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Suicide or slaying? Express bus passenger dies after having poisoned drink

Busan police believe a woman was poisoned on an intercity bus from Seoul. Yonhap.By Jung Hae-myoung Mystery surrounds the death of a woman, 20, who was found unconscious on an intercity bus from Seoul.Busan police said Tuesday the woman was declared dead when she arrived at hospital. Poisoning is suspected but it is unclear whether she tried to take her life or a passenger gave her a poisoned drink. A bottle of drink containing poison was found in a seat pocket. Police are investigating the cause of her death.

Aug 28, 2018

Suicide or slaying? Express bus passenger dies after having poisoned drink

Girl, 14, dies after binge drinking with friends

A 14-year-old girl died after drinking alcohol with friends at a motel. Yonhap.By Jung Hae-myoungA girl, 14, died after drinking with six friends and seniors from the same middle school at a motel in Cheongju, Heungdeok police said Tuesday. She passed out at 6 p.m. Sunday and emergency services personnel took her to a nearby hospital. She regained consciousness but fell into coma again before being declared dead Monday. Police said it was unclear what happened to the girl and they were checking whether there was a fight or if binge drinking was the cause of death. They are investigating if the motel runs without any operators.An autopsy is scheduled for exact cause of death.

Aug 28, 2018

Girl, 14, dies after binge drinking with friends

Actress' husband blamed for drunk-driving crash that killed two

Rescue workers surround a car that crashed into a parked truck on a road at Guri in Gyeonggi Province, Monday. / Courtesy of Guri Fire StationBy Jung Min-hoHeartbroken: Park Hae-miHwang Min, 45, the husband of famous actress Park Hae-mi, is under investigation for drunk driving that resulted in the deaths of two people Monday night.According to police Tuesday, Hwang's Chrysler sedan, carrying four others, hit a 25-ton truck that was parked on the shoulder of a road at Guri, in Gyeonggi Province, about 11:15 p.m.The incident left two people ― an actor, 31, and an actress, 19 ― dead and three others injured. The injuries are reportedly not life-threatening.Police said Hwang's blood alcohol level was 0.104 percent ― over the license revocation limit ― at the time of the incident.Speaking to Edaily, a local media outlet, Park said she is heartbroken over the news.“I don't know if he would ever be forgiven (by the families of the victims),” she said. “The two were my students. It breaks my heart.”

Aug 28, 2018

Actress' husband blamed for drunk-driving crash that killed two

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

Arrest warrant sought for high schooler for spycam at SNU

By Kim Jae-heunPolice asked the prosecution to request an arrest warrant for a high school student for using spycams to take voyeur videos and photos in Seoul National University (SNU) women's bathrooms, Sunday.Gwanak Police Station caught the male student, 19, whose name was not disclosed, on campus Saturday and sought the warrant on suspicion of sex crimes the next day.“We thought the student was highly likely to flee,” a police officer said.Police caught him hiding in the women's toilet on the second floor of SNU's social science college building at around 1 p.m. following a professor's report to police.The student is suspected of committing voyeuristic acts in several places including SNU, targeting women in public bathrooms. Police confirmed obscene material saved on his phone, including one video recorded at SNU. Police will request a digital forensics recovery of the student's phone, expecting to find more deleted photos and videos.The student was convicted of the same charge last year, and a local court placed him on probation at the time.

Aug 27, 2018

Is he really sick? Ex-strongman's Alzheimer's claim seen as tactic to avoid trial

A file photo of former President Chun Doo-hwan and his 2017 memoir, removed from shelves last year for its “distorted portrayal” of the May 18 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Suh-yoonFormer President Chun Doo-hwan, 87, is under public fire again — this time for failing to show up at his hearing Monday in a libel suit trial for defaming a late pro-democracy activist priest. His aides cited “health reasons,” claiming he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which many suspect is an excuse to avoid making a public appearance.Chun was summoned to court after priest Cho Bi-oh's relatives sued him for calling the priest a “shameless liar” in his 2017 memoir. In the book, Chun flatly denies Cho's eyewitness accounts that military helicopters opened fire on civilians during the 1980 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju, a city 300 kilometers south of Seoul. Cho passed away in 2016. A day before the trial, Chun's wife issued a statement through a former aide, saying Chun was too ill to provide “proper t

Aug 27, 2018

Is he really sick? Ex-strongman's Alzheimer's claim seen as tactic to avoid trial

'Moon's aide conspired with blogger'

