Kim’s ‘normal state’ vision still far off

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is continuing his quest to tighten his grip on his country, and to create an image of it as a “normal state.” His new title as of 2021, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reflects this. On June 29, 2016, Kim was named chairman of the newly established State Affairs Commission, the regime’s top branch of government and policymaking. The SAC replaced the National Defense Commission, the all-powerful

North KoreaJune 28, 2021

In Korea’s online vaccine hunts, the tech-savvy and time-rich are often at ‘unfair’ advantage

Fifty-six-year-old Yun Mi-sun has never really felt like she was out of touch with the digital world. She has always been quite handy with the technology in her life: She knows her way around her brand new Samsung smartphone, and when she drives, she routinely relies on the car’s built-in navigation system. That was until she tried to book a leftover vaccine for herself. Being in her mid-50s, she is not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine yet under Korea’s age-based vaccination scheme

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

[Best Brand] NLCS Jeju offers top-notch college preparatory education

North London Collegiate School Jeju, a boarding school for students aged 4 to 18, has been at the center of South Korea’s education scene, providing elite college preparatory education for those wanting to grow as global citizens. The international school on Jeju Island is one of the most successful and academically respected institutions across Korea and across Asia. The school has consistently ranked high on the list of global schools that offer International Baccalaureate programs an

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

SPEP nurtures global talent with customized training

As a global education firm, Speaking Proficiency Enhancement Program provides competency development programs and human resource consultations to both local and overseas companies and institutions. The firm focuses on helping customers improve English fluency, and offers comprehensively customized curriculums to suit each customer’s field and job standards. SPEP accurately diagnoses necessary capabilities, such as fluent foreign language skills, communication skills, business etiquette

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

[Best Brand] Seoul Cyber University becomes 1st online school with three grade As from Education Ministry

Seoul Cyber University received the highest grade -- class A -- from the Education Ministry’s 2020 certification and competency evaluation for online universities. With the latest recognition, the school became the only institution in the country to have scored class A for a third time, following previous evaluations in 2007 and 2013. Seoul Cyber University was previously recognized as the No. 1 brand among online universities selected by workers in 2018. The school won first place as th

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

S. Korea braces for rising variant cases, total nearing 2,500

South Korea has confirmed 267 more cases of four kinds of contagious variants of the new coronavirus, including 73 cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant, health authorities said Monday. The caseload of such infections reached 2,492, with the number of Delta cases tallied at 263, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Of the newly confirmed cases, there were 196 local infections and 71 imported cases. Of them, 189 cases were the Britain-originated varian

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

LH employees suspected of founding company to speculate in property: task force

A government task force said Monday it is looking into allegations employees of the state housing developer, Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), founded a company to handle speculative property transactions. Nam Gu-jun, the task force chief, told reporters that "several dozen" people, including LH employees, their relatives and acquaintances, are suspected of taking part in the scheme. "We've confirmed that a large amount of land was purchased using insider information, and we ar

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

Deputy FM Kim Gunn appointed as new ambassador to Britain

Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn was appointed as the new South Korean ambassador to Britain in a regular reshuffle on Monday, the foreign ministry said. Kim, a veteran diplomat, has served in posts handling North Korean nuclear issues, North America and China affairs, and his long experience is expected to help him play a role in promoting relations with London, the ministry said.  He was appointed as deputy minister in late 2019. Yeo Seung-bae, former ambassador to New Zealand who pr

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2021

Civic groups demand state antitrust regulator look into 'unfair' Coupang Eats contract terms

Civic groups filed a complaint with the state antitrust regulator Monday to review "unfair" contract terms of Coupang Eats, a major food delivery platform, following the death of a restaurateur, who had been under stress over a bad reviewer. Several civic groups, including the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, took the case to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC), slamming the delivery giant for lack of protective measures for businesses from malicious reviews and outr

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

Sex crime victim’s family calls for fresh inquiry

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province – On Monday, the family of the Air Force master sergeant who took her life after claiming she had been sexually assaulted by a colleague called on the National Assembly to take over the sex crime investigation from the Ministry of National Defense. The family, who believes the Air Force neglected to carry out an exhaustive investigation when she filed a complaint on March 2, the day of the incident, said they were still skeptical of a thorough probe by the Defe

