South Korea - The Korea Times

Police's footage leak of murder suspect causes anger

Police officers apprehend murder suspect Koh Yoo-jung at the parking lot of her apartment in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in this video footage shot June 1. A ranking police officer leaked the footage to the media against internal regulations concerning investigations. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunA senior police officer on Jeju Island leaked a video clip to the media, which showed footage of murder suspect Koh Yoo-jung being taken into custody last month. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) has launched an internal investigation into the matter, as disclosing such videos is against internal rules on investigations as well as public relations affairs.The agency said Monday it was questioning the former chief of Jeju Dongbu Police Station, Park Ki-nam, who was in charge of the murder investigation, for handing over the video clip to a local newspaper and a broadcaster.Koh has been indicted for killing her ex-husband at a vacation house on Jeju, dismembering him and disposing of the body parts at multiple locations.In the clip, detectives approach Koh at the parking lot of her

Jul 29, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Police's footage leak of murder suspect causes anger

YouTuber indicted for threatening top prosecutor

By Kim RahnYouTuber Kim Sang-jin / YonhapProsecutors have indicted a conservative YouTuber for filming clips threatening key liberal officials, including newly appointed Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Monday that YouTuber Kim Sang-jin had been indicted without physical detention last Friday on charges of issuing threats and interference with public duty. Three others who aided in the live YouTube broadcast were also indicted on the same charges.Kim and the others allegedly visited Yoon's residence several times earlier this year when he was head of the prosecutors' office and live-streamed the visits, whilst voicing hatred of Yoon. In an April clip, broadcast ahead of the office's decision on whether to temporarily suspend former President Park Geun-hye's jail term to allow her to receive medical treatment, Kim went to Yoon's house and said he knew his car license plate number and would kill him.Kim also made similar remarks outside the houses of other liberal figures, including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Rep. Woo Won-shik of the

Jul 29, 2019By Kim Rahn

YouTuber indicted for threatening top prosecutor

Foreign swimmer detained in Gwangju over sexual harassment

YonhapA foreign swimmer participating in the FINA World Championships in Gwangju was detained Sunday for alleged sexual harassment.Gwangju Seobu Police Station in the southern metropolitan city said it has detained the swimmer, 22, on charges of sexually harassing an 18-year-old woman at a club around 3 a.m. Sunday.The woman called police immediately and the swimmer, whose identity was withheld, was apprehended on the spot.The swimmer, accompanied by an attorney from his native country, is said to be denying all allegations.Police said they will seek a travel ban on the swimmer, a bronze medalist from the 2016 Olympics.The incident took place about 24 hours after a loft at a Gwangju nightclub collapsed, killing two and injuring 16, including eight foreign athletes competing at the championships.The competition began July 12 and will end Sunday night. (Yonhap)

Jul 28, 2019

Foreign swimmer detained in Gwangju over sexual harassment

Actress Yoon Ji-oh sued again, this time for obscenity

Actress and model Yoon Ji-oh looks at her smartphone at Incheon International Airport, April 24, before leaving for Canada. Feminist author Kim Su-min disclosed social media and KakaoTalk messages between herself and Yoon, in order to back her claim that Yoon's real intention is to make money by selling her stories about late actress Jang Ja-yeon. Kim sued Yoon for defamation. Yoon is also facing another lawsuit for obscenity. / Korea Times file'Whistleblower' faces credibility backlashBy Kang Hyun-kyungSouth Korea has been wrestling with the dark side of whistleblowing recently after actress and model Yoon Ji-oh became embroiled in a controversy for her dubious past and inconsistent testimony about actress Jang Ja-yeon, who committed suicide in March 2009. Yoon was once portrayed as a courageous woman who stood against corrupt and sexually abusive practices in show business that allegedly led to Jang's death.Her “heroics,” however, are being brought into question. Yoon has been the topic of controversy over her testimony but recently also for her revealing attire. Last w

Jul 28, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Actress Yoon Ji-oh sued again, this time for obscenity