Special counsel Huh Ik-bum bows after announcing his team's 60-day investigation into the opinion-rigging scandal at the team's office in Seocho, southern Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Lee Kyung-min The independent counsel-led team has concluded that South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, a key aide to President Moon Jae-in, conspired with an influential blogger to manipulate online comments to help then liberal candidate Moon in the lead up to the snap presidential election last May.Announcing the outcome of its 60-day investigation, the special counsel Huh Ik-bum said, Monday, the blogger, named Druking, initiated developing automated software that could be used to increase the likes and dislikes of online comments after Kim gave him “tacit approval” at a “presentation” of the program at the blogger's office in November 2016, as Druking claims.“By using the software, Kim, together with the blogger, engaged in election campaigning activities from November 2016 through the presidential election in last May,” Huh said at the team's office in S

Aug 27, 2018

Five arrested, 22 websites blocked in porn crackdown

Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoTwenty-two porn websites have been blocked and five alleged operators arrested in the latest online porn crackdown.National Police Agency Commissioner General Min Gap-ryong told reporters Monday that police were looking into 536 websites on which illegally produced videos and photos can be found.“We are working with authorities in other countries to block illegal websites and catch those who are responsible for them,” Min said. “More than 70 percent of such websites are based overseas.“The final result of the crackdown is expected to come out soon.”The police move came after tens of thousands of people rallied at Gwanghwamun Plaza over the past few months, urging police to crack down on crimes involving spy cameras.

Aug 27, 2018

Five arrested, 22 websites blocked in porn crackdown

Debt-ridden man kills wife and three daughters

The apartment where the woman and her three daughters were killed. Yonhap.By Jung Hae-myoungA man, 42, has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and three young daughters in Okcheon, North Chungcheong, police said Monday. The bodies were found on Saturday. The man had tried, but failed, to kill himself, police said. The wife's sister found the bodies when she came to visit. She told police she had heard her sister and brother-in-law complain about their dire financial situation. The daughters were aged 7, 9 and 10. Police said sleeping pills were scattered around the bodies.The man's kendo or Japanese sword-practicing center had been in financial difficulty recently after he reportedly borrowed 250 million won ($224,000) from private lenders. He allegedly borrowed some of the money under the name of a student and had clashed with the student's parents.

Aug 27, 2018

Debt-ridden man kills wife and three daughters

'Civic vigilantes' rewarded more than 4,000 times last year

Scenes from 2017 Korean thriller “The Witness,” in which several people witness a serial killer committing a murder in an apartment complex. The frightened residents are unsure whether to help police find the killer.By Ko Dong-hwanPolice paid out more than 4,000 monetary rewards to civilians who prevented crimes or helped catch suspects, according to the National Police Agency.The agency said on Aug. 23 that rewards were paid out 4,112 times during the period ― or 11 times a day. The rewards ranged from 200,000 won ($178) to 5 million won depending on the level of contribution.This year, 1,525 rewards were paid out between January and June. A 1 million won reward was paid to a 30-something office worker who, in May, chased and caught a man who stabbed a woman in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul. A high school student at the scene who called “112” emergency was rewarded 300,000 won. In March in Daegu, several civilians, including a bus driver, were each rewarded 200,000 won for pursuing a man who committed a murder and set the crime scene on fire. The civilians

Aug 26, 2018

'Civic vigilantes' rewarded more than 4,000 times last year

South Korean appeals court raises ex-President Park's jail term to 25 years

Former President Park Geun-hye appears at Seoul District Court in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, in September 2017, to attend a hearing on corruption charges against her. Park has boycotted her court hearings since last October. A high court Friday raised her jail term to 25 years from 24 years given by a local court. /Korea Times fileCourt recognizes additional bribes tied to SamsungBy Lee Suh-yoonA Seoul appeals court has sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to 25 years in jail and 20 billion won ($17.8 million) in fines, adding one year more to a lower court ruling after recognizing additional bribes tied to Samsung.An icon of the conservative bloc, Park, 66, was ousted from power last year, following mass protests against her government's collusive ties to big businesses. In April, a local court sentenced her to 24 years in jail and 18 billion won on charges of bribery and power abuse in her dealings with big conglomerates. In Friday's ruling, the Seoul High Court recognized as bribes an additional 1.6 billion won that Samsung “donated” to the Korea Winter Sports Elit

Aug 24, 2018

Law & Crime

Law & Crime

Suicide or slaying? Express bus passenger dies after having poisoned drink

Girl, 14, dies after binge drinking with friends

Actress' husband blamed for drunk-driving crash that killed two

Arrest warrant sought for high schooler for spycam at SNU

Is he really sick? Ex-strongman's Alzheimer's claim seen as tactic to avoid trial

'Moon's aide conspired with blogger'

Five arrested, 22 websites blocked in porn crackdown

Debt-ridden man kills wife and three daughters

'Civic vigilantes' rewarded more than 4,000 times last year

South Korean appeals court raises ex-President Park's jail term to 25 years

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