Moon rides S. Korea's brand-new low-carbon bullet train

President Moon Jae-in took a trial ride in South Korea's landmark bullet train, designed to cut carbon emissions, on Monday in his first on-site activity of the new year. He traveled between two local cities -- Wonju in Gangwon Province and Jecheon in North Chungcheong Province -- on the EMU-260 train a day before it is to be put into public service. EMU stands for electric multiple unit, and 260 is its running speed in kilometers per hour. Named the KTX-Eum, it is the first EMU train develope

PoliticsJan. 4, 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. "We've decided to extend the Level 2.5 scheme for all units from today u

DefenseJan. 4, 2021

Navy chief calls for securing light aircraft carrier to boost capabilities

The chief of South Korea's Navy has vowed to make every effort to secure a light aircraft carrier and diverse military assets to boost defense capabilities. The Navy has sought to build a 30,000-ton-class light aircraft carrier, and the military authorities finalized a plan last week to push for the project in earnest starting this year. "We should expedite moves to secure diverse future military assets, including a light aircraft carrier, in a timely manner to be fully prepared for futur

DefenseJan. 4, 2021

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy appeals S. Korean court's asset seizure order

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has appealed a South Korean court's order to seize its assets held in South Korea soon after the relevant legal process to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor took effect late last month, judicial officials said Monday. The public notifications to Mitsubishi Heavy went into force last Tuesday and Wednesday, after the company failed to carry out a 2018 order by the Supreme Court to compensate five plaintiffs, including a 91-year-old victim. The

Foreign AffairsJan. 4, 2021

New cases rebound to over 1,000 despite extended virus curbs

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases bounced back to over 1,000 Monday due to soaring infections in a Seoul prison and care homes across the country, as well as continued community infections, despite extended tougher virus curbs. The country added 1,020 more COVID-19 cases, including 985 local infections, raising the total caseload to 64,264, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Monday's daily caseload marks a sharp rise from 657 on Sunday and 824 on Satur

Social AffairsJan. 4, 2021

NK paper calls for ramped-up antivirus campaign ahead of party congress

North Korea's official newspaper on Monday urged a stepped-up nationwide antivirus campaign ahead of a highly anticipated party congress expected to take place this week. North Korea has said it will convene the eighth congress of the Workers' Party in early January without specifying a date for the gathering. State media earlier said delegates to the congress gathered in Pyongyang, suggesting its opening is imminent. "As we march forward this year, what we have to prioritize is to streng

North KoreaJan. 4, 2021

[Herald Interview] Nursing home residents are being ‘quarantined to death’

As COVID-19 ravages through nursing homes in South Korea, their vulnerable residents are being “quarantined to death” without getting a chance of treatment, says Dr. Son Deog-hyeon heading the Korean Convalescent Hospital Association. Son told The Korea Herald in a telephone interview that the recent string of outbreaks at nursing homes across the country was “made deadlier” by leaving those with and without the virus together in a practice known as cohorting. “

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021

All eyes on party meeting as North’s Kim pens New Year’s letter

Speculation is mounting over North Korea’s key party congress opening early this week, following leader Kim Jong-un writing the public a rare New Year’s letter carried by state media on Friday. In the letter, Kim thanked North Koreans for their enduring trust and support in difficult times and vowed to bring closer a period when they see their ideals and desires realized. The Korean Central News Agency said the letter was penned by Kim, who has given a televised New Year’s sp

North KoreaJan. 3, 2021

[News Focus] Korea’s COVID-19 surge among fastest outside Europe

SEJONG -- South Korea has seen a 167.3 percent increase in the number of novel coronavirus infections over the past three months, higher than in major economies in South and Central America as well as in many other Asian nations. The cumulative tally of COVID-19 cases to date in Korea came to 61,769 as of Jan. 1, compared with 23,106 on Sept. 21, 2020, according to epidemiological data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Over the correspondi

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021

Imprisoned ex-presidents must show remorse for potential pardons: ruling party

The leadership of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Sunday two imprisoned former presidents must display remorse if they are to be pardoned. This came in response to DP Chairman Lee Nak-yon's remark on Friday he would ask President Moon Jae-in to grant pardons to Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, two former conservative presidents in jail for corruption and influential-peddling charges. Following a meeting among senior party officials, including Lee Nak-yon, DP spokesman Choi In-ho said, &q

