The JIH, supported by the Ministry of Justice and the Chief Prosecutor's Office, includes all pertinent agencies such as prosecutors and police, the Korea Coast Guard, the Financial Supervision Service, the National Tax Service, and the Immigration and Foreign Affairs Headquarters, all of whom are involved in the process from drug importation to supply and distribution. Of the 86 members in total, 42 are prosecutors and 33 are police officers.

The Office of the Chief Prosecutors provided details about the initiative, saying, “Although drug-related offenses have increasingly moved to non-in-person approaches by criminal groups, resulting in a significant rise in such crimes among younger individuals who have convenient internet access, causing substantial damage throughout society, the current drug investigation system faced challenges in addressing these problems.”

Former head of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, Park Jae-eok, who was once seen as a top contender for the headquarters chief role, announced his decision to step down on the 17th, creating an empty spot. The Ministry of Justice intends to appoint a prosecutor at the chief prosecutor level as the JIH chief in the near future.

The JIH consists of two primary divisions: Section 1, which focuses on prosecutors, and Section 2, which revolves around police. The leader of Section 1 is Shin Joon-ho, who previously served as the Narcotics and Organized Crime Planning Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and is now the first chief prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office. The head of Section 2 is Park Heon-su, the chief of the Investigation Bureau at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency.

Beneath the two sections, there are four prosecution units, seven investigation units, one investigative support unit, and two specialized enforcement units. When the investigative support unit and specialized enforcement units detect cases through data analysis and enforcement activities, the investigation units initiate the inquiry, while the prosecution units take on the cases for additional investigations, among other tasks.

Furthermore, a crime prevention unit and an international cooperation team responsible for overseas assignments also support the JIH's operations from abroad.

The Office of the Chief Prosecutors said, “The JIH will make every effort to completely prevent all offenses associated with drug trafficking, distribution, and use, guaranteeing that people can lead a tranquil everyday life in a community free from narcotics.”

A man from Hong Kong has been held in detention following charges of sedition, allegedly due to posting on social media encouraging others not to vote or to submit invalid ballots in the upcoming election.“patriots only” legislative elections.

Lam Chung-ming, aged 68, appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday afternoon, facing a single charge of "knowingly distributing materials with seditious intent."

As per the police, hewas arrested on Tuesdayon the grounds of repeatedly sharing material on social media that not only fueled hostility against the Hong Kong government, the courts, and police forces, but also encouraged individuals to refrain from voting or to submit invalid ballots in an election.

Local news outlets reported on Thursday that the prosecution requested a delay to allow police additional time for further inquiry.

Law enforcement officials took two computers and three mobile devices from Lam's home, stating they require additional time to examine the material to determine if further offenses were committed.

Chief Judge Victor So, who is assigned to handle national security cases, rejected Lam's request for bail and directed that he stay in custody until his next court hearing on December 30.

Hong Kong officials have taken action against efforts to cast invalid votes and organize boycotts of the Legislative Council (LegCo) elections scheduled for December 7. This marks the second legislative election to be held in the city.overhauled its electoral systemin 2021 to guarantee that only loyal citizens are eligible to run.

A total of 161 applicants are competing for 90 positions across the geographical, functional, and Election Committee constituencies.

See also: Hong Kong's anti-graft authority accuses three individuals of promoting calls to boycott 'patriots-only' elections

The national security law imposed by Beijing does not include sedition, as it focuses on secession, subversion, collaboration with foreign entities, and terrorism, with the highest possible punishment being life in prison.

It had been illegal under the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance, carrying a maximum sentence of two years in prison. This law was abolished in March 2024, when Hong Kong introduced its own security legislation, commonly referred to asArticle 23 legislation, which increased the maximum punishment for sedition to seven years in jail.

Apart from the 2020 Beijing-implementedsecurity law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinancetargets acts of treason, rebellion, destruction, foreign interference, sedition, theft of state secrets, and spying. It provides forpre-charge detentionas long as 16 days, andsuspects’ access to lawyersmay be limited, with consequences includingup to a life sentence. Article 23 was shelvedin 2003, during widespread demonstrations, it remained a sensitive topic for many years. However, on March 23, 2024, it was finally passed into law.fast-trackedand was unanimously accepted by the city's non-opposition legislature.

The law has has faced criticism from human rights NGOs, Western states and the UNas vague, broad, and "regressive." Officials, however, mentioned supposed foreign involvement and a constitutional obligation to "close gaps" following the2019 protests and unrest.

The party added that the president's actions represent the most recent and courageous instance of tokenism, calling on him to temporarily move to Kebbi State and other areas experiencing armed conflict in Northern Nigeria.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Eme­mobong, on Thursday in Abuja, PDP mentioned that although the decision might seem to show support for the kidnapping of the Maga schoolgirls and the growing insecurity nationwide, it is not the case at heart.