DefenseJune 28, 2021

6 in 10 Koreans against Moon’s attendance at Tokyo Olympics

A poll showed Monday that almost 6 in 10 Koreans were against the idea of President Moon Jae-in visiting Japan for the Tokyo Olympics next month. Of the 500 people surveyed by Realmeter over the past week, 60.2 percent responded in opposition to the president’s visit to Japan, while 33.2 percent said they were in favor of the visit. Among age groups, people in their 40s opposed the visit most strongly, with the rate reaching 71.5 percent. Unlike other polls, political inclination had a

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

BAI chief offers to resign; may join presidential race

The chief of the state-run audit agency offered to resign Monday, potentially as a precursor to a presidential bid, marking the start of another important chapter ahead of next year’s election. Choe Jae-hyeong, chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, told reporters Monday morning that he had conveyed his intent to resign earlier and now planned to “spend time contemplating what role I can play for the future of South Korea.” “I expressed my intent to resign to t

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

[Newsmaker] High school senior found dead after 6-day search

A high school student was found dead on a hill in Bundang in Gyeonggi Province, Monday morning, six days after he went missing on June 22. Police suspect that Kim Hwi-seong, 18, took his own life. He was found lying down with a plastic bag over his head, and there were no signs of external injuries. Police suspect that he suffocated to death, but said they will determine the exact cause of death after an autopsy by the National Forensic Service, upon the agreement of his family. Kim, a senior

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

Gangwon Province marks 71st anniversary of Korean War

The regional government of Gangwon Province in the northeastern part of South Korea hosted a ceremony on Friday to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. The ceremony took place near the Peace Dam in Hwacheon County, and its theme was “Precious sacrifice, engraved deeply in the heart.” Some 220 local and foreign guests attended, including veterans, Gangwon Province Gov. Choi Moon-soon and former members of the US House of Representatives. “To

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

Unification ministry keeping eye on whether NK sends congratulatory delegation to China

South Korea is keeping a close eye on whether North Korea dispatches a delegation to Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese ruling party, the unification ministry said Monday. Thursday will mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party, while Pyongyang and Beijing are set to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their friendship treaty next month. "The government is keeping a close watch on the situation as several commemorative events are being

North KoreaJune 28, 2021

Incheon to host 2nd international ocean forum this week

INCHEON -- Maritime industry experts and businessmen from home and abroad will gather in the western port of Incheon this week to attend a forum on the industry's future, organizers said Monday. The two-day Incheon International Ocean Forum (IIOF) 2021 is to kick off at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, just 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on Wednesday under the theme of "The World Calls, The Ocean Waves." It will be hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Incheon metropolitan

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

Police arrest 17 operators of illegal sports gambling sites

BUSAN-- Two illegal sports gambling rings, together worth 900 billion won ($797 million), have been busted, leading to the arrests of 17 suspects, the Busan police agency said Monday. The agency said its cybercrime investigation team has apprehended 38 people and put 17 of them under arrest for having illegally operated sports gambling sites. Seventeen users of the gambling sites were also booked on charges of violating the National Sports Promotion Act, it said. Police are still tracking down

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

Military begins providing 2nd COVID-19 vaccine shots to troops under 30

The military on Monday began administering the second doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to troops aged under 30, the defense ministry said. A total of 395,677 troops, or 95.4 percent of the age group who have received their first shots, are subject to the inoculation, according to the ministry. Soldiers aged 30 and older were given AstraZeneca's vaccine, with 88 percent, or 116,900 members, agreeing to take their first shots. The second jabs for the age group are expected to begin next mon

DefenseJune 28, 2021

[Newsmaker] 2 DP presidential candidates to merge campaigns by next week

Two presidential candidates of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Monday they will merge their campaigns by next week in a bid to boost their party's chances of winning the 2022 presidential election. Chung Sye-kyun, former prime minister under the Moon Jae-in administration, and three-term lawmaker Lee Kwang-jae announced the decision to unify their presidential candidacies by next Monday, during their visits to the headquarters of the bourse operator in western Seoul. "With a visio

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

S. Korea to take part in major US-Australia combined exercise next month

South Korea plans to take part in a large-scale naval exercise that the United States and Australia plan to hold next month, the defense ministry said Monday. The Navy will send a 4,400 ton-class destroyer to the Talisman Sabre exercise set to take place in mid-July in Australian waters. The biennial exercise is the largest bilateral training activity between the U.S. and Australia. "We've decided to join the exercise for the first time this year with a goal to improve our capabilities of

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2021