S. Korea to begin booster shots for people 60 and older, medical workers in near future: PM

South Korea will begin administering booster shots for high-risk people, including those aged 60 and older, and medical workers, in the near future, the prime minister said Sunday, amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases following a national holiday. Kim Boo-kyum also noted the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) will announce a fourth-quarter inoculation plan, including the booster shot program, Monday. Kim also said starting early next month, the government will shorten the interval

NationalSept. 26, 2021

Key takeaways from S. Korea’s missile tests

The recent missile tests President Moon Jae-in oversaw and praised marked a milestone that experts say shows a rapidly growing South Korean missile capability. Here are key takeaways on what it means for North Korea and foreign powers. Fending off North Korea South Korea is the first non-nuclear state to have tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile. SLBMs -- which have also been developed by China, France, India, Russia, the UK and the US -- are designed to deliver a fatal second strik

DefenseSept. 26, 2021

S. Korea says N. Korean leader sister's weekend remarks 'meaningful'

The unification ministry on Sunday described the weekend remarks by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister about the possibility of holding "constructive" discussions on inter-Korean issues as "meaningful." On Saturday, Kim Yo-jong said the North could declare a formal end to the Korean War as suggested by the South and even discuss holding an inter-Korean summit if the South treats the North with "impartiality" and mutual respect. The statement, carried by the Ko

North KoreaSept. 26, 2021

Worker at facility accommodating Afghan evacuees confirmed to have coronavirus

A South Korean worker of a state-run facility currently used by hundreds of evacuees from Afghanistan as a temporary shelter was confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus Sunday, the Ministry of Justice said. According to the ministry, the employee of the National Human Resources Development Institute in the nation's central county of Jincheon tested positive for the virus. The worker reportedly was not in charge of duties related with the Afghan evacuees. Following the infection, the in

Social AffairsSept. 26, 2021

Media workers' groups urge parties to renounce vote on disputed media bill

Five groups of media workers urged political parties Sunday to renounce a possible parliamentary vote this week on a bill accused of hurting press freedom, stressing the need to form a consultative body to build social consensus on the issue. The groups, including the Journalists Association of Korea, issued a joint statement, as the ruling Democratic Party hopes for the bill to be passed Monday, following talks with the main opposition People Power Party. The legislation, titled the Press Arbit

PoliticsSept. 26, 2021

Korea to take greater steps toward normal from October

South Korea will begin to move past restrictive COVID-19 measures and return to normality in about a month’s time, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Sunday. Speaking with provincial and municipal broadcasters, Kim pointed to late October as when life can begin to return to normal in Korea -- a shift in pandemic control strategy also described as “living with COVID-19.” “About 80 percent of adults aged 18 and above are expected to become fully vaccinated before October

Social AffairsSept. 26, 2021

Gyeonggi governor extends lead in ruling party primaries 　

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung on Sunday extended his lead in the Democratic Party’s primaries, coming in top in the North Jeolla primary. With Sunday’s victory -- with 54.5 percent of the votes -- Lee Jae-myung solidified his lead over former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who had broken the Gyeonggi governor’s winning streak on Saturday. The former prime minister, who had won the South Jeolla primaries by 122 votes on Saturday, came in second with 38.4 percent of t

PoliticsSept. 26, 2021

N. Korea slams Japanese PM Suga over UN Assembly speech

A North Korean researcher berated Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Sunday for his recent remarks at the UN General Assembly, stressing Pyongyang would not associate with whoever his successor will be if Tokyo's "hostile policy" toward it continues. Ri Byong-dok, a researcher at the Institute of Japan, made the remarks in a piece posted on the website of the North's foreign ministry, after Suga made the video message Friday (New York time), stressing the North's recent ballisti

Diplomatic CircuitSept. 26, 2021

PM Kim says no change in plan for phased recovery to normal life despite virus surge

South Korea will still be able to carry out its plan for a phased return to normal life, starting in late October, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Sunday, despite the recent surge in new coronavirus infections. Kim made the remarks at a forum, as the country is seeking to accelerate a return to normal life on the back of progress in the vaccination campaign, with small businesses suffering deepening economic woes due to prolonged social distancing curbs. "By late October, 70 percent of the

