Weekend border crosser thought to be NK defector: S. Korea's military

South Korea's defense ministry said Monday the person that crossed the eastern inter-Korean border into North Korea over the weekend is presumed to be a North Korean defector. The ministry's statement came amid reports the man appears to be the one who crossed a barbed wire fence on the heavily fortified border to enter the South in November 2020. "Regarding the border crossing, the authorities presume the person is a North Korean defector and are in the process of verifying related facts

North KoreaJan. 3, 2022

Lee Jae-myung triumphs in early 2022 polls

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has ranked top in all polling results this year, as South Korea has just over 60 days left until the March election. Continued turmoil within the main opposition People Power Party and the resulting fall in support of its presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol are all working in favor of Lee. Yoon has lost support from almost all age groups, including young voters in their 20s, as mistakes continued and allegations ensued.

PoliticsJan. 3, 2022

Moon hails S. Korea’s democratic ‘maturity’ in New Year’s address

President Moon Jae-in hailed progress in South Korean democracy in a New year’s address on Monday, saying it has “matured” and been recognized by the world. “The government, which was launched without a transition committee in the face of an impeachment of the president, unprecedented in constitutional history, straightened up the collapsed constitutional order and advanced democracy,” Moon said in a speech delivered on the main stairs of Cheong Wa Dae on Monday m

PoliticsJan. 3, 2022

N. Korea remains unresponsive to S. Korea's message about weekend border-crossing

North Korea remains unresponsive after South Korea sent it a message about an unidentified person having crossed the eastern inter-Korean border over the weekend, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday. On Sunday, South Korea sent the message through a western military communication line "in light of protecting our citizen," though it has yet to verify details about the person who crossed the heavily fortified border on Saturday night. The fate of the person was not immediately confirm

North KoreaJan. 3, 2022

Seoul's daily COVID-19 cases drop below 1,000 for 1st time since mid-Nov.

Seoul's daily COVID-19 cases on Monday fell below 1,000 for the first time since mid-November, as the country has extended the enforcement of tighter social distancing measures for two more weeks, officials said. The number of cases in the capital was recorded at 993, 190 fewer compared than the 1,183 tally on Sunday and down 503 compared with a week ago, according to city health officials. Of the total, 964 were local infections and 29 were from overseas. It marked the first time Seoul's dail

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2022

JCS chief stresses 'basics and principles' in New Year's message before border breach

South Korea's top military officer has called for troops to stick to "basics and principles" in a New Year's message, his aide said Monday, a directive eclipsed by a botched effort to stop an unidentified person from crossing the inter-Korean border over the weekend. For delivery on the first week of the new year, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul had the message ready on Friday, the day before the person crossed the heavily fortified border in what is decried as

DefenseJan. 3, 2022

Military reports 8 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Monday reported eight additional COVID-19 cases, including seven breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,311. Of the new cases, five are from the Army, one from the Navy, one from the Air Force and one from a unit under the direct control of the defense ministry. Currently, 240 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,507 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

DefenseJan. 3, 2022

PM stresses political neutrality, discipline ahead of key elections

Prime Minister Kim Boo-Kyum on Monday called on public servants to keep political neutrality and discipline as the country prepares for the presidential and local elections this year. "Please restrain from any activity that can be misinterpreted ahead of elections," Kim said at the government's new year kick-off ceremony in Seoul. "We will strictly deal with activities regarding producing or providing government policy data in an unofficial way." South Korea is scheduled

PoliticsJan. 3, 2022

Daily virus cases stay below 4,000 for 2nd straight day amid tighter antivirus curbs

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed below 4,000 for the second straight day Monday as the country has extended the enforcement of its tighter social distancing measures for two more weeks to stem a surge in infections and the spread of the omicron variant. The country added 3,129 new COVID-19 infections, including 2,993 local infections, raising the total caseload to 642,207, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This marked the second straight day that

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2022

What lies ahead for Korea’s new president

The next president, to be elected in March and take office in May, will have a host of urgent issues. Korea’s economy has been hit hard by the prolonged pandemic. Millions of small business owners and self-employed people are burdened with mounting debts. Housing prices have soared. The deepening US-China rivalry is posing a tricky policy challenge. Relations with the North and with Japan have turned sour. Whoever becomes a new president, their top priority will, above all, be respondin

PoliticsJan. 2, 2022

The perils, promises omicron holds for 2022

As the third year of the pandemic dawns, the rise of a new variant once again upends previously established calculations about the virus. Forecasts out there are a mix of bleak and upbeat, with the most optimistic saying omicron could be “the beginning of the end.” Although it’s still too early to predict omicron’s impact, most experts agree on one point: This winter will be a challenge with an omicron-fueled surge riding on top of the existing damages from delta.

