North Jeolla governor hopes for southwestern region's growth

The new governor of North Jeolla Province hopes to build a business-friendly environment for the southwestern region of Korea. Governor Kim Kwan-young is a two-time lawmaker in his early 50s who took office in July. With a notable career of being a certified public accountant who has passed both the bar and the civil service exam, he is eager to push new initiatives. “The people are expecting a young and vibrant administration led by me, and I am doing my best to meet their expectations,

Sept. 20, 2022

Only 25% of local civil servants heavily punished after committing sexual assault

Only 25 percent of local government workers were disciplined or received serious penalties for sexual violence in the last five years, according to a report of Interior Ministry. According to a report that Rep. Kim Yong-pan of People Power Party received from the Interior Ministry on Tuesday, there were 576 cases of civil servants being disciplined due to various types of sexual misconduct from 2017 to 2021, including sexual violence, harassment, and use of prostitution services. Among them, sex

Sept. 20, 2022

Child abuse cases double in a year

The number of child abuse arrests doubled in 2021 from the previous year, and more than 80 percent of the offenders were parents, a report showed Tuesday. A National Police Agency report showed that 12,725 suspects were arrested last year on child abuse charges, up 106 percent from 6,164 in the previous year, according to Rep. Kim Yong-pan of the People Power Party. Last year's surge was significantly higher than the annual increase seen in other years since 2017, which fell between 9 and 25 per

Sept. 20, 2022

PM urges preparedness to deal with potential double epidemic of COVID-19, flu

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday called for thorough preparedness to deal with a potential double epidemic of COVID-19 and the flu, with health authorities warning the specter of a "twindemic." The government should "prepare thoroughly for the possibility of simultaneous outbreaks of the flu and COVID-19," Han told a Cabinet meeting. Han urged people to get influenza vaccines, saying vaccines could effectively lessen the danger of a double epidemic of COVID-19 and the f

Sept. 20, 2022

Temperatures drop suddenly due to cold air from north

Temperatures took a sudden dive across the country Tuesday, prompting people to change from summer clothes to autumn clothes. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the mercury dropped by eight to 13 C from the previous day, as cold air moved here from the north. Tuesday's morning lows ranged from 11-19 C, 2-4 C lower than the 30-year average and 8-13 C lower than the day before, the KMA noted. As of 7 a.m., temperatures had hit 16.2 C in Seoul, 15.5 C in Incheon, 15.9

Sept. 20, 2022

Legislative inaction leaves victims of stalking at risk of serious violence

The stalking-murder of a young woman that shocked South Korea last week has prompted a flurry of promises for change from lawmakers and the government, but measures being floated now have been stalled at the National Assembly for more than a year. At around 9 p.m. Wednesday, a 28-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times to death by her stalker of three years, 31-year-old Jeon Ju-hwan, inside the bathroom of Sindang subway station in central Seoul. After it was revealed that the suspect was t

Sept. 19, 2022

Sindang Station murder suspect unmasked

Police on Monday disclosed the personal information of Jeon Joo-hwan as the suspect in the murder of a Seoul Metro employee. The identity of a criminal suspect usually is not made public in Korea, but can be disclosed if there is sufficient evidence to prove the suspect’s guilt and it is in the public interest. The police held a committee to review the disclosure on Monday and decided to release the name, age and picture of the suspect. "The victim was brutally murdered by a premedita

Sept. 19, 2022

Typhoon Nanmadol hits southern coastal areas of S. Korea

Typhoon Nanmadol, this year’s 14th typhoon, grazed southern and eastern coastal areas of South Korea on Monday, drenching the region with heavy rains and strong winds. But only minor damages were reported. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, at 3 p.m. on Monday, Typhoon Nanmadol was moving northeast at around 300 kilometers west of Osaka, Japan at a speed of 33 kilometers per hour, leaving behind the South Korean mainland. The typhoon became slightly weaker in the afte

Sept. 19, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall to 10-week low

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases slowed to a 10-week low on Monday, showing signs of a downturn in the virus wave. The country reported 19,407 new COVID-19 infections, including 289 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,413,873, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The new daily figure is the lowest since cases dropped to 12,672 on July 11. The Monday tally's fall is notable despite the fact that fewer tests are conducted during weekends. The daily ca

Sept. 19, 2022

Govt. to extend subsidies for diesel vehicle drivers to year-end

The government decided to extend subsidies for diesel vehicle drivers until the end of this year to help ease their burden from high fuel costs, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said Monday. In May, the government began implementing the subsidy scheme for cargo truck drivers and others using diesel vehicles in the wake of its tight supplies and high price amid the war in Ukraine. The program was supposed to end this month. But the government will extend it by three months and come up with measures

