Stars break new ground in publicity rights case March 20, 2007 Joonang Ilbo Seven South Korean movie stars and their management agency, iHQ, are suing a local movie magazine, Screen, seeking a total of 350 million won ($370,880) in compensation for commercially using the stars’ pictures without their permission, according to the Seoul Central District Court. The movie stars are Jun Ji-hyun, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Sun-a, Zo In-sung, Ji Jin-hee, Cha Tae-hyun and Yang Jin-woo ― leading stars of television
Continue readingAuthor: Sean Hayes
Korea Looks to China and EU for More FTAs
Chosun Ilbo With the free trade agreement (FTA) talks between Korea and the U.S. winding down, the government is now promoting FTA talks with China and the European Union (EU). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) announced Monday that it will hold a conference for joint research among business people, government officials and scholars on an FTA between Korea and China. An official from MOFAT said the joint research could be seen as a step leading to FTA
Continue readingDrug Confession on Blog Leads to Bust by Seoul Police
The Marmot’s Hole has a post on how an office worker who posted on his website that he smoked pot in the Netherlands led to the police arresting the individual. What NOT to post on your blog in Korea A 38-year-old office worker got a rude introduction to the perils of blogging when he posted about his pot-smoking experience in the Netherlands on his blog [Segye Ilbo, Korean].You guessed it—the police busted him. The office worker, identified only as Mr.
Continue readingSidewalk motorcyclists to face stiffer penalties
Sidewalk motorcyclists to face stiffer penalties March 20, 2007 Joongangilbo The National Police Agency announced it will enforce a massive crackdown in May against motorcyclists who ride their bikes on sidewalks and crosswalks. The practice is the source of many complaints by foreign visitors to Korea. According to a recent agency survey of 154,000 motorcyclists at 50 major intersections nationwide, more than nine out of 10 crossed roads on pedestrian crosswalks. About 63 percent failed to halt at the stop
Continue readingFrequent Constitutional Revision Undesirable
By Ko Seung-kyun Korea TimesThe current debate over the issue of constitutional revision in regard to the presidential term requires careful scrutiny. South Korea has already experienced eight revisions of its constitution since its inception in 1948. High frequency of constitutional revision can cause an unhealthy political environment and instability as well as confusion. Any attempt at constitutional revision should take into consideration not just the presidential term but also a wide range of various factors attributable to democratic principles
Continue readingLesson II: Korean for Korean Law
Lesson II: Korean for Korean LawI. Daily WordsA. to Sue someone (verb): 고소하다.B. to be Sued: 고소 당하다.C. Lawsuit (noun): 소송, 고소D. Contract Law: 계약법E. Criminal Law: 형법, 형사법F. Civil Law: 민법, 민사법G. Corporate Law: 회사 법H. Tax Law: 세법I. Intellectual Property: 지적 소유권 (재산권)J. Constitutional Law: 헌법II. Daily SentencesA. I am being sued for breach of contract. 나는 계약위반으로 고소 당했다.B. I was sued for violation of the company’s trademark. 나는 회사의 상표 위반 혐의로 고소 당했었다.C. I will
Continue reading76 Percent of Apartment Owners to Pay More Tax
Chosun Ilbo A Lesson in Survival From the Finance Minister The real estate tax burden this year will rise for 7.38 million households or 76 percent of the 9.7 million apartments, condominiums and villa complexes across the country. The 9.7 million will pay W85,000 (US$1=W945) in combined property tax per household on average this year, up about 12 percent (W9,000) from last year, the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs said Thursday. The increase is small, the government explained,
Continue readingPresident Roh Takes Aim at Prosecutors
By Ryu Jin Korea Times President Roh Moo-hyun fought prosecutors in his early days in office. A born controversialist, he volunteered to debate with young prosecutors on TV in 2003, though the goodwill event turned into a raw war of words. Four years later, now in his final year, he seems to have taken up arms against the prosecution once more as he believes the country’s powerful investigative body needs to be changed. In a speech on Tuesday, the president
Continue readingSuspected Kidnapper Nabbed
By Kim Rahn Korea Times The police Friday arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of orchestrating last month’s kidnapping of a golf course owner. The suspect, Chong Song-il, is the son of Chong In-suk, a woman who was believed to be the mistress of a high-ranking official in the 1960s and who died mysteriously. Incheon International Airport Police arrested Chong near his house in southern Seoul early yesterday morning, 18 days after the kidnapping. On Feb. 26, the owner of
Continue readingKoreans Likely to Enjoy US Visa Waiver Program
South Koreans may be able to travel to America without a visa if a Sept. 11 reform bill becomes law in the United States. The chances of Korea entering the U.S. visa waiver program has increased after the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill Tuesday. “If the bill becomes law, there would be a higher possibility that South Koreans could travel to the U.S. freely without a visa,’’ an immigration expert said. U.S. senators voted 60 to 38 for the
