Libel trial against ex-President Chun expected to end

GWANGJU -- A libel trial against former President Chun Doo-hwan is expected to come to an end with his death Tuesday. Chun has been on trial for allegedly defaming a late priest, Cho Pius, who claimed he witnessed Chun's troops shooting from helicopters at pro-democracy demonstrators in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980. Chun called the priest a "shameless liar" in his controversial memoir published in 2017. In November last year, the Gwangju District Court sentenced Chun to e

PoliticsNov. 23, 2021

[What’s your say?] A ‘runaway’ officer

A neighbor had a grudge against the family downstairs and attacked them with a knife in the western city of Incheon on Nov. 15. The mother was stabbed in the neck, leaving her with grave injuries, and the rest suffered multiple knife wounds. This could have been just another shocking crime story if it hadn’t happened in the presence of a police officer.  The officer’s actions -- or inaction -- sparked debate over the responsibility the police have to fight crime and protect the

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

Civic groups slam late ex-President Chun for leaving no apology for Gwangju crackdown

Victims of the bloody crackdown on a 1980 democracy uprising voiced frustrations Tuesday, as their efforts to bring former President Chun Doo-hwan to justice came to a sudden halt with his death earlier in the day. Chun, an Army general-turned strongman, died at his home in western Seoul at age 90 after suffering from chronic illnesses, leaving behind a dark legacy of seizing power in a 1979 military coup and ruthlessly cracking down on the civil uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju the

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

‘The history of cooking is the history of the world’: Italian ambassador discusses food sustainability, climate change

The climate crisis is one that the world must respond to quickly and in a concerted manner, Italian Ambassador Federico Failla said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday, emphasizing food sustainability ahead of the sixth World Week of Italian Cuisine, which runs Nov. 22-28. Failla said the week’s theme is food sustainability from a traditional perspective of Italian cuisine, because food culture is deeply rooted in tradition. The World Week of Italian Cuisine is an initiativ

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 23, 2021

1 in 6 S. Korean women quit their jobs after marriage

More than 1 in 6 South Korean married women suffered a career break this year as they quit their jobs due to child rearing and getting married, data showed Tuesday. The number of women aged 15-54 who have stopped working after marriage reached 1.45 million in April, down 3.8 percent, or 57,000, from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. Such women accounted for 17.4 percent of the total 8.32 million married women, down from 17.6 percent a year earlier. The 2021 tally

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

N. Korea holds nationwide computer programming competition

North Korea has opened a nationwide computer programming competition aimed at cultivating talents to lead the country's information and technology development, a propaganda outlet said Tuesday. A semifinal for the competition, organized by the Kimchaek University of Technology, took place between Nov. 5-15, with the final match slated to kick off Friday for an 11-day run, according to DPRK Today. In an interview with it, the university's vice president said around 1,240 participants, ranging

North KoreaNov. 23, 2021

Seoul, UN-Habitat to co-host webinar on heritage, metropolis next week

The Seoul city government will co-host a virtual international conference with UN-Habitat next week to explore ways to protect heritage sites in large cities, officials said Tuesday. The webinar, titled "Heritage and Metropolis," will bring together city and heritage management experts from more than 30 cities in 15 nations for two days of discussions on Dec. 1 and 2, city officials said. Other participating cities include Shanghai, Milano, Delhi, Istanbul and New York. On the firs

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

Temperatures dive below zero, snow falls in many parts of S. Korea: KMA

Temperatures fell by over 10 degrees to below zero in many parts of the country Tuesday morning, with snow falling in many regions as well, the state weather agency said. The mercury had dropped to minus 3.7 C in Seoul as of 7:30 a.m., the lowest this fall, and below minus 5 C in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital and mountainous areas of the northeastern Gangwon Province, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Morning lows dipped below ze

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

Military reports 10 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported 10 additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,203. An officer of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command based in Seoul tested positive after developing symptoms. A civilian employee of the Air Force stationed in Osan, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, and an Army officer in the central city of Daejeon were also confirmed to have contracted the virus after exhibiting symptoms. An Army officer stationed in Pocheon, 46

DefenseNov. 23, 2021

Chun Doo-hwan dies at 90

Chun Doo-hwan, who was president of South Korea from 1980 to 1988 after seizing power in a military coup and whose reign was marked by the brutal repression of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju in 1980, died Tuesday. He was 90 years old. He died less than a month after Roh Tae-woo, one of his closest aides in the 1979 coup, who was elected president after democracy protests forced Chun to stand down. Chun, who had multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, died at 8:40 a.m. at his home in Y

