Moon inspects combat readiness on Peace Eye aircraft

President Moon Jae-in flew on a Peace Eye military aircraft early Friday and inspected South Korea's combat readiness in a show of commitment to national defense on New Year's Day, the presidential office said. It is the first time that a South Korean president has flown on the airborne early warning and control aircraft regarded as a core part of the South Korean Air Force, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The E-737 Peace Eye took off with Moon aboard at around 6:30 a.m. from the military airfield

DefenseJan. 1, 2021

[Photo News] Last sunrise of 2020 in Gangneung

The last sunrise of 2020 shines brightly on a beach at Gangneung of Gangwon Province on Thursday morning. An orange hue covers the horizon while ocean waves crash along the shore. The city of Gangneung banned entry to beaches along with nearby parking lots at 10 a.m. on Thursday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by abiding by social distancing rules (Photos: Yonhap) By Song Donna (donnadsong@heraldcorp.com).

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

Cigarette smoking among men in S. Korea hits record low

Cigarette smoking among men in South Korea hit a record low last year, while excessive drinking among them increased, data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed. According to the annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, cigarette smoking among Korean men last year reached a low of 35.7 percent – the lowest prevalence recorded since 1998. Use of tobacco products among Korean men has been on a decline for the past two decades -- from 66.3 percen

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

A man fined W5m for e-scooter drunk driving

Police nabbed a 37-year-old man for drunk driving an e-scooter in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. The man cursed at police and refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. Cheong Moon-sik, senior judge at the Chuncheon District Court, said Thursday that the man was sentenced to a fine of 5 million won ($4,200) under the Road Traffic Act. The case was first put to trial on July 15 on charges of failing to respond to an alcohol measurement test by a police officer who witnessed that the man’s

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

S. Korea’s has second-lowest number of COVID-19 cases per person in OECD

Despite the recent surge in coronavirus infections, South Korea had the second-lowest number of cases relative to its population among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries, government data showed. According to the data, revealed in a daily briefing report by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Korea was 111.26, which placed the country 36th out of the 37 OECD countries as of Monday. K

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

UNC says 86 messages delivered to N. Korea through Panmunjom

  The United Nations Command said Friday it has delivered a total of 86 messages to North Korea through a direct telephone line at the truce village of Panmunjom last year. "UNC maintained its line-of-communication with #KPA counterparts throughout the year," the UNC said in a Facebook post, referring to the Korean People's Army of the North.  "We passed 86 messages and conducted twice-daily line checks for timely and effective information exchange," it added. No

North KoreaJan. 1, 2021

Moderna to supply COVID-19 vaccine to S. Korea in May

US biotech firm Moderna is slated to provide 40 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as early as March, according to news reports Friday. The move came after the Korean government on Thursday inked a deal with the company to purchase vaccine doses for 20 million or more people. "Under the terms of the proposed agreement, deliveries would begin in May 2021,” the company said in a statement. "COVID-19 vaccine is not currently approved for use in South Korea, and the co

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

Justice minister apologizes over massive virus outbreak at detention center

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on Friday apologized over massive coronavirus infections among inmates at a detention center in Seoul. Choo has been under fire for belatedly responding to COVID-19 infections at Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul, in which over 900 cases have been confirmed over the past month. "As justice minister overseeing correctional facilities, I feel sorry for causing anxiety among people with regard to the spread of the coronavirus at Dongbu Detention Cente

PoliticsJan. 1, 2021

Ruling party chief to seek pardons for 2 imprisoned former

  Ruling Democratic Party Chairman Lee Nak-yon said Friday he will ask President Moon Jae-in "at an appropriate time" to grant pardons to two former conservative presidents imprisoned for corruption charges. Lee, who served as prime minister under the Moon administration, made the remarks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency, also stressing that the party should play an active role in pushing for the matter in order to promote national unity. As this year will be effecti

PoliticsJan. 1, 2021

S. Korea to require foreign arrivals to test negative for COVID-19

South Korea will require foreigners to test negative for the novel coronavirus before arrival, starting at airports next week, as the nation steps up its fight against the pandemic amid a winter wave of the virus, officials said Friday. Foreign arrivals must have a negative polymerase chain reaction coronavirus test taken within 72 hours before their departure to South Korea, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The rule for foreigners arriving at South Korean airpor

