Articles by Suk Gee-hyun
Suk Gee-hyun
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Over 18% of top civil servants’ wealth rises above W100m
Nearly 18 percent of high-ranking officials in the Park Geun-hye administration and lawmakers saw their assets rise above 100 million won ($935,000) last year, a state report showed on Friday. Up to 18.2 percent of 2,339 senior officials at government branches said their assets grew significantly, with most of them serving in the judicial branches, according to the Government Public Ethics Committee. On average, 60.8 percent of high-ranking civil servants and lawmakers held more assets than the
Social Affairs March 28, 2014
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NTS traces ex-tycoon’s assets
South Korean tax authorities said on Thursday that they are tracing the hidden assets of Huh Jae-ho, a former Daeju Group chairman who is at the center of a snowballing controversy over a court’s ruling on the value of his prison labor.The National Tax Agency said Huh’s assets are believed to be in Korea and New Zealand, where he lived affluently over the past four years. “It’s been known that the tax agency is reviewing ways to levy unpaid tax against Huh,” an official familiar with the issue s
Social Affairs March 27, 2014
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[Newsmaker] Diamond mine fraud probe reopens
Korean mine developer Oh Deok-gyun, a key figure in a multimillion-dollar stock manipulation scandal, was arrested Wednesday after two years of hiding in Cameroon. The 48-year-old entrepreneur was accused of allegedly acquiring about 90 billion won ($83.2 million) in profits by exaggerating the value of diamond reserves at a mine in Cameroon. “Criminal charges against Oh have been acknowledged and there is a possibility of the suspect fleeing or attempting to destroy evidence,” the Seoul Central
Social Affairs March 26, 2014
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[Newsmaker] Prison labor worth W500m a day?
The top court said on Tuesday that it is reviewing plans to revise policies on labor penalties as online critics lambaste its light sentence for a former business tycoon. The court decision to take stern measures against wealthy chief executives attempting to exploit legal loopholes for tax evasion is seen as a belated step in the right direction.In December 2011, the Supreme Court upheld an appellate court’s ruling to sentence former Daeju Group chairman Huh Jae-ho to 30 months in prison with a
Social Affairs March 25, 2014
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High court clears popular poet of election law violations
An appellate court on Tuesday acquitted Korean poet Ahn Do-hyun, who was accused of spreading false rumors and slandering then-presidential candidate Park Geun-hye.The 54-year-old defendant was indicted on charges of violating the election law while working as a chairman of opposition candidate Moon Jae-in’s election committee in 2012. The Gwangju High Court handed down a not-guilty verdict to Ahn, citing a lack of evidence to prove the prosecution’s charges. “To prove the defendant’s crime, it
Social Affairs March 25, 2014
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Evidence links presidential officials to love-child case
The state-run National Health Insurance Service on Monday confirmed that a mid-ranking official had illegal access to personal information of a woman suspected to be a mistress of former prosecution chief Chae Dong-wook. Prosecutors also said they recently summoned the NHIS official to investigate who else was involved in the illegal act, adding that they are looking into allegations the request was made by Cheong Wa Dae officials.The announcement came after local daily Kyunghyang Shinmun report
Social Affairs March 24, 2014
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Anonymous threatens to hack Korean government websites
An international group of hackers known as “Anonymous” has announced that it will attack the South Korean government’s websites next month, officials said Saturday.According to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the group stated via its Twitter account and YouTube that it will conduct cyberattacks on the South Korean government on April 14, claiming that it has wasted taxpayers’ money, oppressed citizens and distorted the media.The specific targets of the attack were unknown, offi
Social Affairs March 23, 2014
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Prosecutors detain CNK head for stock manipulation
Prosecutors on Sunday detained Oh Deok-gyun, head of CNK International, who has been allegedly hiding out for two years after being suspected of manipulating the stock price of his company.Investigators took the suspect into custody immediately after his arrival at Incheon International Airport early in the morning and transferred him to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul, officials said.The prosecution is reportedly planning to request an arrest warrant for Oh on Monday and process charge
Social Affairs March 23, 2014
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Seoul bus pileup kills 2, injures 12
A city bus carrying three passengers crashed into nearly a dozen vehicles in Seoul on Wednesday, killing the driver and a commuter, police said Thursday.The No. 3318 bus was rolling through the Seokchon Lake junction at about 11:50 p.m. when it veered into a row of taxis and drove 1.2 kilometers further off-course, strking at least six more vehicles, according to the Songpa Police Station. Seventeen people affected by the accident sustained serious injuries.Police said a black box from the bus w
Social Affairs March 20, 2014
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Former president Lee wins building lawsuit
A Seoul district court ruled Thursday in favor of former President Lee Myung-bak in a lawsuit filed by a former tenant of a Seoul building that Lee owned.A Chinese restaurant owner sued Lee in September 2013, claiming that the former president and his charitable organization made millions of undue profits from a building extension fully funded by the tenant. The Seoul District Court cleared the allegations against the former president, citing lack of evidence. The restaurant owner said he would
Social Affairs March 20, 2014
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FSS official involved in loan scam
Police said Wednesday that they believed a financial watchdog official was implicated in a massive loan fraud involving an affiliate of the country’s No. 2 mobile carrier KT Corp.Last month, police launched an investigation into employees of KT ENS Co., a subsidiary of KT, for illegally borrowing 1.83 trillion won from 16 local banks using forged documents between May 2008 and January 2014. The loans were extended to a special purpose company set up by KT ENS’ subcontractors, with fabricated rec
Social Affairs March 19, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Pledging allegiance and saluting the flag
The pledge of allegiance and ceremonial salute to the national flag are practices commonly seen at Korean schools and events hosted by state organizations. The pledge of allegiance reads as follows: “In front of proud Taegeukgi (the national flag), I pledge allegiance to the Republic of Korea to devote myself to the perpetual glory of the free nation.”The practice has been perceived as a symbol of the national bond and patriotism that helped power rapid economic growth in the aftermath of the Ko
Social Affairs March 19, 2014
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Cohabitation offer equates to promise to marry: court
Having sex without contraception and implying future cohabitation count as a promise of marriage, a Seoul court said Tuesday.The Seoul Family Court on March 6 ruled in favor of a female school teacher who filed a compensation suit against her former colleague for giving false hope of marriage and cheating. Both women involved with the defendent became pregnant in March 2012.The court ordered the man to pay 25 million won ($23,400) to his ex-fiance in compensation.“It is clear that the victim and
Social Affairs March 18, 2014
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Ex-policeman gets 14 years in prison for killing mistress
A Seoul appellate court on Tuesday upheld a lower court’s ruling to sentence a former police officer to 14 years in prison for murdering his mistress. Chung Wan-geun, 41, was found guilty of murdering a 40-year-old woman surnamed Lee, who was found dead at a closed fishery in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, in July 2013.The prosecution initially asked the court to sentence the defendant to 20 years behind bars, but the Seoul High Court reduced the imprisonment period.“Heavy punishment was appropr
Social Affairs March 18, 2014
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Park delays ministerial meeting on deregulation
President Park Geun-hye has ordered officials to postpone a Cabinet meeting on regulatory reforms amid reports that she was unhappy with deregulation measures proposed by her economic team.Park was to preside over the first round of the meeting on Monday, but Cheong Wa Dae said late Sunday evening that it would hold the meeting on Thursday to better accommodate demands from the private sector. The meeting is aimed at seeking ways to implement a series of regulatory reforms, a key part of her thr
Social Affairs March 17, 2014
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