my timesThe Korea Times
South Korea

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.

CIO opens investigation into hostess bar allegations against judge

The state anti-corruption agency said Tuesday it has opened an investigation into allegations that the presiding judge for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection trial was treated to multiple visits to an expensive hostess bar. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said it assigned the case to Investigation Unit 3 upon receiving a complaint from several civic groups alleging bribery and anti-graft law violations by Judge Jee Kui-youn of the Seoul Central District Court. Jee has been accused by the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) of visiting a hostess bar in Seoul's affluent district of Gangnam without paying the cost of 1 million won ($718) to 2 million won per person. The judge addressed the allegations for the first time Monday, saying during Yoon's trial that he has never considered being treated at such places and his typical meal consists of "samgyeopsal" and soju, a reference to the Korean pork belly and rice wine that symbolize the food of commoners. The DPK immediately disclosed what it said were photos showing the similarities of a h

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
CIO opens investigation into hostess bar allegations against judge

Police request arrest warrant for reporter over '99 Chinese spies' article

Police on Tuesday applied for an arrest warrant for an internet media reporter over a controversial report alleging that 99 Chinese spies were apprehended at a National Election Commission (NEC) facility during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. The reporter, whose identity is withheld, is accused of obstructing the NEC's official duties by publishing a false article, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The Jan. 16 article claimed that the 99 Chinese nationals captured during a Korean-U.S. joint military operation were transported to a U.S. base in Japan's Okinawa and confessed to all charges of election interference during the interrogation process. The NEC rejected the claim as "clearly false" and filed a police complaint against the media. The police said they will continue to strictly investigate similar online fake news articles.

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
Police request arrest warrant for reporter over '99 Chinese spies' article

Man arrested for stabbing 4 people in Siheung

Korean police said Monday a man was arrested after stabbing four people, leaving two dead. Around 9:30 a.m. Monday, the suspect stabbed a convenience store owner, a woman in her 60s, and fled the scene in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. After police responded, they went to the home of the car owner linked to the suspect's vehicle. They discovered a body there which "is believed to be that of the car owner," a Siheung Police Station official told AFP, adding that the body appeared to have been left for several days. About two hours later, the suspect stabbed another man in his 70s, before again fleeing the scene. Shortly after that, police discovered another body inside the suspect's home, close to the convenience store. The injured victims were receiving treatment at a hospital and were recovering, a police official said. The suspect remained at large before police apprehended him hours after. The Siheung police station confirmed to AFP they had arrested the suspect, and the suspect has "confessed to all charges." "We are currently transferring him to the Siheung Police Station for further questi

May 19, 2025By AFP
Man arrested for stabbing 4 people in Siheung

Police step up probe into ex-first lady's clothing expense allegations

Police investigating allegations of former President Moon Jae-in's wife, Kim Jung-sook, misusing taxpayer money to buy her clothes have secured all necessary data from the Presidential Archives through a monthlong raid, Park Hyun-soo, acting chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), said Monday. Kim is suspected of having purchased dozens of clothing items using the presidential office's special activity funds during Moon's presidency from 2017 to 2022. The raid on the Presidential Archives in the central administrative city of Sejong was completed May 9, and police are now analyzing the seized items, Park said. The SMPA received a search warrant for the Presidential Archives from the Seoul High Court in early April and executed the warrant April 10, according to police officials. "The raid has been normally carried out through cooperation from the Presidential Archives," an SMPA official said. "The reason it took about a month was because it overlapped with the transfer of presidential records."

May 19, 2025By Yonhap
Police step up probe into ex-first lady's clothing expense allegations

Man arrested after threatening five people with knife at Dongtan park

A man in his 40s was apprehended early Sunday after brandishing knives and threatening a group of people at Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Hwaseong Dongtan Police said they detained the suspect on charges of making public threats and are preparing to seek an arrest warrant for attempted murder following further investigation. The incident occurred around 4:03 a.m. when the man, allegedly intoxicated, approached a group of five men and women in their 20s who were drinking on the deck of a bar near the lakeside commercial area of Dongtan 2 New Town. Witnesses said the man charged at them with a knife, prompting the group to flee in panic. One of the victims ran into a nearby bar and held the door shut to block the suspect's entry. The suspect chased another person in the group before fleeing the scene on a kick scooter. Police responded after receiving an emergency report, issuing a “Code Zero” alert — the highest level of urgency in police protocols. Dozens of officers were mobilized to search the park area. A was apprehended about 30 minutes later, at 4:39 a.m. wh

May 19, 2025By KTimes
Man arrested after threatening five people with knife at Dongtan park

Judge overseeing ex-president's insurrection trial denies hostess bar allegations

