[Newsmaker] 15-story building in Gangnam evacuated after signs of collapse

15-floor office building in Gangnam, Seoul, was evacuated and left vacant Wednesday after signs of its impending collapse were reported the day before. City officials who inspected the building concluded that it was dangerous.Seoul’s Gangnam District Office designated the Daejong Building in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, as a “Class-3 Establishment,” the lowest safety level, meaning that it presents a “high risk of disaster” or requires “continuous management to prevent disasters.”(Yonhap)Wide cracks

Social AffairsDec. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Gunman on run after killing three at Strasbourg Christmas market

A gunman killed at least three people and wounded a dozen others at the famed Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday before fleeing the scene, authorities said.A manhunt was under way after the killer opened fire at around 8pm (1900 GMT) on one of the city's busiest streets, sending crowds of evening shoppers fleeing for safety.Soldiers patrolling the area as part of regular anti-terror operations exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him, but could not stop him escap

World NewsDec. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Na Kyung-won elected main opposition party floor leader

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party elected four-term lawmaker Rep. Na Kyung-won as its new floor leader Tuesday, amid escalating internal strife ahead of a leadership election next year.In the general meeting held at the National Assembly, Rep. Na decisively beat three-term lawmaker Rep. Kim Hack-yong, garnering 68 votes to 35. Among the 112 party lawmakers, 103 could vote, as memberships of nine lawmakers are currently suspended. Newly elected Liberty Korea Party floor leader Rep. Na Kyung

PoliticsDec. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] Korail CEO resigns following KTX derailment accident

Korea Railroad Corp. CEO Oh Young-sik resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for the recent series of train accidents. “I’ve emphasized the importance of train safety since I took the post in February, but I failed to keep my word as train accidents continued to occur,” Oh said.Oh added that the recent KTX derailment accident was caused partly by the problems that Korail currently faces, including the massive reduction of its labor force, privatization and separation of infrastructure and opera

Social AffairsDec. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] Korea cab driver burns himself to death in carpool protest

A South Korean taxi driver burned himself to death on Monday in protest at an Uber-like ride-sharing service being introduced by the country's largest mobile chat app, reports said.(Yonhap)South Korean taxi drivers have angrily protested against the car-pooling service created by KakaoTalk, saying it would threaten their jobs and livelihoods. US giant Uber has only a minimal presence in the country, offering only taxi- and licensed-hire vehicle hailing after closing its main ride-sharing service

TechnologyDec. 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] Lawmakers criticized for raising own salaries

The recent passage of the budget bill has sparked public fury, as it included a plan to increase the annual salaries of lawmakers, while the budget for job creation was reduced.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Saturday approved the 2019 budget bill of 469.6 trillion won ($416 billion), which included the plan to increase their wages by 1.8 percent. (Yonhap)The three minor parties 00 the center-right Bareunmirae Party, center-left opposition Part

PoliticsDec. 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] Investigation, trial records of 1974 student movement to be revealed

The investigations and trial records of the Federation of Democratic Young Students affair in 1974 are set to be revealed more than 40 years after the incident took place.National Archives of Korea on Monday announced that it received the records from the Ministry of National Defense in November. A total of 105 volumes, about 77,000 pages, of records include investigation reports, evidence, arrest warrants, written arraignments and trial reports of 180 people involved in the affair. Records of f

Social AffairsDec. 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] Former Gwangju mayor arrives in Korea for probe over fake first lady scandal

Former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun, who allegedly had engaged in a fake ex-first lady scam, arrived in Korea early Sunday morning for a prosecution investigation. Prosecutors seized Yoon’s mobile phone at the airport and ordered him to appear for questioning Monday morning.Yoon had been in Nepal for a medical volunteer program since Nov. 16. The program ended on Nov. 21, but Yoon had not returned to Korea and did not respond to the prosecution’s summons. According to the Gwangju District Prosec

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ex-ranking Army officer under probe jumps to death: police

A retired former Army general under a prosecution investigation on illegal surveillance charges jumped off a building in an apparent suicide, police said Friday. Lee Jae-su, former chief of the Defense Security Command, the military intelligence unit, appears to have thrown himself off a building located in the eastern Seoul district of Songpa at 2:48 p.m., police said. Former chief of the Defense Security CommandLee Jae-su (Yonhap)A suicide note was found at the scene. Lee’s body has been trans

Social AffairsDec. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] Dismissal of warrants for ex-justices in power abuse scandal raises questions

The court’s rejection of warrants for two former Supreme Court justices allegedly involved in a massive power abuse scandal on Friday raised questions on whether the judiciary was seeking to contain the damage by pinning all the blame on one person.(Yonhap)Two judges at the Seoul Central District Court on Friday denied prosecutors’ requests for warrants to detain retired Justices Ko Young-han and Park Byong-dae, saying that charges against them were not sufficiently substantiated to warrant a pr

Social AffairsDec. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] Court rejects arrest warrants for 2 ex-top court justices in power

