Airlines struggle to tide over virus impact

South Korean airlines, one of the hardest-hit industries by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, are taking unprecedented measures, such as unpaid leave, job cuts and asset sales, to overcome the COVID-19-triggered crisis, industry sources said Wednesday. Korean Air Lines Co., the country's biggest airline, said Tuesday it will have 7 out of 10 workers take paid leave for six months beginning April 16 as part of the company's self-help efforts. In other self-rescue plans announced last month

MobilityApril 8, 2020

New virus cases hover around 50 for 3rd day amid strict social distancing

South Korea's new coronavirus cases hovered around 50 for the third straight day Wednesday, but the nation marked the grim milestone of 200 virus deaths. Health authorities renewed calls for people to maintain social distancing to curb the spread of the virus, as cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas, are still rising steadily. The 53 new cases, detected Tuesday and up from 47 new cases a day ago, brought the nation's total number of infection

Social AffairsApril 8, 2020

Coronavirus-hit small biz owners rush to nonbanking lenders

Small business owners have increasingly turned to nonbanking lending despite the higher-interest loans to withstand the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Tuesday. According to the Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives, a mutual financial institution, its banks extended emergency rescue loans worth 15.5 billion won ($12.67 million) to coronavirus-hit small business owners without credit ratings between March 11 and Friday. The demand for loans from KFCC

MarketApril 8, 2020

Korea mulls temporary lifting of self-isolation for general elections

The government is considering limited lifting of self-isolation measures to enable individuals whose movements have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to vote in the general elections.  According to the National Election Commission, concerned government agencies are considering a number of measures for those affected by the isolation and quarantine measures.  Korea currently enforces a two-week isolation period -- at home or in government facilities -- on those arriving from ove

PoliticsApril 8, 2020

School zone fears make drivers gear up with navigation apps, insurance

Spooked Korean drivers are seeking navigation apps that can bypass school zones and are buying insurance with greater coverage, after the passage of a contentious child safety bill that imposes harsher punishments for accidents. SK Telecom said April 1 it has completed the development of a school zone detour function on its navigation app Tmap, in response to rising demand. Under a new law, widely known as the “Min-sik law,” effectuated on March 25, a driver who injures a child u

IndustryApril 8, 2020

Koreans spend 2 hours daily on virus info searches: poll

  South Koreans spent an average of two hours per day searching for coronavirus information in March amid a surge in the number of cases, a poll showed Wednesday. The survey, taken by a research team from Yonsei University in Seoul, also showed that those who were in self-quarantine put in a longer time of 2.3 hours for information searches. The team of two preventive medicine professors surveyed 2,035 people living in the Seoul metropolitan area, including 18 self-isolators, between Ma

Social AffairsApril 8, 2020

KT signs partnership with Taiwanese telco on 5G services

KT Corp., a major South Korean telecommunications firm, said Wednesday it has a signed a partnership with a Taiwanese telecoms operator on 5G services and digital content development. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. (FET), KT will collaborate in developing 5G-related solutions. FET, an affiliate of Taiwan's major conglomerate Far Eastern Group, said the business cooperation will help the company become a market leader in 5G services. "

TechnologyApril 8, 2020

Coloring back into Joseon era

  While coloring books have recently come into the limelight as a great stress reliever for adults, coloring minhwa with colored pencils has recently been attracting more interest amid the prolonged COVID-19 threat. Minhwa, which refers to Korea’s folk painting style, prospered during the Joseon era (1392-1910). The art form, though it originated among commoners, was widely enjoyed among people regardless of their social classes. Minhwa reflects people’s wishes, as each draw

Arts & DesignApril 8, 2020

US aid group sends medical equipment to N. Korea

A US aid group has sent medical and rehabilitation equipment to North Korea for the treatment of people with pediatric development disabilities, according to the website of its co-founder. IGNIS Community sent a cargo ship last week from the Chinese coastal city of Dalian to the North's western port city of Nampo carrying medical treatment beds, pediatric therapeutic equipment and other items, Joy Yoon said in a statement on the website. "The medical equipment is scheduled to arrive in P

