S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases under 40,000 for 3rd day amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 40,000 for the third straight day Thursday as the virus wave has been gradually slowing down. The county reported 30,881 new COVID-19 infections, including 252 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,740,635, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marks a sharp decline from the previous day's 36,159. The virus wave has been on a decline after a resurgence in July that later peaked above 180,000 cases in mid

Sept. 29, 2022

[From the Scene] Memorial for comfort women turns into ground zero of conflict and chaos

A half-naked elderly man stood precariously on a balcony of a high-rise building in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, hoisting a banner with an anti-Japan message. A few meters away, a group of elderly women shouted insults at two dozen people taking part in a rally, locally referred to as "the Wednesday protests," demanding an official apology by Japan for the sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II. A few others standing nearby claimed the whole thing as a fraud. The women w

Sept. 28, 2022

Lee Ju-ho considered as new education minister

President Yoon Suk-yeol has been considering appointing Lee Ju-ho, the former science and education minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration, as the second education minister in his administration. The post of education minister has been vacant for some 50 days since the former minister Park Soon-ae’s resignation. Park offered to resign 35 days after taking office following controversies related to her proposal of lowering the school entry age to five. Lee was the head of the defu

Sept. 28, 2022

Foreign students overstaying after dropping out of school: report

About two-thirds of foreign students who dropped out of school have been staying in Korea without a valid visa, according to a report. The report released by independent lawmaker Rep. Min Hyung-bae on Wednesday said that 67.2 percent of students who dropped out of school in Korea were staying without a valid visa as of last year, while a total of 10,335 foreign students dropped out of school in 2021. Min received the data from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice. More students are

Sept. 28, 2022

Bring in foreign nannies to aid parents, Seoul mayor suggests

As South Korea struggles to reverse a falling fertility rate, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has come up with a new idea: Open up the border to foreign nannies to relieve the child care burden of working parents. “Parenting should be socially respected, and measures are needed to enable mothers and fathers to raise their children together,” he said via Facebook on Tuesday. “The introduction of foreign babysitters is a policy focused on parenting, and it would be good news for those

Sept. 28, 2022

Buddhist Jogye Order's new executive chief takes office

The new executive chief of the Jogye Order, South Korea's biggest Buddhist sect, took office Wednesday and started his four-year term. Ven. Jinwoo arrived at the compound of Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul and paid tribute at the main Daeungjeon Hall before entering his office. He did not give any comments. He was elected unopposed as the 37th president of the Jogye Order last month, replacing the predecessor Ven. Wonhaeng. The order adopted the new system to pick its chief through a single-

Sept. 28, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall to 12-week low for Wednesday count

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to around 36,000 on Wednesday, hitting the lowest for a Wednesday count in 12 weeks, as the virus wave has been gradually slowing down. The country reported 36,159 new COVID-19 infections, including 379 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,709,789, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marked a slight fall from the previous day's 39,425, and the lowest tally for any Wednesday since July 6 when the figure came t

Sept. 28, 2022

Producer Don Spike arrested for drug use in Gangnam

South Korean music producer Don Spike was arrested on Monday for illegal drug use and is currently under investigation on charges of violating the Narcos Control Act, according to Nowon police. Don Spike was arrested at a hotel in Gangnam, southern Seoul, around 8 p.m. on Monday, where police seized 30 grams of methamphetamine. Don Spike tested positive for the drug. The amount of drugs that was found is equivalent to approximately 1,000 doses, considering the average dose of methamphetamine is

Sept. 27, 2022

Why is murder suspect’s ID picture altered?

Sporting a dark formal suit and a hint of smile, the man in the photograph gives off an impression of a kind person with a decent office job. But the 31-year-old named Jeon Joo-hwan is the prime suspect in the murder of a female subway attendant at Seoul’s Sindang Station earlier this month. The picture, which appears to have been digitally altered, was released along with his name and age, following a decision by a joint police and civil panel on the public disclosure of the identity of

Sept. 27, 2022

Joint probe into mall fire in Daejeon begins

Police and fire authorities on Tuesday started a joint probe with the National Forensic Service into the Monday fire at Hyundai Premium Outlet in Daejeon, which resulted in seven deaths. A joint investigation team consisting of around 40 members will try to determine how the fire started from the basement parking lot early on Monday morning. The team will check closed-circuit TV footage that shows the cargo-handling area where the fire started to spread. The fire currently appears to have sta

Sept. 27, 2022

Police evaluated Sindang Station murderer to be ‘low threat’

