[Newsmaker] Finance minister, other chiefs get COVID-19 tests

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and scores of other chiefs of governmental and private organizations got tested for the coronavirus Wednesday at the health authorities’ request. Results were not known as of press time. Health authorities earlier in the day requested that those who were at the late Samsung chairman’s wake on Oct. 26 get tested for COVID-19 after a member of the press who also attended was confirmed to have the virus. In an emergency text message sent Wednesday, the C

Social AffairsNov. 4, 2020

[Newsmaker] US ambassador 'confident' next leader to continue to value alliance with S. Korea

US Ambassador Harry Harris said Wednesday that he believes whoever takes the White House for the next four years will value the alliance with South Korea and work to further strengthen it. He made the comment in a video tweet shortly after the polls started closing on election day in his country, where Americans were choosing between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the next leader. "Whatever the outcome of the election, I'm confident that we'll have a

Foreign AffairsNov. 4, 2020

[Newsmaker] Former President Lee Myung-bak put behind bars

Former President Lee Myung-bak was placed behind bars Monday, after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction for bribery and embezzlement and revoked his bail. The 78-year-old, who led the country from 2008 to 2013, faces 16 more years in jail. Lee left his residence in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, at around 1:45 p.m., as supporters and longtime aides, including former Rep. Lee Jae-oh, gathered to bid him farewell.　 “They can arrest me, but they can’t confine the truth” his

PoliticsNov. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Govt. to inform bereaved family of whether to provide intel on slain official

The Defense Ministry said Monday it will soon inform the bereaved family of a South Korean official killed by North Korea in September of whether it will provide them with the military intelligence collected in the course of the incident. On Sept. 22, North Korea fatally shot the 47-year-old official, who was adrift in its side of the Yellow Sea, and burned his body, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeo

North KoreaNov. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Mask rule violators to face fines

Those who violate the face mask mandate may face fines beginning next week, as South Korea aims to continue preventing the spread of the coronavirus with mandatory mask-wearing. 　 After a one-month grace period, which ends Nov. 12, the government will begin imposing fines of 100,000 won ($88) on those who do not wear face masks in public. A face covering is mandatory for those using public transportation, participating in rallies, visiting medical and care facilities, as well as other designat

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2020

[Newsmaker] Seoul city to fine non-mask-wearers 100,000 won starting Nov. 13

The Seoul metropolitan government will begin imposing fines of 100,000 won ($88) on those who do not wear face masks in public next week, a measure aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Enforcement of mandatory mask wearing will begin Nov. 13 after a one-month trial period, officials said. Exceptions will be made for children under the age of 14, the disabled and those diagnosed with a medical condition that makes it difficult for them to breathe through a mask. All others can al

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2020

[Newsmaker] Justice Minister’s reform moves spark heated online debate among prosecutors

State prosecutors have posted a slew of online criticism decrying Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae’s prosecutorial reform and her decision to sideline the prosecutor general from certain cases involving politicians and prosecutors suspected of corruption. The heated discussion was triggered by an online statement that began “Prosecution reform has failed,” posted Wednesday by Lee Hwan-woo, a prosecutor at the Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office, via the bulletin board at Eprose

Social AffairsOct. 30, 2020

[Newsmaker] Supreme Court upholds 17-year sentence against ex-president Lee

The country’s highest court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling sentencing former President Lee Myung-bak to 17 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement. The Supreme Court also upheld the 13 billion won ($11.4 million) fine and the additional forfeiture of 5.78 billion won that the appeals court handed down in February. “There is no fault in the previous ruling in terms of fact finding on embezzlement or bribery charges,” the court said in a verdict. The top court

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020

[Newsmaker] Supreme Court confirms 17-year prison term for ex-President Lee Myung-bak in corruption case

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 17-year prison sentence handed down by an appeals court for former President Lee Myung-bak on embezzlement and bribery charges. In February, the Seoul High Court sentenced the 78-year-old to 17 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion won ($10.9 million) and a forfeit of 5.7 billion won in a high-profile corruption case. The former president, who governed the country from 2008-2013, was charged in April 2018 with 16 counts of criminal allegations, including

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ex-vice minister jailed for 30 months for taking bribes

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui was sentenced to 30 months in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for business favors. The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling last year that cleared Kim of all charges due to lack of evidence and the statute of limitations. Kim, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, was accused of having received sexual services arranged by a local developer, Yoon Joong-chun, on 13 occasions and having recei

