Lee Jae-myung accused of aping Lee Myung-bak's signature economy pledges

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was accused of mimicking former conservative President Lee Myung-bak’s vision for economic growth of South Korea. Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the left-wing Justice Party asked during a televised presidential debate Monday if Lee Jae-myung, a liberal, was copying Lee Myung-bak in promising specific figures for target in laying out his economic initiatives even though the two figures have wildly different political ideol

PoliticsFeb. 21, 2022

Omicron surge ‘necessary process’ to get to endemic stage, says Health Ministry

South Korea’s top health official said Monday the surge the country is experiencing now is necessary to move toward an endemic phase from the pandemic, and omicron’s milder severity aids the transition. Son Young-rae, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s spokesperson, said the recent uptick in hospitalizations and deaths driven by the omicron variant “does not warrant the same level of alarm as with the delta wave.”　 From cases diagnosed Jan. 16-29, the overall f

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

Safety of COVID-19 self-care scheme in doubt as patients die at home

South Korea stopped monitoring COVID-19 patients younger than 60 beginning Feb. 10 in a switch to what is known as a self-care scheme, after the milder omicron overtook delta as the dominant strain here.  But following deaths among younger patients isolating at home, concerns are rising over possible safety oversights in the new system. 　 According to health authorities Monday, at least two patients died in the Seoul area while in home isolation over the weekend. In Suwon, Gyeonggi Provi

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

Why isn’t COVID-19 top priority for S. Korea’s next president?

A new president is about to be elected, leading South Korea through the next phase of the pandemic. So why is COVID-19 getting so little attention in the presidential race? 　 It wasn’t until after a hospital bed shortage induced by the “living with COVID-19” scheme in November that the leading candidates -- the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae-myung and main opposition People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol -- set up dedicated committees for outlining their p

PoliticsFeb. 21, 2022

Presidential race escalates into show of performance

From smashing pine boards in a taekwondo uniform to beating a traditional drum, the two presidential candidates leading the race are each putting on a show to woo voters. Addressing a crowd of residents in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday, presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea smashed pine boards while donning a taekwondo uniform, in a show of his determination to change the country when he is elected. “Like how Gyeonggi Province is different b

PoliticsFeb. 21, 2022

[Voters &] ‘Young voters’ ask to be taken more seriously

With less than three weeks to go to the presidential election, Kim Min-young, 31, has yet to decide who she will support for the country’s next president, as none of the contenders have been successful in persuading her. “The many election promises the candidates have made to target voters in their 20s and 30s lack details in how they link with the visions and principles the candidates hold for their government,” Kim, an office worker in Seoul, told The Korea Herald. &ldqu

PoliticsFeb. 21, 2022

Much ink being spilled over legal status of tattoo artists in Korea

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea may soon recommend the abolishment of a long-disputed ”tattoo ban“ in Korea, in what could be a galvanizing moment for the introduction of a licensing and registration system for tattoo artists. According to local reports, the rights body has decided to throw its weight behind legislative proposals currently pending at the National Assembly that seek to provide a legal way for aesthetic tattoo artists to work. Currently only those with a

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

K9 howitzer manufacturer to launch 'user community' to share artillery experience

Hanwha Defense, the South Korean manufacturer of the K9 self-propelled howitzer, plans to launch a forum of its user countries in April to share their experience in operating the artillery system, officials said Monday. The company will hold the inaugural session of the "K9 User Community" in Changwon, 400 kilometers south of Seoul -- the manufacturing hub for the weapons system currently run by six foreign countries, including Finland, Norway and Estonia. The company has sent out invi

DefenseFeb. 21, 2022

Moon urges unvaccinated people to get Novavax vaccine

President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for unvaccinated people to get Novavax Inc's vaccine, as the nation started administering fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines amid a surge in omicron infections. Moon made the remarks at a meeting with senior aides as the government is grappling with a new wave of infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. Starting Monday, health authorities began administering fourth doses of shots to high-risk groups, such as elderly people in nursing homes

PoliticsFeb. 21, 2022

US says deployment of latest Apache helicopters to S. Korea complete

The US Forces Korea (USFK) has completed the deployment of the newest Apache attack helicopters to South Korea, its aviation unit said, as the allies have stepped up joint efforts to counter Pyongyang's evolving military threats. In a Facebook post last Friday, the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade said that the process to deploy the latest AH-64E Version 6 helicopters to Camp Humphreys, a main USFK base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was completed two days earlier. It did not specify th

