Yoon sets pandemic crisis management as top priority as transition team kicks off

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday stressed that managing the COVID-19 pandemic is the utmost priority for the presidential transition team, as the committee began its 53-day run. Speaking in the first general meeting of the committee, Yoon requested the special committee in charge of handling the COVID-19 crisis to focus on the damage compensation system for sole proprietors, and preventive measures to control the spread of the disease, citing the surging COVID-19 cases here. “No

PoliticsMarch 18, 2022

1,500 N.Koreans are at risk of being repatriated by China: UN investigator

The United Nations’ independent investigator on human rights in North Korea urged China and Russia to stop forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees and abide by the requirements of UN conventions forbidding refoulement. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, expressed his concerns over the perennial but weighty issue in his report which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on Mar. 2

North KoreaMarch 18, 2022

S. Korea to open temporary settlement lines for trade financing with Russia

South Korea said Friday it plans to open temporary settlement lines between local banks and their units in Russia in a bid to help local firms facing difficulties in trade financing due to global sanctions against Russia. The government plans to support swift trade financing-related payments for local companies as Woori Bank and Hana Bank are set to open ad hoc settlement accounts with their affiliates in Russia, according to the Financial Services Commission (FSC). The move is aimed at minimizi

Foreign AffairsMarch 18, 2022

S. Korea, US to discuss cooperation in space security, N. Korean threats

South Korea's Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Park In-ho will meet the chief of the US Space Command here later this week to discuss North Korea's long-range rocket development and other security issues, his office said Friday. Park and Gen. James Dickinson are set to hold talks at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday, as the allies are striving to bolster combined defense in the wake of the North's continued missile launches. They are expected to discu

DefenseMarch 18, 2022

Yoon aims to open Cheong Wa Dae to public 'before spring flowers wither'

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol aims to open Cheong Wa Dae to the public "before spring flowers wither," Yoon's spokesperson said Friday, suggesting that the compound would be turned into a public place before Yoon's inauguration in May. Kim Eun-hye, Yoon's spokesperson, made the remarks as Yoon and his transition team is considering relocating the presidential office to either the foreign ministry building in Gwanghwamun or the defense ministry compound in Yongsan. "We will return

PoliticsMarch 18, 2022

Ewha university professor, students to kick off peace concerts in front of Russian Embassy next week

A professor and students of Ewha Womans University's College of Music will begin holding lunchtime concerts every weekday in front of the Russian Embassy in central Seoul next week to wish for peace in Ukraine, officials said Friday. The concert series, titled "Small Concert for Peace," will kick off at 12:30 p.m. Monday with 20 to 30 minutes of performances by a cello quartet of professor Bae Il-hwan and three student cellists, officials said. The concerts will take place at the same

Social AffairsMarch 18, 2022

UN rapporteur urges provision of vaccines to N. Korea

The UN special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights has repeated his call for the international community to send enough COVID-19 vaccines to the reclusive country, a report showed Friday. Tomas Ojea Quintana described it as a "new way" to engage with the North in his report on its human rights situation to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council next week, with his six-year term ending in August. "A new way of thinking needs to take hold," the report read. "This

North KoreaMarch 18, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases above 400,000; govt. eases private gathering cap

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit above 400,000 on Friday, led by the wave of the highly transmissible omicron variant, amid the government's steps to shift away from rigorous social distancing. The country reported 407,017 new COVID-19 infections, including 39 from overseas, raising the total caseload to 8,657,609, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is a sharp drop from the all-time high of 621,328 on Thursday, but the Thursday count had included

Social AffairsMarch 18, 2022

PM says opening of Turkish bridge good opportunity to display S. Korea's technology

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the opening of a landmark bridge in Turkey will serve as a good opportunity to display South Korea's technology and financing system as he arrived in the transcontinental country to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties. The 1915 Canakkale Bridge, which straddles the Dardanelles strait in northwestern Turkey, is the world's longest suspension bridge, with a 2,023-meter span between its towers, built by a consortium comprised of South Korea's SK ecoplant and DL

PoliticsMarch 18, 2022

Govt. to ease private gathering limit to 8 people, maintain 11 p.m. business curfew

The government will ease the limit on private gatherings to eight people from the current six while maintaining the 11 p.m. business curfew, Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said Friday. Kwon made the announcement as South Korea has been weighing the option of further relaxing the virus restrictions amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant. The measures will take effect Monday. On Thursday, the country reported 621,328 new COVID-19 cases, the largest daily count since it r

Social AffairsMarch 18, 2022

Relocating the presidential office emerges as ‘tall order’

