Samsung heir sent back to jail

An appellate court sentenced Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong to 2 1/2 years in prison Monday for bribery in a high-profile case involving former President Park Geun-hye, reopening a leadership vacuum at South Korea’s biggest tech giant. In the final verdict, announced at around 2:20 p.m., judges at the Seoul High Court said, “Considering all circumstances, it is inevitable that Lee is sentenced to prison and arrested in court.” Choi Ji-sung and Jang Choong-ki, two other Samsung ex

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

Moon rules out immediate pardons for ex-presidents, divides parties

President Moon Jae-in on Monday ruled out pardoning two former presidents in the near future, but left open the possibility of pardons down the line when backed by public consensus. Moon said Monday during a New Year’s press conference that he is not considering pardoning the previous two presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, both of whom are serving prison sentences for corruption. “Two former presidents being incarcerated is a lamentable situation for the country, and as t

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

Moon says S. Korea will seek dialogue with Japan over solution to wartime sexual slavery

President Moon Jae-in said Monday that South Korea will seek dialogue with Japan to find a solution to Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery amid renewed tensions following a recent court ruling on the thorny issue. During his New Year's press conference, Moon also renewed his call for a diplomatic solution to the issue of Japan's colonial-era forced labor, while stressing his two-track approach separating historical issues from efforts to forge "future-oriented" bilateral ties. His remarks

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

Over 35% of non-regular workers lost jobs amid pandemic: survey

Over a third of non-regular workers have experienced unemployment since the new coronavirus broke out in South Korea in January 2020, a survey showed Monday. According to a survey by Embrain Public conducted on 1,000 salaried workers aged between 19 and 55 on four occasions in April, June, September and December, the average rate of respondents who said they have lost their jobs stood at 17.2 percent in December, up 11.7 percentage points from April. The rise was sharper among non-regular work

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

[Newsmaker] ‘My son is not a ghost,’ parent files petition

A parent of an autistic child filed a presidential petition Friday after having received numerous complaints by neighbors in their apartment building. According to the presidential office’s petition website, a petition titled “Please save our family of autistic children” was posted under the category of “child-rearing/education.” The petitioner noted that he lives with a 9-year-old son who has autism in an apartment in Seo-gu, Incheon. He said, “Some residen

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

Govt. to train specialists in agriculture and food sectors to lead post-virus era

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will begin training officials and workers in the agricultural and food sectors to lead the post-coronavirus era, the Food and Agriculture Officials Training Institute said Sunday. The plan is to foster 32,000 agricultural and food experts through 162 different training courses this year. As the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to conduct large, offline classes, the Food and Agriculture Officials Training Institute said 27.5

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

‘Biden administration turning point’ for talks with North Korea

This is an excerpt from President Moon Jae-in’s New Year press conference. -- Ed.  Q. North Korea doesn’t appear likely to give up nuclear weapons. What is the starting point of restarting denuclearization talks, and is there a change in South Korea’s policy direction in light of Joe Biden’s inauguration? A. I think that the launch of the Biden administration is a turning point for beginning US-North Korea, inter-Korean talks anew. The talks should inherit and deve

North KoreaJan. 18, 2021

‘Herd immunity will be achieved by September’

This is an excerpt from President Moon Jae-in’s New Year press conference. -- Ed. Q. Do you regret not procuring vaccines earlier? A. No. Vaccines will be rolled out sufficiently quickly, and a sufficient amount has been secured. As they are newly developed vaccines, risk has been distributed by purchasing many different vaccines. As inoculations take time, and there is the matter of storage time, vaccines will be brought in in stages. The plan is to start in February and complete the

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

Moon hopes stalled NK nuke diplomacy will pick up from Singapore Declaration

President Moon Jae-in on Monday expressed hope for the stalled diplomacy on North Korea's denuclearization to move forward from the agreement reached in the Singapore summit between Washington and Pyongyang. "The Singapore Declaration achieved under the Trump administration was a very important declaration in terms of denuclearization and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon said during a New Year's press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae, referring to the agreement produc

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

Without consensus, ‘pardons cannot be a tool for national unity’

This is an excerpt from President Moon Jae-in’s New Year press conference. -- Ed. Q. What is your position on pardons for former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye? A. I have pondered long on the issue of the pardon as it was considered the most important question today, but I have decided to tell you my thoughts frankly. Two former presidents being incarcerated is a lamentable situation for the country, and as there are reports of the two being in ill-health, I am concerned f

