Firefighters battling wildfire spreading in coastal county

YEONGDEOK -- Firefighters battled a major wildfire in the southern coastal country of Yeongdeok on Wednesday as the blaze spread to local communities, forcing the evacuation of more than 180 households. The fire started on a mountain in the county, about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday. It was extinguished but reignited overnight and spread to nearby residential areas, according to firefighters and local officials. Firefighters were having difficulties containing the fire late

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Korea’s foreign policy, time to keep eyes on new economy and new security

There are some fields that previous forms of Korean diplomacy could not fully cover, but had to be dealt with. Those must be the new security and new economic issues. We are facing newly emerging security issues with roots in technological innovation -- for instance, the “fourth industrial revolution.” From 5G, quantum computers, semiconductors, and other areas, existing hegemonies face a variety of new technological challenges. Technical standards are another significant confronta

Foreign AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

UN expert discusses NK human rights

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on North Korea’s human rights situation, met with senior officials in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed human rights concerns in the reclusive nation. 　 Quintana arrived here on Tuesday for a nine-day stay, during which he will meet South Korean government officials, lawmakers as well as civic groups and North Korean defectors. 　 The purpose of his visit is to collect data necessary for writing a report on the findings of right abuses in the

North KoreaFeb. 16, 2022

Lee, Sim express disapproval of 2015 comfort women deal: group

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and minor candidate Sim Sang-jeung have expressed their disapproval of a 2015 agreement reached by South Korea and Japan to settle the issue of wartime sex slaves, an advocacy coalition said Wednesday. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party and Sim of the progressive Justice Party stated their positions in response to questions sent last month by the group, which includes the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexu

PoliticsFeb. 16, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases surpass 90,000

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections jumped to an all-time high of 90,443 as the omicron wave intensifies, but the number of critical cases are rising at a slower pace, the government said Wednesday. With the cases rising by more than 30,000 in a day, the government issued an apology for failing to control a spiraling omicron variant outbreak. The government added that it will soon decide whether it will ease current social distancing curbs or not. According to the Korea Disease Con

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

Education Ministry waters down guidance for school COVID testing

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday watered down its guidelines for school students’ COVID-19 testing, saying that students are recommended to take two rapid antigen tests a week. While saying that schools will be provided with testing kits, the ministry said that the tests were not mandatory and that schools will be given autonomy in implementing measures against spread of the virus. The measure comes days after the ministry came under fire over reports that COVID tests could be mad

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

A rundown of leading candidates' positions on defense, foreign relations and the economy

The presidential election has once again come down to the candidates from the two major parties – the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party. Both the Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae-myung and the People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol claim to be the only choice for a better future, and have made numerous pledges they claim are aimed at improving citizens’ lives. Many of their pledges on social issues outside of the field of politics are almost indistingui

PoliticsFeb. 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] Ruling party's attempt to link Yoon with shamanism backfires

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's attempt to again embroil People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol with shamanism allegations backfired, after photos hinted key figures within their own faction could be involved as well. Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom of the Democratic Party raised an allegation in a press conference Tuesday that Yoon and his wife were found linked to a dubious religious ritual in 2018 run by a shaman accused of being unofficially involved with Yoon’s cam

PoliticsFeb. 16, 2022

S. Korea, Iran hold working group talks on frozen funds

South Korea and Iran have held working-level consultations to discuss ways to resolve yearslong disputes over Tehran's assets frozen here under US sanctions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. Iranian bankers and officials from the state-run oil company and the petroleum ministry are in the nation to meet with South Korean government and company officials to talk about pending economic issues as multilateral talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal enter the final stretch. Bilateral rela

Foreign AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

Yoon, Lee neck and neck at 42.4% vs. 41.9%: poll

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung are running neck and neck with 42.4 percent and 41.9 percent support, respectively, a poll showed Wednesday. The survey by Hangil Research was conducted on 1,009 adults from Saturday to Monday, just before the start of the official campaign period on Tuesday. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party gained 3.9 percentage points from the pollster's previous survey conducted Feb. 2, while Lee of the li

