3 migrant workers dead in car crash on icy road: police

A vehicle skidded on an icy road in central South Korea and struck and killed three migrant workers who were out on the road to take care of an earlier accident, police said Tuesday. The mishap happened in the city of Asan, about 85 kilometers south of Seoul, on Monday evening when four people -- two Russians, one Uzbek and one Kazakh -- were helping out the Filipino driver of a 1-ton freight truck stranded on the slippery road. The four had got out of their Sorento SUV on the way home to help

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

N. Korea pushes back after US keeps it on state sponsors of terrorism list

North Korea hit back Tuesday at a recent US decision to retain it on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, accusing Washington of having engaged in terrorist acts under the pretext of "counterterrorism." Earlier this month, the State Department unveiled its annual Country Reports on Terrorism 2020, which kept the North on the list, along with Iran and Syria. In a post on its foreign ministry website, Pyongyang criticized Washington for posing as the "judge of terrorism,"

PoliticsDec. 28, 2021

Seoul should opt for strategic clarity in US-China rivalry: Yoon's foreign policy aide

A policy of “strategic ambiguity” has guided South Korea’s diplomacy over the years, with Seoul seeking to juggle relations with its security ally Washington and key trade partner Beijing. But this precarious balancing act may no longer be sustainable, according to a key foreign policy adviser to the main opposition People Power Party’s presidential nominee. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Korea University professor Kim Sung-han, who advises Yoon Suk-yeol, said

Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2021

[Best Brand] KIS values learning experience

Korea International School, in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, focuses on providing students a chance to learn about global citizenship, integrity, adaptability, balance in life, and empowerment. The international school honors diversity. Students and faculty members of thirty-seven nationalities and their cultures are represented at KIS. It supports multilingual students, allowing them to use more than one language to process their learning. Teachers invite students to share their languages and c

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

'Foot-in-mouth' plagues presidential election

With less than three months to go before the presidential election, slips of the tongue by candidates and election committee bigwigs are continuing to cause problems for their campaigns. The Korea Herald rounded up some of the more notable times the presidential candidates and politicians around them have put their respective feet in their mouths. 　 Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate for ruling Democratic Party When and where: Social media, November 24 What: “One of my family memb

PoliticsDec. 28, 2021

Feeling shut out, the unvaccinated stick together online

On Sunday, gazaahome.com launched with a list of a few hundreds of restaurants in the country that do not “discriminate against” unvaccinated people. As of Tuesday afternoon, the digital map showing the location of the businesses garnered some 70,000 views, with entry suggestions flowing in from users, according to its developer Goda. “It seems that our society is going through a somewhat chaotic period due to the recently strengthened vaccination pass policy. I have deve

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

New rail network opens in Yeongnam

South Korea opened its first-ever hyper-regional light rail network outside the capital region, celebrating the opening of 142.2 kilometers of new subway lines in southeastern parts of the country. President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday visited Taehwagang Station in Ulsan to attend the opening ceremony of four new light rail lines spanning across the North and South Gyeongsang provinces, as well as Ulsan and Busan. The president himself took the train from Taehwagang Station to Ilgwang Station in Bus

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

[Newsmaker] Opposition campaign chief tightens grip to end internal conflict

People Power Party election committee chief Kim Chong-in stepped in Tuesday to calm the conflict between the party’s presidential candidate and its chairman. Discord in the conservative main opposition party has continued since it chose Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor general, as its flagbearer in November. Acknowledging internal disputes made public by remarks of the party members, Kim said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper that he will step up to “control the

PoliticsDec. 28, 2021

N.Korea convenes key party meeting to discuss ‘strategic, tactical’ policies

North Korea on Monday kicked off a key party meeting to discuss and decide major “strategic and tactical policies” for the next year, with the attendance of the country’s leader Kim Jong-un. The North Korean leader presided over the fourth plenary meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea upon the authorization of the politburo, North Korean media reported Tuesday. The meeting has been held in public four times this year mainly with an emp

North KoreaDec. 28, 2021

S. Korea to begin project for solid-fuel space rocket next year

South Korea plans to embark on a civilian-military project next year to design a solid-fuel space launch vehicle under a broad initiative to develop the country's space defense industry, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. At a policy forum, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) unveiled the initiative consisting of 24 key tasks aimed at locally developing cutting-edge technologies, nurturing the space industry and strengthening civilian-military cooperation. The in

