S. Korea voices 'grave concerns' over Japan's expected decision to release Fukushima water into sea

South Korea's foreign ministry voiced "grave concerns" Monday over Japan's decision, expected this week, to release contaminated water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.  Tokyo appears set to formally announce the final decision in a meeting of related ministers on Tuesday, according to media reports, despite strong opposition from the Japanese fishery industry and concerns from neighboring countries.  Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in

Foreign AffairsApril 12, 2021

S. Korea's FM says Ramadan holds greater significance at time of pandemic

  South Korea's foreign minister said Monday that the Islamic holy month of Ramadan holds a greater significance than ever at a time when the world is fighting against the coronavirus pandemic.  Chung Eui-yong made the comment on the ministry's Twitter page as he extended his best wishes to Muslim communities around the world that are set to begin the fasting month this week.  "More than ever, the worldwide pandemic has led us to appreciate the meaning of Ramadan, which is

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

[News Focus] Korea limits AstraZeneca shots to over-30s -- should it be higher?

South Korea restricted the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in people younger than 30 years old over the risk of unusual blood clots, but some experts say a higher age limit is advisable. Korea University’s infectious disease professor Dr. Kim Woo-joo said the move is “questionable” when the latest research found that blood-clotting conditions were reported in the vaccine’s recipients ranging in age from their early 20s to mid-50s. For people in their mid t

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

Mask mandate for all indoor spaces touches off controversy

A tougher mask mandate that went into effect for all indoor public places nationwide on Monday is triggering a spate of controversy, as some people complain of inconvenience in their daily lives. Beginning this week, mask wearing is mandatory in all public indoor spaces and on public transportation, including trains, taxis and ships, at all times, under authorities' bid to stem the spread of COVID-19. The mask mandate also applies to rallies, performances and outdoor settings where at least two

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

Govt. to launch task force to tackle population overcrowding in greater Seoul: interior minister

The interior minister said Monday the government will launch an interagency task force this month to discuss measures to relieve the overcrowding of the greater Seoul area. "(South Korea) needs measures to block any (further) inflows of the population into the capital area in order to tackle the current situation under which more than 50 percent of the total population is concentrated in the capital area," Jeon said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency last Friday. He said that t

NationalApril 12, 2021

Moon says S. Korea may face 'explosive' wave of coronavirus infections

President Moon Jae-in warned Monday that South Korea may be drawn into an "explosive" wave of COVID-19 infections if it fails to contain the current phase of the pandemic. "It's a perilous situation that could lead to an explosive pandemic if we let our guard down," he stressed during an emergency interagency meeting on responding to the coronavirus. The Cheong Wa Dae session was attended by top government officials, including Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol and Jung Eun-ky

PoliticsApril 12, 2021

S. Korea reaffirms no link between COVID-19 vaccinations and deaths

South Korea's health authorities on Monday said there is no causal relation between COVID-19 vaccines and 11 reported deaths after vaccinations, assuring the public of the safety of the vaccines. An investigation was concluded on 11 out of 47 people who died within days of receiving COVID-19 vaccines by AstraZeneca and Pfizer Inc, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. An epidemiological survey on 32 out of 47 reported cases has been concluded so far, the KDCA said. The

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

49 more cases of COVID-19 variants confirmed, total now at 379

South Korea on Monday reported 49 more new cases of COVID-19 variants amid concerns that the spread of more transmissible strains may further strain the country's virus battle, with the fourth wave of the pandemic looming. Of the additional cases identified in the past seven days, 44 people were confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus variant believed to have originated in Britain, followed by four South Africa variant cases and the Brazilian strain with one, according to the Kore

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

Korea’s property tax revenue-to-GDP ratio 1.7 times OECD average

South Korea’s tax revenue in proportion to its gross domestic product is still lower than average for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, though it has gradually gone up. The country’s property tax revenue, however, accounted for 3.3 percent of its GDP, nearly 1.7 times the OECD average of 1.9 percent, a state-funded think tank said. Among the 37 OECD members, Korea’s taxes were relatively low overall in proportion to the size of its economy,

PoliticsApril 12, 2021

After election defeat, Moon to announce Cabinet revamp ‘soon’

President Moon Jae-in, whose job approval ratings fell again to the lowest this week, is seeking to turn his political fortunes around with a sizeable change in his Cabinet makeup, according to Cheong Wa Dae sources on Monday. The pending reshuffle is expected to involve senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Choi Jae-sung, Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki. Choi had allegedly offered his resignation following the crushing election defeat of the ruling De

