Military reports 4 more coronavirus cases

Two Air Force officers and two Army officers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday. The airmen stationed in Osan, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have been infected in a test required to exit quarantine. They had been in isolation following COVID-19 cases on their base earlier, according to the ministry. The two Army members tested positive following their recent vacation, it added. One of them also had received the first dose of a COVID-19

DefenseJune 4, 2021

Man injured in land mine explosion in wetland

GOYANG -- A man had his ankle severed when a device presumed to be a land mine exploded in a wetland area in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, on Friday, authorities said. The accident occurred at the entrance of Janghang Wetland at 9:50 a.m. during a cleanup operation by a social cooperative. The worker in his 50s was airlifted to a hospital. The authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. The 7.6-kilometer-long wetland of the Han River estuary was last month included in the Ramsar li

Social AffairsJune 4, 2021

[Newsmaker] Military investigators raid Air Force offices over sexual harassment case

Military prosecutors carried out a series of raids on the Air Force headquarters and other locations in connection with an investigation into the suicide death of a female noncommissioned officer following sexual harassment by a colleague. At around 10 a.m., investigators raided the police corps of the Air Force headquarters as well as the police squadron of the 15th Special Missions Wing that the victim was affiliated with, the defense ministry said in a release. Military prosecutors are loo

Social AffairsJune 4, 2021

[Graphic News] 6,705 native Koreans have become Catholic priests: report

　A total of 6,705 native Koreans have joined the Roman Catholic priesthood in the 237 years of Catholic history in the country, a report showed. 　According to the 2021 directory published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, the list of ordained priests includes Father Andrea Kim, who became the first-ever Korean Catholic priest in 1845, and Father Yoon Hong-min, who most recently received his priesthood in February. 　Among those, 5,515 were still active. A total of 645 have

NationalJune 4, 2021

NK leader sends congratulatory message to former Cuban party chief on 90th birthday

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a message to congratulate Raul Castro, former secretary of Cuba's communist party, on his 90th birthday, stressing his role in strengthening relations between the two countries, state media said Friday. "Our party and people always remember and appreciate the great contributions made by Raul Castro Ruz to strengthening the genuine comradely unity and the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two parties and the two countries," Kim said

North KoreaJune 4, 2021

New cases in 600s for 3rd day, inoculation rate likely to be higher than expected

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases reached nearly 700 Friday on cluster infections in various settings, while health authorities remain upbeat about reaching the nation's vaccination goal earlier than expected, with vaccine hesitancy waning and more supplies expected to be shipped in down the road. The country reported 695 more COVID-19 cases, including 674 local infections, raising the total caseload to 133,289, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily cas

Social AffairsJune 4, 2021

Biden says US will share vaccines with vulnerable countries, including to S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- The United States plans to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to countries in need, including South Korea, President Joe Biden said Thursday. The United States earlier pledged to provide up to 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 20 million doses that have already been approved for use in the United States. The other 60 million doses are from AstraZeneca, yet to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. "As the United States continues our efforts to get every el

Foreign AffairsJune 4, 2021

British PM expects S. Korea to play a role in G7 summit next week: Cheong Wa Dae

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday welcomed South Korea's commitment to playing a role in an upcoming summit of global leaders on COVID-19, climate change and other pending issues, Cheong Wa Dae said.    He delivered the message to President Moon Jae-in during their half-hour phone conversation, according to Moon's spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.    Johnson is scheduled to host the Group of Seven summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, on June 11-13. Taking part will be

Foreign AffairsJune 3, 2021

[#WeFACE] Carbon neutrality commission to lead S. Korea’s climate action

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” -- Ed. South Korea pledged to go carbon-free by 2050 in October last year -- an ambitious goal for the world’s seventh-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. But the question remains: How? To lay out a detailed road map and ensure p

PoliticsJune 3, 2021

Chungcheong cities team up in bid to host 2027 Summer World University Games

Local governments in the Chungcheong provinces are banding together in hopes of hosting an international sporting event and to promote Korea’s soft power, the North Chungcheong Province governor said Thursday. The local governments of Sejong, Daejeon, South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong Province have teamed up for a joint bid to host the 34th Summer World University Games in 2027. More than 15,000 university students from 174 countries participate in the event. Organized by the Int

Foreign AffairsJune 3, 2021

Govt. examining possibility of S. Korean firms' sanctions violations after oil tanker transfers to NK

