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Prosecutors seek 12-year sentence for Samsung heir

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong walks into a courtroom for his final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoProsecutors are seeking 12 years in prison for Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of the Samsung Group, on charges of giving bribes to former President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil.Special counsel Park Young-soo made the request Monday during Lee’s final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, saying the prosecution had provided ample evidence that the Samsung Electronics vice chairman gave the two 43.3 billion won ($38.5 million) to ensure his control of the business empire.Considering other charges, including embezzlement and perjury, the special prosecutor said Lee deserves heavy punishment.The special prosecutor also asked presiding Judge Kim Jin-dong to sentence former Samsung executives ― Choi Gee-sung, Jang Choong-ki and Park Sang-jin ― to 10 years in prison for assisting Lee, and another executive, Hwang Sung-soo, to seven years.“This is a typical example of the co

Aug 7, 2017
Prosecutors seek 12-year sentence for Samsung heir

70 rescued after being stuck mid air for 3 hours

 By Lee Kyung-min Seventy people were stuck in midair on a thrill ride for three hours before being rescued Saturday after an equipment malfunction at the indoor amusement park in Lotte World in Jamsil, southern Seoul, the operator of the park said Sunday.The ride got stuck in at 6:58 p.m. Saturday, after the ride operator tried to stop it following an urgent demand from a girl who screamed that she be let off the ride immediately. The girl said she was too scared of the ride.Fire authorities and rescue crews arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency call and were able to rescue all 70 people by 10 p.m.Of the total, nine were children aged between eight and nine. No one suffered any injuries. The authorities are inspecting the ride to identify the cause of the malfunction.The ride called “Flyventure,” is made to allow the riders experience flying in 4D while looking at a 20-meter-wide 12-meter-high screen.Officials at the amusement park said they would conduct a thorough safety inspection, vowing to prevent any recurrence.Meanwhile, this came a week afte

Aug 6, 2017

Police crack down on sex crimes amid rampant hidden camera offenses

By Lee Kyung-minPolice said Sunday they have been conducting an intensive crackdown against sex crimes that will continue through August.A special team, comprised of 1,261 police officers, was dispatched to 62 beaches and 28 mountain valleys nationwide July 1.The measure reflects the sharp increase of such crimes during summer _ almost a third of sex crimes committed annually occur between July and September, police said.Crimes involving the filming of body parts of women are also rising.According to data from the National Police Agency, of all sex crimes, only 517 cases involved such filming in 2006, accounting for only 3.6 percent of the total. However, the number increased to 7,730 or 24.9 percent in 2015.Police said it has purchased 87 hidden camera detectors to help catch perpetrators. A 1 million-won ($888) reward is given to those who help police locate offenders engaged in illegal filming.Police said women should be aware of people who frequently put their hands on their glasses, hats, wrist watches, pens, neckties, or small screws attached to any accessories while watching t

Aug 6, 2017

Foreign sailors jump from moving ship in attempt for illegal entry

By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-sooTwo Vietnamese sailors jumped into the sea from a fishing vessel off Busan in what is considered an attempt to enter South Korea illegally, police said Sunday.Police are searching for the sailors. Some investigators believe they have reached the Busan coast and holed up, while others say the escape failed.The sailors’ absence was reported at 5:20 a.m. Sunday. They were among 42 foreign sailors -- 11 Vietnamese, 18 Filipinos and 13 Indonesians -- on the 1,402-ton deep-sea fishing vessel that was passing close to a small island off Busan.Many foreign sailors have vanished from their on-land dormitories or worksites to overstay their visas, but jumping from a moving ship is rare. 

Aug 6, 2017
Foreign sailors jump from moving ship in attempt for illegal entry

3 foreigner workers injured in textile factory fire

/ YonhapBy Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-sooThree foreign workers were injured in a textile factory fire in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, according to firefighters Sunday.The three -- two from Thailand and one from India -- had non-life-threatening burns, according to police and fire authorities.The blaze was reported about 12:30 a.m. Fifty firefighters and 26 fire engines were dispatched. The fire was extinguished after an hour, leaving 230 million won ($204,000) damage.An overheated dust collector is said to be the cause, but police have launched an investigation to verify this. 

