Most Popular
-
1
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
2
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
3
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
4
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
5
Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
-
6
103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
-
7
First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
-
8
Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
-
9
4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
-
10
When two worlds collab: K-pop flexes power with global stars
-
Chief auditor cites 'possibility of crime' over reactor closure
The chief of the state auditor said Wednesday that the agency determined there was a "possibility of a crime" in the government's evaluation of the economic viability of a now-decommissioned nuclear reactor. The prosecution recently launched a probe into the industry ministry and two state-run energy firms after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) announced late last month that they manipulated the profitability projections of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor to determine its early c
PoliticsNov. 12, 2020
-
Mask rule violators face fines in S. Korea
Violators of South Korea's face mask mandate may face fines starting Friday as the country seeks to better combat the new coronavirus. The move follows an end to a 30-day grace period for the implementation of the country's revised infectious disease control and prevention act, which requires people to wear face masks on mass transportation and in public places. People will face a fine of up to 100,000 won (about $90) if they do not wear masks on public transportation and at demonstrations, as
Social AffairsNov. 12, 2020
-
Four more military personnel test positive for new coronavirus
Four more workers at a defense ministry agency handling welfare for service members have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the ministry said Thursday. The latest cases brought the total number of COVID-19 cases at the Welfare Agency to 11 -- five service members and six civilian officials -- after one member of its personnel was confirmed to have been infected earlier this week, according to the ministry. Three family members of the patients were also found to have been infected, the C
Social AffairsNov. 12, 2020
-
S. Korea to launch online education for reserve forces
South Korea will open a two-hour online course for reserve forces next week, the defense ministry said Thursday, after their annual field training was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The training sessions for the country's 2.75 million-strong forces were supposed to kick off in September, but the government decided not to conduct the field programs as part of nationwide efforts to stem the spread of the virus. From Monday to Feb. 21, volunteers for the distance learning can take c
DefenseNov. 12, 2020
-
Moon, Biden agree to cooperate closely on N. Korean nuke issue in phone call
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his incoming US counterpart, Joe Biden, agreed to work closely together to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, as they had a 14-minute phone conversation Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae said. Biden described South Korea as a "linchpin" of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon asked Biden to "communicate closely" for the forward-looking development of the Seoul-Washington allia
Foreign AffairsNov. 12, 2020
-
Biden visits Korean War memorial in Philadelphia on US Veterans Day
WASHINGTON -- US President-elect Joe Biden made a brief trip to a Korean War veterans' memorial in his home state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday as the United States observed its national Veterans Day. "Biden, holding the hand of his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and accompanied by the Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, arrived at the black marble memorial that stands in a square. US and Korean flags flew overhead," a pool report said. The visit lasted 15 minutes, during which the president-el
Foreign AffairsNov. 12, 2020
-
Woman arrested for allegedly abusing adopted baby to death
A Seoul court on Wednesday approved pre-trial detention of a mother suspected of abusing her adopted 16-month-old baby to death. The Seoul Southern District Court issued the warrant to detain the woman, whose identity has been withheld, on charges of child abuse resulting in death, citing the risk that she may try to flee or tamper with evidence. The baby died at a Seoul hospital on Oct. 13, police said. She reportedly had serious injuries on her abdomen and brain, prompting doctors to
Social AffairsNov. 11, 2020
-
S. Korea, China agree to seek joint measures in reducing fine dust
The environment ministers of South Korea and China held online talks Wednesday to discuss measures to reduce fine dust air pollution and help achieve the two nations' goals in achieving carbon neutrality, Seoul's environment ministry said. During the virtual meeting, South Korean Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae and his Chinese counterpart, Huang Runqiu, agreed to enhance cooperation on their respective anti-fine dust projects in the coming winter season when concentration levels are expecte
Diplomatic CircuitNov. 11, 2020
-
Will COVID-19 vaccine be pandemic’s endgame?
