COVID-19 curfew, gatherings ban to extend through Seollal

The South Korean government on Sunday decided against lifting social distancing restrictions as planned, amid concerns holiday travel and gatherings could lead to a COVID-19 surge. This means the 9 p.m. curfew for places with high-contagion risks including food outlets and the ban on gatherings of five people or more will remain in place for another two weeks until after the Seollal holiday on Feb. 14. “The ban on gatherings includes family members who don’t live together. No exce

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2021

Opposition party demands probe into Seoul's alleged push to build nuke plant in N. Korea

The main opposition party on Sunday called for an investigation into allegations that the government of President Moon Jae-in attempted to help build a nuclear power plant in North Korea. Calling the allegations "earth-shattering" if true, Kim Chong-in, the leader of the People Power Party (PPP), said the government should act quickly to resolve suspicions and answer questions raised over the issue. The allegations arose after a local TV station reported that a document about the nuc

PoliticsJan. 31, 2021

Hearing on Seoul’s leaflet ban to open soon: US congressman

US Rep. Chris Smith, who until recently co-chaired the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, said the commission will open a hearing in early March at the latest to discuss South Korea’s ban on the cross-border launching of anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets. The leafleting is set to become a felony in March under legislation introduced by Seoul to protect residents near the border, in fear of retaliation by Pyongyang. “I think appointments to commissions -- such as the Tom Lantos

North KoreaJan. 31, 2021

S. Korea extends tougher virus curbs for 2 weeks ahead of holiday

South Korea decided Sunday to extend tougher social distancing measures for another two weeks, as it is wary of a pileup in cluster infections ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. The country will maintain the Level 2.5 measures, the second-highest in its five-tier scheme, in the greater Seoul area and Level 2 in other regions until Feb. 14, according to health authorities. It will also continue to ban private gatherings of five or more people in an effort to rein in the spread of the new coro

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2021

4 US B-52H bombers deployed to Guam

Four US B-52H long-range bombers have been deployed to the Pacific island of Guam for training missions aimed at reinforcing "the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region," the US Pacific Air Forces said. The bombers from the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana "returned to the Indo-Pacific region Jan. 28 for a Bomber Task Force deployment, conducting operations out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam," it said. They were deployed &quo

DefenseJan. 31, 2021

Oldest metal-printed book published in Korean, English

Jikji, the world's oldest book printed with movable metal type, has been published in Korean and English, the Jogye Order, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, said Sunday. Jikji, written in Chinese characters by Buddhist monk Baegun Gyeonghan, is the abbreviated title of a Buddhist document whose full title, "Jikji Simche Yojeol," can be translated as "anthology of great Buddhist priests' Zen teachings." It was printed in 1377 at the Heungdeok Temple in the central city of

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2021

[News Focus] Challenges remain for S. Korea’s 2nd school year under pandemic

The government plans to increase the number of in-person classes and roll out measures to address the learning gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, but risks remain. Armed with virus control plans for expanded in-person classes, budget-backed child care programs and improved digital assets, the education authorities are optimistic as they map out the learning ecosystem for students in the new school year starting in March. 　 But their upgrades and adjustments continu

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2021

Defective inverter module blamed for towing of 214-class submarine

A defective inverter module was found to have been the cause of an error message that led to a new 214-class submarine having to be towed in the East Sea earlier this month, Navy officials said Sunday. The Navy decided to inspect all 214-class submarines to ensure that no such problems would happen again, after finding that a defect was reported in the same part of another submarine of the same type two years ago too, officials said. The latest incident happened on Jan. 23 when the submarine w

DefenseJan. 31, 2021

Education minister promises to deal with college admission fraud according to 'law and principle'

Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae has said the ministry will handle the alleged college admission fraud involving the daughter of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk according to "law and principle." "I know college admission fairness is a grave social topic that receives high public attention," the minister said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday, adding that the ministry has been dealing with the matter sternly without exception, and will continue to do so. Sh

PoliticsJan. 31, 2021

New virus cases dip below 400, tougher virus curbs extended

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell back to below 400 Sunday, but health authorities decided to extend tougher virus curbs amid a continued rise in cluster infections, mostly tied to mission schools. The country added 355 more COVID-19 cases, including 325 local infections, raising the total caseload to 78,205, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The figure was lower than 458 cases Saturday and compared with 469 on Friday and 497 Thursday. The tally fell

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2021

Gov. Lee sends letter to US Congress, UN to call for support for anti-leafleting law

