Yang Jin-ho, the chairman of file-sharing platform WeDisk and Hankook Mirae Technology, on Thursday delivered an “apology letter” via Facebook to the many victims that he “may have hurt,” adding on that he was willing to resign from his executive position at the company in light of abuse allegations. Korea’s police special crimes unit on Wednesday announced that it had taken over investigations into Yang, 47, after an independent media outlet revealed footage of Yang brutally beating and insulti

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2018

Police on Wednesday said they had arrested 41 men suspected of running an illegal car-rental service in the southern coastal city of Busan after a monthslong investigation.Investigators said one suspect, surnamed Choi, had been arrested while the remaining 40, including a 31-year-old alleged dealer surnamed Baik, had been booked without physical detention on suspicion of violating South Korea’s Passenger Transport Service Act.The men allegedly collected 1.6 billion won ($1.4 million) from client

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2018

A man accused of groping an employee at a company dinner has been found guilty in the Busan District Court and fined 5 million won ($4,380), authorities said Wednesday. According to court records, the defendant, identified only as a design supervisor in Busan, was indicted on a charge of committing an “indecent act in a crowded public place.”  (Yonhap)The allegations of sexual misconduct followed a company dinner in 2016, where the man was accused of approaching a female employee and groping her

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2018

Morning temperatures fell below freezing on Tuesday, prompting South Koreans to brace themselves for the winter season before heading outdoors. Donning padded jackets and coats, many young children were seen walking to school accompanied by their parents near Daebang Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. Working people dressed in layers for the chilly weather as they walked to work in quick strides. With some regions of Seoul and Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, reporting snowfall, workers at a coal briquett

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2018

A man has been booked without physical detention for allegedly hiring seven foreign women without valid work visas to work at his bar in South Korea, police said Monday. According to the Pohang Nambu Police Station, the 46-year-old suspect is under investigation for alleged violations of Korea’s Immigration Control Act. He is accused of illegally hiring women from countries such as Thailand and Russia since September. (Yonhap)In a joint crackdown on illegal hiring practices involving foreign wor

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2018

Vietjet Air Flight VJ982 was forced to make an emergency landing in Hong Kong around 1 a.m. on Tuesday while en route from Hanoi to Gimhae after crew detected an issue with the aircraft.According to aviation authorities, the flight destined for Gimhae International Airport made a sudden detour to Hong Kong about an hour and 10 minutes after takeoff. The crew reportedly told Gimhae authorities that it was experiencing technical problems with the aircraft due to poor maintenance.  Passengers wait

International Oct. 30, 2018

A Malaysian suspect has been taken into police custody over his suspected involvement in voice-phishing scams targeting local residents in Busan and Daegu, police said Monday.According to the Busan Dongnae Police Station, the 18-year-old suspect faces charges of theft after allegedly collecting 32.8 million won ($28,700) by fraudulent means from two victims in Dongnae, Busan, and Dalseo, Daegu. He is accused of defrauding the two victims, who thought they were paying for parcels, in two separate

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2018

Lee Seok-cheol and his brother Seung-hyun -- both members of teenage boy band The East Light -- attended the Bangbae Police Station in southern Seoul, Friday, to give additional statements to police regarding the alleged assaults at Media Line Entertainment. In front of reporters who had gathered in front of the police station, Lee, 18, said he’d lived in fear due to the threats and beatings. “I hope my actions do not cause any more victims (of assault). I was only able to make it this far as I

Performance Oct. 26, 2018

A Korean chef and restaurateur was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting on the northwest side of Chicago in Belmont Gardens early Thursday morning (local time), police reported. According to witnesses, the 46-year-old man, identified as Peter Rim, was reported to have been sitting on the passenger side of his own vehicle when a person in a large SUV pulled up next to him and opened fire. Peter Rim (Facebook)The gunman reportedly said something to Rim before shooting, but the victim, who had sever

International Oct. 26, 2018

The head of a delivery company and 10 of its employees have been arrested on charges of causing over 100 car accidents since 2016 in the southern port city of Busan in order to cash in on fraudulent insurance benefits, police said Friday. Dashcam videos showed deliverymen on motorcycles deliberately crashing into vehicles that were either changing lanes or violating traffic laws. Thirty-seven deliverymen were booked without physical detention over suspected involvement in the scam, according to

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2018

YouTuber Bae Lina announced via her channel Tuesday that she plans to sue bloggers for posting libelous statements regarding her appearance.“I have been the subject of mockery, abuse, harassment just because of my looks. I am not your emotional punching bag. I have made note of everyone who has posted hateful comments about me,” she wrote. Bae, an active content creator since February, claimed the “nasty name-calling” has hurt her considerably over the past few months after her video went viral.

Social Affairs Oct. 25, 2018

In South Korea, the arrival of fall is apparent when the leaves change into a stunning array of colors. From mid-October to late November, visitors can witness a landscape full of beautiful reds, oranges and yellows. The autumn foliage usually reaches its peak in early November in the capital city of Seoul. First-time visitors should visit Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul to enjoy the scenery. Clad in trench coats, many Korean workers were spotted in Seoul’s Boramae Park, enjoying a stroll duri

Travel Oct. 24, 2018

Only two of seven middle and high school students accused of assaulting a female peer in May have been ordered to transfer schools or put on a 10-day suspension, fueling debate on lenient penalties among victims of assault. According to news reports, the alleged assailants attacked a girl in the open streets of Gangnam, southern Seoul, because they did not like her “attitude.” They then allegedly dragged her to the rooftop of a building where they assaulted her for around four hours.  Pictured i

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2018

A 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of his ex-wife, whose body was discovered in the parking lot of an apartment building in Deungchon-dong, southwestern Seoul, police said. According to the Gangseo Police Station, officers arrested the suspect, surnamed Kim, at a hospital in Seoul around 9:40 p.m. Monday. A resident of the apartment building had called the police Monday morning around 7:15 a.m. to report a “woman bleeding profusely on the floor (of the parkin

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2018

Two female soldiers with the United States Forces Korea invoked their right to silence after allegedly assaulting a South Korean man and a police officer in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province. According to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency, a private in the 8th Army and private first class in the Second Infantry were walking along a road in Dongducheon when they pushed over a motorcycle at a little past midnight Monday.The owner of the motorcycle, 58, testified to police that the private,

Social Affairs Oct. 22, 2018