[Newsmaker] Seoul pushes to require naturalized S. Koreans to serve in military

The defense ministry is considering making it mandatory for naturalized male citizens to serve in the military, as other South Korean men must do, in an effort to cope with a decrease in the number of draftees amid a shrinking population, a senior government official said Wednesday. The state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses is in the final stage of research on the issue, and based on the results, the ministry could begin procedures to revise the military service act as early as next yea

DefenseNov. 6, 2019

[Newsmaker] Banners supporting Hong Kong protesters pulled down at Yonsei campus

Banners hung up at a university campus in Seoul by students to show support for the Hong Kong protests have been taken down twice in as many weeks.A group of Yonsei University students -- who identified themselves as “South Korean students of Yonsei University advocating for Hong Kong” -- said Tuesday that four banners they put up on Monday around noon were removed less than two hours later. The banners bearing the slogans “Liberate Hong Kong” and “Free Hong Kong, r

Social AffairsNov. 5, 2019

[Newsmaker] Court reviews arrest warrants in audition show's alleged vote-rigging case

A Seoul court on Tuesday began its review of a prosecution request to issue arrest warrants for a producer of a popular TV audition show over vote-rigging allegations.The Seoul Central Court held its hearing to decide whether to issue arrest warrants for the producer and three talent agency officials embroiled in a scandal over "Produce X 101," a fan-voted idol competition show that ran on cable channel Mnet.Police have been investigating allegations that production staff manipulated m

Social AffairsNov. 5, 2019

[Newsmaker] Government mulls banning photos of celebrities on alcohol bottles

Korean liquor manufacturers may no longer be allowed to use photos of celebrities on their beverage packaging.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday it would come up with measures banning the images of celebrities on alcohol bottles to discourage the drinking culture.The move follows Rep. Nam In-soon’s exhortation during a parliamentary audit of the ministry last month that featuring celebrities on alcohol beverages may induce more consumption, especially among teenagers, and shoul

TechnologyNov. 4, 2019

[Newsmaker] Permission sought to hold queer festival in South Gyeongsang Province on Nov. 30

A queer festival organizing committee in South Gyeongsang Province filed for a permit to hold the festival, an event advocating equality for sexual minorities, in Changwon on Nov. 30, police said Sunday. If permission is granted, it will be the festival’s first run in the largely conservative province.The committee sought to hold the festival in the public square in front of Changwon City Hall, estimating that almost 4,000 people would gather there.A conservative civic group also requ

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2019

[Newsmaker] Farmers call for more efforts to normalize pork prices

South Korean farmers are urging local authorities to make efforts to normalize pork prices here in the face of the African swine fever outbreak, industry watchers said Saturday.The local wholesale price of pork reached 2,809 won ($2.4) per kilogram, plunging 28.2 percent from a year earlier as of end-October, the latest data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showed.The price is far below the production cost estimated at 4,200 won, according to the Korea Pork Produce

Social AffairsNov. 2, 2019

[Newsmaker] Rescuers find crashed chopper, body of presumed victim near Dokdo

Rescue workers on Friday located the wrecked chopper that crashed near the Dokdo islets in the East Sea the previous night and found a body believed to be of one of seven missing people.The chopper belonging to the National Fire Agency fell at around 11:30 p.m., Thursday, a few minutes after it took off from Dokdo. An injured person from a fishing boat, a friend and five rescue officials were reportedly on board. "Three Korea Coast Guard divers who were searching in seas 600 meters sou

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2019

[Newsmaker] Man claiming wrongful conviction in Hweaseong murder to file for retrial

A 52-year-old man surnamed Yun who claims he was wrongly imprisoned for the 1988 rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, is seeking a retrial. Yun’s lawyer Park Joon-young confirmed to The Korea Herald on Thursday that his client will file a petition for retrial in about two weeks’ time.Park said Yun will undergo forensic hypnosis and lie detector tests next Monday at Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, a procedure which he said Yun and his defense

Social AffairsOct. 31, 2019

[Newsmaker] Police ask for indictment of former YG chief, Seungri on gambling charges

Yang Hyun-suk, the scandal-ridden former CEO of YG Entertainment, and Seungri, a former member of the K-pop boy band BIGBANG, were found to have each spent several hundred million won on gambling abroad, police said Thursday, wrapping up monthslong investigations.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it will refer Yang and Seungri to the prosecution with a recommendation that they be indicted on charges of habitual gambling. But the police agency said it will not recommend indictment for the

Social AffairsOct. 31, 2019

[Newsmaker] BTS bids farewell to ‘Love Yourself’ era with triumphant, emotional homecoming

