Opposition campaign chief apologizes for candidates' remarks

The campaign chief of South Korea's main opposition party apologized Thursday for two candidates' controversial remarks a week ahead of the parliamentary elections. The United Future Party (UFP) decided Wednesday to expel candidate Kim Dae-ho for disparaging those in specific age groups and people with disability. The conservative party also referred Cha Myeong-jin to its ethics committee for slandering families of the victims of the 2014 ferry disaster. "I sincerely apologize for the tw

PoliticsApril 9, 2020

In bellwether Seoul, ruling Democratic Party ‘confident’ of victory

Seoul, which is the largest metropolis in South Korea that comprises one-fifth of the country’s 50 million-strong population, is a key battleground in the April 15 parliamentary elections between liberals and conservatives. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said it has a clear lead in at least 33 out of 49 constituencies in the capital. The main opposition United Future Party projected it would secure 17 seats. The governing party expects to pick up seats in its traditional liberal

PoliticsApril 9, 2020

S. Korea's new cases drop below 40

South Korea confirmed 39 more novel coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 10,423. More new cases were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area than rest of the country. Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province saw 22 more cases. The worst-stricken Daegu, whose cases total 6,807, added four cases, and North Gyeongsang Province zero. South Chungcheong Province and South Gyeongsang Province each confirmed one and two, respectively. Twenty-three of the new cases were f

Social AffairsApril 9, 2020

Airman under probe for allegedly taking college entrance exam on behalf of superior

An airman is under investigation over allegations he took the annual state-administered college entrance exam on behalf of one of his superiors, military officials said Thursday. The service member, whose identity has been withheld, is suspected of taking the annual College Scholastic Aptitude Test in November on behalf of the senior who has been discharged from the military service last month, it said. On the test date, a photo of the superior was attached on the identification slip, but the

Social AffairsApril 9, 2020

HUFS president appointed chairman of university education council

Kim In-chul, president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, took office Wednesday as the 25th chairman of the Korean Council for University Education. In his inaugural address, Kim said South Korea’s universities face the challenge of providing quality education on a par with competitors on the global stage. “The job of laying the groundwork for improving the quality of higher education cannot be delayed,” he said, pledging reform. The council will work closely with the

Social AffairsApril 9, 2020

BOK stands pat at record low after emergency rate cut to battle coronavirus

The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday kept its policy rate frozen at an all-time low of 0.75 percent, citing the need to see the effect of steps already taken, but painted a grim growth outlook, forecasting "considerably" slower growth than earlier expected. "Gross domestic product growth is projected to fall considerably below the February forecast of 2.1 percent, and uncertainties around the future path of GDP growth are also judged to be very high," the BOK said in its mon

EconomyApril 9, 2020

[Kim Myong-sik] Shoddy new parties corrupt election environment

　Liberty, democracy, peace, independence, progress, unification, justice -- these are words that have traditionally graced the titles of South Korean political parties over the past decades. 　What is regrettable about the Korean political environment today is that the actual performances of the parties here have little to do with the ideals adopted for their titles. After successive restructuring of parties and regrouping of politicians in recent years, the titles of Korea’s political

ViewpointsApril 9, 2020

Samsung unveils 5G versions of mid-range smartphones

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday unveiled 5G versions of its mid-range smartphones as the South Korean tech giant aims to boost handset sales amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The world's largest smartphone vendor introduced the new Galaxy A71 5G and Galaxy A51 5G smartphones, expanding its smartphone lineup that supports the next-generation mobile network. The LTE versions of the Galaxy A71 and the Galaxy A51 were revealed in Indonesia this January and in Vietnam last year, respectiv

TechnologyApril 9, 2020

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street amid optimism that coronavirus infections around the globe are nearing a peak. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 29.59 points, or 1.64 percent, to 1,836.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The main index tracked overnight gains on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 3.4 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 2.6 percent. US stocks soared amid the

MarketApril 9, 2020

[Graphic News] Air passengers drop to record low in March amid virus woes

　The number of air passengers in South Korea fell to a record low last month due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, data showed, as countries around the globe impose lockdowns and restrict travel and people shun travel. 　The number of air passengers stood at 1.74 million in March, according to industry data, marking the first time that the figure has fallen below 2 million since the country started to record such statistics from 1997. 　The passenger number was 10.62 million in January but

