Number of nonwage workers down 0.4% in 2021

The number of nonwage workers, such as the self-employed, in South Korea inched down 0.4 percent in 2021 from a year earlier amid the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Thursday. There were 6.61 million unsalaried workers as of August, down 292,000 from the same period in 2018, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The number accounts for 23.9 percent of the country's employed people, down 0.6 percentage point over the cited period. It contrasts with a 1.9 percent on-y

Social AffairsNov. 4, 2021

Seoul city, coffee stores experiment with cafes without disposable cups

The Seoul city government will launch a tumbler rental program this week in collaboration with a group of nearby coffee shops as part of a joint experimental project to drive out disposable cups from cafes, officials said Thursday. Under the "multiuse cup experimental project," set to kick off Saturday, about 20 coffee shops around Seoul City Hall in central Seoul will lend reusable tumblers to customers taking out coffee or other beverages, the city government said. Those tumblers

Social AffairsNov. 4, 2021

CFC chief LaCamera hints at possible adjustment in OPCON transfer plan

The top US military commander in South Korea hinted Thursday that the two allies could adjust their plan for a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Speaking at a webinar, Gen. Paul LaCamera, the chief of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, touched on the envisioned OPCON transition, saying, "Most plans never survive first contact." Seoul and Washington have been working on the bilaterally agreed-upon transfer -- a process that has been delayed due

DefenseNov. 4, 2021

S. Korea, Hungary FMs discuss bilateral ties, strategic partnership

The top diplomats of South Korea and Hungary held talks in Hungary to discuss ways to boost cooperation in various areas, with their relationship elevated to a strategic partnership, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong met with his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, in Budapest on Wednesday (local time), accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his state visit to the European nation. In their summit, Moon and Hungarian President Janos Ader dec

Foreign AffairsNov. 4, 2021

S. Korea ships 290,000 more doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam

South Korea shipped 290,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam on Thursday, in addition to its earlier donation of 1.1 million doses last month, Seoul's foreign ministry said. An airplane carrying the vaccine departed from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, earlier in the day and will arrive in Vietnam on the same day, the ministry said. It is on top of 1.1 million bottles of the AstraZeneca vaccine sent to Vietnam last month to help protect Korean nationals living

Foreign AffairsNov. 4, 2021

N. Korea calls for thorough wintertime anti-virus measures

North Korea called Thursday for thorough preventive measures against COVID-19 for the winter season. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's Workers' Party, highlighted the importance of remaining vigilant against the pandemic, saying the virus can be transmitted even through falling snow. "In the winter season, it is important to be aware as ever to make thorough anti-virus measures," it said. The newspaper described virus control and prevention steps during the winter as an &qu

North KoreaNov. 4, 2021

Military reports 9 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported nine additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,059, the defense ministry said. Among the new cases were three Army officers stationed in Damyang, 344 kilometers south of Seoul, who were tested positive following an infection of one of their acquaintances. An Army officer based in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, was also infected after a virus case was reported at the base. Another Army official based in

DefenseNov. 4, 2021

Court issues arrest warrant for key figure in development corruption scandal

A Seoul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for the owner of an asset management firm at the center of an urban development corruption scandal over allegations his firm received business favors in exchange for bribes. Kim Man-bae, owner of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, is facing charges of breach of trust and bribery in connection with a 2015 project to develop the Daejang-dong district in Seongnam, south of Seoul, into apartment complexes. Prosecutors have been looking into suspicio

PoliticsNov. 4, 2021

New cases over 2,400 for 2nd day; deaths reach 10-month high amid eased restrictions

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 2,400 for the second consecutive day Thursday as the country relaxed its virus restrictions nationwide in line with its "living with COVID-19" scheme. The country reported 2,482 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 373,120, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. New cases slipped a bit from the previous day's 2,667, which marked the fourth largest ever and the first time since Sept. 30 that daily infe

Social AffairsNov. 4, 2021

Pope's N. Korea visit possible in accordance with Pyongyang's determination: Seoul minister

Pope Francis' visit to North Korea is "definitely possible" and is up to Pyongyang's "determination," South Korea's top government official in charge of inter-Korean ties said Thursday, a week after President Moon Jae-in again formally proposed the papal visit at the Vatican. Unification Minister Lee In-young accompanied Moon on his visit to the Vatican last week, during which the president met with Pope Francis and asked him to travel to the reclusive North. Moon believes i

