South Korea - The Korea Times

Top prosecutor opposes investigative rights reform

Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il speaks at a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il said Thursday that the prosecution should retain the sole right to apply for arrest warrants for criminal suspects, opposing Cheong Wa Dae's drive to have it share the right with police. Speaking at a press briefing for local journalists, Moon said, “The debate over investigative rights is not only between the prosecution and police. It also involves citizens who will be the subject of investigations.” Under the current system, the police can investigate but cannot seek an arrest warrant _ this must be done only through the prosecution. President Moon Jae-in and his officials believe this further corrupts what is already a powerful body that is seen as corruption-ridden by many.In making his case against Cheong Wa Dae's initiative, the top prosecutor said: “That could mean the police will not report to the prosecution cases which they dropped. It is hard to imagine. I am not sure if that is possible in principle.”He also emphas

Mar 29, 2018

Top prosecutor opposes investigative rights reform

24 Korean tourists injured in Austrian bus crash

Emergency personnel work at the site of the bus crash near Salzburg on Wednesday. / AP-YonhapBy Kang Aa-youngTwenty-four Korean tourists were injured when their tour bus slid out of control on a snowy Austrian road and crashed near the alpine city of Salzburg Wednesday.All escaped with minor injuries except one tourist and the Croatian driver.They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.The accident happened near Gosau, about 30km southeast of Salzburg, while the bus was heading to the scenic village of Hallstatt.Thirty-five tourists were on board.

Mar 29, 2018

24 Korean tourists injured in Austrian bus crash

Factory fire kills one, injures two

Fire killed one worker and injured two in a factory in Jeungpyeong, North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. /YonhapBy Kang Aa-youngOne worker died and two were injured in a fire at a factory in an industrial complex in Jeungpyeong, North Chungcheong, Wednesday.The blaze broke out early in the morning. The victim was identified as Kim, 51. "I saw a spark from a machine on the second floor of the building, where the fire started," a witness told police. The fire's cause is being investigated.

Mar 28, 2018

Hanyang University professor arrested on fraud, embezzlement charges

By Park Si-soo A Hanyang University professor was arrested in a fraud investigation, police said Tuesday. The professor, whose personal details are unknown, is suspected of embezzling research funds by adding names of ordinary students to the list of his research team members. With this scheme, he was paid 640 million won more from the government between May 2015 and December last year, a large portion of which he pocketed, according to police. The professor is also suspected of spending 28 million won of research funds buying shoes, golf clubs, watches and other goods.

Mar 27, 2018

Hanyang University professor arrested on fraud, embezzlement charges

Reporters convicted of disclosing USFK civilian worker's affair

By Park Si-sooSouth Korea's top court on Tuesday confirmed the conviction of three weekly magazine reporters who were accused of publishing an extramarital affair story involving a Korean civilian worker at United States Forces Korea (USFK).The Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling, fining them 3 million won ($2,800) each for defaming the worker. The court rejected the reporters' claim that their reporting was justifiable in light of people's right to know and the freedom of press.It said the disputed story dealt with a “sheer private affair” whose publication did nothing for public interest. The court said the story was published with personal details edited out, but not enough.

Mar 27, 2018

Reporters convicted of disclosing USFK civilian worker's affair

10 foreigners deported for working illegally on Jeju

By Lee Suh-yoonTen foreigners have been deported for working without work permits at a golf resort in Jeju City, law enforcement officials said Sunday. The golf course operator was apprehended and fined for employing the undocumented workers. Police and immigration officials raided Jeju golf resorts on March 12.Last year Jeju prosecutors charged three managers of a renowned Jeju golf resort for employing up to 360 undocumented Chinese workers. Construction, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors rely heavily on undocumented foreign labor. The number of undocumented immigrants in Korea totalled 208,971 in 2016, according to the Ministry of Justice. There were 2,049,441 foreign residents, a 9 percent increase on five years ago.

Mar 26, 2018

10 foreigners deported for working illegally on Jeju

Passenger ship carrying 163 people runs aground

After a passenger ship ran aground near Shinan county in South Jeolla Province on Sunday afternoon, passengers move to a coast guard boat. / Yonhap A passenger ship carrying 163 people became stuck on rocks in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast Sunday, but all on board were rescued, the Coast Guard said.The 223 ton-ferry with 158 passengers and five crew on board ran aground at around 3:47 p.m. near Shinan county, 400 km south of Seoul, according to officials.The Coast Guard said that the ship hit rocks while moving through dense fog. Some said that the accident occurred as the ferry tried to avoid colliding with a fishing boat.According to officials, the Coast Guard rescued all of those aboard and transported them to another ferry in the vicinity using a small boat at around 5:14 p.m.Six passengers sustained mild injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital, they added.South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said that it started operation of an emergency management center to handle the case shortly after the accident was reported."We've got a report that rescue

Mar 25, 2018

Passenger ship carrying 163 people runs aground

'False sex crime accusation killed my husband'

Are all allegations of sexual harassment true? / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe widow of a public middle school teacher, who committed suicide last year amid a sexual harassment investigation, claims a student's lie killed her innocent husband.Kang Ha-jung, who lost her husband Song Kyung-jin on Aug. 5, posted a plea on the presidential office website on Mar. 15. She urged the government to uncover the truth about what drove him to his death and to punish those who blindly vilified him without checking the facts.Over the past 10 days, her post has garnered more than 21,000 signatures.“A student's lie soon became a sexual harassment allegation against him. He didn't have any proper chance to explain. Pressured enormously by the student human rights center, he had to kill himself to prove his innocence,” Kang wrote. “Some people say, 'If he didn't do it, why would he die? He should have insisted on his innocence.' He tried hard until he realized there was no other way but death to prove his innocence. No one seemed to listen.”Song, a teacher at the Sangseo Middle Schoo

Mar 25, 2018

'False sex crime accusation killed my husband'

Ex-first lady to be quizzed over corruption

The wife of arrested former President Lee Myung-bak will likely be questioned by prosecutors next week, at the earliest, amid growing suspicion that she was involved in her husband's alleged bribery and embezzlement, sources from the prosecution said Saturday.Lee was put under arrest earlier this week on charges of accepting 11 billion won (US$10.2 million) in bribes from the state spy agency, and businesses, and embezzling about 35 billion won from a company that he is said to secretly own.Lee's wife, Kim Yoon-ok, is suspected of being involved in former Woori Finance Holdings chairman Lee Pal-seung's handover of 350 million won in cash and clothes worth 12.3 million won to Lee between January 2007 and January 2008, according to prosecutors.Additional suspicion surfaced that Kim, together with her son-in-law, accepted 100 million won contained in a luxury designer handbag in March 2011 from Lee Pal-seung, who was then seeking reelection as Woori chairman, they noted.Kim is also suspected of involvement in the National Intelligence Service's secret payment of $100,000 to the presiden

Mar 24, 2018

Ex-first lady to be quizzed over corruption

Soldier killed in shooting range accident

A South Korean soldier was killed in a shooting range accident in Sejong, an administrative city south of Seoul, on Friday, the Army said.The staff sergeant at a special forces brigade suffered a gunshot for an unknown reason during a firing exercise, it said. He was identified only by his surname, Kim, and was reportedly 24 years old.He was taken to a nearby hospital shortly after the incident, which happened around 4:40 p.m., but he died of his injuries.The military authorities are looking into the exact cause of the accident, the Army said. (Yonhap)

Mar 23, 2018

Law & Crime