Moon welcomes WHO's decision to establish global biomanufacturing training hub in S. Korea

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday welcomed a decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) to set up a global biomanufacturing training hub in South Korea, saying the move would help Seoul achieve its goal of becoming a global vaccine hub. Moon made the remarks after WHO announced it will establish the facility in South Korea that will carry out biomanufacturing training for workforces from around the world. "Korea has become a hub country for education and fostering professionals to incr

PoliticsFeb. 24, 2022

US commitment to defense of S. Korea remains unchanged despite tension in Ukraine

WASHINGTON -- The United States' commitment to defend South Korea remains unchanged despite escalating tensions in Ukraine over a possible Russian invasion, a Pentagon spokesperson said Wednesday. John Kirby also hailed Seoul's support for Ukraine, saying it was noticed by the "whole international community." "Nothing's changed, obviously, about our commitment to our South Korean allies," he said when asked what impact a possible armed conflict in Ukraine may have on the Kore

Foreign AffairsFeb. 24, 2022

Voting in S. Korean presidential election begins in US

WASHINGTON -- Dozens of South Koreans in the United States, including Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck, hit the polls early Wednesday as overseas voting in the presidential election began a six-day run. The South Korean ambassador urged all eligible voters to take part. "It is an honor to exercise one's right in an event to elect someone who will decide the fate of the country," Lee said. The South Korean election watchdog earlier said some 226,000 overseas South Koreans have registered to vot

PoliticsFeb. 24, 2022

S. Korea successfully tests L-SAM missile interceptor: sources

South Korea's military on Wednesday conducted a successful test-firing of a long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) under development, informed sources said, in an apparent move to counter North Korea's evolving missile threats. The state-run Agency for Defense Development oversaw the launch at a testing site in Taean, 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, following a series of North Korean missile launches last month, including hypersonic and intermediate-range missiles. Details on the fligh

DefenseFeb. 23, 2022

[Newsmaker] Korea halts use of its only COVID-19 antibody drug Regkirona

South Korea is no longer using Celltrion’s Regkirona, the only COVID-19 antibody drug approved for use in the country, after it was shown to be ineffective against the omicron variant. Omicron now accounts for nearly all new infections here. 　 In a message to reporters Wednesday afternoon, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it had stopped supplying Regkirona as of Feb. 18, confirming earlier media reports. The agency said the remaining stock of Regkirona will only be u

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

Next president should take ‘consistent approach’ to NK human rights: UN expert

A UN expert on Wednesday called on the next South Korean president to take a “consistent approach” to North Korean human rights issues, pointing to the Moon Jae-in government’s decision to stop co-sponsoring a UN resolution as a bad precedent. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, underscored that the next South Korean government should maintain consistency in dealing with North Kore

North KoreaFeb. 23, 2022

South Korea not considering military support over Ukraine crisis

South Korea is not considering military support or sending troops over the Ukraine crisis, top officials said Wednesday. “The government is reviewing what we can do by predicting what the situation will be like in the future and looking at how it will affect us,” a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters amid escalating tensions over the Ukraine-Russia crisis. “We are considering various possibilities, but not military support or dispatch of troops.” “What we are r

PoliticsFeb. 23, 2022

Gangwon governor bets again on Olympics for inter-Korean rapprochement

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province — Four years ago this week, the PyeongChang Winter Olympics came to a grand finale. During the Games, South and North Korea enjoyed a moment of peace, with athletes from either side of the Demilitarized Zone marching together during the opening and closing ceremony. It was here in Gangwon Province that the two Koreas also fielded a unified team for the first time in Olympics history, with their joint women’s hockey team. 　 Preceded by a year of nuclear

North KoreaFeb. 23, 2022

Lee urges govt. to protect S. Korean nationals, firms in Ukraine

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung urged the government on Wednesday to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals and businesses in Ukraine amid the escalating security crisis there. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party also called on relevant countries to do everything for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, which has intensified since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two breakaway regions of Ukraine. "The situation in Ukraine is alarming," Lee wro

PoliticsFeb. 23, 2022

Former UN chief Ban becomes endowed chair at Seoul Nat'l University

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been appointed as an endowed chair at Seoul National University's (SNU) Department of Political Science and International Relations earlier this month, school officials said Wednesday. Ban plans to advise the university's graduate students on their research and careers until January 2025, according to SNU. The school, one of the country's most prestigious universities, grants chair professorships to scholars with outstanding academic achievements or gl

