my timesThe Korea Times
South KoreaLaw & Crime

Law & Crime

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.

2 Koreans detained in job scam crackdown return home from Cambodia

Two Korean nationals detained in a crackdown on job scams in Cambodia returned home this week, police said Wednesday. They were among 63 Koreans detained at Cambodia's immigration offices following a crackdown on job scams behind a series of disappearances and abuse cases involving Koreans, including one death. Police initially announced four Korean suspects returned home but later sent out a revised notice that two had returned. The suspects were repatriated on a flight operated by a national flag carrier on Tuesday, the police said. Some had been placed on the Interpol Red Notice wanted list after police obtained warrants for their detention. By law, up to two criminal suspects are allowed to board a national flag carrier. There are two such flights operating daily between Korea and Cambodia. The government is reportedly considering bringing all the detainees home on a single charter flight, especially as each suspect must be escorted by two police officers. Police said Tuesday they plan to bring all 63 detainees home within one month.

Oct 15, 2025By Yonhap
2 Koreans detained in job scam crackdown return home from Cambodia

Prosecutors demand death penalty for man in murder of 2 brothers, stabbing of 2 others

Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded the death penalty for a man charged with killing two brothers and attempting to kill two others earlier this year. Cha Cheol-nam, a 56-year-old Chinese national of Korean ethnicity, is charged with the murder of the brothers of the same Chinese Korean background in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, on May 17. He is also charged with the attempted murders of a convenience store owner and his landlord in separate incidents two days later when he stabbed them and caused serious injuries. Prosecutors sought the penalty during Cha's trial at the Suwon District Court's Ansan branch, arguing that he had made thorough preparations to commit the crime. Cha admitted to the murder charges but disputed the attempted murder charges, saying he had no intentions to kill the victims he stabbed. During earlier questioning by investigation agencies, Cha reportedly claimed to have committed the crime out of anger after the brothers failed to repay him a loan. The court will hold Cha's sentencing hearing on Nov. 12.

Oct 15, 2025By Yonhap
Prosecutors demand death penalty for man in murder of 2 brothers, stabbing of 2 others

CIO chief booked for dereliction of duty in widening Marine death probe

A special counsel team on Wednesday booked the head of the anti-corruption agency for alleged dereliction of duty in a widening investigation into allegations of government interference in a military probe surrounding the 2023 death of a young Marine. The team led by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon said it opened an investigation into Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), and two other senior current and former officials, while sending investigators to search the agency again for evidence. It marked the second time the team raided the CIO after its first search in August. Oh and the others are accused of failing to file a report to the Supreme Prosecutors Office, as required by law, when one of the agency's officials had become subject to a criminal complaint. Lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea earlier filed a complaint against Song Chang-jin, who served as a senior prosecutor at the agency, for allegedly perjuring himself at the National Assembly last year. Song told lawmakers at the time he did not know that Lee Jong-ho, a f

Oct 15, 2025By Yonhap
CIO chief booked for dereliction of duty in widening Marine death probe

Drugs worth $4.2 mil. found in trash bag on Jeju beach

A large cache of illegal drugs was found along the scenic coastline near Seongsan Ilchulbong, a UNESCO-listed volcanic peak on Jeju Island, prompting a swift investigation by local maritime police. According to the Jeju Coast Guard, a volunteer dedicated to marine environmental protection stumbled upon a suspicious item on Oct. 7 while cleaning Gwangchigi Beach in Seogwipo. The volunteer reported discovering a waste collection bag filled with assorted debris. Inside were 20 brick-shaped packages, each tightly wrapped in aluminum foil and clear plastic, with the Chinese character for “tea” marked on the outside. After recovering the packages, authorities sent them to the National Forensic Service for analysis. Tests revealed that the blocks contained ketamine, a synthetic drug known for its hallucinogenic effects, and classified in Korea as an emerging narcotic. The total weight of the seized drugs was 20 kilograms — enough for roughly 660,000 individual doses, based on a standard dose of 0.03 grams. Police estimated the street value at about 6 billion won ($4.2 million), making it

Oct 15, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Drugs worth $4.2 mil. found in trash bag on Jeju beach

Court rejects arrest warrant for ex-justice minister in martial law probe

A Seoul court on Wednesday rejected a warrant to arrest former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law. The Seoul Central District Court said it denied the warrant sought by special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team, citing a lack of justification for an arrest or concerns about flight or evidence tampering. It added there was room for Park to dispute whether the actions he took violated the law. Cho's team said it would file for Park's arrest warrant again, arguing that the court's dismissal was difficult to accept. "The special counsel plans to take action to quickly receive a court decision again," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said in a briefing. Park, the former minister, has been accused by the team of playing a key role in an insurrection and abusing his power in connection with the martial law attempt in December. Investigators believe Park helped Yoon's effort to impose martial law, such as by allegedly ordering the possible dispatch of a prosecutor to a joint investigation headquarters set up und

