Military reports 12 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported 12 additional COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,035, the defense ministry said. Two Army conscripts stationed in Paju, north of Seoul, tested positive after returning from their vacations, according to the ministry. A Marine based on the front-line island of Daecheongdo was also infected. Other remaining cases included two Army officers based in the central city of Daejeon, and a trainee at a boot camp in Nonsan, some 2

DefenseOct. 29, 2021

S. Korea to develop homegrown naval interception system

South Korea will launch a project next month to develop a homegrown naval interception system designed to protect warships from hostile aircraft and missiles, the state arms procurement agency said Friday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the project aims to develop the Close In Weapon System-II (CIWS-II) -- a ship-based gun capable of countering incoming attacks in the final stage of the Navy's multilayered interception program -- by 2027. The Navy currently employs

DefenseOct. 29, 2021

New virus cases over 2,100 for 2nd day as relaxed virus curbs set to take effect

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 2,100 for the second consecutive day Friday, as worries persist over a virus resurgence with the country set to relax antivirus measures for a return to normalcy. The country added 2,124 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 2,094 local infections, raising the total caseload to 360,536, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily tally surpassed the 2,000 mark after 20 days on Thursday. The daily infection tally has moved in

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2021

[Graphic News] Portion of ranking female public officials hits high of nearly 10%

　The portion of high-level female public officials has reached a record-high level of nearly 10 percent this year, a government report showed. 　According to the 2021 report released by the Ministry of Personnel Management, the ratio of women among ranking civil servants at the central government’s ministries and agencies stood at 9.3 percent as of the first half of this year. 　The number marks yet another record high after the corresponding ratio hit 8.5 percent, or 132 women, for 2020

NationalOct. 29, 2021

Up to 10 allowed to gather in Seoul regardless of vaccination: PM

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday that up to 10 people in the wider Seoul area and 12 people in the non-metropolitan area are free to meet regardless of vaccination as part of daily recovery to be carried out step by step in three stages. The first step will be implemented for four weeks and the quarantine situation will be comprehensively evaluated to decide whether to switch to the next step. “It is urgent to recover small business owners and self-employed people who have endure

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2021

US state of Georgia hails SKC's substrate plant investment

ATLANTA -- The US state of Georgia on Thursday welcomed SKC Co.'s decision to build a glass-based substrate plant there, saying it would help create jobs. Hailing SKC's decision as an unprecedented big project, Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp tweeted that it would help create more jobs and shows the state is one of the supply chain hubs in America. "400 new jobs coming to Covington, GA via SKC's $473M investment to manufacture glass-based substrates for semiconductor chips," Kemp said. &q

Foreign AffairsOct. 29, 2021

Moon set to meet Pope Francis at Vatican

ROME -- President Moon Jae-in was set to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula and efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidential office said. The Friday meeting will take place as Moon visited Rome to attend the Group of 20 Leaders' Summit over the weekend before traveling to Glasgow to join the global summit of the COP26 climate change gathering. It will be Moon's second meeting with Pope Francis since October 2018. Moon and Pope

PoliticsOct. 29, 2021

US conducting in-depth review of Korean War's end declaration: US official

WASHINGTON -- The United States is reviewing the possibility of declaring a formal end to the Korean War from various angles, a ranking US diplomat has said, according to a South Korea official visiting the US. Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, made the remark in a meeting with Lee Seok-hyun, vice chairman of South Korea's National Unification Advisory Council, according to Lee. The council offers policy recommendations to the South Korean president. Lamber

Foreign AffairsOct. 29, 2021

Signs of activity detected at North Korea’s Yongbyon facility: NIS

North Korea may have reprocessed spent nuclear fuel rods at the Yongbyon Nuclear Complex this year, the South Korean spy agency was quoted as saying Thursday. The National Intelligence Service confirmed the activity in a closed-door briefing at the parliamentary audit, Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said during a press briefing. The spy agency said Pyongyang may have reprocessed spent fuel from its main 5MW(e) nuclear reactor in Yongbyon from February to July this

North KoreaOct. 28, 2021

UNESCO conference on learning cities holds opening ceremony in Yeonsu-gu

An opening ceremony and plenary sessions of the fifth UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities were held on Thursday in Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu. The four-day event, hosted by Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu, began Wednesday under the theme of “From emergency to resilience: Building healthy and resilient cities through learning.” The opening ceremony drew around 200 in-person participants from South Korea and 24 other countries, the Yeonsu-gu office said in a press statement

