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Eun-mi. Won silverbeauty@ajunews.com

South Korea Sets 1,714 Passers for 15th Bar Exam, Urges Absolute Grading for Electives South Korea’s Justice Ministry has finalized 1,714 successful candidates for the 15th bar exam and issued recommendations to overhaul how lawyers are selected and trained, including adopting absolute grading for elective subjects. The ministry said April 24 it set the pass list after deliberations by the bar exam management committee on April 23 and after reflecting opinions from the Supreme Court, the Korean Bar Association and the council representing law schools. Those who scored at least 889.11 points passed, for a total of 1,714. The number of passers was down 30 from a year earlier, when 1,744 passed. Of 3,364 test-takers, the pass rate was 50.95%. Measured against the law school admissions quota of 2,000, the pass rate was 85.70%. The first-time pass rate was 70.04%. Among examinees who used all five attempts allowed over five years, the cumulative pass rate was 88.43%. The ministry said detailed grading results and statistics will be posted on its website next month. The ministry said it also provided accommodations for 26 examinees with disabilities, including five with severe disabilities such as total blindness. Support included extended testing time, computers with voice assistance and dedicated proctors. The bar exam management committee also adopted broader reform recommendations as the law school system marks its 15th year, citing ongoing debate over the supply and demand of legal services and concerns about normalizing law school operations. The ministry said it will improve the selection and training system by considering changes in economic growth, population decline, shifts in legal demand and environmental changes such as artificial intelligence. On elective subjects, it recommended moving toward absolute grading, provided that a credit-completion system and achievement-based evaluation indicators are put in place, to address weaker links between education and testing and heavy concentration in certain subjects. The ministry said the recommendations aim to normalize law school education and build a training system that can respond to a changing legal environment.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 14:48:20
Special counsel raids Joint Chiefs over alleged bid for second martial law deployment A special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, investigating unresolved questions after the 12·3 insurrection incident, launched its first compulsory investigation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, focusing on allegations of an attempted “second martial law.” The probe has gained urgency after new testimony suggested the military considered additional troop deployments even after the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding martial law be lifted. The team sent prosecutors and investigators to the Joint Chiefs headquarters in Seoul’s Yongsan district and to the homes of key suspects to conduct searches and seizures. Investigators are seeking to reconstruct command and reporting lines and how troops were managed before and after the martial law declaration. According to reports, the warrant lists four Joint Chiefs figures as suspects on charges of being key participants in an insurrection: former chairman Kim Myung-soo, former vice chairman Jeong Jin-pal, former Military Support Command chief Kang Dong-gil, and former operations chief Lee Seung-oh. The case is the special counsel’s “Case No. 1” opened by recognition. At the center of the investigation is whether additional forces were pursued after the Assembly approved the resolution. The special counsel said it recently obtained statements from current and former Joint Chiefs officials that “after the resolution passed, and before a Cabinet meeting voted to lift martial law, there was a request to the Joint Chiefs for additional troop deployments.” Investigators also reportedly detected signs that some units were asked to check whether deployments were possible. If confirmed, the findings could support allegations that Yoon Suk Yeol and others sought to keep martial law in place after the Assembly vote or to attempt a “second martial law.” A first-instance court previously recognized that Yoon instructed former Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo to the effect that “even if the resolution passes, you can declare martial law two or three times.” The special counsel is also focusing on the Joint Chiefs leadership’s role, which earlier investigators did not pursue in depth. A previous special counsel on the insurrection did not find concrete evidence of the Joint Chiefs’ involvement and effectively removed Kim and others from the investigative focus. The new testimony and indications of troop-deployment reviews could change that assessment. Investigators also reportedly obtained a statement that Kim, at a Cabinet meeting, asked whether a conclusion different from the Assembly’s could be reached. Kim is also accused of issuing a fragmentary order to the Special Warfare Command and the Capital Defense Command to “prioritize martial law duties.” At the same time, statements have also surfaced that Kim refused an actual request for additional troop deployments. The special counsel said it needs to determine whether orders were given and who bears responsibility, citing indications the Joint Chiefs checked troop availability, including rear-area units. After analyzing seized materials, the special counsel plans to summon Kim and other related figures for questioning in sequence. The raids are expected to sharpen scrutiny of the military leadership’s actions during martial law and whether a “second martial law” was attempted.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 14:06:23
