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Police search BMW Korea over vehicle fires

By Kim Jae-heunPolice searched the local office of BMW, Thursday, sending some 30 investigators to find out whether the company concealed defects in their vehicle which led to dozens of engine fires. The search took place 21 days after 21 BMW car owners filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against the local unit of the German carmaker, Aug. 9.Police so far have looked into BMW-related documents through cooperation with the relevant authorities, including the transport ministry, but this was the first time they used forcible measures to secure material.“We are securing evidence related to the case in an effort to find the facts behind the consecutive fires,” a police official said.Police are particularly looking for records of internal meeting and documents related to defects in the vehicles' exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) valves and coolers, which are suspected of being the cause of the fires.Prior to the probe, BMW explained to the authorities that they recently found a defect in the EGR system through experiments they conducted with car engines t

Aug 30, 2018

'Constitutional Court cannot review Supreme Court rulings'

By Lee Kyung-min The Constitutional Court concluded, Thursday, that it cannot review Supreme Court rulings, grounds under which the former is unable to nullify the latter's rulings. It also said a clause in the law on the Constitutional Court, which bans such review, is constitutional.The court dismissed a petition filed by a former pro-democracy activist to cancel a Supreme Court ruling that had not accepted his claim for state compensation. “Court rulings can be reviewed at the Constitutional Court in very limited cases where the courts violated people's basic rights by applying laws already ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court,” judges said. “The petitioner's ruling in this case was made in accordance with the Supreme Court's interpretation, and thus is not subject to a petition to the Constitutional Court.” Baek Ki-wan, director of the Center for Unification Studies, filed for the petition in 2015. Baek, who was convicted in 1973 for violating “emergency administrative measures” sanctioned and administered under the former di

Aug 30, 2018
'Constitutional Court cannot review Supreme Court rulings'

Hungry burglar who broke into restaurants washed dishes after eating

A man in his 20s was caught sneaking into closed restaurants ― to eat rather than steal money. His recent crimes included eating Korean galbi in a closed restaurant in Gwangju. YonhapBy Jung Hae-myoungA hungry burglar has landed himself in hot water after breaking into several restaurants to eat rather than steal.The man, 23, broke into a Korean galbi restaurant in Gwangju in the middle of the night and started cooking the dish in a frypan after raiding the fridge. After eating, he cleaned up the table, washed the dishes and left the building.His next foodie foray happened a few days later when he broke into an Italian restaurant. A security camera caught him in the act of eating two cups of yogurt and leaving.The burglar, surnamed Lee, was released from prison in April after serving a year and two months behind bars. The suspect, with more than 10 criminal convictions, was apparently more interested in eating than stealing money, according to his latest charges. Gwangju police have been investigating Lee over the break-ins.Although he dreamt of becoming a wrestler, Lee now lives in

Aug 30, 2018
Hungry burglar who broke into restaurants washed dishes after eating

Taiwanese gets suspended jail term for smuggling salt he thought was meth

Methamphetamine. YonhapBy Jung Hae-myoung A Taiwanese man, 30, has been sentenced to two years' jail, suspended for three years, for smuggling “drugs” that turned out to be salt.Incheon District Court made the ruling on Wednesday. The court was told the man was hired as courier at Taipei Songshan Airport in May. He tried to bring in the substance in six bags hidden on his body but was caught at Kimpo International Airport. He thought he was carrying 2,475 grams of methamphetamine.The court decided to impose the suspended sentence even though the substance was salt because the man had the intention to smuggle drugs. “Even if he did not smuggle methamphetamine, he would have,” the judge said. “The amount he smuggled is significant and could have caused great damage to society if it were the drug.” Under the law, anyone who tries to smuggle what is presumed to be drugs faces up to three years in prison.

Aug 30, 2018
Taiwanese gets suspended jail term for smuggling salt he thought was meth

Prosecutors seek 14 years prison term for Shin

Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin heads to the Seoul High Court Wednesday. Prosecutors requested a 14 year prison sentence for Shin for his involvement in corruption and lucrative business deals. YonhapBy Kim Hyun-bin Prosecutors requested the Seoul High Court, Wednesday, sentence Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin to 14 years in prison and fine him 100 billion ($90 million) for corruption that led to a lucrative duty free license, which was approved by ousted President Park Geun-hye.Along with Shin, prosecutors also requested a 10-year prison sentence for Lotte Group founder and Honorary Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho and a five-year sentence for Shin Dong-ju, former vice chairman of Lotte Holdings, for assisting in the alleged crime.Since February, Shin has been behind bars after the Seoul Central District Court convicted him of bribing former President Park to earn the duty free license.The head of the country's fifth-largest conglomerate was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for offering 7 billion won ($6.5 million) to the nonprofit K-Sports Foundation controlled by Park's friend Cho