Continue readingScholars Urge Korea to Upgrade System for US FTA
By Yoon Won-sup and Kim Sue-youngStaff Reporters Korea Times Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong, right, and Kim Jong-hoon, chief South Korean negotiator for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, look pensive during a National Assembly session, Wednesday. /Yonhap Economic and political experts said that a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United States, once concluded, will bring great opportunities for South Korea to enter the world’s biggest market.But they warned that the FTA may also
Continue readingIllegal Migrant Workers to Get Help Receiving Pay
Korea Times Kang Shin-who The Ministry of Labor plans to help migrant workers who have overstayed their visas due to delayed salaries. The ministry Tuesday announced that it will visit immigrant detention centers and help those who have had difficulties in getting their salaries from companies they worked for. The ministry said it will provide legal counselors to help retrieve the money in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice. If the ministry finds foreigners who have overstayed their visas due
Continue readingInvestigation of Homicides in Korea
Tiny clues shed light on brutal homicides March 13, 2007 Joongang Ilbo A breakthrough in a murder case can come from a tiny piece of evidence. It can be a miniscule blood stain or a fingerprint on a discarded bottle, but solid evidence is hard to come by. To find the vital piece may require the search of a thousand homes and several weeks of sleepless nights. But without decisive evidence a case can remain unsolved indefinitely, depriving the victim’s
Continue readingRape Sentences Egregiously Low
This column appears in the Korea Times every Wednesday. Rape Sentences Egregiously Low Dear Professor Sean Hayes: I was very surprised when the American soldier convicted of raping a 67 year old woman only received 4 years in jail. I know in my home, Vancouver, anyone convicted of rape will receive a substantially higher sentence. Did the convicted receive a short sentence because of the influence of the United States military or because of low sentences for rapists in Korea?
Continue readingKorea-U.S. Agree in Two More Areas in FTA
Chosun Ilbo Korea, U.S. Make Headway Toward FTA Korean and U.S. trade negotiators reached agreement on the customs and government procurement at their eighth round of bilateral free trade talks, which is under way in Seoul. Including antitrust measures, where the two sides agreed Thursday, they have now concluded negotiations in three out of 19 areas under discussion. By concluding deals in the less critical sectors first, they have been able to move faster in trade negotiations toward complete conclusion
Continue readingCrimes Out of Desperation Increase
By Park Chung-a Korea Times In a 1948 Italian movie “The Bicycle Thief,’’ Antonio, a middle-aged breadwinner ends up becoming a bicycle thief as a way to overcome his desperate situation arising from economic hardship. Now there is an increasing number of such “bicycle thieves’’ whose crimes are linked to trying to improving their desperate lot in the country. Last week, a 42-year-old man identified by his last name Kang, was caught by police while trying to steal three bicycles
Continue readingLawsuits Against State to Get Tougher
By Kim Rahn Korea Times Individuals may have a lesser chance of winning lawsuits against the state, following a government measure to improve the quality of its lawyers. The measure came amid an avalanche of suits filed by individual citizens or companies against government agencies and public organizations, according to the Ministry of Justice. The number of suits against the nation climbed from 6,815 in 2000 to 10,027 last year, while money claimed amounted to 3 trillion won. The ministry
Continue readingLone Star’s KEB Deal Said Illegal
By Na Jeong-juStaff Reporter Korea Times State auditors said Monday Lone Star Funds, a U.S. private equity fund, was not eligible to acquire Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) in 2003, but financial regulators approved the deal in violation of the law. Following its audit of Lone Star’s qualification to become the majority shareholder of KEB, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) concluded it was illegal for the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) to approve the sale of KEB’s controlling stake to
Continue readingUS Soldier Sentenced to 4 Years for Rape
Pvt. Geronimo Ramirez, a 23 year old U.S. Soldier, was sentenced to four years in jail for the rape and beating of a 67 year old women. The largest question in this case is not the obvious, but the fact that the Court only sentenced the soldier to 4 years in jail. Rape is only second to Murder and maybe attempted murder in seriousness. Rape affects the victim in the most proud way. This women’s life will be forever changed
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