New COVID-19 cases below 5,000, distancing curbs extended for 2 weeks

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 5,000 for the first time in three days Friday, but the government decided to extend toughened social distancing rules for two more weeks through mid-January to try to reduce critical cases and contain the omicron variant. The country added 4,875 new COVID-19 infections, including 4,758 local infections, raising the total caseload to 630,838, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily tally represented a sharp de

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2021

N. Korea has final review on draft resolution for year-end party plenary

North Korea has discussed a draft resolution expected to be adopted at the close of an ongoing key party meeting, its state media reported Friday, amid expectations the document could include its foreign policy line for the new year. The North convened a fourth day of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's 8th Central Committee on Thursday, during which participants "concluded sectional workshops and consultative sessions," according to the official Korean Central News

North KoreaDec. 31, 2021

South Korea to extend social restrictions for another two weeks

South Korea will extend the current social distancing measures for another two weeks, and the youth vaccine pass will be applied from March 1, a top official said Friday. “It is too early to be sure that we have overcome the crisis,” said Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum at the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, explaining the plan to strengthen quarantine measures. “In particular, it takes time to preemptively prepare before the highly tr

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2021

Korea wants to coexist with COVID-19 in 2022

With vaccines aplenty and new therapies on the way, South Korea envisions to have less social distancing and more freedom in 2022. In a news briefing Thursday, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Yoo Geun-heag said with the rise of the omicron variant, “when the pandemic will come to an end has become more unpredictable than ever.” Still, Korea will “strive to make headway toward normalcy carefully,” he said. 　 The government laid out how the country will navigate thro

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

S. Korea’s decision to extend entry ban over omicron leaves Africans frustrated

South Korea extended the ban on short-term travelers from 11 African countries for another four weeks on Wednesday in an effort to “prevent the omicron variant from entering the country.” But as cases rise elsewhere, the decision to single out Africa has left many Africans living in Korea angry. The measure to restrict entry from select African countries was first enacted in late November, soon after the omicron variant was first detected in South Africa. The Korea Disease Control a

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

USFK sees surge in COVID-19 cases

  A total of 467 people affiliated with the US Forces Korea tested positive for the new coronavirus in the week ending Dec. 27, according to data from the US Forces Korea released Thursday.  The US military counted 457 cases among service members at its Osan base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and 10 from overseas arrivals.  The weekly figure marks a steep rise from 75 cases reported in the previous week of Dec. 14-20. It was also the highest since Nov. 9.&

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

The only way is up from a year of disappointments

The year is at its end, but the problems that many had hoped to see the ends of still aren’t. At its start, the year was “supposed” to bring hope. Hope in the form of vaccines to end the pandemic. Hope in the form of the UN Climate Change Conference. Hope in the form of a new US administration and the changes its rise would set in motion. The reality, however, has fallen far short of the hopes. The new administration taking control in the US has led to little change in the

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

Yoon accuses CIO of being 'out of mind' over alleged surveillance

Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, on Thursday denounced the anti-corruption agency for checking phone logs of his family and dozens of lawmakers from his party. The day before, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials came under fire over revelations that it had checked phone logs of hundreds of people, including the People Power Party’s presidential candidate and some 80 lawmakers from the conservative opposition party. &ldqu

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

A look back at 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to dominate news in 2021, impacting all areas of life from the economy to politics. Hopes of vaccines ending the pandemic were quashed, and daily caseloads around the world soared to new highs. The year also saw an unexpected wave of Korean popular culture, surges in stock markets, deaths of old dictators and rise of new, and intensifying rivalries on the global stage. Here are The Korea Herald’s top 10 international and domestic news stories of the year.

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

Taxi falls from 5th floor; 1 killed

A taxi driver died Thursday after he drove his car through a wall on the fifth story of a Homeplus supermarket in Busan and fell to the ground. Seven people were injured and 12 cars were damaged, police said.