Hopes of the pandemic coming to an end are soaring with the latest vaccine results. But health officials and experts say normal life may not be within reach at least for another year, and that varying ranges of public health interventions may still be necessary even after a vaccine arrives. The US drug giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said in a press release on Monday an interim analysis showed their vaccine candidate was 90 percent effective in protecting people against the infect
Social AffairsNov. 11, 2020
-
N. Korea highlights hazards of smoking after adopting anti-smoking law
North Korea's state news agency on Wednesday highlighted the hazards of smoking, saying the habit could increase the chances of getting infected with the new coronavirus. North Korea's media outlets have intensified calls for people to stop smoking since Pyongyang held a parliamentary meeting and adopted an anti-smoking law earlier this month. "Smoking has taken more lives than natural disasters and traffic accidents," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "Since the new
North KoreaNov. 11, 2020
-
Busan to develop 'port-through' virus test to prevent infectious disease from overseas
The Busan metropolitan government said Wednesday it is developing a comprehensive system to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases from ships arriving from overseas. The "port-through" platform seeks to minimize contact during virus tests by flying drones to ships and developing a new testing method of analyzing droplets left on protective face masks instead of using nasal swabs, a city government official said. The Busan city government has teamed up with Pusan National Uni
Social AffairsNov. 11, 2020
-
16 foreigners deported since August for breaching self-isolation rules
Sixteen foreign nationals have been deported from South Korea since August after getting caught violating self-isolation rules aimed at containing the new coronavirus, the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday. The ministry said five foreigners were deported and 11 others ordered to leave for their home countries from Aug. 12 to Tuesday after leaving their designated self-isolation places without permission in violation of Seoul's mandatory self-isolation rules. Twelve of them were also slapped w
PoliticsNov. 11, 2020
-
[Herald Interview] 'Seoul needs to ask NK to refrain from provocations'
After four tumultuous years of the Donald Trump presidency, countries around the world are trying to figure out what President-elect Joe Biden’s America will mean for them. With Biden’s win on pledges to take the nation on a very different path from Trump on every front -- from COVID-19 responses and the economy to foreign policy -- a lot is at stake for Seoul, Washington’s key ally on issues from security to trade and North Korea diplomacy. The Blue House appears to be
Foreign AffairsNov. 11, 2020
-
Britain's invitation for S. Korea to join G7 summit shows its enhanced global stature: Cheong Wa Dae
Britain's invitation for South Korea to attend next year's Group of Seven (G7) summit apparently reflects Seoul's enhanced global stature, and it is expected to help the East Asian nation play a bigger role on the global stage, especially amid talk of expanding the club of the world's richest nations, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. "If (South Korea) takes part in the G7 summit to be held in Britain next year, it would be very positive for South Korea's participation in discussions, expected
PoliticsNov. 11, 2020
-
Moon meets veteran diplomats for discussions on US presidential election outcome
President Moon Jae-in held a luncheon meeting with a group of veteran diplomats and scholars Wednesday to hear their opinions on the shifting security environment in the wake of the recent US presidential election, Cheong Wa Dae said. The meeting, held at a banquet hall of the presidential office for nearly two hours, brought together Moon's former and current security advisors, revered professors as well as former ambassadors to the United States. Among the attendees were Chung Eui-yong, for
PoliticsNov. 11, 2020
-
2nd Korean American woman confirmed to win US Congress seat
Michelle Steel’s election victory was confirmed Tuesday, making her the second Korean American woman to be elected into the US Congress. According to the New York Times, Republican Steel, whose Korean name is Park Eun-joo, received 50.9 percent of the votes to be elected to the US House of Representatives in California’s 48th Congressional District, beating her Democrat rival by 1.8 percentage points. Born in Seoul, Steel moved to the US in 1975, and has been involved in politics
PoliticsNov. 11, 2020
-
Spy chief’s Tokyo trip unlikely to spark dramatic changes in Korea-Tokyo relations
The South Korean National Intelligence Service chief’s series of meetings with Japanese leaders appear unlikely to spark sudden changes in bilateral relations, with his suggestions reportedly being met with little enthusiasm. On Wednesday, National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won returned to Seoul after having met with Japan’s political leaders including Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the previous day. At the meeting with Suga, Park suggested issuing a Korea-Ja
Foreign AffairsNov. 11, 2020
-
Seoul's apartment prices rise 4.5 times higher under Moon than under preceding two governments
Seoul's apartment prices surged 58 percent during the presidency of Moon Jae-in, which is 4.5 times the increase rate of the combined period of the preceding Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments, a civic group said Wednesday. The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ), a leading progressive civic group, made the assertion in a news conference in Seoul, challenging the incumbent administration's earlier announcement that Seoul's apartment prices rose by merely 14 percent under Mo
PoliticsNov. 11, 2020
-
N. Korea estimated to have up to 60 nuclear warheads: US think tank
North Korea is believed to have up to 60 nuclear warheads that can threaten regional stability, according to a recent estimate by a research institute affiliated with the US National Defense University. The Institute for National Strategic Studies said in its Strategic Assessment 2020 report that the North is assumed to have between 15 and 60 nuclear warheads and approximately 650 ballistic missiles capable of threatening cities in South Korea, as well as in Japan and eastern China. "Thro
North KoreaNov. 11, 2020
-
COVID-19 cases above 100 for 4th day
New daily cases of the novel coronavirus in South Korea have increased by 146, bringing the total caseload to 27,799, marking the fourth day in a row above 100, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday. The death toll rose by two to 487. The fatality rate stands at 1.75 percent. The triple-digit rises in COVID-19 cases are pushing health authorities to consider an elevation of social distancing measures. The country adopted Level 1 distancing rules Saturday, t
Social AffairsNov. 11, 2020