PoliticsApril 12, 2021

Seoul to introduce own social distancing rules to help small-business owners

Seoul plans to introduce its own social distancing system as an alternative to South Korea’s nationwide rules out of concern for small-business owners. In a press briefing Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the Seoul Metropolitan Government is preparing to announce new social distancing rules exclusively for the city, as the current nationwide system harms small-business owners and merchants. The city government is looking to have its municipal social distancing rules ready by the end o

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

Weapons on Korean fighter jet ready by 2028

South Korea’s first homegrown fighter jet, the KF-21 Boramae, will be ready to fly with weapons aboard by 2028, the arms procurement agency said Sunday. “We will come up with air-to-air missiles by 2026 and air-to-surface missiles by 2028,” the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said. The fighter jet, whose prototype was revealed to the public Friday, will have to go through flight tests through 2026 and become combat ready by 2032. It provides an opportunity for Kore

DefenseApril 12, 2021

Moon calls LG-SK deal on EV battery trade fortunate, meaningful

President Moon Jae-in said Monday it is fortunate and meaningful that two South Korean electric vehicle (EV) battery makers -- LG and SK -- have reached a deal on ending their legal dispute on electric vehicle batteries. He stressed the importance of the stability in global supply amid accelerating technological changes. "The agreement between the two companies is very meaningful in that it is in both the national interests and the long-term interests of individual companies for domestic

PoliticsApril 12, 2021

S. Korea willing to help Iran advance dialogue for restoring nuclear deal: PM

TEHRAN -- South Korea's prime minister said Monday his country is willing to provide "sideline" support for Iran to advance "productive" dialogue with partners in restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Chung Sye-kyun made the remarks during a joint press conference Sunday (local time) with Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri in Tehran following their 90-minute talks. Chung was visiting Iran for a three-day itinerary till Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties amid lingeri

Foreign AffairsApril 12, 2021

N. Korea expected to mark birth anniv. of state founder on scale similar to previous years

North Korea is expected to hold smaller-scale celebrations for the birth anniversary of late founder Kim Il-sung this week just as it did in previous years, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday. Thursday marks the 109th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un. The anniversary, referred to in the North as the Day of the Sun, is the country's biggest national holiday and has often been marked with massive military parades and other cultural and spo

North KoreaApril 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea, US closely watching N. Korean moves on SLBMs, new submarine: JCS

South Korea is closely monitoring North Korea's military moves in coordination with the United States, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday, amid signs of activity at the North's main shipyard used to develop submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). According to 38 North, commercial satellite imagery of the North's Sinpo Shipyard indicates that a missile canister for the submarine missile test barge has likely been removed, possibly for maintenance or for the replacement of a new c

North KoreaApril 12, 2021

Military extends antivirus scheme for three weeks

The defense ministry on Monday extended the current social distancing rules for the military, which allow service members to take vacation in a limited manner, for three weeks. The Level 2 scheme, which was supposed to expire Sunday, will be in place until May 2 in line with the government's guidance, according to the ministry. Under the Level 2 scheme, troops are allowed to go on vacation while strictly adhering to antivirus measures, such as a mandatory quarantine and coronavirus tests. Up t

DefenseApril 12, 2021

Nearly 2,000 LH employees buy or lease public housing provided by their company: lawmaker

Nearly 2,000 employees at a state housing developer have signed contracts for public housing provided by their own company over the last 10 years, data showed Monday. According to the document that Rep. Kwon Young-se of the opposition People Power Party received from the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), 1,900 workers at the company signed such contracts between 2011 and 2020. The company is at the center of the ongoing government-led investigation into alleged land speculation involving its

Social AffairsApril 12, 2021

[Graphic News] Half of younger Koreans see no need to have kids after marriage: report

　More than half of South Koreans in their teens and 20s think it is not necessary to have kids after marriage, a report showed, adding to concerns about the country’s chronic low birth rate. 　As of 2020, 32 percent of Koreans aged 13 or older said it is not necessary to have children after getting married, up from 30.4 percent two years earlier, according to the report on social indexes by Statistics Korea. 　All age groups felt less need to have kids after marriage, but in particular

NationalApril 12, 2021

N. Korea urges 'cell secretaries' to spearhead efforts to strengthen Kim's leadership

North Korea urged grassroots leaders of the ruling Workers' Party to be at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the leadership of Kim Jong-un, state media said Monday. During a workshop of the secretaries of party cells held from Friday to Sunday, the North also called for rooting out anti-socialist practices, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The lecturers said that the work of establishing the unified leadership system of the General Secretary is the most i

North KoreaApril 12, 2021