South Korea - The Korea Times

3 immigration officers punished for rigging refugee interviews

Asylum seekers in Korea and their translators attend a NANCEN-organized press conference at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in Seoul, June 18, to disclose the immigration office's systematic falsification of refugee testimony by Arab and Muslim applicants. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoonBy Lee Suh-yoonThree refugee screening officers at the Ministry of Justice will face disciplinary action for rigging refugee interview records involving Arab and Muslim asylum seekers, the ministry said Tuesday.The announcement comes after several asylum seekers spoke out last month about how some immigration officials intentionally rigged their interview records ― leaving out crucial testimony of the persecution they faced in their home countries and adding false claims that made the applicants look like they came to Korea just to find work. “After a thorough internal investigation, we ordered the disciplinary committee to impose strict punitive measures last week,” the ministry said in a statement. “We will also look into additional cases raised by some media outl

Jul 24, 2019

3 immigration officers punished for rigging refugee interviews

YouTuber gets suspended jail term for ambulance theft

By Bahk Eun-jiA YouTuber has been found guilty of stealing an ambulance to attract attention to his videos.A local court has sentenced a YouTuber to a suspended jail term for stealing an ambulance to attract viewer. Korea Times fileThe Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the 36-year-old man, identified by his surname Kim, to six months in prison suspended for two years, Wednesday, for obstruction of public duty and unlawful use of a vehicle. The court also sentenced the man to 120 hours of community service and mental therapy, and placed him on probation.Kim got into the ambulance when it was parked, while rescue workers were dealing with a traffic accident in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, in February. He then drove the vehicle for about 12 kilometers, only stopping after seven patrol cars surrounded the vehicle near Gunja Station in eastern Seoul.Police said Kim was not drunk at the time, and initially insisted he stole the car to go to a psychiatric hospital. But he later confessed that he did it to upload a video of himself stealing the ambulance to his YouTube channel. He was

Jul 24, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji

YouTuber gets suspended jail term for ambulance theft

34 indicted over hazardous humidifier sterilizers

Civic groups and victims' family members protest in front of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser's building in Youngdeungpo-gu, southwestern Seoul, calling for a boycott of their humidifier sterilizer product containing hazardous chemicals that reportedly killed nearly 1,200 people in this 2017 file photo. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soonBy Kim Jae-heunThe prosecution said Tuesday it has indicted 34 people over their involvement in manufacturing and selling hazardous humidifier sterilizers that killed over 100 people with respiratory diseases.The mass arrests and indictments are the second of their kind following a 2016 case which involved disinfectants that contained a different chemical.According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, SK Chemicals former President Hong Ji-ho and seven others, mostly former executives of toxic disinfectant manufacturers, were arrested, while 26 others were indicted without physical detention over their involvement.Those people include officials from SK Chemicals, Aekyung Industrial and E-mart, which produced and sold disinfectants containing the

Jul 23, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

34 indicted over hazardous humidifier sterilizers

Korean victims of forced labor file for sale of seized Mitsubishi assets

Yang Geum-deok, one of the five plaintiffs in the wartime forced labor compensation suit that won against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries last November, talks to reporters during a press conference at Gwangju City Council, Tuesday. YonhapBy Lee Suh-yoonPlaintiffs who won a compensation suit against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for its wartime forced labor filed a formal request to a local court Tuesday to seize and liquidate the Japanese firm's assets in Korea, after the company refused to abide by a November Supreme Court ruling in their favor.The request came amid an escalating feud between the two countries following the court verdict and Japan's alleged retaliatory move restricting exports of key materials to Korea. The action comes eight months after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling, which sided with 87-year-old Yang Geum-deok and four other plaintiffs who were forced to work without pay at a Mitsubishi aircraft plant in Nagoya during World War II. The court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to pay between 100 million won ($85,000) and 150 million won to each victim in legal com

Jul 23, 2019

Korean victims of forced labor file for sale of seized Mitsubishi assets

Man dead after setting fire to car near Japanese embassy

Firefighters rescue a man who set fire to his car in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, Friday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooA man in his 70s died Friday after setting fire to his car in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul in what seemed to be a protest against Tokyo's rejection of Seoul's ruling on wartime forced labor. According to the Jongno Police Station, the man surnamed Kim parked his car on the sidewalk in front of the building entrance and set fire to the inside of the vehicle around 3:24 a.m. Flammable materials including butane gas were found inside the car. Although the fire was put out within 10 minutes, the man suffered severe burns to his entire body and was taken to a nearby hospital. At the time, he was breathing but had difficulty communicating. He passed away at 12:57 p.m., according to the police.After trying to find the exact reason he set the car on fire through witness accounts and CCTV images captured nearby, police found he had borrowed the car from his acquaintance. He also spoke to the acquaintance by phone, saying he would start the fire because of his

Jul 19, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Man dead after setting fire to car near Japanese embassy

