USFK to resume administering J&J vaccine this week

US Forces Korea (USFK) will resume the administration of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine to its members this week, the US military has said, after a two-week suspension of its use amid concerns over blood clot cases. The decision to resume the use of J&J's Janssen vaccine Friday was based on the joint recommendation of the US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control to end the temporary pause of the COVID-19 vaccine use for all persons aged 18 and older,

DefenseApril 29, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon pays respect to late cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk

President Moon Jae-in paid respect to the late cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, former archbishop of Seoul, on Thursday. Moon visited Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, together with first lady Kim Jung-sook, to pay his last respects to Cheong. He passed away Tuesday at age 89, having suffered an unspecified illness. His funeral will be held at the cathedral on Saturday. Moon wrote on his social messaging accounts Wednesday that, "He left us a teaching on sharing and coexistence&quo

PoliticsApril 29, 2021

[Graphic News] 1 in 3 students felt suicidal due to academic burden: poll

　Nearly 1 out of 3 middle and high school students in South Korea mulled suicide over the past year due to academic burden, a survey showed. 　In a poll of 5,669 middle and high school students conducted by the state-run National Youth Policy Institute from July to October last year, 27 percent said they had thought of taking their own life within the last year. By gender, 35 percent of female students said so, compared with 19.6 percent of male students. 　Asked about the reasons for thinki

NationalApril 29, 2021

NK's largest youth group calls for eradication of anti-socialist practices

North Korea's largest youth organization called on its members to help root out anti-socialist practices as it held the first congress in five years, state media reported Thursday. The Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League, governed by the ruling Workers' Party, held its 10th congress in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). At the meeting, Pak Chol-min, chairman of the league's central committee, told the youth league organizations to "wage a revoluti

North KoreaApril 29, 2021

N. Korea to build 'export processing zone' in border town near China

North Korea plans to build an "export processing zone" near the border with China, state media said Thursday, in a move that appears to be aimed at increasing trade with the neighboring ally amid economic challenges due to global sanctions. The decision to establish the "Musan Export Processing Zone" in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, was made during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the North's rubber-stamp parliament, accord

North KoreaApril 29, 2021

New cases fall back to below 700; virus curbs likely to be extended

South Korea's daily new virus cases fell back to below 700 on Thursday, but sporadic cluster infections and the rising number of untraceable cases still indicate a further rise in infections. The country reported 680 more COVID-19 cases, including 650 local infections, raising the total caseload to 121,351, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload was 775 the previous day, soaring from 500 cases and 512 cases tallied on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, w

Social AffairsApril 29, 2021

USTR says type of settlement between LG, SK is what US needs

The US Trade Representative (USTR) on Wednesday welcomed the recent settlement of a dispute between two South Korean electric vehicle battery makers as the type of trade policy the United States needs to create jobs and support innovation. Katherine Tai also said the settlement enhances US confidence in the two South Korean companies as suppliers. "The settlement is the type of trade policy I believe we need: it supports a larger strategy for creating jobs and investing in innovation and

Foreign AffairsApril 29, 2021

Combined forces of S. Korea, US fully ready to deter N. Korean threats: Milley

WASHINGTON -- The combined forces of South Korea and the United States stand fully ready and capable to defend against any threats from North Korea, the top US military official said Wednesday. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said the countries closely monitor their joint readiness to make sure they are capable. "The forces that we have on the Korean Peninsula, in combination with our ROK allies by the way, which is a very capable military, are in fact capabl

North KoreaApril 29, 2021

US reaffirms support for N. Koreans against 'egregious' human rights abuses

WASHINGTON -- The United States reaffirmed its support for North Korean human rights Wednesday, vowing to hold Pyongyang accountable for "egregious" human rights violations. "On this occasion of North Korea Freedom Week, we stand with the millions of North Koreans who continue to have their dignity and human rights violated by one of the most repressive and totalitarian states in the world," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a released statement. The spokesman ad

North KoreaApril 29, 2021

FM Chung discusses bilateral ties, regional issues with new Vietnamese counterpart

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong spoke by phone with his Vietnamese counterpart on Wednesday and discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, including Japan‘s planned release of radioactive Fukushima water. In the phone talks with Bui Thanh Son, Chung asked for Vietnam’s close cooperation in strengthening the economic and other ties between South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the five Mekong countries -- Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Ca

