Journalist

Eun-mi. Won
  • Namyang Dairy heiress arrested for alleged drug use after fleeing abroad
    Namyang Dairy heiress arrested for alleged drug use after fleeing abroad SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - Hwang Ha-na, the granddaughter of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products has been arrested after fleeing abroad, police said on Wednesday. According to police in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Hwang, 37, arrived at Incheon International Airport earlier in the morning and is currently being questioned over drug-related allegations. She is suspected of having used methamphetamine with two acquaintances in southern Seoul in 2023, again coming under investigation. Police declined to comment further, but Hwang reportedly fled to Southeast Asia shortly after becoming aware that she was a target of a police investigation and is believed to have lived in Cambodia. After Interpol issued a blue notice to locate her, Hwang suggested she would cooperate and appear for questioning, prompting police to initiate formal arrest procedures and travel to Cambodia to bring her back. Hwang, who previously drew public attention for her relationship with singer-turned-actor Park Yoo-chun, was convicted of using methamphetamine three times between May and September 2015 at her home in Seoul and elsewhere and received a suspended prison sentence in 2019. The following year, she was again convicted on drug-related charges and received a harsher sentence of 20 months in prison. The recidivist was also booked last year for alleged drug use in 2023, as part of an investigation into a drug case involving the late actor Lee Sun-kyun. 2025-12-24 14:25:18
  • HYBE shares dip after court orders freeze in chair Bangs stock holdings
    HYBE shares dip after court orders freeze in chair Bang's stock holdings SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Shares of South Korea's entertainment giant HYBE slid more than 1 percent early Friday after a Seoul court approved the prosecution request for a freeze on the stock holdings of its founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk worth 156.8 billion won ($106 million) while the investigation on malpractice related to pre-listing share transactions proceeded. The KOSPI-trading shares are down 1.4 percent at 291,250 won as of 9:40 a.m. in Seoul. Bang owns 13.151,394 shares or 30.5 percent of HYBE. The Seoul Southern District Court approved the pre-indictment asset freeze, according to legal officials briefed on the case. The move prevents Bang from disposing of the frozen HYBE shares while prosecutors determine whether they represent illicit gains. If wrongdoing is confirmed, the government may seize assets equal in value to those profits. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office filed the request following a recommendation from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s financial crimes unit, which has been probing the case for several months. The allegations stretch back to 2019, when HYBE — then still known as Big Hit Entertainment — was preparing for what would become one of Korea’s most closely watched IPOs. Investigators say Bang told existing HYBE investors and private equity partners that he had no plans to pursue a public listing, shaping the terms of share transactions at the time. Authorities now allege that, contrary to those assurances, Bang had already entered into a confidential agreement that would allow him to sell part of his stake once the company went public. When HYBE’s valuation soared after its 2020 IPO, police believe Bang realized approximately 190 billion won in gains tied to that undisclosed arrangement. Prosecutors argue that this alleged concealment may constitute investor fraud, prompting the freeze to prevent any movement of shares that could later be subject to seizure. HYBE, in a statement, downplayed the significance of the ruling. “The asset freeze is a standard procedure and does not imply guilt,” a spokesperson said. “We are cooperating fully with the investigation and await the authorities’ decision.” Bang has not been indicted, and the court’s action does not determine the merits of the case. But the size of the freeze — among the largest imposed in recent entertainment-industry investigations — underscores both Bang’s outsized role in Korea’s cultural economy and the scale of the alleged financial misconduct. The investigation remains ongoing, with prosecutors expected to decide in the coming months whether to formally charge the HYBE chairman. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 09:49:35
  • Prosecutors raid Korea Zinc, brokerages in expanding stock issuance probe
