All Air Force flights suspended after KF-16 jet pilot ejects during takeoff run

  An Air Force pilot on Tuesday made an emergency exit from his KF-16 fighter jet during a takeoff run after detecting unspecified problems with the jet, forcing the Air Force to suspend all flights for aircraft inspection, officials said. The fighter jet was moving on the runway to take off from the 20th Fighter Wing in the western city of Seosan when the pilot spotted problems and ejected, according to the military. He sustained no injuries, but the aircraft was damaged and is currently

DefenseJune 8, 2021

Daegu mayor apologizes for controversial bid to import Pfizer vaccines

DAEGU -- The mayor of Daegu offered an apology on Tuesday for causing a "big stir" over the southeastern city's recent bid to import a massive amount of Pfizer vaccines that turned out to be fake. Mayor Kwon Young-jin apologized to Daegu citizens and the whole nation in a news conference, saying his city's attempt to arrange for the South Korean government to buy 30 million doses of Pfizer vaccines from abroad was made out of good will. The incident dates back to May 31, when Kwon to

PoliticsJune 8, 2021

Jeju sees hottest spring on record this year

JEJU -- Jeju Island experienced its hottest spring on record this year, with an average high of 19.3 C from March to May, the local weather agency said Tuesday. The average temperature in the three-month period was 15.5 C, up 1.5 C from 14 C in the average year and the highest since record-keeping began in 1961, according to the Jeju branch of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The average high during the three months was 19.3 C and the average low 12.1 C, also the highest on record for

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

DP to recommend voluntary departure to 12 lawmakers suspected of illegal property dealings

The ruling Democratic Party decided Tuesday to ask 12 sitting party lawmakers suspected of involvement in illegal real estate dealings to leave the party voluntarily. The decision came one day after the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced after a monthslong probe that 12 DP lawmakers are suspected of involvement in illegal real estate dealings by themselves or their families. "Having pledged to sternly respond to this issue during the previous party convention, our p

PoliticsJune 8, 2021

Minor party leader fined for violating election law in connection with academic fraud scandal

The chief of a minor opposition party was fined 800,000 won ($720) Tuesday for lying about fabricating an internship document for a former justice minister's son. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the Open Democratic Party for violating the Public Official Election Act, saying he could have hindered voters from making a fair and reasonable decision during the general elections last year by spreading false information on a matter that had attracted huge public att

PoliticsJune 8, 2021

Vaccine incentives fan hopes for return to normal

Hopes of a return to a pre-coronavirus normal are being fanned by COVID-19 vaccine incentives packages. Various incentives for vaccinated people, such as eased gathering restrictions, are being welcomed by citizens who say the measures will help provide some relief from prolonged restrictions.　 The vaccine incentives allow people who have had at least one shot of coronavirus vaccine to engage in larger family gatherings and religious events. They can go outside mask-free from July. Fully vacc

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

Greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.3% in 2020: ministry

Greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7.3 percent last year from 2019, the first time there has been a decrease for two consecutive years, the environment ministry said Tuesday. The ministry's Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center said total emissions last year are estimated at 648.6 million tons, down 7.3 percent from 2019, and down 10.9 percent from 2018, when the level of emissions was the highest at 727.6 million tons. The decrease was caused in part by less economic activity amid the CO

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] Tower crane operators launch general strike over safety fears

Unionized tower crane operators on Tuesday began a general strike nationwide over safety fears, putting nearly 90 percent of domestic construction sites at risk of being halted. The operators belonging to the Korean Construction Workers' Union (KCWU) went on strike, accusing the government of failing to take sufficient measures to protect citizens and construction workers despite a recent spate of accidents involving tower cranes. The KCWU, affiliated with the militant Korean Confederation of

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

Prosecution challenges structural reform plan by justice ministry

The Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) on Tuesday refused to accept reform measures pushed by the justice ministry and aimed at curbing prosecutors' investigative power. The decision was made during a meeting convened by Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo the previous day with senior prosecutors to discuss the ministry's reform plan, the SPO said. The office said in a statement that it "is not acceptable" that the ministry tries to curb direct investigations by prosecutors and requires them

PoliticsJune 8, 2021

Moon says G-7 summit to be chance for S. Korea's diplomacy, bigger role on global issues

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday his upcoming participation in the Group of Seven (G-7) summit would serve as an opportunity to upgrade South Korea's diplomacy. He is scheduled to attend the three-day session to open Friday in Britain, the first major in-person multilateral summit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea is not a member of the club of the world's most industrialized nations, but Moon is joining the meeting as a guest, along with the leaders of Australia, Indi

