1 in 4 Seoul citizens reports 'revenge spending' amid pandemic

One in four Seoul citizens turned to "revenge spending" to make up for missed shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, a study has shown. According to a Wednesday report by the Seoul Institute, a think tank for the Seoul metropolitan government, 24.3 percent of those surveyed in the first quarter said they had spent more than usual on certain goods due to pent-up demand during COVID-19 isolation. About a third, or 30.2 percent, said their revenge spending happened in the fourth quar

Social AffairsApril 10, 2021

New virus cases in high 600s for 2nd day amid growing concerns of 4th wave

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the high 600s for the second straight day Saturday as health authorities warn that the country may be at the start of a fourth wave of infections. The country reported 677 more COVID-19 cases, including 662 local infections, raising the total caseload to 108,945, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally is slightly larger than 671 on Friday but marked a fall from a three-month high of 700 new cases Thursday. Th

Social AffairsApril 10, 2021

Top S. Korean, German diplomats hold phone talks on bilateral ties, Korea peace efforts

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, held phone talks Friday to discuss bilateral ties and Seoul's efforts to foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. During the talks, Chung said that South Korea will contribute actively to international discussions on addressing climate change and public health issues when it attends the Group of Seven (G7) summit slated to take place in Britain in June. Chung also explained Seoul's conti

Foreign AffairsApril 9, 2021

S. Korean PM to visit Iran next week amid lingering tension over frozen Tehran funds

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun will visit Iran next week for talks on bilateral ties and other issues, his office said Friday, amid lingering tension over Tehran's call to unlock its funds frozen here under US sanctions. Chung's visit to Iran from Sunday to Tuesday -- the first such trip by a South Korean premier in 44 years -- follows Tehran's release this week of a Korean oil tanker and its captain about three months after its seizure over alleged oil pollution. "Through this visit, Prim

Foreign AffairsApril 9, 2021

[Video] ‘People in Myanmar are like prisoners’

The crisis in Myanmar has continued for over two months since the military coup on Feb. 1. Civilians have carried out mass protests to restore freedom and democracy. The armed forces have responded with brutal crackdowns across the country, leading to hundreds of dead victims including young children. “I want the world to know what is going on in Myanmar is not a war,” said Shwe Moe, a Burma-born writer residing in South Korea. “A war is two sides with weapons. It is just ter

Social AffairsApril 9, 2021

[Newsmaker] Suspect of murdering 3 women unmasked

A man who allegedly intruded into a home and killed three women after stalking one of them was unmasked in front of the press Friday morning, following a rare police decision to disclose his personal details. The Nowon police station in northeastern Seoul sent Kim Tae-hyeon, 24, to the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of murder, theft, housebreaking, consistent harassment and violation of information and communication network laws. Kim said he felt “guilty for

Social AffairsApril 9, 2021

S. Korea to begin KF-21 fighter production, deploy up to 120 units by 2032: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that South Korea is set to begin production of the country's next-generation indigenous fighter jet prototype with a goal of deploying up to 120 units for use in real combat by 2032. Moon announced the plan at an unveiling event of the KF-21 Boramae fighter prototype held at the Korea Aerospace Industries headquarters in the southern city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. South Korea began the 8.8 trillion-won ($7.9 billion) program to replace the Air For

PoliticsApril 9, 2021

FM Chung, Indonesia defense chief agree to advance cooperation in joint fighter jet project

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong met with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Friday and agreed to work together to move substantial cooperation between the two countries forward, including an ongoing joint fighter jet development project, the ministry said. The meeting took place as Prabowo was in South Korea to attend the rollout ceremony of a prototype of South Korea's first indigenous fighter jet, named the KF-X in the South and IF-X in Indonesia. "The ministers agreed to m

Foreign AffairsApril 9, 2021

Prosecution seeks arrest warrant for Eastar Jet founder

JEONJU -- The prosecution on Friday sought an arrest warrant for the founder of cash-strapped budget carrier Eastar Jet on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. Lee Sang-jik, an independent lawmaker, is suspected of colluding with a senior company official, who was indicted in February for causing about 43 billion won ($38.47 million) in financial damage to the airline by paying off long-term loans early and underselling company shares to a specific subsidiary. The prosecution in Jeonju

Social AffairsApril 9, 2021

DP's emergency committee chief vows reform after crushing election defeat

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Friday pledged to carry out a set of thorough reform measures to win back voters, following its crushing by-election defeat earlier this week. "The DP will come out of the trap of 'naeronambul' as soon as possible," Rep. Do Jong-hwan, the head of the DP's emergency response committee, said during its first meeting held at the National Assembly. Naeronambul is a popular saying in South Korea, which criticizes hypocritical behaviors or having double

