South Korea - The Korea Times

Broadcast of ex-President Park trial stirs dispute

By You Soo-sunThe corruption trial of Park Geun-hye, which began Tuesday, may be broadcasted, a practice the Supreme Court previously prohibited. The decision is expected to come within a week, as court officials are reportedly debating the legality of the issue.Amid mounting attention to Park’s trial that may send the former president to prison for life, there have also been demands for greater transparency of the hearings. On Tuesday, the Office of Court Administration conducted a survey of judges across the nation, soliciting their views on publicly broadcasting hearings of Park’s trial.The survey, emailed to judges covering criminal cases across the nation, contained six questions including whether they are willing to have the hearings broadcast, if so to what degree, and if the final verdict should also be broadcast.At the center of this debate are two issues. First, there is a legality dispute stemming from two seemingly conflicting regulations: the upper court ruling that bans video recording and the Constitutional Court ruling that trial hearings and final sentenc

May 29, 2017

Police bash civilian after mistaking him for scammer

The man suffered facial injuries after Seongdong police mistook him as part of a voice phishing scam and assaulted him. / Screen captured from FacebookBy Lee Han-sooSeongdong police are under heavy criticism after several officers bashed a civilian on Saturday after mistaking him for the middleman of a voice phishing scam.Police assaulted the man near Oksu subway station in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, at 10:40 p.m.During the arrest, the officers punched the man in the face and choked him. He suffered severe injuries to his right eye, lips, face and arm.A follow-up interrogation revealed the man had nothing to do with the case.“The police said the assault was inevitable because they were trying to catch a criminal,” the man told Yonhap News Agency.“But who would have thought they were police officers if they suddenly started to assault you? I thought they were criminals trying to get my organs to sell.”Police said they received a tip about a voice phishing scam that had already cheated a victim of several million won.“We received a tip that the scammers called t

May 29, 2017

Police bash civilian after mistaking him for scammer

Cops beat up man during mistaken arrest

An image of a man who was beaten by police officers during a mistaken arrest / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoPolice officers threw a few punches at a man as he strongly resisted, Saturday, only to realize later he was not the criminal suspect they were looking for.The National Police Agency said Monday it is now investigating the allegation that three police officers beat up a man near Oksu Station in Seoul, thinking he was a member of a voice-phishing group they were looking for.The police officers took him to Seongdong Police Station, where they found out they had made a big mistake.The police officers visited the man Sunday to apologize. Police said they are in talks with him over compensation for his physical and mental injuries.The incident came into the spotlight after the man posted pictures of his bruised face on Facebook, saying he was assaulted by police for no reason.He noted he resisted tooth and nail, thinking the police officers were human traffickers.

May 29, 2017

Choi Soon-sil's daughter to return home Wednesday

The daughter of former President Park Geun-hye's close friend has been booked on a flight to Seoul this week after avoiding the prosecution's summons for months, a local news channel reported Monday.Chung Yoo-ra, the 21-year-old daughter of Choi Soon-sil, has been held at a detention center in Denmark since January on suspicion of illegal stay. South Korean prosecutors have demanded her extradition in connection with a massive corruption scandal centered on her mother, which eventually led to the ouster of Park in March.Last week a Danish court accepted the South Korean prosecution's demand. Chung initially planned to appeal the decision but later withdrew it.She is booked on a flight leaving Copenhagen on Tuesday and arriving at Seoul's Incheon International Airport the next day via Amsterdam, cable network MBN reported.She is expected to be taken away by prosecutors upon arrival for questioning on suspicions she received admission and grading favors at Ewha Womans University and irregular funding for her equestrian training from Samsung Group.It is unclear, however, whether Chung w

