[Newsmaker] Violent criminals banned from working in delivery business for up to 20 years

The government said Tuesday that those convicted of violent crimes such as sexual and child-related abuse will be banned from working in the delivery business for up to 20 years. The proposed revision of the Truck Transport Business Act, which prohibits violent criminals from working in the transport business, was passed in a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Moon Jae-in and is to be enacted starting Nov. 29. (Yonhap)The amendment aims to protect consumers from violent crimes, such as s

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Auto titan Ghosn under arrest, faces ouster at Nissan

Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn faces being fired this week after being arrested in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct, the firm said Monday, in a stunning fall from grace for one of the world's best-known businessmen.Ghosn's arrest and his likely dismissal from Nissan, as well as possibly from Mitsubishi and Renault, sent shockwaves through the auto industry, where he is a towering figure, credited with turning around several major manufacturers.Besides being chairman of Nissan, the 64

World BusinessNov. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] ‘Blame system, not men’: San E defends controversial ‘Feminist’

Rapper San E has defended his song “Feminist,” despite facing public criticism the song is “sexist” and “ignorant” of what feminism actually stands for.In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, the rapper said “Feminist” was not meant to bash women, as he encouraged fans to give his song a thorough listen.(Yonhap)“I chose the topic to highlight the pressing (social) issue of gender-based hate,” the statement read.“My intention was to point out the hypocrisy upheld by people like the narrator

PerformanceNov. 19, 2018

[Newsmaker] Police: Gyeonggi governor’s wife owner of Twitter account that attacked rivals

Police concluded on Saturday that the wife of Lee Jae-myung, the controversial governor of Gyeonggi Province, is the owner of an abusive Twitter account that was mobilized to attack Lee’s political rivals, adding yet another layer to the scandal-ridden politician’s tumultuous career.　　After a monthslong investigation, police said Kim Hye-gyeong, the wife of the Gyeonggi governor, is indeed the owner of the infamous Twitter account dubbed “Hyegyeonggung Ms. Kim.” 　Authorities believe that Kim has

PoliticsNov. 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] Argentine submarine wreck found one year after disappearance

The crushed wreckage of an Argentine submarine has been located one year after it vanished into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean with 44 crew members, in the country's worst naval disaster in decades.There has been "positive identification of the ARA San Juan," at a depth of more than 800 meters (2,600 feet), the navy tweeted, confirming the vessel had imploded. Argentine navy submarine ARA San Juan docked in Buenos Aires in 2014 (AFP)Experts say raising the submarine would be an enormous undert

World NewsNov. 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] Police refer venture firm head accused of porn distribution to prosecution

Police on Friday referred to the prosecution a venture company chief accused of abetting online circulation of obscene videos and cruelly assaulting company employees.Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency recommended an indictment against Yang Jin-ho, chairman of robot developer K-Technology, who also owns two online file storage service providers.Police found more than 52,230 obscene and illegal files including spycam and revenge porn circulated via the sites since December 2013. Yang earned

IndustryNov. 16, 2018

[Newsmaker] Bar fight near Isu Station leads to 5 arrests, conflicting accounts

Police are investigating an assault case involving three men and two women who allegedly got into a physical fight at a bar near Isu Station. According to the Dongjak Police Station, a 21-year-old man and his two male friends got into a physical fight with a 23-year-old woman and her female friend around 4 a.m. Tuesday. The two parties were sitting at different tables, police said. All five have been taken into custody and are undergoing interrogation, police said Thursday.  (Yonhap)Dispatch rec

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] Counterfeit luxury watch worn by high profile civil servant fuels controversy

A fake high-end watch worn in public by the chairman of the Financial Services Commission is fueling an unexpected discussion on counterfeit goods in South Korea. 　　The controversy was triggered earlier this month as Choi Jong-ku, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, was seen wearing what many assumed to be an expensive watch during a Budget and Accounts Special Committee meeting at the National Assembly on Nov. 7.　　Witnesses said that Choi’s watch -- which a watch expert in Seoul late

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] US government: 3 Korean firms to pay $236m in bid-rig plot

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says three South Korean companies have agreed to pay $236 million to settle allegations they were part of a bid-rigging scheme that overcharged the US military for fuel at bases in South Korea.Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim announced the settlement of the criminal and civil charges on Wednesday.(AP)The three companies, SK Energy Co. Ltd., GS Caltex Corporation, and Hanjin Transportation Co. Ltd., will pay about $82 million in criminal fines. Th

IndustryNov. 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] Body of missing college student recovered from Seokchon Lake

