my timesThe Korea Times
South KoreaLaw & Crime

Law & Crime

Teacher accused of leaking test questions to private tutor

By Park Si-sooA high school teacher colluded with a private institute’s teacher to leak questions in the school’s English test, police said Sunday. Police said the teacher, 61, surnamed Hwang, was suspected of leaking 27 out of 30 questions of an English mid-term exam of a foreign language high school in Seoul. The tutor, 32, surnamed Cho, was arrested for alleged collusion. Police are investigating whether the teacher received anything in return from the tutor. They are also investigating if there were other leaks involving the two.Police began the investigation early last month after learning about an online controversy over the institute’s “exorbitantly accurate prediction” of questions in the school’s English test.On Nov. 10 the school formally apologized to its students and parents over the leak.

Nov 26, 2017
Teacher accused of leaking test questions to private tutor

Daughter of former president's confidant avoids being murdered

Police caught Saturday an unidentified man who infiltrated into an apartment home of Chung Yoo-ra, above, in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and stabbed a man inside. / Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwanThe daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the high-profile confidant of former President Park Geun-hye, avoided possibly being murdered Saturday as police caught a man who had broken into into her home with the alleged intention of killing her. Chung Yoo-ra, 21, saw a man, identified by his surname Lee, 44, break into her home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, around 3 p.m. Lee threatened a security guard at the entrance of her apartment building and forced him to lead him to her suite. Entering her home, he stabbed a man inside. Police received a report about the break-in and stabbing and arrived at the scene, where they grabbed Lee. The unidentified victim was taken to a hospital where he received a treatment. During police questioning Lee confessed that he has a monetary issue with Chung. Chung is suspected of gaining entrance to Ewha Womans University with the help of her mother, Choi, who abused h

Nov 25, 2017
Daughter of former president's confidant avoids being murdered

Google Korea faces probe for collecting Android users' data

Google has been collecting data on Android phones for 11 months without users’ consent. / Courtesy of PixabayBy Chyung Eun-juThe Korea Communications Commission (KCC) will investigate Google Korea for allegedly tracking Android users’ location data without their consent.The KCC said on Thursday it will then decide if Google has infringed the Privacy Act and violated the Information Communications Network Act.“We will figure out what was collected and confirm whether they violated the Information Communication Network Act and Location Information Act,” said Chun Ji-hyun, the manager of the KCC’s Privacy Infringement Investigation Division.“Not only was this a national issue, but an issue that came to light from the U.S. We will see how this is handled globally.”Google Korea has admitted collecting the data. “Since Jan. 31, 2017, we have been collecting data in order to improve the Android OS,” Google Korea said. “We are planning to prohibit this kind of data collection and we will update the program to stop the function of da

Nov 24, 2017
Google Korea faces probe for collecting Android users' data

'Victims do not want punishment of Hanwha son'

By Kim Bo-eunHanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn’s third son Dong-seon is unlikely to face criminal prosecution for physically assaulting two lawyers, as the victims expressed their wishes for him not to be punished.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday the two lawyers stated they accept Kim’s apology and do not wish for him to be punished, in questioning that took place a day earlier.Police were set to charge Kim with assault. In September he verbally insulted and slapped lawyers, grabbing one by the hair during a dinner after getting drunk.At the scene, Kim reportedly told the lawyers to “straighten their backs” to show respect and to address him as “the big shareholder (of the law firm).”He apologized to the lawyers the next day.Police are set to continue investigations, based on possibilities of Kim having committed other offenses at the scene.Officers are seeking witnesses to provide testimony of the details of Kim’s behavior. They are also looking into footage from a surveillance camera outside the bar.The lawyers belong t

Nov 23, 2017

INTERVIEW Female authors write down vanishing Middle Eastern folktales

Ameera bin Kadra smiles during an interview with The Korea Times at the Expo Center Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 7. Korea TimesDigital era posing threat to oral tradition of storytellingBy Kang Hyun-kyung SHARJAH -- In the Middle East, recorded knowledge and folktales written down are relatively scarce, partly because stories have been passed down from one generation on to the next for centuries through oral traditions.In the fast-changing Middle East where Western ideas increasingly affect locals’ lifestyle and way of thinking, some began to worry about the loss of traditional wisdom.Such concern has spurred some female authors of the United Arab Emirates to write down vanishing stories to keep their literary heritage alive.“I like globalization, but my belief is it shouldn’t come at the expense of our cultural roots,” Ameera bin Kadra, author of the children’s book “My Grandmother’s Story About Henna,” told The Korea Times at the Expo Center Sharja in the UAE on Nov. 7. “In my books, I shed light on traditio

