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Chinese arrested for allegedly exploiting foreign workers

By Park Si-soo A Chinese construction manager was arrested for alleged exploitation of foreign workers under his supervision, police said Wednesday. Police caught the man, surnamed Yoo, 35, at his friend's home in Siheung, Sunday, where he had holed up for days. Yoo is suspected of pocketing 36.2 million won ($32,380) that should have gone to the 14 workers from Yemen, Nigeria and other underdeveloped countries. His C-3-8 visa was found to have expired. He had avoided police by frequently changing where he lived. “The victims were mostly undocumented,” an investigator said. “He knew this and committed the crime believing they (the victims) wouldn't call police.”

Jan 30, 2019
Chinese arrested for allegedly exploiting foreign workers

Man jailed for attacking estranged girlfriend with knife

By Park Si-soo A man who attacked his estranged girlfriend with a knife has been jailed for 10 months. Jeju Provincial Court sentenced the man, surnamed Moon, 27, on Wednesday. He was charged with the aggravated attack in October after threatening his girlfriend, 24, with a knife and kicking and punching her multiple times in front of a restaurant on Sept. 30. The violence erupted after the woman suggested ending their relationship, court documents showed. Moon had previously been convicted three times for dating violence, being jailed once and fined twice. The latest incident happened just five months after he was freed from prison. He had been jailed for attacking another girlfriend. “His violent attitude seems to have its roots in his unstable family background and violence-prone school years,” said Judge Han Jung-seok. “The verdict was made after taking into account that the incident took place only five months after he was freed and his violence's seriousness.”

Jan 30, 2019
Man jailed for attacking estranged girlfriend with knife

South Gyeongsang Gov. gets 2-year jail term for opinion rigging

South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, right, who was charged with involving himself in an online opinion rigging ahead of the 2017 presidential election, is taken to a custory after being sentenced to two years in prison in a trail at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo was sentenced to two years in prison Wednesday for his involvement in a massive rigging of Internet news comments related to President Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the verdict to the 51-year-old liberal politician, finding him guilty of all charges brought by Special Counsel Huh Ik-bum.Gov. Kim was immediately taken into custody following the court ruling. If convicted by the Supreme Court, Kim will lose his governorship.The court also sentenced Kim to a 10-month jail term, suspended for two years, for violating the law regarding political funds.The court ruling comes hours after the guilty verdict meted out by the same bench to Kim Dong-won, a power blogger who was charg

Jan 30, 2019
South Gyeongsang Gov. gets 2-year jail term for opinion rigging

8 Malaysians arrested on drug smuggling charges

Seized bags of meth are on display at Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, Tuesday. YonhapEight Malaysians have been arrested and indicted on charges of attempting to smuggle methamphetamine worth 44 billion won (US$39.4 million) into South Korea, prosecutors here said Tuesday.The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office said the Malaysian suspects were arrested earlier this month in a joint investigation with the customs office and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and were all referred to trial after being indicted.The eight suspects are accused of attempting to smuggle 13.3 kilograms of methamphetamine from Malaysia into South Korea via Incheon International Airport and Gimhae International Airport on five occasions from Dec. 27 last year to Jan. 17, the office said.They wrapped plastic bags each containing 1 to 2 kg of the banned substance on their thighs or abdomens with bandages and tried to pass through the airports. Most of them are accused of acting as drug mules under the direction of a Malaysian drug ring, the office noted.The Incheon prosecution began the investig

Jan 29, 2019
8 Malaysians arrested on drug smuggling charges

'Sexual violence is like Holocaust'

Seo Ji-hyun, a prosecutor in Suwon, speaks during a forum at the National Assembly, Tuesday, organized by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to discuss the impact of the #MeToo movement in South Korea. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulA woman who ignited South Korea's #MeToo movement claimed Tuesday victims of sex abuse are not fairly protected here, asking the country's ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and civil society to create a system for the victims.“Sexual violence is like the Holocaust. #MeToo is not an endgame as it's more like a clarion call to something bigger. South Korea saw little progress in terms of correcting relevant harmful social systems. In Korea, people who've shared their own #MeToo stories should be protected properly as these experiences are nothing new and the movement should be understood as a voice for positive change,” Seo Ji-hyun, a prosecutor in Seoul, said in a forum organized by DPK at the National Assembly.A year ago, the prosecutor went public in a live television interview, as she defied convention to tell her story. At that time, she

Jan 29, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
'Sexual violence is like Holocaust'

