Korea to ease social distancing from July on vaccine progress

With a quarter of its population vaccinated with one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Korea says it is ready to allow more mingling and less mask-wearing in the summer. “The current guidance fails to take into account the improvements in our pandemic situation -- vaccines are rolling out at an increasing pace, our health care systems can handle far more patients at a time now compared to a year ago, and new cases are down,” Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol said at Sunday&r

June 20, 2021

[News Focus] Korea far behind world average in renewable energy

SEJONG -- South Korea was found to have fallen far short of the world average in renewable energy use, amid a global ramp-up in efforts to attain carbon neutrality by 2050. The world economies’ average in the percentage of renewable energy of the total energy supply reached 13.51 percent, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development that cited the latest available data (for 2019 or 2018) from the Extended World Energy Balances. South Korea’s portion stood

June 20, 2021

[From the Scene] ‘I felt like I got hit by truck’

As a male in my early 30s, and an Army reserve, I was able to receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. I work out three times a week, and have no underlying conditions or drug allergies. This is my experience. Before vaccine The online reservation system for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Janssen vaccine opened at midnight on June 1. As tens of thousands of people tried to book for their shots at the same time, a waiting list prevented me from accessing the system. I exited

June 20, 2021

S. Korea toughens regulations on public servants' real estate

Government officials and public employees involved in real estate affairs will be required to register their assets with the authorities, the Ministry of Personnel Management said Sunday. The ministry last week preannounced the latest revision to the enforcement ordinance of the Public Service Ethics Act. The new rules will take effect on Oct. 2. The move came as the government is toughening property regulations on public servants in the wake of a land speculation scandal involving employees

June 20, 2021

New virus cases under 500, S. Korea set to unveil new social distancing scheme

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 500 for the second consecutive day Sunday due to fewer tests carried out over the weekend, with health authorities announcing eased social distancing rules that will be applied next month. The country reported 429 new cases, including 380 local infections, raising the total caseload to 151,149, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. South Korea found 507 new cases Friday and 482 on Saturday. The country added five COVID-19

June 20, 2021

NK leader vows to overcome difficulties as he concludes key party meeting: state media

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to break through difficulties facing the country as he concluded a key Workers' Party meeting after discussing ways to deal with food shortages and relations with the United States, state media said Saturday. Throughout the four-day plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee, the third of its kind this year, Kim discussed how to cope with economic challenges, including food shortages and anti-pandemic efforts. He also discussed ways to deal with the

June 19, 2021

[Weekender] Can four-day workweek cure the Monday Blues?

When Kim Hyun-kyung, 31, was thinking about changing jobs a year ago, she was drawn to education firm Eduwill’s four-day workweek. Although she was a bit suspicious at first of whether it really worked, she now fully enjoys the policy. Kim takes a day off every Wednesday because she says it is the best day to take a break. “It makes me think on Monday ‘Oh I am OK because I rested yesterday,’ and on Tuesday, I think, ‘I am fine because I will rest tomorrow.&rsq

June 19, 2021

Trapped firefighter found dead in Coupang warehouse

ICHEON -- A firefighter who was trapped in a fire that tore through a Coupang Inc. warehouse was found dead by rescue workers Saturday, officials said. Kim Dong-shik, 52, was found in the second-floor basement of the e-commerce giant's four-story building in Icheon, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, shortly after rescue workers resumed their search for the missing firefighter following a safety inspection of the building. Kim entered the basement around 11:20 a.m. Thursday with four of his col

June 19, 2021

New virus cases fall below 500 ahead of revised social distancing rules

South Korea's new coronavirus cases dipped below 500 on Saturday as the country's vaccination campaign gains pace and the government prepares to announce a revised social distancing scheme. The country reported 482 new cases, including 456 local infections, raising the total caseload to 150,720, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The past three days saw case numbers in their 500s, although before that the country reported 452, 399 and 373 infections from Sunday to Tue

June 19, 2021

S. Korea reports more 'breakthrough' infections, total now at 29

South Korea has confirmed a total of 29 so-called breakthrough COVID-19 infections so far, with 28 of them inoculated in the country, health authorities said Friday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the patients have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday even after being administered with the full-dose vaccine regimen here. A "breakthrough case" is when a person tests positive for COVID-19 between the first and second doses of a two-dose regimen or a pe

