Korea considers boosters for people who had breakthrough COVID-19

South Korea may start recommending a third COVID-19 vaccination for people who have recovered from a breakthrough infection to prepare for any future variants and ensuing waves, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The national health protection agency told reporters Friday that a review by the advisory committee on immunization practices was underway, the agency said. Distributing third doses to people with a history of a breakthrough infection is now being considere

April 8, 2022

Education Ministry takes step back, looks into allowing confirmed students to take midterms

Taking a step back from its initial decision to ban COVID-19-confirmed students from taking midterms, the Ministry of Education is now looking into allowing them to sit for the exams. The Education Ministry said it is currently reviewing the possibilities of having students with active coronavirus cases take the tests later this month. “We have not decided to allow students who have been ordered into isolation from the disease control authorities to take the midterm exams,“ the m

April 8, 2022

Ship with 6 Korean crewmen goes missing near Taiwan

A ship with six Koreans aboard has been reported missing off the waters of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday. “Taiwanese authorities have informed the Korean government that they received distress signals from Kyoto 1 near the waters of Taiwan at 9:50 a.m. on Thursday,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding the six crew members who were on the Kyoto 1 are all of Korean nationality. The boat was on its way to Indonesia’s Port of Batam from Busan, while tow

April 8, 2022

OECD Korean office to begin mediation over Chanel Korea's alleged labor rules violation

The Korean branch of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Friday it has decided to begin mediation procedures between Chanel Korea's labor union and management over the company's alleged violation of labor acts and human rights. In December last year, employees of the French luxury brand's cosmetics counters at department stores and duty-free shops filed a complaint with the OECD's Korean National Contact Point (KNCP) against the company, claiming it did not pay

April 8, 2022

Woman turns herself in after killing 2 sons due to economic hardship: police

A 40-year-old woman has turned herself in after strangling her two sons to death, saying she also attempted to take her own life after killing the sons due to economic hardship, according to police Friday. The woman, whose identity was withheld, killed the sons, aged 8 and 7, at their home in Seoul's southwestern district of Geumcheon on Tuesday night and turned herself in to police on Thursday, officials said. She was raising her children alone after separating from her husband because of his g

April 8, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases stay in 200,000s for 4th day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the fourth consecutive day Friday in a downward trend that could cause health officials to lower the infectious disease level of COVID-19 amid eased social distancing rules. The country reported 205,333 new COVID-19 infections, including 31 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,983,694, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The public health agency reported 373 new COVID-19 deaths Friday, u

April 8, 2022

2 dead, 1 missing after Coast Guard helicopter crashes in waters off Mara Island

INCHEON/JEJU -- A Coast Guard helicopter crashed in waters off South Korea's southernmost island of Mara on Friday, leaving two crewmen dead and another missing, officials said. Four people were aboard the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter when it went down in waters 370 kilometers southwest of Mara Island at 1:32 a.m., officials said. Of them, a co-pilot, identified by his surname Chung, 51, and a vessel radar operator, surnamed Hwang, 28, were killed, and a mechanic, surnamed Cha, 42, went missing. Its

April 8, 2022

[KH Explains] The collapse of press-prosecution conspiracy narrative

Han Dong-hoon, a high-ranking prosecutor and a close associate of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, was cleared Wednesday of accusations of collusion with members of the press. The findings come after two years of investigation into the claim that Han conspired with two reporters to threaten a news source into making a false accusation against a key Democrati Party of Korea ally, Rhyu Si-min. The two reporters at Channel A, a broadcast owned by Dong-A Ilbo, one of the country’s mo

April 7, 2022

[From the scene] Incheon Airport readies for return of air travelers

As South Koreans push to break free of the pandemic’s long grip, Incheon Airport, the country’s main international gateway, is gearing up for the long-awaited return of air travelers. Although not quite to pre-pandemic levels yet, passengers were seen forming lines in front of certain airline counters on Wednesday, including South Korean flag carrier Asiana Airlines. However, many were unattended, with no flights scheduled. On Wednesday, usually one of the quietest days of th

April 7, 2022

COVID cases remain in 200,000s, authorities to reexamine reinfection rate

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections stayed in the 220,000s for the 24 hours of Wednesday, the government reported Thursday. Authorities are looking at the reinfection rate, which stands at 0.0018 percent amid the omicron wave, relatively lower than that of other countries. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country’s daily COVID-19 cases came to 224,820, down 61,474 from the previous day’s 286,294. It is a significant drop from the 320,699