Justice Ministry Releases Official Stats on Foreign Residents’ Moves and Inflows The Justice Ministry on Thursday released new official statistics that track where foreign residents in South Korea move and how many newly enter or leave the country. The ministry said two datasets — “foreign residents’ domestic movement statistics” and “foreign residents’ new inflow and outflow statistics” — were newly designated as nationally approved statistics after review by the National Data Policy Committee. Nationally approved statistics are government-certified data intended to ensure credibility and to serve as basic material for policy planning, the ministry said. The domestic movement statistics compile quarterly figures on interregional moves, such as move-ins and move-outs, using address-change reports filed by foreign residents, including ethnic Koreans. The inflow and outflow statistics compile monthly totals of new foreign registrations and departures after registration cancellations, allowing officials to track changes in the foreign resident population and the scale of inflows. “The new statistics were prepared to reflect the growing number of foreign residents in South Korea and rising interest in immigration policy,” the ministry said. As of last year, about 2.78 million foreign residents lived in South Korea, accounting for 5.4% of the total population. The ministry said the data will be used as baseline material to estimate an appropriate level of foreign inflows, advance region-based immigration and border policies, and help local governments analyze demand related to foreign residents. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said, “To make immigration administration more transparent, we will actively develop and open new statistics and continue to pursue immigration policy based on data.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 10:36:18
Jeonju Prosecutors Office Chief Lee Jeong-ryeol Tops New Asset Disclosures at 8.77 Billion Won Three senior prosecutors ranked first through third in assets among 92 newly disclosed senior public officials this year. According to the Government Public Officials Ethics Committee’s ad hoc asset disclosure released on the 23rd, Jeonju District Prosecutors Office Chief Lee Jeong-ryeol reported the largest total, 8.773 billion won, among incumbents newly subject to disclosure due to status changes in January and February. Lee reported 4.46 billion won in land owned by him and his spouse, 2.331 billion won in buildings including an apartment and an officetel in Seoul’s Seocho District, and 2.007 billion won in deposits. Daegu High Prosecutors Office Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho Ara, a prosecutor general-level official, ranked second with 7.095 billion won. Cho reported 2.033 billion won in real estate including an apartment jointly owned with her spouse, 4.479 billion won in deposits, and 508 million won in stocks. Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Director of Trial and Litigation Ahn Seong-hui, also a prosecutor general-level official, ranked third with 6.642 billion won. Ahn reported 4.895 billion won in real estate, including a factory and an apartment owned by his spouse, and 2.405 billion won in private loans receivable. Other disclosures included 5.002 billion won reported by Jang Hye-young, director of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s Scientific Investigation Division, and 1.648 billion won reported by Jeong Gwang-su, deputy chief prosecutor at the Daejeon High Prosecutors Office. Separately, Hong Ik-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs at Cheong Wa Dae, reported total assets of 6.07835 billion won, including about 3.3 billion won in unlisted shares held in his spouse’s name. Hong’s assets were disclosed for the first time after his appointment in January. Much of Hong’s reported wealth was in securities, including 3.32251 billion won in unlisted shares of an interior design company run by his spouse and 752.93 million won in family-held deposits. He jointly owns an apartment in Seoul’s Seongdong District valued at 985 million won with his spouse. The total value of building-related rights, including a jeonse deposit right for an apartment in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, and jeonse deposit rights for an officetel and an apartment in Seoul’s Seocho District, was reported at 2.9305 billion won. 2026-04-24 10:21:18
