S. Korea's new amphibious assault ship to be put into operation in October

South Korea's new 14,500-ton amphibious assault ship will be deployed in October with improved combat capabilities developed with the country's own technologies, the military said Monday. Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Boo Suk-jong presided over a commissioning ceremony for the landing platform helicopter (LPH) ship Marado at the southern port of Jinhae ahead of the planned deployment, according to the military. Named after the country's southernmost island, the Marado is South Korea's second large

DefenseJune 28, 2021

New virus cases back under 500s ahead of implementation of eased distancing rules

South Korea's daily new virus cases fell back to the 500s on Monday for the first time in five days on fewer tests over the weekend. But health authorities have been keeping tabs on the trend of new virus infections amid concerns over a steady rise in cases of the highly contagious Delta variant and others ahead of the implementation of eased social distancing measures later this week, The country reported 501 more COVID-19 cases, including 472 local infections, raising the total caseload to

Social AffairsJune 28, 2021

N. Korean paper warns officials against corruption, bureaucracy

North Korea's official newspaper on Monday warned officials against corruption and urged them to focus on improving people's living standards. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, made the appeal in an editorial, calling on officials to wage a struggle to root out "dangerous poisons" in society, such as bureaucracy and corruption. "We must intensify our struggle against all anti-socialist and non-socialist phenomena that infringes upon the interests

North KoreaJune 28, 2021

Chief state auditor offers to resign amid speculation on his political ambition

Choe Jae-hyeong, head of South Korea's state audit agency, offered to step down Monday in what is viewed as a prelude to joining the presidential election race. If President Moon Jae-in accepts his resignation, the chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) would quit the job half a year before his four-year term finishes. Choe told reporters that he had tendered his resignation earlier in the day. He added he had thought that it is "inappropriate" to carry on his duty amid

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee to declare presidential bid this week: aide

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung is expected to announce his presidential bid this week, joining the race to pick the ruling Democratic Party's standard-bearer for next year's election, a close aide said Sunday. Lee is to declare his bid for presidency on Thursday after completing the registration as a preliminary candidate with the DP, according to Rep. Park Hong-geun, one of his close aides. Lee, who is currently leading polls among potential candidates in the ruling bloc, will be the l

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

Minister vows to act 'more quickly' for resumption of dialogue with NK

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Sunday vowed to act "more quickly" to resume dialogue with North Korea while calling on Pyongyang to flexibly respond to offers for talks. Lee made the remarks during an event to mark the end of the ministry-organized "Unification Walk" campaign where dozens of participants walked together for 13 days along the border in the hope of the reunification of the two Koreas. It was the first of 10 rounds of such walks planned this year, and Lee

North KoreaJune 27, 2021

Capital area to be under Level 2 with eased measures in new four-tier distancing scheme

Health authorities on Sunday announced that the greater Seoul area, home to half of the country's population, will be under Level 2 with eased virus curbs in the new four-tier social distancing system to be enforced next month. Seoul, Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital, and Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, will be placed under Level 2, the second-lowest in the four-tier system, from Thursday, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters. Virus cases f

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Korea too undervaccinated to withstand delta variant’

A major theme of Korea’s health policies for the second pandemic summer is “a return of normal life.” Political leaders and health officials promised this summer will be “closer to normal” -- business will reopen fully and people will be able to mingle more and wear masks less often. Korea may be treading a risky path with its rush to get back to normal as the delta variant -- called “the most able and fastest and fittest” of all COVID-19 variants

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

[Newsmaker] Presidential anti-corruption aide offers to resign over property speculation allegations

The presidential secretary for anti-corruption, Kim Gi-pyo, has offered to resign, the presidential office said Sunday, following allegations of real estate speculation involving multimillion dollar loans. President Moon Jae-in also immediately accepted his resignation, according to Park Soo-hyun, Cheong Wa Dae's senior secretary for public communication. "Presidential secretary Kim Gi-pyo has expressed his views that, although he did not acquire the real estate for purposes of speculatio

PoliticsJune 27, 2021

NK resident voice concerns over Kim's weight loss

North Korea's state-run television recently aired an interview of a resident expressing concerns over a slimmer looking Kim Jong-un amid speculation that he has significantly lost weight. "The people were most heartbroken to see the respected General Secretary looking thinner," a North Korean resident said during an interview with Korean Central Television on Friday. "Everyone is saying that they are moved to tears," the resident said. A news report earlier said that Kim a

