The spy agency’s bombshell announcement of the fall of the North Korean leader’s powerful uncle came when suspicions were building that the presidential office played a role in the downfall of a defiant chief prosecutor. In similar fashion, the news on the prosecution’s investigation into charges of revolt faced by a progressive party this summer was released while calls for reforming the law enforcement agency were heightening. These and other high-profile news stories effectively muted voices

A mid-level presidential staffer underwent questioning by prosecutors over suspicions that he illegally accessed personal information of a child suspected of being the illegitimate son of former top prosecutor, prosecution officials said Thursday.Cho Oh-young is under suspicion of illegally accessing the information of the 11-year-old, including his name, resident registration number and home address, via a senior official at the Seocho District Office in southern Seoul in June at the request of

The ministries of gender equality, justice and labor will conduct a joint inspection of local businesses hiring foreign performers to tackle a growing number of prostitution and wage exploitation cases being reported in recent years, officials said Wednesday.The measure came after civic groups and foreign embassies here raised concerns that some female E-6 visa holders were being forced into prostitution and trafficked by agencies or businesses that hired them as performers.An E-6 visa holder re

The state spy agency used automated messaging programs to spread large numbers of online posts favoring the ruling party ahead of last year's parliamentary and presidential elections, opposition lawmakers claimed Wednesday.The claim comes amid snowballing allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other government bodies conducted an online smear campaign against the main opposition party in a bid to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling party in last year's polls.Former N

A South Korean homeless man told the police last Thursday he had lost a wallet containing 1.91 billion won ($1.8 million) in it, local media reported Monday.The 53-year-old surnamed Park reported to the police at Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, that he was missing a wallet which had contained 19 cashier’s checks each worth 100 million won, along with 12 million won in cash. Park said he had lost the wallet after he fell asleep on the subway en route to Bucheon Station.Police asked the bank to nullify what

The presidential office is looking into allegations that one of its staffers was involved in the leak of personal information concerning a child suspected to be the illegitimate son of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook, an official said Tuesday.A local newspaper has reported that the staffer allegedly asked a senior official at the Seocho-gu office in June to verify the resident registration number and other personal information of the child. He then sent a mobile phone message to the dis

The prosecution has reportedly found circumstantial evidence indicating that Cheong Wa Dae may have played a behind-the-scenes part in pressuring the former prosecutor general to resign over a suspected extramarital affair and love child, according to reports quoting officials Monday.According to officials at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the prosecution has secured testimony from a municipal officer that he was requested by senior administrative staff at the presidential offic

The Ministry of Justice repealed a rule that requires foreign students seeking a part-time job to submit a recommendation letter from a professor.Students now only have to hand in a confirmation document from the school administration, the ministry said on Monday.The government made both documents mandatory in order to prevent illegal recruitment. But it decided to simplify the rule, as the recommendation letter requirement has not been fully implemented, only adding to the burdens faced by fore

A white rhinoceros died of shock last year after it escaped its compound at a local zoo, raising questions about safety measures in public parks.The news was belatedly released after two different accidents in public zoos resulted in the death of a zoo keeper on Jeju Island and another falling into a coma at Seoul Grand Park.The park officials said they buried the 35-year-old rhinoceros near the zoo after it died, but did not report to police or emergency services. It was reported to the Ministr

The wife of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. chairman Cho Nam-ho died at her home on Sunday, according to police.Kim Young-hye died allegedly because of a blocked airway at her residence in the Yongsan District in Seoul, police said quoting medical personnel at the scene. Multiple sources reported she had been suffering from depression before her death. The company denied the possibility of suicide. “As far as we know, she died of a chronic illness that she had been suffering from for