World Forestry Congress, Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute preserve wild plant seeds

The 15th World Forestry Congress has kicked off. At this year’s congress, running under the theme of “Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future with Forests,” some 13,000 officials of governments, international organizations, civic groups and academic associations from 143 countries are participating to discuss forestry and environmental problems in order to find solutions. As damages derived from climate change -- such as the recent cases such as flooding in Europe, th

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

KFS-Woori Financial Group agrees to cooperate for carbon-neutral, ESG management

Korea Forest Service and Woori Financial Group agreed to work together to promote the importance of carbon-neutrality in business management, as well as a priority on environmental, social and governance issues, the forest agency said Wednesday. The agreement signed Monday comes as part of their joint efforts to recognize the importance of forests in responding to climate change and ESG activities, and to contribute to their joint goals of sustainability by encouraging activities promoting ca

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

Can kids grow up happy in Korea?

For many years, South Korea has lived with the infamy of being one of the unhappiest places to grow up in among advanced nations. Dozens of articles have highlighted how saddening it may be to live as school-age children in Korea. Citing statistics that put South Korea at the bottom of advanced nations in terms of children’s happiness, they point to the competitive educational environment and lack of time and resources for leisure and extracurricular activities. A 2019 study by Save the

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

N.Korea fires a ballistic missile eastward from Pyongyang: JCS

North Korea launched a ballistic missile eastward from the capital city of Pyongyang on Wednesday afternoon, in continuation of actions raising tension in the run-up to the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol government and the South Korea-US summit. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military “detected one ballistic missile being fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang city toward the East Sea at around 12:03 p.m.” The missile traveled around 470 kilometers at an alti

North KoreaMay 4, 2022

Ex-intel official for top prosecution body indicted in case related to president-elect

GWACHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- A senior prosecutor, Son Jun-seong, was indicted Wednesday for using his then-position as an intelligence official at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to help file criminal complaints against ruling Democratic Party of Korea figures ahead of the April 2020 general election. At the end of an eight-month investigation, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials indicted Son on charges of violating laws on the election of public officials an

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

Dossier unveils historic moment of first inter-Korean talks in early 1970s

The South Korean government Wednesday made public newly declassified documents on its first-ever formal meeting with North Korea since the division of the peninsula and other cross-border exchanges in the early 1970s, offering a glimpse into the beginning of a new chapter in tumultuous inter-Korean relations. The dossier included a transcript of a three-minute conversation between the South Korean Red Cross envoy and his North Korean counterpart at the truce village of Panmunjom on Aug. 20, 1971

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

Defense chief nominee vows stronger alliance, deterrence against NK threats

South Korea's defense minister nominee on Wednesday vowed efforts to cement "cohesion" in the country's alliance with the United States and sharpen deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. During a parliamentary confirmation hearing, Lee Jong-sup, a former three-star Army general, highlighted his vision of a "robust national defense and sturdy military based on science and technology" to respond proactively to "threats from all directi

PoliticsMay 4, 2022

S. Korea's new infections fall below 50,000 amid lifting of mask mandate

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 50,000 on Wednesday as the government has lifted the outdoor mask mandate in the latest effort to return to pre-pandemic normalcy amid a downward trend in COVID-19 cases. The country reported 49,064 new COVID-19 infections, including 29 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,395,791, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Daily coronavirus infections have been on the downward trend in recent weeks after peaking a

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

Korea Quiz (1) Children’s Day

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related.  Answer: c Korean children have Christmas in the middle of the year -- on Children’s Day. On May 5 every year, children get special treats, which usually include presents, and go on family outings to amusement parks, zoos and the like. It has been a public holiday since 1975. There is no school for children, and all salaried workers -- regardless if they have a child or not

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

Justice minister nominee vows to minimize negative impact of prosecution reform laws

Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon said he will look for ways to minimize any negative impacts that the recently enacted laws on prosecution reform could have on ordinary people, according to a lawmaker Wednesday. Han made the remark in a document submitted to independent Rep. Yang Hyang-ja for his confirmation hearing, stressing ordinary people will take the brunt of the legislation centering on reducing and ultimately abolishing the prosecution's investigative powers. The legislation, cons