June 18, 2021

Two delivery workers test positive for COVID-19 after joining mass rally

Two delivery workers have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a mass rally in protest of their working conditions earlier this week, officials said Friday. The two were among some 4,000 members of the Parcel Delivery Workers' Solidarity Union who staged a rally in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday to coincide with negotiations between the union and logistics firms over implementing an overwork prevention agreement. Both work for the Korea Post, the national postal service. "Accordi

June 18, 2021

Formula E to make Seoul debut next year

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship, an electric car racing series, is coming to Seoul for the first time in August next year for a global event the city believes will help revive its tourism sector, which has been struggling for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The final round of the 2021-22 season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be held on the streets around Jamsil Stadium in southern Seoul from Aug. 13-14 next year, according to the Seoul city government on Friday. The whole sch

June 18, 2021

Remains of another Korean War soldier identified

The remains of a soldier killed in the 1950-53 Korean War have been identified through DNA analysis, a decade after they were recovered from a former battle site, the defense ministry said Friday. The identification of the remains of Ssg. Ko Byung-soo was possible as his family members registered their DNA samples with the government last year, according to ministry. Ko's remains were excavated at Mount Baekseok in Yanggu, some 175 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in 2011. The mountain was one

June 18, 2021

2 US service members test positive for COVID-19

Two American service members stationed in South Korea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Friday. One of them, based at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was found to have contracted COVID-19 on Tuesday after developing symptoms, according to US Forces Korea (USFK). The other service member at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, 40 km north of the capital, was found to be infected the next day in a virus test required to return to the United Stat

June 18, 2021

Fire at Coupang warehouse rages for over a day, 1 firefighter trapped

A fire at a Coupang Inc. distribution center continued to burn Friday, more than a day after it broke out, with one firefighter trapped inside, officials said. The fire began in the basement of the e-commerce giant's four-story building in Icheon, about 80 kilometers south of Seoul, around 5:20 a.m. Thursday. Authorities said it appeared to have been caused by a spark from a power outlet. A 52-year-old firefighter who entered the basement Thursday morning to look for people left behind has yet

June 18, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 3rd day amid vaccination push

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 500s for the third consecutive day Friday as health authorities are set to finalize revamped social distancing rules set to be in place from next month amid an accelerating vaccination campaign. The country reported 507 more virus cases, including 484 local infections, raising the total caseload to 150,238, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is slightly down from 545 cases Wednesday and 540 on Thursd

June 18, 2021

Investigation into ex-top prosecutor still at early stage: CIO chief

A state corruption probe agency has not fully started an investigation into Yoon Seok-youl, a former prosecutor general and a leading presidential hopeful, over abuse of power allegations, the agency's chief said Thursday. Kim Jin-wook, the head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), said at a press conference that while the CIO has started working on the case, it has yet to launch a full-fledged investigation because of various circumstances. Over concerns th

June 17, 2021

Summer vaccinations to proceed in order of age from 50-somethings to younger: KDCA

The next phase of South Korea’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign will not begin in earnest until late July, when 50-somethings finally become eligible, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday. Those younger than 50 will get their chance in August. July will mainly focus on delivering first doses to 60- to 74-year-olds and essential workers whose June appointments got canceled or delayed due to a supply shortage. There are some 170,000 such people who are a

June 17, 2021

S. Korea to begin inoculating younger population in July, allow 'mix and match' jabs

South Korea plans to administer COVID-19 vaccines to 22 million people of the general public aged between 18 and 59 starting next month as part of its inoculation campaign, health authorities said Thursday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced the list of third-quarter vaccine recipients to achieve its goal of vaccinating 36 million people in the country of 51.3 million by September. The country's vaccination campaign started on Feb. 26 with some virus-vulnerable gr

June 17, 2021

Air Force unit raided over alleged info leak on sexually abused soldier

Military investigators on Thursday raided the offices of an Air Force unit over allegations its members leaked details of a sexual harassment case that led to a noncommissioned officer taking her own life last month, the defense ministry said Thursday. The raid at the 15th Special Missions Wing in Seongnam, south of Seoul, is part of an ongoing investigation into the death of the master sergeant, surnamed Lee, who allegedly suffered groping and other abuse by her colleague during a car ride bac

June 17, 2021