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Police seek arrest warrant for Jung Joon-young over secret sex videos

Singer Jung Joon-young stands at the photoline to apologize to the public over his suspected crimes after undergoing a marathon police interrogation last Thursday at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul. / Yonhap Senior police superintendent booked for official secret leakageBy Kim Jae-heunAn arrest warrant was sought for K-pop singer Jung Joon-young, Monday, for his suspected crimes of illicitly recording sex videos with over 10 partners and sharing them with his celebrity friends through a mobile phone messenger. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it asked the prosecution to request a warrant to a court for Jung.If a court issues the warrant, Jung would be the first to be arrested among eight members who shared the illegally filmed videos in a controversial group chat including singer Seungri of BIGBANG and Seungri's business partner Yu In-suk.Jung is suspected of sharing in the group chat explicit photos and videos that he recorded secretly with at least 10 women. He was earlier questioned at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday, and admitted to t

Mar 18, 2019
Police seek arrest warrant for Jung Joon-young over secret sex videos

Corrupt ties between police, K-pop star's nightclub revealed

Choi Jong-hoon, a former member of boy band FT Island, appears at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Saturday, for questioning over his alleged filming of a woman's body secretly and sharing it in a group chat. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiCorrupt ties between police and show business are emerging, as the investigation is expanding into the alleged drug use, sexual violence, prostitution and sex video scandal involving several celebrities and a nightclub named Burning Sun.A police senior superintendent currently working at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) headquarters, surnamed Yoon, admitted to his acquaintance with K-pop singer Seungri and Yu In-suk, a businessman who set up Yuri Holdings together with Seungri.It was alleged that a ranking police official had their backs, as implied in some conversations in a group chat with Seungri, Yu and six others including singer Jung Joon-young.In the conversations, Yu boasted of his connection with a ranking official, saying he helped cover up irregularities at a bar which Seungri, Yu and Jung co-operated in 2016.Yu told police during Thur

Mar 17, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Corrupt ties between police, K-pop star's nightclub revealed

Police officer under investigation over cozy ties with Burning Sun

A police officer has been booked for investigation over his alleged involvement in the snowballing sex and corruption scandal centering on a former member of famous K-pop band BIGBANG, police said Sunday.The officer with Gangnam Police Station, which covers Seoul's Gangnam district, where the nightclub partly ran by Seungri of BIGBANG is located, was the first incumbent police officer facing an official charge in connection with the scandal.The officer, facing a charge of dereliction of duty, allegedly got the nightclub, Burning Sun, off the hook in an investigation into suspicions that an underage patron was allowed into the club and drank alcohol in late July last year.He closed the case on the basis of insufficient evidence and reported the decision to the prosecution. Collusive ties are suspected between the officer and the nightclub, though police have not yet uncovered any financial transaction between the two sides. The police plan to look into whether a former police officer, known only by his family name Kang, played any role in arranging collusion between police officers an

Mar 17, 2019
Police officer under investigation over cozy ties with Burning Sun

Former opposition party floor leader under fire over unfair hiring

Rep. Kim Sung-tae, then floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, refutes the allegations regarding hiring irregularities connected to his daughter, at the National Assembly in this Dec. 20 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonFormer floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) Rep. Kim Sung-tae's alleged hiring scandal is heading toward a new round of political turmoil after a former executive at KT, the country's No. 2 telecom company, was arrested for allegations of being involved in providing favors to Kim's daughter in the hiring process.In April 2011, Kim's daughter was hired as a contracted worker at a sports business unit of KT. Then she gained full-time employment status in 2013 and left the company in February 2018. But local prosecutors found she hadn't been on the list of finalists who passed a documentation process during the recruitment period, raising suspicions that she received “hidden advantages” to pass the process.The arrest of the KT executive followed. It's still unknown whether the prosecutor's office will summon th

Mar 15, 2019By Park Ji-won
Former opposition party floor leader under fire over unfair hiring

SK Chemicals executive arrested in humidifier sterilizer scandal

An SK Chemicals executive has been arrested on charges of destroying evidence on the toxicity of raw materials for humidifier sterilizers supplied to other local companies. YonhapAn executive of SK Chemicals Co. has been arrested on the charge of destroying evidence on the toxicity of raw materials for humidifier sterilizers supplied to other local companies, court officials said Friday.The Seoul Central District Court reviewed arrested warrants requested for three executives and one employee of the SK Group affiliate amid prosecutors' expanding investigation into the humidifier sterilizer scandal and approved one, for Park Cheol, senior vice president of SK Chemicals.Arrest warrants for three other officials were not granted by the court. The four officials appeared before the Seoul court on Thursday for a hearing on the legality of their arrest warrants.Judge Song Kyung-ho put 53-year-old Park under arrest, saying his criminal charges were confirmed and there is a chance that the suspect may destroy evidence.Earlier, Seoul prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for the four on cha

