Experts downplay COVID-19 threat despite resurgence

COVID-19 cases have been trending upward since the summer wave arrived in South Korea, with more people admitted to hospitals for treatment compared to previous weeks and health authorities seeing an increase in COVID-19 levels in wastewater. Despite growing concerns about COVID-19's summer spread, health care experts and authorities said Monday that an increase in virus cases should not be a cause for fear. Instead, they noted that taking precautions could minimize the potential spread of

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Yoon urges readiness for NK's 'hybrid warfare'

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise of the military forces of South Korea and the United States jointly kicked off on Monday with South Korean civilians, with the primary focus on addressing North Korea's nonkinetic operations, such as public opinion warfare, cyberattacks and the spread of fake news. The annual summertime joint military exercise that runs through Aug. 29 is the third such exercise since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022, as Pyongyang increasingly blends unconven

PoliticsAug. 19, 2024

Typhoon Jongdari approaches S. Korea

Typhoon Jongdari is slowly approaching South Korea, and it is expected to bring heavy rains accompanied by strong winds to the southern parts of the country, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday. The KMA said Typhoon Jongdari, the ninth typhoon of this year and the first typhoon to hit Korea this year, formed on the southwestern coast of Okinawa at 3 a.m., Monday, moving at a slow speed of 10 kilometers per hour. Typhoon Jongdari is expected to approach Jeju Island on T

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Meal expense cap for public officials raised to 50,000 won

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission officially announced on Monday an increase in the meal expense limit for public officials from 30,000 won ($22) to 50,000 won, citing the need to account for inflation since the limit was set in 2016. The commission’s chairperson, Ryu Chul-whan, stated that the new cap is to take effect on Aug. 27 following the approval of a revised enforcement ordinance during a Cabinet meeting on Monday. This change comes eight years after the Improper Soli

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Govt. to crack down on illegal file-sharing websites

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday that a crackdown on online copyright infringements of content will run until the end of the year in collaboration with the National Police Agency and Interpol. In a joint probe that will continue throughout the remainder of this year, the officials will clamp down on the illegal sharing of webtoons, movies, dramas and other video content at websites. "Illegal site operators take away legitimate profits from creators and threaten the ec

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

379 taxed for sales made via secondhand goods trading

Nearly 400 users of second-hand trading platforms that logged "substantial" revenue were taxed by the government this year, tax agency data showed Monday. A total of 379 people that were taxed by the National Tax Service reported an accumulated 17.7 billion won ($13.2 million) in sales this year, equivalent to about 46.7 million won per person, according to the National Tax Service data revealed by Rep. Park Seong-hoon of the ruling People Power Party. The report showed that the 10 mos

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Shareholder rights, e-commerce safeguards

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Commercial Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Hyun-jung (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Although corporate directors have a duty of loyalty towards their company, they have no obligations toward their shareholders. Therefore, to protect shareholders from the decisions of directors, this bill imposes a duty of fairness on directors. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce Proposed by Rep. Cheon Jun-ho (Democratic

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Bandit of brothers: Former war veteran swindles another veteran

A South Korea veteran of the Vietnam War in his 70s has been arrested on suspicion of defrauding money from another war veteran suffering from dementia, police said Monday. According to Suwon Jungbu Police Station, the suspect is being investigated on the charge of quasi-fraud, stipulated by Article 348 of the Criminal Act as taking advantage of a minor or one suffering from a mental disorder by taking one's property or obtaining financial advantages. He is believed to have taken some 86 mi

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Japanese claims to Dokdo being spread through fake Instagram accounts of Korean professor

A local professor known for his years-long promotion of Dokdo said Monday that social media accounts attempting to impersonate him have been spreading false claims related to the South Korean islets. Seo Kyung-duk, a professor of liberal arts at Sungshin Women's University, shared a screenshot of a fake Instagram account that says, "I love Japan (heart). Takeshima is Japanese territory and rising-sun flag is beautiful flag." Takeshima is what Japan calls Dokdo. "Some users on

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Yoon calls for bolstering readiness against N. Korea's 'gray zone' provocations

President Yoon Suk Yeol called for bolstering readiness against North Korea's "gray zone" provocations and hybrid warfare as South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint exercise on Monday. Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting that this year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise will focus on integrating the allies' capabilities under various crisis scenarios to deter North Korea's evolving military threats, psychological warfare and cyberattacks. "W

