Criminals who drugged teens' drinks with meth sentenced to up to 18 years

South Korea's top court upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced defendants in a high-profile drug scam -- in which drug-laced drinks were deceptively distributed to students, followed by the blackmail of their parents -- to prison terms of up to 18 years, the court announced on Friday. The Supreme Court confirmed the lower court’s verdict, sentencing individuals identified by the surnames Gil, Kim, Park and Lee to prison terms of 18, 10, 10 and seven years, respectively. They were found

Social AffairsSept. 6, 2024

[HIT Forum] Strategic lobbying critical for Corporate Korea: top Washington lobbyist

Corporate Korea should engage in strategic lobbying at both federal and state levels to navigate the US’ regulatory landscape and protect its interests amid shifting political dynamics. This was the key takeaway from a special session at The Korea Herald HIT Forum, held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul on Thursday, as seasoned US lobbyist Brian Ballard shared his insights on the art of business diplomacy in the run-up to the US presidential election this year. During

IndustrySept. 5, 2024

Stigma, criticism follow deepfake victims

As hundreds of reports have been recently made to police regarding the distribution and creation of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, calls for increased protection and stronger punishment of perpetrators are being raised in South Korea. According to the Korean National Police Agency, authorities have seen a giant surge in the number of reports made by victims of deepfake pornography since it declared a seven-month crackdown on digital sex crimes from Aug. 27 to March 31, 2025. As of

Social AffairsSept. 4, 2024

Yoo Ah-in sentenced to one year in prison for drug abuse

Actor Yoo Ah-in was sentenced to one year in prison by the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday for repeated drug use. The court ordered Yoo's immediate detention after handing down the sentence, which included a one-year prison term, a 2 million won fine ($1,489) and a surcharge of 1.54 million won. Yoo was ordered to pay a surcharge for the value of items obtained illegally. "Prescription narcotics, like propofol, are tightly controlled because of their potential for dependence an

Social AffairsSept. 3, 2024

Police launch preliminary probe into Telegram for allegedly abetting deepfake sex crimes

South Korea’s police officials have launched an initial investigation into Telegram, following allegations of "complicity, aiding and abetting" online sexual crimes involving deepfake technology. Woo Jong-soo, the head of the National Office of Investigation, told reporters Monday that the police have launched an unofficial and preliminary investigation into Telegram on suspicion of "complicity, aiding and abetting crimes involving deepfake pornography.” “Investi

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2024

[KH Explains] Will battery brand awareness influence EV shoppers in Korea amid safety concerns?

Starfield Hanam, a shopping complex located in Gyeonggi Province just east of Seoul, is home to South Korea’s first Tesla showroom, which opened its doors in 2017. Here, the allure of Tesla vehicles has always drawn a crowd, but recently, a different kind of interest has been brewing among potential buyers -- an interest not just in the cars themselves, but in the batteries that power them. Recent high-profile EV fires in Korea have sparked public concern about the reliability of the batte

MobilitySept. 1, 2024

From model violin to world stage: Kim Seo-hyun's musical journey has just began

Without her violin, Kim Seo-hyun appears even younger than her age of 15. But once she holds the violin, she transforms into a charismatic violinist who captivates her audience with every note. Just a year ago, she became the youngest winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition in Switzerland, where she not only secured first prize but also won the Youth Jury Prize, as well as the prize for best interpretation of a commissioned compulsory piece by Silvia Colasanti. She entered t

CultureAug. 31, 2024

Former Ador CEO Min rejects producing NewJeans, Hybe keeps door open

Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Hybe-owned label Ador, has rejected the company’s offer to continue as the producer of NewJeans during the remaining two months of her contract. On Friday, Min, through her public relations agency Macoll Consulting Group, released a statement saying, “Hybe’s announcement that Min would continue to work with NewJeans, as reported on Tuesday, was never agreed upon.” Min was offered a business delegation agreement to produce NewJeans from Aug.

K-popAug. 30, 2024

Ruling bloc seeks tougher sentences for deepfake sex crimes

The government and the ruling party agreed on adopting longer prison sentences of up to seven years for deepfake sex crimes Thursday, as South Korea grapples with a surge in female victims of such illegal pornography. The decision made during an emergency meeting at the National Assembly followed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s order, on Tuesday, of a crackdown on the latest reports of digital sex crimes involving the production and circulation of fake sexually explicit images of women and girls

PoliticsAug. 29, 2024

[Exclusive] Samsung unsure of Suga's future as brand ambassador: source

Amid the ongoing controversy over K-pop star Suga’s drunk driving incident, Samsung Electronics is considering not extending its brand ambassador contract with the singer. “There is a risk in promoting someone as a brand ambassador who has caused a social controversy, regardless of the person's fandom. It is a serious matter and requires a lot of careful consideration,” a source familiar with the situation told The Korea Herald Tuesday on condition of anonymity. Samsung will no

K-popAug. 28, 2024

‘I hated being asked where I’m from,’ ex-North Korean diplomat tells Seoul lawmakers

Ri Il-kyu, the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to South Korea since 2016, says he “felt humiliated” every time he had to reveal which Korea he was from when he was serving overseas missions. Speaking at a National Assembly event hosted by ruling People Power Party lawmakers on Monday, he said North Korean diplomats “absolutely hate being asked which country they are from.” Ri served as a counselor for political affairs at the North Korean embassy based in

PoliticsAug. 27, 2024

Is Korea being too harsh on Suga?