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2021

S. Korea, US military discuss bolstering ties

Defense Minister Suh Wook and US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on Thursday discussed deepening naval ties and expanding alliance, during a meeting held at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul. Suh thanked Del Toro for US support in bringing in nearly 400 Afghans in August who worked on South Korean projects in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power. Seoul amended the law to grant them long-term stays. Del Toro said he expects to see a growing alliance that will allow

DefenseOct. 28, 2021

Moon heads to Europe for meeting with pope, G20 and COP26

South Korean President Moon Jae-in departed for Europe on Thursday, for a meeting with Pope Francis and to attend a Group of 20 summit in Rome and the UN climate summit in Scotland. 　 Moon’s first stop of his nine-day trip is Italy, where he is scheduled to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss a wide range of issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, as well as global issues, including poverty, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also scheduled to meet Vatican

Foreign AffairsOct. 28, 2021

South Korea, Russia agree to cooperate on early resumption of talks with NK

South Korea and Russia stressed the urgent need to resolve North Korea’s nuclear problem and agreed to closely communicate to resume the stalled talks with Pyongyang, Seoul’s top diplomat said Wednesday.  The remarks came after talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, took place in Moscow. 　 “The two countries shared the view on the urgency of resolving North Korea’s nuclear problem and agreed to closel

Foreign AffairsOct. 28, 2021

Lee behind both Yoon, Hong in presidential race: poll

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), is trailing both leading opposition contenders in hypothetical two-way matchups, a survey showed Thursday. Lee earned 38.9 percent against 44.4 percent for Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), according to the survey of 2,035 adults conducted Monday and Tuesday by Realmeter. In a matchup with PPP contender Yoon Seok-youl, Lee garnered 40.9 percent against Yoon's 45.3 percent. The differ

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

Four-day workweek pledges resurface

The ruling party's presidential nominee is reviewing whether to include a four-day workweek as a major campaign promise, sparking debate as to whether the pledge is realistic for South Korea. Former Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, presidential nominee for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said in an interview with JTBC that he is contemplating a promise to bring in a four-day workweek in a step-by-step manner to improve welfare and employment for South Korean workers. "Introduci

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

COVID-19 fears mounting on eve of Halloween weekend

Health authorities struggling to contain COVID-19 are on high alert ahead of this Halloween weekend, as Seoul's downtown areas are expected to be crowded with larger-than-usual numbers of people celebrating the annual Western holiday. Coronavirus-battered retailers in Seoul's popular entertainment districts, such as Itaewon and Hongdae, are looking forward to boom sales of Halloween-themed products, food, drinks and various other consumer goods, particularly because of the government's recent d

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2021

Korea offering COVID-19 booster to people age 50 and up, J&J recipients

People aged 50 and older and anyone who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine will become eligible for COVID-19 booster vaccination shots beginning the second week of November in Korea, the national health protection agency said Thursday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said COVID-19 boosters, which are being offered in order of priority set by its panel of immunization experts, will eventually become available to the general population, after high-risk groups are cove

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2021

DP presidential candidate slammed over 'restaurant quota system' remarks

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), has come under fire after saying he may consider adopting a cap on the number of restaurants in the country to curb excessive competition. Lee made the remarks Wednesday during his campaigning at a traditional market in Seoul where he listened to self-employed people suffering from the pandemic. He said the competition in the restaurant business is like "an ant lion pit," and that he has an idea of running a

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

S. Korea's defense minister holds talks with US Navy chief on regional security, alliance

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook held talks with the visiting US secretary of the Navy in Seoul on Thursday to discuss security on the Korean Peninsula, the bilateral alliance and other issues, his ministry said. The talks between Suh and Secretary Carlos Del Toro came as Seoul and Washington seek to ensure their defense readiness, following a recent series of North Korean missile launches, and advance joint efforts to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. During the meeting, Del Toro express

DefenseOct. 28, 2021

Hanshin University establishes Korea’s 1st graduate school of interdisciplinary convergence esports

Hanshin University has established Korea’s first graduate school of interdisciplinary convergence for esports. The school on Monday said in a press release that students will be granted a Master of Science degree upon finishing the program of esports convergence, which will open from the spring semester next year. The courses for esports convergence will be led by professors from the departments of software convergence, computer engineering and public service as well as the colleges of

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2021