PM calls for follow-up steps on 'unprecedented' summit deal with US

South Korea's prime minister on Tuesday instructed the Cabinet to make thorough efforts in preparing follow-up measures to the agreement reached in last week's summit between South Korea and the United States, saying the summit produced "never-before-seen" outcomes. On Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, held their first face-to-face summit in Washington and agreed on a wide range of issues, including a vision to pursue a global COVID-19 vacci

PoliticsMay 25, 2021

Military reports 6 new COVID-19 cases

Three Marines and three Army members tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday, the latest in a series of confirmed cases at barracks across the country. The Marines from the same unit in the southeastern city of Pohang were confirmed to have been infected in tests required to exit quarantine. They have been in isolation after their base reported COVID-19 cases earlier, according to the ministry. Two soldiers and an Army officer tested positive following thei

DefenseMay 25, 2021

N. Korea may approach South Korea to hear about US policy: scholar

North Korea may approach South Korea to figure out what the new US policy on Pyongyang looks like, as last week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden did not offer any concrete specifics, a former security adviser to Moon said Tuesday. Moon Chung-in, currently the chairman of the think tank Sejong Institute, made the remarks, expressing hope that Seoul and Pyongyang can reactivate bilateral hotlines to resume cross-border communication. "It is very likely that

North KoreaMay 25, 2021

Health minister cites importance of expanding vaccine capacity at WHA

South Korea's health minister on Tuesday stressed the importance of increasing COVID-19 vaccines and treatment manufacturing capacity to fight the pandemic. "We have to focus on developing and expanding the manufacturing capacity of vaccines and treatments to fight the current pandemic," Kwon Deok-cheol said in a keynote speech during the World Health Assembly (WHA). Kwon cited the importance of simplifying clinical trials to expand the commercial supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The he

Social AffairsMay 25, 2021

Veterans affairs minister in Colombia to express thanks for Korean War participation

The veterans affairs minister is on a visit to Colombia this week to pay tribute to the country's 1950-53 Korean War veterans, his office said Tuesday. Minister Hwang Ki-chul arrived in the Latin American country on Monday (Colombia time) for a three-day visit to strengthen the bilateral friendship and expand cooperation in veterans affairs, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Later Monday, Hwang visited a rehab center for Korean War veterans and the Navy headquarters w

DefenseMay 25, 2021

No possibility of China's economic action against S. Korea over its summit deal with US: Cheong Wa Dae official

A top Cheong Wa Dae official dismissed speculation Tuesday that China may launch another round of economic retaliation against South Korea over its latest summit agreement with the United States that touched on a sensitive regional security issue. Asked about the odds of Beijing's action against Seoul during a radio interview with CBS, a Seoul-based broadcaster, the official said, "I don't think so." Related speculation, reported by some media outlets, is based on "excessively p

PoliticsMay 25, 2021

[Graphic News] Insurance fraud rises 2% in 2020

　Fraudulent insurance claims increased 2 percent in terms of payments last year, partly due to a rise in minor fraud as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the economy, the financial regulator said. 　According to the Financial Supervisory Service, insurance cheaters took a record 898.6 billion won ($808.2 million) through wrongful filings last year, up 11.7 billion won from a year earlier. 　The regulator identified 98,826 suspects in 2020, up 6.8 percent from a year earlier. 　Fraud not involving

NationalMay 25, 2021

Moon orders thorough steps to follow up on his summit deal with Biden, Cheong Wa Dae says

President Moon Jae-in instructed the government and his Cheong Wa Dae team Monday to take thorough follow-up measures to implement his summit agreement with US President Joe Biden, according to his office. Moon convened a meeting with his Cheong Wa Dae aides and also had a weekly meeting with Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum as scheduled, a day after returning from his visit to the US for the summit talks. Citing deals on economic cooperation, COVID-19 vaccines, the alliance and the Korea peace pro

PoliticsMay 25, 2021

NK touts national education of pro-Pyongyang group in Japan on 66th founding anniversary

North Korea touted an organization of pro-Pyongyang residents in Japan for its efforts to hand down the Korean national identity and patriotism on the 66th anniversary of its founding on Tuesday. The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon, has "established a national education system from kindergarten to college and successfully fostered talents to lead the future, and also further elevated our outstanding culture and customs," the Korean Central News Agency sa

