Omicron wave expected to peak within next 10 days with daily cases up to 370,000: PM

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday that the country is expected to see the omicron wave peak in the next 10 days with daily cases going up to 370,000. South Korea's daily virus infections exceeded the 300,000 mark for the first time Wednesday with 342,446 cases due to the highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19. "During that period, the government's top priority will be reducing the number of critically ill patients and deaths," Kim said during a COVID-19 response meeting

Social AffairsMarch 11, 2022

N. Korean state media reports Yoon's election as S. Korea's new president

North Korea's state media on Friday reported conservative opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was elected as South Korea's president in the first coverage of the news by Pyongyang since the election. "Yoon Suk-yeol, a candidate of the conservative opposition 'People Power Party,' won by a narrow margin in the 20th 'presidential election' held in South Korea on March 9," the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a one paragraph report. Yoon was elected president ea

North KoreaMarch 11, 2022

N. Korean missile tests pose serious threat to peace, security: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a serious threat to the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, US state department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday. The remarks came after a senior US administration official said the North's missile launches, staged Feb. 27 and March 5 (Seoul time), were aimed at testing a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system. "These are ballistic missile launches," Price said when asked if the recent

Foreign AffairsMarch 11, 2022

N. Korea tests new ICBM system, US to impose additional sanctions: official

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's two most recent missile launches were aimed at testing a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system ahead of a possible full-fledged ICBM test, a senior US official said Thursday, adding the US plans to take action that will hinder Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. North Korea earlier confirmed launching missiles on Feb. 27 and Saturday (Seoul time), claiming they were aimed at developing a reconnaissance satellite. "After careful analysis, the

North KoreaMarch 11, 2022

USFK commander says he looks forward to working with Yoon administration

WASHINGTON -- US Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Paul LaCamera congratulated South Korean President-elect Yoon Seok-yul Thursday, saying he looks forward to working with the incoming administration to further strengthen the US-South Korea alliance. Yoon was elected president Wednesday (Seoul time). "It has been an honor to work with the Moon administration," said LaCamera, referring to South Korea's outgoing administration of Moon Jae-in. "Congratulations to President-elect Yoo

Foreign AffairsMarch 11, 2022

Revisiting Yoon’s 8-month political career before presidential leap

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s improbable run to the highest seat of South Korean leadership was littered with controversy, scandal and bad decision-making, both on his own part and that of his main rival from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jae-myung, and the tumultuous journey is reflected in the fluctuating polls from Gallup Korea along the way. Yoon, who was until a year ago the country’s chief prosecutor appointed by the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration, declared

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

Ex-audit agency chief wins seat in Seoul’s Jongno district

Former chief of the national audit agency Choe Jae-hyeong was among the winners of the March 9 elections, as he garnered over 50 percent of the vote in a legislative by-election held in central Seoul’s Jongno. According to the National Election Commission on Thursday, Choe of the conservative opposition People Power Party had 52.09 percent of the vote and independent candidate Kim Young-jong, a three-term mayor of Jongno-gu, marked just 28.41 percent. Choe was one of the contenders in

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

KIS celebrates equal gender representation

Korea International School has won the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, in recognition of the school’s effort to bring diversity to a program for advanced computer science. The College Board, a nonprofit organization established to expand access to higher education, honored the school’s Design and Innovation Department (D&I) for its near equal gender representation in AP computer science principles courses. Other classes in the department also strive to draw more fem

Social AffairsMarch 10, 2022

What Yoon pledged to do as president

COVID-19 economic rescue At the top of his agenda is compensating those who have sustained economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Yoon’s plans, "fair and complete" compensations for losses will be provided, and counseling will be offered to merchants and self-employed people affected by the pandemic. Yoon pledged to establish a presidential committee dedicated to COVID-19 compensation immediately upon inauguration, and to introduce new laws and revise rela

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

Election shows age, regional divides

The 2022 presidential election showed that age and regional divides in Korea continue to remain solid. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party beat his liberal rival Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party of Korea by 0.73 percentage points, marking the smallest point gap in the presidential election history of Korea. The previous record of the smallest point gap was set in 1997, when former President Kim Dae-jung won the election by 1.53 percent

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

Yoon, Biden reaffirm alliance in phone call

South Korea’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol held a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden just hours after his win Thursday, during which they reaffirmed the US-South Korea alliance to deal with North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. 　 During the 20-minute phone conversation, Biden congratulated Yoon on winning the presidential election, and invited the president-elect to the White House, according to a statement from Yoon’s People Power Party. In return, Yoon sa

Foreign AffairsMarch 10, 2022

What lies ahead for president-elect Yoon?

