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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Special counsel appeals ex-interior minister's sentence over martial law involvement

A special counsel team on Monday appealed former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min's nine-year prison sentence over his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. The team of special counsel Cho Eun-suk filed the appeal with the Seoul High Court in a likely challenge to the court's partial acquittal of the former interior minister last week. The court convicted Lee in his appellate trial of playing a key role in an insurrection by conveying Yoon's orders to cut off power and water to media outlets critical of the then administration, increasing his prison sentence to nine years from seven given by the lower court. The court, however, had acquitted him of charges that he abused his power by making the then fire agency chief act beyond the scope of his duties with his instructions.

May 18, 2026By Yonhap
Special counsel appeals ex-interior minister's sentence over martial law involvement

4 courthouse rioters get suspended terms for attacking reporters

Four people involved in last year's courthouse riot linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol were given suspended prison terms Monday for assaulting media reporters. The Seoul Western District Court sentenced the four, including one identified only by his surname Ham, to one year in prison each, suspended for two years, on charges of special assault. They were indicted for trespassing onto the same court and collectively assaulting broadcast journalists on Jan. 19 last year during a protest against its decision to extend Yoon's detention over his Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of martial law. The court said the rioters obstructed the victims' movement and hurled insults, even though they gave up on reporting and moved to leave the scene, creating a hostile atmosphere and a sense of pressure. The court did not accept the argument of some defendants that their actions were not intentional.

May 18, 2026By Yonhap
4 courthouse rioters get suspended terms for attacking reporters

Ruling, main opposition leaders put under police protection following alleged online threats against DPK chief

The leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties were placed under police protection earlier than planned amid allegations of online assassination threats targeting the ruling party chief ahead of the June 3 local elections, police said Sunday. The move came after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea requested police protection for its leader, Rep. Jung Chung-rae, saying it received reports of assassination threats against him in group chatrooms on social media. The Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station said it launched an investigation into the online threat allegations and began providing police protection for Rep. Jung, as well as Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the main opposition People Power Party, starting Sunday afternoon. "We have activated dedicated teams early for the leaders of the Democratic Party and the People Power Party after consultations with the parties," the National Police Agency said in a notice to reporters. The teams were originally set to be launched on May 21, when the official campaign period begins.

May 17, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling, main opposition leaders put under police protection following alleged online threats against DPK chief

Police release identity of murder suspect in fatal stabbing of student

Police on Thursday released mug shots and personal information of a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a high school student in the southwestern city of Gwangju last week. The Gwangju Provincial Police posted the photos of 23-year-old Jang Yoon-gi on its website, who stands accused of murdering the 17-year-old female victim and wounding another 17-year-old male student just past midnight on May 5. They also transferred the case to the prosecution, following his arrest on charges of murder and attempted murder. Jang offered a brief apology as police escorted him to be handed over to the prosecution. "I am sorry," he said, while remaining silent to reporters' questions, including on his motives. The police have added a preparation for a murder charge against the suspect, after determining that he had prepared to murder another woman, a former work colleague, before venting out his anger on the two victims. The woman, a Vietnamese national in her 20s, had reported him to the police for stalking on May 3. Jang is suspected to have searched for the woman, who had already left the area after filing

May 14, 2026By Yonhap
Police release identity of murder suspect in fatal stabbing of student

$25.5 mil. cybercrime ringleader targeting BTS' Jung Kook extradited from Thailand

The suspected ringleader of a cybercrime network accused of stealing the personal data of wealthy individuals — including BTS member Jungkook — to withdraw funds from their financial accounts has been extradited to Korea and placed in custody by authorities. According to the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency (NPA), the 40-year-old Chinese national arrived at Incheon International Airport from Bangkok, Wednesday. He is the second key suspect in the case, following a 36-year-old Chinese accomplice who was extradited to Korea, indicted and detained in August last year. The group is suspected of running a cybercrime network based in several countries but primarily operating out of Thailand. From August 2023 to April 2024, it allegedly siphoned off more than 38 billion won ($25.5 million) by using illegally obtained personal data to gain access to victims’ bank and cryptocurrency accounts. Investigators said the group hacked multiple websites to obtain personal data, then used the stolen identities to open low-cost mobile lines and pass identity verification, allowing

May 13, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
$25.5 mil. cybercrime ringleader targeting BTS' Jung Kook extradited from Thailand

