S. Korea to urge New York City officials to take actions against anti-Asian crimes

The South Korean government plans to call formally on the New York City authorities to step up actions to counter a surge in crimes there against Asians in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials here said Tuesday. Chung Byung-hwa, South Korea's consul general in New York, will meet with Edward Mermelstein, New York City's commissioner for international affairs, on Friday to convey concerns over unprovoked attacks on Koreans and those of Korean descent. "(Chung) will deliver the Korea

Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

COVID-19 deaths spike as S. Korea continues to report record case numbers

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in South Korea spiked in figures reported Tuesday, as cases continued to reach record levels. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country reported 57,177 new COVID-19 infections in the 24 hours leading up to midnight Monday, raising the total number of cases Korea has had to 1,462,421. The daily figure has been over 50,000 for six straight days amid the recent omicron wave, according to government data. The government said i

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

US says it is up to South Korea to provide military aid to Ukraine

The US said it is up to the South Korean government to decide on providing military support to Ukraine amid heightened threat of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. 　 “That is a question for the South Korean government to answer,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday (US time), when asked about what kind of military support Washington wants from Seoul as an ally in the face of Russian threats. 　 Should Seoul want to assist Kyiv in a tangible way, Ukraine would welc

Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

Presidential candidates travel across country, official canvassing period kicks off

With the official canvassing period for this year’s presidential election kicking off on Tuesday, contenders traveled to regions across the country in colorful uniforms to reach out to voters. The presidential candidates currently leading the race, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, traversed between the cities of Seoul and Busan on their first canvassing day. Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People&rs

PoliticsFeb. 15, 2022

615,000 Pfizer coronavirus vaccines to arrive in S. Korea on Wednesday

A total of 615,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. will arrive in South Korea this week, health authorities here said Tuesday. The vaccines will land at the country's main gateway, Incheon International Airport, at about 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday, they said. The planned shipment will raise the total amount of COVID-19 vaccines delivered here to 6.97 million this year. The country has so far secured 154.4 million doses of vaccines, enough to inoculate the

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

Military reports 411 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Tuesday reported 411 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its personnel here to 9,355. The new cases included 253 from the Army, 54 from the Air Force, 50 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, and 32 from the Navy. There were also 18 cases from the Marine Corps and four from the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command. Currently, 3,647 military personnel are under treatment. The US Forces Korea (USFK), meanwhile, said 162

DefenseFeb. 15, 2022

US adds S. Korea to list of ‘very high’ risk countries

South Korea is among the six new additions to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of “very high” risk areas to travel to, according to the US authority’s website Monday. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Comoros, French Polynesia and Saint Pierre and Miquelon were also newly added to the list. In the new update, the CDC is urging Americans to avoid traveling to South Korea. “If you must travel to South Korea, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date w

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

Court rules against verbal notice of dismissal by foreign ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been ordered by a court to cancel the dismissal of an employee of an affiliated institution accused of sexually harassing fellow employees, due to its violation of the standard disciplinary procedure, judicial officials said Tuesday. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the employee in a lawsuit against the foreign ministry over its dismissal decision made in August 2020, citing its failure to notify of the disciplinary measure in writing. The ca

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

Ahn calls on Yoon to respond to merger offer

Minor presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo called on main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday to respond to his offer of a candidacy merger at an early date. Ahn of the centrist People's Party said he would like to hear from Yoon of the conservative People Power Party himself as it was a proposal made by one presidential candidate to another. "I would like (Yoon) to state his position at the earliest possible date," Ahn told reporters on his campaign trail in Gumi, 261 kilo

PoliticsFeb. 15, 2022

[Election 101] How much does an election cost?

