PPP floor leader demands meeting with Moon over allegations of surveillance

The floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday demanded a meeting with President Moon Jae-in following revelations that a state investigative agency checked the phone records of its presidential nominee, the nominee's wife and dozens of party lawmakers. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has come under fire over revelations that it obtained the phone records of journalists in an alleged attempt to identify the source of leaks to th

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

Cats responsible for 107 house fires in Seoul in past 3 yrs

In a total of 107 house fires that occurred in Seoul between January 2019 and November this year, the culprit is believed to be cats, the city’s fire department said Thursday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, cats are believed to have started the blaze by turning on the electric stove in the kitchen with their paws. Nearly half of the cases, or 52, occurred while the owners were out. Electric induction cookers often come with touch-sensitive button

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

Military reports 28 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 28 additional COVID-19 cases, including 25 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,235. Of the new cases, 14 are from the Air Force, 10 from the Army, two from the Navy, one from the Marine Corps, and one from a unit under direct control of the ministry. Currently, 268 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,436 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

New COVID-19 cases above 5,000 for 2nd day, critical cases remain high

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 5,000 for the second day in a row Thursday as authorities weigh whether to extend the current social distancing rules amid concerns over the omicron variant and critical cases. The country added 5,037 new COVID-19 infections, including 4,930 local infections, raising the total caseload to 625,967, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Thursday's figure is lower than 5,408 cases reported the previous day but marked

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2021

S. Korea starts construction of 2nd 3,600-ton-class SLBM submarine

South Korea has started the construction of a new 3,600-ton-class military submarine with improved ballistic missile capabilities, officials said Thursday. The second unit of Changbogo-III Batch-II class submarine, boasting advanced combat capabilities and sonar systems, is set to be built by 2026 and handed over to the Navy in 2028, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). It is expected to have 10 vertical launch tubes for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLB

DefenseDec. 30, 2021

Lawmaker plans to accept political donations in cryptocurrencies

A ruling party lawmaker plans to accept political donations in cryptocurrencies, his office said Thursday, amid rising interest in virtual assets in the country. Rep. Lee Kwang-jae of the ruling Democratic Party is trying to get campaign contributions in virtual currencies and issue non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a receipt for such donations starting mid-January. If realized, Lee would be the first lawmaker in South Korea to accept virtual assets for campaign finance. "We are currently re

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

Top N. Korean officials join discussions on major policies for 2022 at party plenary

North Korea had high-profile discussions on key policy issues for 2022 during a year-end plenary session of the Workers' Party, with senior officials, including those in charge of inter-Korean relations and foreign affairs in attendance, according to its state media Thursday. The North convened a third day of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the party's 8th Central Committee on Wednesday, during which "sectional workshops" continued from the previous day to "map out plans according to

North KoreaDec. 30, 2021

US declines comment on Chung's remarks about end of war declaration agreement

The United States declined to directly comment on any progress made on a draft for an end to the Korean War declaration professed by the South Korean foreign minister on Wednesday, only saying the US remains committed to dialogue with North Korea. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday (Seoul time) said South Korea and the US have already reached a de facto agreement on the draft of a declaration to formally end the Korean War. A state department spokesperson offered no dire

PoliticsDec. 30, 2021

Health officials say surge is slowing, but hospitalizations still at all-time high

Top health officials say COVID-19 cases in are finally slowing in South Korea after bed shortages and increasing out-of-hospital deaths forced “return-to-normal” plans to halt two weeks ago. Despite the reassurance, the highly transmissible omicron variant is spreading while hospital admissions continue a record-setting rise. Son Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, told reporters Wednesday that, “Based on important metrics, one thing appears certain

Social AffairsDec. 29, 2021

[What’s your say] Too light a punishment?

