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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-finance minister gets 5 years in prison for bribery

Former Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan walks to the courtroom of the Seoul Central District Court for trial on Friday. YonhapA Seoul court sentenced former Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan to five years in prison on Friday for taking bribes from the spy agency while in office.The Seoul Central District Court also ordered Choi, who is currently a lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and is close to ousted President Park Geun-hye, to forfeit 100 million won (US$89,200) and pay 150 million won in fines.Choi was arrested in January for accepting 100 million won from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in October 2014. Prosecutors demanded an eight-year jail term for Choi, who was deputy prime minister for economic affairs and finance minister at the time.Prosecutors argued that the bribes were paid in exchange for Choi using his influence to prevent the off-book NIS funds from being cut when then liberal opposition parties sought to reduce the amount on grounds that the use of such funds could not be traced.He was also accused of asking the NIS to increase the amount

Jun 29, 2018
Ex-finance minister gets 5 years in prison for bribery

Conflict deepens over “judiciary abuse” probe

By Lee Kyung-min The prosecution was still waiting Thursday for a response from the Office of Court Administration (OCA) under the Supreme Court, after demanding it hand over computer hard drives that allegedly contain “heavily implicating material” stored in pass-code locked files. This follows rejections of earlier requests for the drives, and is considered the groundwork prior to a forcible search and seizure of relevant materials as allowed by law. Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it submitted a “letter of request” to the OCA to hand over eight computer hard drives used by former and current key officials. They include former chief justice Yang sung-tae, then-second-in-command Lim Chong-heon and his immediate superior Park Byoung-dae, the former OCA head who doubled as a top court justice. The Supreme Court rejected an earlier request saying the data on the computers used by Yang and Park were irretrievably destroyed through degaussing, a guaranteed form of hard drive erasure. It said Tuesday that the standard method of data destruction

Jun 28, 2018

'Punishing conscientious objectors constitutional'

Judges deliver a ruling on the constitutionality of criminal punishment for conscientious objectors, at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Thursday. YonhapBy Lee Kyung-min The Constitutional Court ruled that a law criminally punishing conscientious objectors who refuse military service on religious grounds was constitutional Thursday. However, the court found unconstitutional a separate law that fails to institute measures for alternative public services for such people. It recommended legislative efforts by the end of next year to expand the scope of military activities for those seeking to fulfill their duties under “non-violent scenarios.” Otherwise, the law at issue will be rendered null and void starting Jan. 1, 2020. No such recommendation was made for the law that sentences those who fail to respond within three days to a military draft order, without a due legally recognized reason, to three years in prison. The nine judges recognized the need to retain criminal punishment to guarantee full and effective implementation of the law to impose equal duty following equ

Jun 28, 2018
'Punishing conscientious objectors constitutional'

Prosecutors question Korean Air chief for tax evasion

Cho Yang-ho, the chairman of Korean Air, appears at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office for questioning Thursday. The Korea TImes photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kim Hyun-binProsecutors grilled Cho Yang-ho, the chairman of Korean Air, for alleged tax evasion, breach of trust and embezzlement, Thursday.Cho appeared at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office at around 9:30 a.m.“I am sorry. I will fully cooperate with the investigation,” he told reportersCho and his sisters are accused of evading over 50 billion won ($44.7 million) in taxes on their inheritance of overseas assets from their father Cho Choong-hoon, the founder of Hanjin Group.Prosecutors also suspect Cho embezzled over 20 billion won, incurring losses for the company, and unfairly awarded contracts to companies controlled by his family members.Cho's wife and children are also under investigation for allegations of assault, smuggling luxury goods and illegally hiring Filipina housekeepers.Prosecutors have been looking into suspicions of the illegal use of company expenses. The company allegedly cover

Jun 28, 2018
Prosecutors question Korean Air chief for tax evasion

Two convicted of selling fake IDs to foreigners

By Kang Aa-youngTwo people were convicted of forging and selling fake IDs to foreigners, Wednesday.In the Ulsan District Court, a Korean man, 42, received an eight-month suspended jail term, while a Vietnamese woman, 31, was given a four-month suspended term. They sold a forged ID card to a Vietnamese for 3 million won ($2,677) in January. The court didn't recognize the woman's claim that she only introduced buyers. It ruled that she knew of the full scam and was involved in it. An alien registration card is required for foreigners who want to stay in Korea for more than 90 days.