Aug 6, 2017
3 foreigner workers injured in textile factory fire

S. Korea under probe over Taiwan's ruling party burglary

Cho Jun-kiTaiwanese police have identified a burglary suspect, who recently stole cash from the ruling party's headquarters in Taipei, as a South Korean man and put him on their wanted list, a local news agency said Saturday.According to the Central News Agency (CNA), a special investigation team under the Criminal Investigation Bureau was tracking the South Korean suspect, identified as Cho Jun-ki, after a security camera video showed that he sneaked into the eighth floor of the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party early Wednesday morning.Following his intrusion that allegedly lasted 10 minutes in the video, cash of more than 90,000 Taiwan dollars ($2,980) disappeared from the office, though there was no destruction or loss of documents and equipment, CNA reported, citing party and police officials.A Taiwanese newspaper also reported the case and quoted a police source as saying Cho arrived in Taiwan one day before his suspected burglary and stayed at a hotel near the Taipei 101 Tower.The source told the newspaper Cho left Taiwan on Wednesday shortly after his suspected

Aug 5, 2017
S. Korea under probe over Taiwan's ruling party burglary

Liquid nitrogen threatens food safety

The troubled liquid nitrogen-chilled snack By Lee Kyung-min Fears were raised Friday, over liquid nitrogen used to chill summer drinks and snacks after an elementary school boy suffered a perforated stomach after eating one Tuesday.Given the growing popularity of many such snacks amid scorching summer heat, consumers remain confused due to a lack of information about possible risks associated with eating or drinking the seemingly harmless and fun items.According to the boy’s father, who only wished to be identified by his surname Jeong, the boy screamed at the top of his lungs in pain about 10 seconds after finishing a cup of puffy cereal Tuesday.He bought it inside a container box in a water park in Daemyung resort in Cheonan, North Chungcheong Province, where the family was on vacation.The 12-year-old was rushed to Dankook University Hospital where he underwent surgery and was admitted to an intensive care unit.  The doctor told the father that his son’s stomach was perforated and multiple freeze-burns were found in his stomach and throat. He was moved to

Aug 4, 2017
Liquid nitrogen threatens food safety

Waxing parlor murder triggers misogyny dispute

By Kim Bo-eunAttention is growing over a case in which a man murdered a female owner of a waxing parlor last month. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted the man surnamed Bae, 30, on charges of murder, robbery and attempted rape on Monday.The man visited the parlor on July 5, posing as a customer. After getting waxing treatment, he threatened the owner with a weapon, demanding money and attempting to rape her and then stabbed her to death.The suspect, who reportedly had 6 million ($5,300) won in debt, stole the shop owner’s debit card after stabbing her.Prosecutors said the man testified to plotting the murder after watching a Youtube video taken at the parlor.A male Youtube broadcaster in March posted the video he filmed while getting waxing treatment there.In the video, the broadcaster mentioned the female owner ran the parlor by herself in a quiet residential area in southern Seoul.According to reports, he also commented on the shop owner’s beauty and that he was sexually aroused by the waxing treatment, which women’s groups are claiming s

Aug 4, 2017

Film director accused of abusing actress

By Jung Min-hoFilm director Kim Ki-duk has been accused of assaulting an actress and forcing her to take part in sex scenes.Kim Ki-dukAccording to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and his film production company, Thursday, investigators are looking into Kim on suspicion of insulting, hitting and coercing the 41-year-old actress into unscripted sex scenes, after she filed a complaint recently.The actress, whose identity is being withheld, was cast in Moebius, a 2013 drama film, but later pulled out because of such treatment.She did not report the case to police for a long time as she was afraid of his big influence in the film industry, the Federation of Korea Movie Workers’ Union said.The union, which has supported the actress in dealing with the case, claimed several staffers witnessed his violence toward her.Kim reportedly denied all the allegations.He is known for his idiosyncratic style. Having won many international awards, he has cemented his status as one of the most famous and controversial Asian film directors. 

Aug 3, 2017
Film director accused of abusing actress

Missing S. Korean climber found dead in Alps

A French rescue team has found the body of a South Korean man who went missing in the Alps early this week, the South Korean Embassy in France said Thursday.The regional rescue squad found the body of the 34-year-old, only identified by his last name Lee, in the alpine zone of Mont Blanc, some 4,300 meters above sea level, at around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday (France time), according to the embassy.Lee was climbing the highest mountain in the Alps, with his 44-year-old acquaintance, also surnamed Lee, on Sunday. They sent a distress call to the nearby rescue team after they were stranded due to bad weather.The rescue team couldn't immediately dispatch a helicopter to the site because of strong wind blowing some 130 kph, according to the officials. They were only able to save the 44-year-old Lee on Monday.The climbers had apparently separated from each other to secure a safe place and make contact with the rescue squad.The Korean Embassy said it has contacted his family, and is negotiating with French officials about the body transfer.The 34-year-old Lee who resided in Hamburg, Germany, a

Aug 3, 2017
Missing S. Korean climber found dead in Alps
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