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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-Marine chief appears for arrest warrant hearing

Former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Kye-hwan appeared Tuesday for a court hearing to review a warrant for his arrest over allegations that he and other high-ranking officials intervened in an initial probe into the death of a young Marine in 2023. The retired three-star general is suspected of being involved in the alleged interference in the military probe of the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who died while searching for torrential rain victims in July 2023 without safety equipment, such as a life jacket. The team has focused on allegations that former President Yoon Suk Yeol burst into a rage during a meeting of senior presidential officials in July 2023, after being briefed on the results of the probe that found a senior Marine commander responsible for Chae's death. During the two-hour hearing, Kim acknowledged for the first time that he had heard about Yoon's alleged outburst of anger after his previous repeated denials, according to his lawyer. Kim is suspected of telling the top Marine investigator in charge of the initial probe of the episode about Yoon. He had previously denied doi

Jul 22, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-Marine chief appears for arrest warrant hearing

Deadly shooting in Korea exposes problem of YouTube weapons tutorials

A deadly shooting in Incheon has reignited concerns over the ease of making homemade weapons using instructions widely available on YouTube and other online platforms. According to police, a 63-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, fatally shot his 34-year-old son with a homemade shotgun during a birthday gathering at the victim’s apartment in the Songdo area of the western port city on Sunday. The suspect reportedly fired two rounds of improvised ammunition containing multiple small metal pellets into the victim’s chest. Family members, including the son’s wife and children, as well as acquaintances were present at the scene. The man fled the scene but was arrested roughly three hours later in southern Seoul. Police discovered additional homemade weapons and explosives in his vehicle and residence. At his apartment in Dobong District, authorities found a timer-based explosive device, prompting the evacuation of more than 100 nearby residents while bomb disposal experts safely neutralized the device. During questioning, the suspect reportedly told investigators he le

Jul 22, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Deadly shooting in Korea exposes problem of YouTube weapons tutorials

Drone command suspected of manipulating data to conceal NK drone dispatch

Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk's team investigating the allegation that former President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered a drone dispatch to North Korea last year to justify his future declaration of martial law has reportedly detected circumstances of flight data manipulation by the Drone Operations Command (DOC) to conceal the dispatch. The team suspects that Yoon directly ordered the DOC to send drones to Pyongyang last October in order to incite the North's retaliation and use it as a pretext for imposing martial law. The DOC said in a report to the defense ministry in February that one of its drones crashed on Oct. 15 last year for unknown reasons during domestic training. But the special counsel team suspects that the DOC sent two drones to Pyongyang on Oct. 8, one of which crashed, and compiled the false report to cover up the incident. According to informed officials Tuesday, several drones, similar to the ones that were allegedly sent to North Korea, were seen flying over the Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) toward Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, at 9:21 p.m. on Oct. 17. The DCC

Jul 22, 2025By Yonhap
Drone command suspected of manipulating data to conceal NK drone dispatch

Special counsel teams to share evidence secured in separate probes

Special counsel teams investigating various allegations involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol have agreed to share evidence secured in their independent probes to avoid overlapping investigative efforts, officials said Tuesday. The three special counsel teams are tasked with investigating Yoon's failed attempt to impose martial law, corruption allegations surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the alleged interference of an initial probe into the 2023 death of a Marine, respectively. Choung Min-young, an assistant special prosecutor of the Marine death probe, said his team has agreed to share evidence seized from former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong and Lee Jong-ho, former head of investment firm Blackpearl Invest and an associate to the first lady, with the other two teams. "There are three active special counsel teams and the suspects partially overlap," Choung said. "We have coordinated as materials seized by one of the teams need to be looked over by others." Cho has been under investigation in both the Marine death case and the martial law probe, whi

Jul 22, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel teams to share evidence secured in separate probes

Another Lee trial postponed in halt to all 5 of his trials

A district court on Tuesday postponed President Lee Jae Myung's trial on alleged illegal remittances to North Korea, suspending all five of his criminal trials in the wake of his election last month. The Suwon District Court said it took the decision in consideration of the fact that the defendant is currently serving as president and in a position representing the nation. "In order to ensure he can focus on his duties guaranteed by the Constitution and for the continuity of the running of state affairs, we will designate a date in the future," the court said during a preparatory hearing for the case. The trial centers on charges that while serving as Gyeonggi governor in 2019-2020, Lee ordered the chief of an underwear maker to send $5 million to North Korea in funds for a smart farm project and another $3 million for his planned visit to the North. Lee's four other trials have also been postponed in accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution, which exempts a sitting president from criminal prosecution except in the case of insurrection or treason. The cases are related to charges of

