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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.

Ex-President Yoon's legal team files appeal in obstruction of justice case

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's legal team on Monday submitted an appeal against a court ruling that sentenced him to five years in prison on charges that included the obstruction of investigators' attempt to detain him last year. Last Friday, the Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence in the first ruling on charges stemming from Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024. Chief among the charges was that the then president had ordered the Presidential Security Service to block investigators from executing a warrant to detain him at the official presidential residence in January last year Immediately after the ruling, Yoon's lawyers said they would appeal, claiming the court's decision was "unacceptable" and not based on facts found during the investigation. At a press conference, Yoon's legal team said the appeal was submitted to the court at 4 p.m. Monday. The lawyers argued that the court committed procedural errors, noting that it had initially notified them of Friday's date as the final trial hearing but later designated it as the sentencing date wi

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-President Yoon's legal team files appeal in obstruction of justice case

Court acquits man executed 50 years ago in nat'l security law case

A Seoul court on Monday posthumously acquitted a man executed 50 years ago for allegedly attempting to rebuild an underground pro-North Korea organization in a retrial of the case. The Seoul Eastern District Court found the late Kang Eul-seong not guilty on charges of violating the National Security Act, citing insufficient evidence. Kang, a civilian military worker, was executed in 1976 after his arrest and torture by military counterintelligence authorities for allegedly attempting to reconstruct the Unification Revolutionary Party on alleged orders from North Korea in 1974. The underground organization had been uncovered by South Korea's spy agency under then President Park Chung-hee's administration in 1968 and dismantled. The court said it could not conclude that Kang praised or sympathized with anti-state activities for reading a paper published in North Korea. "(Our) hearts feel heavy. Although a past wrong has been corrected, irreversible damage has already been done and the fact that it is too late leaves a sense of helplessness," the court said. "We made the verdict in this case

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Court acquits man executed 50 years ago in nat'l security law case

Police raid far-right activist's home over defamation of 'comfort women' statues

Police on Monday searched the home of a far-right activist under investigation for defaming statues of a girl representing victims who were forced to Japan's wartime brothels during World War II, a police official said. Investigators carried out the search and seizure at the residence of Kim Byung-heon, who heads a far-right group, and faces charges of defamation of the deceased and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act. Kim's group has recently stirred controversy for staging a campaign calling for dismantling the statues. The group is accused of staging unregistered rallies near statues symbolizing the former sex slaves in Seoul with a banner disparaging the victims. Earlier this month, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education filed a complaint against Kim to police, demanding he and his group's members be punished. Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during the war. Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-45.

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Police raid far-right activist's home over defamation of 'comfort women' statues

Police nail Thai-based voice phishing ring

Police said Monday they have busted a Thailand-based voice phishing ring that allegedly swindled some 7 billion won ($4.75 million) from nearly 40 victims in Korea last year. Seven members of the phishing ring, including its call center manager, were apprehended and six of them have been put under arrest, according to the Seoul Seodaemun Police Station. The suspects are accused of inducing money withdrawals from 38 victims by impersonating Financial Supervisory Service or prosecution officials between June and October last year. Most of the victims were deceived into believing that their bank accounts were used for fraud and sent money to the scammers, the police said. The police launched an investigation in August last year after receiving intelligence on the phishing ring. The call center manager in his 40s came to visit Korea and was apprehended before departure at Incheon International Airport last October, the police said, adding six other suspects who worked under the manager were detained later.

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Police nail Thai-based voice phishing ring

Police reopen probe into DPK lawmaker's wife over alleged public fund misuse

Police on Monday launched a full-scale reinvestigation into allegations that Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Kim Byung-kee's wife used a local councilor's corporate credit card for personal expenses years ago. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said it conducted search and seizure operations at Seoul's Dongjak Ward council, and the home and office of a former Dongjak council member, surnamed Jo, in the morning in connection with the allegations involving Kim's wife, known only as Lee. Lee is suspected of personally using Jo's corporate card between July and September 2022. The southern Seoul ward of Dongjak is Kim's constituency. Police previously conducted an investigation into Lee's suspected misuse of public funds from April to August last year but cleared her of all charges, triggering another allegation that Kim had pulled some strings to press the Dongjak Police Station to cover up the case. Indeed, former aides of the lawmaker claimed in November last year that the police improperly closed Lee's case due to external pressure. In the reinvestigation, the SMPA recen

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Police reopen probe into DPK lawmaker's wife over alleged public fund misuse

