Korea takes step closer to normality

After more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit all parts of the world, Korea is set to step into a new era, lifting major social distancing rules except for the mask mandate. Though the omicron wave is yet to be fully resolved here, the government has decided to lift pandemic-related rules, concluding that the virus peak has passed. On Friday, the disease control authorities presented a new virus response road map, lifting the preexisting social distancing rules such as the limit

Social AffairsApril 17, 2022

Top prosecutor resigns in protest against bill to strip investigative powers

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo submitted his resignation on Sunday in protest of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s push for the bill to strip prosecutors of their investigative powers. “I feel responsible for the legislative process of abolishing the prosecution’s investigation function as the prosecution was again pointed out as a target of reform,” Kim said in a written statement released on the day. “As the prosecutor general, I submitted my resignation

PoliticsApril 17, 2022

President-elect Yoon to send delegation to Japan for policy consultation

South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol plans to send a delegation to Japan later this month for policy consultations on North Korea and pending bilateral issues, his transition team said Sunday. Led by Rep. Chung Jin-suk of Yoon's People Power Party, the delegation will visit Tokyo from April 24-28 to meet officials from the Japanese government and legislature as well as those from business circles, media and academia, according to the transition team's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin. The seven-

Foreign AffairsApril 17, 2022

S. Korea to hold NSC meeting on NK military activities: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korea is set to convene a session of the presidential National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday to discuss North Korea's weekend launch of two projectiles, Cheong Wa Dae said. Suh Hoon, director of national security at the presidential office, plans to preside over the NSC session after the North's state media reported the country had test-fired a new tactical guided weapon to improve the efficiency of tactical nuclear operations. South Korea's military said that it had detected the North'

North KoreaApril 17, 2022

S. Korea, US to kick off combined springtime training this week

South Korea and the United States will begin their combined springtime military training this week to further solidify the allies' defense posture, Seoul officials said Sunday. The nine-day command post training using a computer simulation is scheduled to kick off on Monday and it does not include any field troop maneuvers, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The exercise comes amid renewed tensions by the North's weekend test of a purported new tactical guided weapon and concerns that

DefenseApril 17, 2022

New COVID-19 cases below 100,000; distancing rules to be lifted this week

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100,000 on Sunday amid the continuing slowdown in infections, with the country set to lift major social distancing rules this week to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. The country added 93,001 more COVID-19 infections, including 18 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,305,752, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally marked a drop from 107,916 Saturday and 125,846 Friday. Daily virus cases fell below

Social AffairsApril 17, 2022

Koreans eager for return to maskless normal life; some, however, want to keep mask-wearing

With all social distancing rules but mask-wearing set to end this week, South Koreans are eager to return to complete pre-COVID-19 normalcy without masks, but some say masking is too beneficial to let go of even after the pandemic is over. Starting Monday, all COVID-19 infection prevention requirements, barring the mask mandate, will be lifted, including a curfew on operating hours of restaurants, cafes and other small businesses as well as the cap on the size of private gatherings. This will ma

Social AffairsApril 17, 2022

S. Korea to lift COVID-19 social distancing rules after 2-year fight against virus

After battling the new coronavirus for two years, South Korea is moving closer to post-pandemic life with the planned lifting of almost all COVID-19 social distancing rules. The new "post-omicron" scheme marks the first sweeping change in the COVID-19 response system since South Korea reported the first outbreak of the novel virus on Jan. 20, 2020. Starting Monday, restaurants, cafes and many other business establishments will be able to operate freely without a curfew and people will

Social AffairsApril 17, 2022

Military reports 1,546 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Saturday reported 1,546 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its service members to 116,201. The new cases included 1,004 from the Army, 223 from the Air Force, 156 from the Navy, 94 from the Marine Corps and 57 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry. There were also five cases each from the ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with two cases from the South Korea-U.S.Combined Forces Command. Currently, 10,814 milit

DefenseApril 16, 2022

Suspect who allegedly killed husband for insurance money arrested

A woman who allegedly killed her husband for insurance compensation in 2019 was arrested in the north of Seoul with her accomplice, the police said Saturday. The police arrested the 31-year-old murder suspect, Lee Eun-hae, and the 30-year-old accomplice, Cho Hyun-soo, at a residential building in Goyang, just north of Seoul, at around noon, according to the Incheon Metropolitan Police. Lee allegedly drowned her husband in June 2019 at a valley in Gapyeong, 60 kilometers east of Seoul, with Cho