April 7, 2022

SK Innovation employees referred to prosecution in EV battery secret case with LG

Police have referred about 30 employees of the battery maker SK Innovation Co. to the prosecution on charges of stealing electric vehicle technology secrets from rival firm LG Energy Solution Ltd., officials said Thursday. They were among about 100 former LG employees, who moved to SK between 2017 and 2019 and sparked a trade secrets dispute between the two companies. LG claimed SK scouted its employees to gain trade secrets on EV batteries after coming late to the market. LG took the case to th

April 7, 2022

S. Korea's daily infections stay in 200,000s for 3rd day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the third consecutive day on Thursday as the government is considering lifting social distancing rules in a step toward people's return to normalcy. The country reported 224,820 new COVID-19 infections, including 40 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,778,405, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The public health agency reported 348 new COVID-19 deaths, raising the total death toll to 1

April 7, 2022

High-ranking prosecutor close to Yoon cleared of charges in blackmail case

Han Dong-hoon, a senior prosecutor considered a close associate of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, was cleared Wednesday of attempted coercion charges in a highly-watched blackmail case involving a liberal television commentator, officials said. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office cleared the charges for Han, vice head of the Judicial Research & Training Institute, on the grounds of insufficient evidence, about two years after the probe was launched. Han was accused of b

April 6, 2022

Did COVID introduce you to world of binge-watching?

Kim Young-seo, a 30-year-old piano teacher, had resisted last year’s “Squid Game” phenomenon, shutting herself off from the world of streaming. Then COVID-19 came for her. After being diagnosed in late February, she signed up for multiple streaming platforms, including Netflix and Apple TV+. “The fact that I was trapped at home made me feel lethargic and I came to spend hours looking at computer, phone and television screens,” said Kim, who lives alone i

April 6, 2022

Exclusion of COVID-hit students from midterms draws backlash

The Education Ministry’s decision to maintain a ban on students with COVID-19 from taking midterm exams has drawn backlash, with students and parents voicing concerns that missing out on the exams could put them at a disadvantage. “It is rather fortunate that our whole family already had COVID-19,” a high school student who attends a school in northern Seoul said. “It would be frustrating to miss the midterms as I had messed up on the previous one,” said the hig

April 6, 2022

Korea says omicron in retreat, floats hopes for return to normalcy

South Korean government says the omicron wave is in retreat here, and that a return to normal life is on the horizon. “The weekly average deaths are falling, and this declining trend is expected to continue,” Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesperson Son Young-rae said at a briefing Wednesday. He said the number of patients in critical care have also fallen from a peak in late March, with 60 percent of beds at ICUs hospitals across the country filled. The ICU occupancy rates ho

April 6, 2022

Intl. flights to quarantine-free nations to increase sharply starting in May: interior minister

The government will increase the weekly number of international flights to the United States, Europe and other COVID-19 quarantine-free nations by 100 flights every month starting in May in line with growing demand for overseas travel, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said Wednesday. The country's COVID-19 wave has been on the downturn for the third week in a row, and demand for overseas travel is expected to go up as foreign nations are gradually lifting quarantine requirements after passing t

April 6, 2022

S. Korea's daily infections stay in 200,000s for 2nd day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the second straight day on Wednesday, as the spread of the omicron variant has slowed down after peaking last month. The country reported 286,294 new COVID-19 infections, including 22 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,553,644, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily tally remained below the 300,000s for the sixth consecutive day. The daily tally has been on the decline after rea

April 6, 2022

University officially voids medical school admission of ex-justice minister's daughter

Pusan National University on Tuesday made a final decision to nullify the 2015 admission of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's daughter into its medical school for using forged documents on the application. The school in the southeastern port city of Busan had tentatively decided in August last year to cancel Cho Min's admission to its Graduate School of Medicine and finalized the decision in a general faculty meeting Tuesday.  Tuesday's decision came after the Supreme Court convicted he

April 5, 2022

Forum questions future of Gender Equality Ministry

A forum held Tuesday by the office of Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a four-term lawmaker of the main conservative People Power Party, discussed the future of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which the incoming administration has vowed to do away with. The party’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol plans to abolish the ministry, which was among his key election campaign pledges. In an opening address, Yoon accused the ministry of “aligning with the administration in power, rathe

April 5, 2022