[Newsmaker] US charges Huawei in technology theft, sanctions violations

The US Justice Department on Monday unveiled sweeping charges against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in two cases likely to ratchet up tensions between the two superpowers -- including that of a top executive arrested in Canada on a US warrant.The department unveiled 13 charges against Huawei Technologies, its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou -- the daughter of the company's founder who is currently out on bail in Canada -- and two affiliates related to violating US sanctions on Ira

World NewsJan. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] New twists and turns in case against JTBC chief

Sohn Suk-hee, the president of cable channel JTBC and a popular news anchor, offered company money to keep a freelance journalist from going public about an assault Sohn allegedly committed, a vernacular newspaper reported Monday.Freelance journalist Kim Woong, 48, filed a complaint with the police last week accusing Sohn, 63, of punching him in the face several times during a dinner meeting in Seoul on Jan. 10.Sohn Suk-hee (Yonhap)Kim reportedly submitted medical documentation to the police ind

Social AffairsJan. 28, 2019

[Newsmaker] Ex-Supreme Court chief hires another lawyer in preparation for legal battle

Former Supreme Court Chief Yang Sung-tae, currently in detention, has hired another lawyer to prepare for what will be a tough legal battle over allegations that he politically influenced trials to lobby the previous government, sources said Sunday.Yang recently brought in judge-turned-lawyer Lee Sang-won in addition to his two legal representatives, as he appears likely to face an unprecedented corruption probe as the former head of the country’s judiciary.Former Supreme Court chief Yang Sung-t

Social AffairsJan. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Govt. to launch special probe team to investigate sexual violence in sports

The South Korean government said Friday it will launch a special probe team to look into sexual violence and other human rights violations in the country's sports community, following a series of claims by athletes that they were assaulted by their coaches.Sports Minister Do Jong-hwan, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae and Gender Equality Minister Jin Sun-mee convened for a ministers meeting on social affairs and discussed measures to prevent and eradicate violence in sports. Sports Minister Do Jon

Social AffairsJan. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul focuses on military elements in friction over Japanese warplanes

Seoul is focusing on the military aspects of inappropriate actions by Japanese military planes, in an apparent move to avoid the matter being politicized by Tokyo, following another close-proximity flight by a Japanese patrol plane. On Wednesday, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense revealed that Japan’s P-3 patrol plane flew at an altitude of 60 to 70 meters and 540 meters away from South Korean destroyer Daejoyeong in international waters near Ieodo, a submerged rock near Jeju Island. Military

DefenseJan. 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] Korea eyes artificial rain in fine dust fight

South Korea plans to conduct this year’s first artificial rain experiment over the Yellow Sea on Friday, as part of efforts to tackle fine dust pollution amid growing concerns over public health.　　The Korea Meteorological Administration said Wednesday the one-hour experiment will be conducted in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China on Friday morning, with a plane, boat and other devices mobilized to measure meteorological conditions. 　The KMA will carry out a cloud seeding experiment a

Social AffairsJan. 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] Appeals court upholds another wartime forced labor victim's compensation claim

A Seoul appellate court on Wednesday upheld another compensation claim by an elderly South Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor, ordering Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. to pay her 100 million won ($88,754). The appeals division of the Seoul Central District Court made the ruling in favor of Lee Choon-myeon, 88, who filed litigation accusing the Japanese company of forcing her to toil without pay in poor working conditions during World War II.  Lee Choon-myeon (Yonhap)Wednesday's court ruling add

Social AffairsJan. 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] Human rights watchdog to set up independent monitoring system to root out sexual violence in sports community

Following rampant allegations of sexual misconduct by authority figures in the skating community, the chief of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Tuesday vowed to establish an independent monitoring system to root out widespread violence in sports.“Physical and sexual harassment in the sports community take place repeatedly within a structured system, rather than accidentally. Violence is exonerated in the performance-centered culture,” said Choi Young-ae, the head of the rights wa

Social AffairsJan. 22, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul to expand Gwanghwamun Square, create underground path by 2021

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is to expand Gwanghwamun Square 3.7-fold, create an underground passage connecting major spots in central Seoul and make the area a public transport hub, according to a plan to transform the square unveiled Monday. Blueprint of new Gwanghwamun Square to  be completed in 2021 (Seoul Metropolitan Government)Iconic statues of King Sejong the Great and Adm. Yi Sun-sin at Gwanghwamun Square will be relocated in order to secure an expansive view of Bugaksan and Gyeong

Social AffairsJan. 21, 2019

[Newsmaker] Korea calls on Japan to halt 'inappropriate' media campaign over radar dispute

South Korea's defense ministry on Monday renewed its calls for Japan to stop an "inappropriate media campaign" over a military radar dispute, with Tokyo poised to reveal fresh evidence that is likely to aggravate tensions.Japan's defense ministry plans to announce its "final view" on the dispute later in the day and disclose a recording of a sound made when its maritime patrol aircraft detected radar signals, to back up its claim that a South Korean warship directed its fire-control radar at the