College students in North Korea military uniform give anti-Moon performance

College students in North Korean military uniforms, holding guns and a North Korean flag, give a performance on Gwanganri Beach in Busan, Wednesday, to denounce the Moon Jae-in administration's policies. / Captured from YouTubeBy Kim RahnA group of college students wearing North Korean military uniforms staged an anti-government performance on a beach in Busan, Wednesday, prompting surprised vacationers to call the police.According to Busan Nambu Police Station, Friday, they received reports at about 2 p.m. Wednesday that some people wearing North Korean uniforms and holding guns and a North Korean flag were walking on Gwanganri Beach.The people ― seven men and a woman ― walked from the water toward the sand and handed out anti-government leaflets, police said.According to police, they were members of the National College Students' Council, a group that gained attention in December with posters satirizing and criticizing President Moon Jae-in's policies.The students said the stunt, which they live-streamed on YouTube, was a move to criticize the government's failure to deal with a re

Jul 26, 2019By Kim Rahn

College students in North Korea military uniform give anti-Moon performance

Defending women in Korean courts

Kim Soo-jung, partner at Jihyang Law, at her office in Seocho, southern Seoul, Wednesday / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoonLawyer who helped overturn South Korea's abortion ban says change is too slowBy Lee Suh-yoonFor Kim Soo-jung, a 49-year-old partner at Jihyang Law, it was only natural that her legal career would often put her in front of the judge in defense of women. “As long as I can remember, women were always a socially disadvantaged group in Korea,” Kim said in an interview at her office in Seocho, southern Seoul, Wednesday. “Being a female lawyer, it was just something I had to do.“After passing the bar exam, Kim joined a legal team that was pushing to abolish the country's patriarchal family registry system, or “hojuje,” while still at the two-year judicial training institute. Kim and her team eventually won the case at the Constitutional Court in 2004. From there, it was a natural transition to other gender issues that remain unsolved in the legal realm. The most prominent case Kim represented recently was the landmark Constitutional

Jul 26, 2019

Startup CEO under fire for viral video hoax

A video clip posted on YouTube on Tuesday shows a man wearing a clown mask trying to invade a studio apartment room in Sillim-dong, southern Seoul. Captured from YouTubeBy Kang Seung-wooA startup CEO is facing criticism and potential criminal charges for uploading a video reminiscent of recent cases of men trying to invade women's homes to commit sexual assaults, to promote his parcel pick-up business.On Tuesday, a video clip was posted on YouTube that showed a man wearing a clown mask walking down the hallway to a studio apartment room in Sillim-dong, southern Seoul, and trying to unlock the door as if he was trying to get in. However, the door was locked and the man instead took away a parcel left at the door. A few seconds after the masked man disappeared, the "owner" of the room came out to see what happened. The clip resembled a real CCTV recording.After the 89-second video was uploaded and made news headlines, the janitor of the building reported it to Gwanak Police Station. After checking the clip and actual surveillance recordings of the building, the police found that the cl

Jul 25, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Startup CEO under fire for viral video hoax

Top prosecutor's retirement

Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il leaves the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday, amid a farewell from staff, after finishing his two-year term. The new head of the prosecution, Yoon Seok-youl, will be inaugurated today. / Yonhap

Jul 25, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Appellate court reduces former President Park's sentence in spy agency fund case

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye leaves the courtroom after attending a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Oct. 16, 2017. YonhapA Seoul appellate court on Thursday sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to five years in prison and a forfeit of 2.7 billion won (US$2.3 million) for illegally taking off-the-books funds from the state spy agency.Park was indicted in January 2018 on charges of accepting 3.5 billion won from three chiefs of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) from May 2013 to September 2016 in collusion with her secretaries and sentenced by the Seoul Central District Court in July of the same year to six years in jail and a forfeit of 3.3 billion won. At that time, the district court acquitted Park of bribery and applied a charge of loss of state funds in determining her sentence.But the Seoul High Court reduced Park's prison term and forfeit by one year and 600 million won, respectively, by acquitting her of part of the state fund loss charge and applying a charge of embezzlement instead.As for the partial acquittal, the Seoul

Jul 25, 2019

Appellate court reduces former President Park's sentence in spy agency fund case

South African jailed for smuggling marijuana worth $1.7m

Busan High Court has sentenced a South African woman to three years in prison for smuggling marijuana. Captured from KBS TVBy Park Si-sooA South African woman convicted of smuggling marijuana into South Korea has been sentenced to three years in prison. The Busan High Court's ruling on Wednesday confirmed a lower court's penalty.The South African, 58, was charged with drug smuggling after being caught at Gimhae International Airport in October carrying 18 kilograms of marijuana worth 2 billion won ($1.69 million) in her baggage.South Korea punishes production, trading, possession and consumption of marijuana. Violators can face up to five years in prison or a 50 million fine.