Key facts
- A Seoul court will deliver a verdict on former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Friday.
- Kim Keon Hee faces charges of accepting luxury gifts for job appointments and business favors.
- Scams targeting foreigners in South Korea have nearly quadrupled in two years.
- The number of scam victims among foreigners rose from 5,307 in 2023 to 19,907 last year.
- Many scams targeting foreigners involved K-pop merchandise.
- Former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young was found guilty of perjury.
- Lee Hwa-young falsely testified about receiving food and alcohol during an interrogation.
- Lee Hwa-young was sentenced to four months in prison for perjury.
- President Lee Jae Myung appointed new senior presidential secretaries.
- Seong Ghi-hong was appointed presidential secretary for public relations and communication.
- Han Chan-sik was appointed presidential secretary for civil affairs.
A Seoul court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on Friday concerning charges against former first lady Kim Keon Hee. She faces accusations of accepting luxury gifts in exchange for job appointments and business favors. The sentencing hearing will take place on Friday.
In a separate development, the number of foreigners targeted by scams in South Korea has seen a significant increase, nearly quadrupling over the past two years. Lawmaker Kim Joon-hwan reported that the number of victims rose from 5,307 in 2023 to 19,907 last year. A notable portion of these scams involved fraudulent K-pop merchandise, preying on fans of Korean pop culture.
Furthermore, former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young has been found guilty of perjury by the Suwon District Court. The conviction stems from his false testimony regarding the receipt of food and alcohol during a prosecution interrogation. He has been sentenced to four months in prison, which will be added to his existing jail term.
In presidential news, President Lee Jae Myung has made new appointments for senior presidential secretaries. Seong Ghi-hong, formerly the CEO of Yonhap News Agency, has been appointed as the presidential secretary for public relations and communication. Additionally, Han Chan-sik, a former senior prosecutor, has been named presidential secretary for civil affairs. The President also appointed three other aides.