Jul 22, 2025By Yonhap
Another Lee trial postponed in halt to all 5 of his trials

Why father killed his son and what police found after Incheon birthday shooting

What was meant to be a birthday celebration on Sunday in Incheon’s Songdo neighborhood ended in a shocking act of violence and the discovery of a cache of homemade explosive devices. According to police, 62-year-old Cho fatally shot his 34-year-old son with a homemade shotgun during a family gathering attended by the son’s wife, their two young children, and several friends. The father fired two rounds into his son’s chest and abdomen after stepping out briefly during the evening and returning with a gun he had crafted himself. After Cho fled the scene in a rental car, police apprehended him three hours later in Seoul’s Seocho District. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered 10 more homemade firearms, 11 metal pipes likely intended as additional barrels, and 86 rounds of improvised buckshot — some already loaded, according to Yonhap News TV. The investigation widened to Cho’s home in Dobong District, Seoul, where police uncovered 15 improvised explosive devices. Constructed from plastic bottles filled with thinner and connected to timers and ignition devices, several were set

Jul 22, 2025By Hankookilbo
Why father killed his son and what police found after Incheon birthday shooting

Special counsel questions ex-first lady's associate over stock manipulation, influence peddling

A special counsel team was questioning a key associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Monday over allegations he peddled his influence to secure a suspended prison sentence for a business partner. The team, led by special counsel Min Joong-ki, summoned Lee Jong-ho, former head of investment firm Blackpearl Invest, to its office in central Seoul, two days after it raided his home and car. Lee is at the center of multiple cases involving the former first lady, the wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol. He is suspected of receiving 81 million won ($58,000) from a business partner in return for using his connections to Kim to secure him a suspended sentence in a stock price manipulation case involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in Korea. Lee himself is a key figure in the case dating back to 2009 to 2012, and was sentenced to a suspended prison term for his involvement. The former first lady's accounts were allegedly used in the scheme, and Lee is believed to have managed those accounts. Lee is also accused of leveraging his ties to Kim to manipulate the stock prices of Sambu Construc

Jul 21, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel questions ex-first lady's associate over stock manipulation, influence peddling

Man in his 60s shoots son with homemade shotgun at birthday gathering in Incheon

A 63-year-old man has been arrested for fatally shooting his son with a homemade shotgun during a family gathering held in celebration of the suspect’s own birthday in Incheon. According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station on Monday, the suspect was taken into custody on charges of murder and violating the law on firearms, swords and explosives. Police said the weapon used was a crude, pipe-style homemade shotgun loaded with two rounds of buckshot containing steel pellets. “The weapon appears to be self-made and rudimentary,” a police official said. “We are still investigating whether he built it himself or acquired it from someone else. While domestic conflict appears to be the motive, the details are still under investigation.” The incident occurred at around 9:31 p.m. on July 20 at a 33rd-floor apartment in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu District, Incheon. The victim, who was in his 30s, had hosted the family gathering for his father’s birthday. The suspect fired two rounds at his son’s chest during the event, which was also attended by the victim’s wife, two children and other a

Jul 21, 2025By Hankookilbo
Man in his 60s shoots son with homemade shotgun at birthday gathering in Incheon

Prosecutors seek drone chief arrest over operation in North Korea

Prosecutors on Sunday said they have requested court approval to detain the head of the military drone unit as part of a probe into former President Yoon Suk Yeol and drone operations in North Korea. The special counsel team last week summoned the chief of the Drone Operations Command, Kim Yong-dae, over allegations that Yoon ordered a covert drone operation into the North last year to inflame tension between the neighbours to justify his martial law decree. The impeached Yoon has denied the allegations. On Friday, Kim told reporters that the incident was part of a "clandestine military operation" in response to trash balloons from the North and not to provoke the neighbour. In October, North Korea said the South had sent drones to scatter anti-North Korea leaflets over Pyongyang, and published photos of the remains of a crashed South Korean military drone. South Korea at the time declined to disclose whether it had sent the drones. Kim was arrested on Friday without a court warrant, local media reported. Prosecutors and police are permitted to conduct an "emergency arrest" if they have a

Jul 20, 2025By Reuters
Prosecutors seek drone chief arrest over operation in North Korea

Special counsel indicts Yoon on charges of power abuse in martial law declaration

A special counsel team indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Saturday, on charges of abuse of authority over his short-lived imposition of martial law. It marks Yoon's third indictment with detention following previous ones in January and in March related to his Dec. 3 martial law declaration and other power abuse charges. According to the team led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, Yoon is accused of violating the rights of Cabinet members during the martial law deliberation process, retroactively drafting the martial law declaration, ordering the deletion of records from encrypted phones and other offenses. The special counsel pointed to a Cabinet meeting held shortly before the martial law declaration, where Yoon summoned select members, including then Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. "Yoon notified only a few Cabinet members to convene, and this infringed on the constitutional rights of Cabinet members to deliberate and vote," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said during a briefing. "This also nullified the Constitut

Jul 19, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel indicts Yoon on charges of power abuse in martial law declaration
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