South Korea - The Korea Times

Court backs 'recycling' untainted food in restaurants

A Chinese restaurant owner indicted for allegedly serving a customer fried rice left over from another meal has left a Busan court with a clean record. / Screen capture from YouTubeBy Ko Dong-hwanA Busan court has backed a restaurant owner who was indicted for allegedly serving food that another customer had left.In Busan District Court on Saturday, the operator of a Chinese restaurant pleaded not guilty to a charge of serving a customer two plates of fried rice made from leftovers.Prosecutors had indicted the operator in April 2017 for infringing the Food Sanitation Act, which bans using recycled food ingredients.The operator denied the prosecutors' charge, saying the dishes were untouched by the customer who originally ordered them. He said the customer returned the dishes as they were and he kept them and later reheated them again for delivery service for the plaintiff. He said his practice “avoids the Food Sanitation Act in that I did not recycle food previously touched.”The prosecutors' supporting evidence, a video clip, showed the restaurant owner unwrapping transpa

May 6, 2018

Court backs 'recycling' untainted food in restaurants

Police seek arrest of attacker

Kim Sung-tae, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party / YonhapPolice said Sunday they are seeking an arrest warrant for a man who beat the floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, an incident that aggravated an ongoing partisan standoff.The 31-year-old man, identified only by his surname Kim, hit the chin of Rep. Kim Sung-tae with his fist on Saturday as the lawmaker was walking up the stairs toward the bathroom in the National Assembly's main building.The lawmaker has been on a hunger strike since Thursday, calling for an independent counsel investigation into an online opinion rigging scandal involving a blogger with alleged ties to ruling party lawmaker Kim Kyung-soo.Police said they will request a court warrant to arrest him as early as Sunday afternoon.After the assault, the suspect yelled to reporters to express his hatred toward the conservative opposition party and call for the parliament to cooperate in promoting inter-Korean reconciliation."Let's achieve the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Is it that difficult for the parliament t

May 6, 2018

Opposition floor leader attacked during hunger strike

Opposition lawmaker attacked; motive unknown

Opposition lawmaker Kim Sung-tae was attacked by a man on Saturday in front of the main building of the National Assembly where Kim had staged a sit-in protest for days, calling for a thorough investigation into the opinion-rigging scandal involving one of President Moon Jae-in's close aides. / YonhapBy Park Si-sooOpposition lawmaker Kim Sung-tae was attacked by a man on Saturday in front of the main building of the National Assembly where Kim had staged a sit-in protest for days, calling for a thorough investigation into the opinion-rigging scandal involving one of President Moon Jae-in's close aides. The man punched Kim in the jaw at 2:40 p.m. when Kim, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, was standing up to go to the restroom, according to police. Kim collapsed and the attacker was caught at the scene.The lawmaker is being treated at a nearby hospital. Photos and video footage hint that Kim's injury is not serious.Police are questioning the attacker. The motive for the crime was immediately not known. 

May 5, 2018

Opposition lawmaker attacked; motive unknown

Kim questioned over online opinion-rigging

Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo appears at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shm Sang-soonBy Kim Hyun-binPolice questioned Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Friday over his alleged involvement in online opinion-rigging.Kim appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) at around 10 a.m. Friday _ just two days after police subpoenaed him.The police questioned him as a witness for allegedly helping a power blogger known as Druking. Druking allegedly set up a team in January 2017 to increase the number of clicks on news articles in favor of then-presidential candidate Moon Jae-in during the presidential race.Druking admitted to using a software macro, a computer program used to create automated repetitive sequences.Seoul police have arrested and charged Druking for manipulating internet comments via the software.Kim, a confidant of President Moon Jae-in, is running for governor of South Gyeongsang Province in the local elections on June 13.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK) has been pushing for an independent probe of th

May 4, 2018

Kim questioned over online opinion-rigging

7,000 Korean couriers helped smuggle W2 tril. of gold into Japan

More than 7000 South Koreans are believed linked to smuggling gold into Japan. / Courtesy of the Busan District Prosecutors' OfficeBy Kang Aa-youngMore than 7,000 South Koreans are suspected of smuggling 2 trillion won of gold into Japan in 2015 and 2016.The Busan District Prosecutors' Office said the criminal ring had transported 40,000 gold bars from Hong Kong to the international airports in Incheon and Gimhae before moving them to Japan. They made at least 40 billion won in illegal profit, mainly from taxes and price differences.The couriers were lured by offers of free trips to Hong Kong. About 5,000 people were hired in 2016 and about 7,000 in total took part. Hong Kong does not impose a consumption tax on gold. Each courier carries five or six bars.The smugglers knew it is illegal but took the deal, police said.The daily amount of smuggled gold reached 200 bars worth about 10 billion won, they said.