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung has sent a letter to the United Nations and the US Congress to call for support for a law that South Korea enacted to ban the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into North Korea, officials said Sunday. Lee, considered a leading presidential hopeful, said in the letter that the leafleting ban is the minimum measure to protect the lives, safety and properties of the people of Gyeonggi Province that includes regions bordering North Korea. Lee also s

PoliticsJan. 31, 2021

S. Korea in final stage of assembling first prototype of indigenous fighter jet

South Korea is in the final stage of assembling a prototype of what would be the country's first indigenously developed fighter jet, which is expected to be unveiled in April, officials said Sunday. South Korea has been working on the KF-X project since 2015 to develop a homegrown cutting-edge fighter aircraft to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets. In September last year, Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI) got down to the final assembly of a prototype jet and is now in t

DefenseJan. 31, 2021

Seoul's new daily cases hit two-week high

Seoul on Saturday reported more than 150 new daily coronavirus cases, marking the highest figure in two weeks. According to the metropolitan government, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the capital rose by 154, the highest since Jan. 15, when 156 new cases were added. The city's daily caseload has remained in the 100s for the last 23 days after falling from 297 on Jan. 6, the government said. The figure has also fluctuated within the range of the early 100s over the past two weeks, it added

Social AffairsJan. 30, 2021

Justice ministry starts deposit program for foreigners subject to deportation

The Ministry of Justice said Saturday that it has introduced a deposit program to encourage foreigners subject to deportation to voluntarily leave the country as part of efforts to ease crowding in temporary detention centers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Under the new policy, foreigners who are ordered to leave the country following a violation of the immigration law can avoid being detained if they make a deposit of up to 20 million won ($17,800). It was introduced to reduce crowding at det

Social AffairsJan. 30, 2021

S. Korea's foreign minister urges fair supply of COVID-19 vaccines

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has urged the world to ensure a fair and equitable supply of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, voicing concerns about vaccine nationalism. Kang made the remarks at an online session of the World Economic Forum on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. During the session, Kang called for the world to take a multilateral approach for a fair use of vaccines and treatments, the ministry said. Kang also hailed the World Health Organization

Foreign AffairsJan. 30, 2021

'Quad' a foundation for American policy in Indo-Pacific: Sullivan

The US-led regional forum in the Indo-Pacific, known as the Quad, may serve as the foundation of US foreign policy in the region, the top US security adviser said Friday. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said the Joe Biden administration will continue to build on the Quad. "I think we really want to carry forward and build on that format, that mechanism which we see as a foundation upon which to build substantial American policy in the Indo-Pacific region," Sullivan said

Foreign AffairsJan. 30, 2021

Working days lost due to strikes soared in 2020: report

The number of working days lost due to labor disputes surged by nearly 40 percent in South Korea last year, a report said Saturday, indicating a likely deterioration in labor-management relations at local firms. According to the report by the state-funded Korea Labor Institute, the number of lost work days totaled 554,000 days in 2020, soaring 37.8 percent from the previous year's 402,000 days. The figure had steadily fallen from 862,000 days in 2017, when the Moon Jae-in government took offic

Social AffairsJan. 30, 2021

New virus cases stay in 400s for 3rd day

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 400s for the third day in a row on Saturday, as health authorities scrambled to contain cluster infections linked to mission schools nationwide. The country added 458 more COVID-19 cases, including 423 locally transmitted infections, raising the total caseload to 77,850, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The figure was down from 469 on Friday and compared with 497 on Thursday and 559 on Wednesday. The countr

Social AffairsJan. 30, 2021

NK envoy says strengthening of defense capabilities aimed at opening peace era

North Korea‘s top diplomat to Geneva has argued that Pyongyang’s push toward strengthening its military capabilities was aimed at opening an era of peace, according to the North’s foreign ministry Friday. According to Pyongyang’s foreign ministry, Han Tae-song, North Korea‘s ambassador to Geneva, said via videoconference at the meeting of the United Nations Disarmament Conference in Geneva on Tuesday that the reason his country was building up its war deterrent ca

North KoreaJan. 29, 2021

1 missing, 2 injured as high winds sweep S. Korea

A freezing cold snap, accompanied by high winds, swept across South Korea on Friday, leaving one person missing and two others injured, authorities said. The day‘s lowest temperatures dropped below minus 10 C in Seoul and central regions and below minus 8 C in southern regions, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. Seoul’s morning low plunged to minus 11.6 C, while low temperatures fell to minus 13.9 C in Dongducheon, just north of the capital; minus 14.4 C in Cheor

Social AffairsJan. 29, 2021