Social AffairsApril 16, 2022

Moon calls for finding truth behind 2014 Sewol ferry sinking

President Moon Jae-in on Saturday reiterated his call for continued efforts to find the truth behind the tragic Sewol ferry sinking in 2014. "There are still matters in which the causes have not yet been revealed," Moon wrote on his social media accounts on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of the incident that killed 304 people. Moon added that revealing the truth behind Sewol without exception is needed to build foundations for the country's safety. The ferry sank off the sou

Social AffairsApril 16, 2022

N. Korea marks late founder’s birthday with fireworks, large-scale performance

North Korea held celebrations for the 110th birth anniversary of its late founder Kim Il-sung on Friday evening with fireworks and a mass dance performance in its capital, footage from state media showed. Throngs of masked North Koreans staged large-scale dance celebrations at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang to mark the Day of the Sun holiday, according to the 20-minute live broadcast from 7:10 p.m. by the North's state-run Korean Central Television. Fireworks were set off over the banks of th

North KoreaApril 16, 2022

S. Korea’s new COVID-19 cases below 110,000; distancing rules lifted next week

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 110,000 on Saturday, with the country set to gradually return to normalcy starting next week by lifting major social distancing rules. The country added 107,916 more COVID-19 infections, including 30 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,212,751, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is a drop from the previous day's 125,846, marking a steady decline in the virus curve from the March 17 peak

Social AffairsApril 16, 2022

N.K. leader visits mausoleum to mark birth anniversary of grandfather

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum of his late grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung to mark his birth anniversary, state media reported Saturday. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on Friday on the occasion of the 110th birth anniversary, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The mausoleum is where the bodies of his late grandfather and father lie in state. He was also accompanied by top aides, including Choe Ryong-hae, c

North KoreaApril 16, 2022

S. Korea decides to join CPTPP trade agreement

South Korea decided Friday to join a mega free trade agreement involving 11 Asia-Pacific nations as the country seeks to diversify its export portfolio amid heightened economic uncertainty. Late last year, the country launched the process to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The plan to join the CPTPP was approved at an economy-related ministers' meeting Friday, and the government will submit an official application after completing domestic p

Foreign AffairsApril 15, 2022

Foreign Ministry to send relief goods for Koreans under lockdown in Shanghai

Seoul will send relief goods for Koreans under a massive mandatory COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. “While Shanghai City announced to ease the lockdown measures, some areas are still in lockdown so we are closely monitoring the situation and putting effort to resolve problems for the people in those neighborhoods,” the Foreign Ministry said. The South Korean consulate general in Shanghai has obtained two vehicle passes from the Chinese g

Foreign AffairsApril 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] Lawmakers vote to start special probe on Air Force sexual assault case

South Korean lawmakers passed a bill Friday to open a special inspection into a sexual assault case linked to the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant, after a monthslong investigation into the case failed to satisfy the victim’s family. The bill, passed during a National Assembly plenary session on Friday afternoon, will allow the National Court Administration and the Korean Bar Association to recommend a total of four candidates to serve as the lead investigator for the special inspe

PoliticsApril 15, 2022

Foreign minister promises humanitarian support to Ukraine in phone talks

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong expressed “serious concerns” over Russia’s alleged killing of civilians in Ukraine and promised to provide humanitarian support during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, his office said Friday. Speaking with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Chung explained how South Korea plans to provide humanitarian assistance of worth $30 million to Ukraine, in addition to the previous $10 million in support. Chung also exp

Foreign AffairsApril 15, 2022

Yoon, Ahn reconcile after nominations spat

Yoon’s office says president-elect will pay more attention to Ahn, who said recommendations were ignored President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and transition committee chief Ahn Cheol-soo resolved their differences following a fallout over Cabinet nominations, Yoon’s spokesperson said Friday. “The dinner meeting took place in a very friendly atmosphere for the two (Yoon and Ahn) to reaffirm of their joint goal for a coalition government,” Bae Hyun-jin, Yoon’s spokesper

PoliticsApril 15, 2022

More than 60% of COVID-19 patients suffered aftereffects: survey

Around 65 percent of patients infected with COVID-19 said they experienced at least three different types of post-COVID-19 symptoms, according to a local survey Friday. Myongji Hospital conducted a survey among 748 patients between March 21 and April 11 out of the 1,077 people who visited its post-COVID-19 care center. “Most of the patients who visited the post-COVID-19 care center here said they suffered from at least two or more aftereffects,” Myongji Hospital COVID-19 Sequela

Social AffairsApril 15, 2022