PoliticsApril 9, 2021

Young ruling party lawmakers say prosecution reform failed to win public support

Five young lawmakers of the Democratic Party said Friday that their party's campaign for prosecution reform may have failed to win public consensus, possibly leading to its devastating defeats in this week's mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. The five lawmakers -- Reps. Oh Yeong-hwan, Lee So-young, Jang Kyung-tae, Jang Chul-min and Jeon Yong-gi -- made the critical remarks on the party's yearlong drive to weaken the power of the prosecution while reflecting on the causes of its election d

PoliticsApril 9, 2021

Calls grow for sickness benefit amid doubts over vaccination leave

Calls are growing for South Korea to institute a nationwide sickness benefit program as the criticism remains high over the effectiveness of the recently introduced vaccination leave policy. Labor activists argue for legislative support to help many workers who would be still obliged to continue to work even when reporting adverse symptoms after taking their shots, which could be helped with the introduction of the sickness benefit program. At the moment, the Korea Institute for Health and Soc

Social AffairsApril 9, 2021

Seoul mayor orders review of city's COVID-19 response

The new mayor of Seoul ordered his administration on Friday to review the city's response to COVID-19 thus far, saying the current virus restrictions have failed to address the people's needs. Oh Se-hoon made the remark during a COVID-19 response meeting attended by senior city officials on his second day of work following his landslide win in Wednesday's mayoral by-election. "We've been dealing with COVID-19 for almost a year and four months, but to tell you the truth, I think it's time

PoliticsApril 9, 2021

US House caucus to hold hearing on S. Korean ban on anti-Pyongyang leafleting

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan caucus of the US House of Representatives said Thursday it will hold a public hearing next week on South Korea's recently legislated ban on the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea. The caucus, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, said it will hold "a hearing on freedom of expression on the Korean peninsula" on Thursday next week. Five witnesses have been called in to testify, including Suzanne Scholte, a human rights activist. "Recen

North KoreaApril 9, 2021

North Korea-China trade may resume next week: report

Trade between North Korea and China that has remained at a standstill for more than a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to resume possibly next week, a South Korean broadcaster reported Friday. According to JTBC, officials in the Chinese city of Dandong at the North Korean border have started accepting export registration ahead of a potential border reopening on April 16, the day after the birth anniversary of state founder Kim Il-sung on April 15. North Korea sealed off its borde

North KoreaApril 9, 2021

Iran releases seized S. Korean ship, captain

Iran released a South Korean oil tanker and its captain, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday, about three months after they were seized over alleged oil pollution. The ship, with its captain and 12 other crew members aboard, left the port near Bandar Abbas on the southern coast, at around 6 a.m. (Iran time), the ministry said. The crew members had been released earlier but have remained on the ship for maintenance purposes. The ministry said the captain and the crew members remain safe and s

Foreign AffairsApril 9, 2021

Army soldier tests positive for virus

An Army soldier has tested positive for the new coronavirus after a vacation, the defense ministry said Friday. The soldier, based in Yanggu, some 175 kilometers northeast of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 while in quarantine upon returning from a vacation, according to the ministry. Some 40 people at the base who had contact with the soldier have all tested negative. The latest case raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 671. Nationw

DefenseApril 9, 2021

New virus cases below 700, stronger wave of pandemic looms

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 700 on Friday, but health authorities warned the country may face a stronger wave of the pandemic, with a chance that daily infections could double in the coming weeks. The country plans to suspend the business of clubs and bars in the greater Seoul area and the second-largest city of Busan for the next three weeks as part of targeted antivirus measures, while extending the current level of social distancing rules. The country reported 671 m

Social AffairsApril 9, 2021

S. Korea to extend current social distancing measures for another 3 weeks

South Korea said Friday it will retain its current social distancing measures for another three weeks, including the ban on gatherings of five or more people nationwide, amid spiking virus cases. But as part of measures to curb cluster infections at risk-prone facilities, the operations of bars and nightclubs will be prohibited in the greater Seoul area and the second-largest city of Busan for the next three weeks, according to health authorities. The country's new distancing rules and antivir

Social AffairsApril 9, 2021

NK leader calls on ruling party to wage tougher 'Arduous March' amid prolonged sanctions

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on the ruling Workers' Party to wage a tougher "Arduous March" to relieve its people of economic woes as he concluded a conference of the party's grassroots leaders, state media said Friday. Kim warned the cell secretaries and members of the party to brace themselves for the many "obstacles and difficulties" that lie ahead, pointing to the harsh period of the Arduous March in the 1990s, when the country suffered from extreme poverty and

North KoreaApril 9, 2021