Main opposition set to request outside probe into party lawmakers' property dealings

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is set to officially request Wednesday an inspection by state auditors into real estate dealings by all its sitting lawmakers to determine if any of them is involved in a public sector land speculation scandal. The PPP's deputy floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho is scheduled to visit the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) in the afternoon to submit a letter requesting an inspection into property transactions of all its 102 lawmakers, according to part

PoliticsJune 9, 2021

Unionized couriers launch strike after failed talks with govt. and logistics firms

Unionized delivery workers in South Korea launched a full-scale strike Wednesday following the failure of talks with the government and logistics firms on improving working conditions. The Parcel Delivery Workers’ Solidarity Union announced Tuesday that 2,100 of its 6,500 members would stage an indefinite walkout starting Wednesday, as the dialogue fell through due to the absence of the association of delivery service branches from the talks. The union has asked firms to implement what i

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

Three leaders, three calculations

Speculation is growing about a possible trilateral meeting between South Korea, the US and Japan at the upcoming G-7 summit in the UK later this week. On Monday, Washington said it is open to the possibility even though nothing has been confirmed yet. “We don’t currently have a trilateral scheduled between the US, Japan, and South Korea, but I will tell you there’s a possibility for virtually anything in these small spaces where you have just -- you know, in this case, 10 or

Foreign AffairsJune 9, 2021

Vaccinated people to get discounts, incentives for cultural heritage programs

The government on Wednesday announced plans to offer discounts and other promotions to vaccinated people in its latest efforts to achieve herd immunity by November. Those who have been vaccinated will be eligible to apply for free guided tours at royal palaces and other events at such venues within 14 days following their vaccinations, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. The cultural heritage agency said it will limit in-person attendance for some programs scheduled for June to

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

E-scooter accidents in Seoul rise sharply over past 3 years

The number of accidents involving e-scooters more than tripled between 2018 and 2020 in Seoul, fire authorities said Wednesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters said it responded to 366 e-scooter accidents over the three years: 57 in 2018, 117 in 2019 and 192 in 2020. The increase is in line with growing public use of the personal mobility devices. Collisions between e-scooters and cars occurred the most frequently, accounting for 107 cases, or 29.2 percent of the total.

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

S. Korea to vaccinate long-term overseas biz travelers

South Korea's top economic policymaker said Wednesday the country will permit people who will travel overseas for business for more than a year to receive COVID-19 vaccines before their departure. Currently, the country has given priority for vaccinations to businesspeople who will stay overseas to work for less than three months. The move is aimed at helping ease the burden of companies, which may balk at planning overseas business trips due to the pandemic, according to Finance Minister Hong

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Everyone is a learner for life’

Like all aspects of life over the past year, education has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. While numerous schools struggled to cope with the pandemic, North London Collegiate School Jeju's Class of 2020 achieved the highest level of academic proficiency and college advancement in its 10-year history. “In the midst of the pandemic, we were really supporting those children through the academic support we give, through the pastoral well-being support we give and ensuring that we hav

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

Int'l maritime defense expo kicks off in S. Korea

A large-scale maritime defense exhibition kicked off in South Korea on Wednesday, featuring advanced defense systems from major global firms, the Navy said. The biennial International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 2021 is scheduled to run through Saturday in the southern city of Busan. The Navy organized the event along with the Busan city government and the Korea International Trade Association. This year's event brought together around 110 major maritime defense companies from

Foreign AffairsJune 9, 2021

S. Korean worker at Camp Humphreys tests positive for COVID-19

A South Korean working at an American military base here has tested positive for the new coronavirus, US Forces Korea (USFK) said. The contractor at US Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, around 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on Friday after close contact with an individual who tested positive earlier, according to the US military. The confirmed patient last visited the base on Thursday and is now in isolation at a facility designated for coronavirus

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

NK paper calls for scientific development conducive to actual growth, production

North Korea's official newspaper called Wednesday for drawing up science and technology development plans in a way that truly contributes to economic growth and production, saying some plans are put together in a "perfunctory" manner. "Some units have shown a tendency of drawing up plans for the development of science and technology in a perfunctory manner without concrete calculations," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling Workers' Party, said. "Rather than mak

North KoreaJune 9, 2021

New virus cases back over 600; vaccination drive on smooth path

South Korea's daily new virus cases bounced back to over 600 Wednesday due to sporadic cluster infections as the country's inoculation drive gains traction on increased vaccine supply. The country reported 602 more COVID-19 cases, including 581 local infections, raising the total caseload to 145,692, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Wednesday's figure was sharply up from 454 cases Tuesday. Daily cases here usually spike from Wednesday as more people get tested. Dai

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

S. Korea to allow overseas group tours of fully vaccinated citizens as early as in July: govt.

South Korea will allow overseas group tours of fully vaccinated citizens to nations with stable virus response measures as early as in July, as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign picks up speed across the nation, the prime minister said Wednesday. "Starting in July, we plan to allow group travel of fully vaccinated people through consultations between nations with stable antivirus conditions," Kim Boo-kyum said during a daily interagency meeting on the country's coronavirus response.