South Korea Passes Bills to Tighten Oversight of High-Risk Sex Offenders, Aid Illegal Lending Victims South Korea’s National Assembly passed revisions aimed at tightening oversight of high-risk sex offenders and strengthening protections for victims of illegal private lending, the Justice Ministry said. According to the ministry on the 23rd, amendments to the law governing electronic monitoring cleared the Assembly’s plenary session that day. The changes expand the scope of cases eligible for one-on-one supervision by a dedicated probation officer for high-risk sexual violence offenders. Previously, such dedicated supervision was allowed only when the victim was under 19 and the offender was deemed at high risk of reoffending. Under the revision, the measure will apply to high-risk sexual violence offenders subject to electronic monitoring regardless of the victim’s age, enabling closer oversight, the ministry said. The ministry said it expects the change to improve prevention by building a system that selects and intensively manages those at highest risk of reoffending. Lawmakers also passed amendments to the Act on Confiscation of Criminal Proceeds from Corruption Crimes. The revision adds illegal private lending offenses to the list of crimes for which illicit profits can be recovered and returned to victims. Current law allows confiscation or collection of criminal proceeds and their return to victims only for certain fraud-related crimes — including criminal organizations, illegal fundraising schemes, pyramid schemes and voice phishing — as well as embezzlement and breach of trust. Under the revision, proceeds from violations of the Money Lending Business Act, including charging interest above the legal limit or profits obtained by illegal private lenders, will also be eligible for return. The revision also creates a legal basis for the state to confiscate or collect criminal proceeds and return them to victims when victims have difficulty seeking repayment on their own, the ministry said, adding it expects the change to make recovery more effective. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said the ministry will "continue to improve the system so that management and supervision of violent crime are strengthened, and recovery of criminal proceeds and victim restitution are carried out effectively."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 17:10:31
Court Upholds Culture Ministry’s Call for Heavy Sanctions Against KFA Chief Chung Mong-gyu A South Korean court ruled that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism acted lawfully in ordering the Korea Football Association to seek heavy disciplinary action against its president, Chung Mong-gyu. The Seoul Administrative Court’s Administrative Division 5, led by Presiding Judge Lee Jeong-won, ruled Thursday against the association in its lawsuit seeking to overturn the ministry’s notice of special-audit results and related corrective demands. The court said that while some findings may have been inappropriate, that alone did not make the ministry’s corrective demands unjust or illegal. It added that the level of disciplinary action requested fell within the ministry’s discretionary authority. The court also said the association is not unconditionally required under the Public Audit Act to comply with the ministry’s demands. If the association does not comply, the ministry may conduct another audit, but it has no direct means to impose discipline or force implementation, the court said. In November 2024, the ministry announced the results of a special audit of the association and demanded disciplinary action of at least a suspension of qualifications against Chung and other key figures. The audit said it confirmed 27 cases of illegal or improper handling of 업무, including problems in the process of appointing the national team’s coaching staff. The ministry launched the special audit in July that year after controversy over alleged unfairness surrounding the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as head coach of the national team. At the time, the ministry demanded disciplinary action of at least a suspension of qualifications against Chung, then full-time vice president Kim Jeong-bae and Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, citing responsibility for poor institutional management. It also ordered the association to report back within one month. The association sought reconsideration, but the ministry rejected the request. The association then filed suit to cancel the ministry’s action and also sought a suspension of enforcement. An association official said the ministry sought disciplinary action against nearly 20 staff members and executives at the roughly 100-person organization, and that it would be difficult to accept all of the demands. In February last year, the court granted the request to suspend enforcement, allowing Chung to run in the next association presidential election and win. The court said then there was an urgent need to prevent irreparable harm to the association from enforcement of the ministry’s action, and that a suspension was unlikely to significantly harm the public interest. That decision was upheld in September last year by the Supreme Court on a re-appeal. The ministry appealed, but the Seoul High Court reached the same conclusion in May that year, and the Supreme Court later finalized it. With the association losing the main lawsuit, the ministry’s disciplinary-action demand against Chung has regained effect. Chung won a fourth consecutive term in February last year, receiving 156 of 182 valid votes in the election for the 55th KFA president.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 15:57:47
