Did COVID introduce you to world of binge-watching?

Kim Young-seo, a 30-year-old piano teacher, had resisted last year’s “Squid Game” phenomenon, shutting herself off from the world of streaming. Then COVID-19 came for her. After being diagnosed in late February, she signed up for multiple streaming platforms, including Netflix and Apple TV+. “The fact that I was trapped at home made me feel lethargic and I came to spend hours looking at computer, phone and television screens,” said Kim, who lives alone i

Social AffairsApril 6, 2022

Exclusion of COVID-hit students from midterms draws backlash

The Education Ministry’s decision to maintain a ban on students with COVID-19 from taking midterm exams has drawn backlash, with students and parents voicing concerns that missing out on the exams could put them at a disadvantage. “It is rather fortunate that our whole family already had COVID-19,” a high school student who attends a school in northern Seoul said. “It would be frustrating to miss the midterms as I had messed up on the previous one,” said the hig

Social AffairsApril 6, 2022

Korea says omicron in retreat, floats hopes for return to normalcy

South Korean government says the omicron wave is in retreat here, and that a return to normal life is on the horizon. “The weekly average deaths are falling, and this declining trend is expected to continue,” Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesperson Son Young-rae said at a briefing Wednesday. He said the number of patients in critical care have also fallen from a peak in late March, with 60 percent of beds at ICUs hospitals across the country filled. The ICU occupancy rates ho

Social AffairsApril 6, 2022

Yoon’s former aide to run for Gyeonggi Province governor

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s close aide Kim Eun-hye announced her bid for Gyeonggi Province governor, heating up the race for what is considered the biggest prize of the June 1 location elections. The journalist-turned-politician who was Yoon’s spokesperson held a press conference Wednesday, saying, “I, Kim Eun-hye, as a Korean citizen and Gyeonggi Province resident, declare my candidacy for the governor of Gyeonggi Province.” The first-term lawmaker vowed to make

PoliticsApril 6, 2022

586 Generation clings on despite promises to step down

Despite promising before the presidential election to step aside to allow fresh faces into politics, senior members of the Democratic Party of Korea are announcing bids for key posts in the local elections. Rep. Song Young-gil, former chief of the liberal party, is gunning for the Seoul mayoral post, while Reps. Cho Jeong-sik and An Min-suk have declared their intentions to run for Gyeonggi Province governor. Other senior party members are weighing options with less than two months left until t

PoliticsApril 6, 2022

Yoon unlikely start his term in Yongsan on May 10

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is unlikely to begin his term in the new presidential office as the time frame is too short to relocate in, Yoon’s office conceded Wednesday. “Once the reserve funds for the relocation are approved (at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday), working-level discussions will begin in earnest,” said Yoon’s spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin at a morning briefing. “It is impossible to relocate the office on May 10 due to the time spent (for the previo

PoliticsApril 6, 2022

Defense ministry begins relocation preparations following budget approval

South Korea's defense ministry started full-fledged preparations Wednesday for its relocation to a nearby building and other facilities inside its compound in Seoul, as the Cabinet has approved budget spending for moving the country's presidential office. The ministry plans to sign a contract with a private relocation company as early as Thursday in line with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to relocate the presidential office to the ministry building in Seoul's central district of Yongsan f

DefenseApril 6, 2022

Navy chief pledges 'proactive' military innovation

South Korea's Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Jung-soo vowed Wednesday to "proactively" push for military innovation in the midst of what he called "intense strategic competition" among maritime powers in the Indo-Pacific region. Kim made the remarks during a security forum, stressing the need for the Navy to respond to not only North Korean threats, but also to "comprehensive" security challenges beyond the Korean Peninsula. "North Korea's nuclear and weapo

DefenseApril 6, 2022

S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

South Korea has identified the remains of another soldier killed in the 1950-53 Korean War following his excavation from a former battle site more than a decade ago, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The ministry's excavation team recently identified the remains of Noh Jae-gyun, who held the rank equivalent to the current corporal, through a DNA analysis. His remains were discovered in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in 2009. Born in the southeastern county of Seonsan in 1928, No

DefenseApril 6, 2022

Intl. flights to quarantine-free nations to increase sharply starting in May: interior minister

