Korea’s Health Ministry dodges question on vaccine responsibility

Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesperson Son Young-rae told a briefing Tuesday that it was “not appropriate, nor helpful, to seek accountability” for the limited availability of vaccines in Korea and the consequent deaths at this point. More than 93 percent of critical and fatal cases of COVID-19 in the last two months were among people who weren’t vaccinated, according to Son. In the briefing, he was asked if he thought things would have been different had vaccines been

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2021

Korea confirms first two cases of delta plus

Korea on Tuesday reported its first two cases of delta plus, a new variant of COVID-19, both of which were “breakthrough infections” affecting vaccinated people. Lee Sang-won, the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s epidemiological investigations team, told a briefing that both delta plus patients had been fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. One of them is a man in his 40s who had no recent history of overseas travel, but sought

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2021

[News Focus] Korea’s population decreases by 170,000 in 20 months

SEJONG -- South Korea’s population declined for the 20th consecutive month as deaths continuously outnumber births, government data shows. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the population fell 179,858 from 51.851 million in November 2019 (when the figure reached the record-high) to 51.671 million in July 2021. The downhill phase started in December 2019. The nation’s population posted the lowest since it stood at 51.664 million in September 2016. Seoul and Busan t

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2021

Gangwon wages war against pool parties

The provincial government of Gangwon began a major crackdown on COVID-19 rule violations in hotels and guesthouses on the eastern coast Tuesday, as young people flock to pool parties and other gatherings over the peak summer holiday season. The biggest hotel in northern Gangneung has been suspended for 10 days from Sunday, after authorities walked in on a pool party attended by dozens of people Saturday night. Gangneung Mayor Kim Han-geun said in a CBS radio interview Tuesday morning that the

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2021

‘Moon should not cave to NK’s bullying’

South Korea should not suspend military exercises with the US to rebuild ties with North Korea because Pyongyang is not interested in peace efforts like Seoul, experts said Tuesday. On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Seoul against holding the drills, which Pyongyang routinely denounces as rehearsals for war. The South and US annually stage drills mainly in spring and summer to bolster readiness against the North. A last-minute debate over whether to g

DefenseAug. 3, 2021

Kim Jong-un reached out first to reopen hotlines: spy agency

It was North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who first reached out to reopen the severed hotlines between the two Koreas after a hiatus of almost 14 months, according to Seoul’s spy agency on Tuesday. As for Kim’s health condition, the officials said there is no sign of abnormality, citing his light manner of walking and other gestures. His younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, also seems to maintain her No. 2 status in the regime as a top diplomatic strategist, they added. Officials of the Nat

North KoreaAug. 3, 2021

Foreign minister requests ASEAN’s constructive role in Korean peace process

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Tuesday requested the 10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations play a “constructive role” in resolving the issues on the Korean Peninsula. 　 Chung made the call during the South Korea-ASEAN meeting held virtually in the morning, where he discussed various issues, including responses to the pandemic and regional issues, as well as the inter-Korean relations.  　 During the meeting, Chung explained the recent

Foreign AffairsAug. 3, 2021

[Newsmaker] Gyeonggi’s push for relief funds fuels infighting

The clash among the ruling Democratic Party’s presidential contenders is gaining renewed steam, despite the candidates’ vow to work as “one team.” The infighting resurged over Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s idea of providing cash handouts for all residents in the province, as it drew criticism from other presidential hopefuls. He first mentioned the idea Sunday, saying that he is considering an option to give COVID-19 disaster relief funds to the 12 perce

PoliticsAug. 3, 2021

Lee’s campaign spokesperson resigns over DUI comments

A spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s presidential campaign resigned from his post Monday after it was found he had made comments defending driving under the influence. The comment, likely made to defend the past criminal record of Lee, stirred controversy across political parties and again shone light on the presidential contender’s past criminal record, which could damage his campaign. Park sent a text message to reporters late Monday saying he was stepping do

PoliticsAug. 3, 2021

Vice FM Choi to visit Iran to attend Raisi's presidential inauguration this week

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will visit Iran to attend the presidential inauguration of Ebrahim Raisi and for talks with his counterpart later this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. On Thursday, Choi is set to attend the inauguration ceremony for Raisi, the former chief justice who won the presidential election in June to succeed Hassan Rouhani. During his stay in Tehran, Choi will also meet his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to discuss bilateral relations and other issues, th

Foreign AffairsAug. 3, 2021

[Newsmaker] Wall paintings in central Seoul whitewashed amid criticism of misogyny targeting wife of presidential contender