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2022

[Election 2022] Ruling party candidate to accept cryptocurrency for campaign donations

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, will accept cryptocurrency for campaign donations, his party said on Sunday, amid growing interest in virtual assets among young voters. According to Lee’s election committee, it will issue nonfungible tokens as receipts to those who donate virtual currencies to support the presidential nominee, starting from mid-January. Bitcoin, Ethereum and up to three other cryptocurrencies are under review. The committ

PoliticsJan. 2, 2022

Over 1,000 file suit against govt. over vaccine pass

Over 1,000 people have jointly filed a lawsuit against the government's requirement of presenting proof of vaccination in multiuse facilities on concerns over discrimination against unvaccinated people, sources said Sunday. A total of 1,023 plaintiffs filed the suit Friday with the Seoul Administrative Court against Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to challenge the so-called vaccine pass. Und

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2022

Street cleaner: “I’m totally satisfied with my job”

An online post purportedly written by a street cleaner saying he is “100 percent satisfied” with his salary and working conditions has gone viral Sunday.  The writer of the job review, posted on online community bobaedream.co.kr., introduces himself as a 42-year-old sanitation worker who started work on Jan. 1 last year. “I’m 100 percent satisfied with my job largely due to the salary I receive,” he wrote, adding that his annual wages easily exceed 50 million

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2022

[Newsmaker] May 2022 be year of healing, really

A concerted effort to heal the scars of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has widened social, political and economic divisions during its two-year reign, was one of the top wishes from ordinary people in Korea for the New Year. As much as the COVID-19 crisis has isolated people and affected their daily routines, it also has shed light on the importance of interpersonal ties and solidarity. The Korea Herald interviewed 10 people -- COVID-19 frontline nurses, a Seoul-based TikToker and influencer,

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2022

Yoon pledges ‘digital platform’ for government services, affairs

The main opposition People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday pledged to establish a digital system to integrate all government portals into one platform, and to provide “personalized” services to the people. “I want to transform the government into a digital platform government, which provides services to the people based on digital technology and big data,” Yoon said. Yoon said that the envisioned digital platform would “accurate

PoliticsJan. 2, 2022

NK’s 2022 policy direction: Prioritize internal stability, wait and see on foreign policy

North Korea’s five-day party plenum was dominated by internal affairs including economic growth, agricultural development, and preventative measures for COVID-19, with Pyongyang’s recalibrated approach to South Korea and the US remaining veiled. North Korean state media on Saturday announced the outcome of the fourth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which was held between Dec. 27 and 31 and attended by leader Kim Jong-un. The r

North KoreaJan. 2, 2022

Unidentified person crosses inter-Korean border into N. Korea

South Korea’s military said Sunday that an unidentified person crossed the eastern inter-Korean border into North Korea. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said an individual was spotted crossing the Military Demarcation Line at around 9:20 p.m. Saturday, through surveillance equipment installed in the border region. The JCS added it confirmed the person crossed the border at 10:40 p.m., some 80 minutes after the military immediately deployed its unit to locate the person. The J

North KoreaJan. 2, 2022

COVID-19 vaccine pass will be applied with 6-month validity period this week

Proof of vaccination required for access to multiuse facilities will be valid only for six months after the primary series or booster doses starting Monday, health authorities said as they seek to stem the latest upsurge in virus cases. Under the tightened measure, those who completed the primary series on July 6 last year or before will not be allowed to use those facilities starting Monday if they are not administered with a booster shot, officials said. The so-called vaccine pass is require

Social AffairsJan. 2, 2022

Rights watchdog rejects petition over govt. decision to penalize defector group over leafleting campaign

The state human rights watchdog has rejected a petition accusing the government of a human rights violation over its decision to revoke the license of an anti-North Korea group of defectors for sending propaganda leaflets across the border, sources said Sunday. The petition was filed with the National Human Rights Commission in June last year after the unification ministry decided to revoke the license of Fighters for a Free North Korea and to file a criminal complaint against its head, Park Sa

North KoreaJan. 2, 2022