Police are set to summon Big Bang star Seungri and Yang Hyun-suk, former head of K-pop entertainment house YG Entertainment, for questioning on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, on charges of overseas gambling.  Seungri, 29, formerly of K-pop boy band Big Bang, and Yang, 50, former chief producer and founder of YG Entertainment, are under investigation on suspicions that they gambled in a hotel casino in Las Vegas. Gambling is illegal in Korea, and Korean citizens are held to the countr

Social Affairs Aug. 27, 2019

The National Assembly judiciary committee agreed Monday to convene a two-day confirmation hearing starting Sept. 2 on Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk, who is plagued by a series of allegations involving his daughter and family.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the opposition bloc had bickered over the confirmation hearing date amid allegations ranging from university admission irregularities involving his daughter to his family’s dubious investment in a private equity firm.Rep. Son

Politics Aug. 26, 2019

Back in 2017, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon gave up on entering the presidential race, saying he could not “win the hearts of the people.” 　Having won his third consecutive mayoral term in an overwhelming victory in June 2018, becoming the city’s longest-serving mayor, Park is now considered one of the strongest candidates for the 2022 presidential election. 　The 63-year-old former human rights lawyer and civic activist has not given a direct answer about his presidential ambitions

Social Affairs Aug. 26, 2019

Embattled Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk on Sunday apologized over a series of allegations involving his daughter, but expressed determination to undergo a confirmation hearing and help carry out the Moon Jae-in administration’s judicial reforms. His apology comes amid growing calls from the opposition bloc to step down as he faces allegations on matters ranging from a dubious investment in a private equity firm to his daughter’s questionable university admission process. &ldq

Social Affairs Aug. 25, 2019

A spiraling series of allegations ranging from his dubious investment in a private equity fund to his involvement in a left-leaning group have cornered Cho Kuk since he was nominated as justice minister earlier this month.What appears to be further pushing him into the corner are allegations surrounding his daughter’s college admission, with young Koreans planning to hold candlelight vigils in protest of the former progressive icon.Cho is facing criticism over his 28-year-old daughter, who

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2019

The man who claimed to have murdered and dismembered a motel guest before dumping it in the Han River, said Wednesday he was not sorry to the victim at all, as he appeared for police questioning on the day his face and identity were made public. 　Jang Dae-ho, 38, who is suspected of murdering, dismembering and abandoning the victim’s body, said, “It is an incident in which a heinous criminal killed a scumbag, which means a bad guy killed a bad guy.”　“No matter how I think

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2019

South Korea will tighten its environmental and safety inspections for recycling waste imported from Japan, the government said Friday, in an apparent attempt to counter Japan’s recent trade restrictions on Korea.The Ministry of Environment said it would conduct radioactive and heavy metals tests on battery, tire and plastic waste imported from Japan into Korea once a month, instead of the current quarterly inspection.Announcing the decision, the ministry cited public concerns about radioac

Foreign Affairs Aug. 16, 2019

A video in which a driver assaulted another driver who had been complaining about the former’s aggressive driving, went viral Friday, sparking public outrage and calls for punishment for the violent driver. In the video, a van continued to change lanes on a road on Jeju Island at around 10:40 a.m. on July 4. When another motorist protested about his reckless driving, the 30-something van driver left his vehicle to assault the motorist. The van driver was seen taking away a mobile phone of

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2019

Thousands of citizens from South Korea and Japan on Thursday urged the Shinzo Abe administration to apologize to Korean victims forced to work for Japanese occupiers during a rally in central Seoul, marking the 74th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan.  Despite heavy rain, an estimated 3,000 people gathered at Seoul Plaza to denounce the Abe administration for failing to admit to its past wrongdoings during its 1910-45 colonialization of Korea as historical issues are st

Social Affairs Aug. 15, 2019

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui denied accusations that he received sexual services or bribes from businessmen as his trial opened Tuesday, six years after he first became mired in an orgy scandal. At the first hearing, held in the Seoul Central District Court, Kim’s lawyer accused the prosecution of unreasonably filing bribery charges for the sake of indicting him.“He was stigmatized as a shameless rapist, was subjected to blame and mockery, and was forced to stay silent in

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2019

Last week, it took less than five hours for a district office in Seoul to withdraw its plan to hang some 1,100 banners featuring “No. Boycott Japan” on lampposts across major streets in the heart of the city following a strong public backlash. After officials from Jung-gu Office put up some 50 banners reading “I won’t go (to Japan), I will not buy (Japanese goods)” around the district, which encompasses popular tourist destinations such as Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Mar

Social Affairs Aug. 12, 2019

The prosecution is considering whether to file additional charges against former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, who is being tried on suspicions that he received sexual services and bribes, as they secured fresh circumstantial evidence he had taken additional bribes.  Kim, 63, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, is suspected of having received more than 100 million won ($82,220) from the chairman of a local savings bank, surnamed Kim, since the early 2000s, according to the tea

Social Affairs Aug. 12, 2019

Debate has surfaced over whether the use of South Korea’s national anthem composed by Ahn Eak-tai, whose pro-Japanese activities during Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula have come under scrutiny, should be discontinued amid the growing anti-Japanese sentiments here. On Thursday a public hearing was held at the National Assembly to initiate a public discourse on whether the national anthem, called “Aegukga,” should be replaced by a new one. The hearing was host

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2019

The police said Friday that they are probing allegations that Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO and chief producer of K-pop entertainment powerhouse YG Entertainment, gambled overseas.South Koreans are prohibited from gambling at home and abroad.Upon a tip-off, the police are looking through Yang’s financial reports to investigate whether he secured his gambling funds through illegal foreign exchange transactions.Yang, 49, is already under investigation on suspicions that he procured sexual servic

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2019

“Cinema Week,” featuring free outdoor screenings and talk shows, opens Friday at Yeouido Hangang Park.  The nine-day event will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, with free movies to be screened at 8 p.m. each day. A preview screening of American musical drama film “Teen Spirit,” starring American actress Elle Fanning, takes place Friday. The lineup includes Korean film “Marathon” and foreign films &ldqu

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2019