Critical court decision looms over fate of govt.'s plan to hike medical school quota

An appellate court in Seoul was to deliver a critical ruling Thursday that would determine the fate of the government's highly contested plan to increase the nationwide medical school admission quota, officials said. The Seoul High Court will issue a ruling at around 5 p.m. on an injunction filed by the medical community seeking to halt the government's plan to increase the medical school quota by 2,000, court officials said. A court rejection of the request would pave the way for the

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

S. Korea, US to hold 2nd round of defense cost sharing talks next week

South Korea and the United States will hold their second round of negotiations in Seoul next week on the sharing of the costs for the upkeep of American soldiers stationed here, Seoul officials said Thursday. The talks, set for Tuesday through Thursday, come about a month after the allies launched the negotiations on determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the stationing of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. The first round of the SMA talks took place in Hawaii. The current six-year deal,

DefenseMay 16, 2024

Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon

A rare mid-May warning of heavy snow was issued Wednesday over mountainous areas in northern Gangwon Province. The warning went into effect at 7:20 p.m. as snow, which had started shortly beforehand, was forecast to continue into Thursday morning, accumulating up to 7 centimeters in highland and other mountain areas of northern Gangwon. A heavy snow warning is issued when snowfall accumulation is expected to reach five centimeters or more within a 24-hour period. It marks the first mid-May heavy

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

Yoon meets minor party leader Cho in public for first time in 5 yrs

President Yoon Suk Yeol exchanged Wednesday somewhat awkward greetings with Cho Kuk, leader of a minor opposition party, in their first public encounter in years after the two became at odds with each other over the investigation into Cho's family. The brief meeting took place when Yoon was leaving an event held in celebration of Buddha's birthday in central Seoul, where many other key political figures were also present. Yoon greeted Cho, the leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, by s

PoliticsMay 15, 2024

Yoon vows to run country 'rightly' on Buddha's birthday

President Yoon Suk Yeol promised Wednesday to run state affairs "rightly" in a way that will help improve the people's livelihoods and make the country overcome challenges. Yoon made the remarks in a congratulatory speech in observance of Buddha's birthday, a public holiday in South Korea, saying he will do all he can do to make a "warm and happy" society. "I will do my best to carry out the state affairs rightly as I always keep the Buddha's teachings in

PoliticsMay 15, 2024

Will Itaewon tragedy memorial find a new location?

A memorial for the victims of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, currently installed in front of the main City Hall building in central Seoul, could be relocated as a special bill that mandates an investigation into the tragedy took effect Tuesday. The Seoul city government on Wednesday said the bereaved families and civic groups related to the incident, which claimed 159 lives, would begin discussions on an alternative location for the altar that was installed near Gwanghwamun in February last year.

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

Do Korean doctors make too much money?

Recent government data revealing that South Korean doctors -- except junior doctors -- now rake in an annual salary of 301 million won ($220,029), nearly five times higher than the country’s average annual salary of 42.14 million won, has rekindled the debate on whether doctors are making too much. Some critics believe high income is the reason why doctors refuse to agree to the government’s plan to increase the student quota for medical schools here, out of fear that the value and p

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

CIO chief nominee to explain allegations at confirmation hearing

The nominee for the new chief prosecutor of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials is set to explain multiple accusations against him and his family, including allegations of nepotism, in a confirmation hearing scheduled for Friday. Oh Dong-woon, a former judge and attorney, was nominated last month to lead the state investigation agency but has since been mired in controversy surrounding the hiring of his wife at a law firm he worked for between January 2018 and Octobe

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

Online post claims alleged needle in hanwoo beef cut

An online user claimed to have discovered broken metal pins, resembling syringe needles, in Korean premium hanwoo beef, raising questions about meat inspection protocols. On Tuesday, a user of the online community Bobaedream shared images of metal pieces she claimed were from a needle tip found in beef. She described an experience of chewing on a "small metal pin" first and "a pin resembling a sharp needle tip” later, although a thorough search for other metal parts afterwar

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea must actively regulate against plastic waste: WWF-Korea chief

As South Korea grapples with a significant surge in plastic pollution, the chief of the world’s largest nongovernmental conservation group's Korean office called for the government here to adopt stricter regulations, calling it an "absolutely necessary" measure. “Some environmental issues cannot be resolved through voluntary participation, and targeting plastic waste problems is one of them,” World Wide Fund for Nature-Korea's executive director Park Min-h

