Top diplomats of S. Korea, Britain agree on cooperation on vaccine access, climate change

The top diplomats of South Korea and Britain have agreed to reinforce cooperation on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and the expansion of bilateral exchanges during their talks near London, the foreign ministry said Friday. The agreement came during a strategic dialogue between Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his British counterpart, Dominic Raab, in the London suburb of Kent on Thursday, the day after a Group of Seven ministerial session ended. "The two minister

Foreign AffairsMay 7, 2021

Korean culture center to offer free online screening of 'Minari'

WASHINGTON -- The award winning immigrant film "Minari" will be screened online for some moviegoers in the United States next week, the Korean Cultural Center in Washington said Thursday. The film will be made available online free of charge to 600 viewers on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the culture center. "The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. is pleased to present a special screening of Minari in celebration of the broad critical acclaim for this Ameri

Foreign AffairsMay 7, 2021

S. Korea, US discuss joint responses to falling Chinese rocket debris

South Korea and the United States on Friday discussed ways to jointly respond to remnants of a Chinese rocket expected to crash into Earth this weekend, the Air Force said. The Long March 5B rocket was launched last week carrying a module of China's first permanent space station into orbit. But a large piece of debris is expected to plunge back in an uncontrolled reentry on around Saturday (US time), according to the US Space Command. To explore ways to jointly deal with the case, South Korea'

DefenseMay 7, 2021

New cases stay in 500s for 2nd day amid woes over variants

South Korea's daily new virus cases fell back to the 500s again Thursday as fewer people took virus tests on the Children's Day holiday, but the country's health authorities remained vigilant over cluster infections and spreading variant cases. The country reported 574 more COVID-19 cases, including 562 local infections, raising the total caseload to 125,519, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload reached 488 on Monday and 541 on Tuesday but jumped to t

Social AffairsMay 7, 2021

[Graphic News] Number of N. Korean defectors plunges in Q1

　The number of North Korean defectors coming into South Korea dropped 77 percent to 31 in the first quarter this year as the North’s anti-coronavirus border closures remained in place, a Unification Ministry official said. 　During the same period last year, 135 North Korean defectors entered the South. 　The ministry official cited the North’s border closure as one of the reasons for the sharp decline. (Yonhap)

North KoreaMay 7, 2021

Belgian ambassador's wife undergoes police probe over assault allegations

The wife of Belgian Ambassador to South Korea Peter Lescouhier was questioned by police on Thursday over assault allegations, officials said, amid public criticism over "insincerity" in the embassy's handling of the matter.    The wife appeared at the Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul in the afternoon to undergo questioning and she has returned, an official at the precinct said, without providing more details.    Police have been looking into allegations t

Social AffairsMay 6, 2021

S. Korea 'positively' views outcome of US policy review on N. Korea: NSC

South Korea's top security officials "positively" evaluated the outcome of the United States' monthslong policy review on North Korea recently completed by the Joe Biden administration, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.    The assessment came during a regular standing committee session of the National Security Council (NSC) after the White House said last week that it has completed its policy review on the communist state according to the presidential office.    The U

Foreign AffairsMay 6, 2021

Gavi expects delay in vaccine shipments to North Korea

North Korea will receive COVID-19 vaccines as early as July with a shipment delay over global supply shortages, the Gavi alliance, which co-leads the COVAX vaccine sharing program with the World Health Organization, said Wednesday. “Depending on the supply situation, a COVID-19 vaccine introduction could be envisaged in the second half of 2021,” a Gavi spokesperson told Radio Free Asia, refraining from fixing concrete dates. The North was expected to receive nearly 2 million doses o

North KoreaMay 6, 2021

Foreign minister calls for greater vaccine cooperation at G-7 summit

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has called on the international community to work together for the fair distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines at the meeting of Group of Seven countries, amid Seoul’s rising concern over a looming vaccine shortage. 　 Chung joined the in-person gathering of G-7 foreign and development ministers meeting in London from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. South Korea was invited as a guest -- along with Australia, India, South Africa and

Foreign AffairsMay 6, 2021

[Feature] Gender-based conflicts escalate in Korea

  Gender-based conflicts are escalating in South Korea with men becoming more gender sensitive and beginning to make their voices heard about feminists. Last week, police investigated female comedian Park Na-rae over allegations of sexual harassment after receiving a complaint from the petition site e-People. During her YouTube entertainment show in March, she playfully pushed a male doll’s arm toward its groin while changing the doll’s clothes. Following the program, thousa

