News Briefing: Death Toll Exceeds 470 in Worst Nepal Floods

1. Today (the 28th) marks the third day since the catastrophic floods struck, and human casualties continue to rise. Confirmed deaths by authorities in Nepal and China have exceeded 472, while the number of missing persons has surpassed 1,400. Nine South Korean nationals remain out of contact. Nepalese authorities have mobilized over 30,000 personnel for rescue operations, but accessing the sites remains extremely difficult as most of the affected areas are buried under thick mud, with bridges and roads destroyed. With the disaster zones virtually reduced to ruins, concerns are also mounting over the possibility of secondary floods.

2. Police Officer Boo, who has been arrested on charges of falsely closing the case of a missing person in her 30s named Chang in Jeju, has changed her stance during police questioning, admitting that she did not speak with Chang after receiving the missing person report. Officer Boo had consistently maintained that she was in contact with Chang, but has now partially admitted that her claims of having spoken to Chang were false. Officer Boo reportedly changed her statement after police presented telecommunication records showing no call history between her and Chang, alongside autopsy results estimating that Chang had already passed away before the missing person report was filed. Police stated that they plan to continue investigating the motive and circumstances behind Officer Boo's actions through the deployment of profilers and forensic analysis.

3. The Chinese instructor surnamed Jung, who is accused of murdering a female Chinese international student in Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, has abruptly refused a psychopath checklist assessment. Police planned to deploy two profilers yesterday with Jung's consent to conduct the assessment, but Jung reportedly changed his attitude. It is suggested that Jung, who retained a legal counsel yesterday, may have refused the test considering its potential impact on future trials. Based on Jung's statements that he mutilated and abandoned the body in multiple locations, vehicle travel routes, and dashcam footage, police are continuing search operations at suspected abandonment sites. Police are also considering holding a identity disclosure committee given the brutality of the crime.

4. General programming cable channel JTBC has entered rehabilitation procedures two months after declaring default. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court announced that it issued a decision to commence rehabilitation procedures this morning. JTBC must submit a rehabilitation plan to the court by January 29 of next year. In its decision ruling, the court cited the growth of other platforms such as OTT services, rising production costs, and a shrinking advertising market as the causes of JTBC's financial collapse, while also analyzing that large-scale expenditures for Olympic broadcasting rights fees and a liquidity crisis across the Joongang Group had an impact. In response, JTBC stated that both its management and employees will make their utmost efforts to normalize management through a prompt sale.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.