Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
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UNC considering resuming tours to Panmunjom amid eased social distancing scheme
The United Nations Command (UNC) said Monday that it has been exploring ways to resume tours to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, as South Korea eased antivirus social distancing rules. Tours to Panmunjom, or the Joint Security Area (JSA), were suspended in December amid the COVID-19 pandemic, just a month after the program resumed following a yearlong suspension over concerns about African swine fever. "With the ROK government relaxing social distancing measures to Level 2.0,
North KoreaFeb. 15, 2021
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New infections in 300s for 3rd day; distancing rules eased for small businesses
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 300s for the third consecutive day Monday on fewer tests during the Lunar New Year holiday, with social distancing measures eased to help small businesses whose operations have been in limbo over tougher regulations. The country reported 344 more COVID-19 cases, including 323 local infections, raising the total caseload to 83,869, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The country added five more deaths, raising the
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea to spend W4.3tr on defense R&D this year
South Korea will invest 4.3 trillion won ($3.9 billion) in research and development in the defense sector this year to secure cutting-edge technologies and boost the industry's competitiveness, the arms procurement agency said Monday. The amount is up 10 percent from 3.9 trillion won earmarked last year and includes 631.8 billion won for the research and development of core weapon technologies, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Under its 2021 plan, the agency said it
DefenseFeb. 15, 2021
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Police raid religious group over breach of virus rules
DAEJEON -- Police on Monday raided the headquarters of a local Christian missionary group over suspected violations of antivirus protocols that led to a large outbreak of the coronavirus. Investigators have been seizing computer hard drives and documents from the International Mission headquarters in Daejeon, 164 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the police. IM has been blamed for more than 400 cases of the coronavirus at its facilities, including at the IEM School in Daejeon. The city
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Number of discouraged female workers hits new high in 2019
The number of discouraged female workers in South Korea hit an all-time high in January due to a tough employment situation amid the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Monday. The country had 359,000 discouraged female workers in January, up 65.5 percent, or 142,000, from a year earlier and setting a new record, according to the data from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). Last month, the overall number of discouraged workers in Asia's fourth-largest economy came to
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Inter-Korean reunification activist Paek Ki-wan dies at 88
Paek Ki-wan, who devoted his life to the reunification of the two Koreas and labor and social issues, died in hospital Monday, hospital officials said. He was 88. According to Seoul National University Hospital and his aides, Paek had been in the hospital since January of last year with symptoms of pneumonia. Born in 1932 in what is now Unnyul in North Korea's South Hwanghae Province, he came to the South in 1946 after graduating from elementary school there. Suffering emotional distress du
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea confirms 2 additional cases of bird flu at egg farms
South Korea reported two additional cases of avian influenza at egg farms on Sunday, bringing the number of cases of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza from local poultry farms to 95. The two cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N8 strain were confirmed at two egg farms in Icheon, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the government's avian influenza response headquarters. Quarantine authorities kept people from moving in and out of the poultry farms in the affec
NationalFeb. 14, 2021
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Japan formally approves its first COVID-19 vaccine
Japan on Sunday formally approved its first COVID-19 vaccine and said it would start nationwide inoculations within days, but months behind the US and many other countries. Japan's health ministry said it had approved the vaccine co-developed and supplied by Pfizer Inc. The announcement comes after a government panel on Friday confirmed that final results of clinical testing done in Japan showed that the vaccine had an efficacy similar to what overseas tests showed. Many countries began vacc
InternationalFeb. 14, 2021
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[News Focus] Korea 26th of 33 OECD members in foreign residents’ share of population
SEJONG -- The number of registered foreign residents in South Korea came to 1.27 million at the end of 2019, making up 2.4 percent of the population of 51.84 million. The nation saw its foreign population climb quickly, from 1.7 percent a decade earlier in 2009 when 870,600 of Korea’s 49.77 million people where non-citizens. But the figure for Korea is still behind of the average of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which compared 33 of its total 37 members for
Social AffairsFeb. 14, 2021
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Ruling party, gov't start discussing extra budget for selective relief handouts
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) started discussing the extra budget with the government to selectively provide the fourth round of emergency handouts to people and businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic by the end of next month, the party leader said Sunday. DP Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon made the remarks in a press conference, adding both sides will wrap up the discussion within February. Earlier, DP floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon said in another press conference that the pa
