'Livable future' at risk: UN report

A landmark UN report warned on Monday that time had nearly run out to ensure a "liveable future" for all, detailing a horrifying "atlas of human suffering" and warning that far worse was to come. Species extinction, ecosystem collapse, insect-borne disease, deadly heatwaves and megastorms, water shortages, reduced crop yields -- all are measurably worse due to rising temperatures, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said. In the last year alone, the world has

March 1, 2022

New COVID-19 cases fall below 140,000 for 2nd day; deaths remain high

South Korea reported less than 140,000 cases of COVID-19 for the second consecutive day Tuesday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but virus-related deaths remained high amid the fast spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. The country reported 138,993 new coronavirus infections, including 138,935 local cases, raising the total caseload to 3,273,449, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally surpassed the 100,000 mark for the first time in mid-Fe

March 1, 2022

As Korea lives with omicron, deaths hit record high

COVID-19 deaths in South Korea are soaring to record levels while the country moves to live with omicron despite the continuing surge. Meanwhile, as the country seeks to live with omicron, COVID-19 deaths are soaring to record levels. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Korea saw 114 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours ending Sunday midnight -- the highest to date since the pandemic began. In the past week, COVID-19 deaths have averaged at 86 per day, up from 49 se

Feb. 28, 2022

Korea Times chief named head of foreign language newspaper association

The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea elected Oh Young-jin, president of The Korea Times, as its seventh chairman at its meeting of executive directors on Friday. Oh will serve as the chairman of Foreign Language Newspapers Association for a term of one year. The association was established in July 2015 and carries out joint research and projects to aid the development of foreign-language newspapers published in Korea. Its members are English-language dailies The Korea Hera

Feb. 28, 2022

[Newsmaker] Korea suspends vaccine pass nationwide

South Korea is suspending the use of the COVID-19 vaccine pass nationwide from Tuesday, citing a high vaccination rate and continuing legal challenges. The move comes more than two months since vaccine passes were introduced extensively in early December. While the mandate is lifted, people are no longer required to present proof of being fully vaccinated or have negative test results to enter public places. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Monday said the passes were being scrapped for

Feb. 28, 2022

Foreigners out: Online petition sparks controversy for calling for exclusion of foreigners in new welfare program

South Korea’s new financial welfare program for the younger generation is designed to disregard the nationality of the recipient. Anyone here who meets the income and age criteria -- Korean or not -- can sign up for a state-backed savings product that pays around 10 percent in yearly interest, tax breaks and saving incentives. Some call it unfair. “Why should (the government) give money to foreigners with the tax that we (Koreans) paid,” reads a petition on the homepage of

Feb. 28, 2022

Education Ministry eases restrictions for students

Unvaccinated students living with confirmed COVID-19 patients will be allowed to attend in-person classes staring March 14, as part of the Ministry of Education’s new guidelines announced Monday. Schools will not penalize students’ COVID-19-related absences from the new semester onward. Also, from March 14, students can attend classes in person even if their family member has been infected with COVID-19. The Ministry of Education announced more details to its response against the

Feb. 28, 2022

Stay extension under consideration for Ukrainians in S. Korea: justice minister

The government is considering granting Ukrainians in South Korea stay extension on humanitarian grounds in the wake of Russia's invasion of the Eastern European nation, Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said Monday. "We are considering stay extension measures just like we did during the Myanmar crisis," Park told reporters, referring to the government's granting of special stay permits for Myanmar nationals last year after the military coup in the country. South Korea also airlifted more

Feb. 28, 2022

New COVID-19 cases fall below 140,000, but deaths hit all-time high

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fell below 140,000 on Monday, but virus-related deaths soared to a record high, as the government suspended the enforcement of the vaccine pass system as part of efforts to free up resources and focus more on treating seriously ill patients. The country reported 139,626 new coronavirus infections, including 139,466 local cases, raising the total caseload to 3,134,456, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Monday's daily caseload

Feb. 28, 2022

North Gyeongsang Province to join metaverse, forms alliance

North Gyeongsang Province is aiming to create a “provincial metaverse” for 10 million people by 2026, officials said at a launching of a policy advisory group of experts for the virtual development. Holding a launching ceremony on Thursday, the provincial government said it has also formed a Metaverse Alliance to include corporates and universities. It is the first time a province here has created any such entity related to metaverse, the province added. “In the era of the