The government will increase the weekly number of international flights to the United States, Europe and other COVID-19 quarantine-free nations by 100 flights every month starting in May in line with growing demand for overseas travel, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said Wednesday. The country's COVID-19 wave has been on the downturn for the third week in a row, and demand for overseas travel is expected to go up as foreign nations are gradually lifting quarantine requirements after passing t

Social AffairsApril 6, 2022

Yoon's inauguration commemoration stamp may feature his pet dog

A pet dog is likely to appear in a postage stamp commemorating the presidential inauguration for the first time, transition team officials said Wednesday. The issuance of a commemorative postage stamp featuring President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and his pet dog Tory is said to be in the review stage in time for his inauguration slated for May 10, they said. The possible inclusion of Tory in Yoon's postage stamp may be designed to arouse public interest in the issue of pet animals in a nation where th

PoliticsApril 6, 2022

Yoon says he will upgrade relations with Germany

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday he plans to upgrade relations with Germany as he met with the country's top envoy to Seoul. Yoon noted during the meeting with Amb. Michael Reiffenstuel that Germany is South Korea's biggest trading partner among the member states of the European Union. "I plan to further upgrade our cooperative relations with Germany," he said at his office, noting that Germany has contributed greatly to South Korea's economic and scientific development s

PoliticsApril 6, 2022

S. Korea's daily infections stay in 200,000s for 2nd day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the second straight day on Wednesday, as the spread of the omicron variant has slowed down after peaking last month. The country reported 286,294 new COVID-19 infections, including 22 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,553,644, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily tally remained below the 300,000s for the sixth consecutive day. The daily tally has been on the decline after rea

Social AffairsApril 6, 2022

US, Chinese nuclear envoys discuss ways to restart dialogue with N. Korea: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The top nuclear envoys of the United States and China met Tuesday in Washington for talks on ways to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, the US Department of State said. The meeting between US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim and China's Liu Xiaoming was held in Washington. "Special Representative Kim and Special Representative Liu discussed opportunities to advance our shared goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and how to encourage the DPRK to engage in

Foreign AffairsApril 6, 2022

N. Korea poses 'real' threats to US and allies: Gen. Milley

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose a real danger to the US homeland, as well as US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday. Milley also said the North shows no signs of giving up its efforts to further advance its military capabilities. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) continued weapons testing and development poses real threats to our allies and partners in the

Foreign AffairsApril 6, 2022

University officially voids medical school admission of ex-justice minister's daughter

Pusan National University on Tuesday made a final decision to nullify the 2015 admission of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's daughter into its medical school for using forged documents on the application. The school in the southeastern port city of Busan had tentatively decided in August last year to cancel Cho Min's admission to its Graduate School of Medicine and finalized the decision in a general faculty meeting Tuesday.  Tuesday's decision came after the Supreme Court convicted he

Social AffairsApril 5, 2022

Forum questions future of Gender Equality Ministry

A forum held Tuesday by the office of Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a four-term lawmaker of the main conservative People Power Party, discussed the future of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which the incoming administration has vowed to do away with. The party’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol plans to abolish the ministry, which was among his key election campaign pledges. In an opening address, Yoon accused the ministry of “aligning with the administration in power, rathe

Social AffairsApril 5, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases rebound to over 260,000

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections rebounded to over 260,000 during the 24 hours of Monday, the government reported Tuesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country’s daily COVID-19 cases came to 266,135, up 138,945 from the previous day’s 127,190. The total caseload rose to 14,267,401. The country’s daily coronavirus cases jumped, largely as more people received COVID-19 tests after the weekend. The number of COVID-19 tests du

Social AffairsApril 5, 2022

N. Korea warns it will ‘annihilate’ S. Korea with nuclear weapons if attacked

North Korea warned that it will inevitably use nuclear weapons to “annihilate” South Korean forces if South Korea chooses a military confrontation and launches a preemptive attack. Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister, issued another but detailed press statement on Tuesday to censure South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook’s remarks at an event marking the reinforcement of the Army Missile Strategic Command. Suh said the South Korean military &

North KoreaApril 5, 2022

Lee Jae-myung fandom grows despite defeat in presidential race

Lee Jae-myung, former presidential nominee of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea, is continuing to receive support from the general public even after last month’s presidential election defeat. The Democratic Party has effectively decided to move forward with Lee and his aides at the center with the latest floor leader election, and his fandom is believed to help Lee return to the political scene quickly as the new leader of the liberal faction. As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Lee’s online

PoliticsApril 5, 2022