South Korea - The Korea Times

Police probing drug use allegations of chaebol scions

A grandson of SK Group founder Chey Jong-gun is brought in by police officers into the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, Monday, for alleged purchase and use of marijuana products. YonhapBy Kim Hyun-binMembers of big conglomerate families including SK and Hyundai are being investigated for alleged drug use, as police have expanded an initial probe following suspicions that more scions of chaebol have engaged in similar illegal behavior.The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency detained a grandson of SK Group founder Chey Jong-gun, Monday, for purchasing and smoking marijuana. The 31 year-old confessed to the offences, and the police plan to ask the prosecution to request an arrest warrant.He allegedly purchased liquid cannabis cartridges on 15 different occasions from a 27-year-old dealer surname Lee, and three occasions from an unidentified dealer, between March and May last year, with the total cost reaching 7 million won ($6,160). He allegedly received the cannabis via a parcel service after contacting Lee through Telegram and transferring money to the seller's account, officers sa

Apr 2, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

Police probing drug use allegations of chaebol scions

Police hit for poor probe into drug allegation of Namyang Dairy founder's granddaughter

Man gets 3 years in jail for ruckus on bridge

The police SWAT team checks a trailer truck on Geoga Bridge in Busan, after suppressing the driver who caused a commotion while under the influence of alcohol, blocking the bridge for five hours, in this September photo. / YonhapBy Kim RahnThe Busan District Court sentenced a truck driver to three years in jail, Tuesday, for causing an obstruction in the middle of Geoga Bridge in Busan last September while under the influence of alcohol and forcing its shutdown for five hours.The court accepted charges of drunk driving, disturbing traffic, damaging property and obstructing public duty.According to the ruling, the intoxicated driver, 58, crashed his trailer truck into a guardrail near the bridge connecting Busan and Geoje Island at around 11:36 p.m. on Sept. 10.He locked himself inside the truck, refusing to follow police orders to get out. He rammed his truck into patrol cars and tried to escape, despite the efforts of dozens of police and rescue officers. The incident ended about five hours later after the police defamed him when he opened the door

Apr 2, 2019By Kim Rahn

Man gets 3 years in jail for ruckus on bridge

'Opposition lawmaker's daughter got 'free pass' in KT hiring process'

Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party speaks at a meeting at the National Assembly, Yeouido, Seoul, in this October photo. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Suh-yoonIn the latest revelations of the Korea Telecom (KT)'s hiring scandal, prosecutors said an opposition lawmaker's daughter skipped the first two screening steps and failed an online test before she landed a full-time job at the nation's second-biggest telecommunications company. The daughter of the former main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Rep. Kim Sung-tae, failed to submit her job application on time in KT's 2012 spring open recruitment. She submitted her application after the initial resume and aptitude assessments were over, but was included in the pool of finalists, prosecutors said in their indictment of former KT human resource executive Kim Sang-hyo that was submitted to the court on Monday. The daughter failed the next step in the hiring process ― an online personality test ― but proceeded to the final interview stage anyway and got the full-time job. Prosecutors suspect

Apr 2, 2019

'Opposition lawmaker's daughter got 'free pass' in KT hiring process'

Gov't to crack down on sex videos in chatrooms

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Jin Sun-mee  makes her work report at the Gender Equality and Family Committee general meeting at National Assembly on Yeouido in Seoul, last Friday. YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunThe government will launch an intensive crackdown on the sharing in chatrooms of illegally filmed sex videos, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Monday. The move follows the scandal in which multiple celebrities, including K-pop singers Seungri and Jung Joon-young, secretly filmed themselves having sex with women and shared the films in a chatroom.The crackdown will last from April 1 to May 31.The government and police previously focused on sex trafficking in online open chatrooms, where many unidentified people come together to share information on similar interests or specific topics.Now the authorities have broadened their scope to include the spreading and sharing of illegally filmed videos, as well as instigating or brokering prostitution.When a phrase related to such illegal acts is detected, the authorities will send warning messages to the users, telli

Apr 1, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Gov't to crack down on sex videos in chatrooms

Seungri arranged prostitution services for some men: police

Seungri heads to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno-gu, Mar. 14, for questioning on allegations of offering prostitution services to clients and investors for his business establishments. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukPolice confirmed Monday that former K-pop boyband BIGBANG member Seungri arranged prostitution services for some men, as they have obtained statements from people involved, verifying some of the allegations, including women hired to perform sexual favors. "We can say that we have verified part of the allegations (Seungri faces)," an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency probing the case told a press briefing. Asked if this meant that people who were invited engaged in sexual intercourse, the official said, "Yes," declining to comment any further. Police said they have questioned a few women as persons of interest in the case and obtained their statements admitting such acts had been committed. The official refused to give details as to whom the escort services had been arranged for and whether the women hired for the jobs were actually paid. "We'

