2,844 people caught drunk driving in 1st week of 'living with COVID-19': police

A total of 2,844 people were caught drunk driving in the first full week last week since the country eased virus curbs to gradually return to normalcy under its "living with COVID-19" scheme, police said Monday. Of them, 514 were caught Saturday, 427 on Friday and 417 on Sunday, and total of 2,091 people had blood alcohol content levels high enough to have their license revoked while the remaining 753 with levels warranting license suspension, according to the National Police Agency.

Social AffairsNov. 8, 2021

[Graphic News] Online drug transactions on rise amid spread of COVID-19, internet

　Online drug trafficking spiked last year, data showed, likely due to the continued spread of the internet and COVID-19. 　The data from the National Police Agency said 2,608 people were detained last year for trading drugs online. The corresponding figures stood at 1,120 in 2016, 1,100 in 2017, 1,516 in 2018 and 2,109 in 2019. In all, the number of drug offenders detained by police soared 133 percent in the four years between 2016 and 2019. 　The total number of drug offenders also increased b

NationalNov. 8, 2021

New infections fall below 2,000 in six days, potential uptick worrisome amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 2,000 for the first time in six days Monday as fewer people took virus tests over the weekend, but health authorities remain on alert as new infections could rise under eased social distancing rules. Last week, the government began its "living with COVID-19" scheme as part of a broader plan to gradually lift the virus restrictions by the end of February. The country reported 1,760 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 381,694

Social AffairsNov. 8, 2021

Moon's approval rating near record low; main opposition party's support hits new high

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating fell to a near record low, while that of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rose to a new high after the PPP nominated a former top prosecutor as its presidential candidate, a poll showed Monday. Moon's rating dropped to 34.2 percent, down 4.5 percentage points from a week ago, according to the survey conducted by Realmeter on 2,525 people over the age of 18 from Nov. 1-5. In the Realmeter surveys, Moon's lowest rating of 33 percentage points w

PoliticsNov. 8, 2021

S. Korea to expand high-level communication with U.S. on chip supply chain cooperation: gov‘t

South Korea will expand high-level communication with the United States to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in ensuring stable semiconductor supply chains, the Seoul government said Sunday. 　 　Deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs Hong Nam-ki led a meeting on economic security, a day before the deadline by which the U.S. government asked global semiconductor manufacturers to submit information to help address global chip shortages. 　 　“After the deadline for the submission of

PoliticsNov. 7, 2021

[News Focus] Korea ranks 8th of 10 nations in Q3 employment

SEJONG -- South Korea placed eighth among 10 major economies in employment rate in the third quarter of 2021, which suggests that the country would still lag behind most members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the hiring sector. The OECD has compared the figures for nine members -- which have publicized the third-quarter employment rates among the total 38 members -- and one nonmember, Russia. Korea posted a 66.8 percent employment rate for the working-age popu

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Lee proposes special envoy to China over urea water solution shortages

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, said Sunday South Korea should consider sending a special delegation to China to tackle the supply shortage of urea water solution (UWS), a key material used in diesel vehicles to reduce emissions. Calling the current crisis a "China risk," Lee also urged party officials to review other materials that similarly have limited import channels and look into imposing price control, when necessary, to prevent acts cor

PoliticsNov. 7, 2021

Living with COVID-19: What to expect

Nov. 1 marked the launch of the South Korean government’s three-phase plan, announced last week, to gradually lift the restrictions previously imposed because of COVID-19. While many people have welcomed the road map for a return to normal -- particularly local business owners hurt by the prolonged restrictions -- there are still concerns about what is to come in this new era of “living with COVID-19.” Experts across the country have expressed concern that the new policy

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Lee insists again on universal COVID-19 relief grants

The ruling Democratic Party's presidential nominee, Lee Jae-myung, on Sunday insisted again on giving additional universal COVID-19 relief grants, saying excess tax revenue is expected to amount to 40 trillion won ($34 billion). "Is it right for the people of a well-off nation to be poor?" Lee said in a Facebook posting, after his opposition rival, Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party, voiced opposition to offering universal relief grants. "The real gross domestic product (G

PoliticsNov. 7, 2021

Number of critically ill COVID patients rises after rules relaxed

The number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients has risen steadily since Nov. 1, when rules were eased for public gatherings and working hours at public facilities such as restaurants and cafes. The change came into effect as part of a step-by-step transition by health authorities to remove all restrictions by February. This weekend some 3,000 South Koreans attended rallies in downtown Seoul, while many others took advantage of the increased freedom in public places. But Korea is seeing an incr