Social AffairsApril 9, 2020

S. Korean schools to resume classes online as virus woes linger

In an unprecedented move, middle schools and high schools in South Korea resumed classes online Thursday as students stay home to avoid the coronavirus that has infected more than 10,000 here. Seniors at middle schools and high schools nationwide greeted their classmates and teachers virtually from their living rooms or bed rooms as they logged onto "Zoom" or "Google Classroom" to begin the new school year. The government had earlier postponed the new school year, which us

Social AffairsApril 9, 2020

S. Korea may suffer job losses amid pandemic: finance minister

South Korea's job creation may suffer a decline, as the coronavirus pandemic has strained the country's economy and business activities, the nation's chief economic policymaker said Thursday. "There is a possibility that unemployment may increase among part-time workers or small business owners," Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said during a meeting with economy-related ministers. "The number of applicants for unemployment allowances is estimated to have increased in March from a

EconomyApril 9, 2020

S. Korea reports six more African swine fever cases in wild boars

Six wild boars found dead near the border with North Korea have tested positive for African swine fever, authorities said Wednesday, bringing the number of such cases to 496 in South Korea. The carcasses were found in the eastern border counties of Hwacheon and Yeoncheon, near the central section of the heavily fortified border, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is affiliated with the environment ministry. Last year, South Korea mobilized hundreds of soldier

Social AffairsApril 9, 2020

South Korea’s best method of tracking COVID-19 spread: credit card transactions

The sucess behind South Korea’s fast action toward containing the spread of COVID-19 is in its legal access to private information of credit card tranaction, according to observers on Wednesday. Despite disputes on infringing on individuals’ privacy, the method is being touted in and out of the country for its efficiency, as it can take just 10 minutes to track the movement of patients infected with the virus. Since the first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed on Jan. 20,

EconomyApril 9, 2020

Lotte, Shilla surrender Incheon airport duty-free biz amid coronavirus woes

South Korea's two leading duty free operators have decided to give up their bids to operate stores at Incheon International Airport as the novel coronavirus has devastated business at the transportation hub, industry sources said Wednesday. The move by Hotel Lotte and Hotel Shilla comes as the business environment at South Korea's main airport has changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, insiders said. The two companies should have signed new 10-year lease deals with Incheon Inter

IndustryApril 8, 2020

3 S. Korean firms sign contracts to supply coronavirus test kits to US

Three South Korean companies have inked contracts with the US government to export coronavirus test kits, with shipments likely to take place next week, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday. The companies won interim approval last month from the US Food and Drug Administration for the exports, after US President Donald Trump voiced hope to import Korean-made medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic during a phone call with President Moon Jae-in. "The process of the compan

Foreign AffairsApril 8, 2020

S. Korean, Finnish foreign ministers hold talks on coronavirus cooperation

The top diplomats of South Korea and Finland held talks on ways to expand cooperation to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, the foreign ministry here said Wednesday. The phone conversation between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, came about as Seoul received recognition for effectively coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and sharing its experience with other countries. Haavisto said South Korea has worked closely with his country on matters o

Foreign AffairsApril 8, 2020

Indonesian man deported for violating self-isolation rules

An Indonesian man was deported from South Korea after violating rules mandating self-isolation for international arrivals, the justice ministry said Wednesday. The 40-year-old was deported to Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon after he was found to have falsely reported his local address and left the registered self-isolation venue, the ministry said in a press release. Authorities tracked him down at an acquaintance's house in the southern city of Gimcheon, 234 kilometers away from Seoul, a

Social AffairsApril 8, 2020

[팟캐스트] (347) 재난지원금 전 국민 확대 찬성 58% / 강남 유흥업소 종사자, 연예인 확진

진행자: 임현수, Paul Kerry 1. 58% in poll say everyone should get disaster relief 아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638 [1] Six out of 10 Koreans think the government should pay emergency disaster relief money to everyone, not just the bottom 70 percent income bracket as planned to help fight COVID-19, a recent survey showed. * disaster relief: 재해 구호 *income bracket: 소득층 [2] In a poll of 500

PodcastApril 8, 2020