[Newsmaker] ‘Kim-Jang’ feud winds down, uncertainties remain

The apparent discord between the country’s top two economic policymakers -- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon and presidential chief of staff for Policy Jang Ha-sung -- seemed to die down over the weekend as Cheong Wa Dae firmly dismissed rumors of Kim’s resignation.However, uncertainties persist over the cooperation between the two officials as they seem to remain at odds over the government’s economic agenda amid worsening employment figures. “(Th

EconomyAug. 26, 2018

[Newsmaker] Pope in Ireland decries abuse cover-up, meets with victims

DUBLIN (AP) -- Pope Francis faced a lukewarm reception and scattered protests Saturday on his trip to Ireland, with even his vow to rid the church of the “scourge” of sexual abuse and his outrage at those “repugnant crimes” dismissed as a disappointment by some of Ireland’s wounded victims.But others who met with him in private left heartened that he would respond to their plight, including two of the thousands of children who were forcibly put up for adoption for the shame of having been born t

World NewsAug. 26, 2018

[Newsmaker] Partisan strife continues over special probe of online opinion rigging

A partisan squabble over an opinion-rigging scandal involving an incumbent governor resumed Thursday as the team of investigators led by special counsel Huh Ik-bum decided not to request an extension of its operating term.Thirteen special counsel investigations have been carried out in Korea, and Huh is the first not to seek an extension of the team’s term.The special counsel team’s probe lost momentum after the court rejected its request for a warrant to detain South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Ki

PoliticsAug. 23, 2018

[Newsmaker] 89 killed or wounded in firearms accidents over 7 years

Firearms accidents and misuse have caused a total of 89 casualties in the seven years to June this year, according to police data released by a ruling party lawmaker.The figure does not include the two public officials killed in Tuesday’s shooting spree by a man in his 70s in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province.Data released by Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the Democratic Party of Korea on the public administration and safety committee showed that 32 people were killed and 57 wounded in 88 firearms cases

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2018

[Newsmaker] Mutilation murder suspect says killed victim over illegal hostess service

The suspect in the murder of a man whose dismembered body was found at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, early this week said he killed the victim during a fight over an illegal hostess service at the suspect’s karaoke establishment.Police are still investigating the 34-year-old man suspected of murdering the 51-year-old victim by stabbing him in the neck multiple times around 1 a.m. on Aug. 10 at the karaoke in Anyang, a city adjacent to Gwacheon on the southern outskirts of Seou

Social AffairsAug. 22, 2018

[Newsmaker] Some 220 children held in immigrant detention centers in South Korea

The National Human Rights Commission Korea said Tuesday that holding young children in prison-like immigration detention centers must be prohibited, revealing that 225 foreign-born children including a 2-year-old were detained in such facilities in South Korea from 2015-2017.　“We strongly advise the government to revise the relevant laws to ban detainment of all children in the country, as it can be a traumatic experience for any child, even if it is for a short period,” the human rights commiss

Social AffairsAug. 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ruling in ex-governor's rape case fuels #MeToo fire in South Korea

After her alleged rape by her boss, who also happened to be one of the most powerful politicians in the country, Kim Ji-eun did not quit her job. She continued working for him, and praised his character to her acquaintances. She even went to his hotel room to personally hand him a box of cigarettes, instead of respectfully leaving it at his door and walking away.　　All these actions somehow worked against Kim, who in March had publicly accused former South Chungcheong Gov. An Hee-jung of sexual a

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Should conscientious objectors have to remove land mines?

Conscientious objectors present one of the most contentious issues for South Korea, where mandatory military service is required of all able-bodied men. Some critics, including some politicians, want to see them take on the toughest and most dangerous tasks as an “alternative” -- including the removal of land mines.A group of lawmakers led by the conservative Liberty Korea Party last week moved to pass a bill prioritizing mine clearance, or demining, as one of the main tasks conscientious object

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Multiple quakes rock Indonesia's Lombok island, five dead

LOMBOK ISLAND (AFP) -- Multiple earthquakes -- including a powerful and shallow 6.9-magnitude tremor -- have rocked the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok, killing at least five people and setting off fresh waves of panic.A series of quakes were recorded by seismologists throughout Sunday, the first measuring 6.3 shortly before midday which triggered landslides and sent people fleeing for cover. It was followed nearly twelve hours later by a quake measuring 6.9 and at least five more significan

World NewsAug. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Annan's legacy of fighting for equality and rights lives on

Kofi Annan left the United Nations far more committed than it had been to combating poverty, promoting equality and fighting for human rights _ and until his death Saturday he was speaking out strongly for nations working together to solve problems and worried about the rise of nationalism. As secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, Annan saw as his greatest achievements the programs and policies he put in place to reduce inequality within and between countries, to combat infe