He stated: "If the APC-backed presidency disagrees with this stance, then we insist that President Tinubu temporarily move to Kebbi State and other areas experiencing armed conflict in Northern Nigeria. This action would not only push the security forces to take more determined steps in halting the current violence, but would also enhance the spirits of the soldiers at the front lines."

As the President and Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not remain comfortable in the Presidential Villa while 25 schoolgirls have been kidnapped and their location is still unknown. He needs to show leadership by taking the lead, as genuine leaders do during times of serious national crisis.

The recent incidents in Kwara State reinforce our claim that insecurity and fear have turned into the everyday reality and new normal for Nigerians throughout the country. However, the APC-led government keeps making complete denials, justified explanations, hollow promises, and other superficial actions like the president's postponed visit.

The party added that "without additional strategic measures, this trip cancellation will simply be another media stunt designed to gain public support and empathy, rather than addressing the pressing need to protect lives and property throughout Nigeria. If this were a political crisis (similar to the situation in Rivers State), President Tinubu would have utilized all available strategies and resources, both inside and outside the law, to resolve it."

We officially inform the president and his administration that Nigerians are fed up with symbolic actions like expressions of sympathy and canceled trips. The country urgently needs strong leadership, strategic measures, and real support for the security forces, particularly those on the front lines, instead of superficial efforts aimed at gaining political advantage.

The security of Nigerians should not be treated as just a show. Leadership needs to go beyond appearances and provide real, ongoing actions that rebuild public trust and safeguard lives and assets. This issue requires genuine commitment, not just symbols. The presidency must step up or step aside for those who can.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Chuncheon District Court (Presiding Judge Shim Hyun-geun) reversed the lower court's one-year prison sentence for A (65 years old) in a case where he was charged with obstructing justice and assault, lowering it to 10 months in prison along with a two-year probation period. The court also mandated 80 hours of community service.

The higher court provided the rationale for the reduction, saying, “Biting a police officer’s leg and inflicting harm while the officer was properly carrying out their duty to arrest a person suspected of wrongdoing is not a minor offense,” and also mentioned, “Nevertheless, we took into account that the defendant confessed to the crime and expressed regret during the appeal hearing.”

A was taken to court on allegations of biting a police officer's leg and causing harm to them during an investigation at a local police station. This occurred after he was arrested as a suspect in a case involving entering a taxi without paying, following a drinking session with friends at a bar in September of last year.

At that moment, even after being cautioned about potential arrest for refusing to share personal details with the police officer, A committed the offense while opposing the arrest.

In the initial trial, A claimed that "the police officer's arrest was illegal," yet the first instance court determined all charges to be valid and sentenced A to a one-year prison term. Nevertheless, the court opted not to impose a jail sentence in order to provide a chance for compensation to the victim.

The Suwon District Court's 11th Criminal Division (led by Presiding Judge Song Byung-hoon) on the 21st handed down a three-year and six-month prison sentence to former Rep. Ooh, who faced charges such as breaching the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (related to brokerage bribery) and violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, along with the seizure of roughly 888 million Korean won.

Nevertheless, the court found him not guilty of certain charges, such as the claimed receipt of about 98 million won and the promise to obtain 2.3 billion won in return for brokerage activities concerning the responsibilities of employees at the Korea Expressway Corporation, due to inadequate evidence, including the reliability of statements from involved parties, among other factors.

Former Representative Ooh was charged with receiving about 990 million won from Park, the head of construction company A, concerning the soundproof wall project on the Yeongdong Expressway. This occurred through a local housing association near Bopyeong Station in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, between 2021 and early this year.

It was discovered that he informed Park, "I will assist you in obtaining the construction project via Korea Expressway Corporation."

The court remarked, “The defendant received funds and items from business representatives by claiming he could facilitate requests and act as an intermediary concerning the responsibilities of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, members of the National Assembly who are part of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, and employees of Korea Expressway Corporation, using his influence from his two prior terms as a member of the National Assembly.”

It stated, "These offenses not only erode public confidence in the effectiveness and impartiality of official duties but also increase the financial strain on the association's members involved in this matter, highlighting the seriousness of the violation."

The case became known when Park submitted a complaint to prosecutors after being removed from the project due to a disagreement with former Rep. Ooh regarding the lobbying budget.

Park has also faced separate charges for making secret payments of tens of millions of won to former Yongin Mayor Lee Jeong-moon and is currently being tried in the first instance court.

Kim, the head of the ruling party's faction on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, mentioned on the 21st during an SBS Radio 'Kim Tae-hyun's News Show' about the prosecutors' criminal complaint matter, "There was no shortage of communication with the floor leadership."

