Online education service provider fined for false ads

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Sunday it has decided to impose a fine of 286 million won ($239,130) on the country's leading online education service provider Eduwill for misleading advertising. Eduwill ran bus and subway advertisements between November 2018 and August 2021, in which the company claimed to rank first in the number of subscribers who passed exams, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). The company has provided online education services to people preparing for state

Social AffairsFeb. 20, 2022

Seoul reports more than 20,000 COVID-19 cases for 2nd straight day

The number of daily COVID-19 cases in Seoul topped the 20,000 mark for the second consecutive day, officials said Sunday, bring the total caseload in the capital city to over half a million. A total of 22,102 virus cases were confirmed on Saturday after 23,193 cases were reported a day earlier. The latest cases, which represent nearly a two-fold jump from a week earlier, brought the accumulated number of infections in Seoul to 519,923, officials said. South Korea has seen virus cases spiking mas

Social AffairsFeb. 20, 2022

Yoon says N. Korea could carry out provocations while US is focused on Ukraine

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol said Sunday North Korea could undertake provocations, like missile launches, while the United States is distracted by tensions in Ukraine as he called for ensuring watertight security posture with the US "As the US focuses on Europe, among others, North Korea may carry out a strategic provocation like an intercontinental ballistic missile test, or a local provocation near the border," Yoon of the conservative People Power Party wrote

PoliticsFeb. 20, 2022

Seoul to make parks, forests more accessible via W180b project

The Seoul city government said Sunday it will launch a 180 billion won ($150 million) project to link parks and other green spaces with "green roads" in an effort to make urban green spaces more accessible. Under the Green Road Project, the city government plans to renovate and create eco-friendly roads spanning a total of 2,000 kilometers by 2026 that connect to the city's forests, parks, and other green areas. About 1,600km of roads will be renovated while 400km will be created in va

Social AffairsFeb. 20, 2022

[BEIJING OLYMPICS] With all medals coming from ice, S. Korea reverts to old ways

BEIJING -- South Korea's dominance in short track speed skating is hardly new. Despite some early hiccups in Beijing, South Korea still emerged as the leader in the short track medal count with two gold medals and three silver medals. The country also added four medals in speed skating with two silver and two bronze from the oval. But South Korea didn't get medals in sports other than the two skating events -- four years after expanding its Winter Olympic horizons four years go. Winter sports fa

Social AffairsFeb. 20, 2022

[Photo News] A delicious encouragement to vote

March 9 is voting day in South Korea. Gearing up for the 20th presidential election and by-election of the National Assembly, the Daegu Election Commission on Thursday launched “D-20 Until Election Bread” with Samsong BNC, a local company in Daegu. To encourage citizens to vote, Samsong Bakery, a famous bakery affiliated with Samsong BNC, baked pastries with election-themed decorations. Starting Thursday, “D-20 Until Election Bread,” will be produced and sold for a lim

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2022

COVID-19 cases exceed 100,000 for 2nd day

South Korea reported more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row on Saturday amid the rapid spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant. The new daily infections came to 102,211, including 102,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 1,858,009 the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The death toll from COVID-19 reached 7,354, up 71 from Friday. The fatality rate was 0.4 percent, the KDCA said.  The number of critically ill COVID-19

Social AffairsFeb. 19, 2022

From study cafes to ride-sharing, Koreans seem to prefer same-sex environments. Why?

“Boys and girls shouldn’t sit together past the age of seven.” This old saying from the Confucianism-dominated Joseon era seems to hold true to an extent even in present-day Korea.  From study rooms to gosiwon, tiny housing cubicles available for rent, separating people by sex is widely accepted as a norm. Seoul’s latest move to allow taxi ride-sharing also attests to the popular guide of separating people by gender, making the service available only among same-sex

Social AffairsFeb. 18, 2022

Cheong Wa Dae lashes out at Yoon’s ‘fascist’ remark

The presidential office and main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol are once again wrangling over words, this time over Yoon’s comparison of the current administration to past fascist regimes. Speaking at a canvassing event on Thursday, Yoon of the People Power Party hit out at the incumbent Moon Jae-in government for “blaming others for their faults, and making up sins” of other people. “(Moon’s administration) puts blame on others to cover their o

PoliticsFeb. 18, 2022

Yoon’s pledge to build large shopping mall in Gwangju sparks controversy

The idea of building a large shopping mall in the liberal stronghold of Gwangju has become a political hot potato, after presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party made it his election pledge this week. Yoon revealed the idea of building Gwangju’s first mega shopping mall on Wednesday, emphasizing how Gwangju is the “only” city without such a facility and blamed the ruling Democratic Party of Korea for standing in the way of the plan. &l

