N. Korea seen staging military parade: source

North Korea appeared to have staged a military parade on Thursday, a South Korean government source said, after Pyongyang wrapped up a rare party congress with calls to bolster its nuclear arsenal. The military parade began at around 6:00 p.m. and was in progress as of 8:00 p.m., the source said on condition of anonymity. Asked whether North Korea staged a military parade, a South Korean military official replied that the military was keeping a close watch on North Korea. Earlier in the da

North KoreaJan. 14, 2021

President Moon calls for 'future-oriented' relations with Japan

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged Japan to swiftly work toward "future-oriented" bilateral relations, after a Seoul court ordered Tokyo to compensate South Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japan's Imperial Army during World War II. Moon made the remarks during a meeting with outgoing Japanese ambassador to South Korea, Koji Tomita, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon told the Japanese envoy that South Korea and Japan are the  "closes

PoliticsJan. 14, 2021

S. Korea’s refugee approval rate hits all-time low

South Korea’s refugee approval reached an all-time low over a 10-month period last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, dipping below 1 percent, government data showed Thursday. The number of asylum-seekers granted refugee status here was 44 from January to October last year, putting the proportion of refugee claims accepted during the period at 0.8 percent, according to statistics from the Justice Ministry. This marks the lowest figure since the country began to compile relevant data in 19

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

7 American workers on Yongsan base test positive for coronavirus

Seven American civilians working at US Forces Korea (USFK)'s Yongsan garrison in central Seoul have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Thursday. One US Department of Defense (DoD) employee and four contractors, who work together on the base, have been in isolation after coming into direct contact with their colleague who earlier tested positive for COVID-19, according to the USFK. The sixth case is the spouse of one of the contractors, who works at a separate locatio

DefenseJan. 14, 2021

Ruling party, govt. eye loosening of COVID-19 closure rules for small biz

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the government agreed Thursday to seek ways to partially loosen restrictions imposed on private gyms and other indoor business establishments to control the latest wave of COVID-19. The understanding between the DP and top state health officials was reached during a meeting of the party's COVID-19 response committee, ahead of the government's planned deliberation on Saturday of whether or not to adjust the current social distancing scheme. The current Level

PoliticsJan. 14, 2021

COVID-19 survivors suffer hair loss, shortness of breath after recovery: survey

Survivors of COVID-19 reported hair loss and decreased breathing capacity months after their infections, and some had lingering lung troubles, the health authority said Thursday. A survey on 40 adult patients who were hospitalized for the virus infection showed that hair loss and shortness of breath during exercise were the most common symptoms experienced three months after recovery, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Six months after infection, the discharged patien

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

Corruption case of ex-President Park should never be repeated: Cheong Wa Dae

Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday issued a statement on the Supreme Court sentence of former President Park Geun-hye, stating the corruption scandal that led to imprisonment of an ex-president should never be repeated. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court upheld a 20-year sentence for Park on bribery and other charges, closing the legal process that gripped the country and ultimately removed her from office in 2017. "Such an incident should never be repeated, through taking the tragic incident o

PoliticsJan. 14, 2021

Hundreds of cafe owners file lawsuit against govt. over COVID-19 losses

Hundreds of cafe owners filed a lawsuit against the government on Thursday seeking compensation for losses suffered under COVID-19 business restrictions. An association of cafe owners said the suit, which was lodged with the Seoul Central District Court, calls for around 1.8 billion won ($1.64 million) in damages, or 5 million won for each of the 358 plaintiffs. "The inconsistent and unfair antivirus regulations have led us to resort to legal action," the association said in a statem

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

Seoul to fund survey on separated families

The Ministry of Unification on Thursday said it will spend 800 million won ($727,000) to carry out a survey of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, to check their status and to prepare for possible future family reunions. 　 The ministry decided to conduct the survey of around 50,000 members of divided families during a meeting of a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges, presided over by Unification Minister Lee In-young. 　 The survey, which will run from April to Oc

North KoreaJan. 14, 2021

[Contribution] The boys and the frogs: How can Biden stop NK from being ‘stoned’

The presidency of the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, will begin soon. It’s a relief. During Trump’s four years in office, the world witnessed what lay behind the organizational facade of the US. The Trump administration’s slogan, “Make America Great Again,” rather sounded like “Make America Greedy Again” to me. I am confident that the Biden government will not repeat the same mistakes made under the greedy “America First” pol

