Police seek extradition of Jang Ja-yeon's ex-manager

Chosun Ilbo files lawsuit after head named in scandal

An official request for the extradition of late actress Jang Ja-yeon's former manager from Japan has been sent to Japan's Justice Ministry through the Korean Embassy in the country.

Lee Myeong-gyun, a senior officer from the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, told reporters yesterday that police sent the document, which asked for the extradition of Kim Sung-hoon, to the embassy on Sunday. It was then forwarded to the ministry.

Lee said it could take about three months to force Kim return to Korea because Japan has to go through its own legal procedures after Kim is arrested.

The Japanese courts have to make a decision on whether to approve the request within two months after Japanese prosecutors ask for an examination of the case. He will be extradited within 30 days if approval is granted.

Kim fled to Japan in December and has not returned since.

Officer Lee pledged to make an interim report on the investigation into the case soon.

"We are heading to the finish line with the probe, as about 80 percent of the investigation has been completed", he said. "We are trying to get Kim extradited, and figures who allegedly exploited Jang are still being questioned".

The police said they completed last week the first of a series of interrogation sessions with the unidentified head of an online news company. Jang was allegedly pressured to serve drinks and have sex with the man in room salons in the Gangnam area of southern Seoul.

He said that similar sessions with other people suspected to have been involved in exploiting Jang will happen this week.

Meanwhile, prosecutors at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office said yesterday that they have begun examining a lawsuit filed by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper firm on Friday.

The company filed a defamation suit against Democratic lawmaker Lee Jong-kul, Democratic Labor lawmaker Lee Jung-hee and the head of Seoprise.com, an online political news outlet.

Lee Jong-kul mentioned the name of the president of the Chosun Ilbo during the National Assembly inquiry into the administration, Lee Jung-hee said it on a live TV debate show and the head of Seoprise posted it on the site.

They all claimed the name of the newspaper head is listed in an accusatory document written by Jang before her suicide.

A Chosun Ilbo official, requesting anonymity, said, "Three people defamed the president of the company even though he has nothing to do with the case".

Source: joongangdaily.joins.com
By: Jang Joo-young, Park Yu-mi

Ahn Jae-wook Underwent Throat Surgery

Singer/actor Ahn Jae-wook underwent surgery to remove an intracordal cyst in his throat in late March. He was recording a mini album to be released simultaneously in Korea and Japan when he felt something was wrong with his throat. Doctors found a cyst, which had to be taken out immediately. He is currently recuperating from the operation.

Ahn is advised not to use his voice for at least a month. His entire schedule had to be adjusted, for his voice may change after operation. He was originally scheduled to go on a three-city tour in Japan on May 27th in the wake of a mini album release in Japan. Ahn had wanted to go ahead with the recording and concerts, but his doctors were dead set against it. Ahn's agent relayed the singer/actor's message in which he said that he's sorry he caused so much trouble and worry for his fans and promised to come back as soon as possible to resume the recording and concert preparation.

Source: world.kbs.co.kr

Kim Jeong-hoon enters military service

The Hallyu star, Kim Jeong-hoon is entering the military service this 28th!

The actor has been in a singer since 2000 and an actor in the MBC drama "Princess Hours" which has been a hit all over Asia in 2005 and now.

He has been in 2008 Seoul Hallyu Festival where his fan meeting was full of 600 foreign fans to came to see him in person.

Source: news.cyworld.com

Today is Black Day

Black Day - April 14 is a South Korean informal tradition for single people to get together and eat Jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce; shown above), sometimes a white sauce is mixed for those who did not celebrate White Day.

The idea is that those who did not give or receive gifts on Valentine's Day or White Day (March 14) can get together and eat Jajangmyeon (짜장면), white Korean noodles with black bean sauce (hence the name), to commiserate their singledom.

Jang's former manager arrested for defamation

Yoo Jang-ho, the head of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon's agency at the time of her suicide, was arrested without detention yesterday on a charge of defaming the head of Jang's former agency.

Lee Myeong-gyun, a senior police officer in charge of the investigation at the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, said during a press briefing that the police booked Yoo on a charge of defaming Kim Sung-hoon by leaking the existence of a document, which was written by Jang, to the media.

On behalf of Kim, his sister and lawyer filed a defamation suit against Yoo on March 25. "We are assuming that Yoo let the media know of the document's existence in order to denounce Kim with the excuse of helping Jang", said Lee.

The officer also said that it was difficult for the police to press charges of defamation against Jang.

The bereaved family filed a defamation lawsuit against Yoo on March 17. Jang's older brother sued three people for defaming the late actress. Two others were reporters from the Korean Broadcasting System.

The police said they would decide whether to seek a detention warrant or not against Yoo as soon as Kim is extradited from Japan. "We believe that the nature of Kim's crime is more serious than Yoo's. It is not right to press criminal charges against Yoo first as Kim has not been prosecuted", Lee said.

Kim, who allegedly forced Jang to serve drinks and sex to high-profile figures, has not returned to Korea since he fled to Japan last December.

Lee added that the police are still questioning suspected figures who exploited Jang in room salons in the Gangnam area, southern Seoul. The police did not identify who they were.

Source: joongangdaily.joins.com
By: Heo Jin, Lee Min-yon

Daily Sues Lawmakers Over Late Actress Jang

Chosun Ilbo, a major Korean conservative daily, has filed a libel against Rep. Lee Jong-kul of the Democratic Party, Rep. Lee Jung-hee of the Democratic Labor Party and Shin Sang-chul of online newspaper Seoprise for linking its executive to the late actress Jang Ja-yeon.

The daily said that the two lawmakers mentioned the name of the senior executive and the name of the newspaper during a parliamentary hearing, although the executive is not related to Jang's suicide.

Actress Jang was found after committing suicide on March 7 and the police investigation found that she was allegedly forced to have sexual relationships with men of power. She left a note including names of individuals whom she was said to have been coerced into entertaining, and the list included the name of the paper's executive.

Both lawmakers refuted the libel. Rep. Lee Jong-kul said Chosun Ilbo should not ridicule lawmakers rights, which are guaranteed by the Constitution, referring to their immunity from any legal action over remarks made inside the National Assembly.

The lawmaker said, "Chosun Ilbo usually mentions the names in their articles to satisfy the people's right to know and now it tries to conceal the right, saying it is a defamation when the situation is against it", Lee said Saturday.

Rep. Lee Jung-hee criticized the police for being lukewarm in investigating the VIPs' alleged actions involving the late actress. The lawmakers made the briefing at the National Assembly, Sunday.

"Police are slow in probing the sexual exploitation case. If the police had not yielded to power and investigated thoroughly, the lawmakers who indicated the reason wouldn't be sued", Lee said.

The paper is also suing the president of the progressive Seoprise for posting an article concluding that Chosun Ilbo's executive is related to Jang's list.

Some media outlets made public the real name of the executive and the actual name of the paper while others chose not to.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

Fans can't wait for Won Bin's return!

Won Bin is returning through a new film directed by the famous Bong Joon-ho director. The film, "Mother-2009" has its teaser trailer released on the 7th and has been greatly anticipated since.

Mother-2009 is about a mentally challenged young man who is accused of a murder which his mother denies and fights to prove him innocent. This film is about a mother's unconditional love and passion to save his son. The mother character is acted by the talented actress, Kim Hye-ja

Won Bin's last film My Brother in 2004 has been so long ago that the fans are waiting for the release of this new film with big hopes.

We can see Won Bin's great acting even through this teaser trailer. Fans are also greatly awaiting for his transformation into a new character which is so different from any other characters he has been.

The trailer itself is being a hit online!

Source: cyworld.com