DefenseDec. 28, 2021

Yoon says he is sorry for ex-President Park over corruption probe

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday he feels sorry for former President Park Geun-hye over a corruption probe he conducted as a senior prosecutor a few years ago that eventually led to her impeachment. "Even though the investigation of former President Park was my job as a public official, I feel truly sorry politically and emotionally as a human being," Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said during a discussion hosted by the Korea Broa

PoliticsDec. 28, 2021

77.8% of wage earners support 52-hour workweek: labor ministry

About 78 percent of salaried workers support the 52-hour workweek that was introduced in 2018 to reduce long working hours, a labor ministry survey showed Tuesday. According to the survey of 1,300 people, 71 percent said the reduction of the maximum weekly working hours to 52 from 68 was a good decision. Of the wage earning respondents, in particular, 77.8 percent were in support of the shorter workweek. The Nov. 26-30 survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.72 percentage points and

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

UN rapporteurs voice concerns about arrest of KCTU leader over illegal rallies

UN special rapporteurs on human rights expressed concerns over the October arrest of the leader of a major South Korean umbrella labor union, and the government has countered that his arrest was warranted because he organized illegal rallies in disregard of antivirus rules. The special rapporteurs sent a letter to the South Korean government on Oct. 22, saying Yang Kyeung-soo, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), legitimately exercised his rights to freedom of expressi

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

President's annual salary set at W240m

The annual salary of President Moon Jae-in for 2022 was set at 240.6 million won ($202,815) as the Cabinet approved the personnel and management ministry's pay raise plan for public servants Tuesday. According to the plan, public servants will get a 1.4 percent raise for their salary for 2022. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum will get an annual salary of 186.5 million won, while deputy prime ministers and chief state auditor will receive 141.1 million won next year. The annual salary of ministers

PoliticsDec. 28, 2021

Military reports 28 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Tuesday reported 28 additional COVID-19 cases, including 27 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,181. Of the new cases, 15 are from the Army, seven from the Navy, four from the Air Force and two from the Marine Corps, according to the defense ministry. Currently, 268 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,385 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

DefenseDec. 28, 2021

Police open probe into resume falsification allegations involving wife of Yoon

Police launched an investigation Tuesday into allegations that the wife of Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, falsified credentials on her resume for teaching jobs. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has taken over the complaints filed against Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, and planned to hold an interview Wednesday afternoon with civic group officials who filed the complaints, officials said. Two civic groups filed the complaints, claiming Kim f

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021

Logos commemorate diplomatic ties with Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia

The Korea-Arab Society held a logo contest commemorating next year’s 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations of South Korea with Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia on Dec. 22 to enhance mutual cooperation. 　 The contest was sponsored by Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-hosted by the Korea-Arab Society, Korean embassies in Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia and Jordanian, Moroccan and Saudi Arabian embassies in Korea.　 According to the Korea-Arab Society, 154 logo designs fro

Diplomatic CircuitDec. 28, 2021

ASEAN, Korea envisioned by youth ushers digital engagement, citizen diplomacy

The ASEAN-Korea Center’s sixth academy essay contest held from August to November praised creative proposals on transforming youth’s mutual perceptions in an accelerated digital transformation era, acknowledging the strengthened partnership on trade and investment between Southeast Asia and Korea. The AKC held its sixth academy essay contest award ceremony and webinar on Dec. 21 via Zoom. Co-organized by the Korean Association for Southeast Asian Studies, Seoul National University

Diplomatic CircuitDec. 28, 2021

Navy to receive upgraded destroyer with stronger anti-sub capabilities

The Navy will receive an upgraded destroyer Tuesday, after nearly a year of refurbishment aimed at strengthening anti-submarine and other capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said. The 3,200-ton KDX-I destroyer, Eulji Mundeok, was sent for the upgrade in January. It is now equipped with the latest towed array sonar system designed to reinforce anti-submarine capabilities, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. The destroyer is the third and last vessel to be ret

DefenseDec. 28, 2021

New COVID-19 cases drop below 4,000 for 1st time in nearly a month

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 4,000 for the first time in 28 days Tuesday due partly to antivirus restrictions and fewer tests over the weekend, but the number of critical cases remained high. The country added 3,865 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 615,532, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The figure marked the first time daily cases fell below 4,000 since Nov. 30, and represented a sharp decline from a daily record hi

Social AffairsDec. 28, 2021