Sept. 19, 2022

PM urges tight vigilance against Typhoon Nanmadol

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday called for the highest vigilance against the potential impact of the approaching powerful Typhoon Nanmadol. Han made the remarks as he presided over a meeting with related officials to check the country's preparedness, with the typhoon projected to hit the nation's southeastern part later in the day. Han said Monday morning would be the "critical moment of the typhoon," warning that the typhoon was approaching South Korea with strong rain

Sept. 19, 2022

1 person injured, hundreds evacuated as Typhoon Nanmadol nears

Strong winds brought on by Typhoon Nanmadol have toppled trees and caused power outages in southeastern South Korea, leaving one person injured and hundreds others evacuated, officials said Monday. With a central atmospheric pressure of 960 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed of 39 meters per second (mps), this year's 14th typhoon was moving north from near Japan's Kagoshima at a speed of 18 kilometers per hour as of 6 a.m., according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquar

Sept. 19, 2022

PM Han calls for tight vigilance against Typhoon Nanmadol

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed government officials Sunday not to allow even a "single moment of carelessness" as they are bracing for the potential impact of an approaching powerful typhoon. Han presided over a meeting with related officials to check the country's preparedness, with Typhoon Nanmadol projected to reach waters close to Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday and then move northeast along the island country. "Due to the very large radius of t

Sept. 18, 2022

Talk of ending indoor mask mandate gains momentum

When will the indoor mask mandate come to an end? That is the next question Korea is facing after two years into the pandemic. The health authorities are cautioning against the move as the daily number of cases show no sign of dropping soon. But that has not stopped some decision-makers to float the idea of bringing an indoor mask ban to an end. “We would like to begin discussing the transition from the current COVID-19 emergency system to a more normal one,” said professor Jung Ki-s

Sept. 18, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 40,000 amid virus slowdown

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the fourth consecutive day to below 40,000 on Sunday as the spread of the virus slows down. The country reported 34,764 new COVID-19 infections, including 241 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,394,466, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload decreased more than 8,600 from the previous day. An omicron variant had led to a virus resurgence in early July, with the daily caseload spiking to more tha

Sept. 18, 2022

[Weekender] Built to inspire awe

In Seoul's southern district of Banpo, an apartment complex recently won a prize at the international iF Design Award 2022 in Germany, not for the design of its main building, but for its grand and magnificent front gate. Standing 8 meters tall and 70 meters long, the large curved entrance gate is the first impression of “the H Banpo La Class,” the apartment complex built by Hyundai E&C last year. At night, the massive structure is illuminated with more than 12,000 LED lights,

Sept. 17, 2022

Typhoon Nanmadol to grow stronger, come closest to S. Korea within 2 days: KMA

Typhoon Nanmadol, currently passing the waters east of Japan's Okinawa, is expected to grow stronger Saturday before coming closer to South Korea in the next couple of days, the state weather agency said. With a central atmospheric pressure of 920 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed of 53 meters per second, this year's 14th typhoon was passing waters 520 kilometers east of Okinawa at 9 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Nanmadol, currently a "very strong&quo

Sept. 17, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 50,000 amid gradual slowdown of virus wave

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell for the third consecutive day to below 50,000 on Saturday amid the gradual slowdown of the spread of the virus. The country reported 43,457 new COVID-19 infections, including 280 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,359,702, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest figure is down by more than 8,000 from the previous day. An omicron variant had led to a virus resurgence in early July, with the daily caseload spiking

Sept. 17, 2022

Court issues arrest warrant for subway murder suspect

A local court issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of the suspect in the shocking murder of a female subway worker inside a subway ladies' restroom in Seoul. The 31-year-old Seoul Metro employee, surnamed Jeon, was apprehended Wednesday evening at Sindang Station on Line No. 2 after allegedly stabbing his female colleague in her 20s to death in the subway station's ladies' room. The case shocked the nation as it was revealed the killing took place one day before a court was set to sentence him

Sept. 17, 2022

Financial workers stage nationwide strike

Unionized financial workers staged a one-day nationwide strike Friday calling for a wage hike and a 4.5-day workweek. The strike, called by the Korean Financial Industry Union, caused minimal disruption to operations of five major commercial banks, including KB Kookmin and Shinhan, with about 1 percent of union members participating, according to the companies. In three major state-run banks, including Korea Development Bank, which are scheduled or rumored to relocate to provincial cities, 50

Sept. 16, 2022