Over half of 20-somethings don't plan to have children after marriage: poll

More than half of single 20-somethings in South Korea do not want to have babies after marriage due apparently to concerns over high child-rearing costs in the country, a poll showed Monday. According to a survey reported in a monthly economic journal by the state-run Korea Development Institute, 52.4 percent of unmarried Koreans in their 20s think it is OK not to have children after tying the knot. The percentage is sharply up from 23.3 percent in the same survey conducted five years earlier. I

May 9, 2022

S. Korea‘s daily COVID-19 cases increase week-on-week for the first time in 6 weeks

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases for Saturday rebounded week-on-week for the first time in around six weeks, government data showed Sunday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 40,064 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Saturday. The total caseload came to 17,544,398. The daily figure on Saturday was up from 37,771 cases on Saturday a week ago. It was the first time in 46 days that the daily COVID-19 infections increased week-on-we

May 8, 2022

[Subway Stories] Jongno 3-ga is where old meets new

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. Jongno 3-ga has 16 exits with three subway lines running through the station. The sheer number speaks volumes for the significance of Jongno-gu, which is central to the lives of people in Seoul. Meaning Bell Street, with the bell in the name referring to Bosingak that sits at Jonggak intersection, Jongno is one of the busiest

May 8, 2022

New COVID-19 cases rebound to 40,000s amid relaxed virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to the 40,000s on Sunday, but daily COVID-19 cases are widely on a downward trend even after the lifting of almost all antivirus curbs. The country added 40,064 new COVID-19 infections, including 16 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,544,398, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally is up from 26,714 on Friday and 39,600 on Saturday. Daily infections have been on the downward trend in recen

May 8, 2022

[Weekender] All washed up: Beach trash holds truths about North Korea

Kang Dong-wan, a 48-year-old South Korean professor at Dong-A University in Busan, has become a trash-to-treasure hunter after he realized the genuine value of trash that drifted in from North Korea along the eastern and western seaboards. The professor views the washed-up trash as a window into the reality of North Korea and the people’s daily lives. Kang has so far collected around 3,000 wrappers and packages of North Korea-produced items from the beaches on the West and East coasts

May 7, 2022

S. Korea reports 39,600 new COVID-19 cases amid eased antivirus curbs

South Korea reported nearly 40,000 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, marking a gradual decrease in infections, amid eased social distancing rules designed to return the country to normalcy. The country added 39,600 new COVID-19 infections, including 26 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,504,334, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Saturday‘s figure is up from the previous day’s 26,714, but it marked a 13-week low for Saturdays. Dail

May 7, 2022

15th World Forestry Congress concluded, adopts Seoul Forest Declaration

The 15th World Forestry Congress concluded with the closing ceremony on Friday in Seoul, adopting the Seoul Forest Declaration. The five-day congress is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization and held every six years to share worldwide forest-related and environmental problems, like climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification, and devise solutions through forests. The closing ceremony started with the announcement of outcomes across the five days, followed by commen

May 6, 2022

Moon admin congratulates self at last COVID-19 meeting

At the last meeting of Moon Jae-in administration’s COVID-19 headquarters top officials applauded South Korea’s handling of the pandemic over the years. Presiding over the meeting Friday, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum warned against “disparaging the country’s success in combatting COVID-19 without any evidence” in a message to critics. “There have some criticisms that compared to other countries, Korea was late in returning to normal life. But based on statis

May 6, 2022

S. Korea extends mandate of dog meat task force

South Korea's government-civilian consultative body on dog meat consumption decided Friday to extend its operations for two more months for further discussions on the sensitive issue in the country. The 21-member task force was launched in December to come up with compromise policy recommendations on dog meat consumption in order for the incoming government to take measures to deliver them, including related law revisions. "Members have found common ground that an end to dog meat consumptio

May 6, 2022

S. Korea experienced second warmest April on record

Last month ranked as the second warmest April on record in the nation, the weather agency said Friday. Data compiled by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) showed the average temperature last month was 13.8 C, the second highest for April since nationwide record-keeping began in 1973. It was 1.7 degrees above the 30-year average of 12.1 C. The average daytime high was 20.4 C, the fourth highest ever, and the average overnight low was 7.5 C, the third highest on record. The warm weather