Korean dies after setting car on fire in front of Japanese embassy

Firefighters extinguish a car fire in front of an office building in which the Japanese embassy is located, early Friday. YonhapBy Park Si-sooA Korean man in his 70s died after setting his car on fire in front of a building in Jongno, Seoul, in which the Japanese embassy is located, police said Friday.He set the car on fire at 3:24 a.m. Friday and the flames were extinguished in 10 minutes. The man, 78, surnamed Kim, suffered serious burns and died at around noon. The embassy was undamaged. The car, registered in the name of the man's friend, was loaded with flammable agents such as bottled gas and gasoline. The incident took place at 3:24 a.m. Friday and the flames were extinguished in 10 minutes. YonhapThe man, 78, surnamed Kim, died after being rescued. YonhapPolice confirmed the man had expressed a grudge against Japan in a phone call with a friend a day before the incident. But they said there was no clear evidence the incident was motivated by the ongoing Seoul-Tokyo trade conflict. The victim's father-in-law was a victim of forced labor under 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of

Jul 19, 2019

Korean dies after setting car on fire in front of Japanese embassy

Korea-Japan dispute spreads to security

Actor sent to prosecution for sexual assault allegion

Actor Kang Ji-hwan is taken from Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, as he is being referred to the prosecution on suspicion of sexual assault. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunPolice referred actor Kang Ji-hwan to the prosecution, Thursday, eight days after he was detained for alleged sex crimes against two women. He first denied the allegations, but admitted to them later during police questioning. Investigators are also looking into whether he took illegal drugs at the time of the incidents.Kang, 42, was transferred from a detention center in Gwangju Police Station, Gyeonggi Province, to the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.Kang, wearing a face mask and cap, refused to answer reporters' questions as he was being taken into the prosecution's building.He is suspected of raping one woman and molesting another after drinking with them at his home in Gwangju, July 9. The two women were staff members of a subcontractor working for the entertainment company representing Kang. The three were drinking with other staff at his house, and the two wo

Jul 18, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Actor sent to prosecution for sexual assault allegion

37 arrested in Malaysia for running illicit gambling websites

Police have arrested 37 Koreans in Malaysia on suspicion of running illegal gambling websites. / gettyimagesbankBy Kang Seung-wooThirty-seven Koreans have been arrested on suspicion of operating illegal gambling websites in Malaysia, with stakes worth hundreds of billions of won, the police said, Thursday.The 37, from two illegal gambling rings, are being questioned by police after being extradited from the Southeast Asian country from July 9 through Wednesday.This marks the largest number of Koreans ever caught overseas for running illegal gambling websites.According to police, one group, comprised of nine members led by a 41-year-old man surnamed Lee, is suspected of running an illicit website in Kuala Lumpur since March 2015, raking in illegal profits of 19.2 billion won ($16.2 million). Police estimate transactions on the site totaled more than 384 billion won. The other ring, led by a 38-year-old man identified as Roh, is alleged to have operated similar illegal gambling websites in the Malaysian capital since April 2017. The massive arrests came after the Korean National Police

Jul 18, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

37 arrested in Malaysia for running illicit gambling websites

Gov't to crack down on spy cams during beach season

People enjoy Haeundae Beach in Busan, May 26. / Korea Times photo by Jeon Hye-wonBy Kim Jae-heunWith summer vacationers ready to flock to beaches across the country, the government said it will carry out crackdowns on spy cams in the areas.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Wednesday it will cooperate with police to prevent and crack down on such crimes at Haeundae Beach in Busan, Daecheon Beach in South Chungcheong Province and Gyeongpodae Beach in Gangwon Province through the end of August. The crackdown will focus on the secret photographing or filming of other holidaymakers' bodies. The ministry will also work together with local governments to check public toilets and dressing rooms for hidden cameras.It asks people to report to nearby police stations or call 112 if they see someone secretly taking a picture of another person on the beach. People secretly taking photos or filming the bodies of others are subject to up to five years in prison or 30 million won in fines. The criminal's personal information can also be made public if the crime is serious and the person

Jul 17, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Gov't to crack down on spy cams during beach season

Ban on intrusive job interview questions comes into force

Questions such as "what does your father do?" are no longer allowed during job interviews. GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoA new law banning companies from asking jobseekers for unnecessary personal information came into force Wednesday.According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the law bans companies from requiring job applicants to submit sensitive information, such as their regions of birth and other family members' profiles, and asking such questions during job interviews.Other information that should not be asked includes their wealth, marital status and physical condition such as weight, height and whether they have a “decent appearance.” However, if such information is essential to evaluate applicants' suitability for positions such as modeling, employers can demand it.A company that violates the law can be fined 3 million won ($2,600) for a first offense, 4 million won for a second violation and 5 million for a third.Korean companies have long been notorious for intrusive and discriminatory hiring practices that require job applicants to submit all sorts of p

Jul 17, 2019By Jung Min-ho

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