DAEJEON -- A prosecution with only the power to indict is what we see in developed countries, Hwang Un-hah, commissioner of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency, said Monday. “Besides indicting, our prosecutors go on investigating numerous cases they either shouldn’t or needn’t,” Hwang said at an event marking the release of his book, which explores the much-debated prosecution reform. Checks ...

The National Assembly decided Monday to suspend voting on the fiercely contested fast-tracked bills, including election and prosecution reforms, and to postpone its plenary session until Tuesday. With the help of the National Assembly speaker, the three major parties – the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Liberty Korea Party and minor conservative Bareunmirae Party – came to the interim agreeme...

The National Assembly will vote on fiercely contested fast-tracked bills -- including election and prosecution reforms -- during its plenary session Monday and Tuesday. But the bills could come to a vote Wednesday, when the parliament convenes a special session, as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party is keen to stage a filibuster to block voting. On Friday, the floor leaders of the three pa...

Choo Mi-ae, former chairperson of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was nominated new justice minister Thursday, amid a power abuse scandal involving Cheong Wa Dae. The five-term lawmaker will succeed Cho Kuk, her embattled predecessor who resigned over corruption allegations involving his family and who now faces additional power abuse allegations. “Choo was a judge known for her people-ce...

The investigation into an alleged power abuse scandal involving Cheong Wa Dae intensified Wednesday as prosecutors raided the presidential office to secure records related to the controversial suspension of an internal inspection of a senior official in late 2017. The senior official, former Busan Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs Yoo Jae-soo, was detained Nov. 27 on bribery charges. The prosecut...

Prosecutors on Monday raided the Seocho Police Station, which was looking into the death of an investigator found dead Sunday amid a power abuse scandal. They seized his cellphone and other belongings. The investigator worked for Baek Won-woo, a former presidential secretary who is now under suspicion of power abuse. Baek had allegedly run an independent team to instigate a probe into an incumbe...

“You can never assume guilt,” said Joshua Stanton, a Washington-based lawyer who served as a member of the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps stationed in South Korea between 1998 and 2002, according to Radio Free Asia on Nov. 7. “Arrest them. Indict them. Give them their day in court.” Both experts said that the Unification Ministry violated the international torture convention, with Stant...

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced K-pop star Jung Joon-young to six years and his friend K-pop singer Choi Jong-hoon to five years in prison Friday for sex offenses. They were found guilty of gang raping women who were under the influence of alcohol. Jung was also found guilty of sharing secretly filmed sex videos and photos, including those taken during the gang rape, via online group ...

Embattled former Justice Minister Cho Kuk is facing fresh allegations of power abuse. In addition to the corruption scandal involving his family, Cho is suspected of wrongly suspending the internal inspection of a senior official in 2017 and pushing for a police investigation to influence the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018. Cho was a senior presidential secretary at both times. Yoo Jae-soo, the...

The Seoul Administrative Court ruled Tuesday that the Ministry of Justice can revoke the South Korean citizenship granted to a foreign immigrant if it finds the person married to more than one spouse -- whether by legal marriage or common law marriage -- even after granting citizenship. A man obtained South Korean citizenship in 2014 after marrying a Korean national in 2004. But upon learning of...

On Friday, a special investigation unit of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office tasked with reinvestigating the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster secured communication records of the Coast Guard at the time of the incident. The special unit raided the Coast Guard headquarters in Incheon and branches in South Jeolla Province and asked the maritime security authority to submit travel records for the Sewol ferr...

On Sunday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea urged Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Liberty Korea Party to halt hunger strike he began Wednesday in front of Cheong Wa Dae. Hwang is protesting President Moon Jae-in’s decisions to terminate a military intel-sharing pact with Japan and to push ahead with disputed fast-tracked bills on elections and an anti-corruption body. “Whether it be passing t...

“Pray for me,” Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn said softly, barely audible to people near him. He was addressing a line of supporters one by one -- who appeared to be in their 50s and beyond -- at the site of his hunger strike in front of Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. Hwang continued his hunger strike for a second day near the presidential office to protest President Moon Jae-in’s foreig...

On Thursday morning, ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for a second round of questioning. He reportedly refused to open up, just as he had the first time on Nob. 14. At the time, Cho denied all charges against him, saying he would “reveal the truth in court” once prosecutors indict him. The former justice minister faces corruption charges ...

Main opposition Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn began a hunger strike Wednesday to protest President Moon Jae-in’s foreign and domestic policies. Hwang demanded Moon extend the military intel-sharing pact with Japan and scrap his income-led growth economic initiative. He urged Moon to withdraw disputed fast-tracked bills, including election and anti-corruption body proposals, which Hw...