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Prosecution chief resigns amid overhaul
Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung stepped down Tuesday after nine months in office following Sunday's nomination of a new justice minister and the administration's plans for prosecutorial reform. Expressing concerns about the Lee Jae Myung administration's reform plan, Shim said he has decided to "step down from the heavy responsibility as prosecutor general," in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "Considering the various situations, I have decided that stepping down from the position now wo
July 1, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon fails to appear for 2nd round of special counsel questioning
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to appear Tuesday for a special counsel's second round of questioning over his martial law bid. Yoon had been asked to appear at Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk's office at 9 a.m. to undergo further questioning following the first round Saturday. But Yoon's lawyers repeatedly requested a postponement, citing his health and a scheduled hearing for his criminal trial on insurrection charges. Cho's team partially accepted the request and postponed the date once
July 1, 2025 -
Special counsel team wraps up questioning of ex-President Yoon; plans to summon him again
A special counsel team wrapped up its questioning of former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday over insurrection charges tied to his Dec. 3 martial law declaration but plans to summon him again for another round of investigation. The questioning of Yoon ended shortly before 10 p.m., and the former president was reviewing his interrogation record before being allowed to return home, the special counsel team said. Yoon appeared for questioning at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office nearly half a da
June 29, 2025 -
Ex-defense minister files quasi-appeal against rejection of recusal request
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Wednesday filed a quasi-appeal against a court decision rejecting his earlier request for the recusal of judges overseeing new indictments against him. The quasi-appeal was filed orally by his lawyers during a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court held to determine whether to grant a new warrant to arrest Kim over his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid. The court had dismissed the recusal request the previous day. Even if a qua
June 25, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon attends 8th hearing of insurrection trial
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the eighth hearing of his insurrection trial Monday, but was tight-lipped on a new investigation by independent counsels over his failed martial law bid. Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court around 10 a.m. to attend the eight hearing of his insurrection trial on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through his Dec. 3 imposition of martial law. It was Yoon's first trial after his case was transferred to the special counsel te
June 23, 2025 -
2 Marines,1 civilian accused of killing, injuring dogs with BB guns
Two active-duty Marines and one civilian in their 20s are under investigation for killing one dog and seriously injuring two others with BB guns. The Geoje Police Station said Wednesday that two active-duty soldiers and one civilian — all unnamed males in their 20s — fired hundreds of BB pellets at four dogs that were tied up in a restaurant yard in a small town in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on June 8. Of the four dogs, one died as a result of the attack, while two sustained serious injur
June 20, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon yet to appear for police questioning as deadline approaches
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has yet to appear for police questioning over charges related to his short-lived imposition of martial law as Thursday's deadline approaches. Yoon has already snubbed two previous summonses, and his nonappearance Thursday would mark the third time he has defied a police order to appear for questioning. "It's not that he isn't accepting the appearance order but rather that the requirements for an appearance order should be met," his lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, told Yonhap
June 19, 2025 -
Court grants bail to ex-Defense Minister Kim
A Seoul court on Monday granted bail to former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun who has been detained since late last year on charges of insurrection and abuse of power over his alleged role in the Dec. 3 martial law imposition. The Seoul Central District Court approved the bail after accepting the prosecution's request, despite an objection from Kim's side. Kim was arrested on Dec. 27 for recommending martial law to former President Yoon Suk Yeol and drafting the decree. He is accused of deployin
June 16, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon attends 7th hearing of insurrection trial
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the seventh hearing of his insurrection trial Monday without responding to questions about separate independent investigations into him and his wife. Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court to be tried on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through his Dec. 3 imposition of martial law. It was his first trial hearing since his successor, President Lee Jae-myung, appointed three independent counsels to investigate charges relate
June 16, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon snubs 2nd summons for police questioning in martial law probe
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol did not appear for police questioning Thursday morning over charges related to his botched martial law bid, officials said, ignoring their summons for the second time. Yoon has been asked to appear as a suspect on charges of ordering the Presidential Security Service to block the execution of a detention warrant against him in early January. He has also been booked on charges of ordering the PSS to delete records from secure phones used by three military commanders
June 12, 2025 -
Court indefinitely delays President Lee's trial, cites Constitutional immunity
The Seoul High Court said Monday it has again postponed President Lee Jae-myung's retrial on election law violation charges. The court said the first hearing scheduled for June 18 was postponed to an undetermined future date in accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution, which exempts a sitting president from criminal prosecution except in the case of insurrection or treason. Lee was elected president on June 3 after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his botched imp
June 9, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon set to attend 6th hearing of insurrection trial
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the sixth hearing of his insurrection trial Monday, appearing in public for the first time since the June 3 presidential election. The former president walked past reporters as he entered the Seoul Central District Court but did not answer questions about his thoughts on the election or the National Assembly's passage of special counsel bills targeting him and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Yoon faces charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power throu
June 9, 2025 -
Court holds arrest warrant hearing for subway arson suspect
A court on Monday held an arrest warrant hearing for a 60-something man accused of committing arson inside a subway train in western Seoul over the weekend. The hearing for the suspect, identified only by his surname, Won, was held at the Seoul Southern District Court in the morning. Won allegedly poured gasoline and set fire to pieces of clothes inside a subway Line 5 train running between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations early Saturday morning. The suspect was apprehended on the scene. He reportedl
June 2, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon attends 4th hearing of insurrection trial
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the fourth hearing of his insurrection trial Monday following the controversy over his influence on next month's presidential election. Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in a black van and entered the building without answering reporters' questions. The election to pick his successor is two weeks away on June 3 after he was impeached and removed from office over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. On Saturday, he left the conservative Peo
May 19, 2025