May 4, 2018

7,000 Korean couriers helped smuggle W2 tril. of gold into Japan

Korean pastor missing in potential kidnapping in Philippines

Reverend Na Ji-sung has been missing since Monday after heading to a theological school in the city of Dasmarinas, northern Cavite Province. / Courtesy of the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of KoreaBy Kang Aa-youngA Korean pastor is missing in the Philippines, South Korea's Presbyterian Church and the Korean Embassy in the Philippines said this week, following reports suggesting he might have been kidnapped.Na Ji-sung, 41, was on his way to a theological school in the city of Dasmarinas, northern Cavite Province. His wife received a text message from him about 5:20 a.m. Tuesday (local time), saying there had been an accident and he would not be back for a while. The church, the embassy and police are cooperating in efforts to find Na.

May 4, 2018

Korean pastor missing in potential kidnapping in Philippines

Korean Air chairman's daughter faces arrest for alleged assault

Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-min sobs as she answers questions by journalists before entering the Seoul Gangseo Police Station on May 1. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukPolice on Friday requested a court warrant to arrest a daughter of Korean Air Lines Co.'s chairman over an alleged assault.The Seoul Gangseo Police Station said they filed for the writ against Cho Hyun-min, who was a senior executive of the company, on charges of assault and obstruction of business.Cho has been under investigation over allegations that she threw a glass cup of water at an advertising company official during a business meeting in March because she was upset about the way the manager failed to answer her questions properly.She is also suspected of yelling at the staff present at the meeting and disrupting the meeting by refusing to continue the session.She was questioned by the police on Tuesday over the allegations. She has denied most of the charges and insisted that it was a paper cup she pushed toward the door, not toward people.Police said they decided to seek an arrest warrant for Cho as the pro

May 4, 2018

Korean Air chairman's daughter faces arrest for alleged assault

Is 'water tank bones' killing a crime of passion?

By Park Si-sooPolice are hunting a Filipino man as a prime suspect in the “factory water tank” homicide case in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.Earlier, police identified four Filipino men as suspects and were tracing their whereabouts. But the investigation is now zeroing in on one as new evidence has emerged.Police investigators said the suspect is believed to be in the Philippines. They identified him as a prime suspect after finding a critical mismatch between his allegations and evidence. They did not give further details.Meanwhile, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported police had secured testimony that indicated a possible motive for the killing.The paper said the suspect was homosexual and had feelings for the victim who was heterosexual.“The investigation is gaining momentum as fresh evidence and testimonies have come forward,” an investigator said. “We are also trying to find out if the case was a crime of passion.”The investigation started after human bones were found in a factory's water purifying tank in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, i

May 4, 2018

Is 'water tank bones' killing a crime of passion?

Police hunt four Filipinos over 'water tank bones' killing

Ex-president denies bribery, embezzlement allegations

By Kang Seung-wooFormer President Lee Myung-bak denied allegations of receiving bribes from businesses and creating a slush fund through an auto parts maker, estimated to add up to tens of billions of won, Thursday. Lee did this through his lawyers at a pre-trial hearing that was not mandatory for him to attend. The 76-year-old, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, was arrested in March on charges of taking a total of 11 billion won ($10 million) in bribes from the state-run spy agency and various businesses between 2007 and 2012In addition, he is suspected of embezzling 35 billion won from the auto parts firm DAS, which he is said to secretly own, between 1994 and 2006.“Lee denies all allegations linked to DAS, including siphoning off its corporate money and creating a slush fund,” Kang Hoon, one of Lee's lawyers, told the judges.Samsung Electronics is alleged to have paid 6.77 billion won in retainer fees for DAS in 2009. DAS had filed a lawsuit to recoup its investment in a U.S. financial firm run by Lee's estranged former business partner.“Lee did not rece

May 3, 2018

Ex-president denies bribery, embezzlement allegations

Korean student's fatal fall in Singapore was accident: Coroner

The Sheares Hall at the National University of Singapore. / Captured from the university's websiteBy Kang Aa-young, Jung Min-hoThe fatal fall of a Korean student at the National University of Singapore last year was an unfortunate accident, State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam concluded Wednesday.According to local media, the ruling came after an inquiry into the death of the undergraduate student, surnamed Jung, 18, who fell from the seventh floor of the school's residential building on Oct. 28. She was reportedly trying to climb into her room through the window of a pantry after accidentally locking herself out. She had left the key card for the door in the room.Jung was taken to a hospital but later pronounced dead.An autopsy showed she suffered multiple injuries consistent with a fall from height. In delivering her findings, District Judge Kamala said the university has made changes to prevent such incidents. Previously, doors were locked automatically. Dorm occupants now have to lock them themselves.

May 3, 2018

Law & Crime

Law & Crime

Court backs 'recycling' untainted food in restaurants

Police seek arrest of attacker

Opposition lawmaker attacked; motive unknown

Kim questioned over online opinion-rigging

7,000 Korean couriers helped smuggle W2 tril. of gold into Japan

Korean pastor missing in potential kidnapping in Philippines

Korean Air chairman's daughter faces arrest for alleged assault

Is 'water tank bones' killing a crime of passion?

Ex-president denies bribery, embezzlement allegations

Korean student's fatal fall in Singapore was accident: Coroner

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