Singapore police said Friday they arrested two South Korean journalists while investigating a report of trespassing in the residence of the North Korean ambassador.

The statement posted on the police Facebook page said the two men represented the Korean Broadcasting System News but were not accredited as media personnel in Singapore. The broadcaster is more widely known as KBS.

Reacting to the arrest, South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom pleaded with South Korean journalists in Singapore to act with caution. He said the island state exercises “very strict government power” and that security has been further heightened ahead of the meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday.

“If a problem occurs, our government will put in our best diplomatic effort to resolve it, but there could be cases where that wouldn’t be enough,” Kim, the spokesman, said in a briefing.

The KBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Singaporean police were still investigating two other South Koreans — a representative of the broadcaster and an interpreter-guide.

A criminal trespass conviction in Singapore carries up to three months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.

Police also said journalists who commit crimes in Singapore will not be accredited and thus will be unable to cover the Tuesday summit. </s> Singapore officials say two South Korean journalists arrested on suspicion of trespassing at the residence of the North Korean ambassador have been deported.

Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said Sunday that it was unwise to break into an ambassador’s residence in any country in the world, and Singapore was no exception. He added that the case was closed.

The two men represented the Korean Broadcasting System News and were arrested on Friday. They were not accredited as media personnel in Singapore. The national broadcaster, more widely known as KBS, has apologized.

The maximum penalty for criminal trespass is a jail term of three months and a fine of 1,500 Singapore dollars. Another KBS journalist and an interpreter are also under investigation. </s> SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore officials say two South Korean journalists arrested on suspicion of trespassing at the residence of the North Korean ambassador have been deported.

Singapore's Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said Sunday that it was unwise to break into an ambassador's residence in any country in the world, and Singapore was no exception. He added that the case was closed.

The two men represented the Korean Broadcasting System News and were arrested on Friday. They were not accredited as media personnel in Singapore. The national broadcaster, more widely known as KBS, has apologized.

The maximum penalty for criminal trespass is a jail term of three months and a fine of 1,500 Singapore dollars. Another KBS journalist and an interpreter are also under investigation. </s> Two South Korean broadcast reporters were arrested this week in Singapore after allegations of trespassing into the residence of North Korea’s ambassador while reporting on the lead-up to next week’s historic U.S.-North Korea summit, local police said.

The men, ages 42 and 45, were arrested Thursday afternoon and face up to three months’ imprisonment and a $1,500 fine. Police did not identify them, but said they were with the Korean Broadcasting System, South Korea’s national public broadcaster. Two other individuals, including a local guide for the group, also were under investigation, Singapore police said.

The broadcaster issued an apology for the trespass investigation as part of its nightly news cast Friday. The news organization said it was overzealous and did not exercise enough caution in a sensitive situation, and said it respects the judgment of the local police and justice system. </s> A view of the entrance of the North Korean embassy in Singapore May 24, 2018. Picture taken May 24, 2018.

SINGAPORE - Two South Korean men from the Korean Broadcasting System News (KBS) have been arrested for trespassing into the residence of the Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

According to a statement on Friday (June 8), police said they received a report on Thursday (June 7) afternoon at about 3.50pm about the case. Two men, aged 42 and 45, were subsequently arrested.

Police said two other men, a 31-year-old South Korean KBS representative, and another 29-year-old South Korean man, who was the guide and interpreter for the group, are also under investigation.

It added that the three men who were representing the Korean Broadcasting System News are not accredited media personnel in Singapore.

Police investigations are ongoing. Anyone convicted of criminal trespass may be punished with imprisonment of up to three months, or a fine of up to $1,500, or both.

In its statement, the police warned that members of the media who commit any offence in Singapore will also not be accredited and will thus not be able to cover the US-North Korea summit taking place next Tuesday (June 12). </s> SINGAPORE: Two South Korean men were arrested on Thursday (Jun 7) for allegedly trespassing at the home of the North Korean ambassador in Joo Chiat.

