The trial of former President Park Geun-hye will begin on May 2, a week before the nation elects a new president. The first preparatory hearing, in which Park and prosecutors are asked to explain their stances on the case, has been set for 10 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court, sources at the court said Friday.Former President Park Geun-hye (Yonhap)Park, in custody since late last month, faces a total of 18 charges, including bribery, abuse of power and leak of government secrets. She was

The Justice Ministry is considering establishing an independent body to screen refugee applications as the number of asylum seekers in the country grows, it said Wednesday. “We have commissioned a study for an entity specializing in deliberating on appeals of those rejected a refugee status,” an official from the ministry told The Korea Herald.“The research is not yet done, so it is difficult to discuss when it will be established and what form it will take,” the official said.The Ministry of Ju

In recent months, the world witnessed South Koreans take to the streets weekend after weekend intent on ousting President Park Geun-hye from power. 　　The demonstrations were hailed as a sign of a maturing democracy, but the country’s rallies have not always been peaceful. They have at times been marred by clashes between police and protesters, triggering debate over who is to blame for the eruptions of violence. 　Protesters supporting ousted President Park Geun-hye attempt to march towards the C

Police said Wednesday they are investigating a swimming instructor for suspected abuse of a 7-year-old boy in a swimming pool in Busan. CCTV footage revealed by a local media outlet shows the suspect grabbing the boy’s foot and throwing him into the swimming pool for adults twice at Saha-gu Sports Training Center.  (Captured from CCTV footage)The swimming instructor also left the boy on the top of the pool’s 1.8-meter-high lookout tower to punish him during a 45-minute lesson in early April.“Aft

Former President Park Geun-hye received 59.2 billion won ($52.1 million) in bribes, South Korean prosecutors said Monday, indicting the leader on a total of 18 charges. With the indictment, the prosecutors ended a six-month, multifaceted probe into the corruption scandal that forced Park out of office last month. They also indicted Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin -- without physical detention -- for bribery, while clearing SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Woo Byung-woo, who was Park’s key aide

SEOUL/ANSAN, Gyeonggi Province -- For many South Koreans, facing April 16 does not get any easier. The day brings back traumatic memories of watching on TV a giant passenger ferry sink slowly in a calm sea and realizing a few hours later that what they had watched was the scene of nearly 300 being drowned to death. It is even more difficult for victims’ grieving families, as they still search for the truth behind what caused the Sewol ferry to sink and why the government failed to save so many. 

A top court Thursday confirmed a 27-year jail term for a woman convicted of abusing her stepson to death and burying his body to cover up the crime.Upholding a lower court’s decision, the Supreme Court also confirmed a 17-year prison term for the father of 7-year-old Shin Won-young for neglecting the crime and helping abandon the boy’s body.A photo of 7-year-old Shin Won-young (Yonhap)Prosecutors said that the 39-year-old stepmother, surnamed Kim, had locked up the boy in a bathroom and abused h

South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday arrested Ko Young-tae, a whistleblower in the corruption scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil. Ko, who was once a close associate of Choi, is accused of receiving kickbacks in return for wielding influence on personnel appointment at the nation’s customs agency. He was taken into custody at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday evening after the court issued a warrant Monday. Prosecutors can hold h

When Maria first came to Korea 17 years ago, the Filipina had no one to rely on, except for her Korean husband. Despite his support, it took more than a decade to finally be able to call South Korea her home.From the language barrier and spicy food to the country’s patriarchal values, the 47-year-old, who did not want to use her real name, faced challenges every step of the way to adjust to life here, some 2,600 kilometers away from her family and friends in the Philippines.(Ministry of Gender E

Woo Byung-woo, a former aide of ousted President Park Geun-hye, appeared at a local court Tuesday to fight against the prosecution’s request for his arrest warrant over charges tied to the scandal that led to Park’s removal from power and arrest.Woo, who was a senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, is suspected of abetting or condoning Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil’s meddling in state affairs, and exerting undue influence over the prosecution to help Choi. Woo Byung-woo

A Seoul court on Friday began the trial of the country’s most prominent businessman -- Samsung Group’s de facto chief Lee Jae-yong -- on bribery charges in connection with the scandal that removed President Park Geun-hye from power. On the same day, prosecutors sought to extend the arrest of the ousted president and questioned Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin on a related allegation -- providing donations to foundations allegedly controlled by Park’s confidante Choi Soon-sil. Lee is brought to

Woo Byung-woo, ousted President Park Geun-hye’s former aide, appeared at the prosecution’s office Thursday for questioning over a corruption scandal that led to Park’s removal from power and arrest.Woo, who served Park as a presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, is suspected of abetting or condoning Choi’s meddling in state affairs and exerting undue influence over the prosecution to disrupt a probe into the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014. Woo, a prosecutor-turned-presid

When Leo Mendoza decided to go shopping with his wife on March 30, he did not imagine that it would lead to one of the most hurtful experiences in his 16-year stay in Korea, all because he wanted to save a child’s life. As they spotted a Korean boy about to be hit by a car in the parking lot, his Korean wife Shin Jin-young instinctively screamed to stop the vehicle, which prevented an accident. The child’s grandparents, who were not paying attention when this happened, started to yell at Mendoza

South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday grilled former President Park Geun-hye at a detention facility, where she is in custody, as part of a continuing investigation into a scandal that led to her removal from office and arrest. Prosecutor Han Woong-jae led the interrogation from 10 a.m. to 8:40 p.m. at a makeshift investigation room at Seoul Detention Center south of Seoul, where she has been jailed since Friday. The session took place inside the facility at Park’s request. It was the first questi