North KoreaJune 27, 2021

Vaccination rate nears 30% amid delta variant concerns

Korea’s first dose vaccination rate reached 29.8 percent as of Saturday, health officials said Sunday. So far, nearly 15.3 million people across the country have received their first jabs since the vaccination drive kicked off on Feb. 26. Of them, 4.6 million, or 9 percent of the population, have been fully inoculated. Health authorities aim to administer the first rounds of COVID-19 vaccine shots for 70 percent of the population or 36 million people by September, aiming to have 70 perc

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

Domestic trips decline 35% in 2020 due to pandemic: data

The number of domestic trips taken by South Koreans dropped sharply last year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a research institute said Sunday. South Koreans are estimated to have taken 225.19 million domestic trips in 2020, down 34.7 percent from a year earlier, the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute said in a report based on a survey of more than 50,000 people last year. The report showed South Koreans on average took 4.95 domestic trips per person last year, down from 7.61 in 2019

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

Local authorities to take charge of police from July 1

South Korea is slated to officially put local governments in charge of regional police forces from next month, in the biggest reform of the police force since its launch in 1945. The National Police Agency said Sunday that the change would take effect on July 1, with many duties handed over from the national police. The plan, introduced by the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy Development in 2018, will put local governments in charge of their regional police agencies and directly run sa

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

2 die after inhaling toxic gas in bathroom

BUSAN -- Two workers have died after inhaling toxic gas in a bathroom at a shipyard in the southeastern city of Busan, police said Sunday. The two, one of them 48 years old and the other 28, were found unconscious in the restroom at 11:04 a.m. on Saturday before being taken to a hospital. The 48-year-old died less than an hour later and the other died Sunday. Police said the two were believed to have inhaled hydrogen sulfide and ammonia in the bathroom. Tests have shown that hydrogen sulfide

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

NK paper urges 'maximum vigilance' against COVID-19 amid global spread of Delta variant

North Korea's official newspaper on Sunday called for "maximum vigilance" against the coronavirus amid the global spread of the highly contagious Delta variant and pandemic fatigue. "All workers and party members must bear deep in mind that the prolonged emergency system against the virus means prolonged maximum vigilance and strong discipline, and must strictly abide by the emergency measures," the Rodong Simun said. The paper also urged officials to tighten control over a

North KoreaJune 27, 2021

Private think tank researcher indicted on espionage charges

A researcher from a Seoul-based private think tank has been indicted on espionage charges after allegedly contacting a North Korean agent and spying for the North, prosecutors said Sunday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said it has referred Lee Jeong-hun, a research fellow of the April 27 Era Research Institute, to court for trial on charges of meeting and communicating with a North Korean agent who infiltrated South Korea, in violation of the National Security Law. The 57-year-

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

New virus cases stay in 600s for 5th day as S. Korea readies for revamped distancing rules

South Korea's daily new virus cases stayed in the 600s for the fifth straight day Sunday as health authorities brace for revamped social distancing rules while pushing to accelerate vaccinations. The country reported 614 more COVID-19 cases, including 570 local infections, raising the total caseload to 155,071, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest figure was down 54 from the previous day but still worrisome as daily virus cases on Sundays had been below 600 i

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

King Sejong Institute to launch new Korean language test next year

A state-run Korean language education foundation said Sunday it plans to adopt a new Korean language proficiency test next year to help foreign learners assess their Korean skills. The Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA), developed by the King Sejong Institute Foundation, aims to evaluate overall language skills of test takers, including reading, listening, speaking and writing. Korean learners of different levels, ranging from beginner to intermediate, will be able to test their language

Social AffairsJune 27, 2021

13 USFK-affiliated individuals test positive for COVID-19

Eleven American soldiers and two dependents in South Korea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, US Forces Korea has said. Nine service members and a family member of a soldier stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have been infected earlier this week after coming into direct contact with people who tested positive recently, USFK said Friday. A dependent of another service member from Camp Humphreys and two service members at Camp C

Social AffairsJune 26, 2021

New cases surpass 600 for 4th day as S. Korea braces for eased distancing

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed over 600 for the fourth straight day Saturday due to outbreaks of cluster infections nationwide as the authorities prepare to announce a new set of eased social distancing rules. The country reported 668 new cases, including 611 local infections, raising the accumulated caseload to 154,457, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The country added three COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 2,012. The fatality rate came to 1.

Social AffairsJune 26, 2021