[Newsmaker] Choo slammed for saying she ‘opposes feminism’

Former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae got herself in trouble by saying she opposes feminism in an interview on YouTube. Among those who criticized her remarks was Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the minor Justice Party. Choo, who has vowed to run for president next year on the ruling Democratic Party ticket, said in an interview with an online media outlet Friday that she opposed feminism and that “if one wants to be treated like a flower because she’s a woman, women will always be ornamental.&

PoliticsJune 29, 2021

[Herald Interview] Cultural, people-to-people ties will boost Korea-Kazakhstan ties

Strengthening people-to-people exchanges between South Korea and Kazakhstan is vital to furthering bilateral ties, according to Bakyt Dyussenbayev, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Korea. “Trade and political cooperation are vibrant between Kazakhstan and South Korea, but strengthening people-to-people contact and public diplomacy had been yearslong vision of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Seoul,” Dyussenbayev said. He added that the Kazakh-Korean society of culture, art and educat

Foreign AffairsJune 29, 2021

UN provided $5.9m to North Korea to tackle food shortages

The United Nations provided $5.9 million to North Korea last year to tackle the country‘s severe food shortage and for its COVID-19 response, UN data showed Tuesday. 　 The Central Emergency Response Fund, a global humanitarian fund established by the UN, said it allocated $5 million to the North in June last year to “tackle severe food insecurity and undernutrition,” in its 2020 annual report. The amount is earmarked for 3.59 million people in the country, it said. 　 

North KoreaJune 29, 2021

Ex-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl announces presidential bid

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl on Tuesday announced his bid to compete in the presidential race next year, officially launching a political career 118 days after stepping down from the top prosecutorial post. During a press conference in southern Seoul on Tuesday, Yoon vowed to rebuild justice and the rule of law, saying the Moon Jae-in administration has destroyed South Korea’s foundations. “It is hard to articulate every misdeed that this administration has committed,&r

PoliticsJune 29, 2021

Korea to show ‘zero tolerance’ for quarantine violations in Seoul

The government will toughen quarantine inspections in the Seoul metropolitan area for two weeks starting Thursday, when relaxed social distancing rules begin to take effect, officials said Tuesday. The confirmed cases in the Seoul metropolitan area made up 73.9 percent of the nationwide total in the fourth week of June, up from 63.5 percent in the fourth week of May. The daily number of new cases in Greater Seoul averages 363.4. “More than 70 percent of domestic infections are concent

Social AffairsJune 29, 2021

[News Focus] Women, young workers hit harder by COVID-19 on jobs

SEJONG -- Data on government payouts for people who have lost their jobs indicates that men and women in their 20s in South Korea were hit hardest by the pandemic over the past 1 1/2 years. In addition, the novel coronavirus dealt a worse blow to women than men in terms of job security, data held by the Korea Employment Information Service showed. The monthly tally of recipients of unemployment benefits reached 712,400 in May. This marked a 67.4 percent increase from 425,390 in December 2019,

Social AffairsJune 29, 2021

Businesses plan to hire 24% more workers through Sept.: labor ministry

Businesses with five or more permanent employees plan to hire 24 percent more workers in the six-month period ending in September than they did in the same period last year, the labor ministry said Tuesday. The companies planned to hire 296,000 people in the second and third quarters, up 58,000, or 24.2 percent, from the corresponding period last year, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said, citing a survey of around 32,000 businesses with five or more permanent employees. The increase is l

Social AffairsJune 29, 2021

Arrivals from 21 countries to be exempt from quarantine-free policy

South Korea's health authorities said Tuesday arrivals from India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and 17 other countries will not be allowed to skip a mandatory 14-day quarantine even if they are fully vaccinated amid the growing concerns over the global spread of the Delta variant. The country earlier announced its plan to allow arrivals who have been vaccinated abroad to enter South Korea without going through self-isolation starting next month. They are still required to visit South Ko

Social AffairsJune 29, 2021

Assembly committee adopts resolution against Japan's Fukushima water release plan

A South Korean parliamentary committee on Tuesday approved a resolution condemning Japan's plan to dump contaminated water from its destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee unanimously passed the resolution, which also calls on Tokyo to take sufficient measures to ensure the safety of radioactive water at the Fukushima plant. The resolution was prepared by ruling and opposition parties after the Japanese government announce

PoliticsJune 29, 2021

[Newsmaker] Ex-Busan mayor gets 3 yrs for workplace sexual assault

BUSAN -- A court sentenced former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don to three years in prison Tuesday for sexually assaulting female employees at work, broadening the interpretation of injury to include psychological trauma. The Busan District Court convicted him of sexually assaulting two female employees using his power and injuring one of them. He was arrested in court. "This is a workplace sexual assault case in which the accused used his superior position" for his crime, Judge Ryu Seung-woo