The men, aged 42 and 45, are working for South Korean broadcaster KBS News, said the Singapore police in a news release on Friday, adding that they were alerted to the case at about 3.50pm.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Two other South Koreans, a 31-year-old working for KBS News and a 29-year-old guide and interpreter for the group, are under investigation.

All three men from KBS News are not accredited media personnel in Singapore, police added.

KBS said in an emailed statement it was ready to take any action Singapore authorities deemed necessary.

"We do not know exactly what the situation is or whether it is illegal. We will respect the results of the investigation by the local police and will take necessary measures as soon as the results come out," KBS said.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The national public broadcaster of South Korea operates radio, television and online services.

When asked about the arrests, a spokesman for South Korea's presidential Blue House said it would use "utmost diplomatic effort to prevent such troubles" and urged journalists to be "cautious and prudent".

The issue was seriously discussed during a tea meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his officials earlier in the day, Yonhap news agency cited presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom as saying to reporters.

The North Korean flag (right) seen at the entrance of the ambassador's house in Joo Chiat.(Photo: Fann Sim)

The arrests come days before Singapore is due to host the highly anticipated summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un on Jun 12. Authorities have reminded all foreigners visiting Singapore to abide by local laws.

More than 3,000 foreign journalists are expected to fly in to cover the summit.

“Those who break the law will be dealt with firmly, and this may include termination of visas and repatriation,” said the police.

“Members of the media who commit any offence in Singapore will also not be accredited and thus will not be able to cover the summit between the United States of America and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

If convicted of criminal trespass, the South Korean men could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$1,500 or both. </s> SINGAPORE (AP) — The small island nation of Singapore, which prides itself on law and order, is feeling the pressure of more than 3,000 members of the press arriving for a historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The heavy media presence along with stringent security measures for the summit Tuesday has added to the frenzy unusual for the laid-back tropical state.

For over a week, journalists have been staking out Singapore’s luxury hotels, airports and government buildings to catch a glimpse of officials involved in summit preparations.

Unruly ones have already crossed red lines. Police said Friday they arrested two South Korean journalists from the national broadcaster KBS suspected of trespassing in the residence of the North Korean ambassador. </s> Malaysian prosecutors will charge two women — Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam — with murder over their alleged involvement in the killing of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, the Southeast Asian country's attorney general said on Tuesday.

Kim Jong-nam, who had criticized the regime of his family and his half-brother Kim Jong-un, was killed in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month after the two women allegedly smeared VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, across his face.

Attorney general Mohamed Apandi Ali said the women will be formally charged on Wednesday under section 302 of the penal code, which carries the death penalty.

"I can confirm that," he told Reuters in a text message.

South Korean officials believe the murder was carried out by North Korean agents, and Malaysia has identified eight North Koreans suspected of involvement in the killing.

While Malaysian police arrested the women in the days after the attack, they are are also holding one North Korean man and have identified seven other North Koreans wanted in connection with the sensational case.

Ali said the North Korean in custody will not be charged yet. His remand period ends on Friday.

The security camera footage, which has been released in the media, showed two women assaulting Kim in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the victim stumbling into a medical clinic. He died within 20 minutes of the assault.

Both women have told diplomats from their countries that they had been paid to take part in what they believed was a prank for a reality TV show.

Ri Tong Il, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to the United Nations, has repeated requests that Malaysia hand over the victim's body to the embassy and release the North Korean in custody.

He said he was in Malaysia for "the development of friendly relations between [North Korea] and the Malaysian government", media reported. </s> SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korean police on Thursday arrested K-pop singer Jung Joon-young over allegations that he illegally shared sexually explicit videos of women taken without their knowledge or consent.

MORE: Behind the scenes with BTS in Hamilton

The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Jung hours after he appeared at a hearing and apologized to the victims and to "everyone who has showed affection for me." He was later escorted to a police station in downtown Seoul in handcuffs.

People involved in scandals in South Korea often issue public apologies even as they maintain their innocence.
Two South Korean media personnel from KBS News are arrested for trespassing the home of a North Korean envoy in Singapore.