Moon meets Amb. Harris, vows close cooperation with Biden administration

President Moon Jae-in received a farewell courtesy call from outgoing US Ambassador Harry Harris on Tuesday and reaffirmed that his government will cooperate closely with the new US administration. During the half-an-hour meeting at his office, Moon pledged close coordination with the Joe Biden administration for a stronger alliance and progress in the Korea peace process as well as in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other pending global issues, according to Cheong Wa Dae

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

[Herald Interview] Front-liners who treated first COVID-19 patients look back on experience

The novel coronavirus has been in South Korea for one full year as of Wednesday, and medical professionals have been on the front lines of the ongoing struggle. Ahead of COVID-19’s one-year anniversary, three front-line workers who treated the country’s very first COVID-19 patients spoke to The Korea Herald on Tuesday about their encounters with the brand-new disease. The first people confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus in Korea had either traveled to Wuhan, China, or c

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

FM Kang vows strong ties with Biden admin for denuclearization and peace

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday vowed to strengthen the alliance with US under the incoming Joe Biden administration to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.  She made the remark during an opening address of a meeting of related offices and academia to discuss policy direction and ways to strengthen US-South Korea alliance under the new Biden administration, a day before Biden is set to be inaugurated as the next US President on Wednesday.  “We

Foreign AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Defense ministry inspects Navy chief's alleged absence on night officer went missing

The defense ministry on Tuesday launched an inspection into allegations the Navy chief failed to show up at an emergency meeting convened to discuss an officer who went missing earlier this month after having drinks that night, officials said. On Jan. 9, a Navy officer was found dead after going missing near the western border island of Baengnyeong while on guard operations the previous day. His body was found in the Yellow Sea hours later. The Navy convened an emergency meeting to monitor the

DefenseJan. 19, 2021

Scholars cast doubt on acquittals of executives in deadly humidifier cleaner case

Last week's acquittals of 13 corporate executives in a deadly humidifier sterilizer case were caused by the court's wrong interpretation of the causal relations between chemicals contained in sterilizer products and victims' lung-related illnesses, a group of scholars argued Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled last Tuesday that Hong Ji-ho, former CEO of SK Chemical; Ahn Yong-chan, former CEO of Aekyung Industrial; and 11 other corporate executives are not guilty of professional negl

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

Moon taps professors as top advisors on economy, science

President Moon Jae-in has picked Lee Keun, an economics professor, as vice chairman of the presidential advisory panel on the economy, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday. Lee is an expert on the innovation economy, having won the Schumpeter Prize in 2014, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. He is expected to contribute to efforts for a quick and strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and the move toward a pacesetting economy, Kang said. The National Economic Advisory Co

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea's Buddhist leader vows to seek inter-Korean exchanges through COVID-19 relief

The leader of the Jogye Order, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, said Tuesday that he will strive to promote inter-Korean religious exchanges this year by helping the North's battle against the novel coronavirus. "We will closely confer with our North Korean counterpart on projects to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between the Buddhist communities of the two Koreas," Ven. Wonhaeng, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said in an online press conference. "I'll

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

31 USFK-linked people test positive for coronavirus upon arrival in S. Korea

Twenty-six American service members and five civilians affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here over the past few weeks, the US military said Tuesday. Of them, 13 service members and three family members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on government-chartered flights, while 13 other service members, one civilian worker and one dependent came here on commercial flights via Incheon Interna

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Special Sewol probe ends, clears most of allegations

A special investigation unit tasked with reinvestigating the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster announced Tuesday that it had put most of the allegations to rest without additional indictments, ending its 14-month investigation. The team said, “A total of 20 people were indicted after confirming that the Coast Guard command had violated its duty of care and that government officials such as Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries interfered with the special investigation

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

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