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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Ex-judge with sex crime record joins law firm

By Jung Min-hoA former senior judge, who quit his job over an anti-sex crime law violation, has recently joined a major law firm.The 46-year-old man reportedly joined one of Korea’s largest law firms last month, following the approval of the Korean Bar Association (KBA), which has long been criticized for “being too lenient” on screening its members.He tendered his resignation from the judgeship in August, a day after being caught by police for allegedly having sex with a prostitute at a studio apartment in southern Seoul.The disciplinary committee later decided in court to reduce his salary for three months as a penalty; and the prosecution eventually suspended his indictment, given that it was his first time to be involved in such a crime.The court accepted his resignation in January after the prosecution’s decision.The next month, he submitted his application to become a lawyer. The KBA granted it three months later without opening a screening committee.The KBA can open a screening committee to decide whether to accept new members with criminal records, but

Jun 6, 2017

Choi Soon-sil's niece to be freed

Jang Si-hoBy Jung Min-hoThe niece of Choi Soon-sil, the central figure of the influence-peddling scandal that removed former president Park Geun-hye from power, is expected to be released from jail Thursday.Jang Si-ho, who helped prosecutors with their investigation into the scandal by providing inside information, is expected to walk out of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, as the prosecution decided not to seek a new arrest warrant for her.Her lawyer said the current warrant will expire Wednesday.Jang was indicted on Dec. 8 on charges of receiving a bribe of 1.6 billion won ($1.2 million) from Samsung through a children’s sports center she managed.She will be tried on the charges without physical detention.Jang initially denied all the allegations against her and actively defended herself during the National Assembly’s special hearings on the scandal.But she later changed her attitude and started cooperating with prosecutors in their investigation.When Choi was denying the legitimacy of the evidence on her tablet PC, which contained files from Che

Jun 6, 2017
Choi Soon-sil's niece to be freed

No party mood in Samsung as its key anniversary nears

South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group appears unlikely to hold any high-profile events this week to mark the anniversary of a landmark declaration of reform as its leader has been in jail over a corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye.On June 7, 1993, Samsung Group's de facto head Lee Kun-hee pressed his employees to "change everything but your wife and kids," as he sought to spearhead a new management strategy.The announcement, dubbed the "New Management" initiative, has been considered a landmark event for Samsung's businesses' strategies.Samsung had celebrated the event in the past, but the anniversary has been more low profile since 2014, when Lee was hospitalized following a heart attack.In 2015, the group aired a special report through its corporate broadcasting station. It also showcased quotes by Lee on its corporate website in 2016.Lee's heir-apparent son Jae-yong was imprisoned earlier this year amid allegations that he was involved in the corruption scandal. (Yonhap)

Jun 6, 2017
No party mood in Samsung as its key anniversary nears
  • Cheong Wa Dae documents reveal cozy ex-President Park-Samsung ties over controversial succession

Native English teachers entitled to severance pay, court rules

By Park si-sooA court has recognized foreign tutors at a private language institute as “employees” entitled to severance pay, rejecting the institute’s claim that they were self-employed.Judge Oh Sang-yong of the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of five native English teachers at an unidentified private language institute in Seoul, Monday.He ordered the institute to offer them 180 million won in severance pay and other unpaid allowances.The institute had claimed the tutors were“self-employed” teachers paid by the hour so they were not entitled to severance pay. But the court ruled that the five were “employees” who had to act upon their contracts regulating their working hours, curriculum and other details.“Their working contracts stipulated all things about their employment and working conditions, with which their relationship could be seen as an employer-employee,” the judge wrote in the ruling statement. “The stipulated terms were decided by the institute, which meant the teachers were fully under its cont

Jun 5, 2017

Senior official under probe over alleged breach of trust

 By Lee Kyung-min   Police booked a senior official at the Military Mutual Aid Association (MMAA), Monday, over suspicions he caused a deficit of nearly 93 billion won ($83 million) in the organization by fabricating its accounting books.According to police, the official, a former construction businessman whose identity is being withheld, is suspected of putting an apartment complex up for public auction after devaluing it to help his acquaintance, a medium-sized construction firm, win a bid there. MMAA, one of the creditors of the complex, claimed it after its earlier creditor Ssangyong E&C went under court receivership.The MMAA said the original price for the site stood at 140.4 billion won but it dropped to 47.5 billion after nine biddings, incurring a loss of 92.9 billion.The official, police said, underreported the projected income and inflated expenditures, intending to leave the association board no choice but to vote in favor of it being put up for public auction. The board approved the motion after agreeing it was the only way to recover the initial 85 bil

