S. Korea to begin mass production of surface-to-air interceptor missile

South Korea will begin mass production of a newly upgraded interceptor missile, often dubbed the Korean equivalent of the US-made Patriot missile defense system, after successfully completing a number of quality tests, officials said Wednesday. Cheongung II, the upgraded version of the country's first locally-developed medium-range surface-to-air guided missile, accurately hit a missile and an aircraft target in firing tests conducted at the Anheung test site in the western city of Taean, in Ju

DefenseAug. 18, 2021

Appellate court rules against license revocation for Jeju for-profit hospital

An appellate court on Wednesday reversed a local court's approval of the Jeju provincial government's revocation of the business license of what would have been the nation's first for-profit hospital. The Jeju branch of the Gwangju High Court ordered the Jeju government to cancel its decision in 2019 to nullify the business license of the Chinese-owned Greenland International Medical Center as South Korea's first for-profit hospital. The appellate court ruling came after the Jeju District Cour

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

S. Korea dismisses Japan's renewed claims to Dokdo

South Korea on Wednesday rejected Japan's protest over an opposition lawmaker's visit to the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo, saying Tokyo should never lay territorial claims to the East Sea outcroppings. Japan made the protest after Rep. Hong Suk-joon of the main opposition People Power Party visited Dokdo on Sunday in time for Liberation Day, marking the end of Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. A foreign ministry official in Seoul said the government rebutted Japan

Foreign AffairsAug. 18, 2021

No plan to pull troops from Korea: US

The White House said it does not intend to pull out troops from either South Korea or Europe, as the US exit from Afghanistan calls into question the credibility of Washington’s security commitment to its allies.   　 US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday in the US made the remark when asked whether Washington would withdraw troops from its allies, including South Korea, like it has done in Afghanistan.   　 “So, the president, as he has said repeatedly, ha

Foreign AffairsAug. 18, 2021

PPP chief faces leadership crisis as drawn-out turf war with Yoon causes chaos

The leadership of Lee Jun-seok, the young and unconventional chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has taken a major blow from a protracted power game with the party's leading presidential contender Yoon Seok-youl that has created unexpected ruptures and bad blood within the party. The relationship between the two has been on shaky ground from the get-go since Yoon, previously an independent, joined the party in late July when Lee was away from the party headquarters on a bu

PoliticsAug. 18, 2021

Unification minister urges North Korea to return to negotiating table within this year

Unification Minister Lee In-young urged North Korea on Wednesday to come back to the negotiating table within this year, voicing concerns that upcoming political events in the region could slow down the peace process with Pyongyang. During his keynote speech at a symposium in Seoul, Lee stressed the importance for the two Koreas and the US to resume dialogue before the end of this year to bring "sustainable peace." "It is highly likely that the momentum for the peace process on

North KoreaAug. 18, 2021

[Newsmaker] Main opposition in leadership fracas

A day after canceling a planned debate because a leading presidential contender was unhappy about it, the main opposition party on Wednesday was wrangling over its leader’s comments in a private conversation. Won Hee-ryong, former Jeju governor and a preliminary presidential candidate of the People Power Party, claimed that party leader Lee Jun-seok told him on the phone that Yoon Seok-youl, the ex-prosecutor general and the party’s most popular presidential hopeful, “will be

PoliticsAug. 18, 2021

Seoul education chief hints at allowing more in-person classes

As schools reopened for the second semester, Seoul Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon has hinted at expanding in-person classes to more students even with the toughest social distancing measures in place. “If the distancing level (in Seoul) comes down to Level 3 by Sept. 3, we can allow in-person classes for all students. Even if Level 4 continues, we can still have in-person classes for two-thirds of students,” Cho said during a visit to an elementary school in western Seoul on

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae confident of reaching vaccination target despite Moderna delay

Cheong Wa Dae is confident of reaching its vaccination target for COVID-19 as planned, despite delayed vaccine shipments from Moderna, President Moon Jae-in’s senior public communications secretary Park Soo-hyun said Wednesday. "We can reach the goal if the already secured vaccines are well controlled,” he said in a radio interview earlier in the day, referring to Moon’s Liberation Day speech on Sunday, when the president said the nation was on track to inoculating 70 pe

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

Army boot camp reports 11 COVID-19 cases in yet another cluster infections

Eleven newly enlisted soldiers at an Army boot camp have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday, in yet another cluster infections reported at the country's largest training camp for new recruits. The soldiers at the Korea Army Training Center in the central city of Nonsan were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after one of them first developed symptoms starting Monday, according to the ministry. The soldier who first showed symptoms joined the camp

