Tag: Busan

Korean-American Mother and Daughter Arrested In Busan as Part of International Email Scam Operation

| August 29, 2016

The people behind these scams are criminals that should be punished, but I am always amazed by how people keep falling for these email scams that are obviously fake:

crime image

A mother and her daughter from the United States, who are part of an international group that carries out various inheritance and investment-related email scams, were arrested for fraud by Busan police on Thursday.

The mother, 67, and her daughter, 46, took 97 million won ($87,080) from a 32-year-old Sakhalin Korean, a Russian of Korean descent from Sakhalin Island, surnamed Kim. The money was taken through a total of 16 occasions from March to August of this year in Haeundae District in Busan.

The scam started when Kim received an email in March from who appeared to be a U.S. bank employee. The email read, “One of your distant relatives had passed away and has left 12 billion won to you.” At first, Kim was skeptical but ended up believing the email because the relative’s name written on the email seemed familiar.

Kim replied to the email, “How can I receive the inheritance?”

Soon after, the supposed U.S. bank employee sent another email, recommending Kim a lawyer. When Kim contacted the lawyer from the email, she explained how to receive the money and asked for a commission. Each time the lawyer asked for her payment, Kim wired the fee to a certain bank account in the U.S. Kim received a receipt and an authentication certificate whenever he transferred the fee.   [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link.

American In Busan Jumps Into River to Save Life of Man Attempting Suicide

| July 24, 2016

This American definitely put his life at risk to save someone who just tried to kill themselve:

An American saved a man who jumped off a bridge into a river to commit suicide in Busan Wednesday.

According to police, the American, 27, saw a man in his 60s jump from a bridge that connects Suyeong-gu and Haeundae-gu around 9:30 p.m.

He immediately jumped into the river with a life buoy and pulled the man to safety.

The man showed symptoms of hypothermia but refused to go to hospital.

Police handed him over to his family at the police station.

The man allegedly tried to commit suicide after suffering depression

The unidentified American also refused treatment and returned home. [Korea Times]

Two Busan Policemen Resign After Being Caught Having Sex With High School Students

| June 29, 2016

Considering the age of consent in South Korea the only way these two could be charged with a crime is if these teenagers were coerced into the relationships.  Considering the position of authority of a police officer you would think this would be coercive:

Korean police car

Two policemen in Busan resigned after it was found they had sex with high school students they were in charge of monitoring, but they faced no punishment and even received their severance pay.

One policeman surnamed Kim, 33, had sex with a 17-year-old high school student he was supposed to look after and guide, inside a car after school on June 4.

The case came to light as the student reported what had happend to the school nurse, who then alerted a female officer who was managing students at another school, who then passed the case to Busan Saha Police Station.

The Saha Police Station’s section chief verified and confirmed the facts with Kim and the school, however, closed the case without reporting to higher authorities by advising Kim to resign.

Kim handed in his notice the next day, on June 9, saying he had “decided to continue his parents’ business.” He received no punishment and received his severance pay.

When the case belatedly erupted over social media on Friday, the section chief denied having had any knowledge of the incident prior to Kim’s resignation.

A 31-year-old police officer at Busan Yeonje Police Station also had a sexual relationship with a high school student he was supervising. The teenager reportedly contemplated taking her life after the incident. Whether the two had sex more than once is yet to be confirmed.

The case was discovered by a teenagers’ welfare organization that had had a consultation session with the student. When the organization attempted to verify the case with Jeong, he filed for resignation from his post on May 17, claiming that being a police officer did not “fit his aptitude.”  [Korea Herald]

You can read the rest at the link.

South Korea Cancels Project To Build New Airport Outside of Busan

| June 22, 2016

I never understood the need to build another brand new airport outside of Busan considering how many “ghost airports” South Korea already has:

Amid fierce rivalry growing over a new airport in the nation’s southeast region, the government dropped the multitrillion won project on Tuesday and said it would extend the facilities of Gimhae Airport in Busan instead.

After conducting a feasibility study on candidate cities in South Gyeongsang Province, the government has reached a conclusion that extension of the existing Gimhae Airport is “the optimal choice,” rather than choosing to build a new airport on Gadeokdo Island or in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province.   [Korea Herald]

You can read more at the link.