PoliticsAug. 19, 2024

PPP leader welcomes opposition leader's offer of talks

The leader of the ruling People Power Party said Monday he welcomes an offer of talks that opposition leader Lee Jae-myung extended upon his reelection as leader of the main opposition Democratic Party the previous day. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon made the remark at a party meeting while congratulating Lee on his reelection and voiced hope their envisioned meeting could lead to "substantial progress" on several stalled livelihood-related issues. "I hope we can set a time and place as

PoliticsAug. 19, 2024

[Graphic News] South Korea’s population inches up thanks to foreign residents

South Korea’s total population rebounded in 2023 thanks to the growing number of foreign residents after two years of on-year declines, though the country continued to experience falling birth rates and rapid aging, data showed. The country’s total population rose 0.2 percent, or 82,000, from a year earlier to 51.77 million as of Nov. 1, according to the 2023 census by Statistics Korea. It marked the first on-year increase in three years. The country logged its first on-year popula

Social AffairsAug. 19, 2024

Lee Jae-myung reelected as leader of main opposition party

Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Lee Jae-myung was reelected to lead the country's main opposition party on Sunday, cementing his power within the National Assembly. Lee, who had served his first term as Democratic Party chair from August 2022 to June this year, won 85.4 percent of the votes from registered party members, confirming his second term as party leader, in a convention at the KSPO Dome in southeastern Seoul in the afternoon. His second term is due to end August 2026. Lee was widely exp

PoliticsAug. 18, 2024

Woman found dead inside police car, footage suggests fatal mistake

A woman reported missing by her family was found dead in the back of a police vehicle in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. In an unexpected turn of events, local police revealed Sunday that she appeared to have entered the empty, parked car for unknown reasons and was unable to get out for 36 hours amid blistering heat, leading to her death. The backseat doors of police vehicles cannot be opened from the inside, a feature designed to prevent suspects from escaping. The front seats a

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024

Two-thirds of S. Korean-made tear gas exported to Iraq in H1

Iraq was the destination for nearly 70 percent of South Korea's tear gas exports in the first half of this year, making it the largest buyer by volume, police data showed Sunday. Data from the Korean National Police Agency, obtained and provided by the minor Basic Income Party's Rep. Yong Hye-in, shows that Iraq imported 478,000 of the 713,000 tear gas canisters exported by South Korea in the first half of this year, accounting for 67 percent of the total. The data, available from 2019

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024

Debate flares over strict drunk driving laws named after trot singer

Several proposed laws named after popular trot singer Kim Ho-joong to raise public awareness aim to prevent drunk drivers from evading punishment by obstructing accurate alcohol level readings, sparking intense debate in Korean society. Lawmakers who proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act, being dubbed the “Anti-Kim Ho-joong Law” following the singer’s hit-and-run accident in May, have faced intense criticism from his fans, who have demanded the bills be opposed or withdra

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024

Leaders of S. Korea, US, Japan vow unity on ‘greatest challenges’

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and underscored their readiness to confront the world’s "greatest challenges" through trilateral cooperation. Seoul, Washington and Tokyo released a joint leaders' statement to "commemorate the tremendous progress" made in their trilateral cooperation over the past year, following the unprecedented standalone summit at Camp David

Foreign AffairsAug. 18, 2024

Police launch investigation into Mercedes-Benz EV fire

Police have launched an investigation into a massive fire caused by a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle at an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon on Aug. 1, while reviewing criminal charges against the management staff at the complex, officials said Sunday. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, they recently interviewed the first witness and the owner of the vehicle involved in the incident. The Mercedes owner reported that the vehicle had undergone routine mai

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024

COVID-19 levels in wastewater surge amid summer wave: KDCA

South Korea is seeing a pronounced rise in the levels of COVID-19 in wastewater as the number of confirmed cases continues to swell throughout this month and is expected to peak in late August, health authorities said Sunday. The surge in wastewater virus concentrations -- one of the key gauges to track and estimate community spread -- has more than quadrupled from late April to early August. Amid the ongoing summer COVID-19 wave, the average concentration of the virus at local sewage plants s

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024

Weather agency to publish white paper on heat waves for 1st time

The state weather agency said Sunday it will publish its first-ever white paper on heat waves as South Korea experiences record-breaking temperatures this summer. The paper, set to be released by the end of this year, will cover the history and causes of heat waves, provide midterm and long-term forecasts, and examine the impact of heat waves on society, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Although the KMA has previously issued papers on monsoons and typhoons, this will be the

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2024