USFK declares public health emergency over coronavirus

US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams declared a public health emergency on Wednesday as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus, his office said. The declaration came in accordance with the US State Department's issuance of a global level 4 travel advisory and USFK installations' increased exposure to COVID-19, USFK said in a release. "In order to ensure I possess the necessary authorities needed to enforce compliance and protect the force, I have declared a Public Health Emer

DefenseMarch 25, 2020

Death toll in Spain surpasses China as virus ravages Europe

NEW DELHI (AP) — The world's largest democracy went under the world's biggest lockdown Wednesday, as India's 1.3 billion people stayed home in a bid to stop the march of the coronavirus pandemic. As infections and deaths rose in the US and Europe, US lawmakers agreed on a massive $2 trillion domestic aid package to help those devastated by the outbreak. India's unprecedented move aimed to keep the virus from overwhelming its fragile health care system, as it has done in parts of Europe a

World NewsMarch 25, 2020

Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus

LONDON (AFP) -- Prince Charles, the eldest son and heir to Queen Elizabeth II, is showing mild symptoms of the new coronavirus but "otherwise remains in good health", his office said on Wednesday. The 71-year-old and his wife Camilla -- who does not have COVID-19 -- are currently self-isolating in Scotland, Clarence House said. "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus," it said in a statement, using his official title.  "He has been displaying m

World NewsMarch 25, 2020

GM Korea, union reach provisional agreement on wage talks

GM Korea Co. and its labor union said Wednesday that they have reached a provisional agreement on their long-drawn wage talks. The understanding on wages and collective bargaining for the 2019 calendar year, comes after nine months of negotiations, with unionists giving up their demands for an increase in basic wages and special bonuses, the South Korea unit of US auto giant GM said. The carmaker said that while it could not afford to increase wages for its employees, it will give so-called i

IndustryMarch 25, 2020

Govt. mulls online classes for schools due to COVID-19 uncertainty

The Ministry of Education said Wednesday it is considering introducing online classes for elementary, middle and high schools nationwide, if the ongoing spread of the coronavirus outbreak shows little sign of letting up by April 6, the rescheduled start date of the spring semester. Elementary and secondary schools were scheduled to begin their school year on March 2, but have delayed the start date three times, to the first Monday of April, due to fears of COVID-19 transmissions in classrooms.

Social AffairsMarch 25, 2020

BOK to supply dollars next week under swap deal

The Bank of Korea said Wednesday that it will release its first batch of US dollar reserves in the financial market next week in accordance with a currency swap deal with the US Federal Reserve. “Negotiations on the swap contract are still underway and we plan to start supplying US dollars next week,” BOK Deputy Gov. Ryoo Sang-dai told reporters. The US dollars will be made available in different installments, but the exact amount has yet to be confirmed, he said.  Earlier,

MarketMarch 25, 2020

[Newsmaker] COVID-19: Are kids OK?

Most kids who catch COVID-19 will fare better than adults and get mildly sick, new findings suggest, but not all will be spared from falling severely ill. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Tuesday data show the number of patients under 10 here stood at 105, accounting for 1.15 percent of the total 9,137 cases, and those under 20 stood at 475, or 5.2 percent. “No one under 20 is having severe or critical symptoms in Korea,” pediatric infectious disease specia

Social AffairsMarch 25, 2020

[Graphic News] S. Korea begins coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe

　Starting Sunday, all people traveling to South Korea from Europe are required to take COVID-19 tests and undergo a two-week quarantine regardless of symptoms. 　Of the 1,444 people who landed in Korea from Europe on Sunday, 19 tested positive for the virus, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　As of Tuesday, the KCDC, said, Korea had reported 9,037 cases total, including 171 imported cases. Of the 76 new cases reported Tuesday, 22 of the patients had been inf

Social AffairsMarch 25, 2020

S. Korea expands job subsidies, eases FX rules

Bracing for the prolonged fallout from COVID-19, South Korea will drastically expand the employment promotion subsidy and alleviate foreign exchange liquidity rules for financial companies, the country’s chief fiscal policymaker said Wednesday. While presenting the central government’s latest market-stabilizing measures, he also said individual subsidy plans may create confusion, implying disapproval of moves by some local governments to distribute an “anti-disaster basic

EconomyMarch 25, 2020

[Herald Interview] DKB hopes to make splash with free-spirited, rebellious energy