Social AffairsMay 6, 2021

[Newsmaker] African swine fever returns after 7 months of silence

African swine fever has returned to South Korean farms after seven months, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Wednesday, after it confirmed two cases at a farm of 401 pigs in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province. All domesticated pigs at the farm were culled immediately. A total of 11 African swine fever cases have been discovered from wild boars in Yeongwol-gun since the outbreak started in 2019. The pig farm is just 1.2 kilometers away from where the last case in the county wa

Social AffairsMay 6, 2021

Police conduct raid over anti-NK leafleting

Police on Thursday raided the office of a vocal North Korean defector who claimed to have sent anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the North in defiance of a ban.    Police launched an investigation after Park Sang-hak, head of Fighters for a Free North Korea, a North Korean defectors group, claimed Friday that his organization sent 10 balloons carrying around 500,000 leaflets between April 25-29.    The raid on his office took place until afternoon with investigators

North KoreaMay 6, 2021

[Newsmaker] Deadlock looms in Natl. Assembly over confirmation approvals of 3 minister nominees

A political standoff between the ruling and main opposition parties appeared imminent Thursday, as key National Assembly committees were scheduled to decide on the parliamentary approvals of scandal-ridden minister nominees recently picked by President Moon Jae-in. Earlier this week, parliamentary confirmation hearings on nominees for science, oceans, land, trade and labor ministers were carried out by the National Assembly. Of those, Lim Hye-sook, Park Jun-young and Noh Hyeong-ouk, nominees f

PoliticsMay 6, 2021

Korea International School hosts this year’s Human Rights Week

The Korea International School held this year’s Human Rights Week via Zoom on April 19 with middle and high school students and faculty members, featuring guest speakers whose own experiences illustrate the importance of knowing and responding to current social issues. HRW is organized by the KIS Human Rights Initiative, a group of 13 students. With the theme of “Removing the Mask on Social Pandemics,” HRW centered its daily sessions on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. T

Social AffairsMay 6, 2021

10 service members test positive for COVID-19

Six Army members and four Air Force officers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday, the latest in a series of infections across the nation. Three of the four airmen were confirmed to have been infected after coming into contact with their colleagues who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. The remaining Air Force officer, an Army officer, and four soldiers contracted the virus following their recent vacation, the ministry said, adding that

DefenseMay 6, 2021

NK paper warns of virus infections via 'strange objects' in air

North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday urged people to stay alert against coronavirus infections through "strange objects" floating in the air, days after the regime issued a harshly worded statement against propaganda leaflets sent from South Korea. Last week, an activist group consisting of North Korean defectors in South Korea said that it released around 500,000 leaflets into the North via large balloons despite a recently enacted ban on such cross-border leafleting. The s

North KoreaMay 6, 2021

Moon sends condolence letter to Mexican leader over metro line disaster

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed his condolences to Mexican people over a deadly metro line disaster in their country, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. In a letter delivered to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador the previous day, Moon noted that the accident was regrettable, having a lot of victims and causing damage, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon sent a message of condolence to the victims and their families and hoped for the speedy recovery o

PoliticsMay 6, 2021

USFK eases quarantine rules for fully vaccinated new arrivals

US Forces Korea (USFK) has eased its quarantine rules for fully vaccinated, newly arrived members, allowing them access to duty location and other on-post activities during their 14-day mandatory quarantine period upon arrival, the US military said. All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving here are required to undergo a COVID-19 test and quarantine for 14 days. Medical personnel administer a second test prior to their release. Under the revised quarantine policy that took effect Wednesday, th

DefenseMay 6, 2021

New USFK chief expected to take office in around June: sources

Gen. Paul LaCamera is expected to take office as the new commander of the US Forces Korea (USFK) around next month if his confirmation process goes smoothly, sources said Thursday. LaCamera, who currently serves as Army Pacific Commander, was nominated to succeed Gen. Robert Abrams to lead the 28,500-strong USFK, and his nomination was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee late last month for a confirmation hearing, according to the sources. "The exact schedule for the hearing i

DefenseMay 6, 2021

USFK commander to receive Korean name at farewell event

Outgoing US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams will receive a Korean name as a gift from a South Korea-US friendship group during his farewell event next week, organizers said Thursday. The Republic of Korea-US Alliance Friendship Association will present the name, Woo Byung-soo, to the four-star general for "his contributions to the alliance and defense of South Korea" at the event scheduled for next Thursday, according to the group. The first name, Byung-soo, is made

DefenseMay 6, 2021