Articles by Yoon Min-sik
Yoon Min-sik
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com-
Court jails man for draft-dodging 'because he played Battlegrounds'
The Supreme Court recently confirmed a sentence of one year and six months in prison for a South Korean man who refused his mandatory military service, after the court dismissed his claims of "being against all war and violence," partly based on his avid playing of the battle royale game "PUBG: Battlegrounds." The defendant was indicted in November of 2018 on a charge of violating the Military Service Act, which stipulates that all able-bodied South Korean men are mandated to
Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024
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Half of female elementary school teachers think of quitting
Some 50.1 percent of the female teachers at elementary schools in 2022 said they intend to quit before reaching retirement age, a report by the Korean Educational Development Institute showed Sunday. The state-run institute surveyed 2,803 elementary school teachers across the country in 2021 and 2022. The research found that 50.1 percent of the female respondents in 2022 said they will not continue to teach until retirement, up from 40.5 percent the year before. The percentage of female teache
Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024
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Bereaved families protest president's veto of Itaewon tragedy probe
Bereaved family members of those who lost their lives in the Itaewon Halloween tragedy marched in the streets of Seoul on Saturday in protest of President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to shoot down a special bill authorizing a new probe into the deadly crowd crush in October 2022. The family group and civic groups from across the country held a joint press conference in front of a memorial for Itaewon victims in Jung-gu, central Seoul, decrying the president for his decision Tuesday to send the
Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024
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3 in 10 staff at Seoul council have seen sexual harassment
Some 28.3 percent of employees at the Seoul Metropolitan Council said they have either witnessed or experienced sexual harassment in some way at the workplace, a report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family showed Sunday. The council was recently notified the results of the assessment on its overall culture by the ministry, officials said, which showed that its members reported authoritative attitudes, nepotism and negative perceptions toward victims of sexual harassment within the org
Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024
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Church elder embezzles funds for 16 years, gets jail term
A church elder accused of embezzling some 420 million won ($310,000) of the congregation's funds was sentenced to two years in prison, the Chuncheon District Court said Sunday. The appellate division of the court upheld an earlier ruling that found the 73-year-old defendant guilty of violating Article 356 of the Criminal Act, which states that occupational embezzlement shall be punished by up to 10 years in prison or a 30 million won fine. The defendant, an elder at a church in Hoengseong-g
Social Affairs Feb. 4, 2024
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Court finds teacher guilty of abusing popular cartoonist’s son
A South Korean court on Thursday handed down the suspended sentence of a 2 million won ($1,500) fine to a special education teacher for abusing the autistic child of a popular cartoonist and internet celebrity, Joo Ho-min. Suwon District Court found the defendant guilty of child abuse, based on a tape recording of a conversation between the teacher and Joo's son. The defendant was recorded telling the 10-year-old child during class, "bad manners are nasty, that means you. Oh, I hate yo
Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024
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Seohyeon Station killer sentenced to life in prison
Choi Won-jong, the 23-year-old man whose stabbing rampage near Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi Province last year killed two and injured a dozen people, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday by the Suwon District Court. The court found Choi guilty on multiple charges of murder, attempted murder, and intent to commit murder, and ordered him to be tracked via an electronic ankle monitor for 30 years if he is released on parole. "(The defendant) sparked fear that anyone could be a victim of
Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024
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Growing number of young civil servants quit
South Korea has been seeing a consistent increase in the number of young government workers quitting, indicating a rapid change in the perception of what had once been considered a dream job. In 2021, 3,123 government employees quit in their first year, more than triple the 951 in 2018, according to the recent figures by the Government Employees Pension Service. A total of 12,076 civil servants who worked less than three years before resigning in 2021, which was more than double the 5,166 in 201
Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024
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Teenager who attacked lawmaker claims to have thrown coffee at Yoo Ah-in
The 14-year-old middle school student suspected of attacking ruling party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin has claimed he was the person who threw coffee at actor Yoo Ah-in last year, according to local media reports, Wednesday. According to Yonhap News, the teenage suspect called the media outlet in December and said he was the one filmed throwing coffee and a bottle at Yoo in May 2023, as the 37-year-old actor exited a police station after being questioned over drug use allegations. The assailant, who wa
Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024
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Midnight street race crash at Seoul highway injures 3
A recent street race between two drivers on the Olympicdaero highway in Seoul resulted in an accident injuring three people, Gangnam police officials said Thursday. According to Gangnam Police Station, a three-way collision involving a BMW, Mercedes sedan and taxi occurred on the Seoul highway near the southern end of Seongsu Bridge in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, at around 12:20 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators found that the accident was caused by the drivers of the BMW and Mercedes, driven respecti
Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2024
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Drunk driver who crippled soccer player appeals 4-year jail term
A drunk driver who hit a 25-year-old South Korean soccer player and inflicted injury that forced his retirement appealed his sentence of four years in prison, Jeju District Court said Wednesday. According to the court, the 36-year-old defendant filed for appeal on Tuesday, despite the sentence being lower than the five-year jail term requested by the prosecution. It is yet unclear what his reasons for the appeal were. The defendant, while driving under the influence, struck another vehicle carry
Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2024
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Lawyer who lost teen death case says her mistakes 'will make the world remember the girl's death'
A South Korean lawyer, whose repeated failures to attend hearings lost the case of a death caused by school bullying, did not show up at her own court hearing Tuesday. A statement she submitted to the court said she hadn't shown up so that "the world wouldn't forget the victim's death." Lawyer Kwon Gyeong-ae is currently on trial for damages filed by the bereaved family of a bullying victim. The victim's family said that Kwon's absence in court caused them to l
Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2024
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Older man's death sparks concerns over abuse at nursing homes
The death of a man in his 70s at a nursing home in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in October has reignited concern over increasing incidents of abuse against older people at care facilities. The man's family on Wednesday pressed charges against the head of the facility where he was staying, accusing one of the nursing home's employees of abuse. The bereaved family members claim that the nursing home violated the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act through the alleged abuse of the p
Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2024
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Make-your-own fake news sites spark concern
Websites allowing the user to easily make and distribute fake news are sparking controversy in South Korea, just as the government plans countermeasures against the spread of false information using modern technology. The websites are generally run anonymously and enable users to make fake breaking news in a template designed to make the information look convincing. Users can copy the link to the fake post and send it to anyone. The sites usually add a disclaimer specifying the information to
Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2024
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How much for new year's 'sebae' greetings? Nothing, survey says
"Sebae," a new year's greeting consisting of a full bow to one's elders, is a time-honored tradition in Korea with handsome cash rewards promised in the form of "sebaedon," or sebae money. But a recent survey by SK Communications indicates that many South Koreans would rather skip the tradition altogether, with 42.8 percent of the respondents saying they would prefer not to give or receive any sebae money. The tech company asked 3,892 adults across the country from
Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2024
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