Last summer, a man grabbed a teenage girl who was shopping at a large shopping mall in the city of Sejong and raped her in a men’s bathroom. Committed in broad daylight, it shocked many at that time. On Wednesday, the 20-something offender avoided jail time, as a local court sentenced him to three years of imprisonment suspended for four years. The act on the protection of children and youth against sex offenses states that a rape of a minor shall be punished by imprisonment for life o

Social AffairsDec. 29, 2021

Lee aims to significantly improve quality of life

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung unveiled a set of campaign pledges on welfare on Wednesday, promising to improve the quality of life for South Koreans to the 15th best among the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Under the pledges, the Democratic Party nominee said he will increase the coverage age of child allowance to 15 and reinforce sickness benefits, while expanding benefits of the national pension fund. Lee also said he

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

Women earn 11% less than male counterparts at Seoul government

Women working at the Seoul Metropolitan Government earn about 11 percent less than their male colleagues, data showed Wednesday, marking a smaller gap than the average figure registered by members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The data found that the gender wage gap, referring to the rate of men’s average pay to that of women, reached 11.28 percent last year, lower than 12.8 percent, the latest average of member nations of the OECD. Female civil servants f

Social AffairsDec. 29, 2021

Company poses as University of Oxford’s agency under police investigation

Seoul police are investigating a local firm for falsely advertising itself as the University of Oxford’s affiliate in charge of admissions.  “The University of Oxford has promoted countermeasures against the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. It launched the ‘Oxford Graduate School Management Center’ in South Korea in charge of helping international students, especially from Asian countries with their preparation for graduate school admission,” the company introduce

Social AffairsDec. 29, 2021

[Newsmaker] Lookist evaluation of Yoon’s spouse raises eyebrows

Left-leaning figures have come under fire for making comments about Kim Keon-hee’s appearance, with some calling the remarks “misogynous.” The latest comments on Kim, the wife of People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, came after she publicly apologized for embellishing her career history. On Wednesday, former lawmaker Sohn Hye-won once again took to social media to comment on Kim’s makeup and facial expressions when she delivered the apology. Sohn

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

Yoon faces criticism for saying ‘most S. Koreans dislike China’

Main opposition People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl has come under fire over a comment he made on Tuesday that “most South Koreans, especially young people, dislike China.” Following the comment, a spokesperson of the ruling Democratic Party’s campaign committee said the comment was “shocking” and “low” to reduce diplomatic relations between countries to whether who likes who. “China is an important partner in securit

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

Lee takes controversies head-on

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, appears to be taking a head-on tactic to tackle controversies. In a radio interview Wednesday, Lee admitted to academic plagiarism and reiterated that Gachon University should revoke his master’s degree. “I did not provide citations in my thesis, and it is plagiarism. I gave up on my degree,” Lee said in the interview. “The school should cancel it, but it has not. They gave me a doc

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

Minor candidates gain attention as two-way race stays ugly

Minor presidential candidates are gaining increasing attention as the two main contenders continue to lose appeal to politically neutral voters in the neck-and-neck race. The trend is particularly visible for People’s Party chief Ahn Cheol-soo, whose ratings rose significantly while the mudslinging was in force between Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party. The two main contenders have been battling controversies surroun

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

Ruling party, govt. agree on need to extend virus curbs

The ruling Democratic Party and the government agreed Wednesday on the need to extend the current virus curbs and allocate funds for the purchase of a fourth shot of vaccines, a DP spokesperson said. The two sides reached the consensus during a meeting on the COVID-19 response, noting that key indicators, such as the operation of ICUs and the numbers of critically ill COVID-19 patients and deaths, have yet to improve, Rep. Shin Hyun-young said in a press briefing. The party asked, however, tha

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

Moon vows more efforts to give students with disabilities equal rights to education

President Moon Jae-in pledged Wednesday to step up efforts to give students with disabilities equal rights to education so as to help them better integrate into society. Moon made the remarks at a ground-breaking ceremony of the nation's first vocational school affiliated with a state-run university for students with disabilities in Gongju, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. "We must have equal opportunity and anyone can equally contribute to society," Moon said. "Students with dis

PoliticsDec. 29, 2021

S. Korea, US agree on draft text of end-of-war declaration: FM Chung

South Korea and the US “effectively” have agreed on a draft text of an end-of-war declaration, although questions remain on how to advance consultations with North Korea, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Wednesday. Chung reiterated the Moon Jae-in government’s position that an end-of-war declaration provides a “very useful opportunity to resume dialogue” amid a protracted deadlock in talks with Pyongyang. “Our government views that an end-of-war declar

Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2021