DefenseFeb. 21, 2022

[Subway Stories] Seoul Station, hub of mass transit and home of the homeless

Seoul Subway Stories is a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring the subway stations and surrounding areas across the city. The following is the first installment – Ed. Seoul Station has been a major transport hub in the country since its birth in 1900, its historical and practical significance making it a landmark of the city.  But for decades, the station authorities, the pedestrians, and the homeless have been locked in a three-way battle that was recently further smeared

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

S. Korea-New Zealand social security accord to take effect next month

A social security agreement between South Korea and New Zealand will go into effect next month, allowing their nationals to use their employment and residences in both countries to qualify for pension benefits, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The two sides signed the accord in October 2019 for those who are not eligible for the pension plan in each nation due to their shorter-than-required periods of coverage. Koreans have to make payments to the national pension scheme for at least 10 yea

Foreign AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

[Newsmaker] Historical revisionism, political motive behind Japan’s Sado mine push as world heritage

Japan’s decision to recommend a disused gold and silver mine as a UNESCO World Heritage site has drawn backlash in South Korea, with observers accusing Tokyo of trying to distort history by nominating the mine, which was the site of forced labor in the early 20th century. 　 Located on Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, the mine highlights outstanding mining technology development before and after the industrialization, becoming one of the world’s largest sources of gold in the 17th

Foreign AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

Schools open up more to possibility of going online

The Education Ministry on Monday recommended schools be more flexible with attendance policies in early March during a two-week transition period, dialing up an advisory for holding online classes if needed.　 The announcement gives schools more flexibility from the ministry’s earlier guidelines for schools to go hybrid with online and offline classes, allowing schools to tweak attendance policies regardless of the rules during the first two weeks of the new semester. “We are exp

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

2 former Samsung execs under review for March 1 day parole

Two former top executives of Samsung Group have been included among candidates for the upcoming independence movement day parole, sources said Monday. Choi Gee-sung, former head of Samsung's now-disbanded control tower Future Strategy Office, and Chang Choong-ki, former deputy chief of the office, are among those who may be granted parole by the Ministry of Justice in celebration of the March 1 Independence Movement Day, the sources told Yonhap News Agency. The ministry plans to discuss whether

PoliticsFeb. 21, 2022

Seoul city to provide health care, education support to N. Korean defectors

The Seoul city government will provide North Korean defectors with free health checkups, online tutoring services for students and other support measures to help them better settle in their new homeland, officials said Monday. It is the first time in nine years that Seoul has put together support measures for defectors. Seoul is home to 6,759 defectors, about 21.4 percent of the total, and about 3.4 billion won ($2.85 million) has been earmarked for this year's support plan, up 1.5 billion won f

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

Military reports 477 more COVID-19 cases

The military on Monday reported 477 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 12,674. The new cases included 344 from the Army, 41 from the Air Force, 34 from the Marine Corps, 28 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry and 20 from the Navy. There were also nine infections from the ministry and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 3,330 military personnel are under treatment. (Yonhap)

DefenseFeb. 21, 2022

[Herald Interview] Discarded masks showing up more on Korea’s beaches: green group

Beach pollution is a serious problem. Some 11 million metric tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean annually, according to a 2020 study co-authored by researchers at the Pew Charitable Trusts. Against this backdrop, one couple in Gangneung on the east coast of South Korea in Gangwon Province have embarked on a mission to clean up Korea’s shores and the ocean. “We have actually been keeping record of trash on the beaches even before the pandemic began and masks are now much more

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

Monthly salary of wage workers up 3.6% in 2020

The average monthly salary of wage earners in South Korea rose 3.6 percent on-year in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a government report showed Monday. Wage workers in Asia's fourth-largest economy earned a monthly average of 3.2 million won ($2,669) in December 2020, up from 3.09 million won a year earlier, according to the report from Statistics Korea. The average salary of the median income bracket came to 2.42 million won, up 3.5 percent from the previous year. The figure for workers wi

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022

Majority of S. Koreans support eased business curfew: poll

Six out of 10 South Koreans are positive about the relaxation of COVID-19 curbs on businesses, a poll showed Monday. In the survey by the Korea Society Opinion Institute, 62.1 percent said the government should enhance the protection of severely ill patients and those with underlying conditions while easing the curfew on restaurants, cafes and other businesses. But 32.6 percent said restrictions on business hours should be maintained firmly until infections are back on the decline. The survey wa

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2022