Members of the ruling party on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee submitted a criminal report to the police on the 19th, targeting 18 prosecutors who had objected to the withdrawal of the Daejang-dong appeal. This move sparked backlash within the party, with some stating, “The Legislation and Judiciary Committee made a decision on their own without consulting the leadership beforehand.”

In reply, Kim stated, "When we spoke with the floor leadership, we noted that the Legislation and Judiciary Committee intended to submit the complaint," and added, "As the floor leadership deals with numerous matters, it's possible they didn't take this seriously or recall it." He went on, "If we are criticized for not being more proactive in our explanations, we will accept it respectfully, but there was no total absence of communication."

He also mentioned, “The Committee on Legislation and Judiciary held a press conference on the 14th, during which we previously disclosed our intention to submit a complaint to the police,” adding, “This was not unexpected; we had clearly conveyed our plans beforehand.”

Kim also asserted that the prosecutors' criminal complaint reflected the party leadership's 'extremely strict approach' toward the prosecution. He mentioned, "(The leadership) indicated they would employ all legal actions, and the floor leadership even suggested a bill to eliminate the Prosecutors' Discipline Act," and noted, "In line with the party's existing position and direction, we simply held a press conference on that day to file the complaint."

Concerning Kim Byung-kee's unease with the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's independent actions and his statement, "The consequences should be managed by them," Kim replied, "We can deal with the aftermath effectively. You don't have to be concerned about that."

The leadership of the Democratic Party is said to believe that certain lawmakers' hasty actions while President Lee Jae-myung was abroad should not detract from the president's successful diplomatic efforts. Inside the party, there are also complaints that the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's complaint has interfered with the leadership's current national investigation in Daejang-dong. This is because prosecutors are now more inclined to decline to provide testimony during the inquiry, referencing criminal cases.

As reported by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 20th, the social media (SNS) profile of the Cambodian beauty competition shared a video featuring Chouri Laorhours, who was named Miss Teen Cambodia, giving a speech.

In the video, Laorhours starts her speech in Khmer while holding the Cambodian flag.

She demanded the return of 18 Cambodian soldiers held in Thailand, stating, “Cambodia and Thailand have always lived in peace, but Thailand initiated a conflict, breaking the harmony. This is something we never desired.”

She stated, "We do not wish to engage in conflict. We seek peace," and highlighted, "We are not adversaries. We are fellow residents. We are entitled to a future free from animosity and warfare."

The crowd and fellow competitors applauded her speech.

After the video was posted, mixed reactions have overwhelmed both nations. Cambodian online users commended her speech as being nationalistic, whereas Thai users raised doubts about the suitability of expressing political views during a beauty competition.

Some reviewers also claimed that the pageant winner was fueling negative feelings toward Thailand during a time of diplomatic delicacy.

Thailand and Cambodia experienced border conflicts in July, leading to at least 48 fatalities within five days. In reaction, U.S. President Donald Trump urged both parties to stop the fighting, cautioning that he would not discuss tariffs if the dispute persisted. The two nations ultimately reached a ceasefire agreement on the 26th of the previous month and have since taken actions like removing heavy weapons and clearing landmines from the border region.

A special prosecutor's team, looking into the death of a Marine, has referred former President Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee Jong-sup, former Minister of National Defense, and 10 others to court on allegations such as misuse of power for supposedly influencing the Marine Corps investigation unit's conclusions about the death of late Corporal Chae Soo-geun on the 21st. The charges were filed four and a half months after the inquiry started on July 2.

On July 19, 2023, former President Yoon was informed about the initial conclusions of the Marine Corps investigation unit concerning the death of Corporal Chae during a search operation. The report indicated that Lim Seong-geun, former head of the 1st Marine Division, along with seven others, would be sent to the North Gyeongsang Province National Police Agency for charges of criminal negligence leading to death. On July 31 of the same year, following receipt of the report, former President Yoon reportedly showed frustration, commenting, “Who would want to serve as a division commander in South Korea if commanders are held accountable for such issues?” as reported by the special prosecutor.

As per the special counsel team looking into the death of a Marine, former Minister Lee, following a reprimand from former President Yoon, directed Kim Gye-hwan, former Commander of the Marine Corps, to halt the transfer. Furthermore, Yoo Jae-eun, former officer in the legal affairs department of the Defense Ministry, who had received orders from former Minister Lee, instructed Park Jeong-hoon, head of the Marine Corps investigation unit, to alter the findings of the investigation.

Park Jeong-hoon informed Kim Gye-hwan that modifying the investigation findings might lead to charges of abuse of authority against officials from the Presidential Office and the Defense Ministry, and would complicate efforts to persuade Corporal Chae's family. Although Kim shared these concerns with Park Jin-hee, the former military aide to the Defense Minister (a retired Army major general), the following day, August 1, and mentioned that altering the results would be challenging, Park Jin-hee continued to push for Lim Seong-geun's exclusion from the list of suspects.

