Journalist

KWONKYUHONG
  • Kim Dong-hwan Seeks Jury Trial in Killing of Airline Captain; First Hearing Set for May 19
    Kim Dong-hwan Seeks Jury Trial in Killing of Airline Captain; First Hearing Set for May 19 Kim Dong-hwan, who has been indicted in custody on charges of trying to kill co-workers at an airline and fatally stabbing one of them, has applied for a jury trial, legal officials said. According to the legal community on the 21st, Kim’s attorney submitted a written request and an opinion statement to the Busan District Court’s Criminal Division 7, headed by Presiding Judge Lim Ju-hyeok. The panel is reviewing whether to hold the case as a jury trial or to exclude it as inappropriate. South Korea introduced the jury trial system in 2008. Citizens age 20 and older may serve as jurors in criminal cases, delivering a verdict and discussing an appropriate sentence. The system applies to cases under a district court panel when a defendant requests it, and the jury’s decision is advisory. Kim was indicted on charges that he stabbed to death an airline captain, identified as A, at about 5:30 a.m. on March 17 at an apartment in Busan’s Busanjin district. Investigators said Kim had gone the day before to the home of another colleague, identified as B, an airline captain living in Goyang, Gyeonggi province, intending to kill him, but failed and fled. After that attempt, authorities said, Kim went to Changwon, South Gyeongsang province, and tried to kill another former co-worker, identified as C, but that attack also failed. Kim, a former Air Force intelligence officer, is believed to have targeted the victims because he thought they — fellow graduates of the Korea Air Force Academy — had organized efforts at work to undermine him or cause him harm. When he was transferred to prosecutors, Kim told reporters, “Vicious vested interests” had shown “hubris” by thinking they could ruin a person’s life, and that “nemesis” had struck. His request for a jury trial is seen as an effort to appeal to jurors that he was wronged. Kim is reported to have been assigned a court-appointed lawyer. His first hearing is scheduled for May 19. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 18:02:17
  • Law Firm YK Signs MOU With Korea Senior Vision Federation to Expand Legal Aid for Seniors and Youth
    Law Firm YK Signs MOU With Korea Senior Vision Federation to Expand Legal Aid for Seniors and Youth Large law firm YK and the Korea Senior Vision Federation have signed a partnership agreement aimed at expanding structured public-interest legal support for seniors and youth, moving beyond one-off free consultations. According to the legal community on the 21st, the memorandum of understanding ceremony was held at YK’s main office in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Attending for YK were managing partner Kang Gyeong-hun, Kwon Soon-il, a former Supreme Court justice, and attorneys Kim Ji-hoon and Guk Go-eun. The federation was represented by Chair Cha Heung-bong, a former health and welfare minister, along with CEO Park Seong-bo, Vice Chair Park Yeong-ae and Secretary General Lee Hyeong-geol. The Korea Senior Vision Federation is a nonprofit incorporated association under the Ministry of Health and Welfare that carries out public-interest projects by drawing on the expertise of retired professionals. It operates 49 senior vocational clubs nationwide and runs programs including youth career mentoring and humanities lectures for older adults. The two sides said the agreement is intended to present a new cooperation model aligned with rising demand for corporate ESG and CSR initiatives. The plan is to combine the federation’s public-interest infrastructure with YK’s legal expertise to jointly develop social contribution programs that companies can trust and join. YK said it will provide tailored legal support across the projects, including legal education for youth on preventing school violence and cybercrime, and practical guidance for seniors on inheritance and wills and responding to voice-phishing scams. Cha said, “I am very pleased to form a meaningful partnership with the dynamically growing Law Firm YK,” adding, “At this critical time as we enter a super-aged society, if YK’s legal support is added, it will be a great help for seniors in our society to enjoy a more stable and active later life.” Kang said, “As a young law firm, YK has a firm commitment to sincerely provide practical help to our society,” and added, “We deeply sympathize with the federation’s meaningful efforts, and we will do our best to make a real contribution to protecting the legal rights and interests of its members and supporting vulnerable groups by fully leveraging an organic collaboration system.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 15:43:42
  • Court Fines Kim Keon Hee 3 Million Won for Skipping Testimony in Julli Case