Having joined the competitive K-pop scene just last month, DKB has already proven itself as a breakout rookie group, equipped with rebellious energy and various talents. The nine-member act is the first boy band under Brave Entertainment in eight years, an agency founded by K-pop hit maker Brave Brothers. An abbreviation of “Dark Brown Eyes,” referring to “nine Asian brown-eyed boys stretching out to the world,” DKB debuted with its first EP “Youth” and lead

K-popMarch 25, 2020

Flowers in all hues to help you beat ‘corona blues’

  Spring has arrived even as COVID-19 continues to plague countries around the world. Although you may have to confine yourself at home and minimize social activities, there are still ways to get a taste of spring. One idea is ordering cut flowers or plants for home delivery, or stopping by a florist on your way home to pick up flowers for loved ones who are going through the “corona blues.” Kim Seo-yoon, who runs Baum and Blum in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, says although the

CultureMarch 25, 2020

NK media advise avoiding crowded areas in anti-virus efforts

North Korea on Wednesday advised its people against going to crowded areas, saying the coronavirus can be transmitted even through eye infections. Introducing a medical study conducted abroad, the Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Worker's Party, highlighted social distancing measures as the COVID-19 virus was found to be more contagious than previously known. "There is a risk of transmission of the coronavirus through the eyes ... the respiratory system is not the only rout

North KoreaMarch 25, 2020

Quick review of ‘Learn Korean with BTS’

The first three episodes of Big Hit Entertainment’s education initiative “Learn Korean with BTS” were released Tuesday. Available free of charge on Weverse, a fan-community app created by the label, each is a three-minute-long compilation of footage of BTS from shows like “Bangtan Bomb” and “BTS Episode,” repeating a simple phrase or expression. Here’s our quick review: Fun and attention-grabbing Learning a foreign language can be exciting

K-popMarch 25, 2020

Coupang to install ‘360-degree monitoring system’ in delivery cars

E-commerce giant Coupang said Wednesday it will install Automotive Around View Monitoring system in all its vehicles to aid its delivery staff. The monitoring system allows the driver to get a 360-degree exterior view on the screen, using four cameras mounted underneath the outside mirrors. According to the company, it will complete installing the system in all vehicles before July. It is the first company in the logistics industry to introduce the technology for delivery workers, the compan

ConsumerMarch 25, 2020

NPS contemplates stance on fate of Hanjin KAL chairman

South Korea’s state pension fund said Wednesday that it will take a final stance Thursday on the family feud centering on management control of Hanjin KAL, holding company of Hanjin Group which runs Korean Air. A trust management committee under the state-run National Pension Service, which holds 2.9 percent stake in Hanjin KAL, will decide on its vote on the reappointment of Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group, at a shareholders meeting scheduled Friday. It is widely expected that

MarketMarch 25, 2020

Moon to share S. Korea's coronavirus experience in G-20 summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will brief global leaders on his country's "effective" response to the novel coronavirus when they hold a special teleconference this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. The Group of 20 (G-20) major economies are scheduled to open the session at 9 p.m. Thursday (Seoul time) for discussions on COVID-19 following Moon's proposal during his phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. High on the agenda are ways to str

Foreign AffairsMarch 25, 2020

[Kim Myong-sik] Ridiculous election system breeds disposable parties

History shows that even raging wars do not restrain politicians’ fervor for power. The nation is now at war against the new coronavirus. Guns are not being fired, but so many warriors in imperfect protective gear are fighting an invisible but ubiquitous enemy while casualty numbers are updated on a daily basis. Despite the atmosphere of public desperation and panic, politics goes on in full vigor ahead of parliamentary elections. During the Korean War, President Syngman Rhee carried out t

ViewpointsMarch 25, 2020

[Shang-Jin Wei] Beating the virus and the economic pandemic

Back in January, I predicted that the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus in China would reach a turning point by the second or third week of February. Indeed, the total number of serious and critical cases in the country has been declining since Feb. 22, and there have been no new cases in the last few days other than international travelers arriving in China. Unfortunately, new infections outside China have risen very fast, with potentially disastrous consequences for public health and the

ViewpointsMarch 25, 2020

[News Focus] Coronavirus fears to lower turnout for April election

The coronavirus pandemic is expected to disrupt the upcoming April general elections, as its consequences have extended to every corner of the daily lives of voters. The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented uncertainty on the election, as voters could eschew casting ballots in fear of the risk of contagion in crowded polling places. Revised election rules adopting a mixed-member proportional representation system, which will be applied to the poll for the first time, gave birth to ne

Social AffairsMarch 25, 2020