The government is looking into the possibility of South Korean firms violating UN sanctions against North Korea amid a report that two oil tankers, previously owned by them, were added to Pyongyang's oil smuggling fleet in recent years, a Seoul official said Thursday. On Tuesday, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), a website on maritime security under the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reported on the transfers of the vessels -- the Sin Phyong 5 and the Kwang Cho

DefenseJune 3, 2021

Moon presses military over botched sex crime probe

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday ordered an exhaustive probe into allegations surrounding the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant. The order comes amid public outrage, which prompted the military to expand its waylaid investigation of sex crime allegations made by the deceased. “It truly hurts me to look at the victim, how devastated she must have felt. We need a thorough inquiry into every event leading to her death, and after that. We have to see to what should have been done in

PoliticsJune 3, 2021

Young people back in COVID-19 vaccine limbo as access to leftover shots denied

Young people in Korea are finding themselves in a “COVID-19 vaccine limbo” yet again, as new eligibility guidelines block them from receiving leftover shots ahead of time. The government said Thursday that from now on, people younger than 60 years of age, who lack priority access to a vaccine, can no longer receive extra doses that eligible people did not show up for or were not fit to receive. The surprise U-turn in policy comes just a week after the launch of an online progra

Social AffairsJune 3, 2021

S. Korea confirms 5 more 'breakthrough' infections, total now at 9

South Korea has confirmed five more cases of so-called breakthrough COVID-19 infections, bringing the total caseload here to nine, health authorities said Thursday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said all the breakthrough infections were in those who had two doses of the vaccine by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. A "breakthrough case" is when a person tests positive for COVID-19 between the first and second doses of a two-dose regimen or a person tests pos

Social AffairsJune 3, 2021

NK propaganda outlet slams S. Korea for decision to take part in upcoming air drills with US, Japan

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Thursday denounced South Korea's decision to participate in an upcoming annual US-led multinational air force drill with Japan. Earlier, the Air Force announced its plans to send F-15K fighter jets, cargo planes and dozens of troops to the Red Flag-Alaska 21-2 exercise set to take place in Alaska beginning next week. "The reality is that the South Korean military is going through fire and water for the US, obsessed with following its scheme to invade Ko

North KoreaJune 3, 2021

French technologies can solve nuclear waste problem, says French Ambassador

S. Korea and France have opportunities for cooperation on nuclear power, French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lefort said during an online press conference on Wednesday. 　 At the event, Lefort highlighted France’s strategies to address eco-friendly use of nuclear energy and said that it was a suitable time to discuss related issues in light of nuclear energy and climate change challenges the world faces. Referring to a recent report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Cent

Foreign AffairsJune 3, 2021

Sejong University records biggest jump in THE Asia rankings

Sejong University ranks as the 46th best in Asia, according to the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021. It marked the first time in school history to crack the top 50 in the region, the university said Thursday. While other universities in Korea struggled to improve their scores from the British institute for higher education, the school said that Sejong University’s latest reputational jump recorded the biggest climb in Asia, up 32 places from last year’s 78th.

Social AffairsJune 3, 2021

[News Focus] Korean population extends losses for 18 consecutive months

SEJONG -- South Korea’s population retreated to 2016 levels as of last month, with the demographic figure posting unprecedented negative growth over the past 1 1/2 years. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the nation’s population fell by 19,075 (8,685 for men and 10,390 for women) from 51.702 million in April to 51.683 million in May. It was at its lowest since October 2016 when the figure was 51.677 million. After peaking at 51.851 million in November 2019 -- which

Social AffairsJune 3, 2021

Seoul to fund W1.18b to build additional video centers for inter-Korean family reunions

The Unification Ministry on Thursday said it will spend 1.18 billion won ($1.06 million) to construct seven more video centers across the country where families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War may be able to reunite with relatives in the North virtually.  The decision to build additional video facilities was approved during a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges presided over by Unification Minister Lee In-young. 　 “I have never forgotten that solving the sep

North KoreaJune 3, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon orders strict probe into sexual assault victim's death in military

President Moon Jae-in strongly instructed military investigators Thursday to deal strictly with a recent sexual assault case that led to the death of the victim. Moon was referring to the Air Force noncommissioned female officer who was found dead in late May in an apparent suicide. In March, she allegedly suffered unwanted physical touching by a male colleague with the same rank of master sergeant in a vehicle. She reported the incident to her senior officers the following day, but they are ac

PoliticsJune 3, 2021