However, the Marine Corps investigative unit did not follow through and forwarded the investigation documents to the police on August 2. In reaction, former President Yoon directed Cho Tae-yong, the former National Security Advisor, to have the Defense Ministry retrieve the records. Former Minister Lee also instructed Kim Gye-hwan to remove Park Jeong-hoon from his post and assign Kim Dong-hyuk, the former head of the Defense Ministry's prosecution department (a senior army officer), to investigate Park for insubordination. Furthermore, the investigation records were later retrieved by Yoo Jae-eun and modified by Park Jin-hee. Consequently, Lim Seong-geun was reclassified from a "suspect in criminal negligence leading to death" to a "person associated with the case."

The special prosecutor said, “Former President Yoon provided clear and specific directions to remove high-ranking officers such as Lim Seong-geun from the list of suspects in a specific case, while former Minister Lee and others passed on illegal commands in sequence, misusing their power and undermining the fairness of the military police investigation as well as the independence of their duties.”

Furthermore, the special prosecutor brought allegations of leaking classified information against former Minister Lee for revealing details and significant remarks concerning the insubordination investigation involving Park Jeong-hoon to former President Yoon and other individuals. Former Minister Lee was also accused of lying under oath for supposedly giving false testimony to secure Park Jeong-hoon's conviction in a military court.

Individuals facing trial on charges of abuse of authority, along with other allegations, include former President Yoon, former Minister Lee, Cho Tae-yong, former National Security Advisor, Kim Gye-hwan, former Marine Corps Commander, and Shin Beom-chul (Vice Minister), Jeon Ha-gyu (spokesperson), Heo Tae-geun (policy director), Yoo Jae-eun (legal affairs officer), Park Jin-hee (military aide to the Defense Minister), Kim Dong-hyuk (head of the prosecution division), Yoo Gyun-hye (planning and management officer), and Lee Mo (head of organizational supervision) from the Defense Ministry during the incident.

Kim made the comments during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly that day, saying, "If you have even the smallest amount of concern for the nation's interest and honor, I hope you will remain silent, stop making justifications, and go to prison to spend the rest of your life in remorse."

On the 19th, Kim mentioned the testimony of former President Yoon, who appeared as a witness in the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Kim stated, "He casually commented on the G20 and APEC, using phrases like 'countries that are somewhat better off' and 'leftist leaders who aren't original members,'" and noted, "It appears he was so intent on undermining other nations that he wasn't aware of how international conferences are organized or how to tell the difference between member and invited countries."

During the trial, former President Yoon said, "Just before the imposition of martial law, I participated in multilateral meetings in Peru and Brazil in South America, where countries that were somewhat more prosperous were seeking assistance," and "They had invited a significant number of so-called populist leftist leaders. They weren't original members." He added, "I might have told former Prime Minister Han, 'Even if it's difficult next year, you should go to such events,' because I intended to concentrate on key diplomatic efforts."

Kim stated, "It's possible to envision the mental approach and perspective he brought to summit diplomacy," and noted, "If he had been responsible for significant matters such as the Korea-U.S. tariff discussions, the nation would have faced destruction."

In the meantime, Kim said, "We are certain to rejuvenate the regional economy by implementing proactive financial policies and enhancing regulations," and continued, "We will keep reinforcing the government's and public sector's role until the energy of the private and local economies is revived."

Chairperson Ahn made a statement on the 21st, stating, “The matter of returning North Korean soldiers is not just a diplomatic or security concern but a critical human rights issue that directly affects people's lives,” and highlighted, “Forced return should be banned, and humanitarian safeguards are essential.”

According to international law concerning prisoners of war, it is forbidden to forcibly return people to nations where they might encounter persecution, torture, or other serious dangers. He referenced the Third Geneva Convention and the United Nations' (UN) principle of non-refoulement, noting, "The government must take active steps to allow North Korean soldiers to decide freely to come to South Korea."

He stated, “The government has previously declared that it will offer the required protection and assistance to them in line with applicable laws.” Earlier this February, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “North Korean soldiers are our citizens under the Constitution,” and highlighted that respecting people's choice about repatriation is consistent with international law and standards, noting, “They should not be sent back to areas where they risk persecution against their will.”

Two North Korean soldiers, who were taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces, reportedly expressed a wish to travel to South Korea. Ri Mo, 26, a member of a North Korean reconnaissance and sniper unit stationed in Russia's Kursk area, shared with this newspaper in an interview last February, “I've decided 80% on going to South Korea.” In a meeting with People Power Party Representative Yu Yong-weon last March, he stated, “I truly want to see my parents” and asked, “If I go to South Korea, will I be able to live freely and have the rights I want?”

In reply, Chairperson Ahn stated, "The government should ask for comprehensive oversight from the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to make sure that North Korean troops are treated in line with international law."