World NewsAug. 19, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ban offers condolences after Annan's death

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday mourned the death of Kofi Annan, the Nobel laureate and Ban's predecessor, saying that he will always be remembered.Annan -- who had led the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 -- was announced dead earlier in the day. He and the organization were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. "Annan will always be remembered and respected for his vision and courage to keep the principle and idea of the United Nations," Ban said in a press release.Ban fur

World NewsAug. 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] BMW blames Koreans’ driving for fires: report

Controversy escalated here on Friday over a BMW executive’s comments, apparently blaming South Koreans’ driving for the vehicles catching fire.In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, BMW spokesperson Jochen Frey identified “local traffic conditions” and Koreans’ “driving style“ as two of the many reasons for a series of incidents where BMW cars burst into flames here. This file photo dated Aug. 13 shows a BMW M3 vehicle that burst in to flames while on highway. (Yonhap)The local branch of t

MobilityAug. 17, 2018

[Newsmaker] Investigators request warrant for Gov. Kim Kyung-soo

The special prosecutor’s team looking into a massive opinion-rigging scandal requested an arrest warrant for South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo late Wednesday over allegations that he colluded with a power blogger to manipulate online comments in order to sway public opinion on political issues. The independent counsel team led by Huh Ik-bum requested an arrest warrant for Gov. Kim around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on suspicions of obstruction of business. The prosecutors view Gov. Kim, Pres

Social AffairsAug. 16, 2018

[Newsmaker] Court refuses search warrants against judges

Search and seizure warrants for former and incumbent judges suspected of involvement in the top court’s power abuse scandal, in which the former Supreme Court chief justice is alleged to have used trials as bargaining chips to curry favor with then-President Park Geun-hye, have been denied, leaving the prosecution little evidence to work with. Meanwhile, prosecutors have seized computer hard disks and other materials from the home and office of a former judge surnamed Moon and of a businessman s

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] Forced labor victims, comfort women demand Japan’s apology on Liberation Day

A group of victims of Japanese colonial rule on Wednesday demanded an apology from Japan and called on the South Korean government to properly compensate for damages incurred. The group also called for a thorough investigation into a judiciary scandal in which the chief of Korea’s top court is accused of abusing his authority to negatively influence their legal suits. The association of all victims and their bereaved families of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule took to the streets in front of the f

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] Probe into top court’s power abuse scandal hits snag

Prosecutors’ investigation into the alleged abuse of judicial power by the Supreme Court under former President Park Geun-hye has hit a snag, as the email accounts of retired judges involved were found to have been deleted.Documents leaked from hard disks of staff members at the top court’s governing body under former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae showed the National Court Administration had offered insights on the impact of possible future verdicts on politically sensitive trials to Park’s office

Social AffairsAug. 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ministry to look into BMW software manipulation allegation

Amid doubts raised by critics and skeptical consumers that BMW may have manipulated its exhaust gas recirculation software to meet emissions regulations, causing engine fires, the government said Monday it will conduct tests on various BMW vehicles to look into all possibilities.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will examine the amount of gas emissions from recalled BMW cars that have received a safety checkup and those that have not yet received the inspection along with vehicl

MobilityAug. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Blithe tone belied desperate actions of Seattle plane thief

SEATTLE (AP) -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss.But the friendly tone of a 29-year-old airport worker who stole a commercial plane Friday night, performing acrobatic stunts before the fatal plunge into a thick island forest, belied his desperate actions.“I think I’m going to try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good I’ll go nose down and call it a night,” Richard Russell said from the cockpit, according t

World NewsAug. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Highest court rules in favor of victims of state violence in South Korea

South Korea’s highest court ruled Sunday that the state should compensate the financial damage suffered by Koreans who lost their jobs after their parents were falsely accused of being North Korean spies by the country’s authoritarian government in the 1980s.　The victims’ parents, Nah Soo-yeon, 90, and Nah Jin, 85, are siblings. In 1981, they were imprisoned after the Chun Doo-hwan administration falsely accused them of being North Korean sympathizers. Prior to the trials, the siblings were ille

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Opinion rigging scandal feeds partisan bickering

A blogger at the center of an opinion-rigging scandal and his group, who have played up their role in President Moon Jae-in’s presidential campaign, are likely to continue causing political strife, even after an ongoing special investigation ends on Aug. 25.An independent team of prosecutors are interrogating South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, former chief spokesman for Moon’s presidential campaign, as part of a probe into allegations that he was involved in the manipulation of inter

Social AffairsAug. 10, 2018