May 29, 2017

Choi Soon-sil's daughter to return home Wednesday

One year after Guui Station accident, not much has changed

 By Lee Kyung-min Criticism lingers over the harsh working conditions of subway maintenance workers, although a year has passed since a temporary worker died in Seoul after an incoming train hit him on May 28 last year.The worker surnamed Kim, 19 at that time, was repairing a platform safety door at Guui Station on Line 2.Guidelines state at least two workers are required to do on-site work so they can look out for trains, but Kim was alone.Kim _ for whom having a meal on time was a luxury _ was always in a hurry.This was because had he failed to arrive at a station more than one hour after a suspected malfunctioning subway door was reported, the chance of his one-year contract being renewed would have been remote.His monthly wage was 1.44 million won ($1,286).After a year, the team-of-two rule is being strictly followed and many temporary workers are guaranteed to work until the state-set retirement age of 62.However, they are still being overworked and underpaid, with fewer employee perks.Regular workers are guaranteed a rest after a nine-hour shift, but irregular workers

May 28, 2017

단독 서울 유명 사립초, 원어민 교사들 임금 착취로 고발당해

경기초등학교 / 코리아타임스- 경기초등학교 근무 원어민 교사들 8명…4천 5백만원 착취당했다 주장- 학교측, “외부 인력공급업자가 한 일”이라며 연관성 부인- 피해교사들, “학교에서 수수료 받지 않는 대신 자신들의 임금 일부를 착취”(서울=코리아타임스) 박시수 기자, 이한수 기자, 우지원 인턴기자 = 서울의 한 유명 사립초등학교가 불공정 계약조항을 악용해 외국인 교사들의 임금 일부를 수년간 착취한 혐의로 노동청에 고발당했다. 8명의 원어민 영어 강사들이 착취당한 총 금액은 4천 5백만원에 이른다. 천 만원 이상 착취당한 교사도 있다고 이들의 소송을 대리하고 있는 정봉수 노무사는 전했다. 학교측은 원어민 강사 채용은 관련된 일은 외주 인력공급업자를 통해 이루어졌다며 학교와의 연관성을 부인했다. 하지만 이 업자가 인력공급에 대한 수수료를 학교로부터 받은 적이 없다는 주장이 제기되고 있어 이에 대한 조사가 필요한 상황이다.사건이 발생한 곳은 서울 서대문에 위치한 경기초등학교이다. 이 학교에서 영어를 가르치고 있는 원어민 교사 8명은 지난 3월 자신들의 급여의 일부(시급의 10%)가 부당한 계약조항을 근거로 매달 지속적으로 공제되고 있다며 학교를 서울지방고용노동청에 고발했다. 이들의 법률대리인인 정 노무사는 “지난 몇 년간 계약서 상의 불법조항에 따라 매달 원어민 교사들의 시급의 10퍼센트가 인력공급업자인 주모 씨에게 입금된 사실이 확인됐다”고 밝혔다.현행법에 따르면 첫 달 급료의 일부를 중개 수수료로 받는 것은 합법이지만 매달 수수료를 차감하는 것은 불법이다. 지난 3월에야 계약 조항이 부당하다는 사실을 알고 송금을 중단했다고 밝힌 한 피해자는 "주 씨가 한국 교육기관의 관행이라며 이 조항에 서명하지 않으면 계약이 불가능하다고 말했다"고 주장했다. 피해 교사들에 따르면 주 씨는 학교를 대신해 원어민 강사를 수년간 고용해온 인물로 문제가 된 계약서의 초안을 작성한 당사자이기도 하다. 피해교사들에 따르면 주 씨는 매주 월요일 원어민 교사들과 만나 수업과 관련된 지시를 내리기도 했고, 학생들의 해외 수학여행에도 관여했다. 코리아타임스는 사실 확인을 위해 주 씨와의 연락을

May 28, 2017

VIDEO American teens assault Korean for 'not knowing nightclub location'

By Park Si-sooThree teenage children of U.S. forces in South Korea have been arrested for assaulting Koreans, including a 50-something taxi driver, while drunk, police said Sunday.One victim was reportedly assaulted because he did not know the location of a nearby nightclub, according to Mapo Police Station.The alleged incident happened at 2 a.m. of May 23 near Sogang University in Mapo, northwestern Seoul.According to police, the teenagers picked a fight with two adult Koreans after they bumped shoulders accidently. The teenagers were then involved in a fight with a Korean man near Hongik University at around 3 a.m. after he failed to answer their question about the nightclub. A taxi driver who tried to intervene was also assaulted.One victim had his nose broken and his teeth loosened, according to police.Only one of the three teenagers admitted doing anything wrong.Police have banned the three from leaving the country and are checking footage from surveillance cameras.

