Moon: LH officials' alleged land speculation 'unpardonable' act

President Moon Jae-in will have a luncheon meeting with floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Attending the session to be held at the presidential compound in Seoul are Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, the DP's floor leader, and his party colleagues in charge of strategy and negotiations at the National Assembly. Kim has become the party's acting chief with the resignation of Lee Nak-yon the previous day. It would mark the first time for Moon to hold a

PoliticsMarch 10, 2021

US, S. Korea share many interests in Indo-Pacific: State Dept. spokesman

South Korea shares many common interests with the United States in the Indo-Pacific, including the nuclear challenge from North Korea and preserving freedom of navigation, a State Department spokesman said Tuesday. "We share any number of interests, including the challenge of North Korea that we've talked about, including a free and open Indo-Pacific. And we've underlined and underscored our commitment to the region," Ned Price told a daily press briefing when asked about South Korea'

Foreign AffairsMarch 10, 2021

N. Korea poses 'serious' and 'immediate' threat to US, allies: Davidson

North Korea poses a serious and most imminent threat to the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region such as South Korea, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command said Tuesday. Adm. Phil Davidson also said the North continues to develop its nuclear and delivery systems designed to strike the US homeland. "North Korea poses a significant security risk to the United States and our partners in the Indo Pacific Region. The country has taken no meaningful steps toward denucleari

North KoreaMarch 10, 2021

Korea ‘failing to communicate herd immunity uncertainties’

South Korea is not adequately communicating the uncertainties of its herd immunity goals to the public, experts said Tuesday, warning that this was likely to damage the credibility of official announcements. Inoculating 70 percent of the population with their first doses by September and reaching herd immunity by November as proclaimed by the government is “almost physically impossible,” according to Dr. Ma Sang-hyuk, the Korean Vaccine Society’s vice president.

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

When will Japan end its open hostility toward South Korea?

South Korea-Japan ties long strained over wartime history are showing few signs of recovery, with Seoul’s new Tokyo envoy facing almost open hostility from local authorities. According to diplomatic sources Tuesday, Korea’s new ambassador to Japan, Kang Chang-il, has yet to meet with Japanese leaders, a rarity in light of diplomatic protocol. Kang arrived in Japan on Jan. 22 and started work on Feb. 14 after a two-week quarantine. But his request for a courtesy visit to the prime m

Foreign AffairsMarch 9, 2021

13 more COVID-19 cases reported in connection to livestock meat facility, bringing total to 90

A local government on Tuesday confirmed 13 more coronavirus cases linked to a livestock product market south of Seoul, raising the total caseload at the facility to 90. The city government of Anseong, about 80 kilometers south of Seoul, said the newly confirmed patients were four employees and nine others who have come into contact with patients. The total tally tied to the cluster was 77 as of midnight Monday, 69 of whom were employees there. The city's health authorities conducted mass test

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

6 tested positive after first COVID-19 vaccine shots: authorities

Six people were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 after getting their first doses of vaccines, which have been administered to health care workers and patients at long-term nursing facilities since late last month, the health authority said Tuesday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said three more tested positive for the coronavirus after their first vaccine shots, in addition to three cases confirmed Monday. Two nurses and a medical employee working at the Na

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

Ruling party chief Lee Nak-yon steps down in bid for presidency

Rep. Lee Nak-yon, chief of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), stepped down from his post in the party Tuesday, in his bid to run for presidency next year. The five-term lawmaker officially announced his resignation during a press conference in Seoul. Lee's departure comes more than six months after he was elected as the DP chairman in late August and exactly one year before the next presidential election slated for March 9, 2022. The resignation is in compliance with the DP's internal constitu

PoliticsMarch 9, 2021

S. Korean civic groups join forces to back fight against Myanmar coup

As the people of Myanmar chant in unison for the freedom that was stolen from them a month ago in a military coup, South Korean civic groups are banding together to help them brace for what could become a protracted struggle against military rule after 10 years under a civilian government. Rights activists and religious groups are offering support in different ways. “We’re building a coalition in Gwangju,” Cho Jin-tae, executive director of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, sa

Foreign AffairsMarch 9, 2021

Moon calls for speedy housing supply despite LH land speculation scandal

President Moon Jae-in stressed the need Tuesday for the government to go ahead with plans to expand the housing supply in spite of alleged speculative land purchases by employees of the state housing corporation, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon called for a two-track approach of looking thoroughly into relevant suspicions and pushing speedily for public-led construction of apartments aimed at stabilizing the housing market, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. "(Public) trust in