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

One Army soldier wounded in mine accident

An Army service member suffered an injury in a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border Thursday, an official said. The detonator of the Claymore directional anti-personnel mine exploded at the front-line Army base in Yanggu, 175 kilometers northeast of Seoul, when the troops were inspecting their equipment. The soldier is currently receiving medical treatment, although the official said his injury does not appear to be life-threatening. The Army is currently investigating the exact c

DefenseDec. 30, 2021

Yoon says he wants to meet ex-President Park

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol said Thursday he wants to pay a visit to former President Park Geun-hye when she recovers her health, as Park was to be set free later in the day under a presidential pardon. Park's release puts Yoon in an awkward position as he headed the investigation of Park's corruption scandal in 2016 that eventually led to her impeachment, ouster from office and imprisonment. "I would like to visit and meet former President Park Geun-hye when she

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

PPP claims suspicious online opinion rigging against Yoon

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) claimed Thursday it has detected suspicious opinion rigging attempts against its presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol as it plans to lodge complaints with election and law enforcement authorities over the issue. The PPP said it found signs of illicit cyber operations targeting Yoon through its self-developed software Kraken. The software was designed to spot manipulative online comments in order to prevent incidents like the 2017 opinion rigging scan

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

Youth vaccine pass likely to be delayed to next March

The planned expansion of the government's COVID-19 vaccine pass system to include 12- to 18-year-olds will likely be delayed by one month to next March, government officials said Thursday. The possible delay may be formally announced by the government on Friday, together with its decision on whether to extend the current strict social distancing measures for two more weeks, the officials said. Starting on Dec. 6, South Korea expanded its vaccine pass program, requiring vaccine passes or a nega

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

Constitutional Court sees no problem with only allowing the blind to become massage therapists

The Constitutional Court has ruled again unanimously that there is no problem with the Medical Service Act that allows only blind people to be eligible for an official license as massage therapists, officials said Thursday. A group of sighted massage parlor owners filed the petition claiming the law infringes upon their right to choose jobs. The law stipulates up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($25,300) in fines for those practicing massage therapy for profit without a license. But

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

FKTU becomes S. Korea's biggest umbrella union in 2020: govt.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) reclaimed its status as South Korea's largest umbrella union in 2020, outpacing its rival organization in terms of membership size, a government report showed Thursday. According to the labor ministry's latest report on workplace unionization, the number of union members registered under FKTU was recorded at 1.15 million, or 41.1 percent of the total 2.8 million unionized workers in the country as of 2020. The more militant Korean Confederation of T

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

Lee Jae-myung against Beijing Olympics boycott, opposes THAAD missiles

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea voiced his opinion against joining the US-led diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Olympics, saying South Korea should prioritize its own interests in its unique diplomatic circumstances. In a press event Thursday hosted by the Korea News Editors’ Association, Lee said South Korea should consider itself as a country that "encompasses" the interests of the US and China, which provides itself the powe

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

Lee widens lead over Yoon to 11 percentage points: survey

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has widened his lead over his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol to 11 percentage points in a hypothetical four-way race, a survey showed Thursday. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party garnered 39 percent support against Yoon of the conservative People Power Party's 28 percent, according to the survey of 1,000 adults conducted Monday through Wednesday by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research. Lee gained 4 percentag

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

S. Korea poised to let teenagers run for office next year

South Korea’s legislators are on track to grant final approval on lowering the age limit for people to run for office, with both ruling and opposition parties backing the bill that aims for better representation and diversity in local politics. The proposed revision to the Public Official Election Act asks the age requirement for electoral eligibility to be lowered from the current 25 to 18 when running to be a lawmaker, local council member or head of local government. While the country

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

[Newsmaker] Ex-President Park to remain in hospital after midnight release

Former President Park Geun-hye was to be released at Thursday midnight, when the presidential pardon takes effect, after spending four years and nine months in prison for several corruption convictions. According to the Ministry of Justice, the amnesty of Park was to take effect at midnight. Park was to be released from her room at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, where she has been receiving treatment for several weeks. Park’s deteriorating health was an important consideration for the

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021