Special counsel tries to raid PPP floor leader's office for 2nd day

A special counsel team was trying to search the office of the main opposition People Power Party's floor leader for the second day Wednesday over former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho's alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid. On Tuesday, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team attempted the raid at the National Assembly but left due to opposition by PPP officials who argued that they could not enter the National Assembly without approval from the Assembly speaker,

Sept. 3, 2025

Special counsel raids home of ex-PPP floor leader in martial law probe

A special counsel team on Tuesday raided the home of Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the main opposition People Power Party over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid in December. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team carried out the search and seizure at Choo's home in Seoul over allegations that the then PPP floor leader obstructed his party's lawmakers from attending a parliamentary vote to lift the martial law decree. The team is looking into allegations that

Sept. 2, 2025

Ex-President Yoon absent from insurrection trial for 7th consecutive time

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was absent from his insurrection trial for the seventh consecutive time Monday, leading the court to proceed without him. Yoon has declined to appear at his trial at the Seoul Central District Court since his second arrest on July 10 on charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law. The bench said Monday it will continue with the proceedings in his absence, as there has been no change since the previous hearing last Thursday, when the head of the Seou

Sept. 1, 2025

Police raid KORAIL in probe into fatal train accident

Police on Monday raided Korea Railroad Corp.'s (KORAIL) headquarters and Daegu branch office as part of its investigation into last month's fatal train accident that killed two maintenance workers and injured five others in the southeastern county of Cheongdo. The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency and the Daegu Regional Employment and Labor Administration deployed about 70 investigators and labor inspectors in the morning to begin searches and seizures for the KORAIL offices and their subcontra

Sept. 1, 2025

Special counsel raids military prosecution's office in widening Marine death probe

A special counsel team on Friday raided the offices of the military prosecution as part of a widening investigation of alleged government interference in a 2023 military probe into the tragic death of a young Marine. The team led by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon conducted the search and seizure at the defense ministry's compound in central Seoul over allegations that military prosecutors illegally intervened in the transfer of the 2023 case to the police. The special counsel investigation cen

Aug. 29, 2025

Yoon absent from his insurrection trial for 6th consecutive time

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was absent from his insurrection trial for the sixth consecutive time Thursday, leading the court to proceed without him. Yoon has refused to appear for his trial at the Seoul Central District Court since his second arrest on July 10, citing health issues. The bench opened Thursday's hearing by noting the defendant was absent again and that the detention center where Yoon is jailed had sent a note explaining the difficulty of bringing him by force. Under the Crimin

Aug. 28, 2025

Ex-first lady appears for 5th round of questioning ahead of indictment

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared before a special counsel team Thursday to undergo a fifth round of questioning over corruption allegations ahead of her planned indictment later this week. Kim, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul in a prison van from a detention center where she has been held since Aug. 13. The former first lady faces allegations of being involved in stock manipulation schemes, meddling i

Aug. 28, 2025

Court set to hold arrest warrant hearing for ex-PM Han

A court is set to hold a hearing Wednesday on whether to issue a warrant to arrest former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched imposition of martial law. The Seoul Central District Court will begin the hearing at 1:30 p.m. after special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested the warrant on charges of abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, falsifying and destroying official documents, perjury and other offenses. Should the court issue th

Aug. 27, 2025

Special counsel summons ex-PPP floor leader in bribery probe

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team investigating suspicions surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee said Tuesday it has summoned Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the main opposition People Power Party as a suspect for questioning this week about bribery allegations. Responding to the team's announcement, Kweon said on Facebook that he will appear at the special counsel office at 10 a.m. Wednesday. "I'm innocent of all charges raised by the special counsel side. That's why I'm confident," he said, ac

Aug. 26, 2025

Special counsel raids Justice Ministry, Supreme Prosecutors’ Office

A special counsel team investigating suspicions of insurrection surrounding the failed martial law declaration of Dec. 3 carried out search-and-seizure operations on Monday at the Justice Ministry, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and several other locations. The raids, led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk, targeted former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung. Park faces allegations of abetting and failing to prevent former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to

Aug. 25, 2025

Promoting organ donor registration

● Updated law: Organs Transplant Act What it does: Improves the registration process for organ donors Took effect: Aug. 21 Starting Aug. 21, anyone applying for identification documents, including resident registration cards, passports, driver’s licenses and seafarer’s identity certificates, will be provided with information on how to register as an organ donor. The same process applies to renewals and reissuances. The new law aims to expand awareness and participation in organ donor registratio

Aug. 24, 2025

Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min indicted over alleged role in Yoon's martial law

Former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min has been indicted on charges of colluding in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law, the special counsel’s office announced Tuesday. Lee, under arrest since Aug. 1, is the second member of Yoon's Cabinet to face indictment over the December 2024 martial law crisis, following then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Lee is accused of participating in what prosecutors call an attempted insurrection, abusing his authority

Aug. 19, 2025

Court proceeds with martial law hearing without ex-President Yoon over his refusal to attend

A Seoul court on Monday proceeded with a hearing of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law case in his absence, as he has refused to attend any of his court sessions since being detained last month. The Seoul Central District Court's bench handling Yoon's case said Monday's hearing on insurrection and abuse of power charges against him would proceed without him, citing his "refusal to attend." Since being rearrested and detained nearly a month ago, Yoon has refused to attend all five court

Aug. 18, 2025

Special counsel weighs bribery charges against ex-first lady Kim over luxury necklace

Special prosecutors investigating corruption allegations against former first lady Kim Keon Hee were deliberating over the charges to press against her after securing a luxury necklace she allegedly accepted in exchange for a personnel appointment favor, legal sources said Sunday. Last week, special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said Seohee Construction officials submitted the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and confessed to gifting the item to Kim right after her husband, former President Yoon Suk Ye

Aug. 17, 2025

Court to hold arrest warrant hearing for ex-first lady's 'butler'

A Seoul court was set to decide Friday whether to issue an arrest warrant for an associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee on charges of embezzlement. The Seoul Central District Court will convene a hearing at 2 p.m. to review whether to formally arrest Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of the former first lady's family, on charges of embezzling 3.38 billion won ($2.43 million) from his company. A special counsel team requested the arrest warrant Thursday, two days after he was detained by i

Aug. 15, 2025