Ex-nat'l football body chief referred to prosecution over ex-coach appointment

The Korea Times - Sep 22, 2026

Chung Mong-gyu, former chief of the Korea Football Association (KFA), has been referred to the prosecution over alleged irregularities in the appointment of former men's national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, police said Tuesday. Chung faces charges of obstruction of business for allegedly interfering in the head coach nomination process to get Hong appointed in July 2024, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Investigators believe Chung also took steps to make the appointment appear to have followed proper procedures. Hong's appointment sparked major public backlash at the time, with critics raising questions over a lack of transparency and alleged procedural irregularities. The investigation, which first began soon after Hong's appointment, recently gained renewed attention following Korea's elimination from the group stage at this year's World Cup. Investigators, however, decided not to press charges against Hong due to a lack of evidence that he interfered in the appointment process. Both Hong and Chung stepped down from their posts following the country's World Cup elimi

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Kookmin University to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies

Kookmin University to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies

Kookmin University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies to promote cooperation in advanced technologies and expand industry-academia collaboration. The university said the MOU was signed at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul on Thursday. The agreement is designed to formalize the areas of cooperation discussed during the visit of Jamol Tilloyevich Makhsudov, Uzbekistan’s deputy minister of digital technologies, to Kookmin University on Sept. 10. Jeong Seung-ryul, president of the university, held a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov, who was visiting Korea to attend the Korea-Central Asia Summit, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The meeting was attended by Kim Byoung-joon, the university’s director of international affairs, and Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Korea Alisher Abdusalomov. The two sides exchanged views on talent development and industry-academia collaboration in advanced technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) and software. They agreed

Seoul breaks ground on Shin Jungang Market transformation

Seoul breaks ground on Shin Jungang Market transformation

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Foreign students choose Seoul over New York, London, Paris for vibrant culture, cheaper rent - report

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Busan's foreign student population reaches record high of 24,328

Busan's foreign student population reaches record high of 24,328

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Wegovy, Mounjaro help Korean doctor navigate lifelong struggle with obesity

Wegovy, Mounjaro help Korean doctor navigate lifelong struggle with obesity

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KMTPA, Fypher team up on digital dollar infrastructure for medical tourism

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The Korea Medical Tourism Promotion Association (KMTPA) and digital dollar infrastructure company Fypher signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving financial convenience for foreign medical tourists and expanding Asia's medical tourism ecosystem. KMTPA said Monday that under the agreement, it will combine its network of medical institutions with Fypher's digital dollar infrastructure, easing payment and remittance difficulties for foreign patients seeking medical services in Korea. "The sustainable competitiveness of Korea's medical tourism industry lies not only in excellent medical services but in branding the entire process, from choosing Korea to booking and payment, as an integrated, high-value-added product," said Kim Jin-kuk, KMTPA president. Kim added that through the partnership, KMTPA will work to make real, on-the-ground improvements so foreign patients can access Korean medical care in a more convenient and reliable environment. Paul Kim, chairman of Fypher, said medical tourism is a field where trust and convenience are essential in cross-border fund transfers. "

Chief justice rejects presidential office request to re-recommend Supreme Court justice nominee

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Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae said Tuesday he cannot comply with the presidential office's request to re-recommend a candidate for a top court justice post, saying he could find no constitutional grounds for doing so. Last month, the presidential office had asked Cho to recommend a new candidate after taking issue with his written recommendation of two Supreme Court justice nominees to President Lee Jae Myung. Cho told reporters on Monday that the document concerning the request "does not specify the reasons for requesting a re-recommendation or the constitutional grounds for the request." "I cannot find any other specific constitutional grounds or reasons to justify the request for re-recommendation," Cho said. "I therefore state that I cannot comply with the request." Cho had recommended Son Bong-kie of the Daegu District Court and Kim Sung-soo, then a Seoul High Court judge, to be appointed as new Supreme Court justices by the president. Usually, the chief justice visits the president to make a face-to-face recommendation for a new Supreme Court justice after prior coordinati

Land mine explosion occurs at DMZ during route clearance operation over suspected N. Korean minefield: JCS

Land mine explosion occurs at DMZ during route clearance operation over suspected N. Korean minefield: JCS

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