Criminal ring nabbed for alleged laundering of $101.7 mil. of cryptocurrency

Korea's customs authorities said Monday they have uncovered an international crime ring accused of laundering about 150 billion won ($101.7 million) worth of cryptocurrency through an unauthorized foreign exchange scheme. Three Chinese nationals have been referred to the prosecution for alleged violations of the foreign exchange transactions act, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS). The suspects allegedly laundered 148.9 billion won between September 2021 and June of last year by exploiting domestic and overseas cryptocurrency accounts and Korean bank accounts, the agency said. Authorities said the funds were transferred under the guise of legitimate expenses, such as cosmetic surgery fees for foreign nationals or overseas study costs for students. To evade monitoring by financial authorities, the suspects allegedly purchased cryptocurrency in multiple countries, transferred it to digital wallets in Korea, converted it into Korean won, and then funneled the money through numerous domestic bank accounts.

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Criminal ring nabbed for alleged laundering of $101.7 mil. of cryptocurrency

Yoon's lawyers blast court for being politically charged in sentencing ex-president

Legal representatives for former President Yoon Suk Yeol accused a Seoul court Saturday of being politically motivated in its sentencing of their client the previous day. On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court handed down Yoon a five-year prison term on charges that included the obstruction of investigators' attempt to detain him last year. It was the first ruling on charges stemming from Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024. In particular, Yoon was charged with ordering the Presidential Security Service to block investigators from executing a warrant to detain him at the presidential residence in January 2025. Yoon's legal team released a statement Saturday saying the court's ruling was "purely based on political reasoning," while also lamenting the "disappearance of legal principles and collapse of constitutionalism." "A judge must recognize the impact his ruling can have on society, but at the same time, that recognition alone must not be the reason to alter standards for his decision," the lawyers said. "A trial must be concluded based on evidence and la

Jan 17, 2026By Yonhap
Yoon's lawyers blast court for being politically charged in sentencing ex-president

Former DPK lawmaker's ex-aide appears before police again for bribery allegations

A former aide to ex-ruling party Rep. Kang Sun-woo appeared before police Saturday to undergo questioning for a second time in connection to a bribery case. The former aide, surnamed Nam, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's office at 9:49 a.m., 11 days after being first questioned by police. Nam was seen covering his face with the hood of his windbreaker and remained tight-lipped to questions from reporters. The former aide to Rep. Kang, formerly of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is accused of receiving cash of over 100 million won ($68,170) from Kim Kyoung, a Seoul city councilor, ahead of the local elections in 2022, allegedly in exchange for her councillorship nomination. In the first police questioning, Nam admitted to meeting Kim with Kang but denied claims of receiving cash, saying he was not present when the cash was transferred. He later moved what he called an "item" into the trunk of Rep. Kang's car, without knowing that there was cash inside, according to Nam. Kim has reportedly claimed in a statement submitted to police that she personally gave the cash to K

Jan 17, 2026By Yonhap
Former DPK lawmaker's ex-aide appears before police again for bribery allegations

Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday on multiple charges related to his martial law declaration. The ruling, televised live, was the first judicial decision addressing Yoon’s responsibility linked to the imposition of military rule on Dec. 3, 2024. Judges at the Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon on charges including infringement of ministers’ constitutional right to deliberate on the imposition of martial law, aggravated obstruction of the execution of a lawful warrant and the fabrication and destruction of official documents. The court stressed that emergency martial law is an “extremely exceptional” measure that may only be invoked when there is no other way to overcome a national crisis. “The fact that the Constitution specifically requires deliberation on a declaration of martial law is meant to prevent abuse of presidential power and to check unilateral decision-making. So the president must, even more than in ordinary Cabinet meetings, listen carefully to the views of all Cabinet members and act with great caution,” Ju

Jan 16, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling

Court upholds life sentence for teacher over student's murder

A court of appeals on Friday upheld a lower court's life imprisonment for a teacher accused of murdering a 7-year-old student at their school in the central city of Daejeon about a year ago. The Daejeon High Court handed down the ruling to teacher Myeong Jae-wan, 49, after convicting her of stabbing the girl, Kim Ha-neul, to death. Myeong was indicted for luring the student to a classroom in the afternoon of Feb. 10, 2025, when the girl was leaving an afterschool care program, by offering her a book and then stabbing her there with a weapon she had prepared in advance. She was also charged with kicking and damaging a school computer and assaulting another teacher, several days before the murder. The appellate court also confirmed the lower court's order for the teacher to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years.

Jan 16, 2026By Yonhap
Court upholds life sentence for teacher over student's murder
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