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Presidential race begins in earnest

The four-month presidential campaign has fully begun in earnest, but both the ruling and main opposition candidates face a series of hurdles ranging from a lack of appeal outside party supporters to allegations that could potentially bring them under the scrutiny of law enforcement. For both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae-myung and main opposition People Power Party’s Yoon Seok-youl, winning over younger generations and female voters are critical tasks, amid unprece

PoliticsNov. 7, 2021

First trial in land development scandal to kick off Wednesday

The trial of Yoo Dong-gyu in the Daejang-dong land development scandal will begin Wednesday, raising questions about whether the prosecution will widen the probe and look into senior officials close to presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung. The Seoul Central District Court is to hold its first hearing for Yoo, who served as former acting president of Seongnam Development Corp., which was in charge of the urban development project in Daejang-dong, a district within Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Y

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Crowds pack religious facilities on 1st weekend under 'living with COVID-19'

People flocked to churches and temples in South Korea on Sunday to attend worship services on the first weekend since the country began easing virus restrictions as part of steps to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. South Korea on Monday kicked off the first of the three-stage "living with COVID-19" scheme to gradually phase out coronavirus restrictions as more than 70 percent of the population have been fully vaccinated. Under the eased rules, in-person worship services are now allo

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Turkey offers protection of investors and equal treatment to cross border business: Turkish deputy chief of mission

Turkey’s investment climate has been significantly improved through reforms offering protection for investors and equal treatment for cross-border business, Turkish deputy chief of mission Omer Celikkol said at the Eurasian Economic and Cultural Forum on Wednesday. Delivering the opening remarks at the forum’s fourth weekly gathering, Celikkol highlighted advantages Turkey has to offer, including the country’s diversified economy, a youthful population with about 50 percent un

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 7, 2021

Pirate attacks on S. Korean ships down amid anti-piracy efforts off western Africa

Pirate attacks on South Korean ships dropped nearly 30 percent this year mostly due to a decline in cases in waters off the piracy-prone western Africa, the maritime ministry said Sunday. The number of pirate attacks targeting South Korean ships came to 97 during the January-September period, down 27 percent from the previous year's 132 cases, according to the ministry. The decline stemmed mostly from a fall in attacks in waters off western Africa, apparently thanks to recently beefed-up anti-

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Moon calls for expanding exchanges with Visegrad Group countries

President Moon Jae-in instructed aides to make greater efforts to strengthen exchanges with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, known collectively as the Visegrad Group, noting their economies are growing dynamically compared with Western European nations, a senior presidential official said Sunday. Moon issued the instruction after returning from a three-nation European trip that included a summit in Hungary with the four Visegrad Group countries, senior presidential secretary fo

PoliticsNov. 7, 2021

N. Korea's ambassador to China holds talks with Chinese assistant FM

North Korea's top envoy to Beijing met with China's assistant foreign minister last week to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties and issues of mutual concern, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said Sunday. During the talks on Friday, Ambassador Ri Ryong-nam and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao "exchanged in-depth opinions about issues of mutual interest, and agreed to continue enhancing strategic and tactical cooperation down the road," the ministry said. The meeting wa

North KoreaNov. 7, 2021

93.7 percent of S. Koreans consider climate crisis 'serious': survey

Nearly 94 percent of South Koreans consider the climate crisis "serious," but only half believe the issue is connected to human rights, a survey showed Sunday. According to the survey of 1,500 people commissioned by the National Human Rights Commission, 80.4 percent responded that they are interested in the climate crisis issue. Asked how serious the crisis is, 93.7 percent said "serious," while 79.8 percent said climate change seriously affects people's lives, according to

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021

Official phone of prosecution spokespersons seized as part of probe into Yoon

The inspection department of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office (SPPO) has seized a mobile phone that former and incumbent SPPO spokespersons had used, as part of an investigation into cases allegedly involving opposition presidential nominee Yoon Seok-youl. The official phone, which had been used by current SPPO spokesperson Suh In-sun and her two predecessors, was seized on Oct. 29, as the inspection office pressured Suh to turn the device in voluntarily or face an inspection for noncooper

PoliticsNov. 7, 2021

New COVID-19 cases stay over 2,000 for 5th straight day amid relaxed virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 2,000 for the fifth consecutive day Sunday amid worries over a resurgence of infections after the country relaxed virus curbs to gradually return to normalcy under its "living with COVID-19" scheme. The country reported 2,224 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,204 local infections, raising the total caseload to 379,935, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The figure is slightly down from 2,248 cases but m

Social AffairsNov. 7, 2021