Court wraps up hearings on Samsung injunction bid against strike

A court on Wednesday concluded hearings on Samsung Electronics's request for an injunction to block a strike threatened by its unionized workers. The Suwon District Court said it will decide whether to grant the injunction before the general strike scheduled to begin May 21, after hearing arguments from both labor and management. Samsung filed the injunction case on April 16 against two labor unions, leading to the second closed-door hearing on Wednesday morning, which was attended by about 30 people, including lawyers and officials from both sides. The hearing lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes, proceeding with presentations by the two unions opposing the injunction request, followed by a rebuttal from management. The court said at the end of the hearing that it will make a decision after careful consideration. Typically, injunction cases are handled based on the gravity and urgency of the matter. In Samsung's case, it is expected that the impact of the planned industrial action, as well as its necessity and legitimacy, will also be reviewed. Samsung's labor and management failed to reac

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
Court wraps up hearings on Samsung injunction bid against strike

7 teens get prison terms for molesting mentally disabled person

Seven teenagers were sentenced to prison Wednesday for collectively assaulting a mentally disabled person and filming the victim being molested. The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced five male and two female teenagers to prison terms ranging from 2 1/2 years to five years on charges related to sexual violence crimes. All defendants were also ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program each. One mobile phone used to film the molestation was confiscated. The teenagers are accused of stripping the 24-year-old victim of his clothes at a park in Seoul's Yeouido in November before beating and molesting him. They allegedly committed the crime because they did not like a message the victim sent to one of the female defendants. They burned the victim's arm with a half-smoked cigarette butt, causing third-degree burns and injuries requiring six weeks of recovery. The court said stern punishment was inevitable for the defendants because their violence was tantamount to abuse or torture.

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
7 teens get prison terms for molesting mentally disabled person

Chinese national extradited to Korea over hacking heist targeting BTS' Jung Kook, others

A Chinese national, who led a hacking scheme that targeted K-pop group BTS member Jung Kook and Korean business executives, has been extradited to Korea from Thailand, the justice ministry said Wednesday. The 40-year-old arrived at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday from Bangkok to be handed over to police for investigation over allegations of stealing over 38 billion won ($25.4 million) from the victims, according to the ministry. The police said they plan to seek a warrant for his formal arrest after questioning him and analyzing evidence. The suspect is said to be part of a criminal ring accused of illegally collecting personal information of the victims from August 2023 to April 2025 by hacking into government and public agency websites, and using the data to withdraw cash from their accounts. While Jungkook was targeted in the scheme, his agency, BigHit Music, took immediate action to prevent losses. The criminal ring allegedly opened unauthorized brokerage accounts in Jungkook's name in January 2024 in an attempt to steal 8.4 billion won worth of his shares in Hybe, the compan

May 13, 2026By Yonhap
Chinese national extradited to Korea over hacking heist targeting BTS' Jung Kook, others

Appeals court increases ex-interior minister's sentence to 9 years over martial law involvement

An appeals court on Tuesday increased former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min's prison sentence to nine years from seven over his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence after convicting Lee of playing a key role in an insurrection by conveying Yoon's orders to the then chief of the National Fire Agency to seal off the National Assembly and cut off power and water to media outlets critical of the administration at the time. Yoon allegedly gave the orders immediately after declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The court also found Lee guilty of perjury for testifying during Yoon's impeachment trial that he did not receive such instructions from the then president. "The defendant appears to have been well aware of the illegality of the emergency martial law (order) but still engaged in key tasks of the insurrection," the court said. "Though he was in a position and had the authority to decide for himself whether to implement the orders to cut off power and water, ultimately he chose to follow the unconstitutional and ill

May 12, 2026By Yonhap
Appeals court increases ex-interior minister's sentence to 9 years over martial law involvement

Gov't tackles mental health crisis in juvenile detention centers via virtual care

Faced with a surging mental health crisis and a chronic shortage of specialized doctors, the Ministry of Justice is launching its first telemedicine program within the nation’s juvenile reformatories. The pilot program, which officially began this month at the Anyang and Daejeon juvenile centers, marks a significant shift in how the state manages the medical needs of its most vulnerable detainees. The initiative arrives as the proportion of youth inmates diagnosed with mental illnesses has climbed dramatically, rising from roughly 33 percent in 2021 to nearly 50 percent last year. For decades, providing consistent psychiatric care in these facilities has been hampered by a lack of resident specialists. Under the new system, the ministry established a dedicated video link between the centers and Eumseong Somang Hospital, a facility in North Chungcheong Province specializing in mental health. This real-time interface allows for diagnosis and the immediate issuance of prescriptions, bypassing the logistical hurdles of transporting the minors. "In the past, it would take two to three hour

May 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Gov't tackles mental health crisis in juvenile detention centers via virtual care
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