PoliticsFeb. 14, 2021
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S. Korean service member on overseas mission tests positive for coronavirus
A non-commissioned officer on a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Sunday. The member of the Hanbit Unit in the African nation was confirmed to have contracted the virus upon return from off-installation duty, according to the ministry. It is the fourth COVID-19 case reported among troops dispatched abroad following three infections reported in Lebanon and Bahrain earlier this month. South Korea began sending troops to So
DefenseFeb. 14, 2021
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Korea reports first COVID-19 fatality involving patient in 20s
A patient in his or her mid-20s died Friday, becoming the youngest in Korea and the first under 30 to die with COVID-19, health officials said over the weekend. The Busan patient, who had preexisting complications from a cerebrovascular disease, died just a day after being confirmed with COVID-19, according to the city office. Before symptoms appeared Thursday, the day of diagnosis, the patient had yielded negative results in PCR tests for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. In a
Social AffairsFeb. 14, 2021
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Gyeonggi governor stays on top of presidential preference survey
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung is firmly at the top of the recent presidential preference survey, widening the gap with two other high-profile figures, ruling Democratic Party Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, a poll showed Sunday. In a survey conducted by broadcaster SBS on 1,002 people aged 18 or older nationwide for four days from Feb. 6 to 9, Gov. Lee, who belongs to the Democratic Party of Korea, ranked first with a 28.6 percent approval in potential
PoliticsFeb. 14, 2021
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South Korea, US will start military drills
South Korea and the US will begin their biannual joint military exercises in the second week of March, carrying out computer simulations of war against North Korea for nine days, sources said Sunday. Seoul and Washington, which have held them to deter aggression from Pyongyang since the 1953 Korean War armistice, now take part in computer-based war games rather than all-out field exercises. The two allies still do not see eye to eye on testing Korea’s readiness to take over the wartime
DefenseFeb. 14, 2021
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No reports of S. Koreans suffering damage from quake-hit Fukushima
The foreign ministry said Sunday there were no reports of South Koreans suffering damage from the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck off northeastern Japan the previous night. The quake, which occurred at around 11 p.m. off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, left over 100 people injured, according to Japanese media. "No damage from our nationals has been reported so far," the ministry said, adding that its consulate general will provide necessary assistance to South Koreans living
Foreign AffairsFeb. 14, 2021
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S. Korean, US preparing to stage combined exercise in mid-March: sources
South Korea and the United States are preparing to hold their annual springtime combined military exercise next month, sources said Sunday. The planned exercise has drawn keen attention amid concern that North Korea could use the exercise as a pretext for provocations in the early months of the administration of US President Joe Biden. Pyongyang has long denounced such drills as a rehearsal for invasion. Despite complaints from the North, the computer-simulated command post training will likel
DefenseFeb. 14, 2021
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New infections in 300s for 2nd day ahead of eased distancing
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 300s for a second straight day on Sunday on fewer tests on the Lunar New Year holiday, with eased social distancing measures in store this week. The country reported 326 more COVID-19 cases, including 304 local infections, raising the total caseload to 83,525, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Daily infections fell from 362 cases the previous day, 403 on Friday, 504 on Thursday when the number of new cases surge
Social AffairsFeb. 14, 2021
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Extend work permits for stranded migrants, advocates say
A rise in the number of unregistered migrants who are stranded in South Korea, unable to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic, is prompting calls to allow them to live and work legally in the country. With international flights curtailed due to the pandemic, the government has granted extensions of stay for migrant workers whose visas have expired. But they are not allowed to work here during the extended stay. “We urge the government to extend work permits for migrant workers w
Social AffairsFeb. 13, 2021
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Biden’s NK human rights agenda could cause clash with Seoul
Over the past few years, North Korea policy has not featured human rights on the front burner -- either in Seoul or in Washington. This is because the North’s human rights situation, despite its direness, was viewed as a less pressing issue than the security threats posed by Pyongyang with its ever-expanding nuclear and missile programs. Furthermore, both former US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had refrained from addressing rights abuses -- whic
North KoreaFeb. 13, 2021
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Govt. seeking to allow foreigners subject to deportation to extend stay in return for donation
South Korea's government is pushing for a program in which foreign nationals subject to deportation due to minor offenses could extend their stay legally in return for a donation, the justice ministry said Saturday. According to a research paper commissioned by the ministry on the subject, convicted foreign nationals who are given even minor punishments, such as a fine or suspended sentence, could face deportation under the current Immigration Act. The government is
Social AffairsFeb. 13, 2021