North KoreaNov. 4, 2021

[Graphic News] Non-regular workers rise to over 38% of total amid pandemic

　The proportion of temporary workers in South Korea rose to over 38 percent of all salaried workers in August in the wake of the fallout from the pandemic, data showed. 　The number of non-regular workers, including part-timers and outsourced laborers, came to 8.07 million as of August, up 640,000, or 8.6 percent, from the previous year, according to the data by Statistics Korea. 　They accounted for 38.4 percent of the country‘s 20.99 million salaried workers. The percentage was up from

NationalNov. 4, 2021

Korean War remains of 3 British troops to be buried at UN cemetery

The remains of three British troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War will be buried at the UN Memorial Cemetery in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan later this month, the veterans affairs ministry said Thursday. The defense ministry's excavation agency discovered the remains at two former battle sites in Paju, 30 kilometers northwest of Seoul, between 2016-2017, and identified them as those of the fallen British troops through a joint examination with US experts. The troops are

Social AffairsNov. 4, 2021

US military investigating death of American soldier in S. Korea

The US military said Wednesday it was looking into the death of an American soldier dispatched to South Korea on a rotational mission. US Army Sgt. Joe Haflei, 33, of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was pronounced dead on Oct. 17 at a South Korean Army base near the central city of Daejeon, the US military said in a press release. Authorities are investigating details of the soldier's death, it said, adding that foul play was not suspected. (Yonhap)

DefenseNov. 3, 2021

S. Korea, Hungary agree to upgrade ties as bilateral trade grows

President Moon Jae-in held a summit with Hungarian President Janos Ader on Wednesday and agreed to upgrade relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership as two-way trade grew at a solid pace despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade reached a new high last year,” Moon said during a joint press briefing after the talks, adding that he hopes the two nations will step up cooperation in electric cars and batteries. The two side

Foreign AffairsNov. 3, 2021

Moon to hold summit with Visegrad Group

President Moon Jae-in arrived in Budapest on Tuesday to hold a series of summit talks with the leaders of the so-called Visegrad Group: Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. It will be the second gathering between South Korea and the four Eastern European countries. On Thursday, the president will hold multilateral and bilateral meetings with the prime ministers of the Visegrad nations. On the sidelines of the meetings, a business forum, a first of its kind, also will be held to explo

Foreign AffairsNov. 3, 2021

Lawmaker grilled over Yoon Seok-youl’s alleged election meddling

Rep. Kim Woong of the main opposition People Power Party was grilled on Wednesday by the anti-corruption agency about the high-profile election meddling scandal surrounding presidential hopeful Yoon Seok-youl. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials summoned Kim, a prosecutor-turned-opposition lawmaker, for continued questioning as a suspect, which notably came just one day after the interrogation of current public prosecutor Son Jun-sung. Rep. Kim is accused of collud

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2021

Sim Sang-jung vows to put end to two-party system

The Justice Party’s presidential candidate, Sim Sang-jung, pledged Wednesday to put an end to the two-party system that has dominated South Korea’s political landscape for decades. “The rival structure between the progressives and conservatives has passed its expiration date. The two big parties have been in power for the past 30 years and become the front-runners of vested interests,” Sim said during a sit-down with reporters at the National Assembly. “In the b

PoliticsNov. 3, 2021

UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities a ‘great success’: organizer

The fifth UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities was a “great success” despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, its chief organizer told the Korea Herald. The four-day international event began on Oct. 27 and was held at Songdo Convensia in Yeonsu-gu under the theme of “From emergency to resilience: Building healthy and resilient cities through learning.” “I believe the fifth international conference on learning cities was a great success th

Social AffairsNov. 3, 2021

N. Korea in final stage of building 10,000 apartment units in capital: state media

North Korea is nearing the completion of a major housing project to construct 10,000 high-rise apartment units in its capital eight months after breaking ground, state media said Wednesday. Cabinet Premier Kim Tok-hun visited the construction site, according to the Korean Central News Agency, which reported the construction work is "in the final stage." During the North's eighth party congress in January, North Korea announced its aim of building 50,000 apartments in Pyongyang by 202

North KoreaNov. 3, 2021

Rights watchdog advises against ban on use of mobile phones in schools

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) said Wednesday it has asked a local high school to lift a ban on the use of mobile phones by students in school. The state human rights watchdog said the ban on the use of mobile phones at the high school, whose name was withheld, infringes on its students' general right to freedom of action and freedom of communication. The school's students are allowed to possess cell phones on campus but are completely prohibited from using them, accordi

PoliticsNov. 3, 2021