Supreme Court set to rule on Democratic Party presidential candidate's election law violation case

The Supreme Court is set to make a ruling on Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case Thursday. The top court's full bench will deliver the ruling at 3 p.m., which will be televised live to the public. Lee will not appear in court, as a defendant's attendance is not mandatory at the top court. The ruling comes after prosecutors appealed a high court ruling last month that acquitted Lee of lying as a presidential candidate during the 2022 election campai

Supreme Court to hold 2nd session on Lee's case Thursday

The Supreme Court said Wednesday its full bench will hold the second session of deliberation on former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case on Thursday, just two days after the first session. Earlier on Tuesday, the top court referred Lee's case to the full bench after initially assigning it to a four-member bench and immediately held the first full-bench deliberation session on the case on the same day. The decision by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae came after prosecut

Bolstering protection for minors against digital sex crimes

● Updated law: Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses What it does: Allows investigators to launch emergency undercover investigations into suspected digital sex crimes targeting underage victims Took effect: April 17 To combat an increase in digital sex crimes, South Korea has been working in recent years to bolster regulations and punishments by passing several related bills. The latest such law to take effect is an amendment to the Act on the Protection of Children a

S. Korea not to appeal court ruling on $32m payout to US hedge fund Mason

South Korea has decided not to appeal a Singaporean court's rejection of its lawsuit seeking to annul an investor-state dispute settlement ruling that ordered it to pay compensation to US hedge fund Mason Capital over losses from Samsung's controversial 2015 merger of two units, the Ministry of Justice said Friday. Following the decision, the Korean government will have to pay Mason approximately 86 billion won (about $60.5 million), including interest on delay. The case dates back to September

Korean Supreme Court justice meets US Supreme Court chief justice in Washington

A judge from South Korea's highest court met with the US Supreme Court's chief justice during his visit to Washington earlier this month, according to his office. Supreme Court Justice Kwon Young-joon paid a courtesy call on Chief Justice John Roberts as he visited the top US court on April 8 and discussed judicial issues concerning their countries, according to the court. During the meeting, Kwon delivered a letter from Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae inviting Roberts to an internationa

Some law experts praise Yoon Suk Yeol impeachment ruling

In the wake of the Constitutional Court’s decision to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, some legal scholars and practitioners on social media have lauded the verdict read by Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae. Professor Han In-sup of Seoul National University’s School of Law said on Facebook, “Every detail was addressed with precision.” Han added that he respects the justices for their dedication. Attorney Lim Jae-sung, a member of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, echoed that sentiment, cal

Court set to rule on opposition leader's appeal in election law violation case

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is set to be sentenced Wednesday in his appellate trial over charges he lied as a presidential candidate during the 2022 election. The Seoul High Court will hold a sentencing hearing at 2 p.m., some four months after a lower court sentenced Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for making false statements in violation of the Public Official Election Act. Lee is considered the presidential front-runner in the ev

Helping young single parents return to education

● Updated law: Single-parent Family Support Act What it does: Expands state financial support options for single parents aged 24 or younger Took effect: March 4 Single parents aged 24 or younger are now eligible to receive state financial support to pursue more than one diploma upon returning to education. Previously, young single parents could only receive support for one type of diploma or school equivalency examinations or similar programs. They are now eligible to receive support while takin

Constitutional Court to announce ruling on PM's impeachment next Monday

The Constitutional Court said Thursday it will deliver its ruling on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment next week. The verdict will be announced at 10 a.m. Monday, the court said. (Yonhap)

Prosecutors demand 1-year sentence for Moon's daughter

Prosecutors on Thursday sought a 1-year prison sentence for the daughter of former President Moon Jae-in on charges of driving under the influence and illegally renting out her properties for short-term accommodation. In the first hearing for Moon Da-hye’s trial at the Seoul Western District Court, prosecutors insisted the court hand down a 1-year sentence, citing the severity of the crimes. Prosecutors pointed out her “high” blood alcohol concentration, which was measured at 0.14 percent at the

Constitutional Court expected to deliver ruling on Yoon this week

Court under pressure as political turmoil continues to grip the nation The Constitutional Court is expected to deliver its ruling on the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol on either Thursday or Friday, legal experts said Monday. As of Monday, the Constitutional Court had heard and deliberated on the case for 93 days since it received the impeachment motion against Yoon passed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Dec. 14. The deliberation process on Yoon’s case is the lengt

Two Air Force pilots booked over Pocheon bombing

Two South Korean Air Force jet pilots were booked Thursday, charged with occupational negligence over their accidental bombing of a civilian village last week, the Defense Ministry said. The Defense Ministry recently confirmed pilot error as the main cause of the accident on March 6, in which two KF-16 fighter jets dropped eight MK-82 bombs on a village in Pocheon, located near the inter-Korean border. The pilots failed to drop the bombs on the training range, which was located in the border cit

Air Force pilots in accidental bombing could face criminal charges: experts

Two KF-16 fighter jet pilots blamed for accidentally dropping bombs on a village in Pocheon last week could face criminal charges, experts said Tuesday. South Korea’s Air Force on Monday reaffirmed pilot error as the cause of the accident that left 31 people injured, including 19 civilians, in the village of Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon, near the inter-Korean border, last week. The Air Force stressed that the pilots failed to follow the mandatory procedure of checking the coordinates of their

Why did prosecutors agree to release Yoon Suk Yeol?

Prosecutors decided to release suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol from custody on Saturday afternoon despite the organization being heavily divided over the matter, according to a report in Yonhap News, Saturday. The move to comply with the Seoul Central District Court’s decision that ruled in favor of Yoon’s request to cancel his detention, rather than appeal it, is mainly to avoid the risk of being accused as “unconstitutional,” some observers say. “The Constitutional Court in 1993 and 2012 rul

Enhancing bank services, safety measure for electric cars

The Korea Herald republishes a weekly legislative report by local law firm DR & AJU LLC to provide the latest information on bills approved, proposed, pending and set to be promulgated. -- Ed. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Insurance Business Act Proposed by Rep. Cha Gyu-geun (Rebuilding Korea Party) ● This amendment mandates that stocks issued by affiliates of an insurance company and held by the company be valued at market prices rather than acquisition costs. It also sets a cap on th