KAI may face penalties for book rigging

By Jhoo Dong-chanKorea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is expected to face punitive measures soon as the financial regulator will start reviewing book rigging cases involving the company today, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said, Tuesday.The deliberation came after the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) investigated the companies for suspected accounting fraud and decided to levy a large amount of fines.The FSC said it will hold a deliberation committee meeting today to discuss the matter. Industry sources said the FSS already notified the firm about heavy penalties, including hefty fines and placing an external auditor, but an FSS official neither confirmed nor denied it.“I understand discussion about the matter is still underway,” the FSS official said. “We will announce punitive measures for KAI after the FSC's decision.”Korea Aerospace Industries CEO Kim Jo-wonIn October 2017, KAI was found to have fabricated its production costs and factory prices between 2013 and 2017. During the period, the nation's sole aerospace firm allegedly falsified its sale

Jan 29, 2019By Jhoo Dong-chan
KAI may face penalties for book rigging

K-pop label chief accused of molesting trainees

By Park Si-soo A music label chief and her co-investor sister have been accused of molesting K-pop trainees. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, two male trainees recently filed a complaint, claiming the female chief of their management agency and her younger sister “groped the bodies of six trainees to the level where they felt sexually ashamed” at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo on Sept. 28, 2018. Among the alleged victims are two minors and one who starred in Mnet's popular talent competition show “Produce 101.” Their identities were not revealed. In the complaint, they said the two had “sexually harassed the trainees by taking advantage of their position and power.” They said the victims are suffering serious mental distress. They have also filed a separate suit to terminate their contracts with the agency. The two women deny the allegations.

Jan 29, 2019
K-pop label chief accused of molesting trainees

Gov't watchdog busts 4,500 foodstuffs for falsifying country of origin

About 4,500 foodstuffs have been found with false country of origin markings. YonhapSouth Korea's agricultural watchdog said Tuesday it has found 4,500 foodstuffs with false country of origin markings.The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service said it carried out probes into 280,000 establishments last year, finding violations in 3,917 locations. The combined number of products with false origin details came to 4,514, down 4.3 percent from the previous year.The agency said kimchi and pork each accounted for 24 percent of the products detected.Beans followed at 11 percent, trailed by beef and chicken with 10 percent and 3 percent, respectively.Restaurants accounted for 58 percent of the establishments that violated country of origin rules, followed by processing companies and butcher shops with 10 percent each.The agency said it has taken legal action against 2,453 businesses for fabrication and imposed fines on 1,464 establishments for not properly following place of origin guidelines. (Yonhap)

Jan 29, 2019
Gov't watchdog busts 4,500 foodstuffs for falsifying country of origin

Serial rapist given 20-year prison term

A serial rapist has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Korea Times fileA serial rapist has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for 10 sex crimes, including one he committed 15 years ago, court officials in the southeastern city of Gwangju said Sunday.The Gwangju District Court also ordered the convict, surnamed Kim, to wear an electronic location-tracking device and receive an 80-hour educational program against sex crimes while banning institutions involving children from hiring him for a certain period.The 53-year-old was charged with sexually assaulting women after breaking into their homes in Gwangju and Daejeon in 10 incidents between July 2003 and November 2006."Kim perpetrated the robbery and sex crimes without a sense of guilt, and thus the crimes are extremely bad. On top of that, he failed to get forgiveness from the victims," the court said in its ruling."It is inevitable for a heavy sentence to be meted out to him in consideration of the victims' psychological shock, which is hard to recover from, and their pain," it added.Police initially had difficulty identifying t

Jan 27, 2019
Serial rapist given 20-year prison term

Ex-Supreme Court chief hires another lawyer to brace for legal battle

The new lawyer's job is to defend former Supreme Court Chief Yang Sung-tae against 40 counts of criminal charges. YonhapFormer Supreme Court Chief Yang Sung-tae currently in detention has hired another lawyer to prepare for what will be a tough legal battle over allegations that he politically influenced trials to lobby the previous government, sources said Sunday.Yang has recently brought in judge-turned-lawyer Lee Sang-won in addition to his two legal representatives, as he appears likely to face an unprecedented corruption probe as the former head of the country's judiciary.On Thursday, he was put in detention as a suspect facing at least 40 counts of criminal charges. He denies all charges.Yang stands accused of using or seeking to use trials as political leverage to lobby the office of then President Park Geun-hye to get her approval for the establishment of a separate court of appeals, his pet project. Yang headed the top court from 2011-2017.He is also accused of having orchestrated a delay in the deliberation of a damages suit filed by Korean victims of Japan's wartime f

Jan 27, 2019
Ex-Supreme Court chief hires another lawyer to brace for legal battle
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