South Korea - The Korea Times

PHOTOS Fire breaks out in central Euljiro tool shop

A firefighter pours water into the burnt-out store in the middle of the Euljiro 4-ga area in Jung-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukThe fire occurred in the hardware store-concentrated neighborhood on Thursday afternoon. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukA bystander watches the massive clean-up. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukFire out at a hardware store in Seoul's central Euljiro neighborhood Thursday caused traffic congestion in one of the oldest towns in the capital city. No casualties were reported. The fire started about 12:35 p.m. in the store on the first floor of a two-story building in Euljiro 4-ga.No one was injured, but the blaze spread to several nearby shops and thick smoke caused further congestion in the cramped streets. A fireman takes a drink break at the fire scene. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukA policeman watches over congested traffic near the fire scene. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulAbout a dozen people managed to escape the area. Authorities believe a spark from cutting acrylic panels caused the blaze and are investigating. (Yonhap

Feb 14, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan

[PHOTOS] Fire breaks out in central Euljiro tool shop

Ex-Kolon Group chief to stand trial over 'unreported shares in borrowed accounts'

By Park Si-soo Lee Woong-yeul, former chairman of Kolon Group, will stand trial for allegedly stashing “hundreds of thousands of shares” in accounts registered under others' names in violation of multiple financial laws, according to reports. Newsis said Thursday the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office recently indicted Lee, 63, on violation of the Financial Market Act and the Real-name Financial Transaction Act. The allegedly concealed shares are believed to be an unreported gift from his late father, Lee Dong-chan, which should have been subject to inheritance tax, according to Newsis. A key charge raised against him is an alleged false declaration of shares in his possession. Prosecutors didn't charge him with tax evasion, citing the Supreme Court's past ruling that the act of having shares in borrowed accounts itself is not unlawful. The prosecution began an investigation into the tycoon after receiving tips from the National Tax Agency that audited the company in 2016.Meanwhile, Lee stepped down as the group's chief in January after leading it for 23 years.

Feb 14, 2019

Ex-Kolon Group chief to stand trial over 'unreported shares in borrowed accounts'

Autonomous police system to be introduced this year

By Kang Seung-wooThe presidential office, the government and the ruling party agreed Thursday to test-run an autonomous police system in five jurisdictions and regions within this year, before putting it into full operation nationwide by 2021. Under the plan, 43,000 police officers will be placed under the direct jurisdiction of police agencies with regard to duties related to traffic law enforcement and the investigation of sex crimes, and school and domestic violence. The current National Police Agency will be in charge of matters related to security, intelligence gathering and foreign affairs, counterterrorism and serious crimes such as murder.The local police agencies will be placed under the direct control of local governments, which means mayors and governors will have the authority to appoint autonomous police chiefs.“The municipal police system will be test-operated in Seoul, Sejong and Jeju Island and two more areas that are being discussed,” said Rep. Cho Jeong-sik, the chief policymaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, in a briefing at the National Asse

Feb 14, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Autonomous police system to be introduced this year

Hanwha chemical factory explosion kills 3 in Daejeon

Emergency vehicles come out from a Hanwha chemical factory in Oisam-dong in Daejeon's Yuseong-gu District, where an explosion killed three factory workers and injured one in Thursday morning. News1Three are dead after a chemical factory run by a major conglomerate exploded and caught fire, firefighters said Thursday. The explosion occurred at 8:42 a.m. at a Hanwha factory in Daejeon, a city located about 143 km south of Seoul. Three employees have been confirmed dead, the authorities said, with no further details known yet about the victims. Over 40 fire vehicles were mobilized to put out the blaze at a Hanwha chemical factory in Oisam-dong in Daejeon's Yuseong-gu District, Thursday. YonhapThe factory caught fire shortly after the explosion, they said. Firefighters mobilized over 40 fire vehicles and put out the blaze in about an hour. Fire authorities are investigating to determine the exact cause. The same factory reported an explosion in May last year, in which two people were killed and five others wounded. (Yonhap)

Feb 14, 2019

Hanwha chemical factory explosion kills 3 in Daejeon

Drunk driver in fatal car crash gets 6-year jail term

The family members of Yoon Chang-ho, a KATUSA conscript who was killed by a drunk driver last year, shed tears during a military funeral ceremony in Busan on Nov. 11. Korea Times fileA drunk driver in a highly publicized fatal car crash that killed a young college student in a southern port city was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday. The Busan District Court handed down the verdict to the 27-year-old defendant, identified by his last name Park, ruling that "the degree to which the crime has been committed is very grave and the result is as devastating."Park was charged for hitting Yoon Chang-ho, a KATUSA conscript and Korea University student, with his vehicle while intoxicated at an intersection near the popular Haeundae Beach in Busan on Sept. 25 last year. Yoon suffered severe head injuries and died in early November. Prosecutors had demanded 10 years in prison for Park. The innocent death of the young student stirred public uproar amid heated media coverage, prompting swift parliament moves toward bills to revise punishments for drunk drivers. On Nov. 29, the National