DefenseAug. 18, 2021

Critical cases rise among unvaccinated young people

The prime minister has urged young South Koreans to get vaccinated for COVID-19, saying more of the country’s unvaccinated young people are becoming critically ill. “We believe that some people still avoid vaccination because of concerns about side effects. And some don’t get shots because they think the coronavirus is nothing,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday. “However, even among unvaccinated young people, the number of severely ill patients (due to

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

Vice FM meets Senegalese leader, discusses bilateral cooperation

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun has met with Senegal's President Macky Sall and discussed efforts to boost bilateral cooperation in health security, economy and other areas, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. Choi paid the courtesy call on Sall while visiting the African nation Tuesday and Wednesday in the second leg of his weeklong trip that includes Morocco and Nigeria. At the meeting, Sall asked South Korea to make special efforts to ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccin

Foreign AffairsAug. 18, 2021

S. Korea to implement 'Buy Korea Defense' plan this month

South Korea will try to spend up to 80 percent of its defense budget for local sourcing under a "Buy Korea Defense" project aimed at boosting local industries and securing key technologies, officials said Wednesday. Under the project, set to be introduced this month, the country plans to spend 80 trillion won ($68.3 billion) out of 100 trillion won earmarked for defense capabilities improvement projects by 2026 on local research and development, production and other domestic procureme

DefenseAug. 18, 2021

[Newsmaker] DP chief calls for swift OPCON transfer as lesson from Afghan crisis

The chief of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday called for speeding up South Korea's envisioned takeover of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its forces from the United States in reflection of the recent crisis in Afghanistan. "We need OPCON transfer to further strengthen our will and capability of self-defense against the backdrop of the Afghanistan crisis," Rep. Song Young-gil said in his Facebook post. Song wrote the post as a direct rebuttal to a claim recently ma

PoliticsAug. 18, 2021

Independence fighter laid to rest in S. Korea, 78 years after death in Kazakhstan

The remains of Hong Beom-do, one of the most revered Korean independence fighters, were laid to rest at South Korea's national cemetery Wednesday, three days after being returned from Kazakhstan. An official ceremony for the reburial of his remains was held at Daejeon National Cemetery in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, following a public mourning period. President Moon Jae-in attended the ceremony, along with first lady Kim Jung-sook and other dignitaries, including Defense Minister S

DefenseAug. 18, 2021

Apartment security workers could get air conditioning, 4 days off per month

Apartment security guards will get at least four days of leave every month and a better work environment if a recent government initiative succeeds. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday that it would propose a legislative revision to improve working conditions for apartment security workers by setting guidelines on how their offices should be equipped and what benefits must be provided. Under the proposal, security workers would be guaranteed at least four days of leave every m

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

N. Korea reports no coronavirus cases: WHO

North Korea has reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) that the country has conducted coronavirus tests on around 36,000 people so far but found no confirmed cases, the UN agency said Wednesday. According to the WHO's weekly report on COVID-19, 693 North Koreans underwent virus tests from July 30 to Aug. 5, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 35,947, but none were found to have been infected. Of the newly tested citizens, 112 people with symptoms turned out to be those wit

North KoreaAug. 18, 2021

New cases spike to over 1,800s, further rise in store after holiday

  South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose back to the 1,800s for the first time in three days on Wednesday, following the extended weekend, and health authorities remain vigilant against a further rise down the road. The country added 1,805 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,767 local infections, raising the total caseload to 228,657, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Daily infections rebounded after falling to 1,556 on Monday and 1,373 on Tuesday d

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

Toughest Level 4 distancing rules take effect on Jeju Island

The toughest Level 4 social distancing rules went into effect on the southern resort island of Jeju on Wednesday, as authorities struggle to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 among tourists and residents. The Jeju provincial government said the Level 4 scheme, up one notch from the previous Level 3, will be enforced throughout the island until Aug. 29, imposing strict restraints on people's gatherings and activities. Under the new rules, private gatherings of up to two people are allowed af

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021

[Graphic News] Only 5.2% of executives in Korea are women

　Women hold 5.2 percent of executive positions at publicly listed companies in South Korea, the Gender Equality Ministry said. 　According to a survey of 2,246 stock market-listed companies in the first quarter, only 1,668, or 5.2 percent, of the 32,005 executives were women, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. 　Vice Minister Kim Kyong-seon said that rate was far lower than the OECD average of 25.6 percent, citing the British weekly the Economist. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2021