New virus cases fall below 100,000 as omicron wave ebbs

South Korea reported fewer than 100,000 coronavirus cases Thursday as the omicron curve has turned downward since mid-March. The country added 90,867 new COVID-19 infections, including 31 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,674,045, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The new tally is down 57,558 cases, or 38.7 percent, from a week ago and marks the lowest number for Thursday since Feb. 17, in an apparent sign of a downward trend in cases of the highly

Social AffairsApril 21, 2022

N. Korea urges effort to attain economic goals 'at all costs' during Cabinet meeting

North Korea has held a Cabinet meeting to assess its economic performance for the first three months of the year and urged officials to make utmost efforts to achieve their goals "at all costs," state media reported Thursday. At the expanded plenary meeting of the Cabinet held via video link the previous day, Vice Premier Pak Jong-gun made a report analyzing the country's economic weaknesses and flaws that dragged down the country's performance for the first quarter, according to the o

North KoreaApril 21, 2022

Veterans minister to attend funeral of decorated US Korean War hero

South Korea's veterans affairs minister will attend the funeral of retired US Army Col. William E. Weber, a decorated Korean War veteran, in Maryland later this week, his office said Thursday. Hwang Ki-chul is set to attend the funeral on Friday (local time) to deliver President Moon Jae-in's condolence message to the bereaved family and console them on behalf of the Seoul government, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. "From his participation in the war to the last

DefenseApril 21, 2022

COVID-19 rapid tests bring bonanza to local clinics

Local clinics and hospitals received over 700 billion won ($564 million) won in total in February and March for conducting rapid antigen tests from the national health insurance scheme, data has revealed. According to data submitted to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday, the National Health Insurance Corp. received claims for payment of medical expenses involving COVID-19 rapid antigen tests totaling 730.3 billion won between Feb. 3 and April 3. This is e

Social AffairsApril 21, 2022

Seoul City asks Yoon’s transition team to lower property taxes

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has proposed the transition team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol to ease the country’s taxes on property, it said Wednesday. 　 The Seoul city government said it delivered its property tax revision scheme to the transition team on Tuesday. The proposal asks the transition team to bump up the minimum value of property in the highest tax bracket from the current 500 million won ($404,000) to 900 million won. Officials from the Seoul city government expl

PoliticsApril 20, 2022

[2030 Busan World Expo] Busan hosts key figures from Colombia and Peru in hopes to host Expo 2030

Busan has invited three major figures from Colombia and Peru for a tour of the city as the southern port city of South Korea looks to host the World Expo in 2030. The city government said Wednesday that Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon invited Tito Jose Crissien Borrero, minister of Science, Technology and Innovation for Colombia; Nicolas Del Castillo Piedrahita, head of Colombia’s National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority; and Jorge Vicente Martin Munoz Wells, mayor of Lima, Peru, for a tw

Social AffairsApril 20, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Toward the Korea-Japan relations of vision and coexistence

Historically, Korea and Japan have long been in conflict and contradiction. Since Japan’s colonization of Korea, it has deepened what some observe to be Japan’s sense of superiority over Korea and Korea’s sense of inferiority toward Japan. Japan’s “Lost Decades” –- a period of economic stagnation caused by an asset price bubble collapsing in the 1990s -- and Korea’s rise in national power in the international community brought some tension to bila

Foreign AffairsApril 20, 2022

Lifting outdoor mask mandate to be decided early May

The South Korean government will decide in early May whether the outdoor mask mandate will be lifted, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said during a COVID-19 response meeting Wednesday. Jeon noted that the mask mandate will stay in place for the moment as wearing face masks is still important for preventing the spread of infection at the current stage of the pandemic. Regarding the government’s planned downgrade of the COVID-19 infectious disease level, Jeon said that the government wil

Social AffairsApril 20, 2022

Brother claims ruling party figures pressured family to accept slain official tried to defect

Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and an ex-naval officer pushed for the family of a fisheries official killed by North Korea to admit that the deceased was attempting to defect to the North, the official’s brother claims. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official went missing during a patrol on Sept. 21, 2020, and was shot dead and set ablaze at sea by North Korean troops the following day. He is the first South Korean civilian to die at the hands of the North in

North KoreaApril 20, 2022

Schools to open doors in May

From May 1, schools in Korea will resume normal operations under new guidelines. Schools will adapt “normalcy attendance” measures, meaning face-to-face classes will be held and online classes will be reserved for special circumstances. Extracurricular activities, such as field trips and group events, will be allowed. Self-testing routines will be dropped, too. The mask mandate, however, will be maintained at least until the end of the semester. The Ministry of Education announ