Feb 13, 2019

Drunk driver in fatal car crash gets 6-year jail term

NHRCK to focus on preventing hatred, discrimination

National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) chief Choi Young-ae speaks to the press at NHRCK headquarter in central Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunThe National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) chief Choi Young-ae promised Tuesday to come up with measures to prevent hatred and discrimination. The commission will also work to improve the human rights of athletes, following recent allegations of coaches physically and sexually assaulting some of them.“Hatred and discrimination may look like an individual's problems, but it comes from the structure of society,” Chairwoman Choi said during a meeting with reporters at the NHRCK headquarters in central Seoul. “We have to recognize that we can all be a target of such hatred and discrimination and take countermeasures.”She said the country was is seeing an increase in hate speech against women, the elderly, refugees and sexual minorities, which threatens the basic order of a democratic society and prevents social unity.The human rights watchdog will launch a special committee Feb. 20, consisting o

Feb 12, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

NHRCK to focus on preventing hatred, discrimination

Police probing woman for throwing puppy to death

CCTV footage shows a woman throwing a puppy at a pet shop in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Saturday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-woo, Dong Sun-hwaPolice have launched an investigation into an animal abuse case in which a woman threw her three-month-old pet at a store owner, causing its death.According to the Gangneung Police Station in Gangwon Province, Tuesday, investigators finished questioning the woman, surnamed Lee, as well as the owner of a pet shop in the country's eastern coastal city, surnamed Oh. CCTV footage of the shop went viral, Monday, showing Lee, in her 20s, taking her her newly bought Maltese puppy from a portable pet carrier and throwing it at the pet shop owner. According to Oh, the woman bought the puppy for 500,000 won ($445) from the shop on Saturday, but demanded a refund just seven hours later, saying the dog ate its own feces. The shop owner turned this down, and told her a dog could start eating feces due to a sudden change of surroundings. He asked Lee to keep an eye on the puppy for a few more days. Following an argument, the women threw the puppy at Oh's chest,

Feb 12, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Police probing woman for throwing puppy to death

Home training equipment accidents on the rise

This image is unrelated to the story. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunAs more and more people exercise at home rather than at fitness centers, accidents involving home training equipment are increasing, particularly among children.According to the Korea Consumer Agency, Monday, 207 accidents arising from the use of exercise equipment at home were reported between 2016 and 2018, meaning over 60 cases per year. Children under the age of 10 took up 61.4 percent of the total cases, especially those between one to three years old as they lacked awareness of the dangers of the equipment.In the accidents involving children under 10, 37.9 percent of the children sustained lacerations, followed by bruises with 25 percent and fractures with 15.3 percent.Many of them hurt themselves on stationary bicycles, which accounted for 31.5 percent of all accidents, as children climbed on the equipment and fell. Dumbbells were the second-most dangerous for children, at 23.4 percent, and gym balls and treadmills, 19.3 percent.The agency advised parents to keep the equipment inaccessible to children and make sure e

Feb 11, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Home training equipment accidents on the rise

Ex-top court chief indicted on 47 charges

From left are former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae, Ko Young-han and Park Byong-dae, who were former justices. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooFormer Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was indicted Monday on 47 charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a massive judiciary power abuse scandal.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's decision to put Yang on trial came as it announced the interim results of its investigation into the nation-rattling allegations. The 71-year-old was detained Jan. 24, eight months after prosecutors launched their investigation.Yang, who headed the top court from 2011 to 2017, is the first-ever former top court chief in the Korean judiciary's 71-year history to face an indictment on criminal charges. He is accused of using high-profile trials as bargaining chips in dealings with the 2013-17 Park Geun-hye administration for the establishment of a de facto Second Supreme Court.Prosecutors allege he had officials at the National Court Administration (NCA) come up with detailed plans to influence trials that potentially had high poli

Feb 11, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Ex-top court chief indicted on 47 charges

Ex-Supreme Court chief charged with 47 counts of power abuse

A former chief justice of the Supreme Court was indicted Monday on more than 40 counts relating to an alleged massive abuse of judicial power under his leadership. The indictment of Yang Sung-tae comes almost three weeks after the court approved a warrant to place him under pre-indictment detention. It also marks an end to the prosecution's eight-month investigation into the nation-rocking allegations.Prosecutors also indicted two other retired top court justices ― Park Byong-dae and Ko Young-han ― for their alleged involvement in the case. They will stand trial without physical detention. Yang stands accused of using or seeking to use trials as political leverage to lobby the previous Park Geun-hye government, so that he can get presidential approval for the establishment of a separate court of appeals, his pet project. He headed the top court from 2011-2017. Yang is the first judge ever in South Korea's judicial history to have been arrested as a suspect and now to face a criminal trial.Prosecutors believe that he had his officials at the National Court Administration (NCA), the to

Feb 11, 2019

Law & Crime