    Court Fines Kim Keon Hee 3 Million Won for Skipping Testimony in 'Julli' Case A court fined first lady Kim Keon Hee after she failed to appear as a witness in a trial tied to allegations that she once worked at an adult entertainment bar, an issue widely referred to as the “Julli” allegation. According to the legal community on the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 34, led by Chief Judge Han Seong-jin, ordered a 3 million won fine against Kim for not appearing at a continued trial of Ahn Hae-wook, former head of the Korea Elementary School Taekwondo Association, who is charged with violating the Public Official Election Act and other offenses. Kim’s side had submitted a reason for her absence, but the court rejected it, saying it was not justified. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, a court may impose a fine of up to 5 million won on a witness who, after receiving a summons, fails to appear without a valid reason. The allegation surfaced ahead of the 2022 20th presidential election. Ahn said on the YouTube channel Open Sympathy TV that he had seen Kim working at an adult entertainment bar in the past and claimed she was known by the nickname “Julli.” Prosecutors indicted Ahn, saying he publicized false information to cause then-candidate Yoon Suk Yeol to lose the election. Prosecutors also sent to trial Jeong Cheon-su, a former CEO of the channel that aired Ahn’s remarks in an interview format. Despite Kim’s absence, the court plans to summon her again as a witness and continue the trial on May 20.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 14:18:24
  • Court grants bail to far-right pastor in courthouse intrusion case
    Court grants bail to far-right pastor in courthouse intrusion case SEOUL, April 7 (AJP) - Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, who had been detained for allegedly instigating a courthouse intrusion, is set to be released on bail Tuesday. The Seoul Western District Court granted bail after the outspoken far-right pastor cited health reasons in his request. The court said the pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, a presbyterian church in northern Seoul, needs regular hospital visits to treat a urological condition related to diabetes, adding that "his face is widely known, so the risk of flight is low." It also said that a travel ban would prevent him from fleeing overseas. Once he fulfills the bail conditions set by the court, which require him to pay 100 million Korean won and bar him from any direct or indirect contact with people connected to the intrusion, he will be released. Jeon has been accused of inciting the incident in January last year in an attempt to prevent the arrest of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. He allegedly encouraged his church members and Yoon's diehard supporters to storm the Seoul Western District Court in search of the judge who issued the arrest warrant, damaging court property and assaulting police and others. 2026-04-07 15:37:23
  • Ex-interior minister sentenced to 7 years in prison in martial law case
    Ex-interior minister sentenced to 7 years in prison in martial law case SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday for his role in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle. In a trial broadcast nationwide, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that he was guilty of aiding Yoon's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, by instructing police and fire agencies to cut off power and water to media outlets on Yoon's orders. The court also found him guilty of perjury for denying his involvement in the botched debacle during, Yoon's impeachment trial in February last year. The court said the short-lived fiasco that night was an "insurrection which undermined the constitutional order and the core values of democracy," making heavy punishment inevitable regardless of whether it succeeded or failed. It also said that Lee "would have recognized as illegal and unconstitutional," adding that there was evidence of orders to cut off power and water to major institutions and news outlets. Despite the court's ruling that the botched debacle constituted an insurrection, the sentence was less than half the 15 years prosecutors sought at Lee's final hearing last month. After the ruling, prosecutors expressed disappointment over the lighter sentence and said they will decide soon whether to appeal. 2026-02-12 16:34:54
  • Impeached president to face verdict in main martial law case next week
    Impeached president to face verdict in main martial law case next week SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's verdict on charges related to his botched martial law debacle will be delivered next week during a nationally televised trial. The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday allowed live media coverage of Yoon's trial, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 19. Yoon, who was already sentenced to five years in prison last month on one of several charges related to the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024, will have another sentence handed down next week over his main charges of insurrection and abuse of power. Prosecutors alleged that Yoon conspired with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to declare martial law in violation of the Constitution, despite no signs of war or conflict that would constitute a national emergency. They sought the death penalty at his final hearing last month. Yoon denied all charges, claiming that the declaration was merely a warning that lasted briefly and caused no deaths. 2026-02-11 11:32:26