Social AffairsApril 20, 2022

Ruling party resorts to opposition cosplay to ram through prosecution bill

The Democratic Party has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the bill to strip prosecutors of their investigative powers can go through, despite escalating conflicts with the prosecution and opposition parties. Rep. Min Hyung-bae on Wednesday left the Democratic Party and became an independent, a move that would allow the party to push the controversial bill through referral to the agenda coordination committee. Min is a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary C

PoliticsApril 20, 2022

Foreign Minster nominee, US envoy agree on ‘impenetrable’ cooperation

South Korea’s Foreign Minister nominee Rep. Park Jin of the People Power Party met Wednesday with Sung Kim, US Special Representative for North Korea, and agreed to maintain an “impenetrable alliance” when the incoming government takes over. In their closed-door meeting, the minister nominee stressed how the series of missile launches by North Korea posed a “serious threat” not only to the Korean people but also to peace and stability of Northeast Asia and the in

Foreign AffairsApril 20, 2022

Party rules Song Young-gil, Park Ju-min out of Seoul mayor contention

The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea has ruled out Reps. Song Young-gil and Park Ju-min from the Seoul mayoral candidate selection, sparking an internal feud over whether it was fair to exclude key figures without undergoing primaries. The internal nomination committee of the liberal party decided late Tuesday to exclude Song and Park from the list of possible nominees in the upcoming local elections, hinting the party will search for another candidate to bear its flag and compete wi

PoliticsApril 20, 2022

Labor relations are foundation for building Uzbekistan’s Third Renaissance

Over the past 5 years, unprecedented results have been achieved in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, both in domestic and foreign policy. One of the central areas among the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan is comprehensive development of labor relations and the labor market, aimed at improving the quality of life of the population and ensuring human interests, which is in line with the UN sustainable development goals. In this regard, it should be noted that th

Diplomatic CircuitApril 20, 2022

Key ILO conventions on forced labor, freedom of association take effect: labor ministry

Three key International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions that prohibit forced labor and guarantee freedom of association went into effect Wednesday, a year after South Korea completed the ratification process, the labor ministry said. The conventions -- No. 29 on forced labor, No. 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organize and No. 98 on the right to organize and collective bargaining -- will now have the same legal status as domestic laws, according to the ministry.

Social AffairsApril 20, 2022

S. Korea to set up task force on new US-led economic framework

South Korea will set up a task force to deal with its potential participation in a US-led economic framework, as the United States has accelerated preparations to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday. The Joe Biden administration has sought to launch the IPEF for deeper cooperation with partner nations in the Asia-Pacific region on digital trade, supply chains and other major emerging trade issues amid an intensifying Sino-US rivalry. The Seoul

Foreign AffairsApril 20, 2022

S. Korea reports fewer than 120,000 cases for 5th day as omicron surge declines

South Korea reported fewer than 120,000 coronavirus cases for the fifth straight day Wednesday as the omicron-fueled spike in infections slows down. The country added 111,319 new COVID-19 infections, including 17 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,583,220, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The new tally is down 84,100 cases, or 43 percent, from a week ago in an apparent sign that the omicron variant is loosening its hold. Since the virus peaked at 6

Social AffairsApril 20, 2022

Moon blames indifference for mobility problems on people with disabilities

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday called for more efforts to help improve mobility for the disabled, saying society's indifference is blamed for their mobility problems. "We must blame ourselves for our lack of interest for disabled people's right to move," Moon said in a message to mark the 42nd Day of People with Disabilities. "A world without discrimination is the path we should go." "The pace of disabled and non-disabled people is also different, but we are living t

PoliticsApril 20, 2022

Natl. Assembly speaker shelves overseas trip amid tension over prosecution reform legislation

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug has put an overseas travel plan on hold, an official said Wednesday, amid the ruling Democratic Party's push for legislation that would deprive the prosecution of its investigative powers. The decision was seen as aimed at giving the DP more time to consider the controversial legislation without rushing as the party has vowed to pass the bills through the National Assembly before Park departs on a 10-day trip to the United States and Canada later this w

PoliticsApril 20, 2022

FM's official residence emerges as new venue for Yoon's presidential residence

The foreign minister's official residence is being considered as a new venue for incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence, officials said Wednesday. The official residence of the Army chief of staff had originally been considered a top candidate for Yoon's residence following his plan to relocate the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae to the defense ministry compound in Yongsan, central Seoul. But officials said the Army chief's home is too outdated and run-down for a presidential residence.

PoliticsApril 20, 2022