Remains of another Korean War soldier identified

The remains of a soldier killed in the 1950-53 Korean War have been identified through DNA analysis more than a decade after they were recovered from a former battle site, the defense ministry said Friday. The identification of the remains of Pfc. Lim Ho-dae came as his daughter registered her DNA sample with the government. She was less than a month old when her father joined the war. Lim's remains were excavated from Hwacheon, 118 kilometers east of Seoul, in 2010. He was found along with ot

DefenseNov. 26, 2021

Military reports 19 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported 19 additional COVID-19 cases Friday, down nine from a day earlier, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,264. Two Army conscripts based in Paju, north of Seoul, contracted the virus after one of their fellows was infected. An officer stationed at a unit under the direct control of the ministry in Seoul and an Army conscript stationed in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of the capital city, also tested positive following a case at their bases.

DefenseNov. 26, 2021

Over half of S. Koreans say inter-Korean summit at Beijing Olympics not possible: poll

More than half of South Koreans believe an inter-Korean summit at the Beijing Winter Olympics, slated for February, will not be possible, a survey showed Friday. According to the survey on 1,000 adults by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council on Nov. 20 and 21, 53.9 percent said an inter-Korean summit during the Winter Olympics would not be possible, while 40.1 percent said it would be. South Korea has sought to use the Beijing Games to create fresh momentum for the resumption of stalled d

North KoreaNov. 26, 2021

Air force chief to visit Colombia, Peru for military diplomacy

South Korea's Air Force chief will visit Colombia and Peru next week as part of military diplomacy focusing largely on strengthening arms industry cooperation with the South American countries, his office said Friday. During his visit to the Colombian capital city of Bogota, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Park In-ho will attend the Expodefensa 2021, one of the largest defense exhibitions in the region. Park also plans to separately hold talks with Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano Aponte

DefenseNov. 26, 2021

Daily cases stay below 4,000, critical cases hit record high

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 4,000 for the second straight day Friday, but critical cases rose to a record high amid worries the virus could quickly spread under eased social distancing rules. The country reported 3,901 new COVID-19 cases, including 3,882 local infections, raising the total caseload to 432,901, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The number was down from 3,938 on Thursday. It was also down from 4,115 reported Wednesday, whic

Social AffairsNov. 26, 2021

260 Sakhalin Koreans to return home

Starting Saturday, some 260 Sakhalin Koreans -- ethnic Koreans who were forced to relocate to the far-eastern Russian island by their Japanese colonizers during World War II -- are set to arrive in their ancestral homeland, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.  The repatriation is in accordance with legislation that took effect in January, which expanded the eligibility criteria for relocation and financial support from the South Korean government for Sakhalin Koreans.  Previously,

Foreign AffairsNov. 25, 2021

‘No room to add more ICU beds at Korean hospitals,’ says Health Ministry

Hospitals in South Korea are running at near-full capacity and cannot add any more beds, the government said Thursday as the number of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 hit a record level. Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesperson Son Young-rae told reporters in a closed-door briefing that securing additional intensive care beds was “probably difficult.” As a result of recent orders from the government for hospitals to make room for COVID-19 patients, more than 100 e

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2021

Sultanate of Oman celebrates 51st National Day of Renaissance

The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Oman in Seoul. — Ed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Sultanate of Oman will mark the 51st National Day of the Renaissance, Nov. 18. The event comes around at a time when Omanis ponder about the achievements made so far and brace for further accomplishments, with firm resolve, under the astute leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik who pledged to hold high the banner of the Rene

Foreign AffairsNov. 25, 2021

Assembly speaker promotes Korea as site of WHO’s bio training center

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug met with the World Health Organization chief to discuss COVID-19 vaccine cooperation and the launch of the organization’s training hub, the speaker’s office said Thursday. During his visit to Switzerland, Park met with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday and told him South Korea is an optimal place for the launch of its Global Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Hub, which is curren

PoliticsNov. 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] Dog meat consumption to be put to test

Two months after President Moon Jae-in said South Korea should consider banning dog meat consumption, the government is to officially launch a consultative body to discuss the matter. 　 Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum held a meeting Thursday and announced the decision to launch a consultative body to discuss dog meat consumption. The body, consisting of representatives of concerned groups, experts and government officials, will hold discussions from December to April.　   “The controv

