[Newsmaker] 2 military intelligence officers investigated for alleged rape of N. Korean defector

Two Defense Intelligence Command officers are being investigated by the military prosecution for allegedly raping a North Korean defector multiple times, the Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday. The North Korean defector brought charges against a first sergeant surnamed Kim and a lieutenant colonel surnamed Sung, both working for the DIC, for repeated offences that took place over a period of more than a year.  The Defense Ministry’s Criminal Investigation Command in late November ref

DefenseDec. 5, 2019

[Newsmaker] Actor Kang Ji-hwan gets suspended prison sentence in rape case

Actor Kang Ji-hwan, who was indicted in July on charges of raping a woman and molesting another at his home, was given a suspended prison sentence by a local court on Thursday.The Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced 42-year-old Kang to an imprisonment of two and a half years, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting two female production staffers.He was also ordered to conduct 120 hours of social service, undergo 40 hours of sexual offender tre

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2019

[Newsmaker] Verdicts vary for Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing conscription

Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing mandatory military service have regularly been found guilty or not guilty of evading conscription based on whether they had “true faith.”A 24-year-old Jehovah’s Witness received a notice of enlistment from the Daejeon-South Chungcheong Regional Military Manpower Administration in September 2017, and refused conscription citing religious grounds.He submitted to the authorities papers stating that he belongs to the religious group and that he re

Social AffairsDec. 4, 2019

[Newsmaker] Eight people indicted in audition show vote-rigging scandal

Eight people were indicted on Tuesday in connection with a widening vote-rigging scandal involving the high-profile audition show “Produce X 101,” prosecutors said Tuesday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors‘ Office said it has indicted Ahn Joon-young -- a director at entertainment giant CJ ENM’s K-pop-oriented music channel, Mnet -- and the program‘s chief producer, Kim Yong-beom, with physical detention.　The two are charged with fixing the final vote result in

Social AffairsDec. 3, 2019

[Newsmaker] Welfare minister apologizes for controversial comment on child-on-child sexual abuse

The Ministry of Health and Welfare apologized Tuesday for a comment from the minister regarding a child-on-child sexual abuse case that has drawn public outrage. Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said Monday morning that a recent incident of a prepubescent child’s molestation of another child at a kindergarten in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, was part of “natural behavior over stages of development.”“But it poses a problem when that behavior is expressed in excess,” he

Social AffairsDec. 3, 2019

[Newsmaker] Former President Park to return to detention center from hospital

Former President Park Geun-hye is expected to be sent back to a detention center as early as Tuesday, after 2 1/2 months in a hospital for shoulder treatment, sources said.The 67-year-old, jailed in March 2017 over a massive corruption case, underwent an operation for a rotator cuff tear at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in mid-September. She has since received rehabilitation treatment. "(She) will be discharged at 2:00 p.m. today," said Hong Moon-jong, co-chair of Our Republican Party, a r

Social AffairsDec. 3, 2019

[Newsmaker] Tada claims legitimacy by adding mobile tech to existing service

Top executives of van-hailing service Tada, which is owned by car-sharing company SoCar, argued in court on Monday that their operations are fully within the ambit of current laws.They claimed during the first trial held at the Seoul Central District Court that the company has only upgraded an existing business model with a mobile application platform. SoCar CEO Lee Jae-woong and CEO Park Jae-wook of its subsidiary and Tada operator VCNC attended the trial after they were indicted by prosec

MobilityDec. 2, 2019

[Newsmaker] Investigator believed to be involved in election-meddling row found dead

An investigator who worked at the presidential office was found dead Sunday, police said, amid a prosecution probe into alleged attempts by Cheong Wa Dae officials to influence last year's local elections.The official, who was dispatched to the civil affairs office from the prosecution, was found dead at an office in southern Seoul, according to police. The investigator reportedly left a note to his family before the death. Police said they are investigating to determine the exact cause of the d

Social AffairsDec. 1, 2019

[Newsmaker] Police to beef up traffic safety in school zones

The National Police Agency on Sunday announced measures to step up traffic safety near schools, effective Monday.According to police, around 620 traffic police officers will be relocated to school zones during rush hour. They will be deployed in areas prone to accidents, including places without surveillance cameras and where sidewalks and roads are not separated. Police will phase in limiting the maximum travel speed to 30 kilometers per hour in all school zones. Currently, cars can travel

Social AffairsDec. 1, 2019

[Newsmaker] Two K-pop stars found guilty of sex crimes

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced K-pop star Jung Joon-young to six years and his friend K-pop singer Choi Jong-hoon to five years in prison Friday for sex offenses. They were found guilty of gang raping women who were under the influence of alcohol. Jung was also found guilty of sharing secretly filmed sex videos and photos, including those taken during the gang rape, via online group chats. But he was acquitted on a separate sexual assault charge at the same trial. Jung and Cho