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2020

[Newsmaker] School counselor arrested for allegedly leaking SAT questions

A former high school counselor suspected of leaking copies of a US college entrance exam was arrested in Seoul late Tuesday night. The man, identified only by the surname Lee, is under police investigation for allegedly taking photos of US Scholastic Aptitude Test papers for three years beginning in 2017 while he was working as a career counselor at the Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies, a high school in Gyeonggi Province, and selling them to a broker. The broker, arrested last month, is alleg

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2020

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir may get promoted to chairman following father's passing

Speculation is growing over when Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong would take the position of chairman in South Korea's largest conglomerate following his father's death, industry insiders said Tuesday, though the heir has already been recognized as the tech giant's de facto leader. His father and a longtime Samsung Group head, Lee Kun-hee, died Sunday at age 78, more than six years after being hospitalized for a heart attack. Jae-yong, the eldest scion and the only son of the l

IndustryOct. 27, 2020

[Newsmaker] N. Korea slams S. Korea for ‘serving’ US

A North Korean propaganda outlet slammed South Korea on Monday for “serving” the US in a display of servility, saying Washington is returning only complications on ongoing disputes with Seoul.　 “Ranking officials in Seoul have paid numerous visits to Washington since October. … Their alliance is a combination of subjugation and subordination where Seoul is held hostage,” the propaganda outlet Maeari said, referring to the prolonged disputes over defense costs-shar

North KoreaOct. 26, 2020

[Newsmaker] Lee Kun-hee: 'Hermit king' of the Samsung empire

South Korea's richest and most powerful industrialist, Lee Kun-hee, turned Samsung Electronics into one of the world's biggest tech companies but lived a reclusive existence. Still, occasional pronouncements on business by the tycoon, who died at 78 on Sunday, reverberated through the country. When he inherited the chairmanship of the Samsung group in 1987 -- founded by his father as a fish and fruit exporter -- it was already the country's largest conglomerate, with operations ranging from co

IndustryOct. 25, 2020

[Newsmaker] Family of man killed by NK slams government

The family of the South Korean official killed by North Korean soldiers in North Korean waters continued to accuse the government of “dishonoring” the deceased man by saying he defected to the North due to financial difficulties. The Coast Guard said Thursday that the official, whose job was guiding fishing boats near the inter-Korean maritime border, had been heavily involved in online gambling and had wired gambling money shortly before he went missing. The bereaved family’

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2020

[Newsmaker] Flu shot fears growing further as suspected deaths pile up

Concerns over seasonal flu shots grew further on Friday as deaths after vaccinations swelled to over 30, with health experts split over whether to go ahead with a state-led free shot program amid a potential "twindemic" of the new coronavirus and the flu. Although no connection has been confirmed between the recent fatalities and vaccines, public fears have been mounting in South Korea over flu shots. Since the first suspected death from a flu shot was reported last Friday, 36 have d

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2020

[Newsmaker] N. Korea denuclearization a step toward end-of-war declaration: Pompeo

North Korea’s denuclearization would ultimately lead to the declaration of an official end to the Korean War, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday. The two Koreas are still at war, having signed no peace treaty to end the 1950-53 conflict. Pompeo was addressing questions about whether ending the war would be feasible without the North’s disarmament. President Moon Jae-in has repeatedly called for an end-of-war declaration. The top US diplomat again urged Pyongyang to c

North KoreaOct. 22, 2020

[Newsmaker] Doctors Without Borders to help NK address COVID-19

An international health charity received UN approval for an exemption from sanctions against North Korea so it can help the country tackle COVID-19 and tuberculosis. The UN Security Council’s committee on sanctions against North Korea said Wednesday that it had approved a sanctions exemption for Doctors Without Borders, known by the French abbreviation MSF, to support North Korea with nutrition aid, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, and COVID-19 response measures.　 MSF plans to ru

North KoreaOct. 21, 2020

[Newsmaker] S. Korea investigating teen death’s link to heat-exposed flu vaccine

Public health authorities in South Korea are investigating possible links between the death of a teenager and a flu vaccine that experienced heat fluctuations. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in Monday’s press briefing that a 17-year-old boy without preexisting medical conditions died at his Incheon home on Oct. 16, two days after getting a flu shot. The vaccine he received was a product distributed by Shinsung pharmaceutical company, which was earlier accused of han

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2020

[Newsmaker] S. Korea to lift export ban on mask filters

South Korea said Tuesday it will lift the export ban on nonwoven fabrics this week that are used to produce protective masks as the domestic supply of the materials and masks stabilized. Under the decision, the country will lift the regulation that bans firms from exporting more than 15 percent of their production of nonwoven fabrics starting Friday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Earlier this year, the country ran out of melt-blown nonwoven fabric filters amid soarin

EconomyOct. 20, 2020