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Fired Prudential Life employee commits suicide

By You Soo-sunA former employee of the Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea LTD died at the company headquarters in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Tuesday.Yang Man-seung, 57, committed suicide by jumping out of a window on the 21st floor of the building, after a failed attempt to meet the company head, according to Cho Sung-man, 60, who was also dismissed from the company. A police investigation is underway. The two, formerly contracted branch managers, were let go from the company last month.Cho, who had been with the company since 1990, said they had been wrongfully dismissed. The two failed to meet company performance standards, which the company changed often and made difficult to achieve, he claimed.  “The company did that in order to fire us, the oldest employees remaining at the company,” Cho said.Cho argued that although there were seven employees who failed to meet the requirements, only two of them ― the oldest two ― had been fired. Three of the seven left their jobs voluntarily in return for more compensation, he said.“I’ve been wi

Sep 5, 2017
Fired Prudential Life employee commits suicide

'Blood-smeared' teen violence causes uproar

In surveillance camera footage, a schoolgirl victim is on her hands and knees as she is kicked in the head by one of four attackers./YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong A recent act of violence in Busan involving four middle school students and a fifth victim has made national headlines, triggering an unprecedented online campaign to bring justice for the victim.An online petition at Cheong Wa Dae’s website asking for adult punishment for the juvenile offenders drew more than 128,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.On Sept. 1 the 13-year-old victim was beaten and abused for more than an hour by four other schoolgirls until she was rendered unconscious. She is currently hospitalized, being treated for wounds on her lips and scalp, and for burns caused by cigarettes.Two offenders, among the four, who are being questioned told the police that they hit her with pipes, bricks, liquor bottles and a chair.The incident instantly became a media frenzy after a photo of the brutally beaten victim and surveillance camera footage of the incident went viral on social media outlets. In fact, the ph

Sep 5, 2017
'Blood-smeared' teen violence causes uproar

Maverick novelist Ma Kwang-soo found dead in apparent suicide

A famed South Korean novelist was found dead in his residence in central Seoul on Tuesday in what appears to be a suicide, police said.Ma Kwang-soo, former professor of Korean literature at Yonsei University, was discovered by his family in his apartment in Yongsan at around 1:50 p.m., the police said, without elaborating further.They said they are investigating his death as a possible suicide.Ma, 66, is known for his sexually explicit novels including "Happy Sara," for which he served an eight-month prison term for obscenity in late 1990s. (Yonhap)

Sep 5, 2017
Maverick novelist Ma Kwang-soo found dead in apparent suicide

MBC chief quizzed over alleged unfair labor practices

The chief of South Korea's major public broadcaster MBC was questioned by the labor ministry early Tuesday over allegations that he violated labor laws and unfairly exerted influence over personnel affairs at the company based on political bias.Kim Jang-kyom, president and CEO of MBC, appeared at a Seoul district agency of the Ministry of Employment and Labor to be quizzed over the suspicions, according to the ministry.He is accused of meddling in the news production in favor of the previous conservative Park Geun-hye government and abusing his authority in personnel matters by disadvantaging some employees who refused to follow his directions.The former managing editor of the MBC news desk, on the contrary, accused the labor union of threatening him for political purposes now that the new government is run by liberal President Moon Jae-in."How could I ever have wrongfully acted in any way when I only came to office only six months ago... I will face the questioning fair and square," he told reporters.Kim had been previously summoned by the government office for questioning after MBC

Sep 5, 2017
MBC chief quizzed over alleged unfair labor practices

Gov't vows crackdown on hidden camera crimes

Police officers try detectors to find possible hidden cameras in a public restroom at Ttukseom Hangang Park in eastern Seoul, July 11. / YonhapCrimes grow amid evolving devicesBy Kim Bo-eunThe government has declared an all-out war against crimes involving hidden cameras, amid the evolution of equipment and the growing number of such illegal acts. “We need harsher punishment for hidden-camera based crimes and better protective measures for victims,” President Moon Jae-in said in a Cabinet meeting earlier this month.The National Police Agency said Thursday it will conduct a one-month intensive crackdown on the illegal installation of miniature cameras in pens and watches among other items that are then sold for illicit purposes, as well as check public facilities such as restrooms for hidden equipment. Growing crime rate The number of hidden camera-based crimes has grown by an average of 21 percent each year since 2012, according to police data.The largest number of crimes involved taking photographs or videos with smart phones (85.5 percent), followed by ci