The judge overseeing former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection trial on Monday denied allegations of being treated to multiple visits to an expensive hostess bar. Jee Kui-youn of the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the allegations at the opening of the fourth hearing of Yoon's trial. "I know there is much worry and concern regarding the accusations raised against me, but I normally eat 'samgyeopsal' with soju," Jee said at the court, referring to Korean pork belly and rice wine. "The allegations are not true, and I have never thought of being treated in such a place." Jee said responding to such "persistent attacks from the outside" during an important trial could influence the proceedings and vowed to focus on conducting a "fair and speedy" trial. Rep. Kim Yong-min of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea first raised the allegations last week, claiming he received a "detailed tip-off" that Jee visited a hostess bar multiple times without once paying the cost of 1 million won ($716) to 2 million won per person. Details of the alleged visits, such as when they took place or Jee

May 19, 2025By Yonhap
Judge overseeing ex-president's insurrection trial denies hostess bar allegations

Prosecutors seek death penalty in appeal over medical student in girlfriend's murder

Prosecutors on Friday again demanded the death penalty for a medical school student convicted of fatally stabbing his girlfriend, arguing that a lower court's 26-year prison sentence was too lenient given the brutal nature of the crime. The 26-year-old surnamed Choi was convicted of stabbing his girlfriend to death on the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul on May 6, 2024. During the final hearing of Choi's appeals trial at the Seoul High Court, prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Choi, citing the sorrow and pain suffered by the victim's family and the brutal nature of the crime. Choi's lawyer argued the killing was more out of "extreme behavior" than elaborately planned, while stressing Choi's anxious psychological state at the time. "I want to apologize for this crime I committed, which makes me deserving of death," Choi said in his final statement. "I even put the blame on the innocent victim and their family (for my crime), although it was entirely my fault," he added. In the initial ruling in December, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Choi to

May 16, 2025By Yonhap
Prosecutors seek death penalty in appeal over medical student in girlfriend's murder

Four rioters get prison terms for assault, trespassing in 'court rampage'

Four people have been convicted over a violent disturbance at the Seoul Western District Court that broke out during a pretrial hearing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The individuals were sentenced to prison for assaulting reporters and police officers, as well as unlawfully entering court premises. The Seoul Western District Court’s criminal division, presided over by Judge Kim Woo-hyun, sentenced the defendants to prison terms ranging from 10 months to 1 year and 6 months. Two of the four received suspended sentences. The defendants were indicted after engaging in illegal acts outside the courthouse in Mapo District on Jan. 18, when a pretrial detention hearing was held for Yoon. One defendant, surnamed Woo, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for throwing a bag at a journalist, which resulted in an injury to the victim. Another, surnamed Nam, who struck a police officer during the protest, received 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years. A third defendant, surnamed Lee, received 1 year in prison, suspended for 2 years, for similar charges. Prosecutors had asked for

May 16, 2025By KTimes
Four rioters get prison terms for assault, trespassing in 'court rampage'

Court dismisses hostess bar allegations against judge as 'abstract'

A Seoul court on Thursday dismissed as "abstract" allegations that one of its judges was treated to multiple visits to an expensive hostess bar. The Seoul Central District Court released the statement a day after Rep. Kim Yong-min of the liberal Democratic Party disclosed during a parliamentary session what he said was a "detailed tip-off" that judge Jee Kui-youn visited a hostess bar multiple times without once paying the cost of 1 million won ($716) to 2 million won per person. "The allegations in question are not only abstract, but no detailed material was presented and the veracity of the allegations was not confirmed," the court said in a statement to the press. "There is nothing the Central District Court can say regarding this." Jee is the presiding judge for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial on insurrection charges related to his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. He was also the judge responsible for canceling Yoon's arrest over the martial law bid in March. During the parliamentary session Wednesday, Rep. Kim said Jee's alleged visits to the bar appeared to be a violation o

May 15, 2025By Yonhap
Court dismisses hostess bar allegations against judge as 'abstract'

‘Dongtan couple deaths’ revealed as murder-suicide

A recent double fatality case in Dongtan, Gyeonggi Province, initially reported as a case involving a couple, has been revealed as a premeditated crime in which a man abducted and killed his common-law partner after police had separated them due to reports of domestic violence. According to the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station on Tuesday, the incident occurred on Monday morning. The man, identified only as A, went to an officetel in Dongtan New Town where his partner, B, had been staying to escape continued abuse. B had moved in with an acquaintance at the location following multiple reports of domestic violence. Security footage shows A waiting inside the building after entering via a shared entrance keypad. At around 10:19 a.m., when B stepped out, he forcibly pulled her into a rented car. He had prepared tape and a hood in advance, binding her hands and covering her face. A then drove to a former residence the two once shared, about 6 kilometers away. When B attempted to escape, A chased her down and fatally stabbed her in a walkway inside the apartment complex. She was later pronounce

May 15, 2025By KTimes
‘Dongtan couple deaths’ revealed as murder-suicide
previous page
9091929394
next page

Most Read in South Korea