Journalist

Park Jung-eun
  • S. Korean appeals court dismisses inmates COVID-19 lawsuit against government
    S. Korean appeals court dismisses inmates' COVID-19 lawsuit against government SEOUL, April 25 (AJP) - A South Korean appellate court has dismissed a damages lawsuit filed by inmates against the government over a massive COVID-19 outbreak at a Seoul detention center in 2020. A Seoul Central District Court appellate panel upheld a lower court's ruling against 33 inmates and their families who sued the state and then-Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday. The plaintiffs had argued that the government and correctional authorities were liable for the cluster infections at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center due to negligent virus containment measures. However, the court found no direct epidemiological link between an initial outbreak among prison staff in November 2020 and a larger, subsequent wave among inmates in December. "The similarity between the viruses in the first and second waves was low," the court stated. "It is reasonable to view the routes of virus introduction as different." The court also rejected the plaintiffs' claims that the facility exacerbated the spread by failing to strictly separate close contacts based on transmission routes. The judges noted that the detention center had implemented clear separation standards between confirmed and non-confirmed individuals, adding that tracing exact transmission routes for each case was "quite difficult" given the time and space constraints at the time. 2026-04-25 17:42:19
  • Appeals court rejects COVID-19 damages suit by Seoul detention center inmates, families
    Appeals court rejects COVID-19 damages suit by Seoul detention center inmates, families Inmates and their families who sued the South Korean government over a COVID-19 outbreak at Seoul Eastern Detention Center in 2020 have also lost on appeal. According to Yonhap News Agency on Friday, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Appeals Division 5-1 recently ruled against 33 inmates and family members who sought damages from the state and Choo Mi-ae, the justice minister at the time who oversaw correctional facilities, upholding the lower court’s decision. The panel said it did not see a link between a first wave of infections centered on staff that began Nov. 17, 2020, and a second wave centered on inmates that continued after Dec. 7 that year. The court said it was difficult to conclude the inmate cluster stemmed from the earlier staff outbreak. “The similarity between the viruses in the first and second outbreaks is low, and testing conducted during the first outbreak showed a low positivity rate among inmates,” the court said, adding that it was reasonable to view the routes of introduction as different. The court also rejected the plaintiffs’ claim that infections spread because close contacts were not separated by transmission route. It said the detention center distinguished close contacts using a clear standard of confirmed versus unconfirmed cases, and that identifying each confirmed patient’s route of infection would have been very difficult given time and space constraints. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 14:39:16
  • South Korea’s Kim Min-seok hails Pearl Abyss’ ‘Crimson Desert’ as milestone for K-games
    South Korea’s Kim Min-seok hails Pearl Abyss’ ‘Crimson Desert’ as milestone for K-games Prime Minister Kim Min-seok congratulated Pearl Abyss on its game “Crimson Desert” surpassing 5 million copies sold just 26 days after release. According to Yonhap News Agency on the 25th, Kim wrote the message on social media the previous evening while sharing an article about the sales milestone. Kim said the title won over players worldwide with a “living game world” built with the developer’s own technology, lifelike graphics and active communication with users. He added that it opened “a new chapter” for K-content by naturally incorporating Korean elements such as taekwondo and Korean food. Kim also said the government would help promote the game industry. Calling it “an important turning point” showing the domestic game industry can expand to platforms including consoles, Kim said the government would “actively support” the sector with a sense of responsibility. He said he would work to create conditions for K-games to shine as a pillar of K-content. “Crimson Desert” was released on March 20 and sold 2 million copies worldwide on its first day, setting a record for the fastest and highest sales for a Korean-made packaged game. It topped 3 million copies on day four, surpassed 4 million on day 12 on April 1, and reached 5 million as of April 15, its 26th day on the market. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 14:24:16
  • Lee Jin-sook Drops Out of Daegu Mayor’s Race After PPP Cutoff
    Lee Jin-sook Drops Out of Daegu Mayor’s Race After PPP Cutoff Lee Jin-sook, a former chair of the Korea Communications Commission who was cut from the People Power Party’s primary for Daegu mayor, said April 25 she will not run in the June 3 local election. With Rep. Joo Ho-young also having declared he will not run, the party’s internal turmoil over the Daegu race appeared to ease. Speaking at a news conference at the People Power Party’s Daegu office, Lee said, “Today, I am stepping down from the position of preliminary candidate for Daegu mayor.” She added, “When the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral candidate is chosen tomorrow (26th), I will do my best to help that person defeat the Democratic Party candidate. I will help protect Daegu from the reckless Democratic Party government.” Lee again called the party nomination committee’s decision to