North KoreaApril 8, 2020

Seoul stocks open lower on US losses

Seoul stocks opened lower Wednesday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street amid woes over the new coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 15.95 points, or 0.87 percent, to 1,807.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The main index jumped 8.2 percent in the past four sessions, helped by signs of the COVID-19 outbreak slowing. But analysts said investors remain cautious, as there is still a lot of uncertainty involving the coronavirus outbreak and its im

MarketApril 8, 2020

N. Korea's main paper calls for eradication of illegal economic activities

North Korea's main newspaper on Wednesday called for rooting out embezzlement and other illegal economic activities amid the country's efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. Pyongyang's state media outlets have emphasized the importance of self-reliance and "frontal breakthrough" frequently since leader Kim Jong-un said in December that he expects no easing in sanctions from the United States and called for a "frontal breakthrough" to tackle challenges. "A

North KoreaApril 8, 2020

[Robert J. Fouser] Contribution to post-virus future

As the COVID-19 pandemic tightened its grip on the world, the focus has remained on slowing the spread to save lives and reduce the burden on strained medical systems. Nearly half the population of the world is under some sort of lockdown as governments adopt social distancing as the primary defense against the disease. This has caused a sharp contraction in economic activity that threatens the livelihoods of many. Amid the dire news, pundits have begun to turn their attention to a post-pandemi

ViewpointsApril 8, 2020

Seoul to suspend visa waivers for countries that ban entry on South Koreans

South Korea will temporarily stop visa waiver programs for countries that bar entry to Koreans, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced Wednesday, amid concerns over a growing number of coronavirus infections coming from overseas.   The government will also step up entry restrictions on foreigners traveling for reasons that are not essential or urgent, the prime minister said.  　  “While we maintain the principle of openness, the government will strengthen (entry) re

Foreign AffairsApril 8, 2020

N. Korea completes basic evacuation work for hospital construction in Pyongyang

North Korea has completed initial evacuation work for the construction of a general hospital in Pyongyang, only about 20 days after ground was broken for the project, state media reported Wednesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has shown much interest in the Pyongyang General Hospital project, attending its groundbreaking ceremony on March 17 and ordering construction be completed by Oct. 10, the 75th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party. "We have made achievements in com

North KoreaApril 8, 2020

[Kim Seong-Kon] What we should do in post-coronavirus era

It may be too early to predict what will happen in the post-coronavirus world. Yet already one hears foretold that when the crisis is over, the world will not be the same. For example, globalization will surely decline and nationalism will rise instead because many people believe globalization is responsible for the spread of the pandemic. Undeniably, easy international travel and borderless mobility contributed to the spread of the disease. However, the reverse of globalization will not be ea

ViewpointsApril 8, 2020

Korean Air calls for 6-month work stoppage for 70% of workforce

South Korea's No. 1 flag carrier, Korean Air Lines, said Tuesday that it will start a six-month-long work stoppage for more than 70 percent of its workforce, as the novel coronavirus wreaks havoc on the airline industry. The measure is part of an ongoing effort to survive the worsening business environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused air passenger movement to nosedive with countries around the world restricting movement of people. The stoppage, which will go into effec

IndustryApril 7, 2020

UK’s Johnson spends night in ICU; not on ventilator

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent the night in the intensive care unit of a London hospital with the new coronavirus, but is not on a ventilator, a senior government minister said Tuesday, as pressure grew on the government to release more details of Johnson’s condition. Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, the first major world leader to be confirmed to have the virus. He was moved to t

World NewsApril 7, 2020

Top diplomats of S. Korea, UAE hold phone talks over coronavirus response

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates held phone talks Tuesday over bilateral cooperation in fighting the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry here said. The conversation between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, came after South Korea shipped 51,000 coronavirus sampling kits in emergency exports to the Middle Eastern country last month. The UAE foreign minister expressed gratitude for Korea's cooperation in respond

Foreign AffairsApril 7, 2020

Virus puts UK PM in intensive care; Japan declares emergency

London (AP) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care Tuesday fighting the coronavirus, while across the world, Japan’s leader declared a monthlong state of emergency for Tokyo and six other regions to keep the virus from ravaging the world’s oldest population. The 55-year-old Johnson, the world’s first known head of government to fall ill with the virus, was conscious in a London hospital and needed oxygen but was not on a ventilator, Cabinet minister Mic

World NewsApril 7, 2020