Moon’s approval rating hinges on vaccine success

President Moon Jae-in is not a “lame duck” yet, but in the final stretch of his term he will need COVID-19 vaccines to win back public support, which has plummeted to record lows. Moon has to confront a number of hot-button issues this year, ranging from the coronavirus to the controversy over whether he should grant pardons to two former presidents. It is also likely that he will seek a breakthrough in the stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea and the upcoming Biden adm

PoliticsJan. 5, 2021

[Newsmaker] Toddler’s death thrusts child abuse back into spotlight

Another high-profile child abuse case has once again spurred a nationwide political movement in South Korea. The public is calling for legislative change to protect children’s rights, including heightened punishment for child abusers and an improved system to investigate potential cases. But the movement could end up as just another short-lived hype, experts warn, saying that earlier such endeavors fell short of yielding meaningful results. The 16-month-old girl at the center of the lat

Social AffairsJan. 5, 2021

Moon prioritizes virus control, housing market stabilization in 2021 policy tasks

President Moon Jae-in stressed the urgency Tuesday of containing COVID-19, stabilizing the housing market and recovering the economy in the new year. "(We) start the new year with a heavy sense of responsibility," he said at the outset of the first Cabinet meeting of 2021. South Korea's top priority this year is "to get out of the long tunnel of the coronavirus as soon as possible," he emphasized. He described the country as standing at another watershed in its antivirus f

PoliticsJan. 5, 2021

UN panel approved 30 cases of sanctions exemptions to aid programs in NK last year

A UN Security Council panel approved sanctions exemptions on a total of 30 cases last year to aid agencies providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea, a recent report showed. According to the annual report by the North Korea sanctions committee released on its website, 30 aid exemption requests from member states, UN entities and other international organizations were approved by the panel from Jan. 1-Dec. 31 in 2020. The report did not identify which countries and organizations received

North KoreaJan. 5, 2021

NK mum on party congress slated for early Jan

North Korea remains silent about its much anticipated eighth party congress which it said would be held in early January. For the sixth Workers’ Party congress held in October 1980 and the seventh in May 2016, North Korea announced the opening dates 20 days and 10 days prior to the dayslong event. This time, North’s state media is merely continuing to emphasize the importance of party leadership. The Rodong Sinmun, a mouthpiece of the North Korean Workers’ Party, said in its

North KoreaJan. 5, 2021

Virus cancels famous winter festival in Gangwon Province

South Korea’s Gangwon Province usually attracts millions of visitors during the winter season each year with its various winter festivals under the theme of ice fishing and sledding. This winter, however, is not the same, as the prolonged coronavirus pandemic has canceled most of the northeastern province’s famous winter festivals, including the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, established in 2003 and featuring trout ice fishing, had brought

Social AffairsJan. 5, 2021

[Newsmaker] Gyms reopen in defiance of coronavirus restrictions

A growing number of gym owners have reopened their businesses this week in defiance of the government's coronavirus restrictions, claiming the rules are unfair and putting their livelihoods at stake. Indoor gyms in the capital area are subject to an assembly ban under Level 2.5 social distancing measures, which were recently extended by two weeks until Jan. 17. In announcing the extension, however, the government allowed ballet and taekwondo schools to hold classes of up to nine people, sparkin

Social AffairsJan. 5, 2021

Another soldier tests positive for coronavirus

A soldier based on the southwestern Jin Island has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The enlistee was confirmed to have contracted the virus in a test conducted before his return from holiday, according to the ministry. The latest case brought the total number of COVID-19 patients among the military members to 509. Nationwide, South Korea added 715 additional coronavirus cases Tuesday, raising the total caseload to 64,979. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsJan. 5, 2021

Govt. aims for over 60% virus vaccination, herd immunity formation before fall: PM

South Korea is pushing to move up the schedule in bringing in new coronavirus vaccines in a bid to get over half of the population inoculated before fall, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has said. "The government's program is to complete the formation of herd immunity by inoculating 60-70 percent of the population (with vaccines) before autumn comes," Chung said Monday on a debate program on MBC TV. "Should the plan come through, South Korea will be one of the fastest countries to

PoliticsJan. 5, 2021

[Graphic News] South Korean population falls for 1st time on record-low births

　South Korea’s population fell year-on-year for the first time in 2020, census data showed, with a record low number of births being surpassed by deaths. 　According to the latest census figures released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, Korea had 51,829,023 people as of Dec. 31, 2020, down 20,838 from the end of 2019. 　The population had increased in each of the previous 10 years, though the growth rate had fallen steadily - from 1.49 percent in 2010 to just 0.05 percent by 201