PoliticsJune 8, 2021

[Seoul Struggles 9] Newcomers ‘stranded’ in Korea’s biggest city

With almost everything centered in Seoul, for many South Koreans born outside the capital the “Korean Dream” has meant packing their bags and making their way to the city, whether it be for education, a career or a new life. The capital city, home to a fifth of Korea’s population, has been a dream destination for Koreans yearning to blend into a crowd of 10 million people. But once they are within that crowd, many feel left out and stranded. “All of my friends are back

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

S. Korea adds 3 more species to list of protected marine organisms

South Korea's oceans ministry said Tuesday it has added three additional species to the list of protected marine organisms in line with efforts to join the international move to conserve the ecosystem. The newly included species are the olive ridley sea turtle, killer whale and false killer whale, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Under the South Korean marine ecosystem law, those who hunt protected organisms can face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of 30 million w

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

N. Korea faces serious humanitarian crisis: report

North Korea faces a serious humanitarian crisis due to food insecurity and limited health care, aggravated by global sanctions and the coronavirus, an international nongovernmental organization has said. According to the latest Inform Severity Index report compiled by the Geneva-based Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS), North Korea faces a "high" level of humanitarian crisis severity. This represented the second-highest level of a six-tier crisis evaluation scale. The report also

North KoreaJune 8, 2021

S. Korea, Britain to discuss cooperation in defense industry

South Korea and Britain were to hold an annual meeting on defense industry cooperation Tuesday to discuss pending issues, including their acquisition plans and joint research development, the arms procurement agency said. The meeting was to be held in the southeastern city of Busan, convened by Seo Hyeung-jin, the vice chief of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Mark Goldsack, the director of Britain's Department for International Trade Defence and Security Organisation, on iss

DefenseJune 8, 2021

New virus cases in 400s for 2nd day amid vaccination push

South Korea's daily new virus cases remained in the 400s for the second straight day Tuesday amid efforts to boost the country's vaccination campaign. The country reported 454 more COVID-19 cases, including 435 local infections, raising the total caseload to 145,091, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's figure was down from 485 cases Monday. But daily cases usually go up starting Wednesday as more people get tested. Daily caseloads have been going through so

Social AffairsJune 8, 2021

US will work for family reunion of Korean Americans with DPRK relatives: Blinken

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged Monday to work with both South Korea and North Korea to help realize long-awaited reunions of Korean Americans with their loved ones in the North, calling it a "heart wrenching" issue. The top US diplomat also said he is "deeply sensitive" to the issue. "This is just heart wrenching, knowing that people have been not only separated but don't even know the fate of their loved ones," Blinken said in a

Foreign AffairsJune 8, 2021

No plans for Biden meeting with S. Korea, Japan but anything possible: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden currently does not have a trilateral summit planned with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, but such a meeting could be possible as he will join a small group of global leaders in Britain, Biden's top security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Monday. The remarks came as Biden is set to head for Britain on Wednesday for the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Cornwall. South Korea is not a G7 member but is invited to this year's meeting as a guest, along with Aus

Foreign AffairsJune 8, 2021

NK leader holds meeting with top officials to discuss economic policies in second half

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a consultative meeting with top officials to discuss economic policies for the second half of the year ahead of a key party meeting, state media said Tuesday. Kim urged the officials to make "devoted efforts" to improve the economy at the meeting Monday with senior officials of the Central Committee and provincial committees of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The consultative meeting, o

North KoreaJune 8, 2021

12 DP lawmakers suspected of engaging in illegal real estate dealings: anti-corruption agency

The state anti-corruption watchdog said Monday it has identified 12 ruling party lawmakers suspected of having engaged in illegal real estate dealings, following a party-wide probe conducted in the wake of a public sector land speculation scandal in March. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that it identified 16 alleged speculation cases linked to 12 members of the Democratic Party (DP) and that it has relayed the information to a separate police-led special government in

PoliticsJune 7, 2021

Korea will see some return to normal in summer: minister

This summer could feel more normal now that more South Koreans can get COVID-19 vaccines, Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol said Monday. The minister told a news briefing that based on the current trajectory, the goal of vaccinating 14 million adults with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this month could be met “even sooner than previously thought.” “This means that by that point, more than a quarter of Koreans will have been vaccinated. T

Social AffairsJune 7, 2021