Prosecutors Indict 4 Corn Syrup Makers, 25 Employees in $10B Price-Fixing Case Prosecutors said they uncovered long-running price-fixing in South Korea’s corn syrup industry, a market they said generates sales in the tens of trillions of won, and indicted dozens of company officials. Investigators said the alleged collusion extended beyond the main product to byproducts, forming what they described as an organized scheme. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office Fair Trade Investigation Division, led by Chief Prosecutor Na Hui-seok, said on the 23rd it indicted four manufacturers and 25 executives and employees without detention for alleged violations of the Fair Trade Act. Prosecutors said the defendants are accused of agreeing in advance on when and how much to raise prices for corn syrup and related byproducts from July 2017 through October last year, restricting competition. The suspected collusion involved about 10.152 trillion won in transactions, prosecutors said. The case is notable, prosecutors said, because the companies allegedly aligned prices not only for corn syrup but also for byproducts. They said they view it as “structural collusion,” alleging that firms shared information and reached prior agreements across the process, from buying corn to setting product prices. Prosecutors said the companies moved quickly to raise prices when raw material costs rose, but limited price cuts when costs fell, repeatedly coordinating the timing and level of increases in advance. They said consumers bore higher costs: During the alleged collusion period, prices of major corn syrup items rose by as much as 73.4% compared with before the scheme, exceeding the consumer inflation rate. Prosecutors also said the four companies’ sales increased by an average of about 24.5% during the period, indicating that the price hikes were reflected in business results. Investigators said they identified how the alleged scheme operated: Sales departments shared pricing information, coordinated responses by customer, and effectively ran a joint pricing policy. They added that byproduct prices generated during corn syrup production also appeared to have been fixed in tandem with corn syrup prices, limiting price competition across the market for years. “Through this investigation, we identified the reality of collusion across the corn syrup industry,” prosecutors said, adding they will continue to respond strictly to price-fixing in everyday goods that affect household finances.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 14:30:27
CJ CheilJedang, Samyang executives get suspended prison terms in $3B sugar price-fixing case A Seoul court on Wednesday convicted current and former executives and employees of CJ CheilJedang and Samyang of fixing sugar prices in a case prosecutors valued at about 3 trillion won. A judge handed suspended prison terms to top executives and fined each company 200 million won. Judge Ryu Ji-mi of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim, a former CJ CheilJedang Food Korea chief, and Choi, a former Samyang CEO, to 2 1/2 years in prison, suspended for three years, and fined each 100 million won for violating the Fair Trade Act. Nine other employees from the two companies also received suspended prison terms and fines. Under joint-penalty provisions, the court fined CJ CheilJedang and Samyang 200 million won each. "Based on the defendants’ confessions and corroborating evidence, guilt is recognized," the court said, adding that the conduct "undermined the basic purpose of the law and distorted market order." The judge said that even when collusion occurs in business-to-business transactions, "the ultimate harm can be passed on to consumers" and should not be treated lightly. The court also noted that the companies had previously been investigated by the Fair Trade Commission in a flour price-fixing case and had received relief or reduced penalties through a leniency program, yet similar conduct was repeated. Still, the judge said it was difficult to conclude the companies reaped excessive profits, citing the public nature of international raw sugar prices, the bargaining power of large buyers and price trends for raw sugar. The court also considered that the defendants admitted wrongdoing and expressed remorse, and that some responsible parties had been detained for more than five months. Prosecutors said the defendants agreed in advance on the timing and size of sugar price increases from February 2021 to April last year, limiting competition. Prosecutors put the value of the collusion at about 3.2715 trillion won. Investigators said the companies quickly reflected increases in raw sugar costs in product prices, but limited price cuts when raw sugar prices fell. During the period, sugar prices rose as much as 66.7%, and even after raw sugar prices declined, prices remained about 55.6% higher than before the collusion. At closing arguments, prosecutors sought three years in prison and a 100 million won fine for Kim, and 2 1/2 years in prison and a 70 million won fine for Choi. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 11:19:23