In every election, candidates backed by major parties -- as well as minor league lone rangers -- travel across provinces, appear on TV, buy adverts on newspapers and run large-scale campaign teams staffed with experts and heavyweights across industries. All of these obviously come with hefty price tags, and while each election is mostly remembered as a competition among candidates appealing to meet the eyes of voters, each campaign only comes to existence with billions of won gathered and spent

PoliticsFeb. 15, 2022

Self-test kits available at physical stores, with price fixed at 6,000 won

Starting Tuesday, government-distributed self-test kits for COVID-19 have been made available at convenience stores and pharmacies across the country at a fixed price of 6,000 won ($5) a piece. Each individual can buy up to five kits at a time. The government’s price control will stay in effect through March 5, with the possibility of changes in the unit price depending on supply conditions. All online sales will be banned from Wednesday through March 5. These are part of the Ministr

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

‘Meet Denmark’ campaign exceeds 10k visitors

The Danish Embassy in South Korea said the cumulative number of visitors to its “Meet Denmark” campaign site exceeded 10,000 within 44 days of its launch on Thursday. The embassy co-launched the “Meet Denmark” campaign with the pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk last year in August. With the slogan “Aspiring life, Danish life,” the campaign offers a glimpse into a healthy, sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle unique to Northern Europe. As overseas travel be

Diplomatic CircuitFeb. 15, 2022

Iran opens permanent exhibition in Seoul

The Embassy of Iran in Seoul opened a permanent exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of Iran-Korea diplomatic relations and the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution at Korea Multicultural Museum in Seoul on Thursday. Iran became an Islamic republic after the Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The exhibition showcases Iranian music, currency and traditional clothes. During his welcoming remarks, Iran ambassador to Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari refe

Diplomatic CircuitFeb. 15, 2022

One Ocean Summit 2022

France hosted the One Ocean summit through Feb. 9-11 in Brest, France, to encourage the international community to raise its ambitions on marine issues and translate shared responsibility to ocean into tangible commitments, the French Embassy said in a press release. According to the embassy, more than 30 events, including workshops, forums, roundtables and other initiatives held on sidelines of high-level segment to engage the international maritime community, addressing topics of global scope

Diplomatic CircuitFeb. 15, 2022

Korean SMEs seeking new opportunities in Belarus

  Korean small- and medium-size enterprises are exploring new opportunities in the Belarusian market, opening branches, bringing in new technologies and talents, and creating a strong research base, the Belarusian Embassy in Seoul said in a press statement Thursday. Marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Korea, the embassy said Korea was among the first states which recognized an independent Belarus. Since then, Minsk and Seoul have both contributed to the

Diplomatic CircuitFeb. 15, 2022

US diplomat eyes potential fallout from Ukraine crisis on S. Korea, other Asian countries

A US diplomat on Tuesday did not rule out the possibility of the economic and security fallout from a conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Asian countries like South Korea. Speaking during a virtual forum, Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, said the world is "so intertwined" when asked if there could be a role for Seoul to play in defusing the standoff over Ukraine. "It is also important that the countries of Asia make it clear to Europe that

Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

S. Korea to mobilize policy means to minimize impacts from Ukraine crisis

South Korea plans to mobilize all policy means to minimize the economic fallout of the Ukraine crisis and reduce market volatility amid growing tensions between the United States and Russia over the region, a senior government official said Tuesday. The government plans to implement contingency measures if Russia invades Ukraine and the US and its allies' move to impose strong sanctions heightens economic uncertainty, according to First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon. "The government pl

Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

Number of student COVID-19 patients in Seoul more than doubles to 5,764

A total of 5,764 students in Seoul have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, more than doubling the number from a week earlier due to the fast growth in new omicron variant cases, officials said Tuesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the number of virus cases among kindergarten to high school students in the capital from Jan. 7 to Sunday increased 3,009 from 2,755 in the previous week. In-class infections climbed by 157 to 589, but the rate of in-school trans

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

S. Korea seeks New Zealand's support for its envisioned CPTPP membership

South Korea will ask for New Zealand's support for its push to join a mega free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region during an upcoming ministerial meeting, Seoul's trade ministry said Tuesday. Seoul's planned application for a membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will be one of the major agenda items for talks between South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor se

Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2022

Another woman killed while under police protection

A woman in her 40s has been killed while under police protection, officials said Tuesday, in the latest in a series of preventable deaths expected to spark calls for better protection measures for such victims. The victim, whose identity was withheld, was having a drink with an unidentified man at a bar in Seoul's western Guro district when a man in his 50s visited the bar and stabbed the two Monday night, officials said. She was taken to a hospital but died, while the other man was under treatm

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022