Public opinion divided over to whom new round of stimulus checks should go: poll

Public opinion appears to be almost evenly divided over to whom the upcoming new round of COVID-19 relief payments should go, an opinion poll showed Monday. According to the poll conducted on 500 voters nationwide Friday by Realmeter, 38 percent said the stimulus checks should be paid to all nationals. Another 33.4 percent, however, responded the relief funds should selectively go to underprivileged people, the poll results showed. A total of 25.3 percent opposed the payment of emergency relie

PoliticsJune 7, 2021

Military begins vaccination campaign for troops under 30

The military began administering Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to soldiers under 30 years old Monday, the defense ministry said. Of the around 414,000 eligible service members, about 86.5 percent applied for the inoculation, and the vaccine will be given at 91 military clinics across the nation through July 16, according to the ministry. Soldiers aged 30 and older were already given AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, with about 88 percent, or 116,900 members, of the age group agreeing to take thei

DefenseJune 7, 2021

Ruling party chief hints at Samsung scion's pardon

The chairman of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday hinted at the potential parole of Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of Samsung Group. Business conglomerates have recently called for Lee to be pardoned, especially ahead of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, an anniversary on which South Korea's presidents have often used their right to grant a special pardon as part of efforts for promoting national unity. "(Lee) could possibly be freed on parole, not limited only to a pardon," Re

PoliticsJune 6, 2021

Military cooks say too understaffed to provide decent meals

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- On the same day South Korea’s military revealed a bigger budget for meals for soldiers, military cooks said they were still too shorthanded to provide a decent meal and need better ingredients. The military has recently been rocked by social media posts showing the subpar meals given to conscripts under quarantine for the coronavirus. The mounting accusations galvanized the military to revamp the food-rationing system and unveil the latest measure Thursda

DefenseJune 6, 2021

[Herald Interview] International Vaccine Institute’s fully vaccinated chief shares why he’s still taking precautions

International Vaccine Institute Director General Dr. Jerome H. Kim says he is still taking minimal risks more than a month since becoming fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In an email exchange with The Korea Herald, Kim said Saturday he has “not changed behavior much at all” after getting Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine on April 7. He and his wife both received the vaccine at Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul as a retired US military officer and dependent. “

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

[#WeFACE] Recycling alone won't save climate: teen activist

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” -- Ed. At school, Yoon Hyeon-jeong, a 17-year-old climate activist, was taught that climate change was a distant problem that could affect human beings in about 100 years. She had no idea it was an urgent problem that could steal her future

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

Laxer COVID-19 curbs, post-vaccine social distancing waivers coming to Korea in July

South Korea plans to ease out of most COVID-19 restrictions in the summer to stimulate the economy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday, while cases are once again on the rise. “Rather than keeping up with a set of restrictions that is wreaking havoc on the economy, especially the Korean middle class, the government plans to introduce more relaxed guidelines from July,” ministry spokesperson Son Young-rae told a news briefing. “The aim is to shift toward less econ

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

[News Focus] Gwangju, Jeolla lead surge in payouts for jobless women

SEJONG -- Women in South Korea have been hit harder by the pandemic than their male counterparts in terms of job security, labor-related government data suggested. The data indicated that women in the nation’s Honam region -- Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces -- suffered the hardest hit. According to the Korea Employment Information Service, payouts of unemployment benefits grew at a faster pace among women than men in most cities and provinces across the nation. The only exc

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

[#WeFACE] H.eco Forum 2021 to be held June 10

If emissions continue at the current rate, the Earth has about six years and 235 days before the effects of global warming become irreversible. That is what the Climate Clock installed on the roof of Herald Corp. headquarters shows as of June. To turn back the Climate Clock, Herald Corp. has a new mission: to address environmental problems and the climate crisis. As the first step, we are launching an annual H.eco Forum to provide a platform for insights and solutions to the climate emergency.

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

Will Constitution be revised to allow young president?