Jun 28, 2018
Two convicted of selling fake IDs to foreigners

Korean Air chief grilled over suspected tax evasion

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho bows to the public in an apology before he goes into the prosecution office in southern Seoul for questioning over alleged embezzlement, tax evasion and breach of trust on June 28. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukKorean Air Lines Chairman Cho Yang-ho appeared Thursday for prosecution questioning over allegations of tax evasion, breach of trust and embezzlement. Cho, 69, appeared at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office at around 9:30 a.m. "I am sorry. I will faithfully face the investigation," he told reporters. He and his sister allegedly evaded over 50 billion won ($44.7 million) in taxes on their inheritance of overseas assets from their father and founder of the Hanjin Group, which includes Korean Air. Cho chairs the group.Prosecutors also suspect he has embezzled over 20 billion won from company funds and caused losses to the business group by unfairly awarding contracts to companies controlled by his family members.His wife and children are also being probed over alleged assaults, smuggling and illegal hiring of foreign housekeepers.

Jun 28, 2018
Korean Air chief grilled over suspected tax evasion

Sejong fire likely caused by 'oil mist' explosions

By Kim Hyun-binFire officials suspect that “oil mist” was the cause of a fire that killed three and injured 37 at an apartment building construction site in the central administration city of Sejong, Tuesday.“We have received testimony from construction officials and nearby residents that there were over 10 explosions in the underground parking lot,” said Chae Soo-jong, head of the Sejong Fire Headquarters during a briefing Wednesday. “We suspect the explosions were caused by oil mist.”He explained the blaze at the underground parking lot simultaneously spread through seven apartment buildings as the large lot linked other nearby apartment buildings in the complex.Firefighters had difficulty battling the flames as there were no fire extinguishing systems in place.“The seven apartment pathways that were linked to the parking lot had the same effect as a chimney which fueled the fire,” said Chae. “There were no fire prevention systems at the site including fire doors and fire shutters as it was under construction.Most of the decease

Jun 27, 2018

Independent counsel begins probe into online opinion rigging

By Kim Hyun-binAn independent counsel started an investigation into an online opinion rigging scandal involving a power blogger nicknamed “Druking,” Wednesday, after 20 days of preparation.“The members of the independent counsel team have been chosen,” said counsel Huh Ik-bum.The investigation could last up to 90 days. Huh was appointed earlier this month by President Moon Jae-in to investigate the opinion rigging scandal involving his close associates.The investigation will question Druking and his supporters about allegations that they manipulated online comments to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea during last year's presidential election.Druking had connections to officials from the ruling party and the presidential office including former lawmaker Kim Kyoung-soo, who was elected governor of South Gyeongsang Province in local elections earlier this month.Kim has denied all allegations, calling the scandal a "fiction."The key points of the scandal are whether the blogger and his accomplices used illegal software before the

Jun 27, 2018

Top court, prosecution at odds over submitting documents

Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Meong-su, center, enters the Supreme Court building in Seoul, Tuesday, without answering questions from reporters. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-wooThe prosecution is locking horns with the Supreme Court over the latter's refusal to hand over documents related to the power abuse scandal surrounding its former chief. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is investigating allegations that former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae used trials as bargaining chips in his dealings with the presidential office over organizational changes. Yang retired last September after ending his six-year term in office.On Tuesday, prosecutors received the 410 files that had to do with the allegations from the National Court Administration (NCA), with personal details sealed due to privacy issues. “After assessing the prosecution request for document submission, we handed in those deemed unrelated to official secrets and deemed to have enough relevance,” NCA Chief Justice Ahn Chul-sang said.However, the NCA failed to submit the hard disk that the investigators beli

Jun 27, 2018
Top court, prosecution at odds over submitting documents

Major porn site operator arrested, 3 still on loose

Justice looms closer for those responsible for Korea's once-largest porn site “Soranet” after one of the four suspects who have been living overseas recently surrendered herself to police. Korea Times fileBy Ko Dong-hwanPolice have arrested the co-operators of the now-closed major Korean porn site “Soranet,” leaving three other suspects on the loose overseas. The Provincial Police Agency said Monday it arrested the unnamed woman, 45, who surrendered to them after living as a fugitive overseas. She ran the site with her husband and another married couple. It had over a million subscribers. The female suspect returned to Seoul after police asked the foreign ministry to cancel her passport. She voluntarily returned to Incheon International Airport on June 18.Soranet was launched in 1999 and closed in April 2016, when police discovered the site's server in the Netherlands and it was destroyed. Two months later, the site's Twitter account notified of its permanent closure.The police investigation began in 2015. Two of the site's operators, who were in Korea, were a

Jun 27, 2018
Major porn site operator arrested, 3 still on loose
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