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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.

Chief of Nat'l Education Commission offers to resign amid probe into alleged bribery of ex-first lady

The chief of the presidential National Education Commission offered to resign Monday amid a special counsel's probe into her alleged bribery of former first lady Kim Keon Hee. Lee Bae-yong said in a statement that she plans to step down the same day and is "sorry such a situation has happened." "Regarding the truth of what has been reported in the press, I will faithfully explain myself in the investigation process," she said. Last week, the team of special counsel Min Joong-ki tasked with investigating various corruption allegations surrounding the former first lady raided Lee's home. The raid came after the team reportedly discovered a gold turtle and a letter apparently written to former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim, during a separate raid targeting the former first lady's mother. The team suspects the turtle was given as a gift to Kim in exchange for Lee's appointment as the inaugural chief of the commission in September 2022. Lee's term runs until the end of this month.

Sep 1, 2025By Yonhap
Chief of Nat'l Education Commission offers to resign amid probe into alleged bribery of ex-first lady

Police raid KORAIL in probe into fatal train accident

Police on Monday raided Korea Railroad Corp.'s (KORAIL) headquarters and Daegu branch office as part of its investigation into last month's fatal train accident that killed two maintenance workers and injured five others in the southeastern county of Cheongdo. The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency and the Daegu Regional Employment and Labor Administration deployed about 70 investigators and labor inspectors in the morning to begin searches and seizures for the KORAIL offices and their subcontractors. They secured documents, personal computers and mobile phones of those involved in the accident. The accident occurred near a bullfighting stadium in Cheongdo on the morning of Aug. 19, when the seven workers were hit by a running train during post-flood safety inspections. Police and labor authorities plan to use the seized materials to investigate the circumstances of the accident, including whether safety measures were taken to prevent collisions with running trains.

Sep 1, 2025By Yonhap
Police raid KORAIL in probe into fatal train accident

Woman apprehended for entering BTS Jungkook's home parking lot

A woman in her 40s has been apprehended after entering the home parking lot of BTS member Jungkook, police said Sunday. The woman, a South Korean national, was booked on suspicion of housebreaking after trespassing on the parking lot of Jungkook's home in Seoul's Yongsan district at 11:20 p.m. Saturday, according to the police. The police have been questioning the suspect about her motives. Separately, a Chinese woman was transferred to the prosecution last week for allegedly attempting to trespass on Jungkook's home in June. The woman, in her 30s, is accused of visiting Jungkook's home in the late hours of June 11, the day the South Korean K-pop star was discharged from military service, and pushing the keypad door lock multiple times. The police had responded to a call and apprehended her at the scene. The woman reportedly told the police that she did not live in South Korea and visited the country to see Jungkook.

Aug 31, 2025By Yonhap
Woman apprehended for entering BTS Jungkook's home parking lot

Ex-first lady's 'butler' indicted on embezzlement charges

A special counsel team said Friday it has indicted an associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee under detention on charges of embezzlement. Known as the "butler" of the former first lady's family, Kim Ye-seong's indictment came after he was placed under arrest earlier this month on charges of embezzling 3.38 billion won ($2.4 million) from IMS Mobility — a company he helped establish. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team has been investigating allegations that IMS Mobility unfairly received 18.4 billion won in investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility, through a private equity firm in 2023. Min's team suspects the investments were made in consideration of the company's connection to Kim and the former first lady. They believe that Kim funneled some of the investment into another company he is suspected to have effectively controlled. Min's team is looking into allegations that the embezzled funds or other profits may have possibly flowed to the former first lady's family. The team also filed for arrest warrants against Jo Young-tak, head of IMS Mobility, and Min Kyun

Aug 29, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-first lady's 'butler' indicted on embezzlement charges

Education minister nominee faulted for high DUI blood alcohol level

Education Minister nominee Choi Kyo-jin had a blood alcohol level high enough to warrant license revocation when he was caught drunk driving in 2003, an opposition lawmaker said Friday, questioning his qualifications as the top education policymaker. Choi, superintendent of the Sejong City Office of Education, was nominated to become the education minister in a Cabinet reshuffle on Aug. 13. According to police data released by Rep. Kim Meen-geon of the main opposition People Power Party, Choi was caught drunk driving by police on a road in the central city of Daejeon in the wee hours of Oct. 17, 2003. His blood alcohol level was measured at 0.187 percent at that time, far exceeding the then license revocation level of 0.1 percent. Choi was sentenced by a court to a fine of 2 million won ($1,440) and had his license revoked that year. Under the strengthened revised law that took effect in 2018, a driver's license is suspended when their blood alcohol level is 0.03 percent or higher and is revoked when the level is 0.08 percent or higher. "Driving under the influence with a blood alcohol c