A pair of paintings disgracing the wife of leading conservative presidential hopeful Yoon Seok-youl have been whitewashed from the walls of a bookstore in central Seoul after they drew criticism of misogyny. Two paintings on the outer walls of the used bookstore in the district of Jongno were covered over in white paint Monday afternoon a few days after grabbing headlines for their disparaging depiction of Kim Keon-hee, wife of the former prosecutor general currently leading most presidential o

PoliticsAug. 3, 2021

Incheon airport's cumulative cargo handling tops 50m tons

Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to South Korea, has handled more than 50 million tons of cargo since its opening 20 years ago, its operator said Tuesday. The cumulative amount of cargo handled at the airport, west of Seoul, exceeded the 50 million ton mark last Tuesday as a Korean Air plane transported 70 tons of cargo to Atlanta, according to the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the land ministry. The airport's cumulative cargo handling topped 10 million tons in 2006, 2

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2021

Military civilian worker indicted over land speculation allegations

A civilian worker for the military was indicted on suspicion of using insider information for real estate speculation, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The indictment came after 22 military-related people were investigated for real estate speculation suspicions after a massive speculation scandal involving the state housing developer, Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), sparked public fury. The 21 others were cleared of charges, the ministry said. The indicted civilian worker was accused of

DefenseAug. 3, 2021

Moon vows to focus on response to virus, industrial revolution, climate change

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday it has become an "inevitable duty" during the remainder of his tenure to protect people's lives with a focus on curbing the COVID-19 spread and improving their livelihoods. Another key task is preparing for South Korea's future in connection with the fourth industrial revolution and climate change, he said at the start of a weekly Cabinet meeting. "I feel a great sense of responsibility," he said. Moon was presenting major policy goals fo

PoliticsAug. 3, 2021

29 members of virus-hit Cheonghae unit exit quarantine after testing negative

Twenty-nine service members of the Cheonghae unit, which reported a massive COVID-19 outbreak while on missions in Africa, tested negative and will exit quarantine Tuesday, the defense ministry said. Last month, a total of 272 sailors of the 301-strong Cheonghae unit tested positive for the new coronavirus while serving missions in waters off Africa, and all of the unit members returned home weeks ahead of schedule. Upon arrival, the 29 people who initially tested negative were sent to a Navy

PoliticsAug. 3, 2021

[Diplomatic Circuit] Indonesian Embassy installs solar panels to go green

New solar panels have been installed at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul as part of its green transformation efforts that began at the end of last year, the embassy said Friday. The 72 solar panel modules installed on the rooftop of the embassy building in Yeongdeungpo-gu can generate up to 42.8 megawatt-hours of energy per year and cut electricity costs by at least 5 million won ($4,340). “Beside saving the electrical cost, the installment of solar panel also aims at promoting the use of

Diplomatic CircuitAug. 3, 2021

Cabinet approves decree to increase number of govt. alternative holidays

The Cabinet on Tuesday passed a revised presidential decree to allow more national holidays subject to the government's alternative statutory holiday program. According to the Ministry of Personnel Management, the Cabinet endorsed the decree that newly adds four national holidays -- March 1 Independence Movement Day, Aug. 15 National Liberation Day, National Foundation Day (Oct. 3) and Hangeul Day (Oct. 9) -- to a list of legal holidays subject to the government's alternative holiday program.

PoliticsAug. 3, 2021

New cases stay in 1,200s for 2nd day, no signs of letup amid 4th wave of pandemic

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 1,200s for the second day in a row Tuesday due to fewer tests amid the fourth wave of the outbreak across the country. The country added 1,202 COVID-19 cases, including 1,152 local infections, raising the total caseload to 201,203, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest tally marked a decline from 1,442 cases Sunday and 1,219 cases Monday. Daily cases normally fall over the weekend and rise later i

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2021

[Diplomatic Circuit] ‘Korean companies would bring promising results to Romania’s energy sector’

South Korean companies would bring promising results to Romania’s energy sector that has untapped potential, said Costin-Adrian Ionescu, Romania’s charge d’affaires ad interim in Korea. “Nuclear energy, health care, medical equipment production facility are key areas for Korean companies to invest in Romania. Apart from automotive and electronic industries, now Korean companies can establish significant presence for engineering, infrastructure and construction industrie

Diplomatic CircuitAug. 2, 2021

DP chief insists joint military drills proceed as planned amid calls for suspension

   The head of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Monday urged South Korea and the United States to proceed with their annual summertime military exercise as planned, despite North Korea's latest warning that the drills will complicate future inter-Korean ties.    On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement saying that the combined Seoul-Washington exercise could undermine efforts to improve inter-Korean relations at &q

PoliticsAug. 2, 2021