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

Heavy snow advisory issued for Seoul, central regions

A heavy snow advisory was replaced by a cold wave alert in Seoul and central regions on Monday, the weather agency said, forecasting the capital's morning low will dip to minus 13 C on Tuesday. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said it has lifted a heavy snow advisory issued for Seoul and central and southern regions and that a cold wave alert or warning will go into effect in those regions Monday night. A cold wave warning is issued when the morning low is below minus 15 C for mor

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

Moon believes S. Korea will achieve faster herd immunity formation than other nations

President Moon Jae-in forecast Monday that South Korea will be able to achieve the formation of collective herd immunity against the new coronavirus faster than other countries under the government's inoculation program. "South Korea will definitely not lag behind (in achieving herd immunity), but rather will be able to achieve it much faster compared to other nations when considering the inoculation period and the time frame in achieving herd immunity," Moon said during a New Year's

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

USFK reports 3 more virus cases linked to Yongsan base

Three more coronavirus cases were reported in connection with a US Army base in Seoul, US Forces Korea said Monday. Two American civilian employees at the US Army base in Seoul and the spouse of another American employee, who had tested positive last week, were confirmed to be infected with the virus, according to the US military. The civilians, who work at the Yongsan base, contracted the virus after coming into direct contact with other confirmed patients from the base, according to USFK.

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

Public firms to hire over 26,000 new employees this year: finance minister

South Korea's public institutions plan to hire more than 26,000 new employees this year in a bid to prop up the job market hit hard by the new coronavirus outbreak, the finance minister said Monday. The plan will represent an increase of around 1,000 people from the previous year, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said at an opening speech for a job fair on public institutions. "Job creation in the public sector has become more important than ever to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

Defense ministry extends restrictions on troop vacations over pandemic

The defense ministry said Monday it has extended a toughened social distancing scheme for two weeks, banning troops from vacationing and taking off-installation trips to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. Since November, the ministry has enforced Level 2.5 social distancing rules, the second highest in its five-tier alert system, following a series of COVID-19 cluster infections at barracks across the country. "Given the government's decision on the social distancing rules, we've dec

DefenseJan. 18, 2021

Now not yet time to discuss pardons of two ex-presidents: Moon

President Moon Jae-in made clear Monday that it is premature to talk about granting special pardons to two convicted former presidents -- Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. "I think now is not the (right) time to talk about pardons (for them)," he said, breaking his silence on the politically sensitive issue. He was speaking during his unprecedented online New Year's press conference. "The imprisonment of the two former presidents is a very unfortunate incident nationally,"

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

1st homegrown coronavirus medicine expected to be used from early Feb.:PM

South Korea's first homegrown coronavirus treatment candidate from Celltrion Inc. is expected to be used to treat patients starting early February, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday. "We expect the drug to be used from early next month in antivirus activities in the field if the review process goes smoothly," Chung said during an interagency meeting on the COVID-19 response held at the government complex in Seoul. The prime minister said health authorities convened a panel of

PoliticsJan. 18, 2021

New virus cases at almost 2-month low on fewer tests, infections slowdown

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose by the smallest number in nearly two months Monday, apparently on the back of tightened social distancing measures and fewer tests over the weekend, but health authorities remain vigilant over potential upticks. The country added 389 more COVID-19 cases, including 366 local infections, raising the total caseload to 72,729, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Monday's daily figure marked a sharp fall from 520 posted

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

Some 135,000 terminal patients opt to die with dignity over 3 years: data

Nearly 135,000 terminally ill South Koreans have chosen to forgo life-prolonging treatment since the legalization of the right to die with dignity three years ago, government data showed Monday. The number of patients who opted to die with dignity stood at 134,945 at the end of December last year, according to the data from the National Agency for Management of Life-Sustaining Treatment. Of the total patients, 80,594, or 59.7 percent, were male, with those aged 60 or older taking up 81 percent

Social AffairsJan. 18, 2021

N. Korea convenes parliamentary meeting after party congress

North Korea convened a parliamentary session in Pyongyang over the weekend to discuss personnel, budget and other issues in a follow up on decisions made during a recent ruling party congress, state media said Monday. The North's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) meeting was held less than a week after Pyongyang wrapped up the eight-day congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday. On Sunday, the SPA unanimously decided on the implementation of its five-year economic plan set fo

North KoreaJan. 18, 2021