A 52-year-old man suspected of theft and rape in multiple cases in Gwangju and Daejeon has been arrested after a 15-year search, in light of new DNA evidence. The man surnamed Kim is accused of breaking and entering into seven homes of women living alone, stealing their expensive goods and sexually assaulting them from July 2003 to November 2006. During police questioning, Kim reportedly admitted to sexually assaulting three more victims in Daejeon. (Yonhap)He is being accused of burglary and ra

In a rare case where trial proceedings are opened to the public, shining a spotlight on the treatment of vulnerable victims, YouTuber Yang Ye-won on Wednesday attended the trial of a 45-year-old photographer surnamed Choi who has been indicted on charges of taking explicit photos of Yang and leaking them to the public. It was his second court date.At the previous session, held Sept. 5, Yang’s attorney had asked the Seoul Western District Court for Wednesday’s hearing to be made public, citing Ch

The Suwon District Court on Wednesday ordered a hospital to pay 1 billion won ($882,000) in damages to the family of a woman who reportedly lapsed into a coma after receiving an injection of the wrong drug five years ago. According to court records, the woman, now 47, visited the hospital in Gyeonggi Province for a medical exam in June 2013. After undergoing a gastroscopy while sedated, the patient was in recovery when a nurse injected her with Vecaron. Vecaron is a neuromuscular blocker used to

A father and son, surnamed Nam, died early Wednesday in a fire at their traditional hanok house in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, fire authorities said. The fire broke out around 3:55 a.m. Wednesday and burned through 50 square meters of the house, according to news reports.  (Yonhap)An 80-year-old woman, the wife of one victim and the mother of the other, was the only survivor. Her son, 54, jumped back into the burning house to save her sick 84-year-old husband, but the two could not escape

Former Bongousse Rice Burger CEO Oh Seh-rin has sparked controversy after he reportedly sold the company to popular Korean fried chicken chain NeNe Chicken without giving prior notice to franchise owners. NeNe Chicken recently acquired the burger franchise and replaced Oh with the current CEO Hyun Cheol-ho last month, a company official said Wednesday. With less than $100, Oh reportedly started out as a street food vendor in front of Dongwon High School and Dongwoo Girls’ High School in Suwon, G

A man suspected of drunk driving caused a fatal, multiple-vehicle collision on Gyeongin Expressway around 2:10 a.m. Wednesday, killing one person and injuring three others, police said. According to Incheon Bupyeong authorities, the 35-year-old driver at fault in the crash has been booked without physical detention on the charge of vehicular homicide-DUI.  (Yonhap)He was reportedly driving alone in a Mercedes-Benz sedan on the Gyeongin Expressway en route to Seoul from Cheongcheon-dong, Incheon,

The Daegu District Court on Tuesday said it has granted the jury trial demand filed by an elderly man accused of murdering two civil servants and attempted murder of a neighbor in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. The 77-year-old man surnamed Kim fired a hunting rifle at a 48-year-old neighbor surnamed Im, leaving him injured in the shoulder area on Aug. 21 around 9:13 a.m. Around 20 minutes later, Kim reportedly walked into a community center in Bonghwa and killed two civil servants, accordin

The victim of groping at a restaurant told her side of the story last week, offering an alternative view of the heated public dispute over the high-profile court case -- which resulted in the conviction of the man in question -- and the offender’s wife’s online petition insisting on his innocence. In an interview with a local media outlet, the victim stated that she had received an influx of hateful emails and a flurry of social media messages as a result of the case, which began Nov. 26 last ye

A man in his 50s has been taken into police custody on a charge of attempted murder, after he allegedly stabbed a neighbor following a parking dispute, police said Sunday.According to Ansan Sangnok Police Station, the 56-year-old man and a neighbor got into an argument over a parking space in a residential neighborhood in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, at around midnight Friday.The man told police he got upset when the 40-year-old neighbor “parked a vehicle in front of his house” late Friday night. B

Sunye of the now-disbanded K-pop girl group Wonder Girls insisted via Instagram that she’d “never thought about leaving the entertainment industry,” amid criticism from some fans that she is “being selfish” by making a comeback. After tying the knot with Korean-Canadian missionary James Park in 2013, Sunye went to live in Canada despite the fact that her contract with JYP Entertainment had not expired. It wasn’t until 2015 that the singer officially left the agency.  (Polaris Entertainment)At th

