K-pop star arrested for filming and sharing sex video

SEOUL - K-pop star Jung Joon-young has been arrested, hours after he apologized for filming and distributing illicit sex videos, in a scandal that has rocked South Korea's entertainment industry.

The singer-songwriter last week admitted to filming himself having sex and sharing the footage without his partners' consent.

The videos of at least 10 women were shared through mobile chat rooms in 2015 with recipients including fellow K-pop star Seungri of BIGBANG.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the arrest warrant late Thursday, hours after Jung appeared at a hearing and apologized for committing "unforgivable crimes", the South's Yonhap news agency reported. 

"I am sorry. I made a big and inexcusable mistake, and I admit my guilt," he said.

"I will live my days repenting for the sins."

Following the hearing, the 30-year-old was led away in handcuffs and taken to a police station to await the court's decision on the warrant.

Jung announced his retirement from the entertainment industry last week and two other male singers have also quit after admitting they watched the illicit videos.

South Korea has been battling a growing epidemic of so-called "molka", or spycam videos -- mostly of women, secretly filmed by men in schools, toilets and offices.

"Revenge porn" -- videos taken of sexual relations without the partner's consent -- is believed to be equally widespread.

Thousands of women protested in Seoul last year on several occasions against the videos as part of the country's growing #MeToo movement.

kjk/amu/aph

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tour bus crash kills 10 in S. Korea

SEOUL - At least 10 people were killed and seven others seriously injured after their tour bus crashed and caught fire on a highway near South Korea's southeastern city of Ulsan, police said Friday.

Although the precise cause of the accident is still under investigation, the driver of the bus was taken into custody for questioning about the vehicle's maintenance record.

The bus was carrying 20 people late Thursday night when one of the front tires exploded, causing it to crash into a concrete guardrail and catch fire, South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited an eyewitness as saying.

"A few people escaped from the bus which then went up in flames after some loud explosions," the unnamed witness who was driving behind the bus said.

Half the passengers were trapped inside by a door blocked by the concrete guardrail.

Most passengers were retirees returning from the airport after a trip to China.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Samsung recall crisis deepens; Yonhap reports Note 7 production halt

SEOUL, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has suspended production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following reports of fires in replacement devices, South Korean media said on Monday, a further setback for the tech giant trying to manage its worst ever phone recall crisis.



Samsung's decision to temporarily halt Note 7 production was done in cooperation with authorities in China and the United States, as two U.S. carriers have stopped exchanging or selling new Note 7 phones, Yonhap News Agency cited an unnamed source at a Samsung partner firm as saying.

Samsung did not immediately comment on the Yonhap report.

Problems with replacements for the Note 7 model would create a new and potentially costly chapter to a global scandal which has hurt the reputation of the world's biggest smartphone maker. It also could add new dangers for consumers.

AT&T Inc, the No.2 U.S. wireless carrier, said on Sunday it will stop exchanging new Note 7 smartphones due to reports of fires from replacement devices that Samsung has said used safe batteries.

No.3 wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc said it was temporarily halting sales of new Note 7s as well as exchanges while Samsung investigated "multiple reports of issues" with its flagship device.

T-Mobile offered customers who brought in their Note 7s a $25 credit on their phone bill.

Samsung announced on Sept. 2 a global recall of 2.5 million Note 7s in 10 markets including the United States due to faulty batteries causing some of the phones to catch fire.

A Southwest Airline flight was evacuated earlier this week after a replacement model Note 7 smartphone began smoking inside the plane, according to the family who owns the phone.

Samsung earlier said it was investigating reports of "heat damage issues" and would share its findings when the investigation is complete.

"If we determine a product safety issue exists, Samsung will take immediate steps approved by the CPSC (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to resolve the situation," Samsung told Reuters in a statement.

Samsung shares were down 3.3 percent as of 0125 GMT, compared with a 0.1 percent fall for the broader market.

"I thought the Note 7 matter was coming to an end, but it's becoming an issue again," Alpha Asset Management fund manager CJ Heo said.

Samsung should be able to recover from the short-term reputational damage of the recalls, but fourth-quarter sales of the Note 7 would be hurt, he added.

South Korea's largest mobile carrier, SK Telecom , said it was closely monitoring the situation and would not comment further. KT Corp, the No.2 South Korean carrier, said it had taken no steps in regards to sales or exchange of new Note 7s.

(Additional reporting by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru and Nataly Pak in Seoul. Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Miyoung Kim; and Stephen Coates)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com