Singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young admitted to charges of secretly filming and sharing videos of himself having sex with women in an online chat room and sought to settle with the victims, as a local court began to hear his case Friday. (Yonhap)Jung, 30, was indicted on charges of illicitly filming himself have sex with women and sharing the footage on 11 occasions in the chat room where Big Bang’s former member Seungri and FT Island’s ex-member Choi Jong-hoon are also suspected of having shared

Social Affairs May 10, 2019

K-pop band Big Bang’s former member Seungri purchased sex services himself, police have now said, with an arrest warrant hearing for him scheduled for Tuesday.  (Yonhap)Requesting an arrest warrant for Seungri on Wednesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Agency brought a new charge -- the purchase of sex -- against him. Police allege he had bought sex services in 2015. The hearing to decide whether to arrest Seungri will be held Tuesday, with the decision likely to come later in the day or early the fol

Social Affairs May 10, 2019

 Choi Jong-hoon, formerly of K-pop band FT Island, was arrested late Thursday on suspicion of gang rape. (Yonhap)Choi, 30, is suspected of having been involved in the gang rape of a woman on two occasions in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, and Daegu, respectively, in 2016 with four other people from a larger mobile messenger chat room where singer Jung Joon-young also shared sex videos he had illicitly filmed. Issuing the arrest warrant, the Seoul Central District Court said the charges had been pr

Social Affairs May 10, 2019

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui appeared before the prosecution for the first time Thursday, to undergo questioning with regard to allegations of rape, abuse of power, and accepting bribes in the form of sexual services. Ex-Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui (Yonhap)Kim, who retired from public service in March 2013, is accused of having received sexual services in return for business favors at an orgy hosted by local contractor Yoon Jung-cheon. 　It is the first time Kim has appeared in

Social Affairs May 9, 2019

The animal industry expressed concerns over stronger regulations on the operation of zoos and aquariums Wednesday, launching the Korea Animal Cultural Industry Association to protest a series of revisions concerning the management of animal containment facilities.  (Yonhap)At a press conference held in central Seoul, the KACIA, composed of 130 zoos, aquariums and animal cafes as well as three animal associations, blasted the revisions proposed earlier this year, arguing that they reflect only th

Social Affairs May 8, 2019

Police requested an arrest warrant for Big Bang star Seungri on Wednesday over allegations he procured prostitutes for potential investors in his business and misappropriated funds of nightclub Burning Sun. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency also filed an arrest warrant for Yoo In-suk, CEO of Yuri Holdings that he co-founded with Seungri, on charges of arranging prostitution and embezzlement of company funds.“We see that the two conspired to arrange sex services and embezzle company funds,” Yonhap

Social Affairs May 8, 2019

With the recent appointment of two Constitutional Court justices whose views are considered liberal, hopes and concerns are growing surrounding the court’s upcoming rulings on socially divisive issues, including the death penalty and the national security law.Since taking office, President Moon Jae-in has appointed eight justices, including Lee Mi-son and Moon Hyung-bae in April. The appointment of so many justices under a single president is unprecedented, but came about because former Presiden

Social Affairs May 7, 2019

Tension is rising over plans to redistribute investigative rights between the prosecution and police in South Korea, in the wake of a public denunciation from the country’s top prosecutor. (Yonhap)Last week, Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il publicly criticized the recent parliamentary decision to approve the fast-tracking of reform bills, backed by the ruling Democratic Party and three minor opposition parties, saying the bills would undermine democratic principles mandating a system of checks and

Social Affairs May 6, 2019

Former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah admitted Thursday to illegally hiring Filipino maids as the trials began for her and her mother Lee Myung-hee, who faces the same charges. Cho, 45, and Lee, 70 -- the daughter and wife of recently deceased Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho -- were indicted for hiring Filipino women as maids after inviting them under the guise of employment at Korean Air between 2013 and early last year, in breach of immigration law. (Yonhap)Cho, who earned global infa

Social Affairs May 2, 2019

A monitoring system to measure levels of particulate pollution will be installed near the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea to analyze the amount of toxic pollutants coming from China and North Korea, the government said Tuesday.  (Yonhap)The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of National Defense signed a memorandum of understanding to reduce particulate pollution earlier in the day. Under the memorandum, the ministries will work together to analyze the amount of emis

Social Affairs April 30, 2019

Lee Suk-chae, former chairman of telecom firm KT Corp., appeared before a local court Tuesday morning to attend an arrest warrant hearing in connection with allegations that he gave preferential treatment in hiring to a high-profile opposition lawmaker’s daughter. (Yonhap)Lee, who served as KT chairman from 2009 to 2013, is suspected of involvement in giving preferential treatment to job applicants with ties to powerful figures -- including a daughter of Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the then-ruling Libe

Social Affairs April 30, 2019

Speaking at the Monday launch of a pan-national anti-fine dust body, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for efforts to reduce domestic emissions as well as for closer cooperation with China on the issue. Ban Ki-moon (Yonhap)Headed by Ban, the National Council on Climate and Air Quality aims to find solutions to the particulate pollution issue, come up with policy ideas, and coordinate actions with neighboring countries such as China.“When I met Chinese President Xi Jinpin

Social Affairs April 29, 2019

Bus drivers’ unions threatened Monday to stage an all-out strike on May 15 should they fail to reach an agreement with their employers on working conditions ahead of the enforcement of the 52-hour working week in July. (Yonhap)Of 479 bus companies around the country, trade unions from 234 companies -- involving some 20,138 buses and 41,280 workers -- are expected to join the strike. In Seoul alone, 7,552 buses and 17,735 employees could band together in a walkout. The bus drivers are demanding t

Social Affairs April 29, 2019

K-pop singer-actor Park Yoo-chun was arrested Friday (early Saturday) on suspicion of purchasing and using methamphetamine. (Yonhap)Park, 33, is suspected of buying 1.5 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions and taking it on five occasions earlier this year with his former fiancee, Hwang Ha-na.　Hwang, 31, is the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products. 　Park, a member of the K-pop band JYJ, appeared before the Suwon District Court at around 1:50 p.m. on Friday to attend the h

Social Affairs April 26, 2019

K-pop singer and actor Park Yoo-chun appeared before a local court for a hearing on his arrest Friday, over suspected use of an illegal drug after he recently tested positive for methamphetamine. The result is likely to come late Friday or early Saturday.  (Yonhap)Wearing a gray suit, Park, 33 and one-third of K-pop band JYJ, appeared before the Suwon District Court at around 1:50 p.m. to attend the hearing. He did not answer a barrage of questions by reporters at the scene. He is suspected of b

Social Affairs April 26, 2019