Apr 1, 2019

Seungri arranged prostitution services for some men: police

Singer Jung sent to prosecution over sexual violence

Singer Jung Joon-young is sent to Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office from Jongno Police Station at 7:48 a.m., Friday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunPolice referred to the prosecution the case of K-pop singer Jung Joon-young's alleged illicit recording and sharing of sex videos online, Friday.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent Jung and investigation material to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, asking the prosecution to indict him. The move came about a week after his arrest.Jung was dressed in a black suit when he left Jongno Police Station at 7:48 a.m. He remained silent when reporters asked why he had tried to destroy evidence and if he had anything to say to the victims. Police confirmed that Jung shared with 16 people 13 illicitly filmed videos of his sex partners. Among the 16 were former BIGBANG member Seungri and FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon, in multiple group chat conversations. Seven of them, including Jung, Seungri and Choi, were booked for uploading such content. As well as the sex videos, Jung allegedly took photos and videos of women in many plac

Mar 29, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Singer Jung sent to prosecution over sexual violence

Seungri arranged prostitution services for some men: police

Car rental service hit for lax identification procedure

A crashed car lies on a coastal road after being salvaged from the sea in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Five teenagers were killed as the car hit the guardrail and fell into the sea. / YonhapGov't plans to set regulation punishing ID lenderBy Kim Jae-heunA recent car crash that killed five teenagers has shown the lax system used by car rental apps is not sufficient to identify the person renting the vehicle.On Tuesday, three men and two women, all 19 years old, were on a trip to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, when their rented vehicle crashed into a guardrail and fell into the sea.They rented the car through a car rental service on a mobile phone application. The company requires drivers to be at least 21 years old and have at least one year of driving experience.None of the five teenagers satisfied the company's terms and conditions but they had no problem renting a vehicle as all they needed was an acquaintance's account information of the car rental app ― one of them borrowed the name and driver's license from a 22-year-old neighbor.The car sharing and rental app only requir

Mar 29, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

YouTuber's grenade claim draws police

By Kim Hyun-binA YouTuber falsely claimed to have acquired a grenade following a viewer's request, resulting in military and police officers being dispatched to search his house in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.According to police and rescue authorities, Friday, the man, 20, called the Ministry of National Defense's public service center at 2:28 p.m. Thursday and said he obtained a grenade and it is in his room on the second floor of his house.Nearly 50 personnel including a military explosive ordnance disposal team, police and firefighters were dispatched to the caller's house and searched it for 30 minutes, but no grenade was found.The man turned himself in to police later in the day and confessed he made the false claim after one of his YouTube viewers asked him to “do anything that is related to the military.”Under the law, a maximum fine of 600,000 won ($528) or up to 30 days of confinement can be given for filing a false report.

Mar 29, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

'Park's Cheong Wa Dae backed scandal-ridden ex-vice minister'

Rep. Kwak Sang-do of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party walks into a pressroom at the National Assembly in Seoul to give his view on a sex-for-favors scandal involving former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui, Tuesday. Kwak, a former senior presidential official in the Park Geun-hye administration, denied the accusation that he interfered with an investigation into Kim. YonhapNew findings show presidential office aware of sex-for-favors allegation before appointmentBy Lee Suh-yoonThe reinvestigation into Kim Hak-ui, a former high-ranking official in the Park Geun-hye administration, is bringing to light new evidence that suggests the Park government was aware its vice justice minister candidate attended sex party arranged by a businessman, but pushed ahead with the appointment in March 2013 anyway.So far, relevant officials in the former Park government have maintained they did not know of the allegations before the appointment, saying police failed to notify them of their findings before March 13, when Cheong Wa Dae announced the nomination of Kim for the post. A former senior p

Mar 28, 2019

'Park's Cheong Wa Dae backed scandal-ridden ex-vice minister'

Court upholds Chinese man's five-year prison term for attempted murder

A Chinese man who tried to kill a co-worker last year will serve five years in prison. gettyimagesbankBy Dong Sun-hwaAn appeals court has upheld a five-year prison term for a Chinese man who was indicted on charges of trying to kill a co-worker last year.The Gwangju High Court said Wednesday it confirmed the lower court's sentence for the man, 61, who stabbed his fellow countryman, 57, for “not working hard” in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, June 27.The attack left the victim with injuries requiring four weeks of medical treatment. The perpetrator later turned himself in to police and was indicted for attempted murder. He admitted attacking the victim in a fit of anger, but denied he intended killing him.“The victim could have died if he did not receive medical treatment immediately,” presiding Judge Hwang Jin-koo said. “The lower court's sentence does not seem heavy for the crime.”

Mar 28, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa

Law & Crime