PoliticsMay 4, 2022

S. Korea to begin production of long-range radar prototype this year

South Korea will embark on the production of a homegrown long-range radar prototype later this year under a project to replace the existing decades-old radar systems, the country's state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. Launched in February last year, the project worth 46.7 billion won (US$37 million) is aimed at developing an advanced radar system designed to monitor foreign aircraft approaching South Korea's air defense identification zone, according to the Defense Acquisition Program A

DefenseMay 4, 2022

US plans to move forward with UNSC resolution on N. Korea in May: US ambassador

The United States plans to move forward with a US-drafted UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning North Korea's recent missile activities, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Monday. The move comes as the US assumed the presidency of the 15-member UNSC for the month. "We do have a resolution that is being discussed in the council on DPRK, and it is our plan to move forward with that resolution during this month," Thomas-Greenfield said when asked if the US wil

North KoreaMay 4, 2022

US to boost defense posture, prepositioned stocks in Indo-Pacific: Austin

The United States plans to boost its deterrence against China and North Korea, partly by increasing its "prepositioned stocks" of military supplies in the Indo-Pacific, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Monday. The US defense chief also said the defense department plans to spend some $6 billion in fiscal year 2023 to boost its deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific. "So this budget invests some six billion dollars in the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, and in keeping with o

Foreign AffairsMay 4, 2022

SNU med school professor chosen as Yoon's physician

A gastroenterology professor at Seoul National University (SNU)'s College of Medicine has been chosen as the physician to incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol, an official said Wednesday. Kim Joo-sung, who graduated from the college in 1989, is a specialist in the areas of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The physician to the president is a pro bono honorary position equivalent to the level of vice minister, who works at their regular job but conducts routine check

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

1 brain dead, 2 seriously injured in apartment fire in Busan

A fire broke out at an apartment building in the southeastern port city of Busan, leaving one brain dead and two others seriously injured, officials said Wednesday. The fire is assumed to have started in the living room of an apartment on the 13th floor at 9:43 p.m. Tuesday and was extinguished in about 30 minutes after completely destroying the unit, according to officials. A 70-year-old resident was found unconscious in the laundry room and transported to a nearby hospital but was reportedly d

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

The road to better recovery found in forests

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a lot of pain for all of us, is coming to an end. Over the past two years, COVID-19 has caused us a lot of economic and social loss, and everyone is struggling for a better recovery, but we don’t know where to start. In Seoul, where spring has sprung, discussions are underway for a better recovery through forests. Governments, international organizations and civic groups from various countries gathered in the South Korean capital for the 15th World

Social AffairsMay 4, 2022

[Diplomatic Circuit] Is Bulgaria Europe’s undiscovered foodie capital?

Bulgaria has long been known for hearty traditional comfort food. But springing up around its classic cuisine is a new wave of culinary innovations thanks to exciting new chefs, eclectic restaurants and hip independent food producers serving up organic local produce with a contemporary flair. “In the last five or six years, Bulgarian food has been taken to a different level,” says Milen Zlatev, executive chef at Biorest restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria. “I like to take something

Diplomatic CircuitMay 3, 2022

Hidden meaning of Korean term “agassi” leads to murder

An error in a mobile translation application recently prompted a 35-year-old Chinese man in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, to murder a Korean resident.  On Sunday, the Jeonju District Court delivered a 20-year prison term to the foreigner charged with killing his female coworker’s Korean husband, according to court officials.  It was the Korean term “agassi” that triggered a fistfight between the two men of different nationalities, which eventually turned deadly.&

Social AffairsMay 3, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 deaths drop under 50

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 deaths dropped below 50 for the first time in about two months, government data showed Tuesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of deaths from COVID-19 reported during the 24 hours for Monday came to 49, down from the previous day’s 83. The death toll came to 23,007, and the fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent. During the same period, the country reported 51,131 daily COVID-19 infections, bringing the total case

Social AffairsMay 3, 2022

‘Bullying’ by coaches, teammates blamed for young footballer’s suicide

The bereaved family of an 18-year-old football player who took his own life recently claimed that the victim had been target of monthslong bullying by teammates and coaches. A person claiming to be a parent of Jeong Woo-rim -- formerly a member of the Gimpo Football Club of South Korea’s second division K League 2 -- posted an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae homepage on Monday about how the supposed bullying led to Jeong’s suicide on April 27. The person claimed that after goin

Social AffairsMay 3, 2022