Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, US to hold talks on N. Korea next week

The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States will hold talks next week to discuss efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, the foreign ministry said Friday. Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korea, will arrive in Seoul on Saturday for a four-day visit and will hold talks with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, on Monday, the ministry said in a release. It will mark his second trip to South Korea since taking office as the US nuclear envoy under the

DefenseAug. 20, 2021

Vaccine reservation rate for under-50s lower than expected

The reservation rate for COVID-19 vaccines among people between the ages of 18 and 49 has been lower than expected, creating an obstacle in the government’s plan to achieve herd immunity by November. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the vaccine reservation rate for the age group, about 15.37 million people, was 61.3 percent as of Thursday at midnight. Online reservations for the age group opened on August 9 with a 10-day rotational booking system, in which people

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

S. Korea to talk N. Korea with US, Russian envoys

South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, will meet separately with his US and Russian counterparts to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. The South and US are seeking diplomacy with the North to resume nuclear talks, amid Pyongyang’s strong protest against the Seoul-Washington military drills that are due to end next week. The North, which routinely describes the drills as a rehearsal for invasion, warned t

North KoreaAug. 20, 2021

Vice FM Choi discusses bilateral ties, maritime security with Nigerian FM

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun has met with Nigeria's top diplomat during a visit to the African nation and agreed to work together to move forward economic and other ties between the two countries forward, the foreign ministry said Friday. In Thursday's meeting with Foreign Minister Zubairu Dada, Choi said that the relations between the two countries have steadily developed based on decadeslong economic cooperation and offered to further strengthen the ties to that end, the ministry

Diplomatic CircuitAug. 20, 2021

Ex-Finance Minister Kim announces presidential bid as independent

Former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon announced Friday he will run in the presidential election slated for March as an independent. "I will run in next year's presidential election," Kim said during a press conference in his hometown of Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. He added he would win the race outside of the political establishment, explaining the ruling and main opposition parties are only interested in maintaining their vested rights rather than improving the livelihoods

PoliticsAug. 20, 2021

Biden reaffirms commitment to S. Korea’s defense amid Afghan withdrawal

US President Joe Biden said Thursday in the US that his country is committed to the mutual defense treaty with South Korea, noting the situation in South Korea is different from Afghanistan, where the Taliban swiftly took over the government after the withdrawal of US troops. The US, whose military still has wartime operational control of South Korea’s armed forces, has been pressed over its commitment to collective security as chaos grips Afghanistan. “We are in a situation where

Foreign AffairsAug. 20, 2021

Gov't to set up new entity to protect defense technologies, prevent hacking attacks

The arms procurement agency said Friday it will set up an anti-hacking agency next year to help protect defense firms in the wake of a recent series of hacking attempts targeting them. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the envisioned organization, tentatively named Defense Industry Technology Management Institute, will focus on how to better protect defense technologies and prevent cyber attacks. The government also plans to set up an interministerial task force involv

DefenseAug. 20, 2021

Korea positively reviewing extent of Afghans’ stay

The South Korean government is positively reviewing plans to allow Afghan nationals in Korea to stay beyond the expiration of their current visas until the country regains stability, according to government sources. “Although it has not been confirmed yet, we are positively reviewing extension of their stay like we did for the Burmese,” one source from the justice ministry said. In March, the government decided to implement a special stay for about 25,000 Myanmar people. The mo

Foreign AffairsAug. 20, 2021

[Newsmaker] PPP presidential contenders in slugfest

People aiming to be the main opposition party‘s candidate for president are busy attacking each other ahead of the primary. Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the People Power Party has been blasting Yoon Seok-youl for his lack of experience; former legislator Yoo Seung-min and ex-chief state auditor Choe Jae-hyeong have been arguing over adding a clause in the primary rules; and former Jeju governor Won Hee-ryong has been harassing PPP leader Lee Jun-seok. “Someone who has been doing only pros

PoliticsAug. 20, 2021

Singapore Embassy celebrates 56th National Day

The Singapore Embassy in Seoul celebrated the country‘s 56th National Day Wednesday. 　 As part of the online program, a Singapore Airlines cabin crew performed a National Day song titled ‘Where I Belong’. A cultural performance titled ‘Friendship Promenade’ was also performed in collaboration with Singapore’s Ding Yi Music Company and Korean traditional musician Gamin Kang. Singapore’s ambassador to Korea Eric Teo thanked the participants, and expre

