The independent counsel investigating the “Druking” scandal is to focus on shedding light on the suspects’ wrongdoings, including whether they threatened the late Rep. Roh Heo-chan.Roh, a member of the minor Justice Party, died by suicide Monday, days after it was alleged he had illegally received political funds from an organization run by Kim Dong-won, the main suspect in the case who is also known as Druking. Park Sang-yoong, spokesman for special prosecutor Huh Ik-bum`s team, briefs the medi

Samsung Electronics Co. and the advocacy group representing victims of work-related diseases Tuesday inked an agreement to accept upcoming mediation on the long-standing dispute surrounding compensation, which has lasted more than 10 years.In a landmark decision to end the long drawn-out case, the tech giant decided to accept any proposal made by the mediation committee, which will be delivered in two months. The Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry also d

Angry online petitions are being filed to the presidential office after a TV program accused Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, as well as Seongnam Mayor Eun Soo-mi, of maintaining an illicit relationship with members of an organized crime syndicate, among others. 　Lee, 53, considered among the most influential politicians in the ruling Democratic Party, is accused of having secret ties to a gang believed to be involved with a controversial murder case that took place in Pattaya, Thailand, in

A funeral service was held in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Monday for the five Marines who died in a Marine Corps helicopter crash on July 17.Around 1,000 bereaved family members, close friends, the minister of national defense, Navy chief of staff, Marines and others attended the service to pay their respects.Before chief funeral commissioner Maj. Gen. Jun Jin-goo read the funeral speech, he read out the names of each of the departed Marines, as mourners lamented the victims. Jun prais

Long road ahead for building trust and arms reduction with North Korea

Civic groups from South and North Korea have formed a committee to bring home the remains of Koreans forced into hard labor in Japan during the 1910-45 colonial era, a leading organizer of the project here said Sunday.Kim Hong-gul, head of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (KCRC), told reporters that he and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong-dae, a vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, signed an agreement for the joint project in Pyongyang on W

YouTube and Facebook grabbed a combined 73.1 percent share of South Korea’s video advertising market in the first half of this year, according to a report by Mezzomedia, a digital marketing firm.Data showed Friday that YouTube garnered 116.9 billion won ($103.2 million) and Facebook 93 billion won from online video advertising between January and June this year. The 73.1 percent share controlled by the two firms marks a 6 percent increase from last year’s 67.5 percent.(Yonhap)Naver, the country’

A day care worker accused of fatal child abuse entered the Seoul Southern District Court Friday morning for a hearing to review the warrant for her arrest. Accompanied by Gangseo police officers, the 59-year-old woman was seen covered up in a black hat and mask in front of the court around 10 a.m. Asked if she admitted to killing the 11-month-old victim, Kim reportedly did not say a word. The suspect enters the Seoul Southern District Court Friday morning. (Yonhap)The day care worker allegedly s

South Korean figure skaters on Friday mourned the death of Denis Ten, a Kazakh star of Korean descent, taking to social media to express their condolences.Ten, the 2014 Olympic men's singles bronze medalist and a great-great-grandson of a Korean-born independence fighter Min Keung-ho, was stabbed to death in Almaty on Thursday at age 25.South Korean icon Kim Yu-na wrote on her Instagram page that she was "traumatized" by the news of Ten's death, while also posting a photo of herself and Ten toge

Denis Ten, a Kazakh figure skater of Korean descent, has been stabbed to death at 25, a Kazakhstan news agency reported Thursday.　Kazinform reported that Ten was stabbed by two unidentified men in Almaty at 3 p.m. Friday (local time) and was pronounced dead at a hospital.　The news agency added that Ten lost 3 liters of blood and was fighting for his life for nearly three hours before his passing. Denis Ten (Yonhap)　Kazinform also quoted the healthcare ministry spokesman Yernar Akimkulov as sayin

The government announced a plan to criminalize workplace harassment on Wednesday, saying that some 70 percent of all Korean employees have been bullied by their work superiors and colleagues at least once in their lives. Citing a report by the National Human Rights Commission, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said that a vast majority of working Koreans suffer from workplace harassment, and about 60 percent of the victims have never taken any action, fearing possible disadvantages. Lee also added that

A Seoul court on Thursday ordered the state and a shipping firm to compensate families of victims from a 2014 ferry sinking that killed over 300 passengers aboard, finding they are responsible for their suffering. The Seoul Central District Court awarded 200 million won ($177,000) in compensation for each deceased passenger and 40 million won to parents of students who lost their lives in the tragedy. It is the first court ruling that upholds the victims' call for state liability in the accident

A South Korean conscientious objector was sentenced to a jail term Tuesday, despite the recent Constitutional Court order for the government to introduce civilian forms of service for them.Seoul Western District Court ruled Tuesday that the man, surnamed Oh, must serve 18 months in prison for not complying with the country’s mandatory military service. Oh, 30, says that his political beliefs go against serving in the armed forces. In its ruling, the court said Oh’s motives are “unclear,” especia

South Korea's Army has grounded more than 90 Surion helicopters in service, an official said Wednesday, as safety concern has grown since the deadly crash of a Surion chopper a day earlier.The MUH-1 Marineone, the Marine variant of the KUH-1 Surion helicopter, crashed at a military airport in the southeastern city of Pohang, killing five of the six marines aboard and injuring the other.The Marine Corps is investigating the cause of the incident."We will review whether to resume the operation (of

A Marine Corps helicopter crashed in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday, leaving five dead and one injured, according to the authorities.Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters said the Surion (MUH-1) carrying six passengers crashed on the landing strip at the Navy’s Sixth Air Command in Pohang around 4:45 p.m. The helicopter was landing when it crashed from 10 meters above ground and caught fire, according to the authorities. (Yonhap) This photo provided by the Marine Corps on July 17 sh