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  • Society

    Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption

    The father of Jang Yoon-gi, a suspect in the murder of a high school girl, allegedly destroyed evidence in the case, renewing debate over Korea's criminal code exemption shielding family members from evidence-tampering charges. Last month, prosecutors indicted Jang, 23, on charges of stabbing and killing the girl in Gwangju in May after following her with intent to rape. He was also indicted on charges of attacking another student with a knife when they tried to intervene. Investigators later found that Jang's father, an active-duty police officer, had disposed of items from his son's residence, including several mobile phones and a sex doll whose chest and neck areas showed concentrated damage. The father was not indicted, however. Under current law, destroying evidence in another person's criminal case carries penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 7 million won ($4,530), but relatives or family members living with the offender are exempt. Lee Yung-hyeock, a professor of police science at Konkuk University, said the exemption exists in Korea because of questions whe

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Murder suspect's father evades charges, fueling debate over Korea's family evidence-tampering exemption
  • Law & Crime

    3rd appeals trial begins for former K-pop star Steve Yoo over visa denial

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    3rd appeals trial begins for former K-pop star Steve Yoo over visa denial
  • Law & Crime

    Appeals court to begin ex-President Yoon's drone infiltration trial on July 15

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Appeals court to begin ex-President Yoon's drone infiltration trial on July 15
  • Politics

    Lee pledges to establish 'aerospace industry belt' along southern coast

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee pledges to establish 'aerospace industry belt' along southern coast
  • Society

    Seoul expands accessible bus travel options for wheelchair users

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Seoul expands accessible bus travel options for wheelchair users
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Defense

Army chiefs of Korea, US discuss joint drills, military innovation

The Army chiefs of Korea and the United States held a teleconference Wednesday to discuss ways to advance their combined drills and military innovation incorporating cutting-edge science and technology, the South's Army said. In the video call, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Randy A. George, agreed to continue their cooperation and high-level communication to foster strong science and technology capabilities, the armed service said. They also agreed to deepen their security cooperation through exchanges at multilateral events, such as the Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium in May, a regular gathering of high-level military officials in the Indo-Pacific region hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.

Apr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Army chiefs of Korea, US discuss joint drills, military innovation
Law & Crime

Gov’t warns Tesla owners against unauthorized use of self-driving software

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport warned Tuesday that activating Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature without authorization is illegal, after Tesla Korea reported a software vulnerability that could be used to unlock the system on vehicles where it is not permitted. The ministry said cases have been reported overseas in which unofficial external devices — typically costing about 500 euros and plugged into a vehicle’s controller area network — are used to bypass software restrictions and enable FSD on vehicles where it is not permitted. It warned that similar attempts could spread to Korean owners, including through publicly available source code. Under Korea’s Motor Vehicle Management Act, vehicles with unauthorized FSD activation are deemed noncompliant with safety standards and cannot be legally operated. The ministry said such use constitutes an unauthorized modification of safety-critical software under Article 35 of the law, punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won ($14,500). The warning, however, highlights a regulatory

Apr 1, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Gov’t warns Tesla owners against unauthorized use of self-driving software
Politics

Ex-President Yoon collected $795,000 in inmate funds over 8 months: lawmaker

Jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol collected over 1.2 billion won ($795,000) in inmate funds during eight months of detention through last month, a lawmaker said Wednesday, citing data from the justice ministry. Yoon has been held at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, since his second arrest on July 10 on charges related to his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. In the period through March 15, a total of 1.26 billion was deposited into his inmate trust account, an amount equivalent to 4.6 times the salary of President Lee Jae Myung this year, Rep. Kim Yong-min of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said. In the same period, 358 withdrawals were made, averaging 1.4 times a day. "An absurd situation is happening where insurrection ringleader Yoon Suk Yeol is benefiting from a luxurious inmate deposit fund scheme," the lawmaker said. "Inmate funds must not be reduced to a means of enriching a criminal," he added, calling for institutional reforms. Of the inmate trust accounts at Seoul Detention Center, the second largest was 102 million won, followed by 5

Apr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-President Yoon collected $795,000 in inmate funds over 8 months: lawmaker
Defense

AnalysisKorea's next-gen destroyer program hit by dispute over design data

Legal disputes over design data in Korea’s next-generation destroyer program have exposed a growing fault line in how defense projects are awarded and managed. The row centers on the Korea Destroyer Next Generation project, also known as KDDX, a plan to build six 6,000-ton Aegis-class destroyers with domestic technology. The project, valued at around 7.8 trillion won ($5.1 billion), has already faced delays, and the latest clash adds fresh uncertainty as companies prepare bids for the next phase. This time, the issue is not about who will win the contract, but what information should be shared before the decision is made. The program was shifted from a negotiated deal to an open bidding process by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), after controversy over a past security breach involving HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The move opened the competition to Hanwha Ocean, which did not take part in the basic design stage, to compete for the detailed design and construction work. That change created a practical dilemma. Hanwha Ocean needs access to the existing design to submit

Apr 1, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea's next-gen destroyer program hit by dispute over design data
Others

New multilingual safety guide aims to protect foreign students in Korea

A new government guide to help international students navigate and respond to sexual harassment and violence is being rolled out across Korea, as officials confront rising foreign enrollment and persistent gaps in victim support. The Ministry of Education said Wednesday it had developed and distributed a “Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence SOS Guide” for international students at universities nationwide, aimed at helping them prevent incidents and respond effectively, particularly when language and cultural barriers complicate matters. The initiative comes as the number of foreign students in Korea has risen sharply in recent years, from 153,000 in 2020 to 209,000 in 2024 and 253,000 in 2025, according to government data. Officials said that while the increase reflects Korea’s growing appeal as a study destination, it has also exposed vulnerabilities, including cases in which students struggle to seek help after experiencing sexual misconduct. The guide outlines key concepts and common types of sexual harassment and violence, offering step-by-step responses for different scenar

