S.Korea develops real-time, standoff chemical warfare agent detector

South Korea has developed its first homegrown technology for early detection of chemical weapons attacks at long distances, the state-run weapons development agency announced Wednesday. The Agency for Defense Development said it had independently secured a “Hyperspectral Imaging Stand-off Chemical Agent Detection System,” which provides early warnings by monitoring and identifying the transmission of Chemical Warfare Agents or CWAs in contaminant plumes.  The new remote sensin

DefenseDec. 8, 2021

S. Korea establishes new national cemetery on Jeju

South Korea on Wednesday opened a new state cemetery for fallen national heroes, including independence fighters and Korean War troops, on the southern island of Jeju, the veterans affairs ministry said. The ministry held a ceremony opening the Jeju National Cemetery, the first such facility on the island, with the attendance of some 100 people, including Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, Veterans Affairs Minister Hwang Ki-chul and bereaved families. The bereaved families had called for the establ

DefenseDec. 8, 2021

Nearly 1 in 3 households in S. Korea consists of one person last year

Nearly one in three households in South Korea consists of one person last year, data showed Wednesday, as the number of single-member families has risen amid a delay in marriage and rapid aging. One-person families accounted for 31.7 percent of the total last year, up from 30.2 percent the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. Households consisting of a single member totaled 6.64 million in 2020, up from 6.15 million a year earlier, the statistics agency said. The propor

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

A 77-year-old rescued after being locked up in bathroom for 15 days

A 77-year-old man was rescued after being locked in a bathroom for 15 days at his home in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, local police said Wednesday. He lives alone in an apartment unit there. According to local media reports and the Iksan police, the man was found lying on the floor of the bathroom by a rescue team sent to check on him, following a police report field by an acquaintance that the man had been out of contact for nearly three weeks. When found, the man could barely move or t

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

Civic groups file petition with rights commission against teen vaccine pass

Civic groups opposing the government's plan to expand the COVID-19 vaccine pass program to adolescents filed a petition with the state human rights commission on Wednesday, arguing that the scheme would violate the learning rights of students. The decision to require teens aged 12 to 18 to present vaccine certificates at multiuse facilities, most notably public study rooms and cram schools, starting February has been met with wide opposition among parents, arguing the measure amounts to forcing

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

Moon vows to support creation of mutually beneficial local jobs

President Moon Jae-in pledged Wednesday to provide a variety of support for an initiative to create jobs through joint cooperative projects between local governments, businesses and residents. The government has pushed for the initiative to create "mutually beneficial local jobs" in an attempt to build an economy in which workers and businesses can grow together by creating new jobs with labor and management cooperating and upholding the value of people and labor. In congratulatory

PoliticsDec. 8, 2021

Lee pledges to increase budget for startups to W10tr

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party, said Wednesday he will increase the government's investment in startups to 10 trillion won ($8.50 billion) by 2027 and help create 300,000 annual jobs in new technologies and industries. If elected, Lee said he will also improve the financial, tax and regulatory system for small businesses and offer them tailored assistance to support their growth to mid-sized and large firms. "Fair growth in which businesses large an

PoliticsDec. 8, 2021

Peter Chung Soon-taick to take over as new archbishop of Seoul

Peter Chung Soon-taick will officially assume the role of the new archbishop of Seoul on Wednesday, succeeding Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, who served in the post for nearly a decade. Chung's installation ceremony and Mass will be held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul at 2 p.m., according to the Archdiocese of Seoul. During the ceremony, the 60-year-old archbishop will accept pastoral staff symbolizing the authority of the pastoral office from his predecessor Yeom and take a seat in

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

Military reports 31 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Wednesday reported 31 additional COVID-19 cases, including 28 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,583. Of the new cases, 26 people are from the Army, two from the Air Force, two from the Navy and one from a military unit under the direct control of the defense ministry, officials said. Currently, 302 miliary personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 854 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

DefenseDec. 8, 2021

Seoul reports new record high of 2,901 daily COVID-19 cases

Seoul's daily coronavirus cases reached a record high of 2,901 on Wednesday as the country's total surpassed 7,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, officials said Wednesday. Seoul's total was up 781 from the previous day and up 628 from the previous high of 2,273 logged Friday, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters. Of the total, 2,890 were local infections and 11 were from overseas. Seoul saw its daily virus figure exceed 2,000 every day except for Sunday in the p

