Korea’s experience in forest restoration to be shared for global sustainable forestry

President Moon Jae-in says he believes Korea’s experience in forest restoration and international forest cooperation can contribute to sustainable forest management around the world, in a message to mark Seoul’s hosting of the 15th World Forestry Congress, He suggested three ways in which Korea would contribute to the international community. “First, we will actively participate in the international community’s efforts to restore tropical and subtropical forests and

May 2, 2022

World Forestry Congress to open discussion on forests, climate change

The World Forestry Congress, a five-day gathering that kicked off on Monday in Seoul, is where all stakeholders in the industry are meeting to review and discuss policies on forests and the environment under the theme of “Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future with Forests,” according to the secretary-general of the congress. The congress, held every six years, is the largest and most significant gathering of members of the world’s forestry sectors, providing a venue

May 2, 2022

People still wear masks despite end of outdoor mask mandate

People seemed reluctant to take off their masks, although the country’s outdoor mask mandate was lifted on Monday. For various reasons, it was difficult to find people not wearing masks than those wearing them. “It is rather inconvenient to take off a face mask outside and put it back on when entering an indoor space,” said a 32-year-old female graduate student surnamed Cho in Seoul when asked why she still wore a mask outside, even though the mask rule had been scrapped. Ch

May 2, 2022

H.eco Forum to share ocean warnings

Our oceans, which play a pivotal role in supporting life on Earth, are at risk. Covering up 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, oceans hold about 96.5 percent of Earth’s water. All living organisms on Earth depend their lives on the sustainability of the oceans. The oceans, however, are at a breaking point, consistently pushed to the brink by environmental threats, such as global warming, overfishing, pollution, marine litter and more. In light of the oceans at risk, this year&

May 2, 2022

[Herald Interview] WFC a chance to share Korea’s unique reforestation tale, KFS chief says

South Korea’s state-run forest authority is keen on sharing its tale of successful reforestation as South Korea hosts its first World Forestry Congress and becomes the third country in Asia to host the largest gathering of the global forestry sector. The WFC, held every six years under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is seeing its 15th iteration held in Seoul from Monday to Friday. It is the first time in 44 years that the congress is being hel

May 2, 2022

S. Korea's icebreaker returning home from over 6-month Antarctic mission

South Korea's icebreaker is on its way to the southeastern port of Busan after completing a 195-day international exploration mission in the Antarctic Ocean, the oceans ministry said Monday. The Araon, South Korea's first ice breaking vessel, kicked off its mission to the South Pole on Oct. 20 last year and will return to Busan on Tuesday, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said. The 7,487-ton research ship explored the sea under the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, one of the biggest ice shelves i

May 2, 2022

S. Korea finds descendants of 6 Hawaii-based independence fighters

South Korea has identified descendants of six independence activists who supported the nation's fight against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule from Hawaii, the veterans affairs ministry said Monday. The identification was an outcome of the project that the ministry launched in December to locate descendants of the activists, who operated in the U.S. territory, and properly honor them with state benefits, according to officials. Among the four descendants were George Blair McCun, the grandson of Geo

May 2, 2022

Police raid Seongnam City Hall over corporate donation allegations

Police on Monday raided Seongnam City Hall over allegations that former ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung took hefty donations from companies via the city's football club while serving as mayor of the city. Investigators from the Bundang Police Station searched five divisions of the city government, including the city planning and policy planning divisions, to seize materials related to the allegations, according to officials. Lee, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidential elec

May 2, 2022

New COVID-19 cases dip to around 20,000; outdoor mask mandate lifted

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to around 20,000 on Monday, marking the lowest level in nearly three months, as the country lifted the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward regaining normalcy. The country reported 20,084 new COVID-19 infections, including 26 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,295,733, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's tally is a marked drop from the previous day's 37,771, and it is the first time since early February

May 2, 2022

How Democratic Party of Korea-led prosecution reforms fail victims

Victim services and attorneys say victims of sexual violence would be among those most hurt by the controversial prosecution reform bills that were partly passed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea-majority parliament Saturday. One way the reforms hurt the underprivileged is the “massive reduction in the role of third-party reporting,” said Kim Ye-won, president and chief attorney of Disability Rights Advocate Center, which offers free legal services to people with disabilitie