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

Moon pledges to 'get normal lives back' in new year

  President Moon Jae-in said Friday he will work with the people to make sure they reclaim their "normal lives" in the new year after overcoming the coronavirus pandemic. "With the power of coexistence, we will certainly get normal lives back," Moon said in a Facebook message. "Not only in the virus fight but also in the economy, climate environment and peace on the Korean Peninsula, we will take the lead in the winds of change." Thanking the people for exer

PoliticsJan. 1, 2021

New infections above 1,000 again amid no signs of slowdown

  South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose above 1,000 again Friday as health authorities are expected to extend the current social distancing rules.  The country added 1,029 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,004 local infections, raising the total caseload to 61,769, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The tally marked a rise from 967 cases Thursday, 1,050 cases Wednesday, 1,045 cases Tuesday and 807 cases Monday. Over the past seven days, the nation'

Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021

NK leader sends handwritten New Year greetings to people

  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended New Year's greetings in a short letter to the people Friday, apparently skipping his trademark address on the first day of the year ahead of a rare party congress expected to take place soon. "I sincerely wish all the families across the country greater happiness and beloved people, good health. In the new year, too, I will work hard to bring earlier the new era in which the ideals and desires of our people will come true," Kim said in t

North KoreaJan. 1, 2021

Pandemic dampens New Year celebrations

  South Koreans are settling in for a subdued New Year holiday, as gatherings are restricted and festivities have been cancelled in the face of a third wave of coronavirus flare-up.    Assemblies of five or more people are banned in the greater Seoul area and ski resorts and other tourist spots across the country have been shut down as part of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.      On Thursday, the country reported 967 confirmed cases, bringing the t

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2020

S. Korea signs deal with Moderna to buy COVID-19 vaccines for 20 million

South Korea on Thursday signed a deal with US biotech company Moderna to buy new coronavirus vaccine doses for 20 million people, with the supply to begin in the second quarter of next year, health authorities said.    Following the deal, the total amount of COVID-19 vaccines South Korea has secured is enough to inoculate 56 million people, more than enough to cover the country's population of 52 million, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).  &nbs

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2020

Moon names new chief of staff

President Moon Jae-in named You Young-min, former minister of science and ICT, as his new chief of staff, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday.  You replaces Moon’s longest-serving chief of staff, Noh Young-min, who resigned the previous day after a two-year stint to give the president fresh momentum as he enters his fifth year in office.  On Wednesday, three top aides offered their resignations as the Moon administration faces harsh criticism over the nation’s slow COVID-19

PoliticsDec. 31, 2020

Rapper quits K-pop boy band BTOB amid probe into alleged marijuana use

K-pop band BTOB's rapper Jung Il-hoon has left the group, the band's management agency said Thursday, one week after allegations of marijuana use came to light. "(The agency) decided to respect Jung's wish to leave BTOB in order not to inflict more damage on the group," CUBE Entertainment said. "Jung feels a sense of grave responsibility and deeply regrets breaking the trust of fans and letting them down," it added. Last week, police said they referred the 26-year-old rapp

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2020

2 USFK-affiliated people test positive for new coronavirus

A retired American service member and his spouse tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. The individuals, who reside in the city of Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, developed symptoms consistent with the virus and were confirmed Wednesday to have been infected, according to USFK. They last visited Camp Humphreys in the city on Dec. 18 and are currently in isolation at a facility at the camp designated for COVID-19 patients, the command s

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2020

USFK-affiliated S. Korean civilians, troops begin getting COVID-19 vaccinations

South Korean civilian workers and troops affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) began getting COVID-19 vaccinations Thursday, the US military said, becoming the country's first citizens to get inoculated against the virus. The first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for USFK members arrived in South Korea last week, and the command began administering its initial doses to front-line health care workers, first responders and its command team. Korean nationals affiliated with USFK, in

DefenseDec. 31, 2020

Year two of pandemic: What’s in store for Korea

Much of 2021 will be a repeat of 2020. But as vaccines enter the scene, experts say some degree of normalcy might begin to return by the year’s end. Infectious disease expert Dr. Kim Woo-joo of Korea University Medical Center said the second year of the pandemic will be characterized by the “vaccine divide” at a global level. “You might need to be vaccinated if you want to travel this year, for instance,” he said. As of Thursday, around 25 countries hav

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2020