Justice Ministry Rejects Reports Challenging Lee Jae-myung’s Remarks on Criminal Records South Korea’s Justice Ministry on Wednesday rejected what it called “fake news” reports disputing President Lee Jae-myung’s recent remarks about criminal records, saying the figures cited in the coverage were being misread. The National Assembly Research Service also said it is not possible to calculate a single, official total of people with criminal records or make reliable cross-country comparisons. The ministry said some outlets reported that Lee’s comments were untrue, citing a reply from the research service that referenced U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime data. The coverage said the number of people convicted in South Korea in 2022 was about 384 per 100,000 residents. The Justice Ministry countered with different figures from the Supreme Court’s “2023 Judicial Yearbook,” saying about 750,000 people were convicted in 2022 — about 1,460 per 100,000 residents. The ministry stressed that the number reflects annual convictions and “is not appropriate” to interpret as the total number of people with criminal records. It said “people convicted in a given year” and “people with criminal records” are different concepts, because a yearly conviction count does not represent the accumulated number of people with prior criminal punishment histories. In a separate clarification released the same day, the National Assembly Research Service said it did not provide any reply stating South Korea’s total number or share of people with criminal records, or data comparing such figures across countries. It said definitions and scope vary by country, making comparisons difficult, and that it is hard to find official domestic statistics showing a cumulative total. The research service added that UNODC statistics also count newly convicted people each year and have limits for direct comparisons because legal systems and punishment standards differ. It said its reply was not intended to judge whether the president’s remarks were true or false. The dispute stems from Lee’s comments at a Cabinet meeting on April 14, when he said, “Most people have a criminal record,” while criticizing what he described as overuse of criminal punishment. He said the principle of legality had “effectively collapsed.” The government has since been pursuing an “economic penalties rationalization plan” to overhaul more than 1,000 laws that include criminal penalties. The plan would shift simple administrative violations or minor legal breaches to financial sanctions such as fines and penalty surcharges, and limit criminal punishment to cases where it is necessary. As examples, the government is raising the cap on penalty surcharges for telecommunications operators that restrict contract cancellations from 1 billion won to 5 billion won, and reviewing a plan to impose penalty surcharges directly on parties involved in illegal loans by major bank shareholders. At the same time, it is moving to ease some criminal punishment provisions or convert them to administrative sanctions. Political sparring has continued. The People Power Party condemned Lee’s remarks as “outrageous,” saying he smeared the public as criminals. The government says Lee was raising concerns to improve a sanctions system centered on criminal punishment. The Justice Ministry and the National Assembly Research Service both emphasized that producing a single figure for the number of people with criminal records — or comparing such totals across countries — is not realistically possible. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 10:21:56
Prosecutors seek 15-year prison sentence for ex-interior minister in appeals case SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Prosecutors on Wednesday again sought a 15-year prison term for former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min in his appeals trial over allegations related to disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle in December 2024. Lee was sentenced to seven years in prison in his first trial in February this year. During a hearing at the Seoul High Court, prosecutors said Lee played a key role in carrying out Yoon's botched declaration of martial law by instructing police and fire agencies to cut off power and water to major institutions and news outlets on Yoon's orders with the aim of "completely paralyzing" media critical of the abrupt overnight fiasco. "The case is tantamount to terrorism against democracy," they criticized, adding that insurrection or its attempt is a serious crime that would make heavy punishment unavoidable even if it is merely planned. They argued that the absence of casualties and the fact that the debacle failed should not be grounds for a reduced sentence, and called for strict punishment to prevent a recurrence. They also pointed to his uncooperative behavior in investigations and perjury during hearings, saying these should be considered in sentencing. Prosecutors also suspected that he was aware of Yoon's plan in advance, citing evidence that he had spoken with key officials such as former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The appellate court is expected to deliver a sentence sometime next month as it must be concluded within three months of the first trial verdict, meaning the ruling would be made before May 12. 2026-04-22 17:14:27