Asylum seeker wins case against Justice Ministry

An asylum seeker from an African nation won his case against the Ministry of Justice on Monday, after the court ruled it was illegal for the government to refuse to accept refugee applications. The Korea Immigration Service, under the Ministry of Justice, did not dispute the ruling. The Justice Ministry does not release personal information, including nationality, about those seeking refugee status. In February the man applied for refugee status, saying he had come to South Korea because of

Social AffairsMay 17, 2021

Belgian envoy’s wife to avoid punishment for alleged assaults

The wife of the Belgian ambassador to South Korea, who was booked on charges of assaulting two clothing store clerks in April, is to avoid punishment on the grounds of diplomatic immunity. “We confirmed that the Belgian ambassador side would not give up the immunity in connection with the assault case of the ambassador’s wife,” the police said Monday. “We will decide not to send the case (to the prosecution) as usual.” According to the police, the Belgian Embass

Social AffairsMay 17, 2021

DP chief hopes upcoming Moon-Biden summit can allay jitters over vaccine procurement

The chief of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) voiced hope Monday that the upcoming South Korea-US summit can help resolve various bilateral issues, including Seoul's COVID-19 vaccine procurement. "I expect that momentum can be created by the historic South Korea-US summit to relieve the (Korean) people's anxieties over vaccine issues, (foment) cooperation on semiconductors and a joint response to climate change, and resolve North Korean issues," DP Chairman Song Young-gil said during

PoliticsMay 17, 2021

[Newsmaker] Poll respondents divided on whether to reform confirmation hearing system

South Koreans appear to be almost evenly divided on whether to remedy the current parliamentary confirmation hearings for minister nominees, a poll said Monday, as the ruling party and the presidential office are pushing to shift the focus of the system to their job performance ability. In the Realmeter poll of 500 adults nationwide conducted Friday, 47.9 percent agreed to the need to refurbish the present confirmation hearing system, while 45.5 percent expressed an opposite view. The remaining

PoliticsMay 17, 2021

Ministry voices disappointment over N. Korea's decision to pull out of World Cup qualifiers

The unification ministry on Monday expressed disappointment over North Korea's final decision to withdraw from a World Cup qualifier set to take place in the South next month. On Sunday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the withdrawal of the North from the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. "The unification ministry has maintained the stance that it is desirable to use the World Cup and other international games as an opportunity for inter-Korean exchange in sp

North KoreaMay 17, 2021

Military reports 4 new coronavirus cases

Three Army soldiers and an airman have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Monday. The three soldiers based in Yangju, just north of Seoul, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 while in quarantine after a virus case was reported at their base, according to the ministry. The airman, based in the eastern city of Gangneung, was found to be infected while away from his base on vacation. An Army unit in the border county of Cheorwon where 27 service members hav

DefenseMay 17, 2021

30% of pets at animal shelters adopted in 2020: data

Around 30 percent of stray pets protected by animal shelters found new homes in 2020, data showed Monday, amid the growing popularity of raising pets in South Korea. The number of pets rescued by animal shelters came to 130,401 in 2020, down 3.9 percent from 135,791 posted in the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The data showed 29.6 percent of the rescued animals in 2020 were adopted, up 3.2 percentage points from a year earl

Social AffairsMay 17, 2021

Attendance at amusement parks plummets due to pandemic

The number of visitors to major amusement and theme parks across the country decreased sharply last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. According to data from the state-run Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, attendance at Lotte World in southern Seoul stood at 1.56 million in 2020, down 73.1 percent from the previous year. Everland Resort in Yongin, about 50 kilometers south of Seoul, suffered a 58.3 percent drop to 2.76 million and Seoul Land in Gwacheon, about 20 km s

Social AffairsMay 17, 2021

S. Korea purchases hydrogen powered-drones for pilot operation

The arms procurement agency said Monday it has signed a deal to purchase hydrogen powered-drones for a pilot operation at the Air Force to boost the military's surveillance capabilities. Under the 831 million won ($737,000) contract with Doosan Mobility Innovation Inc., the drones will be delivered to the military by November after six months of production and inspection, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The hydrogen fuel cell-propelled drones have a greater flight

DefenseMay 17, 2021

[Graphic News] 67% of S. Koreans say vaccination passports will help economy: poll