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2021

North Korea likely continuing nuclear activities: IAEA　

North Korea appears to have operated its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, which can produce weapons-grade plutonium, and continued nuclear activities at Kangson and Pyongsan, a UN watchdog revealed Wednesday. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday the continuation of nuclear program is “a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable.” The IAEA identified “ongoing indications consis

North KoreaNov. 25, 2021

EU envoy speaks out on S. Korea’s ‘discriminatory’ vaccine pass system

EU Ambassador to South Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez on Thursday criticized the Korean government’s “vaccine pass” system, saying it discriminates against foreigners working and residing here who have been vaccinated overseas. Under the country’s “living with COVID-19” policy, in effect since Nov. 1, those who wish to enter high-risk public places such as gyms, karaoke establishments, public bathhouses and buffets must present proof of vaccination or n

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 25, 2021

Lee seeks to break away from hard-line image in about-face

The Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung appears to have ditched his dogmatic views and hard-line stance, instead opting to woo voters with apologies and tears. On Wednesday, he apologized on behalf of his party for failing to empathize with the “painful hearts of the people,” and got down on his knees, saying he will apologize at every opportunity and bring about changes in the party. A day earlier, Lee apologized for using abusive language against his s

PoliticsNov. 25, 2021

Lee calls for tougher penalties, closer oversight on sex crimes in military

The presidential nominee for South Korea’s ruling party called for increased intervention and monitoring of the military as it continues to report sexual assault cases and raises the need for extensive reforms internally. Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said in a meeting with female reserve service members Thursday that the country's military should be able to allow the civilian sector to actively engage in monitoring the human rights issues within the "close-mi

PoliticsNov. 25, 2021

Yoon vows not to exploit Seoul-Tokyo tensions for political gain

Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party, said Thursday he will not exploit historical tensions between South Korea and Japan for domestic political gain. Speaking at a forum on Seoul-Tokyo relations, Yoon accused the Moon Jae-in administration of plunging the bilateral relationship to its worst level since the sides normalized ties in 1965 by bringing the issue of "foreign relations into domestic politics, instead of putting national interests fir

PoliticsNov. 25, 2021

Supreme Court rules imports of childlike sex dolls should be banned

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday imports of childlike sex dolls should be banned, because they could lead to the perception of children as sexual objects and increase the danger of potential sex crimes against minors. The ruling overturned lower courts' decisions that imports of child sex dolls should be allowed, like those of adult dolls. In 2019, the top court allowed imports of adult sex dolls on grounds that they are sex toys used in private life, an area in which the state should not inter

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2021

Seoul monitoring possibility of new NK event marking 2017 ICBM launch

South Korea is closely monitoring the possibility of North Korea holding an event celebrating its 2017 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a unification ministry official said Thursday. North Korea's calendars began to mark Nov. 29 as an anniversary for its "rocket" development this year. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the completion of the country's nuclear force after firing the new ICBM, the Hwasong-15, on the day in 2017. "We are keeping monitor

North KoreaNov. 25, 2021

Jobs for wage workers gain 3.6% in Q2

The number of jobs for wage workers in South Korea expanded nearly 4 percent in the second quarter amid signs of the economy's recovery from the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Thursday. The number of paid employee jobs had reached 19.6 million as of the end of June, up 3.6 percent, or 681,000, from a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. By age, the number of jobs for those in their 60s swelled 15.4 percent on-year, or 392,000, marking the highest incre

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2021

Daily COVID-19 cases in military double from day earlier

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 28 new COVID-19 cases, double the previous day's tally, as it enforces eased social-distancing rules in line with the nationwide scheme for a gradual return to normal life. The latest tally brought the total caseload among the military personnel to 2,245. Among the new cases, two Army officers and four troops stationed in the central city of Gyeryong, tested positive after a civilian employee from their base contracted the virus. Five Army officers

DefenseNov. 25, 2021

Lee says nothing should stop end-of-war declaration

Ruling Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said Thursday nothing should stop the ongoing push to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, stressing opposing such a declaration amounts to helping Japan's national interests. Lee made the remark during a forum on Seoul-Tokyo relations, referring to the Moon Jae-in administration's push to use an end-of-war declaration to revive peace talks with North Korea. The three-year conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty

PoliticsNov. 25, 2021