S. Korea’s COVID-19 cases surpass 340,000 for first time

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections spiked during the 24 hours of Tuesday to hit an all-time high of over 340,000, increasing more rapidly than the country’s health authorities had expected. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday, the country added 342,446 new COVID-19 cases. It was up 139,726 from the previous day’s 202,720. The previous record was the 266,847 reported Friday last week. The daily figure has increased faster than the

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2022

[Newsmaker] [Voters &] 18-year-olds cast historic first vote

Kim Ji-su, who turned 18 in January, cast her first ballot in a presidential election on Wednesday with a sense of excitement. “Adults think we are too young (to vote), but we are also citizens of this country. I am glad that I can vote to choose the president who will lead the country for the next five years,” Kim, a senior at Munjeong High School in Seoul, told The Korea Herald. This year’s presidential election marked a milestone in Korean politics, as the first time in

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

[From the Scene] Voters hope for change in post-COVID-19 era

Even before the darkness of dawn had faded away, voters trickled into polling stations Wednesday to elect their next president, with a strong desire for a new leader who can spearhead political and economic reforms and stabilize a society hit by an unprecedented pandemic. In this year’s presidential election, 14,464 polling stations opened across the country to run from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The hours were extended from the usual 6 p.m. this year for COVID-19 patients and those in quarant

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

[Live updates: Election 2022] Yoon Suk-yeol wins

The coverage on this blog has ended. For more updates, results and news on South Korea’s presidential election, visit www.koreaherald.co.kr. -- Ed. Yoon Suk-yeol elected president of S. Korea Yoon Suk-yeol, a former chief prosecutor and political neophyte, was elected the next leader of South Korea on Thursday in one of the closest presidential elections in the country’s history. With all the votes counted, the conservative candidate garnered 48.6 percent, against 47.8 percent of

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

N. Korea paves way for resuming ICBM, nuclear tests this year: ODNI

North Korea has paved the way for resuming intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear tests this year, as part of the country’s actions to “reshape the regional security environment” in its favor, the US intelligence community has said. The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday released its report on annual worldwide threat assessment before the House Intelligence Committee’s hearing on the matter. The report assessed that Pyongyang’s

North KoreaMarch 9, 2022

[Election 2022] Voters flock to polling stations despite record virus cases

Election Day has arrived in South Korea, along with a sharp spike in the daily virus tally. Amid reports of 342,446 new coronavirus cases in South Korea, voters across the country flocked to their local polling stations starting as early as 6 a.m. to elect the next leader of the country. Long lines snaked out the doors at schools and community centers, reflecting voters’ eagerness to have their voices heard. Seongbuk Child and Youth Center in northern Seoul had more than 20 people in l

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

South Korea’s new president faces myriad diplomatic challenges

South Korea went to the polls on Wednesday to elect its new president,  whose term will begin at the most challenging time for Korea in recent history.  On the domestic front, the new administration will need to wrestle with runaway housing prices, the coronavirus pandemic, gender and economic inequality among many other pressing issues. As pressing as these issues may be, the diplomatic situation facing the new president could have a long lasting impact on both South Korea and its

Foreign AffairsMarch 9, 2022

[Election 2022] What Lee, Yoon said on Election Day

Today’s election is a showdown between Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol, who each represent the country’s liberal and conservative political forces. Here’s what the two candidates said on Facebook early Wednesday, as polls opened nationwide to elect the next president of South Korea.  Lee Jae-myung of Democratic Party of Korea said: “There’s only one day left. The election result is going to be neck and neck. The outcome can be determined by only thousands

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

Voter turnout at 68.1% as of 3 p.m.

Voter turnout for South Korea's presidential election stood at 68.1 percent as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, as more than 30 million people participated in the polls, according to the country's election authorities. Out of the total 44.2 million eligible voters nationwide, 30.1 million, or 68.1 percent, have cast their ballots at 14,464 polling stations since the voting started at 6 a.m., the National Election Commission (NEC) said. The preliminary tally, which included the results of the two-day early

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

[Election 2022] How to ‘correctly’ show off your support

With South Korea’s presidential election underway, so has a parade of citizens posting photos of themselves voting. Posting what are commonly known as “proof shots” on social media is popular among Koreans, but doing it without discretion during an election can cause legal problems. K-pop star Kim Jae-joong on Saturday became the center of controversy after he posted a photo of his ballot in a voting booth, as did fellow singer K-will. Both deleted the posts hours later, an