There has been a lot of discussion recently about Suga’s drunk driving incident, raising the question of whether the global K-pop star deserves the level of criticism he has received. Opinions on the issue are particularly divided among local and international fans of Army, BTS’ dedicated fanbase. Suga drove an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol, registering the highest blood alcohol concentration level ever reported in a DUI (driving under the influence) case involving

K-popAug. 26, 2024

What went wrong in response to Bucheon hotel fire?

Funerals for the victims of Thursday‘s Bucheon hotel fire were held on Sunday, but the controversy surrounding the tragedy has intensified while authorities have been searching to identify the circumstances that led to seven deaths and a dozen other injuries. Amid the ongoing efforts to determine the exact cause of the fire, a debate about the inflatable rescue mattress used by firefighters erupted, as two of the seven people died attempting to jump onto it. Soon after the blaze broke out,

Social AffairsAug. 25, 2024

Deepfake sex crimes spread among teens

  Recent progress in video technology has had some alarming effects in South Korea, as a growing number of tech-savvy youngsters are using deepfake technology to produce sexual images of people without their consent, often of their peers. A recent report showed that there had been 180 criminal cases related to deepfake images last year. Ninety-one of the 120 people punished in those crimes were teenagers, according to a report compiled by Rep. Cho Eun-hee of the ruling People Power Party, w

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2024

SK chief, partner ordered to pay W2b to estranged wife

A Seoul court on Thursday ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and his live-in partner to pay 2 billion won ($1.50 million) in alimony to his estranged wife and the director of Art Center Nabi, Roh Soh-yeong. The Seoul Family Court ordered in a lawsuit seeking damage, filed by Roh against Chey’s partner Kim Hee-young, who is serving as the chair of T&C Foundation, that the defendant should jointly pay 2 billion won to the plaintiff along with the SK chief. “Based on the submitt

IndustryAug. 22, 2024

They went for the gold, They're now ads' golden ticket

This year's Olympics may be over, but star players continue to appear on TV -- through advertisements. Convenience store chain GS25 launched "Shin Yu-bin's Snack Time" on Wednesday in collaboration with the table tennis player. Shin's viral on-camera moments at the Paris Games famously showed her snacking. OB Beer, an official sponsor of the Paris Olympics, has selected fencing champion Oh Sang-uk, who won gold in both the individual and team saber events, to promote its

TelevisionAug. 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Traveling to ‘see the human side of North Korea’

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- When British traveler Zoe Stephens, 30, decided to tour North Korea for the first time in 2017, she didn’t think she would be doing it for a living. “I went to North Korea as a tourist first, pretty much the same way as everyone else. I realized it’s nothing like what the media says,” she told The Korea Herald. She said “the real North Korea” took her by surprise and charmed her. “So I decided that I wanted to start doing tours to show

North KoreaAug. 20, 2024

[Out of the Shadows] War on drugs comes to Korean campuses

A 30-something graduate student at KAIST, South Korea's top science-specialized university, was recently arrested by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office for distributing and using drugs within a social fraternity he created in 2021 which included members from 13 other elite universities. Three other university students were also apprehended, and two others were indicted without physical detention for breaching the Narcotics Control Act. Eight other students who took drugs b

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Police launch investigation into Mercedes-Benz EV fire

Police have launched an investigation into a massive fire caused by a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle at an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon on Aug. 1, while reviewing criminal charges against the management staff at the complex, officials said Sunday. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, they recently interviewed the first witness and the owner of the vehicle involved in the incident. The Mercedes owner reported that the vehicle had undergone routine mai

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024

[LLG] AI a tool, not a threat, says 31-year-old AI filmmaker

How might AI alter filmmaking? Young South Korean filmmaker Kwon Han-sl has shown the impact could be massive. The 31-year-old spent five days last summer working with over six AI tools to create a three-minute horror film. It was a personal experiment in which he handled every aspect himself, from writing the screenplay to using AI tools and producing the entire film. But the result ended up better than he thought. “One More Pumpkin” garnered international acclaim, winning both th

Hashtag KoreaAug. 17, 2024