Social AffairsSept. 26, 2021

Daily new cases fall below 3,000 amid lingering woes over spreading virus

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases dropped below 3,000 on Sunday amid spiraling woes over the wide spread of the virus across the country due to the variants and the mass migration during the Chuseok holiday. The country reported 2,771 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,735 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 301,172, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Still, the figure is the second largest since the outbreak of COVID-19 in January last year in the

Social AffairsSept. 26, 2021

NK diplomats engaging in illicit financing activities: British gov't report

North Korean Embassies and diplomatic personnel are engaging in illicit financing activities to fund the country's nuclear and other destructive weapons activities, a British government report has said. The British finance ministry's National Risk Assessment of Proliferation Financing (PF) report said its hosting of the North Korean Embassy in London "may pose an inherent" risk, as not all banks in the country may be attuned to UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions that restrict such

North KoreaSept. 25, 2021

Quad leaders urge N. Korea to engage in dialogue, refrain from provocations

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan and India on Friday called on North Korea to engage in dialogue and abide by UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit its ballistic missile tests. The call came at the end of the first in-person summit of the four countries, which form the so-called Quad, in Washington. "We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2021

Military reports 9 COVID-19 cases

Eight service members and an Army civilian employee have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,732, the defense ministry said Saturday. Seven of them -- one airman, two Marines, three soldiers and an Army civilian employee -- were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 during or after a vacation, while the others were found to have been infected after developing symptoms, according to the ministry. The infections were re

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2021

N. Korean leader highlights strong ties with China against 'hostile forces'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country's strong relations with China will further grow against "vicious challenges and obstruction by the hostile forces" in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday. Kim made the remark in a reply to Xi's earlier letter that offered congratulations on the North's 73rd founding anniversary, where the Chinese leader said he intends to "develop these ties of friendship and cooperation on a lon

North KoreaSept. 25, 2021

Daily virus cases in Seoul exceed 1,000 for first time

Daily coronavirus cases in Seoul surpassed 1,000 for the first time following this week's Chuseok holiday, health authorities said Saturday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 1,222 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed during the 24 hours before midnight. Of them, 1,217 were local infections and five were imported cases. The number is far higher than the city's previous record high of 907 cases announced Friday. The city added three more deaths from COVID-19, raising th

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon says BTS helped spread awareness of climate change, other global issues

WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in thanked and praised South Korean superband BTS for using their powerful influence in encouraging people to act on various global issues such as climate change and COVID-19. "Since BTS represents the younger generation and many young people relate to them, I believe they can spread awareness and empathy," Moon said in an interview with U.S. TV network ABC. The interview, also attended by the seven members of BTS, took place on Tuesday,

PoliticsSept. 25, 2021

S. Korea to begin inoculating pregnant women, younger children next month

South Korea is poised to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women and younger children starting next month as part of its inoculation campaign. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) will announce the list of fourth-quarter vaccine recipients next Monday to achieve its goal of herd immunity by November. The country's vaccination campaign started Feb. 26 with some virus-vulnerable groups and front-line medical workers being prioritized for inoculations. A total o

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2021

Why N. Korea wants sanctions lifted first

Days after outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in made possibly his last ambitious push to diplomatically resolve the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program, the North on Friday rejected his call for a declaration ending the Korean War, making it clear it has no interest in political statements unless they bring badly needed relief from crippling economic sanctions. Nuclear diplomacy between the US and North Korea has stalled over disagreements over a relaxation of the US-led sanction

North KoreaSept. 24, 2021

Poland Business Week promotes polish technology

The Polish Embassy in Seoul held the first edition of Poland Business Week on Sept. 13-17 to promote Polish companies in tech sectors such as fintech, cybersecurity and drones. The embassy said the event was aimed at bringing together internationally acclaimed Polish companies and offering them a fresh occasion to seek potential business partners in Korea. The inaugural event was held virtually due to COVID-19 but the embassy hinted that future editions could come in a hybrid form that comp

Diplomatic CircuitSept. 24, 2021

UN rapporteur voices concern media bill would hurt S.Korea's reputation on press freedom

A South Korean media bill under criticism for potentially undermining press freedom, if passed, could give a "negative message" to the world about the country's stance on freedom of media, a UN expert said Friday. Irene Khan, a UN special rapporteur on promoting the right to freedom of expression, made the remark during a virtual press briefing, weeks after she sent a letter to the Seoul government calling for a revision of the bill. The legislation, titled Press Arbitration Act

PoliticsSept. 24, 2021