The Korea Herald

Ex-tycoon convict’s wife vows to pay fines

The wife of former Daeju Group chairman Huh Jae-ho has pledged to pay the billions in fines for the disgraced tycoon, who has been pushed into tight corner over his hidden assets. The development came amid the prosecution’s enhanced probe into Huh, who was levied the remaining 22.4 billion won ($21.2 million) fine after deducting six days of short prison labor last month. Huh was initially sentenced to pay off his 25.4 billion won fine with 50 days of prison labor after he was found guilty of em

Social Affairs April 1, 2014

Investigators step up hunt for former tycoon’s assets

Government authorities held a private meeting on Monday as part of the widening investigation into the hidden assets of Huh Jae-ho, former chairman of the now-defunct Daeju Group.The disgraced chairman has been bombarded with public criticism for allegedly receiving a lenient ruling from the Gwangju District Court, which would have allowed him to pay off billions in fines with 50 days of labor in a prison workhouse. While he claimed it would be financially difficult to pay the 25.4 billion won (

Social Affairs March 31, 2014

Investigators step up hunt for former tycoon’s assets

Judge resigns over ‘emperor’s labor’

A South Korean judge offered to resign Saturday after his 2010 ruling on a former tycoon touched off a firestorm of public criticism. The judge set the convicted businessman’s daily pay of prison labor at at 500 million won ($467,726), a record sum that outraged the public and triggered a slew of developments including a government review of the prison labor system for a drastic overhaul. Chang Byong-woo, chief of the Gwangju District Court, sent a letter of resignation to the press at 1 p.m. Sa

Social Affairs March 30, 2014

Teen part-timers suffer poor work conditions: report

A survey of businesses that hire part-time teenage workers has found that more than two-thirds violate labor laws.Labor law breaches were found at 69 percent of the 939 employers surveyed. Nearly 1,500 violations were found, including delayed payment and paying below minimum wage, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s survey, which was held from Jan. 15-Feb. 8 and released Sunday. Businesses that do not specify working conditions in labor contracts made up the largest share, at 41.

Social Affairs March 30, 2014

City agriculture sprouts in Korea

Lee Yong-ja and Yoo Myung-sub are often seen on the street in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, covered in dirt, carrying gardening tools and plastic bags filled with lettuce and peppers from a hill behind their apartment. “It’s exciting that you can grow something edible, without having to worry about pesticides or feeling doubtful about its safety,” said Lee, a 60-year-old housewife. Frustrated by the numerous food scandals that have made the headlines in recent years, Koreans are taking matters into

Social Affairs March 28, 2014

Over 18% of top civil servants’ wealth rises above W100m

Nearly 18 percent of high-ranking officials in the Park Geun-hye administration and lawmakers saw their assets rise above 100 million won ($935,000) last year, a state report showed on Friday. 　Up to 18.2 percent of 2,339 senior officials at government branches said their assets grew significantly, with most of them serving in the judicial branches, according to the Government Public Ethics Committee. On average, 60.8 percent of high-ranking civil servants and lawmakers held more assets than the

Social Affairs March 28, 2014

NTS traces ex-tycoon’s assets

South Korean tax authorities said on Thursday that they are tracing the hidden assets of Huh Jae-ho, a former Daeju Group chairman who is at the center of a snowballing controversy over a court’s ruling on the value of his prison labor.The National Tax Agency said Huh’s assets are believed to be in Korea and New Zealand, where he lived affluently over the past four years. “It’s been known that the tax agency is reviewing ways to levy unpaid tax against Huh,” an official familiar with the issue s

Social Affairs March 27, 2014

[Newsmaker] Diamond mine fraud probe reopens

Korean mine developer Oh Deok-gyun, a key figure in a multimillion-dollar stock manipulation scandal, was arrested Wednesday after two years of hiding in Cameroon. The 48-year-old entrepreneur was accused of allegedly acquiring about 90 billion won ($83.2 million) in profits by exaggerating the value of diamond reserves at a mine in Cameroon. “Criminal charges against Oh have been acknowledged and there is a possibility of the suspect fleeing or attempting to destroy evidence,” the Seoul Central

Social Affairs March 26, 2014

[Newsmaker] Diamond mine fraud probe reopens

[Newsmaker] Prison labor worth W500m a day?

The top court said on Tuesday that it is reviewing plans to revise policies on labor penalties as online critics lambaste its light sentence for a former business tycoon. The court decision to take stern measures against wealthy chief executives attempting to exploit legal loopholes for tax evasion is seen as a belated step in the right direction.In December 2011, the Supreme Court upheld an appellate court’s ruling to sentence former Daeju Group chairman Huh Jae-ho to 30 months in prison with a

Social Affairs March 25, 2014

[Newsmaker] Prison labor worth W500m a day?

High court clears popular poet of election law violations

An appellate court on Tuesday acquitted Korean poet Ahn Do-hyun, who was accused of spreading false rumors and slandering then-presidential candidate Park Geun-hye.The 54-year-old defendant was indicted on charges of violating the election law while working as a chairman of opposition candidate Moon Jae-in’s election committee in 2012. The Gwangju High Court handed down a not-guilty verdict to Ahn, citing a lack of evidence to prove the prosecution’s charges. “To prove the defendant’s crime, it

Social Affairs March 25, 2014

Evidence links presidential officials to love-child case

The state-run National Health Insurance Service on Monday confirmed that a mid-ranking official had illegal access to personal information of a woman suspected to be a mistress of former prosecution chief Chae Dong-wook. Prosecutors also said they recently summoned the NHIS official to investigate who else was involved in the illegal act, adding that they are looking into allegations the request was made by Cheong Wa Dae officials.The announcement came after local daily Kyunghyang Shinmun report

Social Affairs March 24, 2014

Anonymous threatens to hack Korean government websites

An international group of hackers known as “Anonymous” has announced that it will attack the South Korean government’s websites next month, officials said Saturday.According to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the group stated via its Twitter account and YouTube that it will conduct cyberattacks on the South Korean government on April 14, claiming that it has wasted taxpayers’ money, oppressed citizens and distorted the media.The specific targets of the attack were unknown, offi

Social Affairs March 23, 2014

Prosecutors detain CNK head for stock manipulation

Prosecutors on Sunday detained Oh Deok-gyun, head of CNK International, who has been allegedly hiding out for two years after being suspected of manipulating the stock price of his company.Investigators took the suspect into custody immediately after his arrival at Incheon International Airport early in the morning and transferred him to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul, officials said.The prosecution is reportedly planning to request an arrest warrant for Oh on Monday and process charge

Social Affairs March 23, 2014

Seoul bus pileup kills 2, injures 12

A city bus carrying three passengers crashed into nearly a dozen vehicles in Seoul on Wednesday, killing the driver and a commuter, police said Thursday.The No. 3318 bus was rolling through the Seokchon Lake junction at about 11:50 p.m. when it veered into a row of taxis and drove 1.2 kilometers further off-course, strking at least six more vehicles, according to the Songpa Police Station. Seventeen people affected by the accident sustained serious injuries.Police said a black box from the bus w

Social Affairs March 20, 2014

Former president Lee wins building lawsuit

A Seoul district court ruled Thursday in favor of former President Lee Myung-bak in a lawsuit filed by a former tenant of a Seoul building that Lee owned.A Chinese restaurant owner sued Lee in September 2013, claiming that the former president and his charitable organization made millions of undue profits from a building extension fully funded by the tenant. The Seoul District Court cleared the allegations against the former president, citing lack of evidence. The restaurant owner said he would

Social Affairs March 20, 2014

Articles by Suk Gee-hyun