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is pushing hard with his plan to relocate the presidential office, with transition committee officials now saying there is zero possibility of him going to the current Cheong Wa Dae, also known as the Blue House due to its iconic blue-tiled roof. From the start of his presidential campaign, Yoon has vowed to relocate the presidential office for “better communication” with the public, seeing Cheong Wa Dae as closed off from the public and a symbol of em

PoliticsMarch 17, 2022

[Newsmaker] Violence against Asians decried in Atlanta

ATLANTA -- A year after the fatal shootings at three Georgia massage businesses, crowds gathered at rallies across the country Wednesday to remember the victims and denounce anti-Asian violence that has risen sharply in recent years. Six women of Asian descent were among the eight people killed in and near Atlanta on March 16, 2021. The slayings contributed to fear and anger among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and motivated many to join the fight against the rising hostility. At the Atla

Social AffairsMarch 17, 2022

US Fed begins inflation fight with rate hike, more to come

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve launched a high-risk effort Wednesday to tame the worst inflation since the early 1980s, raising its benchmark short-term interest rate and signaling up to six additional rate hikes this year. The Fed's quarter-point hike in its key rate, which it had pinned near zero since the pandemic recession struck two years ago, marks the start of its effort to curb the high inflation that followed the recovery from the recession. The rate hikes will eventually mean h

Foreign AffairsMarch 17, 2022

Theatre bombed in Ukraine, Biden slams 'war criminal' Putin

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine accused Russia Thursday of bombing a theatre that was sheltering more than 1,000 civilians in the city of Mariupol, after US President Joe Biden branded Vladimir Putin a "war criminal." The latest assaults on civilians across Ukraine came as President Volodymyr Zelensky made a searing appeal for help to the US, which responded by pledging $1 billion in new weapons to fight Russia's invading army. Officials across Ukraine are struggling to count the civilian dea

Foreign AffairsMarch 17, 2022

Should a feminine boy be told to take up martial arts to be more manly?

When a TV psychiatrist in South Korea recently gave advice in hopes of correcting the gender nonconforming behavior of a child, some experts and LGBT activists expressed concern. Critics say that seeing such behavior as “problematic” and “something to be corrected” can limit children’s gender expression and can also be harmful in worse cases. The latest episode of “My Golden Kids,” which aired March 11, centered on a boy who likes to wear makeup and fe

Social AffairsMarch 17, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases top 600,000, deaths more than double

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections surged to surpass 600,000 for the first time, the country’s health authorities reported Thursday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 621,328 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Wednesday. The total caseload also jumped to 8,250,592. South Korea has been the world‘s largest COVID-19 hot spot in recent days. According to statistics-tracking website Worldometer, the country’s da

Social AffairsMarch 17, 2022

Moon voices concerns over disruption of global supply chains

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday expressed concerns over further disruption of global supply chains, as China's COVID-19 lockdowns sent ripples through the global auto industry. Moon instructed officials to come up with thorough measures to prepare for disruptions of supply chains after being briefed about difficulties facing South Korea's auto-parts industry from lockdowns in some Chinese regions, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a statement. A sharp rise in COVID-19

PoliticsMarch 17, 2022

PM embarks on trip to Turkey, Qatar

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum embarked on a five-day trip to Turkey and Qatar on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen diplomatic ties and expand economic cooperation. Kim will visit Turkey from Thursday to Saturday during which he will attend the opening ceremony of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge following an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The 1915 Canakkale Bridge in northwestern Turkey is the world's longest suspension bridge with a 2,023-meter span between its towers, buil

PoliticsMarch 17, 2022

Justice minister tests positive for COVID-19

GWACHEON -- Justice Minister Park Beom-kye has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under self-treatment at home, his ministry said Thursday. Park tested positive in a rapid antigen test late Wednesday night, the justice ministry said, adding he plans to get treatment at his home for a week till Tuesday. "Park plans to cancel all schedules that require face-to-face contact, such as on-site visits or meetings," the ministry said, noting he will continue to carry out his duty at home thro

Social AffairsMarch 17, 2022

Govt. to inject W1.9tr to develop neighborhoods near US bases

The interior ministry said Thursday it plans to inject 1.9 trillion won ($1.63 billion) this year to finance development projects in neighborhoods close to current and former US military bases. The ministry said it finalized the size of this year's fund that will be used in 115 projects in 13 cities and provinces to improve infrastructure where development has remained slow due to restrictions. The government has injected a combined 13.8 trillion won since 2008 to help develop areas near US mili

Social AffairsMarch 17, 2022