May 28, 2017

American teens assault Korean for 'not knowing nightclub location' [VIDEO]

Restored phones reveal new clues to Sewol sinking

By You Soo-sunData from two mobile phones discovered inside the salvaged ferry Sewol has been successfully restored, according to a report released Friday. A total of 135 recovered devices may further provide clues regarding the ferry’s sinking near the southwestern island of Jindo on April 16, 2014.  According to the report, released by the Sewol Ferry Investigation Committee, the recovered devices may provide further accounts of the sinking that claimed the lives of 304 people, mostly students from Danwon High School. They may also help in establishing a better understanding of the timeline of events.Some of the restored text messages have been disclosed, revealing the vice principal of Danwon High School may have resisted the ferry’s departure.  One message read, “Vice principal wants to cancel.”“[I] don’t think we can go because of the fog,” another read.  These messages elicit suspicions that the decision to depart had been a risky one. Forensic experts reportedly restored 255 phone contacts, 4,142 phone calls, 2,952

May 26, 2017

Anti-discrimination law, new task of Moon administration

 By Lee Kyung-min Expectation is growing over the possible legislation of an anti-discrimination law within President Moon Jae-in’s term, after he ordered, Thursday, to strengthen the role of the country’s human rights watchdog.The National Human Rights Commission since 2003 has recommended the enactment of a law that bars discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, nationality, disability, political inclination, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, illness and sexual orientation. The law outlines punishment of violators and measures for those discriminated against, seeking to achieve equal protection of the law under the Constitution.  According to the NHRC, it plans to submit to the President 10 recommendations on human rights issues in setting up government policies on tackling the low birthrate and aging society, social inequality and abuse within the military. Also included are: the need to strengthen the right to live in a safe, healthy environment and measures to set up infrastructure to better protect basic human rights in general.However, any attempt

May 26, 2017

EXCLUSIVE Foreign teachers accuse school of illegal wage skimming

Kyonggi Elementary School in Seoul allegedly skimmed the wages of its foreign teachers. / Korea Times file By Lee Han-soo, Park Si-sooKyonggi Elementary School has been accused of skimming the wages of eight foreign teachers over several years with a contract clause that turned out to be illegal.The wages that were taken from the native English teachers amounted to 45 million won ($40,240), with some losing more than 10 million won, according to labor attorney Jung Bong-soo, who represents the victims. They filed a collective complaint with the Seoul Regional Ministry of Employment and Labor in March, demanding reimbursement of their losses and replacing current contracts with "fair" ones.The skimmed income ― 10 percent of their hourly wage ― was transferred to an independent Korean recruiter, who searched for and hired native English teachers on behalf of the private school in Seodaemun, northwestern Seoul.The recruiter, surnamed Joo, is known to have introduced himself as a school adviser and is said to have drafted the contracts, including the controversial clause. The victim

May 26, 2017

Law & Crime

Law & Crime

Broadcast of ex-President Park trial stirs dispute

Police bash civilian after mistaking him for scammer

Cops beat up man during mistaken arrest

Choi Soon-sil's daughter to return home Wednesday

One year after Guui Station accident, not much has changed

단독 서울 유명 사립초, 원어민 교사들 임금 착취로 고발당해

VIDEO American teens assault Korean for 'not knowing nightclub location'

Restored phones reveal new clues to Sewol sinking

Anti-discrimination law, new task of Moon administration

EXCLUSIVE Foreign teachers accuse school of illegal wage skimming

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