  • South Korea’s Democratic Party to Introduce Special Act for Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City
    South Korea’s Democratic Party to Introduce Special Act for Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City The Democratic Party said it will introduce, as a party-line bill, a special act to establish “Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City,” a key step toward administrative integration between Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. The party said on Tuesday that its special committee on the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration plan postponed the filing of the bill that had been scheduled for that day. The delay was to address shortcomings in the draft. Provincial and city officials and local lawmakers had agreed to hold a meeting Wednesday morning, but canceled it and decided to hand the bill to the party’s legislative support group. The committee said the legislative support group will review the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City bill, along with other regional integration measures, so it can be processed quickly and introduced as the party’s official position. A day earlier, the committee agreed to name the merged local government “Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City,” and to use “Gwangju Special City” as an abbreviated name. It had said it would file the special act on Tuesday. The location of the main city hall will be left to the authority of the unified mayor, whose term begins July 1.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 21:57:00
  • Ruling Bloc Slams Court After Kim Keon Hee Gets 1 Year, 8 Months; Parties Agree on Chip Bill
    Ruling Bloc Slams Court After Kim Keon Hee Gets 1 Year, 8 Months; Parties Agree on Chip Bill Ruling bloc blasts court after Kim Keon Hee gets 1 year, 8 months Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, who was indicted on charges including stock-price manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, was sentenced in a first trial to 1 year and 8 months, far below what prosecutors sought. Lawmakers in the ruling bloc responded with broad criticism of the court. On Tuesday, Park Soo-hyun, senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, “Kim, a ‘comprehensive case of power-type corruption,’ was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months.” He said it marked “the first case in constitutional history in which a former president and spouse have both been punished,” but added the sentence was “nowhere near enough” for “shaking democracy with insurrection and ruining state affairs for private gain.” Park said the ruling “left many regrets,” arguing there was clear evidence Kim “manipulated the capital market and gained more than 800 million won in illicit profits,” yet the court did not recognize her as a co-perpetrator. He criticized the court’s reasoning, quoting it as saying it was “difficult to conclude co-perpetration even if she recognized price-manipulation acts.” Parties agree to pass chip bill, filibuster chair-transfer rule at plenary The ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass a special semiconductor bill and a revision to the National Assembly Act at a plenary session on Wednesday. The agreement was reached Tuesday in a meeting in the National Assembly steering committee chair’s office between Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do and People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seok. The proposed Assembly Act revision would allow the National Assembly speaker to transfer presiding authority during prolonged unlimited debate, citing fatigue. The parties decided to keep the current handwritten method for voting to end a filibuster, rejecting a switch to electronic voting. Late ex-Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to be buried in Sejong after Jan. 31 rites Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who died on Jan. 25 while on a business trip to Vietnam, will have a funeral procession on Jan. 31, followed by a memorial service at the National Assembly, and will be buried in Sejong City. Lee Hae-sik, a Democratic Party lawmaker serving as vice chair of the funeral committee’s executive body, told reporters Tuesday at the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital. According to Lee, the procession will be held at 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, followed by visits to the office of the National Unification Advisory Council and the Democratic Party headquarters for rites. A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, followed by cremation at 11 a.m. at the Seoul Memorial Park in Seocho-dong. The cortege will then visit the deceased’s home in Jeondong-myeon, Sejong, before burial at Sejong’s Eunahsu Park. Presidential office: Real estate tax overhaul not ready within a month or two The presidential office