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] S. Korea-to-Zimbabwe value chains can foster ‘win-win’ cooperation

South Korea and Zimbabwe have the potential to cultivate a mutually enriching "win-win" partnership by enchanting cooperation in developing manufacturing value chains, capitalizing on the unique strengths of each country, Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Korea Stewart Nyakotyo said in his interview with The Korea Herald. "Zimbabwe and Korea have 30 years of relations, and the future we want, which we can make together, is shared prosperity and growth," Ambassador Nyakotyo said

Foreign AffairsMay 15, 2024

N. Korea's Kim, daughter attend ceremony for new street in Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his "beloved daughter" Ju-ae attended a ceremony marking a newly built street at the north gateway of Pyongyang, the North's state media reported Wednesday. It was the first time in about two months that Ju-ae made a public appearance since she visited a military unit on March 15. Kim and his daughter attended the ceremony on Tuesday, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency. The KCNA described the street as "clear proof of

North KoreaMay 15, 2024

Govt. to regulate synthetic nicotine as tobacco through legislation

The government plans to amend tobacco-related laws to designate synthetic nicotine as a type of tobacco in order to regulate the product category seeing growing popularity among young smokers, according to officials Wednesday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance plan to push for a revision of the law to include synthetic nicotine in the definition of tobacco under the Tobacco Business Act, according to officials. In South Korea, tobacco-related laws are man

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

S. Korea-US alliance will 'incessantly' strengthen regardless of who wins US election: Seoul envoy

South Korea's top envoy to the United States expressed confidence Tuesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen "incessantly" through the allies' "institutionalized" cooperation irrespective of who wins the White House in November. Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong made the remarks as US President Joe Biden is set to face former President Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election amid speculation that Trump's return to the top office could potentially bring a foreig

Foreign AffairsMay 15, 2024

N. Korean leader inspects new tactical missile system

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a new tactical missile weapons system and called for an "epochal change" in war preparations by attaining arms production plans, state media said Wednesday. Kim oversaw the "tactical missile weapons system to be newly equipped by the combined missile units of the Korean People's Army in charge of an important firing assignment" on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. It did not provide further details on the

North KoreaMay 15, 2024

[Graphic News] 1 out of 5 restaurants closed last year

The closing rate of restaurant businesses in South Korea exceeded 20 percent last year, higher than during the height of the COVID-19 period. According to the FinTech company Pinda's big data business analysis platform, “Open Up,” 176,258 out of 818,867 restaurants closed last year, with a closing rate of 21.52 percent. This means that more than 1 out of 5 restaurants closed. The number of restaurants that closed last year surged by 82.6 percent from 96,530 in 2020. The closin

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

Another suspect behind murder of Korean tourist in Pattaya arrested in Cambodia

A South Korean man has been arrested in Cambodia for his alleged involvement in the murder of a South Korean tourist and abandoning his body in Thailand, officials said Tuesday. The suspect, 27, was nabbed at a lodging in Phnom Penh at around midnight following a tip-off that a South Korean suspected of involvement in the case was spotted in the area. Police have been tracing the whereabouts of the man after confirming that he had fled to Cambodia. He is one of three South Koreans suspected

Social AffairsMay 14, 2024

Several US F-22 stealth jets arrive in S. Korea

A number of F-22 stealth jets from the US Air Force arrived in South Korea earlier this week, a Pentagon website showed Tuesday, raising the possibility of a joint air drill involving the latest air assets. The US 8th Fighter Wing posted a photo showing the arrival of F-22 stealth jets at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website. "The Raptors' arrival, demonstrates the Pacific Air Forces

DefenseMay 14, 2024

Yoon pledges support to Ukraine in phone talk with Zelenskyy

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged necessary support and cooperation to Ukraine during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, Seoul's presidential office said. "The South Korean government is proactively participating in the global community's efforts to restore peace and pursue post-war reconstruction in Ukraine," Yoon said during the phone call, according to his office. "We will continue the support and cooperation that are needed by

PoliticsMay 14, 2024

Guidelines introduced to prevent deaths from extreme summer weather

The government will focus its efforts on preventing further loss of human lives during periods of heavy rain and heat waves for the upcoming summer season, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Tuesday. The Interior Ministry convened a joint meeting on the same day with officials from the Ministry of Environment, the National Fire Agency, the Korean National Police Agency and local governments to discuss strategies for preventing human casualties from natural disasters during the summer seaso

Social AffairsMay 14, 2024