Korea locks in COVID-19 pills for 1m people. Here’s what to know

South Korea has bought an additional 400,000 courses of Paxlovid, the COVID-19 antiviral pills developed by Pfizer, health officials said Wednesday evening. With the latest purchase, the country has secured enough oral treatments for 1 million people in total -- Pfizer’s for 762,000 people, and the rest from Merck. “Adding pills to our treatment protocol will help stabilize and expand the at-home COVID-19 care scheme, a key pillar of our return to normal,” the Korea Disease C

Jan. 6, 2022

32-yr-old man given 7-yr prison term in deadly dating violence case

A 32-year-old man was sentenced to seven years behind bars Thursday for beating his girlfriend to death. The man, surnamed Lee, was indicted on charges of battering his girlfriend, Hwang Ye-jin, to death in the lobby of a studio apartment building in western Seoul in late July during a fight between the two. Repeatedly beaten on the head, Hwang lost consciousness and was moved to a hospital with symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage. She eventually died about 20 days later. Appealing for leniency,

Jan. 6, 2022

Youth vaccine passes: How do they work around the world?

The South Korean government’s vaccine mandate on youths attending cram schools is facing strong backlash from parents and private academies.  The vaccine pass system for people aged 12-18 using cram schools, reading rooms, study cafes and other private educational facilities faces a delay, after a local court issued an injunction on the controversial measure. Its introduction had already been postponed by one month to March.  The government plans to appeal, but it is likely tha

Jan. 6, 2022

North Gyeongsang Province to boost cultural, tourism, medical and bio industries

North Gyeongsang Province is striving to boost its cultural, tourism, medical and bio sectors that will be in the spotlight in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said Gov. Lee Cheol-woo in an interview with The Korea Herald. The governor stressed the need for balanced regional development, saying a new engine for national growth lies in the provinces, and that the power and capital monopolized by the central government should be shared with the provinces to boost national competitive

Jan. 6, 2022

Police tackle mysteries surrounding nation's single largest embezzlement case

Police are stepping up an investigation into South Korea's single largest embezzlement case that has engulfed a local medical equipment producer, officers said Thursday, following the arrest of a suspect the previous day. A 45-year-old employee of Osstem Implant Co., identified only by his surname Lee, was arrested at his residence in Paju, 30 kilometers north of Seoul, on Wednesday on charges of embezzling 188 billion won ($157 million) from the dental implant maker. The arrest came just five

Jan. 6, 2022

More than 16,000 joined year-end bell-ringing festival in metaverse

More than 16,000 people joined a year-end bell-ringing festival hosted by the Seoul city government in the metaverse, the digital arm of the city said Thursday. The Seoul Digital Foundation said an accumulated 16,067 people joined the metaverse festival marking the new year during its eight-day run from Dec. 25. The metaverse event included a midnight bell-ringing ceremony on New Year's Eve, to which some 3,000 people connected simultaneously, according to the foundation. The popular year-end

Jan. 6, 2022

3 missing firefighters at Pyeongtaek warehouse fire scene found dead

Three firefighters were killed while battling a warehouse blaze in Pyeongtaek on Thursday as authorities were still struggling to bring the fire under control after over 12 hours, officials said. The bodies of two deceased firefighters were found at 12:22 p.m. on the second floor of the refrigeration warehouse construction site in western Pyeongtaek, a city located 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The third firefighter was discovered nearby about 20 minutes later. The fire at the seven-story ware

Jan. 6, 2022

Train operations on Seoul-Busan line normalized after derailment recovery

Train operations on the Seoul-Busan line were normalized Thursday morning, a day after a KTX bullet train derailed in central South Korea and injured seven passengers, the operator said. Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) said trains bound for Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan resumed normal operations from 5:47 a.m. and those heading to Busan from Seoul from 7:55 a.m. The normalization came after more than 130 train operations were delayed or canceled Wednesday afternoon, as a KTX-San

Jan. 6, 2022

Military reports 16 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 16 additional COVID-19 cases, including 14 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,376. Of the new cases, six are from the Army, six from the Air Force and four from units under the direct control of the defense ministry. Currently, 221 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,566 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Jan. 6, 2022

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

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed over 4,000 for the second straight day Thursday as the country kept stricter antivirus measures in place amid persistent worries over a resurgence in infections and the spread of the omicron variant. The country added 4,126 new COVID-19 infections, including 3,931 local infections, raising the total caseload to 653,792, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This marked the second straight that the daily cases have rema