PoliticsJan. 3, 2021

Ban on private gatherings to be extended nationwide until Jan. 17

Private gatherings of five or more people will be banned nationwide starting Monday, as the country struggles to contain the largest wave of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. The ban, which has already been in place in the Seoul area since Dec. 23, is being expanded nationwide for two weeks from Monday until Jan. 17, the government said over the weekend. The updated rules ban groups of five or more from meeting anywhere, indoors or outdoors, with the goal of socializing. In-person

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021

Moon's approval rating drops to lowest point

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has reached an all-time low, while public disapproval of his performance also has hit its highest point, a poll showed Sunday. In a Realmeter survey of 1,000 people aged 18 and over, conducted over Friday and Saturday, 34.1 percent of respondents supported Moon. It's the lowest approval rating since Moon took office in May 2017. The figure in the previous Realmeter poll released last Monday was 36.7 percent. In the latest survey, 61.7 percent of respond

PoliticsJan. 3, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. 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 Sunday, with a record low number of births getting surpassed by deaths to cause a natural decrease. According to the latest census figures released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, South 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 been steadily falling -- from 1.49 percen

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021

[Herald Interview] Seoul mayoral candidate aims to turn city into Asia’s financial hub

  Ruling Democratic Party Rep. Woo Sang-ho, currently the only ruling bloc figure to announce a bid in Seoul’s mayoral race, has big plans for the city -- from transforming it into an international financial hub to building homes along its major thoroughfares. Woo said many financial institutions are considering relocating their Asian headquarters from Hong Kong due to continued protests, and that Singapore and Seoul could be candidates. “There is a good chance for Seoul to

PoliticsJan. 3, 2021

Chief prosecutor tops poll of presidential hopefuls

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl came out on top in the latest poll of potential presidential candidates released Sunday, building on the momentum of support gained during his tug-of-war with Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. In a poll conducted by Realmeter on 1,000 people over the age of 18 on Friday and Saturday, 30.4 percent picked Yoon as their most favored president. The survey, commissioned by local cable news channel YTN, had a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points, with a 95

PoliticsJan. 3, 2021

121 more COVID-19 cases reported at Seoul prison

A prison in eastern Seoul reported 121 more cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday following its latest round of mass testing. The justice ministry announced 121 inmates at Dongbu Detention Center in Seoul were among 126 newly infected individuals at prisons across the country as of 8 a.m. Sunday. The latest tally raised the total caseload at South Korean prisons to 1,108 -- 1,068 inmates and 40 members of the prison staff. Dongbu Detention Center has been responsible for the vast majority of

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021

New infections under 1,000 for 2nd day amid extended tighter distancing rules

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 1,000 for the second day in a row Sunday, largely due to less testing on the New Year's Day holiday, as health authorities kept tight vigilance with the extension of the current social distancing rules. The country added 657 more COVID-19 cases, including 641 local infections, raising the total caseload to 63,244, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Daily infections fell from 824 cases a day earlier. Over t

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021

Education jolted by pandemic, learning gap widens

Sohn Eun-jeong, the mother of a 10-year-old elementary school student, is considering quitting her job. She felt guilty that she has not paid enough attention to her child’s education because of work. She recently found out that her son did not attend his school’s online classes. Instead, he played a computer game in his room and his grandmother had no idea what he was doing. The son said the online educational videos were too boring and his teacher did not give him feedback even whe

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021

[Feature] Economic, social polarization over COVID-19 to persist in 2021: experts

Jung, the owner of a restaurant in southern Seoul’s bustling Gangnam district, increasingly finds himself in what he calls his “worst nightmare,” as he struggles to keep his shop afloat amid the ban on gatherings of five or more people at public facilities like his. “It just pains me. Day by day, I see more and more empty seats. I’ve always been a guy that sees the glass half full rather than half empty. Not so much these days.” Jung is one of the

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021

Coronavirus prompts rethink of role of journalism

COVID-19 dominated headlines in 2020, and journalism is in demand again. A significant rise in news consumption triggered by the coronavirus crisis offered a rare chance for journalism to justify its existence as more people stayed home for social distancing purposes and relied on news to stay up to date. In retrospect, however, it remains questionable how much the South Korean press contributed to the fight against the health crisis. Despite the media’s positive role in the early sta

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021