UK flight ban extended by 1 week, arrivals from Brazil required to prove virus-free

South Korea's health authorities said Tuesday that the ban on flights from Britain will be extended by one week again and arrivals from Brazil will have to prove that they are virus-free as the country stepped up measures against new coronavirus variants that are known to be more transmissible. A total of 18 COVID-19 variant cases have been reported in the country, including 15 from Britain, two from South Africa and one from Brazil, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Partial Cabinet shake-up looms ahead

President Moon Jae-in is expected to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle as early as this week to affect Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, and a few others, an informed source said Tuesday. Park, a former reporter and ruling Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker, is apparently seeking to run in the April 7 by-election for the Seoul mayorship. She plans to quit the job Wednesday in consideration of the schedule for the ruling party's race to pick its candidate for the all-important election, ac

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

Anti-corruption watchdog chief nominee vows neutrality, independence

The inaugural chief nominee for a high-profile corruption investigative body vowed Tuesday to sternly investigate any high-ranking officials in accordance to the law without being politically influenced. The remark was made during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly for Kim Jin-wook, a former judge picked by President Moon Jae-in to serve as the inaugural chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. “The establishment of the CIO is a historic event

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon in hot water over adoption comments

Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday was busy correcting President Moon Jae-in’s recent comments about adoption as civic groups and opposition lawmakers called for an official apology. On Monday, the president was hosting a New Year’s press conference when a reporter asked him what the government was doing to prevent child abuse, in light of the recent death of a 16-month-old toddler who allegedly suffered months of abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents. After unveiling a new set of gui

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea says it keeps family of killed fisheries official informed about probe progress

The government has provided as much information about its ongoing probe as possible to the family of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea's military in the sea last year, a report to a UN body showed Tuesday. South Korea made the case in the report submitted last week to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in response to concerns that the authorities have not fully disclosed to the family the information related to the incident that took place in S

North KoreaJan. 19, 2021

Seoul women spend nearly four times more hours on housework than men: report

Women in Seoul spend nearly four times more hours on housework than men, a city government report showed Tuesday. According to the 2020 Seoul gender statistics report, girls and women aged 15 or older spent 2 hours and 26 minutes on household chores every day, which was about 3.6 times longer than men's 41 minutes. The report was based on 2019 data from Statistics Korea and the city government's own research. Women's labor force participation rate rose to 55.2 percent in 2019, up from 52.5 pe

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

N. Koreans doubt Kim’s plans for ‘self-sufficient’ economy: RFA

North Koreans are growing skeptical of the so-called “self-sufficient” economy that their leader Kim Jong-un champions, Radio Free Asia said Monday, citing anonymous sources there. North Koreans complained that they had yet to get their usual New Year’s gifts, calendars, and that put things in perspective. “For the first time, we celebrated the New Year without the calendar. As trivial as this looks, I think this is just evidence of how empty the economic plans are -- th

North KoreaJan. 19, 2021

Cabinet passes revision bill on inter-Korean exchanges aimed at facilitating cooperation

The government on Tuesday approved a proposal for the revision of its inter-Korean exchange act that will allow cross-border projects to receive financial support in case of their suspension, the unification ministry said. The revision to the South-North Exchange and Cooperation Act, passed in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, also requires Cabinet approval when an exchange project is at risk of being suspended. The need for such support has been raised since Seoul decided in 2016 to abruptly halt

North KoreaJan. 19, 2021

COVID spread slows, with fewer than 400 new cases for 2nd day

The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea remained below 400 for the second day on Tuesday, signaling a continued slowdown in the spread of the coronavirus, while the authorities called for continued vigilance. A total of 386 new cases were added, raising the total number of people infected so far to 73,115, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The daily number of new cases over the past 15 days went from 714 to 838, 869, 674, 641, 657, 451, 537, 561, 524, 513, 580, 520,

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea ready to talk any issues with N. Korea to ease tensions: defense ministry

South Korea is ready to discuss any issues with North Korea via military channels to ease cross-border tensions, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan made the remark a day after President Moon Jae-in said that the two Koreas can discuss joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington if necessary through a joint military committee as agreed upon in 2018. "Our military can discuss any issues with North Korea through military talks, including the int

North KoreaJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea to ease anti-graft law implementation over Lunar New Year

South Korea said Tuesday it has decided to ease the existing anti-graft law over the upcoming Lunar New Year's holiday in order to help boost local demand for agricultural and fisheries products amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Under the revision, the ceiling on the value of gifts that can be received by public servants, educators and journalists will be set at 200,000 won ($180), according to the Anti‑Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the agricultural and fisheries ministries. The

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

5 military-affiliated people test positive for new coronavirus

Four military officers and one civilian worker of the Air Force have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Two Navy officers, one Air Force officer and the civilian worker, all stationed in the southern city of Sacheon, were confirmed to have been infected after undergoing tests following two earlier COVID-19 cases at their base, according to the ministry. "We are administering tests for all members of the unit, and contact tracing is under way,"

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Outgoing US envoy says hope alone won't resolve NK issue, calls for readiness

Outgoing US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said Tuesday that hope alone will not resolve the North Korea issue, highlighting the importance of combined exercises between Seoul and Washington amid the North's threat to continue developing its nuclear capabilities. Harris made the remark at a webinar in Seoul, one day after President Moon Jae-in said South and North Korea can discuss issues regarding the allies' combined military exercises, if necessary, in response to the North's repeate

North KoreaJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea investigating 2 suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it is investigating two suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu from poultry farms as the country continued to cull more chickens in a preventive measure. The latest suspected case of the malign H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from an egg farm in Yongin, just south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. The total caseload here reached 66 as of Tuesday, with Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul ac

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Moon to join WEF's virtual meeting next week

President Moon Jae-in will attend an online meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) next week and deliver a keynote speech on responding to the global health care and economic crisis, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. The WEF, an international body for public-private cooperation, has invited Moon to its Davos Agenda event to be held from Jan. 25-29, along with the leaders of more than 10 other countries. They include Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Geneva-base

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

NK leader urges devotion from newly elected members of Cabinet, ruling party

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un urged the newly appointed members of the Cabinet and the ruling party to devote themselves to the country and serve the people like "God," as he held a photo session with them, state media said Tuesday. Last week, Pyongyang wrapped up the eight-day congress of the Workers' Party, during which it carried out a reshuffle of its ruling party leadership and laid out a five-year economic development plan. On Sunday, the North's rubber-stamp Supreme People's

North KoreaJan. 19, 2021

PM urges public to maintain vigilance amid drop in virus infections

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Tuesday called for the public to adhere to strict social distancing rules despite a downward trend in the number of new daily coronavirus cases nationwide. "We seem to have recovered a small level of normalcy of our daily lives, but COVID-19 still continues to threaten us from unseeable places," Chung said during an interagency meeting on the COVID-19 response held at the government complex in Seoul. The current third wave of COVID-19 here reached its

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

New infection cases under 400 for 2nd day; virus curve sliding downhill

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed under 400 for the second straight day Tuesday as infections sharply slowed down on tightened social distancing measures, but health authorities still remain vigilant over potential upticks amid partially eased curbs. The country added 386 more COVID-19 cases, including 351 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 73,115, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The third wave of COVID-19 here reached its pea

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea culls 18.8m poultry to prevent spread of bird flu

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Monday it has completed destroying 18.8 million poultry to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic bird flu among local farms, with the number set to further rise down the road on the piling up of new cases. The country has confirmed 66 cases of the malign H5N8 strain of avian influenza since late November, including the latest case from a duck farm in Gimje, about 260 kilometers southwest of Seoul, the previous day, according to the Ministry of Agricult

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Outgoing US envoy meets PM, expresses hope to play role in advancing alliance

Outgoing US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris on Monday paid a farewell courtesy call on Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and expressed his wish to play a role in advancing the bilateral alliance between Seoul and Washington. Harris, a former Navy admiral-turned-diplomat, also expressed his wish that the friendship between the two countries further develop in a wide range of areas, including politics, the economy and public health, according to the prime minister's office. The ambassador rec

Foreign AffairsJan. 18, 2021