Vaccination starts for S. Koreans aged 65 and older at nursing homes, hospitals

South Korea on Tuesday began vaccinating people aged 65 and older at nursing homes and long-term care hospitals nationwide as scheduled, amid a mix of excitement and anxiety. More than 370,000 inpatients in the age group, caretakers and medical staff at such facilities are scheduled to get vaccinated in the coming weeks. The second round of the country's vaccine rollout came after the government decided to expand the vaccination program based on new overseas studies showing the effectiveness o

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

S. Korea not to co-sponsor this year's UN resolution on NK human rights

South Korea decided not to co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution on North Korea's rights violations for the third consecutive year, though it will join the document's adoption by consensus, a Seoul official said Tuesday. The council is set to adopt the resolution for the 19th straight year during the 46th session in Geneva this week, as Seoul seeks to avoid tension with the North amid its efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue. "The government's position will remain the same as

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

S. Korea, Belgium to hold cultural fest celebrating 120th anniversary of ties

A yearlong cultural festival celebrating the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Belgium will begin Tuesday, the culture ministry said. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it has designated Belgium as this year's counterpart for its cultural diplomacy project. Under the plan, cultural events will be held to promote cultural exchange between the two countries under the slogan "sharing friendship together, enjoying prosperity to

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Moon, first lady receive AstraZeneca shots to attend G-7 summit in June

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook received their first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, in preparation to visit the United Kingdom for a Group of Seven summit in June. 　 Moon, 68, was administered the shot in his left arm at the Jongno-gu public health center near the presidential office, along with first lady Kim and nine Cheong Wa Dae aides, including national security adviser Suh Hoon, who are accompanying them to Britain in June. 　 Korea

PoliticsMarch 23, 2021

NK’s Kim calls for unified front with China against ‘hostile forces’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages Monday in which Kim stressed unity and stronger cooperation against hostile forces, in what is seen as a move to bolster their traditional alliance in the face of intensifying tension between China and the US, as well as stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. 　 The North’s state-run Korea Central News Agency on Tuesday reported on the exchange of messages between the heads of the two coun

North KoreaMarch 23, 2021

Oh Se-hoon to run in 2-way Seoul mayoral race

Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will run again for the job next month as he was chosen over software entrepreneur-turned-politician Ahn Cheol-soo in polls to make it a two-way race against the ruling party. Running on the main opposition People Power Party’s ticket, Oh was declared winner of the bipartisan primary against the leader of the minor opposition People’s Party Tuesday morning. The primary was based solely on a survey of 3,200 people conducted by two pollsters on Monday. O

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

‘Seoul’s nuclear pursuit would harden NK’s atomic ambitions’

South Korean nuclear armament will make it harder for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, a former commander of the US military in South Korea said at a webinar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday. A growing number of South Koreans see nuclear armament as a feasible option amid stalled nuclear talks between the US and the North, which have yet to narrow differences over which steps to take first between denuclearization and sanctions relief.

North KoreaMarch 23, 2021

Quad not on table for S. Korea-India defense ministerial talks: Seoul

Defense Minister Suh Wook has no plans to discuss the US-led regional forum Quad with his Indian counterpart during his visit to the country this week, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Suh, who has been on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is scheduled to arrive in India on Thursday for a three-day visit. The planned visit to India spurred speculation that Suh could discuss the Quad forum during his talks with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Involving the United States, Austr

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

[Animals in Korea (3)] Why are so many dogs abandoned and killed?

A photo of a white Maltese mix with a hopeless look on his face was posted on an animal adoption platform, Pawinhand, early this month. The message read, “Please take a look at this puppy whose deadline is over.” This means a monthlong period to find a new owner was over and he would soon be euthanized. The white dog was abandoned in a village this past winter with some dog supplies, according to local residents, and was rescued by an animal shelter after wandering the village fo

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Prosecutors seize ex-President Park's house over unpaid fines

The prosecution has seized the house of former President Park Geun-hye after she failed to pay financial penalties ordered by the Supreme Court in its final ruling on her corruption and power abuse cases, prosecution officials said Tuesday. In its high-profile ruling on Jan. 14, the top court upheld a 20-year prison sentence, a fine of 18 billion won ($15 million) and a forfeit of 3.5 billion won for Park, who was convicted in a massive power abuse and bribery scandal that removed her from offi