PoliticsMarch 9, 2021

[News Focus] Korea has 2nd-longest working hours in OECD

SEJONG -- South Korea’s working hours are still far longer than the average among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as of 2019. In the French-based organization’s analysis of hours worked annually by its 35 members, Koreans ranked second. Of the 37 members, Colombia and Turkey were not included. The OECD defined average annual hours worked as the total number of hours actually worked per year divided by the average number of people in employment

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

S. Korea to begin memorial wall construction in Washington to honor Korean War veterans

South Korea plans to hold a ceremony to break ground for the construction of a memorial wall in Washington later this year to honor US veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War, the veterans affairs ministry here said Tuesday. Seoul has been working on the project to construct the "Memorial Wall of Remembrance" in Washington by 2022 to convey its appreciation to the American veterans' sacrifice and commitment during the war. The wall is to be built in West Potomac Park, where the

Foreign AffairsMarch 9, 2021

[News Focus] Remote learning platforms continue to malfunction

Online classes continue to fall short of expectations, with two main learning management platforms experiencing malfunctions a week into South Korea’s second school year in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Education said Monday that some users in Gyeonggi, North Jeolla and South Jeolla provinces had experienced delays accessing the e-Learning site, a remote learning system run by the Korea Education and Research Information Service, due to server issues. The users tried to access th

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

S. Korea, US supposed to stage joint outdoor drills throughout year: defense ministry

South Korea and the United States are supposed to stage combined outdoor military drills throughout the year, not during specific periods of time, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday. Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan made the remarks in an answer to a reporter's question about when and how the two sides would stage joint real maneuvers this year as their ongoing springtime exercise does not include such outdoor programs. "After the summit between the US and North Korea in Singapore

DefenseMarch 9, 2021

Ministry finalizes guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify scope of application

The unification ministry on Tuesday announced finalized guidelines on a legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea in an effort to ensure better interpretation of the law. The amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, set to take effect later this month, has raised concerns that it could hurt freedom of expression and undercut efforts to send information into the reclusive North. Concerns have also been raised that the law could prohibit the sending of

North KoreaMarch 9, 2021

Private education spending slips in 2020 amid pandemic

Spending on private education for children declined nearly 12 percent last year amid the fallout of the pandemic, data showed Tuesday. Total expenditures on private education for primary, middle and high school students amounted to 9.3 trillion won ($8.1 billion) last year, down 11.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The average monthly spending on private education per student reached 289,000 won last year, down 10.1 percent from a year earlier

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

[Seoul Struggles 2] Lack of booths leaves Seoul smokers cornered

A Friday night in Gangnam means restaurants and bars crowded with people socializing and celebrating the weekend, but come the morning, every back alley and corner is strewn with cigarette butts. Gutters that start relatively empty and clean in the morning end up filled with cigarette butts by nighttime, and the view is unpleasant for smokers and nonsmokers alike. “It’s flat-out disgusting,” said Yoon Eun-hye, a 26-year-old nonsmoker who visits the Gangnam Station area almos

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

Police arrest 40 members of drug trafficking ring

Police said Tuesday they have arrested about 40 members of a drug trafficking ring including its key figure. They were found to have smuggled methamphetamine from Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries and distributed the illegal drugs to individuals, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said. Among them is a man in his 50s who is suspected to have played a leading role in the organization. Police apprehended him at a studio flat in southwestern Seoul in mid-February after a six-month m

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

Haemi martyrdom shrine proclaimed as Vatican's int'l pilgrimage site

The Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground, a Catholic sacred place in Seosan, central South Korea, has been proclaimed as an official international pilgrimage site by the Vatican, the city government said Tuesday. The Holy See designated and proclaimed the Seosan martyrdom holy ground, also known as the Shrine of Haemi, as an official international pilgrimage site on March 1, according to the municipality of Seosan, a South Chungcheong Province city about 280 kilometers south of Seoul. On Nov. 29 last y

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021

S. Korea to open new test bed for antivirus home products, promote exports

South Korea said Tuesday it plans to establish new test facilities designed to verify the safety of antivirus home products to cope with their soaring demand amid the new coronavirus pandemic. The country plans to allocate a 4.8 billion won ($4.23 million) budget to establish infrastructure to test products, such as hand sanitizers and protective masks, under cooperation with the Korea Testing & Research Institute, according to the state-run Korean Agency for Technology and Standards. The

Social AffairsMarch 9, 2021