciary is too lenient on the perpetrators.Gender Equality and Family Minister Lee Jung-ok met with Kim Young-ran, chairwoman of the Sentencing Commission, Tuesday, to discuss the issue.The commission under the Supreme Court establishes sentencing guidelines which judges can refer to when deciding on a punishment. It has come up with guidelines for about 20 crimes, such as murder, bribery, sexual violence, fraud, embezzlement and Election Law violations, but there haven't been any about crimes inv

Dec 3, 2019By Kim Jae-heun
'Heavier penalty for child-porn crimes'

Civic group sues Disney Korea over alleged screen monopoly with 'Frozen 2'

A civic group has filed a complaint against the Korean branch of Walt Disney Company for allegedly violating the Antitrust Act here by “occupying” up to 88 percent of the screens in local movie theaters. / Courtesy of Walt Disney CompanyBy Kim Jae-heunA civic group has filed a complaint against the Korean branch of Walt Disney Company for allegedly violating the Antitrust Act here by “occupying” up to 88 percent of the screens in local movie theaters. According to the civic group Public Welfare Committee (PWC), Monday, it asked the prosecution to investigate the U.S. entertainment conglomerate's monopolization of screens with its recent animated film “Frozen 2.”The committee said the film set a new record of most played movie here, being screened 16,220 times a day and occupying 88 percent of all screens here as of Nov. 23.“Such a record was only possible because Walt Disney Company has secured over 50 percent of the screens, which is against the antitrust law,” the group said in the complaint.“In France, it is illegal if one film

Dec 2, 2019By Kim Jae-heun
Civic group sues Disney Korea over alleged screen monopoly with 'Frozen 2'

Prosecution widening probe into Cheong Wa Dae

By Kang Seung-wooAmid mounting suspicions of “improper investigations” by the office of the senior presidential secretary for civic affairs, the prosecution is seeking to conduct a search and seizure operation of its Cheong Wa Dae location and will summon current and former officials for questioning.Several incumbent and former officials working at the office are suspected of having exerted influence to abruptly end an investigation by a special team into alleged illegalities committed by former Busan Vice Mayor Yoo Jae-soo; and also to have meddled in last year's local elections in Ulsan. Some officials have already been summoned for questioning, while one of the former investigators, who was scheduled to be questioned Sunday afternoon about the election meddling allegations, killed himself hours before he was to appear before prosecutors.Carrying out a search and seizure operation at Cheong Wa Dae, a facility linked to national security, is virtually impossible, and prosecutors are expected to ask the civic affairs office to submit requested documents.The prosecution wa

Dec 2, 2019By Kang Seung-woo
Prosecution widening probe into Cheong Wa Dae

14% of women in Seoul suffer from digital sexual violence

About 14 percent of women living in Seoul have suffered from digital sexual violence, including spycam filming, unsolicited intimate images and the distribution of videos of sexual acts, a survey showed Monday.The Seoul metropolitan government and its affiliated Seoul Foundation of Women & Family unveiled their recent survey of 3,678 female citizens, coincidentally with the launch of a new public project to better protect women from technology-aided sexual crimes.In the survey conducted from Nov. 15-27, 1,581 respondents, or 43 percent, said they experienced or witnessed digital sex crimes. Of them, 530 were direct victims, accounting for 14 percent of the respondents. By type of crime, 48 percent of the victims said they received unwanted obscene materials and 38 percent cited requests of unsolicited sexual conversation. And 30 percent said they were encouraged to send intimate photos, while 26 percent were asked to show body parts. Filming of body parts and distribution of photos and videos of sexual acts were also cited by 20 percent and 17 percent of them, respectively. Only

Dec 2, 2019
14% of women in Seoul suffer from digital sexual violence

Police to reinforce traffic safety in school zones

Police will deploy more officers and increase the number of automated speed cameras in school zones in an effort to reduce the number of accidents in such areas. / Korea times fileBy Kim Jae-heunPolice will deploy more officers and increase the number of automated speed cameras in school zones in an effort to reduce the number of accidents in such areas. According to the National Police Agency (NPA), Sunday, 620 officers posted at traffic control zones at intersections during rush-hours will be reassigned to schools.The measures come as a bill requiring the reinforcement of traffic safety measures in school zones ― that includes these ― awaits approval at the National Assembly, currently is under threat of a filibuster by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. The bill was proposed after a car killed elementary school student Kim Min-sik, 9, in a school zone in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, in September. In school zones where pedestrian access and roads are not separated or there are no speed cameras, police will oversee children after-school hours as they return home. Zones th

Dec 2, 2019By Kim Jae-heun
Police to reinforce traffic safety in school zones

Singer Jung Joon-young given 6 years for gang rape, voyeur videos

Singer Jung Joon-young enters the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to be questioned over gang rape and other sexual violence allegations in this March 14 photo. / YonhapFormer FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon gets 5 years By Lee Suh-yoonK-pop singers Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were sentenced to six years and five years in jail, respectively, Friday, after being found guilty on charges of rape and distributing videos of their crimes. The sentences followed the nation's worst scandal of sex-related crimes by celebrities, which involved drugging and sexually assaulting women at the Burning Sun nightclub, that came to light earlier this year“The accused, famous entertainment figures, committed sex crimes including the gang rape of a woman who was defenseless at the time. They also shared the events on KakaoTalk mobile messages, using women as tools for sexual gratification,” Judge Kang Seong-su of the Seoul Central District Court said in reading the verdict. Former FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon stands outside Seoul Central District Court after an arrest warrant heari

Nov 29, 2019
Singer Jung Joon-young given 6 years for gang rape, voyeur videos

Forced labor victims, civic groups slam speaker's compensation proposal

Civic activists and lawyers hold a press conference in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday, condemning Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang's idea for compensating wartime forced laborers through a joint fund pooled by Japanese and Korean companies. / YonhapForced labor victims say they won't settle for anything less than legal responsibility and official reparations from JapanBy Lee Suh-yoonSurviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor and civic activists are dismayed by National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang's proposal to compensate wartime forced laborers via a foundation funded by both Japanese and Korean companies and remaining funds in the now-defunct “Reconciliation and Healing Foundation” for wartime sex slavery victims under Imperial Japan.The proposal is aimed at resolving the year-long deadlock between Seoul and Tokyo over Korea's Supreme Court rulings ordering Japanese firms to pay reparations to former forced laborers. Japan maintains all reparations issues were settled in a 1965 treaty normalizing relations between the two countries, and t

Nov 29, 2019
Forced labor victims, civic groups slam speaker's compensation proposal

Court clears ex-Seoul Phil chief of violence charges

By Bahk Eun-jiPark Hyun-jung, former CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), was cleared of assault charges at an appellate court.Park Hyun-jung /Korea Times fileAn appeals' division at the Seoul Central District Court overturned a lower court ruling that acknowledged the charge and fined her 3 million won ($2,545).She was accused of poking a female employee with her finger during a quarrel.“The lower court recognized the charge based on the victim's testimony,” the court said. “But Park consistently denied she had poked the victim. And considering all factors, including the victim's attitude after the incident and changes in the victim's testimony, the evidence provided by the prosecution is insufficient to confirm the alleged assault took place.”At the end of 2014, SPO employees claimed Park used abusive language toward them, managed the orchestra on her own, and sexually harassed male employees during a dinner session.But the police concluded the workers made false claims to spread rumors about her and force her to step down, sending the case to the

Nov 28, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Court clears ex-Seoul Phil chief of violence charges
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