　Nearly 70 percent of South Koreans believe that the use of a vaccination passport, which proves that a person has been fully vaccinated against the virus, will help the economy, a poll showed. 　The poll from the Federation of Korean Industries, a major business lobbying group here, showed 67.4 percent expect the adoption of the passport will vitalize the economy. 　With the passport, 36.4 percent said they would like to take trips overseas, with 41.2 percent of them pointing to Europe as

NationalMay 17, 2021

New cases in 600s for 3rd day as cluster infections continue

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 600s for the third consecutive day Monday, as infections from private gatherings, schools and military bases continued amid little progress in vaccinations. The country reported 619 more COVID-19 cases, including 597 local infections, raising the total caseload to 132,290, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. There were three additional virus deaths, raising the total to 1,903. aily cases have typically fallen eve

Social AffairsMay 17, 2021

Somewhere between distance, intimacy: Love in the time of coronavirus

Twenty-seven-year-old Park Sara had decided 2020 was going to be a time for focusing on herself as the coronavirus gripped the country. “I made peace with the fact that my life would be on hold for a while,” said the office worker in Seoul. But that was before she knew the pandemic would last well through the year and beyond, with no clear end in sight. “This pandemic is just unrelenting,” she said. Now she finds herself reconsidering her extended break from dati

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021

[News Focus] Korea’s working age population falls to 1997 levels

SEJONG -- South Korea is the only country whose labor force exceeds 70 percent of the total population in the 37-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The high percentage of the working age population -- people aged between 15-64 -- among Korea’s total inhabitants has greatly contributed to the nation’s economic growth over the past few decades. Their share of the population reached 72.8 percent in 2018, far surpassing Japan’s 59.7 percent and the OE

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021

South Korea to resume first-round vaccinations after supply restored

South Korea will resume offering first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this coming weekend, health authorities said Sunday. Their use was suspended early this month so the scarce resource could be reserved for people getting their second shots. The unstable supply put a stop to the use of Pfizer’s vaccine across the country for people getting their first shots. The government is currently providing second doses of the American vaccine to seniors who received their first shots in

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021

[Photo News] Support for single mothers

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021

N. Korea’s Zoom-type app Rakwon gains traction

A videoconferencing platform similar to Zoom is widely used in North Korea as the country’s citizens avoid face-to-face meetings just like most people around the world. According to a report released Thursday by 38 North, a media outlet that specializes in North Korea, the country uses a domestically developed videoconferencing system called Rakwon. The name means “paradise.” The software was developed a decade ago at Kim Il Sung University, and the news of its existence was

North KoreaMay 16, 2021

[#WeFACE] H.eco Forum 2021 to discuss solutions to climate emergency

The H.eco Forum on environmental issues will be launched on June 10 in Seoul, bringing together policymakers, businesspeople, scholars and activists to discuss what actions must be taken at individual, business and governmental levels to avert a climate catastrophe.  Under the theme “We face the Climate Clock,” the first edition of the H.eco Forum will center on addressing climate change -- the biggest crisis faced by humanity -- and the need for drastic changes to every aspect

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021

[#WeFACE] Herald Corp. to launch H.eco Forum on June 10

At the current rates of emissions, the Earth has about six years and 235 days before the effects of global warming become irreversible as of May, the Climate Clock shows. To turn back the Climate Clock, Herald Corp. made it a new vision to commit itself to addressing environmental problems and the climate crisis, which have escalated to become the defining challenge of our time. As the first step, Herald Corp. will launch H.eco Forum, an annual forum on environmental issues, on June 10 to prov

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021

Seoul, Tokyo likely to form consultative body on Fukushima wastewater release

South Korea and Japan are likely to form a joint consultative body to discuss Tokyo’s controversial plan to dispose of radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant by releasing it into the sea, media reports said Sunday. 　 The Asahi Shimbun, citing diplomatic sources, reported that Seoul is said to have sounded out Tokyo on the possibility of establishing a consultative group between the two countries. The Japanese government is reviewing the proposal and leaning toward acc

Foreign AffairsMay 16, 2021

Crane driver dies after overhead crane falls at cement factory

A subcontract worker at a cement factory in the eastern port city of Donghae has died after an overhead crane fell on him in yet another industrial incident, authorities said Sunday. According to Gangwon Fire Headquarters and Donghae Police Station, the 63-year-old crane driver was hit by an overhead crane that fell from 10 meters above at a cement factory in Donghae, 279 kilometers east of Seoul, at 11:42 p.m. Friday. He was moved to a hospital but died. The accident reportedly occurred while

Social AffairsMay 16, 2021