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

S. Korea on course to log warmest year in 2021: weather agency

South Korea's average temperature in the January-November period reached an all-time high of 14.4 degrees Celsius, making this year likely to be the warmest year ever, the state weather agency said Wednesday. The 11-month average temperature marks the highest since 1973 when the country beefed up weather observation networks across the nation, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. With the average daily temperature in December projected to be warmer than previous years, the yea

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

Yoon leads Lee by 8.2 percentage points in presidential race: survey

Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party, is leading his rival Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party by 8.2 percentage points in a hypothetical multicandidate race, a survey showed Wednesday. Yoon earned 45.3 percent support against Lee's 37.1 percent in the survey of 1,036 adults conducted Monday and Tuesday by Realmeter. Yoon gained 1.6 percentage points from the previous Realmeter survey released on Nov. 29, while Lee added 2 points. The poll

PoliticsDec. 8, 2021

New cases, critical patients set new records as infections soar

South Korea's new coronavirus cases hit an all-time high on Wednesday as infections continued to surge around the country amid waning immunity and colder weather. The country confirmed 7,175 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 489,484, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily tally was up by 2,221 from a day earlier, the biggest daily jump since the pandemic began early last year. The previous record of 5,352 was set on Saturday. The av

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surpass 7,000 for 1st time: PM

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases have surpassed 7,000 for the first time, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday, amid concerns over the omicron variant and the rising number of critical virus patients. "In the capital area, where 80 percent of total cases are reported, we continue to add hospital beds with active cooperation from the medical community, but still it is tough to catch up with the pace of rising virus cases," Kim said at the government's COVID-19 response meeting

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2021

US committed to dialogue with N. Korea despite no success so far: White House czar

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains committed to engaging with North Korea diplomatically despite having no success so far, White House policy coordinator for Asia Kurt Campbell said Tuesday. "To date, we have not had success, but we are still determined to put our best foot forward with respect to diplomacy," Campbell told reporters after taking part in a forum hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, a think tank run by South Korean conglomerate SK Group. His remarks

Foreign AffairsDec. 8, 2021

‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch as prince, and dinner like a pauper’

Korean and Colombian cuisines have a lot in common, according to Alvaro Clavijo, a top Colombian chef on a tour of Korea. Both are concentrated on nutritional completion and components of all essential food groups on the plate, he told the Korea Herald. Clavijo was in Korea for a brief visit, preparing exclusive meals and hosting a class at Kyonggi University. The following is taken from an interview with The Korea Herald: Korea Herald: Please tell us about Colombian food. What is a typical Co

Diplomatic CircuitDec. 7, 2021

Hundreds being traced over omicron outbreak tied to church

The count of COVID-19’s omicron variant in South Korea rose by 12 in one day to 36 on Tuesday, with three of those cases traced to Seoul for the first time. Out of the 12 additional cases, three were “imported” cases involving recent travelers from South Africa and the rest were tied to an outbreak at a church in Incheon. Seoul said in a news briefing its first three omicron cases were identified among university students. The three students are among some 400 people who w

Social AffairsDec. 7, 2021

Hena? Hyena? Reason enough to change passport name, says panel

A Korean woman on Tuesday won the Ombudsman board’s support to change the English spelling of her name on her passport, after she said she was bullied by classmates over it. Currently, her passport reads “Ha Hena,” but she wants it to be spelt as “Ha Hannah,” so her name doesn’t sound like the word “hyena.” According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the state-run panel ruled that the Foreign Ministry should reconsider its earl

Social AffairsDec. 7, 2021

Korea announces second child death from COVID-19

South Korea on Tuesday announced its second child death from COVID-19. Sources familiar with the matter told The Korea Herald that the 6-year-old boy was rushed to a hospital emergency room Saturday because of “continued fever and breathing difficulties.” The sources said the boy, who had a “brain-related condition,” developed a fever of 37.8 degrees Celsius on Nov. 25 before testing positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 2. For the first two days since his diagnosis he was

Social AffairsDec. 7, 2021

‘Oraegage’: Seoul’s longest-running shops add charm to city

In Seoul’s ever-changing forest of high-rises, some shops remain unaltered by the upheavals around them, adding character to their corners of the city. In appreciation of the time they have served the community, and to introduce these unique shops to travelers, on Tuesday the Seoul Metropolitan Government designated 13 new “oraegage” located in southeastern Seoul. The term oraegage is ambiguous. In Korean, it literally means “old shop” and also suggests a wish f

Social AffairsDec. 7, 2021