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

[Graphic News] Political donations to lawmakers down 24% in 2021: data

　Political donations to lawmakers last year declined 24.3 percent from a year earlier, data from the state’s election watchdog showed.  　Financial contributions to lawmakers reached 40.7 billion won ($33.8 million) last year, down from 53.8 billion won in 2020, when the April 15 parliamentary elections were held, according to the National Election Commission. 　Lawmakers on average received 135.2 million won in donations last year, down from 179.4 million won in 2020.  　By par

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

New cases soar to fresh high of over 340,000 amid omicron wave

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases soared to hit a fresh record high of more than 340,000 Wednesday while voters went to the polls to pick a new president amid the fast spread of the omicron variant. The country reported 342,446 new COVID-19 infections, including 342,388 local cases, raising the total caseload to 5,212,118, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally jumped from the 202,721 reported Tuesday. Daily infections exceeded the 300,000 mark for the

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2022

S. Koreans vote for new president

South Koreans voted Wednesday to pick a new president after a tightly contested race between ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung promising improved livelihoods and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol championing a fairer society. Six hours after the polls opened at 6 a.m., election officials reported an average voter turnout of 20.3 percent nationwide, lower than the 24.5 percent reported at the same time in the previous presidential election in 2017. Voter interest is unprecedentedly kee

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

N. Korea may resume nuclear, ICBM testing this year: US report

WASHINGTON -- North Korea may resume nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing before the year's end, a US government report said Tuesday. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) also said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un believes his nuclear weapons are the "ultimate guarantor" of his regime and that North Korea will eventually be accepted as a nuclear power over time. "In January, North Korea began laying the groundwork for an increase in

Foreign AffairsMarch 9, 2022

N. Korea may resume nuclear, ICBM testing this year: US report

North Korea may resume nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing before the year’s end, a US government report said Tuesday. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) also said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un believes his nuclear weapons are the “ultimate guarantor” of his regime and that North Korea will eventually be accepted as a nuclear power over time. “In January, North Korea began laying the groundwork for an increase in tensi

North KoreaMarch 9, 2022

[Election 2022] 27 cm long with 14 names printed on it, your ballot is worth millions

As Koreans head to the polls to elect their next president, here’s a quick look at the vote by key numbers. 14: Number of names printed on the ballot paper Although the race has come down to dead heat between the two frontrunners, representing the main parties of the left and right wings, it started off with 14 candidates registered. Two dropped out, leaving 12 still running. 27: Length of the ballot paper in centimeters A single ballot is about 27 centimeters long, listing the 14 can

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

[Election 2022] Between Lee and Yoon, who will come out as president?

Polls opened across South Korea at 6 a.m. Wednesday in a presidential election that many voters described as a contest of who’s the least worst. Average voter turnout for 9 a.m was reported to be 8.1 percent nationwide, slightly lower than the 9.4 percent at the same time in the previous presidential election in 2017. Lee Jae-myung of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea is vying against Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative opposition People Power Party in a neck-and-neck race. Exi

PoliticsMarch 9, 2022

N. Korean military’s patrol ship breaches NLL for the first time since 2018

A North Korean military patrol ship retreated after breaching the disputed inter-Korean western maritime border Tuesday morning, marking the first such case since 2018, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The patrol boat crossed the Northern Limit Line at 9:49 a.m. while it tracked another purportedly stray vessel that violated the NLL and crossed into South Korean waters around 15 minutes earlier, according to South Korean military officials. The patrol boat traveled about 1 kilometer south of

North KoreaMarch 8, 2022

[KH Explains] Essential guide for treating COVID-19 at home

For foreign residents in Korea who do not speak the local language, now may feel like the most dangerous time to live here since the pandemic began. Over the recent week, over 200,000 people a day in South Korea have been diagnosed with COVID-19. With no sign yet of the country pulling out of the omicron surge, the pressure on the medical system is increasing dangerously day by day. Yet, all patients are supposed to take responsibility for their own safe recovery at home, unless they belong

Social AffairsMarch 8, 2022

UNSC again fails to condemn NK’s missile launch

The UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss North Korea’s recent missile test on Monday, but failed to produce a text condemning the regime of its sanctions violations.  At the request of Washington, the meeting of the UN’s most powerful body came after the North said it conducted test for a reconnaissance satellite Saturday. Observers believe it was a cover for testing long-range ballistic missile technology banned by UN Security Council resolutions. 　 The co

North KoreaMarch 8, 2022