cut her unfair, but said she would not run as an independent. “I also had the desire to leave the party and run as an independent to receive the judgment and choice of citizens,” she said. But she said she was held back by concerns that “if even Daegu is handed over to the left, what will happen to the Republic of Korea,” adding that she feared Daegu, a conservative stronghold, could be overtaken by “socialist populism.” Asked whether she might run in a possible parliamentary by-election that could arise from the Daegu mayoral contest, Lee did not answer directly. “As I said in my statement, I have only one 마음 — to protect Daegu as the last bastion of liberal democracy,” she said. Asked whether she had further meetings with party leader Jang Dong-hyuk or other members of the nomination committee, Lee said Jang met her before leaving for the United States and that they met again recently to discuss the Daegu situation. “We discussed how to protect Daegu, and there was also common ground,” she said. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 13:51:17
  • U.S. Envoys Head to Pakistan for Possible Iran Peace Talks; Tehran Denies Meeting Planned
    U.S. Envoys Head to Pakistan for Possible Iran Peace Talks; Tehran Denies Meeting Planned As the United States and Iran issue conflicting messages about whether peace talks will resume, reports say delegations from both sides could make contact in Pakistan as soon as this weekend. Yonhap News Agency reported that The New York Times, citing two senior Iranian officials, said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s eldest son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Pakistan this weekend. The officials said Araghchi traveled to Islamabad carrying a written response to a U.S. proposal for peace talks. They said Iran has publicly maintained it would not hold talks until the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted, but has privately explored ways to restart negotiations through intermediaries including Pakistan. Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on April 25 local time. The Washington Post also reported the talks would resume this weekend. A U.S. official told the newspaper that Witkoff and Kushner had received confirmation from Iran about restarting talks, saying, “Otherwise they wouldn’t be going.” The U.S. government also officially confirmed plans to send Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan. The White House said it “expects positive progress” from the visit. Trump suggested talks could advance, saying Iran “will come up with a proposal.” Reports differ on timing. The Associated Press said a meeting was set for Saturday, April 25, while Axios, citing multiple sources, reported it could be held Monday, April 27. Iran’s official position, however, diverged from the U.S. account. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote on X that “no meeting between Iran and the United States is planned.” He said Araghchi’s Islamabad trip was to meet senior Pakistani leaders and to support Pakistan’s continuing efforts to end the U.S.-led war and restore regional stability. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 10:57:17
  • US Sanctions China’s Hengli Group Over Purchases of Iranian Oil
    US Sanctions China’s Hengli Group Over Purchases of Iranian Oil The United States has added China’s major refining company Hengli Group to its sanctions list over imports of Iranian oil. According to Yonhap, the U.S. Treasury and State departments said on April 24 (local time) they were sanctioning Hengli Group for buying Iranian oil. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said Hengli is among the largest customers, purchasing Iranian oil worth tens of billions of dollars. Treasury said it determined that Hengli and other Chinese refiners, by importing sanctioned Iranian oil, were providing economic support to Iran’s government, including Iran’s military. Hengli is known to have refining facilities in the northeastern port city of Dalian with capacity to process about 400,000 barrels of crude oil a day. Treasury also targeted a shipping network involved in transporting Iranian oil. It added about 40 shipping companies and vessels to the sanctions list for operating a “shadow fleet” that moves Iranian oil while evading sanctions. Under the measures, U.S.-based assets of the designated companies and vessels will be frozen and property interests blocked. Entities in which they directly or indirectly own 50% or more are also covered. Sanctions may also be imposed on institutions that conduct transactions involving funds, goods or services with them. Separately, Treasury said it froze $344 million worth of cryptocurrency believed to be linked to Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X that OFAC is imposing sanctions on “multiple wallets” tied to Iran, adding the action would “systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate and move funds back home.” He also said the department would track funds Tehran is “desperately” trying to move abroad and target all financial lifelines connected to the government. CNN reported that the cryptocurrency freeze was carried out through Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT, based on information provided by Treasury. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 09:57:16
  • Sunday Forecast: Mostly Sunny Nationwide; Showers for Jeju and Parts of the South
