UK, S. Korea agree COVID-19 vaccine swap deal

Britain and South Korea have agreed to swap over 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with each other, with the UK sending a first batch of Pfizer shots in the coming weeks and Korea returning the same volume by the end of the year. Britain said it would send Pfizer doses which it does not immediately need, so they can be used more quickly in South Korea. "By working closely with our friends in South Korea, this vaccine swap will maximize their rollout speed without having an impact on the UK

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

Yoon says he will request redeployment of US tactical nukes in case of emergency

Yoon Seok-youl, the leading opposition presidential contender, said Wednesday he will demand the United States redeploy its tactical nuclear weapons here and have nuclear sharing with South Korea if national security is threatened by North Korea's nukes and missiles. Unveiling 11 election pledges on diplomacy and security issues, former Prosecutor-General Yoon said he will make efforts to strengthen the Seoul-Washington alliance to deter the North's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities. Y

PoliticsSept. 22, 2021

[News Focus] Korea sees tax burden grow 3rd-fastest in OECD

SEJONG -- South Korea posted No. 3 in the growth of tax burden for workers last year among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. According to the French-based organization, Korea saw the tax wedge -- a barometer for taxation levels by measuring the difference between before-tax and after-tax salaries -- post 23.256 percent in 2020, up 0.307 percentage point from 22.949 percent a year earlier. The OECD defines tax wedge as the ratio between the amount of taxes pa

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2021

[Photo News] President Moon Meets BTS

The seven bandmates of BTS and President Moon Jae-in pose for a group shot at Cheong Wa Dae on Sept. 14. The K-pop band was awarded certificates of appointment as special envoys for public diplomacy before attending the annual UN session.  V and President Moon pose for a shot together. Suga and President Moon pose for a shot together. RM and President Moon pose for a shot together. Jimin and President Moon pose for a shot together. Jin and President Moon pose for a shot together. J-Hope an

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2021

Saudi Arabia marks 91st Anniversary of the National Day

Sept. 23 every year brings the memory of a glorious day in our national history where the founding King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman al-Saud unified the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With such a precious national occasion every year, the National Day is an important landmark in the history of modern Saudi Arabia. We celebrate and remember with pride, deep appreciation and dignity the efforts and sacrifices made by our ancestors in building, developing and serving the Kingdom. 　 This year we celebrat

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

At UN, Moon reiterates push for declaration ending Korean War

President Moon Jae-in reiterated calls for a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, amid fresh tension on the Korean Peninsula following recent ballistic missile tests by both Koreas. 　 “I once again urge the community of nations to mobilize its strengths for the end-of-war declaration on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said as he addressed the annual gathering of world leaders in New York. “I propose that three parties of the two

North KoreaSept. 22, 2021

Fresh talks start for more Pfizer shots

President Moon Jae-in continued his vaccine diplomacy in New York, launching a fresh round of talks on securing more COVID shots from Pfizer and a new $52.5 million investment plan unveiled by US bioprocess vendor Cytiva to boost Korea’s vaccine production. Moon on Tuesday met with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to discuss multilateral ways on how Korea and the US vaccine producer can work together for vaccine cooperation, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon talked about securing additional vac

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

Korea to provide over 1 million COVID shots to Vietnam in October

South Korea will provide more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam next month as the two countries emphasize cooperation as strategic partners, the presidential office said Tuesday. The commitment was made during President Moon Jae-in’s summit with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. It was not disclosed which COVID-19 vaccines would be provided. It was Korea

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

Change or continuation: Presidential race heats up

The election is still nearly half a year away, but the race for the South Korean presidency is already heating up. Despite the two largest parties -- the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party -- having already shed several hopefuls, the number of people vying for the nation’s top job still stands at 30. This is a quick rundown of some of the main candidates.  Ruling party heavies Lee Jae-myung Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s life is Sout

PoliticsSept. 22, 2021

Traffic jam on highways as people return on last day of Chuseok

Most highways and roads remained clogged with heavy traffic early Wednesday, as people were traveling back to Seoul on the last day of the Chuseok holiday. Major highways, running through the central part and along the western coast of the country, were jammed with vehicles, with the road congestion likely to peak at about 4-5 p.m., according to Korea Expressway Corp. As of 9 a.m., the estimated travel time to Seoul was 5 hours and 20 minutes from the southern port city of Busan, about 4 hours