North KoreaMay 25, 2021

New cases under 600 for 3rd day; infections rising outside greater Seoul

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 600 for the third straight day Tuesday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but health authorities are concerned over rising infections outside the greater Seoul area. The country reported 516 more COVID-19 cases, including 481 local infections, raising the total caseload to 136,983, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload came to 585 on Sunday and 538 on Monday. There were four additional virus dea

Social AffairsMay 25, 2021

US working on details of vaccine provision to S. Korean soldiers: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- The US Department of Defense is working on details of how and when US vaccines will be provided to South Korean troops working with US Forces Korea, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. US President Joe Biden made a surprise announcement Friday that the US will help fully inoculate all 550,000 South Korean service members, who work closely with US troops in South Korea on a daily basis. "Obviously we support the president's direction here to provide the vaccines to our ROK alli

Foreign AffairsMay 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] US raises travel advisory on Japan to highest Level 4: Do Not Travel

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Monday raised its travel warning for Japan to the highest level, advising Americans not to travel to the Asian nation. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Japan due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. There are restrictions in place affecting US citizen entry into Japan," said the latest US travel advisory on the country. The move comes ahead of the Tok

Foreign AffairsMay 25, 2021

'China is aware Moon-Biden statement targets China despite no mention of Beijing': Chinese amb.

China is aware that part of a joint statement from last week's summit between South Korea and the United States is targeted at Beijing, though it made no mention of the country, the top Chinese envoy here said Monday. Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming made the remarks amid expectations that the statement following the first in-person summit between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Joe Biden on Friday could stir unease in China, as it touches on sensitive issues involving the Taiwan Strait and the South

Foreign AffairsMay 25, 2021

COVID-19 hinders children's language development: poll

Seven in 10 childcare center teachers in South Korea believe the coronavirus pandemic has reduced language development opportunities for preschoolers, a poll showed Monday. In the poll of 709 teachers at national and public daycare centers in the greater Seoul area, 74.9 percent agreed with the view that children‘s language development was disturbed by the use of masks against COVID-19. The poll was recently conducted by the World Without Worries About Shadow Education, an education nong

Social AffairsMay 24, 2021

Local governments set target to go carbon neutral by 2050

South Korea’s local governments -- all 243 of them -- have pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, officials said in a joint declaration at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul Monday. It marked the first time in the world that every local government of a country made a joint pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions, according the Environment Ministry. In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the local governments promised to step up efforts to implement pro-climate pl

Social AffairsMay 24, 2021

Vice FM expects China to 'highly assess' S. Korea for not mentioning Beijing in Moon-Biden statement

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun said Monday he believes China will think highly of the fact that a joint statement issued after last week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden made no mention of China. The statement, issued after the summit Friday (Washington time), stressed "the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," the first time the Taiwan issue has been included in a joint summit statement between Seoul and Washin

Foreign AffairsMay 24, 2021

US ready to engage with North Korea: Blinken

The US has put the diplomatic ball in Pyongyang’s court, with its Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressing that Washington is prepared to engage with North Korea to discuss denuclearization, but it remains uncertain whether the reclusive regime will respond. 　 “We are waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage. The ball is in their court,” Blinken said in an interview with ABC on Sunday, adding that Washington is prepared to pursue diplomacy with the North even a

North KoreaMay 24, 2021

Military prepares to receive new US vaccines

The Ministry of National Defense said Monday that it will consult with health authorities as it prepares to receive new coronavirus jabs from the US to vaccinate 550,000 Korean soldiers. The supply could cover the entire armed forces. The aid comes as part of a comprehensive COVID-19 partnership that President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden reached at their in-person meeting in the US last week. The Korean military, which has yet to find out when it is receiving the vaccines or which

DefenseMay 24, 2021

Stray dog menace poses growing threat to people

A woman was mauled to death by a stray dog in a suburb near Seoul on Saturday afternoon. The 59-year-old died of excessive bleeding a few hours after the dog bit her neck.  The dog's attack was filmed by a closed circuit camera set up in the neighborhood, and police later captured the dog, which looked like a hybrid of Pungsan Dog and Samoyed. This is not an isolated incident at a time when many pedigreed dogs end up on city streets and turn into strays, baring fangs and attacking people

Social AffairsMay 24, 2021

Military reaches out to villagers over hosting US missile shield

Senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense met on Monday with villagers protesting the military’s decision to host a US anti-missile system near their homes. It was their first in-person gathering to work out the yearslong disagreement. The government delegation, led by Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min and municipal leaders, sat down with community members and civic groups in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, which houses the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense syst

DefenseMay 24, 2021