PoliticsFeb. 16, 2022

Ahn pays condolences to dead campaign workers; police probing cause of deaths

CHEONAN -- Ahn Cheol-soo, presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party (PP), has paid his respects to two campaign workers who were found dead in a bus apparently from gas poisoning, according to party officials Wednesday. The deceased workers, a local campaign chief and a bus driver, were found unconscious inside a campaign bus in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul, Tuesday evening. They were later pronounced dead at hospitals. Party officials said they are believed to

PoliticsFeb. 16, 2022

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit grim milestone of 90,000 amid omicron woes

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases spiked to an all-time high Wednesday amid worries that the number could further increase as the government might ease current tough social distancing curbs later this week. The country reported 90,443 new COVID-19 infections, including 90,281 local cases, raising the total caseload to 1,552,851, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest figure is sharply up from the previous day when new daily cases hit a record high of

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

[Graphic News] School-age population estimated to dip below 5 million in 2026

　The number of elementary and secondary school students in South Korea is expected to drop below 5 million for the first time in 2026, the government said, citing an ongoing decline of the school-age population. 　According to the Ministry of Education, the number of elementary, middle and high school students is expected to decrease each year, falling from 5.28 million this year to 5.21 million in 2023, 5.14 million in 2024 and 5.04 million in 2025. 　In 2026, when students born in 2007 - whic

NationalFeb. 16, 2022

Daily COVID-19 cases top 90,000: PM

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surged to over 90,000, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday, as the country struggles to contain the spread of the omicron variant. Kim also said the government will decide whether to adjust current social distancing rules on Friday. "We have to decide after considering both the spread of the omicron variant ... and damage to people's livelihood coming from tightened antivirus curbs that have been around more than two months," Kim said during

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

N. Korean leader attends national meeting to celebrate late father's 80th birthday

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a national meeting to celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of his late father Kim Jong-il, according to Pyongyang's state media Wednesday. Kim was present at the event to pay tribute to the former leader, which was held in the northwestern city of Samjiyon the previous day, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "A floral basket in the name of Kim Jong-un was laid in front of the statue of the Chairman (Kim Jong-il),"

North KoreaFeb. 16, 2022

US, S. Korea mulling ways to engage with N. Korea: Amb. Lee

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States are reviewing steps to induce North Korea back to dialogue, South Korean Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck said Tuesday. Lee, however, noted the North continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures. "We are deeply concerned about North Korea firing a series of missiles at the start of the year, and are urging North Korea to refrain from taking additional actions that escalate tension and return to dialogue and diplomacy," th

Foreign AffairsFeb. 16, 2022

2 die in apparent accident in Ahn Cheol-soo’s campaign bus

Two people were found dead and one unconscious on a bus belonging to the campaign of minor opposition People‘s Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo on Tuesday. The bodies of the head of the election committee for Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, and an election campaign vehicle driver were found in the vehicle parked on a road in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province at about 5:24 p.m. The two are suspected to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning while inside the stand-by vehi

PoliticsFeb. 15, 2022

S. Korea records more than 85,000 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday

South Korea has added 85,114 COVID-19 infections as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the government said Tuesday. It is the first time that the country’s daily COVID-19 case number has surpassed 80,000. The country’s daily case figure spiked on Tuesday as the omicron wave continued its nationwide rampage. On Monday, the country added 57,177 COVID-10 cases.

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] Korea’s plans for COVID-19-positive voters spark voting rights concerns

South Korea has changed the rules around voting to let people infected with COVID-19 cast their ballots in polling stations, as the omicron surge places record numbers of people under self-quarantine. On the second day of advance voting, March 5, and on the day of the presidential election, March 9, eligible voters with active cases will be able to vote in person past the regular hours, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The National Assembly passed the exceptional measure into a bill on Monday. As many as

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

N. Korea has lowest economic freedom among 177 countries: report

North Korea has the lowest economic freedom among 177 countries surveyed around the world, a Washington-based think tank said in an annual report on Monday. The Heritage Foundation released the “2022 Index of Economic Freedom,” which comprehensively estimates a country’s economic freedom by using 12 indicators across four broad pillars comprising rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and market openness. “North Korea’s economic freedom score is 3.0

North KoreaFeb. 15, 2022