Aug 29, 2018
Prosecutors seek 14 years prison term for Shin

Prosecutors demand 14-year jail term for Lotte chief

Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded an appeals court sentence Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin to 14 years in prison on charges of bribery and other irregularities.They also demanded the court order him to pay a 100 billion-won ($90 million) fine and forfeit 7 billion won.Shin is serving a 30-month jail term on the bribery conviction in connection with a massive corruption scandal involving ousted President Park Geun-hye and her friend, Choi Soon-sil.The lower court in February found Shin guilty of providing 7 billion won to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi in return for presidential favors regarding Lotte's duty-free business.Shin was also indicted on the charge of breach of trust for causing some 130 billion won in losses to the conglomerate by letting some of Lotte subsidiaries owned by his family members earn easy money. Shin received a suspended jail term for this case.Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded 10 years for Lotte founder and Shin's father Shin Kyuk-ho, and five to 10 years for his elder brother, half sister and senior Shin's mistress.Prosecutors had demanded

Aug 29, 2018
Prosecutors demand 14-year jail term for Lotte chief

Man arrested for swindling Jeju Island tourists

The bogus online advertisement for the 'One month is Jeju' program. Yonhap.By Jung Hae-myoung A man, 26, has been arrested for allegedly swindling 79 million won ($71,171) from 43 people through the “One month in Jeju” program, police said Tuesday.The program enables tourists to rent a farmhouse for a month to enjoy Jeju Island's nature and culture. It has been popular since 2014.The suspect allegedly received 1,000,000 won to 2,300,000 won per person without providing a house.He posted two farmhouses for rent on the internet from May but they were not registered.

Aug 29, 2018
Man arrested for swindling Jeju Island tourists

K-pop singer ordered to cough up W65 million for gaining weight

A promotional before-and-after photo featuring singer Kim Tae-woo. A provincial court ruled that Kim should pay 65 million won ($58,600) in compensation to settle a dispute with a weight-loss company because he was “overweight.”By Park Si-soo A popular singer was ordered to cough up 65 million won ($58,600) in compensation to settle a dispute with a weight-loss company because he was “overweight.” The Seoul Central District Court recently ruled in favor of Juvis, ordering Kim Tae-woo, a popular singer and former member of boy band g.o.d, to return half the contract money he received in 2015 from the company in return for promoting it. “He neglected his contracted duty of keeping his body in good shape, causing economic damage to the plaintiff,” Judge Lee Mi-sun wrote in a ruling statement. The judge set the compensation ceiling at half the contract value, saying the singer contributed “a lot” to the company's sales increase by appearing in mass media in the contracted “good shape.” The judge said the firm's sales declined af

Aug 29, 2018
K-pop singer ordered to cough up W65 million for gaining weight

VIDEO Dash cam captures terrifying moment of actress' husband's deadly car crash

Dash cam footage shows Hwang's car narrowly missing a bus. His car then hit a parked truck head-on (right).By Park Si-soo Police have released dash cam footage showing a deadly car accident involving actress Park Hae-mi's husband. The revelation came a day after it was known that Park's husband Hwang Min is under investigation for the drunk-driving crash that killed two passengers in his car. See the footage: https://bit.ly/2ojT1ENAccording to police, Hwang's Chrysler sedan, carrying four others, hit head-on a 25-ton truck that was parked on the shoulder of a road at Guri, in Gyeonggi Province, Monday night. Two passengers ― an actor, 31, and an actress, 19 ― died and Hwang and two others sustained non-life threatening injuries. Hwang's blood alcohol level at the time was 0.104 percent ― over the license revocation limit, according to police. Police plan to seek a warrant for Hwang's arrest. The actress made an apology Tuesday and has stopped all public activities.

Aug 29, 2018
Dash cam captures terrifying moment of actress' husband's deadly car crash [VIDEO]

Police dog killed in line of duty

A highly trained German shepherd police dog, Larry, and his handler, officer Ahn Seong-hyun. Larry, seven-and-a-half years old, died of a snake bite in the line of duty, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Daegu Metropolitan Police AgencyBy Lee Kyung-min A highly trained German shepherd police dog was killed in the line of duty after being bitten by a snake, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said, Tuesday. Police plan to make a bronze plate in honor of the dog's contribution to police work and display it at the police station.According to the Daegu police, the seven-and-a-half-year old Larry, who helped police search for missing people, was bitten on the left rear paw by a snake on a mountain in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, while searching for a missing person July 23.The dog was taken to a veterinary clinic but died at 5:30 a.m. the next day.Since starting police work in August 2012, Larry has helped officers in 39 felony cases and 171 missing persons reports over the six years, according to his handler, officer Ahn Seong-hyun.In May last year, the police dog played a key role

Aug 28, 2018
Police dog killed in line of duty
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