Omicron cases in Seoul more than double to 456 from week ago

The omicron caseload in Seoul has more than doubled to 456 on Monday from last week's 183 cases, the city government said. Omicron marks 0.2 percent of the total COVID-19 cases confirmed in Seoul so far. Omicron is highly likely to become the most prevalent COVID-19 variant in the city by late this month or February, Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official of the city government said. The city, meanwhile, saw the average number of daily new coronavirus cases decline from 1,533 in the final

Jan. 10, 2022

Over 1,900 police detectives lose qualification for investigation

 Over 1,900 police detectives lost their qualification this year to lead investigations after refusing field assignments too long, the National Police Agency said Monday. Detectives are reviewed yearly for renewal of their qualifications under a system introduced in 2005. This year’s number of investigators losing their status is the highest since the system was introduced, the NPA said. The total number of qualified special investigative officers now stands at 31,659, down from 3

Jan. 10, 2022

Fine dust blankets much of S. Korea again

Fine dust plagued most parts of South Korea on Monday due to air stagnation caused by the high atmospheric pressure in the west, weather authorities said. As of 8 a.m., the density of ultrafine dust, called PM 2.5, had hit the "very bad" level for the greater Seoul area, North Chuncheong Province and the central city of Sejong, and the southeastern city of Daegu, according to the Comprehensive Air-quality Index. The level for other parts of the country was "bad," except for

Jan. 10, 2022

Daily infections below 4,000 for 4th day amid tightened distancing rules

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed below 4,000 for the fourth straight day Monday amid tightened distancing rules to curb the spread of COVID-19. The country added 3,007 new COVID-19 infections, including 2,768 local infections, raising the total caseload to 667,390, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). South Korea reported 34 more COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 6,071, the KDCA added. The fatality rate was 0.91 percent. The number of crit

Jan. 10, 2022

In highly vaccinated Korea, mandates are fueling a backlash

Korea’s new policy requiring people to be completely vaccinated or cleared in tests to enter public places is stirring up a wave of protests and court challenges. On Saturday civic groups and local community organizations marched from Seoul Station to Gwanghwamun Square demanding that the compulsory vaccine-or-testing policy be scrapped. The Saturday rally, among the firsts of many that is being planned, follows a series of legal battles facing the government over the mandate, wit

Jan. 9, 2022

Vaccination rate of 18-year-olds hits 90%

As of Saturday, 90.1 percent of 18-year-olds have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, passing the 90 percent threshold. More than 79.6 percent have received a second shot. However, following the suspension of the vaccine pass enforcement at cram schools, the increase of the overall vaccination rate in minors above 13 has slowed down. According to the Education Ministry, some 76.2 percent of those aged between 13 and 18 who were born between 2004 and 2009, have received the first sho

Jan. 9, 2022

Korea covered by fine dust; special measures enforced

Korea on Sunday was blanketed by dangerous levels of ultrafine dust expected to persist until at least Monday, which prompted the government to issue emergency reduction measures for the first time this year. According to the Metropolitan Air Quality Management Office under the Ministry of Environment, the ultrafine dust density levels in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and South Chuncheong Province were projected to be “very bad“ with over 76 micrograms per cubic meter.  The MAMO i

Jan. 9, 2022

Lotto winnings a honeypot, but not as sweet as it seems

Earlier this week, the Internet was abuzz with news that 2,203 cases of scams concerning websites that claim to be able to predict Lotto numbers were reported to the Korea Consumer Agency. This marked a rapid spike from 903 in 2019, and offered proof to what many already know at heart: Most -- if not all -- of these businesses claiming to have cracked the code on the state-run lottery system could not be true. Korea’s most popular lottery, Lotto, debuted in 2002 under the supervision of

Jan. 9, 2022

Missing captain found dead after boat capsizes off southwestern coast

The captain of a fishing boat that had capsized in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast was found dead Sunday, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard said the captain in his 70s was found inside his boat's wheelhouse just before noon Sunday. The vessel, carrying five crew members, capsized after colliding with a bigger fishing vessel in waters 3.5 kilometers northeast of Jang Island in South Jeolla Province at around 1:12 p.m. Saturday, according to the Coast Guard. Of the five, one Ind

Jan. 9, 2022

Mother of late student activist dies at 82

Bae Eun-sim, the mother of a late student activist whose death became a symbol of South Korea's pro-democracy movement in 1987, died Sunday. She was 82. Bae had been hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction last Monday, and was discharged Saturday. She died at Chosun University Hospital in the southwestern city of Gwangju after collapsing on Sunday. Bae's surviving family members decided against an autopsy and they will proceed with her funeral in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seou