Social AffairsJune 9, 2021

S. Korea open to anything but three-way summit with US, Japan not planned: diplomat

South Korea is open to a three-way dialogue with the United States and Japan, but no official meeting has been scheduled for their leaders taking part in the Group of Seven (G7) summit this week, a senior South Korean diplomat said Tuesday. South Korea's vice foreign minister, Choi Jong-kun, also said his country will actively seek dialogue opportunities with the leaders of the United States and Japan at the upcoming G7 summit in Britain. "We are open, and plan to actively push for a Sout

Foreign AffairsJune 9, 2021

[Newsmaker] US lowers travel advisory for S. Korea to lowest Level 1

The United States on Tuesday lowered its travel advisory for South Korea to the lowest level, which advises people visiting the Asian country to exercise normal precaution. The State Department said the latest update reflected a low level of COVID-19 infections in South Korea. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for South Korea due to COVID-19, indicating a low level of COVID-19 in the country," it said. The US had maintain

Foreign AffairsJune 9, 2021

Delivery workers union calls strike amid stalled talks with govt., logistics firms

Unionized delivery workers threatened Tuesday to go on strike as their talks with the government and logistics firms to prevent their overwork have made little progress. The 6,500-strong Parcel Delivery Workers' Solidarity Union said its roughly 2,100 members who have the right to strike will stage an indefinite walkout Wednesday after holding a members' vote early in the day. The union has been in talks with the government and logistics firms on the timing of the full implementation of a Janu

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

S. Korea not considering boycott of Tokyo Olympics amid Dokdo spat: ministry

South Korea is not considering boycotting the Tokyo Olympics, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, after presidential hopefuls of the ruling Democratic Party mentioned the possibility of a boycott amid a renewed territorial spat with Japan over the East Sea islets of Dokdo. Rep. Lee Nak-yon and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun raised the need to mull boycotting the Games, slated to take place from July 23-Aug. 8, should Japan not revise the map of the Olympic torch relay route that included D

PoliticsJune 8, 2021

Korea looks forward to ‘more normal’ this summer -- but is it too soon?

South Korea plans to allow more socializing and less mask-wearing through its pre-herd immunity phase of summer and early fall. But as the vaccine still remains out of reach for many, the country may be moving too fast with the new recommendations, some experts worry. President Moon Jae-in promised “a mask-free Chuseok,” a national holiday coming up in late September, during a special COVID-19 response meeting Monday. The president’s goal is for 70 percent of the population

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

Air Force suicide exposes culture of glossing over sex crimes

The suicide of an Air Force master sergeant who said she was a victim of sexual violence will be one of many similar stories to come, as long as the military leaves unchecked a culture prone to glossing over sexual abuse, experts said Tuesday. The sergeant, who reported to the military on March 2 that she had been sexually assaulted by a fellow master sergeant who was senior to her, was found dead May 22. Her family, who petitioned the presidential office to look into the matter, said the milit

DefenseJune 8, 2021

Slovenia to open embassy in Seoul

Slovenia is set to establish an embassy in Seoul this year, and Tuesday its visiting top diplomat asked for South Korea’s cooperation ahead of its opening. 　 Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar, at the start of bilateral talks with Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, stressed that one of the reasons he visited was to prepare to open the embassy. 　 “In order to organize everything that is corresponding to the opening of this embassy, I look forward to your help in that sense,

Foreign AffairsJune 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] 12 ruling party lawmakers implicated in real estate corruption

The ruling Democratic Party convened an emergency meeting of its leadership Tuesday to discuss how to respond to a government report indicating that 12 of its lawmakers were implicated in illegal real estate transactions. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said Monday that 12 Democratic Party lawmakers or family members of Democratic Party lawmakers were suspected of violating the law on real estate trade. The anti-corruption watchdog looked into the real estate transactions of 17

PoliticsJune 8, 2021