Oct 15, 2025By Yonhap
Court rejects arrest warrant for ex-justice minister in martial law probe

Police file 143 disappearances, detentions of Koreans in Cambodia

Police said Tuesday they have filed 143 cases of suspected disappearances and detentions of Koreans in Cambodia over the past nearly two years. According to the National Police Agency, the total cases were filed from the start of last year through Monday, of which 91 cases were solved after the missing person's location and safety were confirmed. The remaining 52 cases are still under investigation. Police disclosed the number of suspected disappearances and detentions in Cambodia for the first time amid recent public alarm over cases of Koreans being abused after falling victim to job scams in the Southeast Asian nation. In one particular case, a Korean college student was found tortured to death in August. Police have stated plans to ask the Cambodian police to create a Korea desk to exclusively handle cases involving Koreans, increase the assignment of police officers to the country and add personnel to international investigation teams.

Oct 14, 2025By Yonhap
Police file 143 disappearances, detentions of Koreans in Cambodia

Cosmetic treatments disguised as pain therapy: 131 caught in insurance fraud scheme

A total of 131 individuals, including a clinic director, were allegedly involved in an insurance fraud scheme that disguised cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections as pain treatments, according to police and financial authorities, Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said the clinic director had been referred to prosecutors on charges of violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud, the Medical Service Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. In addition, 130 patients who received the procedures were also referred to prosecutors without detention for their involvement. Police found that the director had been operating a clinic registered as specializing in dermatology and orthopedics since 2019, while performing non-insured cosmetic procedures such as filler and Botox injections, as well as other skin treatments. He allegedly falsified medical records to make these procedures appear as physical therapy or pain-relief injections covered by insurance. The investigation also revealed

Oct 14, 2025By Jun Ji-hye
Cosmetic treatments disguised as pain therapy: 131 caught in insurance fraud scheme

Lawyer of late Yangpyeong County official vows to sue special counsel team

The lawyer for a Yangpyeong County official who died last week after questioning by the special counsel investigating former first lady Kim Keon Hee said Tuesday that he will file a complaint against special counsel investigators for abuse of power and other charges. Lawyer Park Kyung-ho made the remark during a news conference held at a memorial altar installed in front of a building in downtown Seoul where the office of special counsel Min Joong-ki is located. Park said he has asked the special counsel team for a review and copy of his client's interrogation records and plans to sue investigators suspected of conducting an illegal probe for abuse of power, cruel acts and forging of official documents. The late official, whose identity was withheld, was found dead at his home last Friday, eight days after he was grilled by special counsel investigators probing whether Kim's family received improper benefits from a land development project in Yangpyeong, 52 kilometers east of Seoul. The official reportedly left behind 21 pages of handwritten notes complaining about alleged coercion and p

Oct 14, 2025By Yonhap
Lawyer of late Yangpyeong County official vows to sue special counsel team

Man sentenced to 12-year prison term for arson on Seoul subway

A Seoul court on Tuesday sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for attempted murder in setting fire to a subway train in May. The 67-year-old man, surnamed Won, was charged with attempting to murder 160 passengers, including himself, and injuring six of them by pouring gasoline on the floor of a moving train and setting it on fire in the Yeouinaru Station-Mapo Station section of Seoul's Subway Line 5 on May 31. The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Won to the prison term as well as three years of probation. Prosecutors had demanded a 20-year prison term. The fire caused chaos in the train as passengers scrambled to escape, leading to 23 being transferred to hospitals due to smoke inhalation and 129 people receiving on-site treatment. Won reportedly committed the crime in order to take his own life after feeling unhappy about the result of his divorce suit and chose the subway as his target to draw more attention to himself.

Oct 14, 2025By Yonhap
Man sentenced to 12-year prison term for arson on Seoul subway

Gov't rejected request to increase police personnel at embassy in Cambodia: lawmaker

The interior ministry rejected a request by the foreign ministry last year to send additional police personnel to the Korean Embassy in Cambodia to tackle growing crimes against Koreans, a lawmaker said Tuesday. Rep. Wi Seong-gon of the ruling Democratic Party said documents from the two ministries showed the interior ministry rejected the request on the grounds that "the increase in the workload, including the number of cases, falls short of the level needed to increase personnel." The revelation comes amid reports of a growing number of Koreans abducted and detained in Cambodia after falling victim to job scams. The case of a college student who was tortured to death made headlines, prompting a governmentwide response. According to official data, crimes against Koreans in Cambodia rose sharply from 81 cases in 2022 to 134 in 2023 and 348 last year. In the first half of this year, the number was 303. The police personnel at the Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh currently consists of one official and two assistants. The assistants were dispatched in October last year and last month, respectiv

Oct 14, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't rejected request to increase police personnel at embassy in Cambodia: lawmaker
previous page
6566676869
next page

Most Read in South Korea