Jan. 9, 2022

Daily infections below 4,000 for 3rd day amid omicron woes

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed below 4,000 for the third straight day Sunday as the country maintained tightened distancing curbs amid concerns over the spread of the omicron virus variant. The country added 3,376 new COVID-19 infections, including 3,140 local infections, raising the total caseload to 664,391, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload fell from 3,510 the previous day and 3,716 on Friday. South Korea reported 51 more

Jan. 9, 2022

Military reports 22 new COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Saturday reported 22 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,425. Of the new cases, 13 are from the Army, six from the Air Force, one from the Navy, and one from an officer of the defense ministry. A unit under the direct control of the ministry also reported one case. The military said 1,612 are breakthrough cases out of the total military caseload. (Yonhap)

Jan. 8, 2022

Daily virus cases below 4,000 for 2nd day amid omicron woes

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed below 4,000 for the second day Saturday as the country maintained tightened distancing curbs amid persistent worries over a resurgence in infections and the spread of the omicron variant. The country added 3,510 new COVID-19 infections, including 3,300 local infections, raising the total caseload to 661,015, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It marked a slight drop from 3,717 posted on the previous day and 4,443 t

Jan. 8, 2022

S. Korea’s new COVID-19 cases on downward trend, falling below 4,000

South Korea‘s daily coronavirus cases continued to drop, falling below 4,000 for the first time in three days for Thursday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency‘s data, the country added 3,717 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Thursday. South Korea has recently seen a modest downward trend in daily COVID-19 cases lately. The numbers of COVID-19 cases for Tuesday and Wednesday were 4,443 and 4,125, respectively. The number of critically ill patients also

Jan. 7, 2022

Same sex couple loses suit against state health insurer over spousal coverage

A Seoul court on Friday ruled against a same sex couple demanding the same spousal health insurance coverage as heterosexual couples, saying matrimony in South Korea is still considered a union between a man and a woman. In February of last year, So Seong-wook filed the administrative lawsuit against the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) after the agency canceled So's coverage under the insurance program of his male partner's employer. "The union of a man and a woman is still under

Jan. 7, 2022

Shinsegae heir goes on with anti-communism posts, rebukes Instagram over political bias

Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin on Friday continued to express his discontent over Instagram’s removal of his post expressing his hostility toward communism. Chung criticized Instagram for its engagement in political activities by deliberately taking down posts that don’t match the preference of the platform, according to a story by local media outlet Maeil Business Newspaper, which cited an anonymous close acquaintance of Chung. “The value of free expression

Jan. 7, 2022

Jeonju to host Asia-Pacific tourism conference in 2023

JEONJU -- South Korea's southwestern city of Jeonju will host next year's annual conference of the Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO), officials said Friday. TPO, the largest international organization related to tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, was established in 2002 with the goal of developing the tourism industry through the formation of a network among regional cities. It has 136 cities in 16 countries, including South Korea, China and Japan, and 54 private org

Jan. 7, 2022

Children's gym owner faces murder charges in bizarre rectum stabbing case

Police on Friday pressed murder charges against the owner of a children's sports center in Seoul on charges of sticking a 70-centimeter plastic stick into the anus of an employee and causing him to die with ruptured organs. The 41-year-old suspect, whose identity was withheld, was arrested Sunday for killing the 20-something employee at the facility in northwestern Seoul on Dec. 31. The Seodaemun Police Station referred the suspect to the prosecution for further investigations. Police said the

Jan. 7, 2022

Appeals court upholds 3 1/2-year prison term for NK defector over spy activities

SUWON -- An appeals court upheld a 3 1/2-year prison term for a North Korean defector charged with spying for Pyongyang, court officials said Friday. The defector, whose identity was not made public, was indicted on charges of meeting with a North Korean official after traveling to a border region between China and the North in May 2018 at the request of his brother staying in the North. During the meeting, the defector allegedly accepted a request from the official to collect and deliver info

Jan. 7, 2022

Daily virus cases fall below 4,000 for first time in 3 days amid omicron woes

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell below 4,000 for the first time in three days Friday as the country is speeding up booster vaccination shots amid persistent concerns over the potentially more transmissible omicron variant. The country added 3,717 new COVID-19 infections, including 3,529 local infections, raising the total caseload to 657,508, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The figure was down 409 from the previous day's tally and 1,158 fewer than

Jan. 7, 2022