May 1, 2022

S. Korea goes unmasked amid remaining concerns

The government policy to lift the outdoor face mask mandate was to officially in Monday, with some raising concern about the new measure’s potential effects on spreading of COVID-19 infections. Starting Monday, masks are only mandated indoors and during outdoor activities of events that carry a high risk of infection, such as gatherings of 50 or more people, concerts and sports games. All forms of public transportation and enclosed facilities require masks, but locations like above-ground

May 1, 2022

Love kills: Gaslighting and insurance fraud surround death of husband

A murder case is gripping South Korea with a curious blend of fatal attraction, gaslighting and insurance fraud, but law enforcement authorities face a tough fight to prove the crime. It is the story of a man named Yoon Sang-yeop, who drowned in the summer of 2019 during a trip to a valley with his wife Lee Eun-hae and her friends, just four hours before his life insurance expired. How it came to light Lee, 31, is now under arrest together with Cho Hyun-soo, 30, with whom she was in an ext

May 1, 2022

New COVID-19 cases dip below 40,000; mask mandate set to be lifted

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 40,000 on Sunday, marking a steady decline from early last month, with the country set to lift the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward return to normalcy. The country reported 37,771 new COVID-19 infections, including 30 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,275,649, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Sunday's tally is a marked drop from the previous day's 43,286 and 50,568 reported Friday. In terms of Sun

May 1, 2022

Kids’ take on pandemic

Children mimic what they have observed. Through role-playing activities, they try to make sense of the world around them. So it may be only natural that the COVID-19 pandemic has permeated young children’s play, with words like corona, PCR and vaccine firmly in their vocabulary now. Here are some of social media posts that show how young kids are having fun in the COVID-19 era. Learning how to properly PCR Plastic straws for nasal swab sticks. Pieces of paper cut in a rectangular s

April 30, 2022

New COVID-19 cases fall below 50,000; outdoor mask mandate set to be lifted

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 50,000 on Saturday as the omicron curve has turned downward and the country is set to lift the outdoor mask mandate. The country reported 43,286 new COVID-19 infections, including 12 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,237,878, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The number of new virus cases marks a sharp drop from 50,568 reported the previous day. There were 70 more COVID-19 deaths, with the death t

April 30, 2022

Outdoor mask mandate to end Monday

South Korea will lift the outdoor mask mandate Monday, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said, though people will still need to wear a mask when they attend gatherings of 50 or more people or use multiuse facilities. The decision on mask wearing comes after the country last week scrapped most COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, including gathering limits and business hour curfews, as part of its effort to return to pre-pandemic normalcy amid a downward trend in COVID-19 cases. "Although ther

April 29, 2022

Police mull over online search of criminal suspects' mobile phones

Police are pushing for the introduction of an online search of criminal suspects' mobile phones and other digital devices, officials said Friday. The National Office of Investigation at the Korean National Police Agency has recently announced a public bid for research services to review the legality of online search activities and its implementation plan, they said. If the online search is allowed, police will be able to hack criminal suspects' smartphones and computers, install a surveillance p

April 29, 2022

Cryptocurrency exchange head indicted for leaking military secrets to presumed N.K. spy

The head of a cryptocurrency exchange has been indicted for allegedly colluding with a military officer and leaking military secrets, including login information for the military‘s command and control system, to a presumed North Korean agent in exchange for money, officials said Thursday. 　The head of the exchange, surnamed Lee, was charged with allegedly violating the National Security Act after he was found to have made contact with the purported spy in July of last year and later hel

April 28, 2022

Woori Bank employee nabbed for W50b embezzlement

Woori Bank came under scrutiny for an internal control failure Thursday, after an employee confessed to embezzlement of 50 billion won ($39.4 million). The employee is currently in police custody and investigators are looking to probe the lender’s headquarters to verify the suspect’s statement and seize evidence. The Financial Supervisory Service, the nation’s financial watchdog, said it will launch an investigation into the case as well, having received reports about it a

April 28, 2022

Supreme Court confirms jail terms for adoptive parents in death of 16-month-old

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the convictions of adoptive parents who appealed charges of child abuse and neglect that resulted in the death of their 16-month-old daughter, known by the name Jeong-in. The court approved the convictions against the parents from a lower court and confirmed their jail terms. The mother, whose charges include fatally injuring the victim, was sentenced to 35 years. The father was given five years for neglect. Jeong-in died Oct. 13, 2020 from multiple injur

April 28, 2022