Jan. 6, 2022

Health officials, court clash over vaccine pass mandates

The mandatory vaccine pass continues to fan controversy, with legal and health authorities clashing over its necessity at some places and possible rights violations. Legal experts say the mandatory vaccine pass, among other disease control policies, raises points of constitutional contention that stretch beyond the realm of public health and science. Health authorities on the other hand say the pass is necessary to contain the spread and allow the country to return to normal. A Seoul

Jan. 5, 2022

KTX train derails in central S. Korea, injuring passengers

A KTX bullet train en route to Busan from Seoul derailed in central South Korea on Wednesday, injuring some passengers, the operator said. The Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) and firefighters said the derailment occurred at 12:58 p.m., when the KTX-Sancheon train was entering a tunnel in Yeongdong of North Chungcheong Province, 214 kilometers south of Seoul. One passenger car from the train went off the tracks near the Yeongdong Tunnel after being apparently hit by a steel structure that fell fr

Jan. 5, 2022

Osstem Implant chief apologizes for large-scale embezzlement scandal

The chief of South Korean dental implant maker Osstem Implant Co. on Wednesday apologized for its own employee allegedly embezzling a large amount of corporate funds. The employee in charge of managing corporate funds, only identified by his surname Lee, has allegedly embezzled 188 billion won ($157.7 million). Osstem Implant on Friday sued the employee in question on charges of embezzlement. The amount is estimated to be equivalent to 92 percent of Osstem Implant's equity capital of 205 bill

Jan. 5, 2022

‘Hocance’ boom spurs trade of secondhand hotel amenities

With overseas travel virtually decimated by the pandemic, many Koreans are choosing to splurge on a one or two- night staycation at a luxury hotel. While trying to enjoy their hotel experiences to the fullest, from complimentary drinks at a lounge to access to an indoor pool or gym, some are even trying to recoup part of their spending by re-selling bathroom amenities.  Yoon, a 33-year-old office worker in Seoul, recently spent a night at Josun Palace, a newly-opened, top-notch hotel in Se

Jan. 5, 2022

Rapper Dok2 appeals court order to pay unpaid jewelry bill to LA jeweler

South Korean rapper Dok2 has appealed a court ruling ordering him to pay an unpaid jewelry bill to a jeweler in Los Angeles, court officials said Wednesday. Last month, the 31-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Lee Joon-kyung, was ordered by the Seoul Southern District Court to give 41.2 million won ($34,740) and interest on his unpaid jewelry bill to the LA jeweler. The jeweler sued Dok2 in September 2020, claiming the rapper had not paid that amount of money when he purchased seven piece

Jan. 5, 2022

Drunk driver swims out of sinking car in Han River

A drunk 30-something man has swum to safety after his car sank in the Han River near southeastern Seoul, police said Wednesday. The man's car fell into the river near the southeastern district of Jamsil at around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The driver swam out of the sinking vehicle without sustaining major injuries, according to the police. In a following police probe, the man was found to have driven toward the river under the influence of alcohol. The police said he has been booked on charges of drivi

Jan. 5, 2022

Daily virus cases bounce back to above 4,000 amid omicron concerns

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases bounced back to above 4,000 for the first time in three days Wednesday, putting health authorities on high alert over a possible resurgence amid omicron concerns. The country added 4,444 new COVID-19 infections, including 4,233 local infections, raising the total caseload to 649,669, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Wednesday's figure was up 1,420 from a day earlier and down 963 compared with the same day last week. It

Jan. 5, 2022

Is vaccine pass justified? Seoul court has doubts

A Seoul court on Tuesday afternoon temporarily blocked the vaccine pass mandate at educational facilities, saying the policy “seriously disadvantages people who are not vaccinated.” Seoul’s administrative court has granted local community groups’ request for an injunction against the Ministry of Health and Welfare mandate requiring people to present proof of full vaccination or a recently taken negative PCR test result to enter public places. Tuesday’s decisio

Jan. 4, 2022

Korea mulls fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine for some

South Korea is considering whether to distribute a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to some vulnerable populations now that the booster vaccination program is well underway for people aged 18 and over. Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesperson Son Young-rae said in a news briefing Tuesday whether to distribute fourth doses in the coming months was being discussed within the ministry and other concerned government agencies. 　 “Whether a fourth dose is going to be necessary at all

Jan. 4, 2022

Police tracking 188 billion won of Osstem Implant embezzled through multiple accounts

Police are tracking the whereabouts of 188 billion won ($157 million) in corporate funds that an employee of a South Korean dental implant maker allegedly embezzled, with information that the money had been divided and transferred through multiple bank accounts in the process of the crime. A police official told media outlets Tuesday the 188 billion won of corporate funds, which accounts for 91.8 percent of Osstem Implant’s 204.7 billion won in equity capital, was confirmed to have been c

Jan. 4, 2022