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

[Newsmaker] Rights watchdog urges end to 'discriminatory' coronavirus testing requirement for foreign workers

The state human rights watchdog on Tuesday urged local governments to withdraw their orders for migrant workers to undergo mandatory coronavirus testing, calling it "discriminatory against foreigners." Some local governments, including Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, issued such administrative orders earlier this month amid spikes in infections in areas and workplaces with a large number of foreign nationals. The city of Seoul revised the order Friday amid protests from t

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Police probe dozens of public servants, including presidential security staffer, in LH scandal

A government probe team said Tuesday that it has referred dozens of alleged land speculation cases involving public servants, including a presidential security staffer, to the police. The team led by police said Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency has been looking into the cases of 23 public officials and a Cheong Wa Dae security officer. The total number of people under probe over suspected land speculation has mounted to 333. It also confirmed that the official working for the Presidential Security

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Unification ministry reviewing ways to send food, fertilizer assistance to N. Korea

The unification ministry is conducting an internal review of ways to provide food and fertilizer to North Korea as humanitarian assistance, an official said Tuesday. "We continue to conduct an internal review as it requires an evaluation of the situation at the North Korea-China border, the overall inter-Korean relations and whether the conditions are right to provide such assistance," a ministry official said. "Our position remains the same over the issue, that we must provide

North KoreaMarch 23, 2021

Russian deputy defense minister to visit Seoul next week

Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will visit Seoul next week for talks with his South Korean counterparts, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The meeting slated for Monday follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's planned talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul this week. "It will be a regular strategic dialogue," defense ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said during a regular press briefing. The top Russian officials' back-to-back South Korea tr

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Police seek suspect after women attacked with coffee

Police said Tuesday they are searching for a man who allegedly threw lukewarm coffee at women on the street in a suspected hate crime against females. Police in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, received reports that a man on a bicycle hurled coffee at a total of six women who were alone at a bus stop or on a bench at night from March 9-21. The victims are all in their 20s. Police are trying to track down the suspect through closed-circuit TV footage. "As it is suspected as a

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

S. Korea, US closely watching N. Korea amid signs rocket launchers being deployed to border islet

South Korea is closely monitoring North Korea's military moves in close coordination with the United States, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Tuesday, amid signs that Pyongyang is deploying multiple rocket launchers on a western border island. Sources say there have been "multiple signs" that the communist country has deployed multiple rocket launchers and other weapons on the inter-Korean border islet of Changrin. "Our military has been closely tracking and monitoring North

North KoreaMarch 23, 2021

Moon gets AstraZeneca vaccine shot to join G-7 summit in Britain

President Moon Jae-in received his first dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, as he plans to attend a Group of Seven (G-7) summit to be held in Britain. He received the shot at the Jongno Ward public health center near the presidential compound in Seoul, along with first lady Kim Jung-sook and nine Cheong Wa Dae officials who will accompany them on a trip to Britain in June. The G-7 session is scheduled to take place in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall from June 11-13. M

PoliticsMarch 23, 2021

New infections back below 400, AstraZeneca shots for elderly begin

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back to below 400 on Tuesday for the first time in a week amid concerns of a potential resurgence as the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout for elderly citizens began after a one-month delay over safety concerns. The country reported 346 more COVID-19 cases, including 331 local infections, raising the total caseload to 99,421, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country added seven more deaths from COVID-19, increasin

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Russia's top diplomat to visit Seoul for talks on bilateral ties, peninsula issues

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was set to visit South Korea on Tuesday for talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong about bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues, officials said. Lavrov is expected to fly in here from China, where he made a two-day visit for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Lavrov last came to Seoul in 2013, when he accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip. Before that, he traveled to Seoul in 2009, which

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

S. Korea reports 1 more bird flu case, total now at 107

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it has identified yet another case of highly pathogenic bird flu amid the prolonged battle against the contagious animal disease. The latest confirmed case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from a duck farm in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, overnight, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. It marked the first confirmed case since March 13, when another egg farm in North Chungcheong Province was infected wi

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021