NationalJan. 5, 2021

COVID-19 deaths reach over 1,000, marks fast growth in past month: PM

The number of deaths from the new coronavirus surpassed the 1,000 mark in South Korea, with the third wave of the pandemic having accelerated the growth of new fatalities in the past month. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the country reported 28 additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total fatalities to 1,007. Of the accumulated deaths, 295 were reported in Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul, followed by 204 in Seoul and 203 in the central city of Daejeon, t

Social AffairsJan. 5, 2021

Virus curve appears to be slowly flattening; cluster infections, variant cases still worrisome

The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea appears to be slowing down with the help of tough restrictions ahead of the holiday season, but concerns remain over continued cluster infections at virus-prone facilities and a more transmissible virus variant, health authorities said Tuesday. The country added 715 more COVID-19 cases, including 672 local infections, raising the total caseload to 64,979, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Tuesday's daily

Social AffairsJan. 5, 2021

N. Korea shows no sign of 'major provocation' for now: USFK chief

WASHINGTON -- North Korea is not showing any signs of preparation to stage a major provocation at least for now, the chief of US Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday. "I say that we are not seeing any indicators that suggest that there would be a major provocation. But that's today. That could change next week," Gen. Robert Abrams said when asked if North Korea may stage a military provocation before or after the Jan. 20 inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden. Many experts beli

North KoreaJan. 5, 2021

US urges 'immediate release' of Korean tanker from Iran

WASHINGTON -- The US State Department on Monday called on Iran to immediately release a South Korea-flagged tanker it detained. The State Department argued Iran's detention of the South Korean tanker may be part of an attempt to force the international community to remove its sanctions on the country. "The United States is tracking reports that the Iranian regime has detained a Republic of Korea-flagged tanker," a department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, referring to South Ko

Foreign AffairsJan. 5, 2021

Moon calls for better protection of young adoptees amid public fury over death of abused child

President Moon Jae-in called Monday for better protection of young adoptees and stronger oversight of adoption procedures, amid public outrage over a fatal child abuse case. Citizens voiced anger online and offline over the case involving a 16-month-old adoptee who died in October, allegedly after having been abused by her adoptive mother. The case resurfaced recently after a local broadcaster reported on the case. "Make all efforts to ensure the post-adoption management of adopted childr

Social AffairsJan. 4, 2021

FM Kang calls for early high-level exchanges with incoming Biden govt. to cement alliance

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called Monday for early high-level exchanges with the incoming US administration of Joe Biden to cement the bilateral alliance, and for continued global cooperation in fostering lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Kang made the remarks in a New Year's address, as Seoul seeks to revive stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea through closer cooperation with the Biden administration, set to be launched later this month, and other regional partners. "On t

Diplomatic CircuitJan. 4, 2021

Ex-employees of Kumho Asiana, antitrust watchdog under probe on bribery charges

A former executive of Kumho Asiana Group and a former employee of the nation's antitrust watchdog are under prosecution's probe for allegedly conspiring to delete documents unfavorable to the company, judicial sources said Monday. According to the sources, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office has arrested a former employee of the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), surnamed Song, on the charge of receiving kickbacks, and a former executive of the nation's 20th-largest business group,

Social AffairsJan. 4, 2021

Moon requests parliamentary hearing on nominee to lead anti-corruption probe body

President Moon Jae-in has signed a formal request for the National Assembly to hold a confirmation hearing on his pick to become the inaugural chief of a high-profile corruption investigation agency, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. Moon sealed the document and then his office sent it to the parliament, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The president nominated Kim Jin-wook, a former judge, as head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on Wednesday.

PoliticsJan. 4, 2021

Public fury grows as some politicians flout COVID-19 rules

Public fury is growing in South Korea over elected officials flouting safety guidance and practices as the country grapples with a record number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Hwang Un-ha on Dec. 26 dined out at a restaurant in Daejeon in the company of five people in apparent violation of social distancing orders.  Among those at the get-together was the former mayor of Daejeon, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 a few days later. As a result of the

Social AffairsJan. 4, 2021

S. Korea to invest W1.5tr in startups in 2021

South Korea will invest 1.5 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in helping startups this year. It increased by 66.2 billion won on-year to record the largest amount ever, according to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The ministry said in a press release Monday that the budget related to startups has been on the steady increase as it is important to creating jobs and nurturing companies that specialize in contactless technology. Fifteen ministries plan to support 1.4 trillion won for 90 projects,

Social AffairsJan. 4, 2021