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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 -
Prison terms for 2 courthouse rioters handed down
A Seoul court handed down prison terms for two men for their involvement in a courthouse riot in January that marked an unprecedented social crisis triggered by a ruling over an extension of detention against Yoon Suk Yeol. The Seoul Western District Court sentenced one of the defendants, surnamed Kim, to a 1 1/2-year term, and the other, surnamed So, to a one-year term on charges of trespassing at the district courthouse in western Seoul on Jan. 19. It marked the first court ruling in the court
May 14, 2025 -
Top court says its justices will not appear for parliamentary hearing on Lee's retrial
The Supreme Court said Monday its justices will not attend a parliamentary hearing regarding the retrial of Democratic Party (DP) presidential contender Lee Jae-myung, saying it's inappropriate to participate in matters related to an ongoing case. The court conveyed its decision to the National Assembly ahead of the hearing scheduled for Wednesday, as the parliament seeks to delve into the top court's recent ruling that ordered a retrial of Lee, overturning a lower court's not-guilty verdict for
May 12, 2025 -
Court again delays hearing on Lee's case until after election
The Seoul High Court on Monday postponed its hearing on Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's subornation of perjury case due to the upcoming presidential election, following two similar moves by the judiciary last week. The appellate court said the first hearing in Lee's subornation of perjury trial, slated for May 20, has been changed to a later date as the defendant registered as a presidential candidate last weekend. The court previously planned to hold the final hearing Ju
May 12, 2025 -
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
May 1, 2025 -
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
April 23, 2025 -
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
April 18, 2025 -
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
April 18, 2025 -
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
April 4, 2025 -
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
March 26, 2025 -
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)
March 20, 2025 -
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
March 20, 2025 -
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
March 17, 2025 -
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
March 13, 2025