May 6, 2022

Confiscated narcotics hit record high in 2021: data

The amount of illegal narcotics confiscated in South Korea reached an all time high last year, with an increase of foreign and juvenile drug offenders, government data showed Friday. According to the data compiled by the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO), a total of 1,295.7 kilograms of illegal drugs were confiscated in 2021, more than a threefold jump from a year earlier. Noticeably, the amount of major illegal drugs -- including methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana -- soared more than five ti

May 6, 2022

New COVID-19 cases fall to 20,000s amid efforts to regain normalcy

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the 20,000 level Friday from above 40,000 the previous day amid eased antivirus restrictions designed to return the nation to normalcy. The country added 26,714 new COVID-19 infections, including 28 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,464,782, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Friday's tally is a marked decrease from 42,296 reported the previous day and a sharp down from 50,556 reported a week earlie

May 6, 2022

Woori Bank employee referred to prosecution for embezzling W60b

Police on Friday referred an employee of Woori Bank, one of South Korea's largest commercial banks, and his brother to the prosecution on charges of embezzling more than 60 billion won ($47 million), officials said. The employee is suspected of having embezzled a total of 61.4 billion won through three occasions, in 2012, 2015 and 2018. He turned himself in last week after learning the bank determined him as a suspect and filed a complaint against him. Most of the stolen money was found to

May 6, 2022

[H.eco Forum] ‘Our home is disappearing’: Pleas from ex-president of sinking island nation

Former Kiribati President and environmental activist Anote Tong says that for many Pacific Islanders, climate change is already an “existential threat.” Over 119,000 people of Kiribati at risk of losing their homes as rising sea levels slowly inundate the islands. Scientists believe the island nation could become inhabitable by 2050. The following are excerpts from The Korea Herald’s interview with Tong. KH: Tell us about how the climate crisis is afflicting Pacific isla

May 5, 2022

[Photo News] Children’s Day

With the COVID-19 pandemic losing its grip, Children’s Day has returned with its full grandeur in South Korea, with theme parks and other kid-friendly venues jam-packed with crowds. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the holiday, which falls on May 5 and is usually celebrated by parents taking their kids to enjoy a special treat.   

May 5, 2022

S. Korea to legislate new law to protect basic rights of children

South Korea will prepare a new bill to protect the basic rights of children by recognizing them as individuals who exercise their rights, not just subjects of protection or education, officials said on Children’s Day, Thursday. To protect the basic rights of children, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will start drafting a new bill this year, with an aim of passing it within the next year. “The new law will recognize children as individuals in their own right,” an official

May 5, 2022

S. Korea's new cases stay below 50,000 for 2nd day, with mask rules eased

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases remained below 50,000 on Thursday for the second straight day, amid the recent lifting of the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward a return to "normalcy." The country reported 42,296 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total caseload to 17,438,068, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Thursday's tally is slightly down from 49,064 reported Wednesday and sharply down from 57,464 reported a week earlier. Daily coron

May 5, 2022

Tracing the start of childhood in Korea

  In nearly every corner of modern society, children are believed to be entitled to protection and care. But things were not that way in Korea when the Cheondogyo Children’s Association declared the first Children’s Day on May 1, 1922. There was no Korean word that matches the meaning of children at the time. Children were expected to provide labor or contribute to the family’s wellbeing in other ways such as marriage. It was Bang Jeong-hwan and his colleagues at the gro

May 4, 2022

Newly coined word “rini” demeans children: rights watchdog

Popular internet slang words derived from the Korean word “eorini,” which means children, may promote negative stereotypes and discrimination against children, the country’s human rights watchdog said Tuesday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea urged related government bodies to find ways for the public to refrain from using the newly coined words that compare a beginner in a certain field to a child, saying it can demean children. “Eorini” is a for

May 4, 2022

Wife and accomplice indicted for murder of husband

A woman and man suspected of causing the 2019 drowning death of the woman’s husband were indicted for murder by state prosecutors on Wednesday, as the investigators set themselves up for a court fight to prove her criminal intent. The Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office indicted 31-year-old Lee Eun-hae and her accomplice, 30-year-old Cho Hyun-soo ,on charges of murder, attempted murder, and violation of insurance fraud law. The pair is accused of inciting Lee’s husband

May 4, 2022