said it is approaching discussions on real estate tax changes cautiously because of their potential market impact, while stressing the need for a long-term review to address underlying housing issues. On Tuesday, Kim Yong-beom, the presidential office’s policy chief, told a news briefing that “taxation is an important part” if the government is to find a fundamental solution to real estate problems. But he said it is “not something to announce within a month or two,” adding it is a topic that requires “long-term, in-depth discussions involving multiple ministries.” His remarks suggested the government is not immediately reviewing tax regulations, while acknowledging taxation as a possible tool for addressing deeper real estate problems. It also left room for the possibility of using tax measures if market conditions change sharply.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 21:42:00
  • Ruling, opposition parties agree to pass chip bill and filibuster rules change at Assembly session
    Ruling, opposition parties agree to pass chip bill and filibuster rules change at Assembly session South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass a semiconductor special act and a revision to the National Assembly Act at a plenary session on Jan. 29. Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do and People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seok reached the deal during a meeting on Jan. 28 in the office of the National Assembly steering committee chair. The Assembly Act revision would allow the National Assembly speaker to hand off presiding duties if an unlimited debate, or filibuster, drags on, citing the speaker’s fatigue. The parties also agreed to keep the current manual method for voting to end a filibuster, rejecting a switch to electronic voting. Separately, Democratic Party deputy floor leader for Assembly operations Chun Jun-ho and People Power Party counterpart Yoo Sang-bum agreed later that day to put noncontroversial bills on the plenary agenda. A total of 90 bills, including the semiconductor special act, were placed on the agenda. The move was seen as an effort to speed up legislation supporting national strategic industries and people’s livelihoods. An amendment to the espionage law was excluded because the parties remain divided over a provision that would create a new offense for distorting the law. The February extraordinary session of the National Assembly opens on Feb. 2. Speeches by the leaders of the two parties’ negotiating groups are scheduled for Feb. 3 and 4.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 21:33:27
  • Late Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to be cremated Jan. 31, laid to rest in Sejong
    Late Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to be cremated Jan. 31, laid to rest in Sejong Late Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who died while on a business trip to Vietnam on Jan. 25, will be laid to rest in Sejong City after a funeral procession and memorial service on Jan. 31. Lee Hae-sik, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party who serves as vice chair of the funeral committee’s executive body, told reporters at the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital on Tuesday about the planned schedule. According to Lee, the funeral procession will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 31. The cortege will then visit the office of the National Unification Advisory Council and the Democratic Party headquarters for farewell rites. A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, followed by cremation at 11 a.m. at Seoul Memorial Park in Seocho-dong. The cortege will then visit the deceased’s home in Jeondong-myeon, Sejong, before burial at Sejong’s Eunahsu Park. Explaining the choice of burial site, Lee Hae-sik said, “Both his father and mother (graves) are at Eunahsu Park,” adding, “It was his wish to go to Eunahsu Park. He was also advised to consider a national cemetery, but we decided to lay him to rest at Eunahsu Park in line with the family’s wishes.” Born in 1952 in Cheongyang, South Chungcheong province, Lee graduated from Seoul National University and entered politics after winning a seat in the 13th general election in 1988 in Seoul’s Gwanak-eul district. He served seven terms in the National Assembly. Under the Kim Dae-jung administration, he served as education minister, and under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he served as prime minister. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he led the Democratic Party and oversaw the party’s record victory of 180 seats in the 21st general election. After stepping down as party leader in August 2020, he announced his retirement from politics. While serving as a senior vice chair of the National Unification Advisory Council, he collapsed from a heart attack on Jan. 23 during a trip to Vietnam and was treated at a local hospital. He did not regain consciousness and died at 73. The funeral’s official name was set as the “State Funeral for the Late Lee Hae-chan, 36th Prime Minister.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 21:06:00