Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, who was indicted for allegedly receiving sexual services and bribes, was cleared of all charges Friday in a court ruling that came six years after he first became mired in an orgy scandal. Kim, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, was accused of having received sexual services arranged by a local developer, Yoon Joong-chun, and having received bribes from the latter and other businessmen between 2006 and 2008.The Seoul Central District Court

South Korean and Japanese legal professionals on Wednesday called for action to enforce Korean Supreme Court rulings holding Japanese firms responsible for compensating Koreans forced to work in their factories during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea.　 Six Korean and seven Japanese lawyers’ groups, as well as 123 individual lawyers and scholars from Japan, jointly released a statement urging the Japanese companies to accept the rulings and the Japanese government not to impede the

Fourteen governors and mayors across the nation, including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, have filed a petition with the Supreme Court, asking for the acquittal of Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, who has been convicted of violating election laws.　In the petition, they asked the justices at the country’s top court to clear him of the charges so that Gyeonggi Province, with a population of 13 million, can avoid the absence of a governor and Lee can continue serving his role.　“If Gyeo

A Korean man in his 50s was apprehended for allegedly murdering his Vietnamese wife, a woman 25 years his junior, the police said Monday.  The Yangju Police Station said they are investigating a 55-year-old man on suspicion of murdering his 30-year-old Vietnamese wife at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday at his home, putting her body in the trunk of his car and dumping it in his hometown of Wanju, North Jeolla Province. The man, who was apprehended at around 1 p.m. on Sunday, reportedly admitted to

Nearly 6 in 10 Koreans are in favor of suspending coal-fired power plants to reduce particulate pollution from autumn through spring, even if it is accompanied by a hike in electricity rates, a survey showed Sunday. According to the poll of 2,000 Korean adults by a national anti-fine dust body, 78.3 percent of the respondents approved of enforcing a seasonal dust management system between December and March, when Korea typically sees high levels of PM 2.5 -- -- ultrafine particles smaller than 2

Nearly half a million people sat for the annual state-administered college entrance exam Thursday, with the number of test-takers marking an all-time low.   The College Scholastic Aptitude Test, locally known as Suneung, began at 1,185 exam venues across the country at 8:40 a.m. and ended at 5:40 p.m.　A total of 482,348 people had sat for the exam for academic year 2020 as of 2:20 p.m. A total of 548,734 people applied to take the nine-hour back-to-back exams, down 46,190 from the

The first hearing in a lawsuit brought against the Japanese government by former victims of Japanese military sexual slavery was held Wednesday, nearly three years after the suit was filed. The Japanese government, which had delayed court proceedings by refusing to accept South Korean court-issued documents demanding its presence in court, was absent from the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court. Eleven survivors and 10 bereaved family members representing six other victims file

A South Korean club accused of denying foreigners entry has rejected the recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea that the club not discriminate against customers based on race, the human rights watchdog said Wednesday.According to the NHRCK, a petition was filed by an Indian American in June last year after the person was refused entry into the club for being a foreigner. The petitioner’s Korean American friend was not denied entry.The NHRCK concluded that the club

Police said Tuesday that they booked 10 people, including producers of a K-pop audition TV show and officials of CJ ENM, in connection with allegations they had rigged the results of audience voting. Police are looking into whether high-ranking officials from music labels were involved, whether there was any vote rigging on former seasons of the Mnet audition shows and whether bribes were given in return for allegedly manipulating the votes.“I think an investigation into alleged vote riggi

Asylum seekers staying in South Korea with humanitarian status should enjoy the same protections and treatment as recognized refugees, activists monitoring the human rights situation facing 39 asylum seekers said Monday.  Better access to information on how humanitarian status holders can adjust to life in Korea -- what rights they have and what services are available to them -- are also necessary, the activists said at the briefing held at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. &ld

Actress Yoon Ji-oh, who is under investigation for suspected fraud and defamation, lashed out at police for requesting an Interpol Red Notice for the Korean Canadian, despite her alleged crimes not being serious. Women’s rights activists accused police of showing “surprisingly” strong determination to conduct an investigation into Yoon, saying she is under tighter scrutiny by police because she is a woman. “A Red Notice is targeting those who committed heinous crimes

The Ministry of Education on Thursday announced its decision to abolish elite high schools across the country in March 2025, as part of efforts to improve fairness in the education system. “In 2025, independent private schools, foreign language schools and global schools will be turned into regular schools all at once, and we will lay the groundwork for a high school credit system and future-oriented education,” Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said at a press briefing at the Central G

Keeping asylum seekers in detention centers for a long period of time constitutes human rights violations, South Korea’s human rights watchdog said Wednesday, reiterating its call on the Justice Ministry to find an alternative.  The ministry should find an alternative for asylum seekers who apply for a refugee status at detention centers, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea suggested, noting that detaining them there despite a low possibility of them being forcibly deported

Two producers of a K-pop competition TV show were arrested late Tuesday over allegations they rigged the results of audience votes that decided which singers would progress through and win the competitions.The Seoul Central District Court issued warrants to detain a producer and the chief producer of the Mnet program “Produce X 101,” a fan-vote audition show through which popular K-pop bands, including Wanna One, debuted. The two are suspected of having conspired with music labels to

A court on Tuesday sentenced Jang Dae-ho to life in prison for the murder and dismemberment of a guest at the hotel where he worked. The Uijeongbu District Court’s Goyang branch handed down a life sentence to the 38-year-old, who shocked the public with his complete lack of remorse. The court said he should be permanently isolated from society for appearing to “mock” the victim and the judiciary. Jang said that the victim had deserved to die. During the trial, Jang said he did

South Korea’s environment minister and his Chinese counterpart vowed close cooperation to combat air pollution at their first annual ministerial talks in Seoul on Monday amid public concerns over toxic particles blowing in from China.  Minister Cho Myung-rae and Chinese Environment Minister Li Ganjie signed a “clear sky” action plan that includes joint implementation of policies, joint research, and exchanges of technology and personnel between the two countries to fight t

Six-carriage trains have begun to run on Seoul Subway Line No. 9, operating more frequently starting Monday, amid complaints over crowdedness on the line during rush hour. Previously, some trains had four carriages and others six, which was a source of confusion for passengers. The number of rail services on Line No. 9 will increase from 37 a day to 40, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.  By employing six-carriage trains on all services, the crowd was expected to decrease by 19

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

When 25-year-old Korean singer and actress Sulli was found dead at her home last month, it was described as “murder by fingertips.”　Sulli, whose real name was Choi Jin-ri, had long been the target of online vitriol for defying the country’s social norms -- from wearing a shirt without a bra in public and being candid about her romantic relationships to livestreaming a drinking session with friends. 　The former member of top Korean girl group f(x) also came under attack from onl

 Two victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor filed an appeal with the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, a year after South Korea’s top court ordered a Japanese firm to compensate them. The victims are seeking to address the issue at an international forum and for the UN to intervene and pressure the Japanese government and firms, according to lawyers representing the victims. It is the first time that an appeal on the forced labor issue has been filed with the UN