Foreign AffairsJan. 14, 2021

S. Korea to raise guard against ASF over winter

South Korea' agricultural ministry said Thursday it will raise its guard against African swine fever (ASF) over the winter as the number of infections among wild boars continued to grow at an alarming rate. The country has reported 941 ASF cases linked to wild boars since 2019 from inter-Korean border regions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. "Currently, the country has around 4.1 wild boars for every square kilometer. We plan to reduce the figure to two,

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

Pressure mounts for Moon to decide on pardons

With Thursday’s final verdict delivered on former President Park Geun-hye, President Moon Jae-in is now under increased pressure to clarify his stance on possible pardons for the two former jailed presidents. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court upheld a 20-year prison term for Park in an influence-peddling trial that started more than three years ago. Now Park will have to serve a total of 22 years in prison, including a two-year prison term for her 2018 conviction in illegal meddlin

PoliticsJan. 14, 2021

Incoming Biden administration understands 'urgency' of NK nuke issues: Seoul official

The incoming US administration of Joe Biden is fully aware of the "urgency" of North Korea's nuclear issues, and South Korea is ready to closely work with Washington to draw up the "most effective" countermeasures as soon as the new government takes office, a Seoul official said Thursday. North Korea recently ramped up its push to strengthen its nuclear arsenal in its recent key party gathering in what appears aimed at upping the ante ahead of the inauguration of President-e

North KoreaJan. 14, 2021

Supreme Court confirms 20 years in prison for ex-president Park

The highest court upheld a 20-year prison term for former President Park Geun-hye, closing the final chapter in one of the greatest political scandals in South Korea to date. The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the lower court’s decision to sentence Park to 20 years in prison and levy an 18 billion won ($16.37 million) fine for her part in a corruption case that cost her the presidency in 2017. The court also confirmed an additional forfeiture of 3.5 billion won. In July, the Seoul H

PoliticsJan. 14, 2021

Controversial travel ban on ex-vice minister backfires

The prosecution is stepping up the investigation into alleged irregularities regarding an overseas travel ban on a former vice justice minister last year, which has emerged as yet another point of contention for the Moon Jae-in administration. The nation’s civil rights watchdog recently received a complaint from a whistleblower that the Justice Ministry and a fact-finding team of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office had illegally banned Kim Hak-eui from leaving the country in March last

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

Daily virus cases in the 500s for 3rd straight day

The daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed in the 500s for a third consecutive day, officials said Thursday, hinting at a possible extension of tough social distancing measures to prevent a resurgence. The government’s central response team said the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 524 to 77,728 as of midnight. The third wave, which began in mid-November, has seen a gradual decline in the new year. Of the new confirmed cases, 496 were locally transmit

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

Blood reserves’ alert-level goes back to normal

South Korea’s blood reserves, which had been in a sharp decline due to the lingering third COVID-19 wave, have begun to stabilize. The Korean Red Cross’ National Blood Institute of Daejeon-Sejong-Chungnam, issued an alert over the shortage of blood reserves in mid-December. However, the Institute announced that as of Thursday, the country had recovered to the average supply amount needed, maintaining a little over four days’ worth of blood reserves. At the alert-stage of ca

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

3 in 10 Koreans want COVID-19 shots as soon as possible: poll

Only 3 out of 10 South Koreans said they plan to get vaccinated for COVID- 19 as soon as possible, while the rest said they want to take a wait-and-see approach, a survey showed Thursday. According to a survey of 1,094 adults from Jan. 8-10 by the Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health, 67.7 percent of the respondents said they will wait and see how the coronavirus vaccine is working for others before getting the shots themselves. Only 28.6 percent said they want to get va

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

S. Korea confirms 3 more cases of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea said Thursday it has confirmed three more cases of highly pathogenic bird flu from a local poultry farm, with more suspected infections currently under investigation. Authorities said they have found two cases of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza at farms each in North and South Chungcheong Province, raising the total caseload to 60, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Earlier in the day, the country also confirmed another case in Muan, South Jeolla P

Social AffairsJan. 14, 2021

S. Korea to boost capabilities to counter NK missile threats: defense ministry

South Korea will further boost its military capabilities to counter North Korea's short-range missile threats, the defense ministry said Wednesday, after Pyongyang vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal amid a deadlock in negotiations with the United States. Wrapping up an eight-day congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, the North's leader Kim Jong-un called for enhancing the country's "nuclear war deterrent" and building "the most powerful military strength." Aske

North KoreaJan. 14, 2021