Discussions on abolishing the age limit for presidential candidates are gaining traction in the wake of the sensation caused by 36-year-old Lee Jun-seok in the main opposition People Power Party’s leadership race. Under the current Constitution, a candidate must be over 40 years old to run for president. The clause was first introduced in 1962 during the fifth constitutional amendment led by the military regime. In order for the Constitution to be revised, the motion needs the support

PoliticsJune 6, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon visits funeral home of sex assault victim in military

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday met with the bereaved families of a female Air Force officer, sexually assaulted by a male colleague, and apologized to them for failing to protect her. Moon headed to her funeral home shortly after attending a national ceremony to mark the 66th Memorial Day. The annual event was held at Seoul National Cemetery. Speaking to the victim's parents at Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, just south of the capital, the president said he was sorry that the count

PoliticsJune 6, 2021

Unification minister calls for 'maximum flexibility' on joint military exercises with US

Unification Minister Lee In-young called Sunday for "maximum flexibility" in deciding what to do with joint military exercises with the United States set for August, saying such drills should never serve as a chance to cause additional tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Lee said on KBS TV's "Sunday Diagnosis Live" that additional consideration should be given to how to deal with the upcoming combined military exercises at a time when the new US policy on Pyongyang has shaped

North KoreaJune 6, 2021

Moon apologizes over 'unjust death' caused by 'evil practice' in barracks during Memorial Day speech

President Moon Jae-in offered a public apology Sunday apparently over the recent death of a female Air Force officer, who had been sexually assaulted by a male colleague. "I am very sorry to the people over such an evil practice in the barracks culture that led to the tragic and unjust death," he said during his Memorial Day speech at the Seoul National Cemetery. The president stopped short of elaborating, but it was clear he was referring to the noncommissioned officer. She was sexu

PoliticsJune 6, 2021

Ex-NK admiral responsible for Yeonpyeong naval skirmishes dies

A former North Korean admiral, who led the country's navy at the time of bloody naval skirmishes with South Korea in 1999 and 2002, has died and his remains have been buried at a national cemetery, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday. Kim Yun-sim, who served as naval chief from 1997-2007, was buried at the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery in Sinmi-ri on Friday, the KCNA said, praising him for "defending the country, people and revolution remaining boundlessly faithful to the

North KoreaJune 6, 2021

Tech prowess underpins vaccination drive in S. Korea

Kim Ji-woo (alias), a 36-year-old office worker, found herself near the end of the line to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as she is not among the groups that are prioritized in the country's nationwide inoculation plan. But she learned that the newly-launched "leftover" vaccine booking system was a way for her to "cut in line" and get the vaccination that would allow her to gradually return to normal life. Anybody older than 30 who is not yet officially eligible to receive vaccine

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

20 doctors lose medical licenses in past 6 yrs for having unlicensed staff practice medicine

A total of 20 doctors lost their medical licenses over the past six years for having unlicensed people practice medicine on their behalf, including plastic surgeries, a report showed Sunday. Two dentists, two doctors of Korean medicine and one nurse had their medial licenses revoked for engaging in such illegal practices over the 2015-2020 period, according to the report compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and submitted to the parliament. Out of the 20 doctors who were stripped of t

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

New virus cases fall back to 500s, vaccination drive accelerates

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back to the 500s on Sunday due to less testing over the weekend, while the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is gathering pace. The country reported 556 more COVID-19 cases, including 541 local infections, raising the total caseload to 144,152, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally fell from 744 on Saturday and 695 Friday, but the decline was attributable to fewer tests over the weekend. The number of daily virus

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

Tripitaka Koreana to open to public for first time

The Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of Buddhist wooden printing blocks, will open to the public every Saturday and Sunday starting later this month. Considered the most comprehensive set of Buddhist scriptures found to date, the Tripitaka Koreana, or "Palmandaejanggyeong" in Korean, comprises 13th-century Buddhist scriptures carved on more than 80,000 wooden printing blocks. They are stored at Janggyeong Panjeon in the Haein Temple, in Hapcheon, 354 kilometers south of Seoul. The sto

Social AffairsJune 6, 2021

Ruling party chief to push to visit US to find way for resumption of Kaesong complex

The head of the ruling Democratic Party said Saturday that he would seek a visit to the United States in the near future to explore a "clue" for the resumption of the now-shuttered inter-Korean industrial complex in North Korea's border city of Kaesong. Song Young-gil made the remarks during a meeting with an association of businesses that used to run operations at the complex closed in February 2016 following the North's nuclear and missile tests. The business owners have called fo

PoliticsJune 5, 2021

Putin calls for guaranteeing N. Korea's security to resolve nuclear quandary

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for guaranteeing the security of North Korea to resolve the standoff over its nuclear program, stressing that pressure and sanctions alone are not going to solve the quandary. Putin made the remark during a virtual session with chiefs of global news agencies at an annual economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday (Russia time), as the nuclear negotiations between the North and the United States remain deadlocked after the breakdown of the Hanoi summit be

InternationalJune 5, 2021