PoliticsFeb. 18, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases top 100,000 for first time

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases surpassed the 100,000 mark for the first time since the country reported the first COVID-19 infection in January 2020. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 109,831 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Thursday. The total caseload came to 1,755,806. Daily infection numbers have been surging due to the omicron wave. On Jan. 26, the country added 13,004 new infections, the first time that the country&

Social AffairsFeb. 18, 2022

COVID curfew extended to 10 p.m. from Saturday

South Korea has decided to partly ease current social distancing curbs, the government announced Friday. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the current 9 p.m. curfew for dining out at restaurants and other businesses will be pushed back by an hour to 10 p.m. Kim, however, noted that the government will keep the six-person limit on private gatherings. The change will become effective from Saturday to March 13. Kim noted further changes can also take place, depending on how the omicron wave develo

Social AffairsFeb. 18, 2022

Moon steps up calls for lawmakers to swiftly approve extra budget bill

President Moon Jae-in on Friday stepped up calls for the National Assembly to swiftly approve an extra budget bill, citing "desperate" hardship facing small merchants hit by the COVID-19 restrictions. "As the situation of small merchants and self-employed people is desperate, the National Assembly should actively cooperate to resolve the difficulties of people's livelihoods by approving an extra budget bill as soon as possible," Moon told a meeting with his aides earlier in t

PoliticsFeb. 18, 2022

Ahn to resume campaigning after funerals of campaign workers

Minor presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo will resume campaigning this weekend after attending the funerals of two campaign workers who died in an accident this week, an official said Friday. Ahn of the centrist People's Party suspended his campaign activities after a local campaign chief and a bus driver were found dead inside a campaign vehicle on Tuesday apparently due to gas poisoning from a generator powering an LED screen. Ahn attended the party member's funeral Friday morning and will tr

PoliticsFeb. 18, 2022

Yoon leads Lee 41% to 34%: poll

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is leading his ruling party rival Lee Jae-myung with 41 percent public support against Lee's 34 percent, a survey showed Friday. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party gained 4 percentage points from last week, while Lee of the liberal Democratic Party lost 2 percentage points, according to the poll conducted on 1,007 adults from Tuesday to Thursday by Gallup Korea. The gap between Yoon and Lee was outside the margin of error of plus or m

PoliticsFeb. 18, 2022

Electronic parts maker under probe over acute poisoning of 16 workers

The labor ministry on Friday raided an air conditioning component manufacturer in the southern city of Changwon over suspected violations of the workplace disaster prevention law after 16 workers were diagnosed with acute poisoning with a hazardous substance. The raid into Doosung Co. came after acute chloroform intoxication was reported in the 16 workers showing liver function problems after they were exposed to as high as six times the normally permitted level of the chemical during a product

Social AffairsFeb. 18, 2022

S. Korea successfully conducts low-temperature test on homegrown chopper

South Korea's military has successfully conducted a low-temperature flight test on a light-armed helicopter under a plan to complete its development by year's end, the state arms procurement agency said Friday. The LAH helicopter went through a nine-week evaluation program ending earlier this month in Yellowknife, Canada where the temperature dips to around minus 32 C in winter, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The program included test-flying the chopper some

DefenseFeb. 18, 2022

1 in 4 students think unification with NK unnecessary: survey

One out of 4 South Korean students think that unification with North Korea is unnecessary, a survey showed Friday. In the online survey of 72,524 elementary, middle and high school students conducted by the education ministry and the unification ministry from Nov. 1 to Dec. 10, 61.2 percent replied that unification is necessary, while 25 percent said it is not needed. The rate of students against unification increased for the third consecutive year from 19.4 percent in 2019 and 24.2 percent in 2

North KoreaFeb. 18, 2022

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surpass 100,000, concerns rise over further uptick

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 100,000 on Friday for the first time since the pandemic began about two years ago as the highly transmissible omicron variant spreads rapidly. The cases could continue to rise going forward as the government is set to partially relax social distancing rules, apparently to help small merchants taking the brunt of the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The country reported 109,831 new COVID-19 infections, including 109,715 local cases, raising the t

Social AffairsFeb. 18, 2022

Beijing vows continued support for Pyongyang on late NK leader's birth anniversary

A senior Chinese official has said Beijing will continue support for North Korea on the 80th birth anniversary of the North's former leader Kim Jong-il, describing their relations as "forged by blood," according to Pyongyang's state media Friday. Ji Bingxuan, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, made the remarks Wednesday during an event held at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing to mark the anniversary, the North's official Korean Central New

North KoreaFeb. 18, 2022