Diplomatic CircuitAug. 20, 2021

Heavy rainfall expected next week: weather agency

Heavy rains that swept both Japan and China this week is expected to affect Korea as early as this weekend and throughout next week. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the rain is forecast to begin in the regions of Jeju Island and southern coastal areas from the early hours on Saturday and expand throughout the country. “The North Pacific high pressure that caused the heavy rain in Japan is moving northward, and the cold dry air in the north that affected China is q

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

7 additional video reunion centers for separated families to be completed this month

An additional seven video conference facilities for separated family reunions will be completed by the end of this month, the unification ministry said Friday. Earlier, a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges approved the decision to establish the additional video reunions centers outside Seoul, in addition to the existing 13. "We believe it is very important to build the conference centers in advance so the reunions can resume immediately when inter-Korean relations are

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

Military reports 5 COVID-19 cases

Five service members have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,580, the defense ministry said Friday. An Army officer in Incheon, west of Seoul, and two soldiers, respectively based in Seoul and Yangju, just north of the capital, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after a vacation, while another officer in the eastern county of Hongcheon was found to have been infected after developing symptoms, according to the

DefenseAug. 20, 2021

N.Korea flight of same jet type as leader's personal plane makes flight towards Wonsan: aviation tracker

An airplane of the same jet type as that of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was spotted flying to the eastern part of the country, an aviation tracker said. According to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, North Korean carrier Air Koryo's AN-148 jet departed from Pyongyang at 9:08 a.m. Thursday and flew towards the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. The Antonov AN-148 jet is the type of aircraft used as Kim's personal jet but the latest jet appears to hold a different registration number fr

North KoreaAug. 20, 2021

Private spending recovery still uncertain amid virus resurgence: ministry

The South Korean economy is facing continued uncertainty about domestic demand as the latest flare-up in COVID-19 cases is hurting face-to-face service sectors, the finance ministry said Friday. In its monthly economic assessment report, the ministry said the country's exports remain robust and the job market has extended improvements amid an economic recovery. "But uncertainty over domestic demand has continued, centering on in-person service segments, due to the flare-up in COVID-19 cas

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

USFK reports 12 COVID-19 cases

Twelve people affiliated with US Forces Korea (USFK), including seven service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus this week, the US military said Friday. A service member and a family member at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, while five troops and two family members at the base were found to have been infected after coming into contact with people who tested positive earlier, accor

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

Biden administration values alliances as 'profound source of strength': State Department

The Joe Biden administration prioritizes alliances with NATO, South Korea and others as a "profound source of strength" for the United States, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday. The remarks came as Washington is trying to quell doubts about the US,' security commitments to its allies after the pullout of its troops from Afghanistan has led critics and even some allies, like Britain, to question the credibility of the US-led alliances. "It is safe to say that

Diplomatic CircuitAug. 20, 2021

New cases over 2,000 for 2nd day; virus curbs extended for 2 weeks

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 2,000s for the second straight day Friday amid little signs of letup, triggering the extension of the toughest level of virus restrictions for two more weeks. The country added 2,052 more COVID-19 cases, including 2,001 local infections, raising the total caseload to 232,859, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload reached 2,152 the previous day, the second-largest number recorded since th

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

[Graphic News] 8 in 10 S. Koreans want college tuition to be halved: poll

　More than 8 out of 10 South Koreans think colleges are too expensive and that tuition should be halved from the current level, a poll showed. 　In the online poll of 1,000 people nationwide released by Young Men’s Christian Association Korea, 83.9 percent of the respondents said college tuition was overpriced. 　Only 14 percent said it was reasonable and 2.1 percent said it was low-priced. 　The poll also showed that 83 percent supported the idea of cutting college tuition in half, whil

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021

Gov't to extend restrictions on restaurant, cafe hours in areas under toughest distancing

South Korea decided to extend restrictions on the business hours restaurants and cafes under the toughest social distancing restrictions by one hour, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced Friday, as the country struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants and cafes in regions under Level 4 social distancing rules, the highest in the country's four-tier system, will be required to close at 9 p.m., an hour earlier than the current 10 p.m., starting Monday. The government, however, de

Social AffairsAug. 20, 2021