Sep 1, 2017
Gov't vows crackdown on hidden camera crimes

NOTICE Regarding Yoo Byung-eun, former chairman of Semo Group

In two recent articles titled “Daughter of late Sewol owner faces extradition from France” and “Court rejects reward payment to man who reported ferry Sewol owner’s body,” The Korea Times wrongly identified Yoo Byung-eun as the owner of Chonghaejin Marine that operated the ferry Sewol. Yoo did not directly own any share of Chonghaejin Marine either under his name or a borrowed name. We regret the error.

Sep 1, 2017

Justice nominee steps down over dubious stock gains

 By Lee Kyung-min Lee You-jung, President Moon Jae-in’s pick for Constitutional Court justice, withdrew her nomination Friday over allegations of dubious gains from stock transactions.Lee has reaped 530 million won ($472,000) from trading a number of stocks listed on the Seoul bourse in the relatively short period of eight months, drawing suspicion she might have relied on insider information.In a statement, the lawyer and a law professor at Ewha Law School said she did not wish to burden President Moon and the Constitutional Court.“I categorically deny allegations that I somehow resorted to illicit means such as using insider information to seek financial profit,” Lee said.“However, I understand, by being embroiled in this controversy, I failed to meet the public’s scrutiny and expectations required of one of the highest public posts. I therefore will step down as nominee.”Still, she urged the Moon administration to continue its efforts to diversify the makeup of the Constitutional Court.Her withdrawal came only days after a National Ass

Sep 1, 2017

Man fined for editing Wikipedia to identify Moon as N. Korean politician

A South Korean man was sentenced to 4 million won ($3,564) in fines on Friday for writing in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia early this year that then leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in is a North Korean politician.The 53-year-old head of a software development firm, identified by his surname Yang, edited Moon's Korean-language Wikipedia page in February, falsely identifying him as a politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.Yang also made the same change to the page of Lee Jae-myung, mayor of Seongnam, a city on the outskirts of Seoul. It was when Moon, Lee and others vied for the party's nomination for president.Yang corrected the false information six hours later, but the National Election Commission referred him to the prosecution for investigation.On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court convicted and fined him.The court said in the verdict that considering Wikipedia's accessibility, propagation possibility and the domestic political situation at the time, what Yang did was an act that could have degraded the social reputatio

Sep 1, 2017

Top court nominee withdraws amid controversial equity investment

President Moon Jae-in's pick for a new Constitutional Court justice withdrew her nomination on Friday amid growing controversy over her dubious equity investment.Lee You-jung, an attorney and law professor, said in a statement that she is pulling out because she does not want to be a “burden on the President and the court.” She was nominated on Aug. 8 to fill the vacancy in the nine-member court. Lee, 49, has faced scrutiny over her recent stock investment, which earned her some 1.2 billion won ($1.08 million) for the past 18 months. Records show she reaped 570 million won by trading shares in a company which is a client of her law firm.The nation's financial watchdog reportedly decided on Thursday to investigate allegations that she may have used insider information.Lee denied the allegations but apologized "for failing to meet the public's expectation of high ethical standards for public officials."During her confirmation hearing on Monday, opposition lawmakers also raised questions about her political neutrality citing her close relation with the ruling Democratic

Sep 1, 2017
Top court nominee withdraws amid controversial equity investment

Rumors about teacher-student rape spread online

By You Soo-sun Police have begun investigating rumors concerning a female teacher charged with the statutory rape of a 12-year-old elementary student.According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency Wednesday, rumors about the 32-year-old teacher and her family have spread online. This includes false information about the offender’s name, educational background, family relations and the wrong picture.Police began investigating after receiving a complaint from a woman who had been falsely identified as the offender in the case. Photos of her face were spread on the internet, with people identifying her as the teacher. Police confirmed she is completely unrelated to the case.They are requesting all posters to remove the “information” they posted related to the case. They are also searching for the person who initiated the rumors. The offender and school have also hired lawyers seeking to remove any related online posts.The victim of the case has also come under attack, with speculation about his identity and involvement in the case. After the offender testifie

Aug 31, 2017
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