🇰🇷Week of September 7

South Korea's Justice Ministry is reviewing a plan to rename the proposed Judicial Control Department within the new Public Prosecution Office as the Unindicted Case Review Department. The ministry is also considering halving the office's investigative personnel and reducing the number of prosecutor positions.123

The ruling party and the government are additionally weighing abolishing the planning officer post at the Public Prosecution Office. The moves follow an instruction from President Lee, coming three days after his intervention.45

Coverage of the plans spans outlets across the political spectrum, with the centre-left Kyunghyang Shinmun and centre KBS reporting the name change and staffing cuts, and the centre-right Chosunbiz and Electronic Times framing the changes as driven by the president's directive.1253

A South Korean court acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of aiding the flight of former Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup. The court found it difficult to infer an intent to harbor a criminal, stating that the personnel authority exercised was part of official duties and that no intent to obstruct investigation could be definitively established.123

The case centered on allegations that Yoon, while in office, improperly allowed Lee Jong-sup to leave for Australia despite an ongoing corruption investigation. The court ruled that the appointment and travel were within the scope of presidential personnel authority and did not constitute criminal obstruction.123

The presiding judge, Cho Hyung-woo, has previously overseen high-profile first-instance trials including the Daejang-dong development case and a case involving Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. His background was noted in coverage of the acquittal.4

Some coverage questioned the basis for the acquittal, highlighting that a South Korean ambassador accused of corruption had returned home and that the decision may have exonerated the former president. The framing of the ruling as a possible whitewash was raised in critical reports.5

Rep. Kim Nam-guk of the Democratic Party said that Rep. Yong Hye-in is "fighting the public head-on" and that the party cannot defend her, according to a Han-gyeore report. The remark came as the dispute over Yong's conduct intensified within the ruling camp.12

Rep. Choi Hyung-duo decided to push a so-called "Yong Hye-in prevention law" and proposed a full overhaul of the proportional representation system. The proposal targets the system that brought Yong into the National Assembly.2

The presidential office said Yong Hye-in and Kim Seung-won should be given a chance to explain themselves to the public, while also stating that there had been no consultation over Yong's press conference and that it is listening to the public's voice. The two positions were reported by JTBC and munhwa.com respectively.34

Attributed claim: Coverage of the episode splits along editorial lines: the left-leaning Han-gyeore foregrounds Kim Nam-guk's criticism of Yong, while the right-leaning Chosun Ilbo ran a photo-focused piece on how cameras track politicians who try to avoid them. The centre-right munhwa.com highlighted the presidential office's statement that no consultation took place.154

A Chinese investor who sought 2 trillion won from the South Korean government has lost the international investment dispute case. The government won the final ruling in the ISDS cancellation proceeding, and the investor was ordered to pay 1.5 billion won in litigation costs.12345

The case was an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) brought by the Chinese investor against South Korea. The government announced the final victory in the ISDS cancellation procedure, with the ruling confirmed after the investor's challenge was dismissed.16234

Kang Jun-ha, Director-General of the International Legal Affairs Bureau, held a briefing on the outcome of the ISDS cancellation procedure. The briefing covered the government's win and the details of the final ruling.64

The government will receive 1.5 billion won in litigation costs from the Chinese investor. This amount was awarded as part of the final ruling in the government's favor.125

Nepal's government estimates the cost of recovering from floods caused by a glacial collapse at 6.4 trillion won. Short-term recovery alone is put at 76.5 billion won.12

A temporary bridge built 15 days after the major floods has given residents hope, and reconstruction is now moving into full swing. A second wave of relief teams has arrived in Nepal.3

A report from the flood zone describes survivors who escaped with their lives but see no path to rebuilding. It calls for a system that can provide medical treatment even when disaster strikes.45