DefenseJan. 21, 2019

[Newsmaker] Lawmaker accused of real estate speculation quits ruling party

Rep. Sohn Hye-won of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday cut ties with the party over alleged property speculation, but nevertheless vigorously denied the allegations.Sohn maintained her initial stance that her relatives and aides had invested in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, to “revive the southern city.”“I cannot push the public into a meaningless war of attrition. I will give up my party membership,” Sohn said in a joint press conference held with party floor leader Rep. Hong Young-pyo at t

PoliticsJan. 20, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul court orders Japanese firm to compensate forced laborers in separate ruling

South Korea’s appeals court upheld on Friday a lower court ruling ordering a Japanese company to compensate a group of Koreans forced into labor during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula, amid an escalating diplomatic row between the neighboring countries. (Yonhap)The Seoul High Court upheld the 2014 ruling that robot supplier Nachi-Fujikoshi must pay 80 million to 100 million won to each of the 17 Korean victims forced to work at Fujikoshi’s arms factories in Japan from 1944 to

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul-Tokyo radar tussle spreads to YouTube

While the ongoing clash between Seoul and Tokyo over a recent radar incident at sea shows no signs of abating, it has also triggered controversy on YouTube, with the defense ministries of the two countries explaining their positions on the online platform. Japan was the first to take the issue to YouTube, uploading a 13-minute video of the incident to its YouTube channel on Dec. 28 with subtitles in Japanese and English to reinforce its accusations against South Korea. The video was shot from th

DefenseJan. 17, 2019

[Newsmaker] Court dismisses indictments against Jeju massacre survivors after over 70 years

The district court on the southern island of Jeju on Thursday dismissed the charges against over a dozen survivors of a bloody 1948-1954 government-civilian clash, effectively ruling them not guilty of mutiny after 71 years. The Jeju District Court made the landmark decision in a retrial involving 18 survivors, including 99-year-old Lim Chang-eui.  (Yonhap)The ruling essentially quashes the convictions handed down by a military court in 1949, as it means the court is revoking the initial indictm

Social AffairsJan. 17, 2019

[Newsmaker] Ministry asks auditors to look into athletes' village after skater's rape allegations

Sports Ministry asks audit body to look into athletes’ village after gold medalist Shim Suk-hee's sexual assault allegations The South Korean government on Wednesday announced a series of measures to prevent the sexual abuse of athletes, including a state-level inspection of all related organizations, in the latest response to Olympic gold-medalist speedskater Shim Suk-hee’s claims that her coach sexually assaulted her multiple times. In a press briefing Wednesday, the Ministry of Culture, Sport

Social AffairsJan. 16, 2019

[Newsmaker] Ex-prime minister joins main opposition party, distances himself from ousted former president

Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday joined the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, distancing himself from irregularities under ousted former President Park Geun-hye and emphasizing “unity” as a key value, amid political parties’ criticism of his party membership.Hwang’s return to politics has ramped up competition at the conservative party’s national convention next month, with the real possibility he may run for the party’s leadership and in the 2022 presidential race.Referring to

PoliticsJan. 15, 2019

[Newsmaker] No breakthrough from Korea-Japan military talks over radar tussle

Despite having held military talks, South Korea and Japan failed to narrow differences Monday in stand-offs over a recent radar incident, an informed source said.General-grade representatives from the two sides met in Singapore in a bid to resolve "mutual misunderstandings" over a dispute regarding Seoul's use of military radar for humanitarian search operations last month, according to Seoul's defense ministry. (Yonhap)It marked the first face-to-face contact between officials from the two nati

Foreign AffairsJan. 15, 2019

[Newsmaker] Prosecutors resummon ex-top court chief

Prosecutors again summoned former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae for questioning on Monday over his alleged involvement in a power abuse scandal, as they plan to decide this week whether to request a warrant to detain him.The team handling the case at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office began interrogating the 71-year-old former top court chief Monday morning, three days after they grilled him for over 14 hours. (Yonhap)Prosecutors suspect that Yang sought to use politicall

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2019

[Newsmaker] Police to question skating coach over sexual assault allegations

Former short track speedskating coach Cho Jae-beom may be questioned by the police over allegations of sexual assault as early as Wednesday, local media reported Sunday. According to reports, the investigators plan to question Cho at the prison in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, where he is serving a 10-month sentence for habitually assaulting Olympic gold medalist Shim Suk-hee. Former short track coach Cho Jae-beom seen before his court appearance in June last year. YonhapThe assaults for which Cho i

Social AffairsJan. 13, 2019

[Newsmaker] Speed skater accuses ex-teammate of harassment

South Korean speed skater Kim Bo-reum, who was embroiled in a bullying controversy during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, on Friday accused her former teammate of harassment, saying that she was actually the victim of bullying.In an interview with local cable station Channel A, Kim said that she had been bullied by Noh Seon-yeong, who competed together with her and Park Ji-woo in the women's team pursuit competition at the PyeongChang Winter Games. (Yonhap)"I first entered the national tra

More SportsJan. 11, 2019