Police evaluated Sindang Station murder suspect Jeon Joo-hwan to be “at low risk” of posing a threat when the victim sued him for stalking last year, a report showed Tuesday. According to a report released Tuesday by Rep. Lee Sung-man of the Democratic Party of Korea, the police determined that Jeon’s stalking case was a “low threat” based on statements from the victim. The police ran a checklist on the potential risk that Jeon could pose to the victim when she sue

Sept. 27, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases rise to around 40,000 amid 'twindemic' woes

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday bounced back to nearly 40,000 from a two-month low amid concerns over a "twindemic" of coronavirus and seasonal influenza. The country reported 39,425 new COVID-19 infections, including 308 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,673,663, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marked a surge from 14,168 cases reported the previous day, when the daily count fell to a more than two-month low apparently due

Sept. 27, 2022

Refusal of surgery for HIV patient discriminatory: NHRC

A hospital's refusal to operate on a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient was ruled as discrimination, the state human rights watchdog said Monday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced that it had recommended the hospital, which was not named, to provide training sessions for employees about the treatment of patients with HIV and come up with measures to prevent recurrence. Earlier in June last year, the HIV/AIDS patient filed a petition to the NHRC after the hos

Sept. 26, 2022

[From the Scene] South Korea's Iranian community demonstrates in solidarity with Iran protests

Some 150 Iranians and Koreans took to the streets on Sunday, in solidarity with the widespread protests in Iran sparked by the death of a young Kurdish woman while in Iranian police custody. The protesters gathered at Teheran Street in southern Seoul, a road that was named after the Iranian capital to celebrate the two countries’ friendship. Participants chanted the name of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in the custody of Iran's "morality police" for all

Sept. 26, 2022

Liberian media identify Liberian officials in custody for alleged sexual assault of teenagers in Busan

A media outlet in Liberia disclosed on Monday the names and faces of two Liberian government officials who were arrested last week on suspicion of sexual assault of two underage girls in Busan. The Liberian government also has reportedly promised to cooperate with South Korea, which is investigating the two officials, according to the Liberian Daily Observer. The report identified one of the two men as Liberia’s representative to the International Maritime Organization and the other as

Sept. 26, 2022

National education committee to take off amid concerns

The National Education Commission will finally be launched, after two months of hiccups, but concerns over its legitimacy remain. The education committee will be launched two members short, with 19 members. The committee is tasked with deliberating on long-term education policies for the country, from national education curriculum to college entrance measures. While the committee will decide on mid- and long-term education goals and policies, the Education Ministry will work on the de

Sept. 26, 2022

Death toll climbs to 7 in Daejeon outlet mall fire

The death toll from an outlet mall fire in the central city of Daejeon has risen to seven, officials said Monday, as a search is under way to determine whether there are any other victims. The blaze is believed to have started from the basement parking lot at Hyundai Premium Outlet in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, at 7:45 a.m. and spread quickly on cardboard boxes, sending dark smoke filling the entire floor, according to witnesses and survivors. Two men, one in his 50s an

Sept. 26, 2022

Seoul 'moon village' becomes tourist trap

Jason Basulto, a 27-year-old American tourist, visited Guryong Village, one of the last remaining shanty towns in Seoul, in April this year. He had been curious about Seoul’s not-so-shiny side, like the semi-basement homes featured in “Parasite.” "Urban slums are visible not only in Korea, but in many other countries, because the wealth gap is a global issue. But the scenery of Guryong Village in the middle of high buildings was striking,” he said. For those who ar

Sept. 26, 2022

New COVID-19 cases hit over 2-month low; outdoor mask mandates fully lifted

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest number in more than two months on Monday, as the virus wave has been slowing down at a steady pace and the government has fully lifted outdoor mask mandates. The country reported 14,168 new COVID-19 infections, including 220 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,634,296, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is the smallest figure since July 11, when the daily figure came to 12,672. The latest count is

Sept. 26, 2022

Outdoor mask mandate fully lifted, other COVID-19 rules in review

South Korea will no longer require masks for outdoor group activities, starting Monday. The government also plans to ease other antivirus measures down the road. The outdoor mask mandate ended May 2, but was kept for outdoor gatherings of 50 or more people. The rule remained due to concerns amid the recent resurgence of COVID-19. The government is expected to further ease the country’s antivirus measures for COVID-19. The government said it would soon introduce its future adjustments to

Sept. 25, 2022