Mar 15, 2019
SK Chemicals executive arrested in humidifier sterilizer scandal

Prosecutors raid Seoul bourse in Samsung BioLogics probe

Investigators search the Korea Exchange in western Seoul, Friday, as part of a probe into Samsung BioLogics' alleged accounting fraud. YonhapProsecutors raided South Korea's main stock exchange Friday as part of a probe into alleged accounting fraud by Samsung BioLogics Co.Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office were sent to search the Korea Exchange (KRX) in western Seoul. They also raided the offices of two Samsung units ― Samsung S&T Corp. and Samsung SDS Co. ― on Thursday in the probe into the biopharmaceutical company. Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Samsung BioLogics Co. broke accounting rules in inflating the value of its subsidiary, Samsung Bioepis, ahead of BioLogics' 2016 initial public offering.The prosecution suspects the KRX eased the IPO rules at that time to make BioLogics eligible for listing on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ market. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) judged in its own inquiry that the alleged fraudulent accounting possibly amounts to 4.5 trillion won (US$3.96 billion). Civic groups claimed the alleged fraud wa

Mar 15, 2019
Prosecutors raid Seoul bourse in Samsung BioLogics probe

Seungri to postpone military duty; Jung hands out 'golden phone'

Bigbang's member Seungri leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency after being questioned over sexual misconduct allegations on Friday. YonhapYonhapTwo prominent South Korean singers returned home Friday after marathon interrogations by police over allegations of sexual misdeeds. Seungri, a member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, left the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at about 6:15 a.m., following 16 hours of questioning over suspicion that he arranged prostitution for prospective business investors. The 29-year-old singer, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, said he will postpone his military service to undergo the investigation."I am putting in a request for the conscription delay today. If I'm allowed, I want to fulfill my responsibility in cooperating with the investigation," he said. Lee had planned to begin the mandatory military service later this month.He is also being investigated in connection with a nightclub, Burning Sun, of which he was an executive. Police are looking into allegations of drugs, rape, tax evasion and cozy ties with law enforcement surrounding the club.Less

Mar 15, 2019
Seungri to postpone military duty; Jung hands out 'golden phone'

Troubled K-pop stars questioned over sex-related allegations

Jung Joon-young, left, and Seungri appear at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for questioning,Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul, Choi Won-suk By Kang Seung-wooK-pop singers Jung Joon-young and Seungri appeared for questioning by the police Thursday, over allegations of illicitly recording and sharing sex videos online, and for the latter, providing sexual services for business partners.Jung, 30, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at 10 a.m., two days after returning from an overseas shoot, following the allegations.“I apologize for causing public concern. I will cooperate fully with the police investigation,” he told reporters. However, he remained mum on questions from a swarm of reporters awaiting his appearance. Jung was identified as a suspect in the scandal Tuesday, and publically admitted his wrongdoings the following day on social media.During their investigation, police questioned Jung on whether he secretly filmed women he was

Mar 14, 2019By Kang Seung-woo
Troubled K-pop stars questioned over sex-related allegations

Former KT executive arrested for helping lawmaker's daughter get full-time job

A former KT executive has been arrested for allegedly giving favors to a lawmaker's daughter so she could get a full-time position at the company. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA former executive at KT, Korea's second largest mobile carrier, has been arrested on charges of giving favors to a lawmaker's daughter during the company's hiring process in 2012.The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office said Thursday that the court issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, 63, surnamed Kim, for allegedly giving favors to Rep. Kim Sung-tae's daughter.The daughter, who became a KT intern in April 2011, was later hired as a full-time employee.Investigators confirmed that she failed to make it through a document review, the first stage of the hiring process.The prosecution suspects that Kim, former floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, peddled his influence to secure a position for his daughter. She left the company in February 2018.

Mar 14, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Former KT executive arrested for helping lawmaker's daughter get full-time job

Marijuana smuggling surges drastically

Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene smokes a joint at the medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage, Alaska. AP-YonhapBy Kim Hyun-binThere has been a surge in cannabis product smuggling here in recent years especially after California and Canada legalized the use of recreational marijuana.According to Incheon Main Customs, Thursday, it recorded 60 cases of marijuana smuggling and confiscated 7.8 kilograms of these products in 2017. But the number of cases soared 303 percent to 242 in 2018, and quantity increased 268 percent to 28.7 kilograms of weed products.From the end of last year, the customs office has seen a huge increase in the smuggling of marijuana cartridges that can be smoked like electronic cigarettes ― 79 cases with a total 3.5 kilograms since November. The number is significant as it exceeds the total number of marijuana cartridge smuggling cases in all of 2018: 45 cases and close to 2 kilograms. Diverse weed products have been confiscated including marijuana cookies, chocolates and gummies. They were mostly smuggled by travelers and international mail and freight.Un

Mar 14, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin
Marijuana smuggling surges drastically
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