Aug 29, 2025By Yonhap
Education minister nominee faulted for high DUI blood alcohol level

Special counsel indicts ex-PM Han on charges of abetting martial law attempt

A special counsel team indicted former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday on charges of abetting former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law. Han was indicted without physical detention on charges of abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, perjury, falsifying and destroying official documents, and other offenses, according to special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team. "The defendant was the highest constitutional institution that could have blocked the president's unconstitutional and illegal martial law," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said in a briefing. "Even though he knew the president would violate the people's basic rights and trample on the constitutional order, (he) instead participated by taking measures to secure its procedural legitimacy." Han is accused of abetting Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3 by proposing a Cabinet meeting before its declaration. The team also suspects he drafted and later destroyed a revised proclamation intended to enhance the legitimacy of the decree. He also stands accused of lying under oath at the Constitution

Aug 29, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel indicts ex-PM Han on charges of abetting martial law attempt

Special counsel raids military prosecution's office in widening Marine death probe

A special counsel team on Friday raided the offices of the military prosecution as part of a widening investigation of alleged government interference in a 2023 military probe into the tragic death of a young Marine. The team led by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon conducted the search and seizure at the defense ministry's compound in central Seoul over allegations that military prosecutors illegally intervened in the transfer of the 2023 case to the police. The special counsel investigation centers on allegations that the initial suspects of the probe into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun in July 2023 were cleared after alleged interference by high-ranking officials of the then Yoon Suk Yeol administration. At the time, Marine investigators transferred its probe results that listed eight suspects to the police despite alleged orders not to. Military prosecutors ended up retrieving the case and changing the results to list only two suspects. Lee's team is also looking into allegations that military prosecutors carried out a targeted probe against Col. Park Jung-hun, the Marine Corps' top i

Aug 29, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel raids military prosecution's office in widening Marine death probe

Special counsel set to indict ex-first lady over corruption allegations

A special counsel team is set to indict former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Friday on charges of corruption and bribery, making her the first spouse of a former president to stand trial under custody. Kim, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, faces charges of being involved in stock manipulation schemes, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favors. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team placed her under arrest on Aug. 12 after obtaining a warrant on charges of violations of the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation. The team has said it will indict her with physical detention Friday, two days before her pretrial arrest expires. Kim's indictment will make her and her husband the first former presidential couple to stand trial under arrest simultaneously, as Yoon is also jailed and being tried on insurrection charges over his failed attempt to impose martial law in

Aug 29, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel set to indict ex-first lady over corruption allegations

Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for ex-PPP floor leader in bribery probe

A special counsel team on Thursday filed for an arrest warrant for Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) over his alleged violation of the political fund law. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team filed the request for Kweon, nearly a day after he was questioned as a suspect on charges of having receiving 100 million won ($72,000) in illegal political funds from a former official of the Unification Church, surnamed Yun, in 2022. The special counsel team is also investigating an allegation that Kweon had received a shopping bag containing cash from Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja. In addition, the team is looking into suspicions that Yun and a shaman close to former first lady Kim Keon Hee recruited a large number of Unification Church members to support Kweon in the PPP leadership election in March 2023. Kweon is known to have squarely denied all charges against him. Upon appearing before the special counsel for questioning Wednesday, Kweon told reporters he was "innocent" of all allegations raised against him. By law, sitting lawmakers are immune from ar

Aug 28, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for ex-PPP floor leader in bribery probe

Man sentenced to life for murdering 5 family members

A 50-something man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for murdering his parents, wife and two children earlier this year after incurring large amounts of debt. The Suwon District Court handed down the sentence to the man, surnamed Lee, on charges of murdering his parents in their 80s, his 50-something wife and his two daughters — one in her 20s and the other in her teens — in April and violating the drug control law. The man was apprehended on April 15 for allegedly drugging the five with sedatives and strangling them to death at an apartment in Yongin, south of Seoul, the previous night. Lee, who operated a construction company, was found to have planned the crime after incurring billions of won in debt due to lawsuits against his business. "Considering that the defendant prepared sedatives to murder the victims, chose a date for the crime and carried it out when the opportunity came, this can only be seen as a premeditated crime, not an accidental one," the court said. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, describing his act as "extremely inhumane and anti-social."

Aug 28, 2025By Yonhap
Man sentenced to life for murdering 5 family members
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