A Seoul court on Friday denied prosecution requests for warrants to arrest two former Supreme Court justices in connection with a massive power abuse scandal in the judiciary. The Seoul Central District Court made the decisions on retired Justices Ko Young-han and Park Byong-dae, citing low risks of them fleeing and that the charges against them were not substantiated enough to require pre-indictment detention. (Yonhap)The two former chiefs of the National Court Administration, the top court's g

PoliticsDec. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] Court rules against megachurch pastor in internal dispute

The court ruled in favor of members of a megachurch in Seoul’s Gangnam district who sought to strip the senior pastor of his position in a yearslong internal dispute. According to the Sarang Church, the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a remanded case to nullify a decision that made Rev. Oh Jung-hyun the senior pastor of the church 15 years ago. Rev. Oh Jung-hyun of Sarang Church (Yonhap)Oh was appointed head pastor of the megachurch by the Eastern Seoul arm of the General As

Social AffairsDec. 6, 2018

[Newsmaker] Koreas in consultations for joint road inspection

The two Koreas are discussing when and how they will conduct a joint survey on cross-border roads, the Ministry of Unification said Wednesday, with inter-Korean railway inspections already underway. (Yonhap)The Koreas plan to inspect the road connecting Goseong in Gangwon Province and Wonsan in the North’s Kangwon Province along the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula. “Consultations are currently underway, and future schedules will be determined (based on the outcome),” Unification Ministry s

North KoreaDec. 5, 2018

[Newsmaker] IT entrepreneur committed 46 illegal acts: Labor Ministry

A monthlong inspection of companies run by well-known IT entrepreneur Yang Jin-ho revealed numerous violations of the law, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday. The probe also found bizarre examples of workplace abuse by Yang, including throwing a glass at an employee and forcing others to eat raw garlic.Yang, the chief of several local online storage service companies and robot developer K-Technology, has been accused of brutally abusing employees at his companies after a video d

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2018

[Newsmaker] S. Korea ‘Garlic Girls’ curling coaches resign over alleged abuse

SEOUL (AFP) - The coaches of South Korea‘s “Garlic Girls” curling team, who shot to fame by winning Olympic silver in February, resigned Tuesday after the athletes accused them of verbal abuse and exploitation.　Nicknamed for their small hometown -- which is famous for farming the pungent bulb -- they were rank outsiders at South Korea’s Pyeongchang Games, and became a media sensation as they swept their way to the tournament final.　But last month they publicly accused their coaches of verbal abu

More SportsDec. 4, 2018

[Newsmaker] Finance minister nominee defends ‘income-led growth’ initiative in hearing

Rival parties on Tuesday locked horns over the efficacy of the Moon Jae-in administration’s “income-led growth” paradigm at the parliamentary confirmation hearing of deputy prime minister and finance minister nominee Hong Nam-ki.The hearing, however, was largely overshadowed by the ongoing brawl over the delayed passage of the 470.5 trillion won ($424 billion) state budget bill for next year.“Though there have been disputes over the income-led growth initiative, I believe

EconomyDec. 4, 2018

[Newsmaker] Gyeonggi governor's wife grilled over slander allegations

The wife of Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung underwent prosecution questioning for a third time Tuesday over allegations she posted slanderous messages about her husband's political rivals. Kim Hye-kyung appeared at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office at around 10:05 a.m. Tuesday's questioning follows an interrogation in late October and another in early November.  (Yonhap)"It's been really tough and unfair," she told reporters. "I just hope the truth is revealed." She's suspected of writ

Social AffairsDec. 4, 2018

[Newsmaker] Moon’s Blue House under fire for discipline

The opposition parties on Monday continued raising pressure on the presidential secretary for civil affairs, as President Moon Jae-in remains silent on the recent series of misconduct by Cheong Wa Dae officials. On Monday, the conservative main opposition Liberty Korea Party renewed its criticism of Cheong Wa Dae over related matters, with its interim leader Kim Byung-joon accusing the administration of turning a blind eye to wrongdoings within its ranks.  President Moon Jae-in and his Senior Se

PoliticsDec. 3, 2018

[Newsmaker] ‘Feminist, no. You’re a mental illness’: San E causes outrage during concert

Rapper San E has yet again managed to put himself in the headlines after offending the audience with his comments about feminism during a concert over the weekend.While onstage at the concert Brand New Year 2018 on Sunday, San E used an expletive before rapping in English before an audience of 5,000: “Womad is poison. Feminist, no. You’re a mental illness.”In another politically charged comment, the rapper said he supports “normal women” before criticizing radical online feminist communities Wom

PerformanceDec. 3, 2018

[Newsmaker] Crash fuels concerns over safety of firefighting helicopters

Following the crash of a firefighting helicopter Saturday, concerns are rising over the safety of the aircraft, which are decades old. 　After taking off from Gimpo Airport at 10:52 a.m. Saturday, a helicopter belonging to the Korea Forest Service crashed into the Han River near Gangdong Bridge at around 11:20 a.m. The helicopter was filling its water tank there, to put out a fire on Yeongchuksan in Nowon, Seoul. The accident left one dead and two injured. Authorities dismantle a helicopter after

Social AffairsDec. 2, 2018