Jun 5, 2017

Native English teachers entitled to severance pay, court rules

By Lee Kyung-minA district court ruled Monday that an English language institute, the location of which is being withheld, should pay a total of 186 million won ($166,200) to five former employees as severance pay.The Seoul Central District Court recognized the relationship between the institute and the five English instructors -- three Americans, one Canadian and one Korean whose identities were all withheld -- as that of employer and employees, a claim the institute denied.Of the five, the employee who worked there the longest -- eight years and three months -- will receive 66.9 million won while the employee who worked there for the shortest period -- 15 months and 26 days -- will get 20 million won. They were under contract to teach middle and high school students English between three to six hours a day, four to five days a week. Their hourly wage varied from 30,000 won to 42,000 won.The package includes a lump sum amount, which the company, upon termination of employment, needs to pay for people who worked a full year. The worker gets their monthly wage multiplied by the y

Jun 5, 2017

Man fined for child pornography-related crime

By You Soo-sunA Seoul court fined a man 5 million won ($4,469) for possession and distribution of child pornography.The man, reportedly in his 20s, was charged on two grounds: possessing 415 images and videos portraying sexually explicit conduct of minors and distributing them through an online file-sharing program on his computer.His case was taken up by a judge at the Seoul Western District Court who ruled: “it is unlawful to distribute or provide child pornography and to possess it while acknowledging it holds such content.”Included in the titles of many of these files, downloaded between June 2015 and December 2016, were indications that elementary school students were involved, implying the offender had been aware of the problematic content.The incident has led some to question whether Korean law is too soft on crimes related to child pornography. In the United States, for example, a first-time offender of the same crime would be sentenced to prison for at least five years. Even the mere possession of such material is subject to the same punishment if the offender ha

Jun 5, 2017

BIGBANG's T.O.P indicted for smoking marijuana

T.O.P from BIGBANG has been indicted for illegally smoking marijuana four times at his Seoul home in October. By Ko Dong-hwanT.O.P from world-renowned K-pop band BIGBANG has been indicted for breaking Korean narcotics laws.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Monday it had indicted the rapper, 29, without detention on charges of smoking marijuana. He is suspected of smoking the banned substance four times in October.The charges surfaced after an analysis of T.O.P's hair sample earlier this year proved positive to the drug.The star, whose name is Choi Seung-hyun, entered the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) in February to serve his mandatory public service. He was placed in the PR Bureau and stationed with Gangnam police.The star allegedly smoked the drug with a female singer trainee, 21, at his home in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in October.Police were tipped off in March. They confronted Choi in April ― while he was involved in a drill at the Riot Police Training Center in Byeokje, Gyeonggi Province ― with an order for a hair sample. When the test result show

Jun 5, 2017
BIGBANG's T.O.P indicted for smoking marijuana

VIDEO Fried chicken chief accused of sexual harassment

By Park Si-sooPolice are investigating claims that the chief executive of South Korea’s major fried chicken franchise sexually harassed a female employee. Hosigi Chairman Choi Ho-sig denies the allegations.According to Gangnam Police Station, Choi, 64, a female employee in her 20s, claims Choi molested her at a hotel after drinking alcohol together in Gangnam, southern Seoul, Saturday.Video footage obtained by cable news channel YTN shows the woman running from a hotel to a taxi with Choi following, trying to stop her. Further details remain unknown.The woman told police Choi persuaded her to go to a hotel room together, but Choi claims there was “no physical contact at all” and that they checked into the room because the woman had a hangover.Choi launched the fried chicken brand named after him in 1999. The business is now one of South Korea’s biggest fried chicken franchises, with the innovative marketing policy of giving two serves of chicken for the price of one.The company opened its 1,000th domestic stores last August, and opened its first Japanese store

Jun 5, 2017
Fried chicken chief accused of sexual harassment [VIDEO]

Prosecution likely to seek a new arrest warrant for Chung

 By Lee Kyung-min The prosecution is seeking to issue a new arrest warrant for Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in the influence-peddling and corruption scandal that removed former President Park Geun-hye from office. The prosecution plans to summon Chung again for questioning this week.Officials at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office are reportedly seeking to add new charges of obstruction of business, obstruction of justice, siphoning away criminal assets, violating the law on foreign currency and bribery against Chung.The move came after Seoul Central District Court rejected the prosecution's request to arrest Chung, early Saturday, saying it was difficult to recognize the reason and the need for her arrest.The court’s decision was taken to mean it acknowledged that Chung was involved in the alleged crimes, but not deep enough for it to issue the warrant.It virtually deemed the primary offender was Choi, with Chung’s role being minimal, and that her arrest was unnecessary as enough evidence has already been secu

Jun 4, 2017
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