Feb. 28, 2022

Calls grow for revocation of Putin’s honorary degree at Yong In University

Amid the global shock waves from Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, calls are growing for South Korea’s Yong In University in Gyeonggi Province to cancel the honorary doctorate it had granted to Russian President Vladimir Putin more than a decade ago, according to sources Sunday. On Sept. 21, 2010, Putin received an honorary doctorate in judo from the college, which has gained global recognition since its establishment in 1953 for its martial arts program that has trained wo

Feb. 27, 2022

[Herald Interview] Coast Guard chief lays down plans to boost Korea’s maritime security

The newly minted Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Jeong Bong-hoon, who celebrated his 50 days in office on Jan. 24, is busy devising a blueprint for the Coast Guard. With a background in security and investigation, he has detailed broad ideas for Korea’s future as maritime power. It took over an hour for Jeong to discuss plans he intends to pursue as chief of the Coast Guard. The following is the full transcript of the interview. Q: How was your first two months in office? A: To serve the

Feb. 27, 2022

New cases below 170,000 for 2nd day; critically ill patients rise

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed below 170,000 for the third straight day Sunday, but critical cases from the virus continued to rise at a fast pace amid the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. The country reported 163,566 new coronavirus infections, including 163,414 local cases, raising the total caseload to 2,994,841, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally slightly decreased from the 166,207reported Saturday. Daily infections exc

Feb. 27, 2022

Ex-Culture Minister Lee O-young dies at 89

Former Culture Minister Lee O-young, one of South Korea's most revered literary critics and novelists, died of cancer Saturday at the age of 89. Lee, born in 1933 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, served as the country's first cultural minister in 1990-1991 under the Roh Tae-woo administration. With his various literary works, he was respected as one of the most prominent "intellectuals of this era" in South Korea. In 1956, Lee caused a stir in the literary critics circle when he

Feb. 26, 2022

New cases below 170,000 for 2nd day; COVID-19 deaths at all-time high

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed below 170,000 for the second straight day Saturday, but the daily death count hit an all-time high amid the fast spread of the omicron variant. The country reported 166,209 new COVID-19 infections, including 166,068 local cases, raising the total caseload to 2,831,283, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally slightly rose from the 165,890 reported Friday. Daily infections exceeded the 100,000 mark for the first t

Feb. 26, 2022

WHO creates global training hub for vaccines, medicine in S. Korea

South Korea is providing training to poorer countries wishing to produce their own vaccines and treatments as the World Health Organization’s global training hub. The country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare told reporters Friday the training hub has been established with the aim of combatting inequity in access to tools to combat health crises, including vaccines. Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a statement that the South Korean training hub is part of the WHO plan to

Feb. 25, 2022

‘Is this a new Cold War?’

Watching Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it seems many South Koreans cannot help but worry about their own country’s future, which is still locked in a Cold War division. From the social media sphere to presidential campaign trails, people voiced their opposition to war and denounced the aggressor, while some raised “what ifs” over Korea’s own precarious geopolitical situation vis-a-vis a belligerent North Korea. On Twitter and Facebook, ordinary citizens and publ

Feb. 25, 2022

[Newsmaker] South Korea drops close contact quarantine requirements altogether

Starting March 1, people who have been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient will no longer need to quarantine regardless of their vaccination status in South Korea. This includes people living in the same household as someone isolating with an active infection. Currently unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people have to quarantine for seven days following a close contact exposure, while those who are fully vaccinated don’t. A close contact requiring quarantine is defined as living

Feb. 25, 2022

Military reports 1,013 more COVID-19 cases

The military on Friday reported 1,013 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 15,950. The new cases included 587 from the Army, 253 from the Air Force and 82 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry. There were also 37 cases from the Navy, 36 from the Marine Corps, seven from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 10 from the ministry and one from the South Korea-US Combined Forces Korea. Currently, 4,286 military personnel are under treatment

Feb. 25, 2022

Constitutional petition filed against law limiting English teacher visas based on nationality

A constitutional appeal has been filed against the Immigration Control Act that allows only those from eight English-speaking countries to work as native English instructors in South Korea, officials said Friday. Migrants Center Friend, an immigrant rights' group, filed the petition after a Ugandan was denied a visa to work as an English teacher, contending that it is wrong to limit such job opportunities based on nationality. The Ugandan, whose identity was withheld, sought the visa after gradu

Feb. 25, 2022