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] College admissions reforms coming amid controversy

Seoul-based universities will select more freshmen through a state-administered college entrance exam to be held once a year starting in 2023 as part of college admissions reform measures unveiled by the Education Ministry on Thursday. Under the measures, at least 40 percent of applicants at 16 major universities in Seoul – including Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University – will be selected through the College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung.The me

Social AffairsNov. 28, 2019

[Newsmaker] Supreme Court orders retrial of former President Park in NIS fund case

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a retrial of former President Park Geun-hye for acceptance of off-the-books funds from the National Intelligence Service, saying her acquittals by lower courts on bribery and state fund loss charges should be reversed.The top court instructed the Seoul High Court to retry Park's case, raising legal questions about the appellate court's decision in July to reduce her prison sentence in the NIS fund scandal by one year to five years.Besides the commutation of

Social AffairsNov. 28, 2019

[Newsmaker] North Korean merchant vessel accidentally crosses maritime border: JCS

A North Korean merchant vessel crossed the de facto maritime border into South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday and was headed northward and expected to fully cross the de facto maritime border into the north around midnight, Seoul’s military said. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military detected an unidentified ship that crossed the Northern Limit Line and entered South Korean waters on the northwestern side of Baengnyeong Island at 6:40 a.m. At around 12:30 p.m.,

North KoreaNov. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul mayor vows to restrict ‘excessive’ rallies

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Tuesday vowed to restrict excessive protests that “threaten public good,” amid complaints over weekend rallies that have dominated Gwanghwamun Square for several months.　He also held politicians accountable for failing to contain the deep ideological division that has led to rallies by both supporters and opponents of the Moon Jae-in administration. 　“The right to public assembly and demonstration is a very basic human right granted by the Constitut

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Ex-minister faces prospect of third round of questioning, after saying nothing in first two

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who refused to answer any questions in two rounds of questioning by the prosecution, may be called in for a third round this week.An additional inquiry may be needed based on evidence seized during a raid of Cho’s law school office Nov. 6, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday.Prosecutors said they would question Cho over certain electronic documents found on his computer hard drives. Cho invoked his right to remain sil

PoliticsNov. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Late Goo Hara left ‘despairing note’: police

Singer Goo Hara, who was found dead at her home Sunday, left a note, according to police.A note written by Goo was found on a table in her living room at around 6 p.m. Sunday by her housekeeper, who then filed a report with police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said during a press briefing Monday.Police said in the note she “despaired over personal affairs.”Police added that based on on-site inspections and family testimonies, foul play was unlikely. A closed-circuit TV review

PerformanceNov. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] 3 of 14 crew dead, 1 missing, after boat capsizes off Jeju

Three South Korean men have died after being rescued from a capsized boat near Jeju Island.The 24-ton fishing boat with 14 people aboard overturned 87 kilometers southwest of Marado, an island 8 kilometers off the southern coast of Jeju, on Monday morning. Thirteen of the 14 crew members -- eight Koreans and six Indonesians -- have been rescued and transferred to nearby hospitals, but three were pronounced dead, including the boat’s 61-year-old captain surnamed Hwang. A search was underwa

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] At Korean universities, standoff between pro-HK protesters and Chinese students escalates

About 200 college students gathered Saturday afternoon at Seoul Plaza and marched some 2 kilometers toward the Chinese Embassy in Jung-gu, central Seoul, in a rally opposing police brutality against protesters in Hong Kong.“We condemn state violence,” the students said. “Leaders in Korea and around the world are turning a blind eye to the horrors in Hong Kong in fear of the communist government of China.”The rally was the first large-scale off-campus protest held by colle

Social AffairsNov. 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] 2019 MAMA takes blow from police probe over Mnet survival show

The upcoming 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards are taking another heavy blow as an ongoing police probe over the music channel's idol survival shows is eating into its lineup.Earlier this week, police took into custody the director and chief producer of Mnet's high-profile audition show, "Produce 101," on charges that they fixed the final vote result of the show's latest fourth season.The police said they have also booked at least one ranking official at the channel's operator and entertain

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] Ex-vice minister mired in orgy scandal cleared of all charges

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, who was indicted for allegedly receiving sexual services and bribes, was cleared of all charges Friday in a court ruling that came six years after he first became mired in an orgy scandal. Kim, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, was accused of having received sexual services arranged by a local developer, Yoon Joong-chun, and having received bribes from the latter and other businessmen between 2006 and 2008.The Seoul Central District Court

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2019