It ended where it started. BTS on Tuesday staged the grand finale of its “Love Yourself” series in Seoul, wrapping up a yearlong world tour that kicked off in the capital of band’s home country. Tuesday’s show at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium was the last of three sold-out shows of BTS’ “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” stadium tour, an extension of “Love Yourself,” which kicked off in August on the same stage last year. When BTS

K-popOct. 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] Senior police officer indicted over nightclub scandal

Prosecutors indicted a senior police officer Tuesday over an alleged attempt to cover up irregularities at Seoul nightclubs involving former BIGBANG member Seungri.A senior superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, identified only by his surname, Yoon, faces bribery, obstruction of business and other charges.The 49-year-old is alleged to have tried to cover up illicit activities at Burning Sun, a nightclub in southern Seoul, and other firms run by Seungri and the K-pop star's busin

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] Obstetrician accused of performing abortion at 34 weeks

An obstetrician was detained on allegations of performing an abortion on a woman who was 34 weeks pregnant and killing the fetus after it survived the procedure.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that the 60-something obstetrician faces charges of murder and performing an abortion. According to police, the fetus allegedly survived the hysterotomy abortion, which involves opening the uterus through an abdominal incision, at a hospital in Seoul in March. Police suspect the obst

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] Workplace gender discrimination hurts Korea’s fertility rate: OECD

Gender discrimination in the workplace is responsible for Korea’s low fertility rate, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and the OECD held a joint conference on Monday to address policy responses to the country’s declining fertility rate.“Governments need to modernize their family policies to provide families with a continuum of support, from birth to adulthood,” said OECD’s Director fo

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2019

[Newsmaker] Identity of Korean killed in Battle of Tarawa confirmed

The identity of a Korean laborer who died during the Battle of Tarawa in World War II has been confirmed, according to government data. A DNA test conducted on the remains of the victim -- who was only identified as “Tarawa No. 46” -- and a man who claimed to be his son showed a 99.9999 percent probability that the two are related, National Forensic Service data obtained by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Rep. Kwon Mi-hyuk revealed Monday. The discovery marked the first resul

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2019

[Newsmaker] Police to probe professor over wartime sex slavery remarks

Police said Sunday that they are investigating a professor who called Japan’s World War II sexual enslavement of girls and women “a form of prostitution.”Police have interviewed civic groups who lodged a defamation complaint against Lew Seok-choon, a sociology professor at Yonsei University, for his remarks regarding “comfort women,” as the wartime sex slaves are euphemistically called.On Sept. 19, Lew said during a lecture that the Japanese military was &ldquo

Social AffairsOct. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] G-Dragon discharged from military

G-Dragon, the leader of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, was discharged from the military Saturday, bracing himself for a return to show business. Meeting with media and fans in front of the Ground Operations Command in Yongin, south of Seoul, G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, thanked his fans for their support. Some 3,000 fans came to the military base to greet the 31-year-old singer.   "I want to thank all the fans who have been waiting for me," said Kwon, using a megaphone

PerformanceOct. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Court approves arrest warrant for ex-conglomerate chairman over sexual assault charges

A Seoul court on Saturday approved an arrest warrant for Kim Jun-ki, former chairman of DB Group, over alleged sexual assaults. The Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest warrant, saying among other things that the charges are significant and there is a possibility of Kim attempting to destroy evidence.Kim, 74, is suspected of sexually assaulting his personal secretary multiple times between February and July in 2017. She filed a complaint later that year. He was also accused in early

Social AffairsOct. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir appears before court in bribery case

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong appeared before a court Friday for a Supreme Court-ordered reconsideration of his bribery case that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone and chip maker, said he "feels very sorry for causing concern to many people" before entering the Seoul High Court to attend the first hearing. The grim-faced Lee arrived at the court compound in a black suit at 9:29 a.m.Lee

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] Several wild boars sighted in southeastern Seoul

Several sightings of wild boars were reported in the Gangdong and Songpa districts of Seoul between Wednesday and Thursday morning, the local fire station said.Songpa Fire Station said it received the first call around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday about two baby boars near Asan Medical Center. The boars could not be found when firefighters arrived on the scene. Five more boar sightings were reported over the night within the vicinity of Gangdong and Songpa through 7:20 a.m. Thursday. At around mi

Social AffairsOct. 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] CJ scion gets suspended sentence for drug charges

The heir apparent to South Korean food and entertainment conglomerate CJ was released Thursday after receiving a suspended sentence on drug charges.The Incheon District Court handed Lee Sun-ho, the eldest son of group chairman Lee Jay-hyun, a three-year prison term, suspended for four years. The court did not sentence Lee to probation or drug treatment."Drugs, including marijuana, pose severe harm to society due to their addictive and hallucinogenic nature," Judge Song Hyun-kyung said.

Social AffairsOct. 24, 2019