South Korea - The Korea Times

Tighter security

Police stand guard at the U.S. embassy in Sejongno, Seoul, Thursday, following an announcement that security measures in facilities vulnerable to terrorist attacks including foreign embassies will be strengthened in readiness against any provocations from North Korea./ Korea Times photo by Kim Joo-young

Apr 11, 2013

Beauties of the mid-west

Miss Korea beauty pageant candidates from North Jeolla Province pose after the regional preliminaries held at the Jeollabukdo Educational and Cultural Center in Jeonju Wednesday. Clockwise from top left are third place winners Jeong Hye-won, Kim Myeong-seon and Jeon Sun-jin; co-second-place winner Song Seul-gi; first-place winner Lee Sang-eun; and Choi Kyu-li, the other second-place winner. They have earned spots at the main event of the beauty pageant scheduled in Seoul in July. The Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, hosts the annual Miss Korea event. / Korea Times

Apr 11, 2013

S. Korea, US maintaining high-level surveillance since early March

South Korea and the United States have been maintaining a high level of vigilance against North Korea since early March, the presidential spokesman said Thursday, denying reports the surveillance level was raised in response to Pyongyang's moves to fire a ballistic missile.The alertness, dubbed "Watchcon," was upgraded by one step to Level 2 from Level 3 on March 5 when North Korea's military said it will void the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung told reporters.Local media had reported Wednesday that Watchcon was raised recently to keep close watch over the North's moves to launch a medium-range ballistic missile, known as Musudan, this week ahead of the April 15 birthday of late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung."The Korea-U.S. intelligence surveillance assets have been bolstered since the (North's) Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army issued a statement," Yoon said, referring to Pyongyang's threat to void the cease-fire. "It is not true that it was raised yesterday."South Korean officials have said the North could

Apr 11, 2013

Woman makes up infidelity for compensation in divorce

 The district court in northern Seoul of Uijongbu said the making up stories to gain larger compensation in a divorce deserve heavy punishment.In November last year, the court thus sentenced a 49-year-old woman to two years in prison for infidelity. She is currently serving her term in a prison in Uijongbu.The woman is appealing the case. She is insisting that she was actually abducted and sexually abused and that she did not deliberately engage in actions for securing heavy compensation in her divorce.The main issue is the contrasting evidence of her having an affairs with a young man and taking pictures of the relationship as evidence of sexual abuse or if she was in fact abducted and sexually assaulted through no fault of her own.

Apr 11, 2013

Teleconference with prisoner

Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn takes part in a teleconference at a broadcasting center in the Government Complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province Wednesday, with a female inmate in a prison in Cheognju, North Chungcheong Province. The ministry is providing the Internet teleconference service for inmates to communicate with relatives.                                                                                                                                   / Yonhap

Apr 10, 2013

Entertainer sentenced to 5 years in jail for sexual assault

A Seoul district court has sentenced entertainer and singer Goh Young-uk to five years in jail and assigned an electronic anklet for another 10 years for sexually assaulting teens on a number of occasions.In addition, the details of the crimes he committed will be posted as public information for seven years. This is the first time that a popular celebrity has been ordered to wear an electronic anklet.“The accused used his position as a celebrity to coerce minors into having sex,” the ruling judge said. “Despite the fact that he settled some of the cases out of court, his actions deserve severe punitive actions.”Goh’s crime dates back to 2010 when he sexually abused a 13-year-old and 17-year-old girls in his apartment.What is astonishing is that he committed another similar offense against a 13-year-old even as he was undergoing investigation for his sexual crimes at the end of last year.

Apr 10, 2013

Replacement drivers shy away from imported cars

There was an incident in which a replacement driver for actress Lee Ji-ha crashed her Maserati into another vehicle, causing damages of over 30 million won ($26,000).The automobile is insured but repairs amounting in excess of 30 million won has to be paid by the driver, meaning that the replacement driver, a 47-year-old Lim, has to come up with the additional payment.This is a practice unique to Korea in which people call replacement drivers after having a drink to avoid getting caught for drunk driving.Many engage in the job in the middle of the night for extra earning and they often get a fright when assigned to imported vehicles for fear of getting into an accident.In another case, one replacement driver got into an accident in which the damage was 36.5 million won ($30,000) after which he had to cough up 6.5 million won ($6,000). He immediately quit the job.There are some 8,000 companies engaging in this line of business with the market estimated at 4 trillion won ($3.6 billion) a year. The total number of replacement drivers is estimated 200,000.

Apr 10, 2013

S. Korea raises surveillance status to monitor NK missile launch

South Korea and the United States have upgraded their surveillance status on Wednesday to monitor an imminent missile test by North Korea, military officials said, at a time of escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang is believed to have completed preparations for a mid-range missile launch from its east coast after it moved two Musudan missiles to its east coast last week by rail and mounted them on mobile launchers.Ahead of an imminent test, the Combined Forces Command raised "Watchcon" 3 status, a normal defense condition, by one level to step up surveillance monitoring and increase the number of intelligence staff, a senior military official said.South Korea's military also launched an emergency task force team charged with monitoring and analyzing the latest development in North Korea's preparations, he said. South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have been closely monitoring the North Korean facility believed to contain the Musudan missiles mounted on the TELs (transporter-erector-launcher). The missile can fly 3,000-4,000 kilometers, making it capable o

Apr 10, 2013

S. Korea raises surveillance status to monitor NK missile launch

Newspaper!

Korea Times staff distribute copies of the English newspaper to citizens heading to their offices in Taepyeongno, central Seoul, Tuesday morning. The Korea Times has launched a “Let’s read an English newspaper” campaign to increase its readership and promote its sales. At right is Oh Young-jin, managing editor of the Times.                                                                    / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Apr 9, 2013

President's note

Shown above is the script of President Park Geun-hye for the Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Many parts on the joint inter-Korean industrial park at Gaeseong was erased and rewritten, reflecting her worries on the complex, which North Korea threatens to close. The North pulled out all of its workers there Tuesday./ Yonhap

Apr 9, 2013

Others

Others

Tighter security

Beauties of the mid-west

S. Korea, US maintaining high-level surveillance since early March

Woman makes up infidelity for compensation in divorce

Teleconference with prisoner

Entertainer sentenced to 5 years in jail for sexual assault

Replacement drivers shy away from imported cars

S. Korea raises surveillance status to monitor NK missile launch

Newspaper!

President's note

Most Read in South Korea