The body of a college student surnamed Cho was recovered Wednesday from Seokchon Lake in the Songpa area of Seoul, not far from where he was last seen getting into a taxi on Nov. 8. According to the Songpa Police Station, fire authorities discovered Cho’s body floating in the lake around 12:10 p.m. Wednesday after a seven-day search. His body was transported to a nearby hospital, where his family confirmed the identity of the deceased.(Yonhap)Police believe the 19-year-old victim went out drinki

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] Samsung to deliver apology on work-related diseases next week

Samsung Electronics Co. plans to deliver an official apology on the long-standing dispute surrounding its former workers suffering from diseases apparently related to the working environments at its factories, the mediation committee said Wednesday.The apology is part of the agreement reached between one of the world's leading makers of chips and Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry, a group of victims suffering from various illnesses such as leukemia afte

IndustryNov. 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] CNN sues Trump, demanding return of Acosta to White House

NEW YORK (AP) — CNN took its access battle against the Trump administration to court on Tuesday, demanding the reinstatement of correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House credentials because their revocation violates the right of freedom of the press.Besides seeking an injunction to let Acosta return immediately, CNN is launching a case that will test the ability of government officials anywhere to freeze out a reporter who displeases them.The White House, never shy about picking a fight with CNN, s

World NewsNov. 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] Heir's big birthday: 70 candles lined up for Prince Charles

Prince Charles turns 70 Wednesday and is still heir to the throne _ a role he has served since he was a young child.He's not lacking in things to do and shows few signs of slowing down _ he is wealthy, extremely active in matters of great importance to him, and preparing to welcome his third grandchild into the world when Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gives birth next spring.His destiny, however, is to be king, a position he will automatically assume with the death of his 92-year-old mother, Qu

World NewsNov. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Seoul education office demands expulsion of twins for cheating

Seoul’s education office recommended Tuesday the expulsion of twins suspected of having cheating on exams and to take strong disciplinary actions against school officials, after police concluded a teacher had leaked test answers to his twin daughters attending the school where he teaches.Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, also said the office will reinforce policies to prevent teachers and their children from working at and attending the same school. Pare

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Stan Lee, creator of a galaxy of Marvel superheroes, dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday. He was 95.Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee.As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architec

World NewsNov. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Complete dismantlement of 20 guard posts in DMZ underway

With the two Koreas’ militaries completing the withdrawal of troops and firearms from frontline guard posts over the weekend, the work is underway to destroy 20 guard posts in the spirit of continuing inter-Korean reconciliation. The South Korean Army said Monday that it had begun destroying 10 guard posts on the southern side of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. The dismantling work will be completed by the end of November and followed by a verification process in December.The two Korea

North KoreaNov. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Police refer case of exam cheating by father, daughters to prosecution

Police wrapped up their probe Monday into alleged exam cheating by a high school teacher and his twin daughters and sent the case to state prosecutors, recommending indictments against the three suspects, officials said.Seoul Suseo Police Station announced the outcome of the two-month investigation into suspicions that the teacher at Sookmyung Girls' High School in southern Seoul stole exam papers for his two second-year daughters who attend the same school and helped them come out at the top of

Social AffairsNov. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Death of young soldier calls for tougher punishments for drunk driving

The Korean Service Corps Battalion held a send-off ceremony Sunday for a 22-year-old soldier who fell victim to a drunk driver last month. After the incident, the government is moving to toughen punishment against drunk driving.Yoon Chang-ho, a 22-year-old soldier of the Korean Augmentation Troops to the United States Army, was with a friend when they were hit by a drunk driver in Busan on Sept. 25, during the Chuseok holiday leave period.(Yonhap)The driver, surnamed Park, was intoxicated with a

Social AffairsNov. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] Humanitarian aid for North Korea roils UN Security council

Controversy continues to escalate at the United Nations Security Council over humanitarian aid for North Korea, with member states divided over sanctions exemptions required to send relief materials to the country. The United States has been delaying approval of several requests for sanctions exemptions to deliver tractors, spare parts and other goods needed for humanitarian relief in North Korea, according to an AFP report Thursday.Russia asked the Security Council to discuss the delays during

North KoreaNov. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] Woman’s body near Jeju Harbor identified as mother of dead infant

Jeju police officers on Thursday released the identity of a woman’s body found Wednesday as the mother of a dead 3-year-old found earlier this week. She was last seen on camera carrying her child down to the rocks in Yongdam Coastal Road. Investigators said the search team discovered the body of a woman in between the tetrapods near Jeju Harbor’s Pier 7 around 6:39 p.m. on Wednesday. Police, through fingerprint analysis, identified her as the 33-year-old mother of the toddler, according to repor

Social AffairsNov. 8, 2018