Former top prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol rose to the presidency in less than a year, entering politics with a promise to restore fairness following a regime marred by runaway housing prices and corruption scandals. The political neophyte now needs to prove his presidential capacity by addressing the mounting political and diplomatic challenges the nation faces. Public frustration grew under the administration of Moon Jae-in, who once won in a landslide with great expectations, but who was rocked by

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

S. Korea‘s daily COVID-19 cases top 300,000 two days in a row

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases have surpassed 300,000 for two days straight, government data showed Thursday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 327,549 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Wednesday, slightly down from the previous day. The country’s daily infections first topped the 300,000 mark a day earlier with 342,446 cases, the country’s current record-high tally. The daily tally currently appears to go beyon

Social AffairsMarch 10, 2022

N. Korea to launch spy satellites by 2025 to monitor US military activities

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country would launch “a large number of reconnaissance satellites” by 2025 to monitor the “hostile” military activities of the US forces and its allies in the region, state media reported Thursday. The North Korean leader laid out the plan in a rare visit to the National Aerospace Development Administration, which came after Pyongyang claimed it conducted an “important test” for developing a reconnaissance satellite o

North KoreaMarch 10, 2022

People’s Party chief among favorites to head presidential transition committee

With Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party elected as the next president of South Korea, attention is turning to who will make up his transition committee. People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, who dropped out of the presidential race in support of Yoon, has been mentioned as a likely figure to head the committee, which is expected to be launched earlier than usual. The committee will be tasked with helping Yoon get to work immediately upon his inauguration on May 10, and

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Today’s Ukraine, tomorrow’s Taiwan?

While Ukraine fell into dire straits due to Russia’s attack, on the other side of the world, the US and China are scrambling to make an elaborate effort in dealing with Taiwan. On March 1, the Joe Biden administration has sent US delegations including the retired Navy Adm. Michael Mullen and former Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy to Taiwan. On the following day, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also visited Taiwan. Given that a number of high-level US delegations are visit

Foreign AffairsMarch 10, 2022

Yoon’s 7 companion animals to become ‘first pets’

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s seven companion animals are set to become the nation’s “first pets” after he is inaugurated on May 10. Without children, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee live with four dogs -- Tori, Narae, Mari and Sunny -- and three cats -- Akkaengi, Navi and Norangi -- since they tied the knot in 2012. He will become the president with the most pets ever.  Among them, Jindo dog Tori is especially well known to the public from starring in a news phot

Social AffairsMarch 10, 2022

Entrepreneur takes on new role as first lady

As South Korea chose its next president in a tightly contested election Wednesday, the spotlight also turned to Kim Keon-hee, the spouse of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has actively pursued her career running an exhibition planning firm. Kim, a chief executive officer and founder of the company, has kept a low-key presence on the campaign trail since being bombarded by a series of allegations and rumors. And while she had little room to show off her personality in public during the cam

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

[News Analysis] Lee's defeat opens uncertain future for liberal bloc

The Democratic Party of Korea faces a perilous path ahead after the defeat of its candidate Lee Jae-myung, as possible investigations and political actions could undermine its dominant position in South Korean politics. Lee's defeat signifies that voters have eventually chosen to prioritize holding the current administration to account, underscored by Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party over Lee's assertions that he would be able to bring about a national recovery. Although Le

PoliticsMarch 10, 2022

Biden congratulates Yoon, reaffirms commitment to jointly address N. Korean threat

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden congratulated South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday, the White House said. Biden and Yoon talked on the phone hours after the incoming South Korean leader was declared the winner in the South Korean presidential election. "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to congratulate him on his election," the White House said in a press release, referring to South Kore

Foreign AffairsMarch 10, 2022