Nov 23, 2017

Fake e-commerce sites surge for Black Friday

Canada Goose clothing was sold for 300,000 won ($280) on fake online shopping sites. / YonhapBy Chyung Eun-juConsumers looking forward to big discounts on Black Friday have to be alert for fake e-commerce sites.With Black Friday just around the corner, the number of fake e-commerce sites promoting huge discounts surged, according to Seoul city on Thursday.More than 10 cases have been reported to the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center (ECC) by consumers who claim to have been scammed from Nov. 14 to 22.They involved people being unable to find the contact information of the customer center after purchasing a product, items that were purchased in yuan when the price was in dollars and consumers who could not cancel their order. Sites reported the most were stores that sold high-priced Canada Goose products such as Parka Store (www.goosetop.com) and Parka Outlet (www.goosekr.com). The Canada Goose parkas were priced at 300,000 won ($280) on the fake e-commerce sites when they usually cost over 1 million won ($900).Several cases involved stores that used Facebook and Instagram ads to promo

Nov 23, 2017
Fake e-commerce sites surge for Black Friday

85 South Koreans denied entry into America over 'paper problems'

By Lee Kyung-minEighty-five Koreans were denied entry into the U.S., Sunday, because the stated purposes of their visits differed from the actual purposes, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it confirmed this with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and aircraft operators that carried the 85 people.They, the ministry said, were denied entry at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia Sunday after some of them told immigration officials there that they had flown to the U.S. for reasons other than travel.All of them, before arrival, cited tourism as the reason for their visits on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a travel document under the visa waiver program between the two countries. The program permits Koreans to visit the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without visas.The ministry refused to disclose the identities of the individuals citing privacy, only confirming that they are in their 60s and 70s. While the Korean Consul sought to meet with the 85 people, the

Nov 22, 2017

Teacher jailed for sex with elementary student

By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-sooAn elementary school teacher was sentenced to three years in prison for having sexual relations with a 12-year-old girl.Suwon District Court handed down the verdict on Monday, finding the teacher 32, surnamed Shin, guilty of violating the Sexual Crime Act against Minors. He was also ordered to undergo 80 hours of anti-sexual crime education. According to court documents, the teacher got to know the student, then 11, through an unidentified app in October last year. The teacher introduced himself as a 19-year-old and suggested offline dating. The two met at a cafe in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, and had sex. He took photos of the girl’s naked body. “He cannot be forgiven,” wrote Judge Song Kyung-ho in a ruling statement. “Despite his position as an elementary school teacher, he tricked the teenage girl, who has not reached the age to fully understand sexual relations.”The teacher claimed he didn’t know his partner was an elementary student, but the court dismissed it.

Nov 22, 2017
Teacher jailed for sex with elementary student

Hanwha chief's son faces criminal prosecution over assault

Kim Dong-seon, far right, celebrates winning his individual silver medal in equestrian at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. He is with his father Kim Seung-youn, left, shairman of Hanwha Group, at the Dream Park Equestrian Venue on Sep. 23, 2014. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Bo-eun, Ko Dong-hwanThe Korean Bar Association (KBA) filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Tuesday, against Kim Dong-seon, the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, for assaulting lawyers at a dinner party.“We have begun an investigation into the case involving Kim,” the association said. “We will send a document to Hanwha Group regarding the details of the case.” The KBA said it would have the lawyers who were assaulted file a compensation suit against Kim.“This case is a typical case of chaebol taking advantage of their status,” the KBA said. “Insulting lawyers and treating them disrespectfully and assaulting them just because they were hired, damages the dignity and esteem of the profession of lawyers.”In September

Nov 21, 2017
Hanwha chief's son faces criminal prosecution over assault

Battery-powered hand warmer explodes in child's hand

In this captured image, a chargeable battery-powered hand warmer exploded in a child's hand. / Screen captured from JTBCBy Bahk Eun-jiA chargeable battery-powered hand warmer exploded in a child’s hand, JTBC reported Monday.According to the report, the boy, 9, bought the hand warmer on the internet four days before the incident.In CCTV footage, the child carries the warmer and it suddenly begins to smoke. He immediately throws the warmer away and the device burns up.The warmer used a lithium battery made by a Chinese company, the report said.The hand warmer is still sold on the e-commerce site with safety statements saying that the battery has been approved.The child’s mother said she sent the remains of the hand warmer to the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards to investigate the fire’s cause. She is also considering a damages claim against the company that imported the device.

Nov 21, 2017
Battery-powered hand warmer explodes in child's hand
previous page
541542543544545
next page

Most Read in South Korea