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

The perilous move: Massive ladder trucks cause safety fears

A series of accidents involving trucks mounted with aerial ladders have prompted safety concerns in South Korea, where these ladders are widely used for moving in and out of tall apartment buildings. On Monday, a ladder of a moving truck collapsed in an apartment complex in Nowon-gu, Seoul, killing one resident and injuring another. Police suspect the ladder’s length at the time of the accident to have been around 40 meters, given that the accident took place after finishing moving hous

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

Cases surge to 170,000, outpacing government projections

South Korea on Wednesday reported more than 170,000 new COVID-19 cases, outpacing the government’s earlier estimates. Despite the record figure, authorities tried to reduce some of the pandemic panic, stressing the virus crisis is under control. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures said a total of 171,452 cases had been confirmed as of Tuesday midnight, raising the total caseload to 2,329,182. On Monday, the government announced it expects the peak of the omicron variant spr

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

Court again rules against victims of Japan's forced labor in damages suit

A Seoul court on Wednesday ruled against South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor in a damages suit filed against Japanese companies, apparently on grounds that the cases' statute of limitations has expired. The suit was filed against Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Kumagai Gumi Co. by a 104-year-old victim named Kim Han-soo and the bereaved family of a late victim, surnamed Park, with the Seoul Central District Court in April 2019. Kim and Park claimed they were conscri

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

[Newsmaker] Ruling party concentrates fire on Yoon over wife’s alleged stock manipulation

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday slammed Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, accusing him of hiding the truth about his wife’s alleged involvement in a stock manipulation case. “Yoon will lose in the presidential election because of Kim Keon-hee’s stock manipulation charges,” Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the ruling party said, speaking at a campaign committee meeting Wednesday. Woo is chief of the campaign committee for Lee J

PoliticsFeb. 23, 2022

Drone exhibition to offer glimpse into future of mobility

South Korea's largest exhibition of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be held in the southeastern port city of Busan this week, showcasing the latest technologies and models and offering a forum on the industry's future, organizers said Wednesday. Drone Show Korea 2022 will take place at Bexco Exhibition Center from Thursday to Saturday under the theme of "Connected by Drone." The sixth edition of the annual event, co-organized by the Korea Unmanned Vehicle System Association and BEX

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

Supreme Court justice denies any link to Daejang-dong development scandal

Supreme Court Justice Cho Jae-youn on Wednesday categorically denied any link to a massive development scandal following a newspaper report that a central figure in the scandal promised him a luxury house. Cho made the remark during a press conference after the Hankook Ilbo daily reported last week that Kim Man-bae, the owner of an asset firm at the center of the scandal, said he promised a house worth about 5 billion won ($4.2 million) to an incumbent Supreme Court justice. "It is comple

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

S. Korea OKs first vaccine for children aged 5 to 11

South Korea has approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Wednesday, amid growing concerns over sharply soaring infections ahead of schools' opening next week. The country reported a record high of over 170,000 daily cases of COVID-19 from the previous day. Of the new cases reported in the last week, almost 30 percent were found in children aged 18 or younger, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Age

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

Military reports 767 more COVID-19 cases

The military on Wednesday reported 767 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 14,022. The new cases included 510 from the Army, 86 from the Air Force, 60 from the Navy, 55 from the Marine Corps, and 39 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry. There were also 14 cases from the ministry, two from the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 3,878 military personnel are under treat

DefenseFeb. 23, 2022

Population mobility dips for 13th month in Jan.

The number of South Koreans who moved to different residences in the country dropped for the 13th consecutive month in January on fewer housing transactions, government data showed Wednesday. The number of people who changed their residences stood at 552,000 last month, down 12.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It represented the 13th straight month since January last year that the country's population mobility has declined on-year. The decrease w

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022

Seoul vows to become digital emotional culture city

The Seoul city government on Wednesday announced a digital culture city project centered on creating digital media artworks throughout the capital. The city government declared this year as the first year of the "Digital Emotional Culture City" project and unveiled 10 cultural policy tasks. Under the project, the Gwanghwamun Square area in central Seoul will be transformed into a huge media art stage and Nodeul Island, an uninhabited artificial island in the Han River, and other waterf

Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2022