    Prosecutors raid Korea Zinc, brokerages in expanding stock issuance probe SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - South Korean prosecutors carried out additional raids on Korea Zinc and securities firms involved in the company’s stock issuance plan, widening an investigation into alleged violations of capital market laws. A joint investigation team of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Jin-ho, searched Korea Zinc’s headquarters and other locations on Tuesday, seizing computers and internal records. Investigators also raided the offices of Mirae Asset Securities, the lead underwriter, and KB Securities, a co-underwriter, as well as certain departments at Hana Bank. The probe centers on allegations that Korea Zinc, one of the world’s largest zinc smelters, may have engaged in unfair trading practices related to its 2.1 trillion won ($1.5 billion) stock issuance plan announced on Oct. 30 last year, shortly after a share buyback. Authorities suspect the firm may have concealed plans to use the new share sale to finance the earlier buyback. Mirae Asset is reported to have begun due diligence for the offering on Oct. 14, despite Korea Zinc’s public statements that it had no plans to alter its financial structure following the repurchase. The Financial Supervisory Service, citing concerns over possible investor confusion, ordered Korea Zinc to revise its securities filing, prompting the company to withdraw the issuance on Nov. 13. The Financial Services Commission later referred the case to prosecutors, citing potential violations of capital rules. Tuesday's searches follow earlier raids in April, when prosecutors seized documents from six corporate offices — including Korea Zinc, Mirae Asset, and KB Securities — and five residences linked to the case. Prosecutors are examining whether executives at Korea Zinc or its financial partners coordinated to mislead investors or profit from undisclosed information ahead of the planned stock sale. Korea Zinc shares closed down 3.07 percent, or 32,000 won, at 1,011,000 won on Tuesday. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-04 15:42:59
  • More South Koreans likely involved in scam frauds in Cambodia
    More South Koreans likely involved in scam frauds in Cambodia SEOUL, October 20 (AJP) - Statistics suggest that more South Koreans are involved in scam frauds and phishing schemes in Cambodia than previously estimated. According to data from the Ministry of Justice submitted to lawmaker Park Chan-dae of the ruling Democratic Party and revealed on Monday, the number of South Koreans who traveled to Cambodia but did not return has risen sharply in recent years. The figure was 113 in 2021, but surged to a whopping 3,209 in 2022, 2,662 in 2023, and 3,248 in 2024. As of August this year, 864 had not returned. The number of travelers to the Southeast Asian country surged from 5,476 in 2021 to 108,820 in 2024. In the first eight months of this year, 67,609 have traveled there. It is also believed that many people may have entered Phnom Penh via neighboring countries such as Thailand and Viet Nam, which are not reflected in local official statistics. Supporting this, Cambodia's immigration data shows higher numbers, with 60,740 South Koreans entering in 2022 and 192,305 in 2024. For this reason, experts suggest the actual number involved in scam-related crimes may far exceed the estimated 1,000, as some enter Cambodia illegally via China. Emerging evidence and testimony from witnesses indicate that far more South Koreans may have faced detention, violence, and organ trafficking than officially reported. Park emphasized the need for a thorough review of travel records and consular data to tackle the issue. Meanwhile, police are seeking arrest warrants for 59 of the 64 suspects who were detained in Cambodia over alleged online job scams and other crimes and brought home last Saturday. Four were released, and one was denied an arrest warrant by prosecutors. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-20 11:23:45
  • Man sentenced to 12 years in prison for setting fire to Seoul subway train
    Man sentenced to 12 years in prison for setting fire to Seoul subway train SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - The Seoul Southern District Court on Tuesday sentenced a 67-year-old man to 12 years in prison for attempting to murder passengers by setting fire to a Seoul subway train earlier this year. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence for the man, identified only by his surname Won, who was charged with attempted murder, arson, and violating railway safety laws. "The defendant poured gasoline and set fire to a train carrying hundreds of passengers out of dissatisfaction with his divorce proceedings, causing injuries and widespread panic," the court said in its ruling. The ruling came months after Won set fire to a train between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations in May, aiming to kill about 160 passengers, including himself. The fire left six people injured and hospitalized 23 others for smoke inhalation. Won reportedly planned the arson to draw public attention, preparing by purchasing gasoline and selling off his assets. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-14 14:26:14