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

PM rules out possibility of Cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has ruled out the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle in the final months of the current administration amid rumors some Cabinet members could quit to run in next year's local elections. "It makes no sense," Kim said during his press meeting Monday in the central city of Sejong. "There are only six months left of this government's term, so how can we do a reshuffle?" Rumors have been circulating recently that Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki may run

PoliticsNov. 23, 2021

Daily infections stay below 3,000, but critical cases hit all-time high

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 3,000 for the second straight day Tuesday, but the number of critically ill patients hit an all-time high, raising concerns over a shortage of hospital beds for treatment. The country reported 2,699 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,685 local infections, raising the total caseload to 420,950, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This marked the second straight day that the daily infections remained below 3,000. The

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2021

S. Korea, US, Japan can achieve bigger success when working together: Ned Price

WASHINGTON -- The press secretary for the US Department of State reiterated the importance of trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan on Monday, saying the countries will be more successful when working together. The remarks from Ned Price came after Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori boycotted a joint press event with his South Korean and US counterparts -- Choi Jong-kun and Wendy Sherman -- following their three-way talks in Washington last week. "When it com

Foreign AffairsNov. 23, 2021

S. Korea, Japan hold working-level talks amid renewed spat over Dokdo

South Korea and Japan held working-level diplomatic talks in Seoul on Monday amid a renewed spat over the former's easternmost islets of Dokdo. The talks between Lee Sang-ryol, the foreign ministry's director general for Asian and Pacific affairs, and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, came after tensions resurfaced following Japan's protest over the recent visit to Dokdo by South Korea's police chief.    Lee said that Seoul can never accept any Japanese claim to Dokdo, a

Foreign AffairsNov. 22, 2021

COVID-19 situation ‘very dangerous,’ says Korea’s disease control chief

The head of Korea’s disease control agency said Monday that the state of the COVID-19 outbreak here has gone from “low risk” to “high risk” over the last three weeks as the country began its phased return to normal. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong told a televised briefing that “intensive care beds at Seoul hospitals were nearly full to the brink,” with other metrics worsening all across the country. 　 In re

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2021

Cyberwarfare era calls for security rethink: Estonian ex-president

The evolution of technologies is changing the character of warfare. In any future war, the battle will be determined long before any bullets are fired or missiles flown. Wars may be won through cyberattacks that crash countries’ networks, causing power outages and severing military communication, says former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. 　 The changing face of war requires countries around the world to “rethink” the entire approach to security and defense, Ilves sa

Foreign AffairsNov. 22, 2021

Why politicians head to national cemeteries in election season

South Korea’s two presidential front-runners -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Seok-youl of the major opposition People Power Party -- paid their respects at the Seoul and Daejeon national cemeteries soon after winning their parties’ primaries. “The state’s first duty is the security to protect the national community,” Lee said during his visit to the Daejeon National Cemetery on Oct. 11, a day after winning the primary. “Of

PoliticsNov. 22, 2021

Imprisoned ex-President Park admitted to hospital for 3rd time this year

Jailed former President Park Geun-hye was admitted to a hospital on Monday for an unspecified illness, officials said. According to the justice ministry, Park was transferred from the Seoul Detention Center, where she is serving her 22-year prison term, to the Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul earlier in the day and was receiving treatment. It marked her third hospitalization this year. Park, 69, was previously hospitalized in January and July in connection to her left shoulder surgery

PoliticsNov. 22, 2021

Lee and Yoon emphasize fairness, growth in neck-to-neck race for presidency

The presidential nominees of the ruling and main opposition blocs on Monday avowed fairness and growth, with the two widely differing in how they would go about approaching the goals. Lee Jae-myung, presidential nominee for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said Monday at a forum held by TV Chosun that he envisions a South Korea where there is fair competition and where ample opportunities exist for those in need. "The divide and conflict in our society are extreme, especially those f

PoliticsNov. 22, 2021

1,956 people caught for drug-related charges from Aug.-Oct.: police

A total of 1,956 people have been apprehended in special drug crackdowns between August and October, with 406 of them formally arrested, police said Monday. Of the total, 1,404 were caught for using or distributing methamphetamine, ecstasy and other psychotropic drugs, another 417 for marijuana-related products and the remaining 135 for other types of narcotics, including opium, cocaine and fentanyl, according to the National Police Agency. Those in their teens, 20s and 30s totaled 1,365, almo

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2021