Apr 1, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
New multilingual safety guide aims to protect foreign students in Korea
Society

Survivors seek inquiry into clergy abuse, forced removals of mixed-race children

"The priest, drunk on alcohol, called the children one by one, grabbed their bodies, and did not let them go." Meeky Woo Flippen, born in 1965 to a Korean mother and a Black American soldier father, recalled the abuse she suffered from 50 years ago. At 13, when her mother died, she was left at the Catholic child protection facility for mixed-race children, "St. Vincent's Home," in Incheon. To escape clergy abuse, she chose adoption abroad. Her new American family, however, did not want her. She had to wake up at 3 a.m. and work in the strawberry fields. With money saved over several years, she returned to Korea as an adult and stood before her mother's grave. The funeral she had been barred from attending, because of her mixed-race appearance, had haunted her for decades. She choked back tears, saying, "I mustered the courage to document the perpetrator who is still called a 'great missionary,' and to inform that overseas adoption was not the answer." TRACE, a coalition for truth and accountability on overseas adoption and children's human rights, filed a request with the Truth and Reconci

Apr 1, 2026By Hankookilbo
Survivors seek inquiry into clergy abuse, forced removals of mixed-race children
Law & Crime

5 ex-presidents listed as ‘anti-constitutional actors’ in new reckoning on historical state violence

Five former presidents of Korea made it onto a list of perpetrators of state violence in Korea's authoritarian past. Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, Choi Kyu-ha, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo are among the 312 public officials who are identified as "anti-constitutional actors" in a series of books on the subject. Aimed at bringing Korean historical atrocities to light, part of the list was read aloud Tuesday during a press conference held by the Committee for the Compilation of Biographical Accounts of Anti-Constitutional Actors at the Kim Koo Museum & Library near Seoul’s Hyochang Park. Since the establishment of democratic civilian government, efforts to address past cases of state violence have been undertaken at various times. Though incomplete and still ongoing, the facts behind numerous incidents have been established, revealing the truth in cases that have ended and destroyed many lives. Some victims have had their honor restored, and state compensation has been provided. While acknowledging the importance and meaningfulness of victim-centered transitional justice work, arguments

Apr 1, 2026By Jack Greenberg
5 ex-presidents listed as ‘anti-constitutional actors’ in new reckoning on historical state violence
South Korea

Lee hints at keeping tax benefits for owners of one home where they do not temporarily reside

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday hinted that the government may keep tax benefits for owners of one home where they temporarily do not reside due to reasons such as work or their children's education. Lee shared a news article on the social media platform X that raised concerns among one-house owners, as the government imposed fresh mortgage curbs for owners of multiple homes in Seoul and its neighboring areas In January, Lee questioned the fairness of offering long-term ownership tax breaks for properties used for investment or speculation. He clarified that his earlier remarks — targeting homes used for investment or speculation — do not apply to cases where homeowners temporarily live elsewhere for unavoidable reasons, including work. "It is clear that cases where a home is intended for residential use, but the owner temporarily lives elsewhere due to unavoidable reasons such as work, are excluded," Lee wrote, calling for corrections to the article. Lee has repeatedly urged owners of multiple homes to sell their properties ahead of the planned expiration of heavy capital gains

Apr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Lee hints at keeping tax benefits for owners of one home where they do not temporarily reside
Politics

Ruling party, gov't confirm comprehensive survey of farmland ownership to curb property speculation

The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Wednesday confirmed their plans to launch the country's first-ever comprehensive survey of farmland ownership, in an effort to prevent farmland from being used as a speculative asset. The decision came during a meeting between DPK lawmakers and agricultural ministry officials at the National Assembly as they agreed on the need to verify whether owners are directly farming their property. "We agreed to conduct a nationwide survey of farmland to curb speculative land that undermines the land-to-the-tiller principle as stipulated in the Constitution and to establish more systematic policies by checking actual ownership and use of rural land," Rep. Yoon Joon-byeong told reporters. Authorities will conduct in-depth surveys particularly in farmland near major metropolitan areas and land transaction permission zones, he said. If speculative land ownership is confirmed, authorities will take strict measures, including ordering the owners to sell the land. The survey will be carried out in two phases, starting this year with farmland

Apr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party, gov't confirm comprehensive survey of farmland ownership to curb property speculation
Law & Crime

Couple under probe for abandoning mother's body in suitcase

Police said Wednesday they are investigating a woman in her 20s and her husband on charges of placing her mother's body in a suitcase and abandoning it in a stream in the southeastern city of Daegu. The couple were urgently detained Tuesday night after confessing during police interrogation that they put the body in a suitcase at their home in central Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, on March 18, then walked to the nearby Sincheon Stream and left it there. The interrogation took place after residents reported the suitcase floating in the stream and the police confirmed through CCTV analysis that the couple were seen leaving their home dragging the same bag. The police plan to determine the exact cause of the death of the mother in her 50s through an autopsy and a search of the couple's home. The police are focusing on whether the couple directly killed her mother, whether others were involved, and what motivated them to abandon the body, according to the Daegu Bukbu Police Station. They plan to seek arrest warrants for the couple once the circumstances of the case are clarified.

Apr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Couple under probe for abandoning mother's body in suitcase
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