    Sunday Forecast: Mostly Sunny Nationwide; Showers for Jeju and Parts of the South Sunday the 26th is expected to be mostly sunny nationwide. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Jeollanam-do, the Gyeongsang region and Jeju Island will see more clouds at times. Jeju is forecast to get 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) of rain from dawn through daytime hours. Showers are also expected from afternoon into evening in southern Jeollanam-do; inland areas of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang; and the southern East Sea coast of North Gyeongsang. Forecast rainfall is 5 to 10 millimeters in southern Jeollanam-do and inland areas of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang, and around 5 millimeters along the southern East Sea coast of North Gyeongsang. Morning lows will range from 6 to 15 C (43 to 59 F), similar to or slightly higher than usual. Daytime highs will be 20 to 26 C (68 to 79 F). With day-to-night temperature swings near 20 C (36 F), the agency urged caution for health. Dry weather advisories are in effect for central regions, North Gyeongsang and parts of North Jeolla, and could expand to other areas. Authorities urged caution to prevent wildfires. Fine dust levels are expected to range from good to moderate nationwide due to favorable atmospheric dispersion. Waves are forecast at 0.5 to 1.0 meters (1.6 to 3.3 feet) in nearshore waters of the East and South seas and 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) in the West Sea. In offshore waters about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the coast, wave heights are expected at 0.5 to 1.5 meters (1.6 to 4.9 feet) in the East and South seas and 0.5 to 1.0 meters (1.6 to 3.3 feet) in the West Sea. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 09:36:17
  • Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Seizes Ship It Says Visited U.S. Ports, Citing Maritime Violations
    Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Seizes Ship It Says Visited U.S. Ports, Citing Maritime Violations Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has seized a vessel it said was suspected of cooperating with the U.S. military. According to Yonhap News Agency, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the Guard on Thursday (local time) seized the EPAMINODES, citing violations of maritime regulations. The Guard’s navy said it had monitored the ship for the past six months and confirmed it had visited U.S. ports several times. It said the vessel was seized after it ignored repeated warnings and continued to violate maritime rules. The seizure comes as tensions rise amid Iran’s threat to block the Strait of Hormuz and what the report described as a U.S. maritime blockade of Iran. The Revolutionary Guard seized three vessels on April 22, saying they tried to transit the Strait of Hormuz without authorization from Iran’s military. The United States previously seized two ships in the Indo-Pacific that were part of what the report called Iran’s “dark fleet” — vessels such as tankers involved in illegal shipments of crude oil and other cargo to evade international sanctions — after they departed Iranian ports and before the maritime blockade began. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 09:04:20
  • South Korea Forecast: Clear Skies Nationwide, Highs Up to 27C
    South Korea Forecast: Clear Skies Nationwide, Highs Up to 27C Saturday will be sunny nationwide, with daytime highs rising to as much as 27 degrees Celsius. The Korea Meteorological Administration said daytime temperatures will range from 20 to 27C, higher than usual. In inland areas, the day-to-night temperature gap will be around 20 degrees, and people should take care with their health. Dry weather advisories are in effect for the central region, North Gyeongsang Province and parts of North Jeolla Province, and the advisories could expand to other areas. Authorities urged caution to prevent fires. Fine dust levels are expected to be "good" to "moderate" nationwide due to smooth atmospheric circulation. Waves are forecast at 0.5 to 1.5 meters in the East and South seas and about 0.5 meters in the West Sea. In offshore waters (within about 200 kilometers of the coastline), wave heights are expected at 0.5 to 2.0 meters in the East and South seas and 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the West Sea.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-25 08:33:17
  • Hotel Shilla Returns to Profit in Q1 With 20.4 Billion Won Operating Gain
    Hotel Shilla Returns to Profit in Q1 With 20.4 Billion Won Operating Gain Hotel Shilla said Thursday it swung to an operating profit in the first quarter (January-March), as it focused on profitability despite a weak duty-free market and pressure from a strong exchange rate. The company reported first-quarter revenue of 1.0535 trillion won, up 8.4% from a year earlier. Operating profit totaled 20.4 billion won, reversing a year-earlier loss. Hotel Shilla said the results reflected efforts to secure a stable earnings base in a difficult business environment. In its travel retail, or TR, business, the company said the industry remained under strain from the strong exchange rate and a weakening global economy, but it concentrated on strengthening fundamentals with a profitability-first approach. Its hotel and leisure business maintained steady performance despite the seasonal off-peak period, helped by the opening of new hotels and an increase in foreign tourists. A company official said Hotel Shilla will continue its focus on improving fundamentals as operations stabilize. “The TR division will secure stable profitability through ongoing improvements to its business structure and respond proactively to changes in the external environment and the duty-free market,” the official said. “The hotel and leisure division will strengthen brand competitiveness based on its three-brand system to build a foundation for continued growth,” the official added.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 17:01:10