Busan police officers say they were notified around 2 a.m. Friday of an erratic YouTube content creator who had told viewers he intended to commit murder. According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, three callers initially called 112 to report a YouTuber “livestreaming a video of himself on a taxi ride over to kill someone.” Shortly after, five more people called to alert officers of the situation, police added.  (AFP)The 49-year-old man was reportedly hosting a poker-themed broadcast whe

Twenty-one major South Korean coffee shop and fresh juice franchises have come under fire for violating the nation’s Food Safety Act, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Thursday. The ministry inspected 4,071 establishments Aug. 13-17. Franchises that were found to be in violation included Tom N Toms, A Twosome Place, Paris Baguette and Ediya Coffe. (Yonhap)The franchises were found to have violated a number of food safety laws from selling and using expired products to failure

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder of his wife and son while they were having lunch on Monday, police said.According to news reports, Gyeoggi Bucheon Wonmi Police Station said Wednesday that the 59-year-old man is accused of hitting his 31-year-old son over the head with an object and then stabbing him once in the left stomach area.   (Yonhap)The physical altercation between the two initially started out as a “verbal disagreement” around 12:35 p.m. on Monday inside thei

On the final day of Chuseok holiday, Koreans hit the streets with their families to visit key tourist spots and large shopping districts in Seoul and elsewhere.A large crowd gathered at the Korean Folk Village. Located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the popular tourist attraction offers various traditional cultural events that date back to the late Joseon period. Parents sat on the ground with their children in their laps as they enjoyed the “jultagi,” or acrobatics on a tightrope, performance up

MBC’s annual “Idol Star Athletics Championships -- Chuseok Special” aired its first episode on Tuesday with many K-pop stars showcasing impressive athletic performances.On the first day of the sports event, K-pop stars competed in various sports categories: jokgu, archery, bowling, rhythmic gymnastics and track and field. Key events included the semi-final rounds in bowling and archery, final rounds in jokgu and rhythmic gymnastics.  (Screen-captured from MBC’s “Idol Star Atheltcis Championships

Actress Kim Sa-rang showcased her flawless complexion in the stills taken from a recent photo shoot with fashion magazine Vogue. In the photos shared via Kim’s Instagram on Tuesday, the actress looked sexy with sleek jet black hair, glowing skin and sumptuous lips in five different shades of YSL’s newest “Rouge Pur Couture The Slim” matte lipstick.  (Kim Sa-rang's Instagram)Vogue recently posted photos of Kim on its official social media. Along with the shared photos, the actress wished everyone

On the final day of President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang, he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a surprise trip to Paektusan on Thursday. Moon had originally planned to return to the South following a farewell breakfast at the Paekhwawon State Guesthouse around 9 a.m. Accompanied by first ladies Kim Jung-sook and Ri Sol-ju, the leaders of the two Koreas took the hourlong car ride up to the sacred mountain’s peak, Changgun-bong, in separate vehicles. The four then took a cable car dow

During the Chuseok holiday, many Koreans gather to honor ancestors, reconnect with family members and eat festive meals together. But for non-Koreans, the holiday is different: Many family members live abroad, and more plainly, it lacks cultural significance. This year, the Korean traditional holiday begins Sunday and runs through Sept. 25. Many Korean restaurants and businesses will be closed, with some resting one or two days in addition to the designated days. Even the most bustling streets a

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook received the red carpet treatment upon arriving at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on Tuesday morning. Dressed in a navy blue two-piece ensemble and matching brooch, the North Korean first lady appeared confident on the runway alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. First lady Kim Jung-sook, in white, also projected an elegant image. While Moon and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un, exchanged cheek-to-cheek hugs, th

Police have launched an investigation into an alleged assault case involving a city councilman and a woman in her 40s, authorities said Monday. According to Bundang Police Station, the Hwaseong city councilman, who belongs to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has been booked without physical detention on a charge of assault.  (Yonhap)He is accused of striking the woman multiple times around 9:30 p.m. on Monday inside his car at a parking lot in Pangyo-dong, Gyeonggi Province. The woman had b