Prosecutors indicted a senior police officer Tuesday over an alleged attempt to cover up irregularities at Seoul nightclubs involving former BIGBANG member Seungri.A senior superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, identified only by his surname, Yoon, faces bribery, obstruction of business and other charges.The 49-year-old is alleged to have tried to cover up illicit activities at Burning Sun, a nightclub in southern Seoul, and other firms run by Seungri and the K-pop star's busin

An obstetrician was detained on allegations of performing an abortion on a woman who was 34 weeks pregnant and killing the fetus after it survived the procedure.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that the 60-something obstetrician faces charges of murder and performing an abortion. According to police, the fetus allegedly survived the hysterotomy abortion, which involves opening the uterus through an abdominal incision, at a hospital in Seoul in March. Police suspect the obst

Gender discrimination in the workplace is responsible for Korea’s low fertility rate, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and the OECD held a joint conference on Monday to address policy responses to the country’s declining fertility rate.“Governments need to modernize their family policies to provide families with a continuum of support, from birth to adulthood,” said OECD’s Director fo

The identity of a Korean laborer who died during the Battle of Tarawa in World War II has been confirmed, according to government data. A DNA test conducted on the remains of the victim -- who was only identified as “Tarawa No. 46” -- and a man who claimed to be his son showed a 99.9999 percent probability that the two are related, National Forensic Service data obtained by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Rep. Kwon Mi-hyuk revealed Monday. The discovery marked the first resul

Police said Sunday that they are investigating a professor who called Japan’s World War II sexual enslavement of girls and women “a form of prostitution.”Police have interviewed civic groups who lodged a defamation complaint against Lew Seok-choon, a sociology professor at Yonsei University, for his remarks regarding “comfort women,” as the wartime sex slaves are euphemistically called.On Sept. 19, Lew said during a lecture that the Japanese military was &ldquo

G-Dragon, the leader of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, was discharged from the military Saturday, bracing himself for a return to show business. Meeting with media and fans in front of the Ground Operations Command in Yongin, south of Seoul, G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, thanked his fans for their support. Some 3,000 fans came to the military base to greet the 31-year-old singer.   "I want to thank all the fans who have been waiting for me," said Kwon, using a megaphone

A Seoul court on Saturday approved an arrest warrant for Kim Jun-ki, former chairman of DB Group, over alleged sexual assaults. The Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest warrant, saying among other things that the charges are significant and there is a possibility of Kim attempting to destroy evidence.Kim, 74, is suspected of sexually assaulting his personal secretary multiple times between February and July in 2017. She filed a complaint later that year. He was also accused in early

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong appeared before a court Friday for a Supreme Court-ordered reconsideration of his bribery case that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone and chip maker, said he "feels very sorry for causing concern to many people" before entering the Seoul High Court to attend the first hearing. The grim-faced Lee arrived at the court compound in a black suit at 9:29 a.m.Lee

Several sightings of wild boars were reported in the Gangdong and Songpa districts of Seoul between Wednesday and Thursday morning, the local fire station said.Songpa Fire Station said it received the first call around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday about two baby boars near Asan Medical Center. The boars could not be found when firefighters arrived on the scene. Five more boar sightings were reported over the night within the vicinity of Gangdong and Songpa through 7:20 a.m. Thursday. At around mi

The heir apparent to South Korean food and entertainment conglomerate CJ was released Thursday after receiving a suspended sentence on drug charges.The Incheon District Court handed Lee Sun-ho, the eldest son of group chairman Lee Jay-hyun, a three-year prison term, suspended for four years. The court did not sentence Lee to probation or drug treatment."Drugs, including marijuana, pose severe harm to society due to their addictive and hallucinogenic nature," Judge Song Hyun-kyung said.

The government on Wednesday warned against using liquid e-cigarettes, or e-liquids, until health perils associated with them are better understood.“The Health and Welfare Ministry strongly recommends discontinuing the use of liquid e-cigarettes until the link between lung injuries and liquid e-cigarettes is clearly identified,” said Health Minister Park Neung-hoo in a press briefing Wednesday morning.“Teenagers and those with respiratory diseases, in particular, should stop usi

Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday denied allegations made by a civic group that he took part in planning to impose martial law to quell monthslong candlelight protests if the impeachment of then President Park Geun-hye failed. Hwang’s party filed a complaint to the prosecutors’ office against Lim Tae-hoon, the chief of the Military Human Rights Center for Korea, who raised the suspicions.  On Monday, Lim, testifying as a witness at the parliamentary audit of

Overseas investment banks JP Morgan Chase and Societe General earned a combined commission income of nearly 8 billion won ($6.8 million) from designing derivatives products sold mostly via South Korean commercial lenders that put investors at huge risk, data from the Financial Supervisory Service showed Monday.The data was acquired and released by a ruling Democratic Party lawmaker here after the nation’s financial watchdog said earlier this month that it has found 750 suspected cases of &

Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo stopped airing a controversial advertisement that has been criticized here for mocking victims coerced into Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement and labor, the company said Sunday, amid growing outrage among Korean customers. The 15-second advertisement features 97-year-old style icon Iris Apfel and 13-year-old fashion designer Kheris Rogers in conversation. In the ad, Rogers asks Apfel how she dressed when she was her age. Apfel responds, “I can&rsq

Court proceedings for recently resigned Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family began Friday. The trial preparation hearing for Cho’s wife, Chung Kyung-shim, 57, was held at the Seoul Central District Court at 11 a.m.The pretrial hearing is intended to allow defendants to clarify their positions on the charges pressed against them. As defendants are not obliged to attend, Chung did not appear. Chung, a professor at a private university, was indicted on Sept. 6 over charges of fabricat