PoliticsApril 28, 2021

Defense chief says NK missiles in last month's test-firing flew about 600 km

Defense Minister Suh Wook said Wednesday that the ballistic missiles North Korea test-fired last month flew about 600 kilometers, revising the military’s initial assessment. 　After the North‘s March 25 test-firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the military said their flight range was 450 km. North Korean state media has claimed that the missiles flew 600 km. 　“We believe that they flew about 600 km,” Suh said in a parliamentary session when

DefenseApril 28, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae rules out pardon for Samsung chief

President Moon Jae-in has maintained a prudent approach to issuing pardons, and no exception is expected for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who is serving jail time on bribery charges. “We never discussed the issue and have no plans to do so for now,” a Cheong Wa Dae official flatly told reporters Tuesday in response to a petition filed by the nation’s major business lobby groups seeking a pardon for Lee. Former presidents often issued pardons for chaebol

PoliticsApril 28, 2021

Moon mourns passing of Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk

President Moon Jae-in expressed his condolences Wednesday over the death of Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, a former Catholic archbishop of Seoul. Moon described Cheong as a "big hill" of South Korea's Catholic community and a "guru of the nation." "The passing of Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, who delivered peace not only to Catholics but also to all of the people throughout his life, is deeply regrettable," Moon wrote on his social media accounts. "He

PoliticsApril 28, 2021

Army chief apologizes over excessive antivirus rules for soldiers

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Nam Yeong-shin apologized Wednesday over criticism that a boot camp and some other units enforced excessive anti-coronavirus rules in violation of human rights, such as restricting bathroom access. Nam offered the apology after convening an emergency meeting of senior commanders and ordered them to review the Army's health protection rules from scratch and come up with measures to prevent violating soldiers' rights in the course of its fight against COVID-19. "At

DefenseApril 28, 2021

Fully vaccinated people can skip 14-day self-isolation: authorities

South Korean health authorities said Wednesday that fully vaccinated people will be exempted from the country's mandatory 14-day isolation period from early next month as the country is struggling to speed up the vaccination campaign. Health authorities said that, under the country's anti-infection measures, those who have been fully inoculated will no longer be required to self-isolate themselves after coming in close contact with COVID-19 patients or entering the country from overseas from Ma

Social AffairsApril 28, 2021

Defense ministry seeks to secure new firing ranges for USFK

The defense ministry said Wednesday it is trying to secure new "large-scale" firing ranges for the US Forces Korea (USFK) as the American military has complained about limited access to the existing ones due to strong protests from residents. In a report presented to the National Assembly, the ministry said that it will push to secure large-scale training sites as replacements of the existing ranges as part of its longer-term plan to resolve ongoing conflicts between the USFK and resi

DefenseApril 28, 2021

[#WeFACE] Study hones in on radioactive materials to track fine dust origins

South Korean researchers are turning to analyses of radioactive materials present in fine dust in hopes that it will better help them track down origins of the hazardous air pollutants. While scientists have often pointed to China as one of the main culprits, it has been difficult to prove the scope of the impact on Korea because Beijing does not disclose the latest information on its fine dust emissions. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, a government-funded institute established

Social AffairsApril 28, 2021

More verifiable data needed to consider publishing report on NK human rights situations: official

South Korea will consider publishing a report on human rights situations in North Korea after securing more verifiable information and testimonies from North Korean defectors, a unification ministry official said Wednesday. The government runs a center for North Korean human rights records under the ministry to accumulate information on human rights violations in the reclusive country based mostly on interviews with North Korean defectors. The center was launched in 2016 in line with the North

North KoreaApril 28, 2021

[Contribution] Climate change: considering history and future challenges

What year did Korea have the most rain? The answer is 1821, in the 21st year of the reign of King Sunjo of the Joseon Dynasty. How did we know this? Korea invented a rain gauge called Cheugugi to measure and record rainfall from 1441, in the 23rd year of the reign of King Sejong. Measuring the rainfall was discontinued for a while due to Japanese and Chinese invasions of Korea, but it resumed in 1770 during the reign of King Yeongjo. Historic rainfall records spanning 130 years from 1777 to 1907

Social AffairsApril 28, 2021

S. Korea reports more gloomy childbirth data in Feb.

The number of babies born in South Korea fell to a record low in February, data showed Wednesday, underscoring the country's chronically low birth rate. A total of 21,461 babies were born in February, down 5.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest for any February since 1981, when the statistics agency began compiling related data. South Korea is struggling with a sustained fall in childbirths as many young people delay marriage

Social AffairsApril 28, 2021