Social AffairsJune 29, 2021

N. Korea builds apartments on site for late founder's house

North Korea's official newspaper said Tuesday that the site for riverside apartments now under construction in Pyongyang is where a special residence was once located for late state founder Kim Il-sung. In March, North Korea unveiled a plan to build around 800 "terraced apartments" along the Pothong River running through Pyongyang as "gifts" to "working people, including labor innovators and persons of distinguished services in all sectors, scientists, educators and wri

North KoreaJune 29, 2021

Military general tests positive for COVID-19 in 1st such case

A military general has tested positive for the new coronavirus, marking the first such case among the ranks, officials said Tuesday. The general, based in Seongnam, south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, according to the defense ministry. On the same day, another soldier, based in the border county of Cheorwon, was found to be infected while away from his base during a vacation before discharge. The latest cases raised the total number of infecti

DefenseJune 29, 2021

Strict mask rules could be readopted with rise in variant cases: PM

Mandatory outdoor mask rules for those who have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines could be reintroduced if the country sees a rise in new coronavirus variant cases, the prime minister said Tuesday. Starting Thursday, South Korea plans to allow people administered with their first vaccine doses to travel outdoors without masks, as part of the government's new COVID-19 guidelines emphasizing incentives for vaccinated people. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, however, stated that the gov

PoliticsJune 29, 2021

FM Chung under COVID-19 isolation after coming in contact with infected person

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has entered self-isolation after one of the passengers of a flight he took to return home from a Southeast Asian trip tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. Chung arrived home Saturday from Indonesia, the last leg of his weeklong visit to three Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and Singapore. On Monday, he was informed by the health authorities that one of the flight's passengers tested positive and that he was required to self-

Foreign AffairsJune 29, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 2nd day, further upticks in store amid vaccinations

South Korea's daily new virus cases remained in the 500s for the second day in a row Tuesday on fewer tests, but the loosened vigilance against the pandemic may trigger a further rise in new infections amid a steady increase in cases of COVID-19 variants. The country reported 595 more COVID-19 cases, including 560 local infections, raising the total caseload to 156,167, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest figure was up 94 from the previous day. The country a

Social AffairsJune 29, 2021

[Graphic News] E-scooter accidents in Seoul rise sharply over past 3 years

　The number of accidents involving e-scooters in Seoul more than tripled between 2018 and 2020, the fire authorities said. 　The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters said it had responded to 366 e-scooter accidents over the three years: 57 in 2018, 117 in 2019 and 192 in 2020. 　The increase reflects the vehicles’ increased popularity. 　Collisions between e-scooters and cars were the most frequent, accounting for 107 accidents, or 29.2 percent of the total. 　There were 2

NationalJune 29, 2021

US will send delegation to Tokyo Olympics but Biden will stay home: White House

WASHINGTON -- The United States will send a delegation to the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo but President Joe Biden will stay home as the US continues to warn its people to reconsider visiting the Asian country, a White House spokeswoman said Monday. "The president is not planning to attend the games. He will certainly be rooting for the athletes, as well as I," said Jen Psaki when asked if Biden planned to personally visit Tokyo. "We will have a delegation from the United State

Foreign AffairsJune 29, 2021

Moon accepts resignation of chief state auditor

President Moon Jae-in on Monday accepted the resignation of the head of South Korea's state audit agency after he offered to step down earlier in the day in a move widely viewed as a prelude to joining the presidential election race. The resignation of Choe Jae-hyeong, the chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), came six months before the end of his four-year term and the presidential election slated for March. Moon approved Choe's offer to be relieved of his post at around 5:50 p

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

Watchdog launches probe into main opposition party lawmakers' real estate dealings

The state anti-corruption watchdog launched an investigation Monday into real estate dealings by lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and their families.  The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) said the probe will look into real estate transactions involving a total of 427 people -- 101 PPP lawmakers and their family members -- over the past seven years.  The ACRC conducted a similar investigation targeting all lawmakers of the ruling Democratic

PoliticsJune 28, 2021

Moon taps new Air Force chief amid sex crime probe

The Ministry of National Defense said Monday a three-star Air Force general overseeing strategy planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff was tapped to head the Air Force, which has recently been rocked by sexual abuse allegations in which the victim died by suicide, prompting the previous chief to step down on June 4. Lt. Gen. Park In-ho will assume the command on Tuesday, when President Moon will make his appointment official after a Cabinet meeting. Park, an expert on military policy, was the

DefenseJune 28, 2021