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2021

[Us and Them] I’m Korean, you’re not, and there’s a fine line you can’t cross

Silas Harper Bray, a 30-year-old English teacher based in Gyeonggi Province, has never regretted marrying her Korean husband. But others weren’t so fond of her decision, and they weren’t shy about letting her know. She has found out during her three-year stay in South Korea that some Koreans do not like the idea of “mixing blood,” and they made sure she got the message, no matter how offensive it might be. “Many people have told my husband that he should have marr

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2021

S. Korea planning W23b aid project for war-torn Afghanistan

South Korea is planning to spend about 23.2 billion won ($19.5 million) in next year's official development assistance (ODA) projects for war-torn Afghanistan, a document showed Wednesday. The Office for Government Policy Coordination under the Prime Minister's Office said in the document submitted to Rep. Tae Young-ho of the main opposition People Power Party that its committee handling the development aid has reached the decision on the 2022 ODA budget for Kabul, according to Tae's office.

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

Imports of cats, dogs double in 2 yrs amid pandemic-driven stay-at-home mode: data

INCHEON -- South Korea has imported twice as many cats and dogs this year compared with two years ago as people spend more time at home amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, customs data showed Wednesday. According to the data by the regional customs office in Incheon, a main gateway for trade located about 40 kilometers west of Seoul, the number of cats and dogs brought in to the country via air carriers reached 10,241 in the January-August period this year, including 7,961 canines and 2,280

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2021

S. Korea's first lady holds talk session with young Korean Americans

NEW YORK -- South Korea's first lady Kim Jung-sook met with young Korean Americans working in art and culture fields in New York on Tuesday (local time) to discuss the future of Korean popular culture. The meeting took place at Korean Culture Center New York while she was visiting the city this week with President Moon Jae-in, who attended the UN General Assembly. Brian Jon, the founder of the Asian American Youth Council (AAYC) who is known for his campaign that led to the first designation

PoliticsSept. 22, 2021

New cases over 1,700 for 2nd day; concerns grow over post-holiday surge

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed in the 1,700s for the second consecutive day on Wednesday despite fewer tests during an extended Chuseok holiday, raising concerns over a spike in new infections across the nation after the holiday. The country reported 1,720 new COVID-19 cases, including 1,703 local infections, raising the total caseload to 290,983, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest caseload was slightly down from 1,729 on Tuesday, but

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2021

US seeks diplomacy to completely denuclearize Korean Peninsula: Biden

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that his country seeks to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy. The US president made the remark shortly after he said the US will return to full compliance of the nuclear deal with Iran should the Middle Eastern country chooses to do so. "Similarly, we seek serious and sustained diplomacy to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Biden said while delivering his first in-person remarks at the U.N. G

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

US firm Cytiva to invest $52.5m in S. Korea for vaccine production

Cytiva, a US producer of vaccine materials, has decided to invest $52.5 million in South Korea for two years beginning next year, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. The announcement came at a ceremony in New York, attended by President Moon Jae-in, on partnerships between South Korea and the US, it added. Cytiva, which provides technologies to advance the development and manufacturing of therapeutics, has already submitted a report to South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for its plan

Foreign AffairsSept. 22, 2021

Moon proposes formal end to Korean War for irreversible progress in denuclearization efforts

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested once again in his United Nations speech Tuesday that the two Koreas and the United States, probably joined by China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. "I propose that three parties of the two Koreas and the US, or four parties of the two Koreas, the US and China come together and declare that the War on the Korean Peninsula is over," he said, addressing the 76th session of the UN General Assembly here. "When

PoliticsSept. 22, 2021

[Photo News] Lycoris radiata blooms beautifully for fall

As fall arrives, Lycoris radiata, have bloomed in bright red at Greenway, which is located in Daegu.  Greenway consists of a total of 7 kilometers of trails made along unique blocks. Each individual block has its own theme, such as the Rose Garden, the Lilies Garden, and the Maple Garden.  The flowers have bloomed throughout the entire park. People stop to observe and photograph the beautiful sight as they enjoy their stroll.  Two women are admiring the flowers as they enjoy

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2021

Farmers struggle with dearth of foreign workers during harvest

It is time to harvest, but farmers are facing a labor shortage due to a sharp drop in foreign arrivals caused by the pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic, the Ministry of Justice has been implementing a foreign seasonal worker system since 2017 to combat the shortage. In the first year of implementation, 1,085 people came in, and the number of entrants increased to 3,487 in 2019, but there were none last year when COVID-19 began to spread. This year, 504 people entered the country, and 1,01

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2021