Latest news with #Gangwon
Al Arabiya
17 hours ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Four North Koreans cross maritime border with South
A wooden boat carrying four North Koreans drifted into waters south of the de facto maritime border with the South last month, Seoul's military said on Thursday. They were discovered in the East Sea -- known internationally as the Sea of Japan -- in waters around 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of South Korea's Gangwon province, it said. The South Korean military 'detected a small North Korean wooden boat in waters... east of Goseong in Gangwon Province', an official said. The four North Koreans have been sent to a 'relevant institution' after being identified by the military and the Coast Guard, he said. North Koreans are typically handed over to Seoul's intelligence agency for screening when they arrive in the South. All four North Koreans have expressed their wish to return home, according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency, which said it was believed they crossed the de facto border accidentally. Seoul's unification ministry, which manages relations with Pyongyang, said 'we will pursue their prompt and safe repatriation on humanitarian grounds' if they wanted to return to North Korea. South Korea's military also found another wooden boat carrying two North Koreans in the western Yellow Sea in early March. However, those two Koreans -- who also expressed their will to return to the North -- are still in the South because Pyongyang is yet to respond to Seoul's communications regarding the issue. A North Korean defected to the South across the same de facto border in the Yellow Sea last year, arriving 'on foot' on Gyodong island off the peninsula's west coast near the border between the Koreas. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, who took office on Wednesday, has vowed a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang compared with his hawkish predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee said on Wednesday he would seek talks with the North following a deep freeze under Yoon, under whose tenure relations plummeted to their worst level in years.
CNA
4 days ago
- General
- CNA
South Korea election: Tensions with Pyongyang a key factor for voters in border areas
South Koreans will head to the polls tomorrow to pick their next president, with the race coming down to two main contenders. A recent Gallup survey showed Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung leading with nearly 50% support, while his main rival, Mr Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party, has managed to close the gap. Meanwhile, tensions between South and North Korea could be a key factor for some voters, especially in the border areas. People living close to the heavily-guarded demilitarised zone have backed conservative candidates for decades. Lim Yun Suk reports from Gangwon province.
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Coaching suspensions for Son Heung-min's dad and brother in South Korea after child abuse ruling
SEOUL, May 21 — The father and brother of Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min have been suspended from coaching roles in South Korea after being convicted in a child abuse case involving a youth player at their academy. The Gangwon Football Association (GFA) confirmed to The Korea Herald that Son Woong-jung, the father of the Spurs forward and director of the SON Football Academy, was handed a three-month suspension. The same penalty was given to a fellow coach at the academy. Son Heung-yun, Son Heung-min's older brother and also a coach at the institution, received a more severe six-month suspension. The decision follows an investigation by the Korea Sport Ethics Centre (KSEC), a government-affiliated body. While the Chuncheon District Court had already fined all three men three million won (RM9,220) each in November for violating the Child Welfare Act, the GFA ruling now places them under formal sporting sanctions. According to The Korea Herald, these punishments are considered the lowest level of disciplinary action under KSEC guidelines for coaches found guilty of abuse. The GFA's ethics committee ruled that the verbal abuse by Son Woong-jung and physical violence by the other two coaches were not premeditated acts. However, the victim's lawyer challenged this characterisation, saying the abuse 'took place repeatedly and cannot be considered as actions made on the spur of the moment.' All three men have requested a reconsideration of the punishment. According to testimony from the youth athlete involved, Son Woong-jung regularly subjected him to verbal abuse, while the younger Son physically assaulted him. One incident cited involved Son Heung-yun allegedly striking the player with a baton during a training camp in March 2024 — an injury that required two weeks of medical treatment. Son Woong-jung later issued a public apology to the victim and his family, but denied some of the allegations. 'I admit that I coached the children in a way that was not corresponding to the standards set by the changing trend and the law,' he said. A former professional footballer, Son Woong-jung is well known in South Korea for his strict training regime that shaped his son's career. In a 2020 interview, he acknowledged: 'I beat up Heung-min a lot,' and admitted in his autobiography that his coaching style was harsh — so much so that a neighbour once reported him for child abuse. Despite the controversy, Son Heung-min has never publicly criticised his father's methods. Instead, the Spurs star has expressed respect for his upbringing and the role his father played in his footballing development.
