Korea International School hosts this year’s Human Rights Week

The Korea International School held this year’s Human Rights Week via Zoom on April 19 with middle and high school students and faculty members, featuring guest speakers whose own experiences illustrate the importance of knowing and responding to current social issues. HRW is organized by the KIS Human Rights Initiative, a group of 13 students. With the theme of “Removing the Mask on Social Pandemics,” HRW centered its daily sessions on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. T

May 6, 2021

New cases under 600 again on fewer tests; variants in focus amid vaccine rollout

South Korea's daily new virus cases fell back to the 500s again Thursday as fewer people took virus tests on the Children's Day holiday, but the country's health authorities remained vigilant over cluster infections and spreading variant cases. The country reported 574 more COVID-19 cases, including 562 local infections, raising the total caseload to 125,519, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload reached 488 on Monday and 541 on Tuesday but jumped to t

May 6, 2021

[Newsmaker] Father bids farewell to son found dead in Han River

The father of a 21-year-old medical student who was found dead in the Han River bid farewell to his son at his funeral Wednesday, as he awaits the final autopsy results. Sohn Jung-min was last seen asleep early April 25 by a friend who drank with him at the riverside park in Banpo, Seoul. Sohn’s body was found on April 30 in the Han River. The father had written on his blog asking for help to find his son. He hung banners around the area and spoke to the press about what he knew of the

May 5, 2021

Vaccinated people to be exempted from mandatory self-isolation in S. Korea

People who have been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus in South Korea are exempted from the mandatory 14-day isolation starting Wednesday when arriving here from overseas and when having close contact with virus patients. The new rules will be applied only for those who have been fully inoculated in South Korea two weeks after receiving COVID-19 jabs, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). They will still need to receive COVID-19 tests and have no rel

May 5, 2021

New cases spike to 600s again on sporadic cluster infections

South Korea's daily new virus cases spiked to the 600s on Wednesday as rising cluster infections continue to hamper the country's virus fight against the pandemic. The country reported 676 more COVID-19 cases, including 651 local infections, raising the total caseload to 124,945, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily new cases are sharply up from the 541 recorded a day earlier, the KDCA said. The number also bounced back to the 600s after three days. The count

May 5, 2021

9 in 10 students prefer in-person classes despite COVID-19 risks: poll

Almost nine in 10 young students in South Korea prefer in-person classes to online ones, despite risks of coronavirus infections, a poll showed Wednesday. According to the survey on 685 elementary, middle and high school students conducted from April 25 to Monday by a local teachers' group, 87.1 percent said they want to go to school and study even though they are exposed to the risk of catching COVID-19. In a similar response, 71.5 percent said they would like to keep attending in-person clas

May 5, 2021

Police investigate cryptocurrency exchange, freeze its cash deposits

SUWON -- Police on Tuesday raided dozens of places related to a virtual currency exchange and froze the exchange's cash deposits as part of an investigation into its alleged irregularities. The Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency said it conducted the raids into 22 places, including the exchange's headquarters in southern Seoul, and froze 240 billion won ($214 million) left in the exchange's account. The raids were to obtain evidence to corroborate the allegations that the CEO, surnamed Lee, ran a fr

May 4, 2021

S. Korean labor groups condemn Japan for denying wartime forced labor

South Korean labor and civic organizations on Tuesday denounced Japan for formally denying mobilizing Korean people for wartime forced labor. The Japanese Cabinet last week sent a lawmaker its decision that Japan's recruitment, placement and conscription of Korean workers during its colonial rule (1910-45) did not constitute forced labor. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and a coalition of NGOs campaigning for forced labor victims held a news conf

May 4, 2021

Korea stops first-dose appointments amid COVID-19 vaccine supply shortage

A shortage of COVID-19 vaccines has forced South Korea to halt new vaccinations for about a month, as the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it would opt to prioritize second doses until additional supply becomes available. The ministry said as of Tuesday, the remaining AstraZeneca vaccine stockpile in the country was only 332,140 doses, with 471,150 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine. The amount left can together cover around 400,000 people, as both vaccines require two doses for maximum prote

May 4, 2021

Chief prosecutor nominee stresses ‘organizational stability’

New Prosecutor General nominee Kim Oh-soo stressed the organizational stability of the prosecution as his top priority on Tuesday as he prepares for a parliamentary confirmation hearing to succeed Yoon Seok-youl, who rose to political stardom by defying his bosses. “If I am appointed as prosecutor general, I think stabilizing the organization is the most important thing,” Kim told reporters as he arrived for work Tuesday morning. “I will communicate and make efforts to harmon

May 4, 2021

S. Korea grapples with rising variant cases, total now at 632

South Korea has confirmed 97 more cases of contagious variants of the new coronavirus, adding to concerns that the country's virus battle may be exacerbated by the more transmissible viruses. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 75 case were local infections and 22 imported cases, bringing the total to 632. Of them, 87 cases were the Britain-originated variant, followed by 10 from South Africa, according to the KDCA. The authorities have said they remain vigilant agains

May 4, 2021

[News Focus] Seoul’s population share in Korea falls sharply

SEJONG -- About three decades ago, nearly 1 out of every 4 South Koreans were residing in Seoul. But it has been found that less than 1 in 5 today are Seoulites. The population of Seoul peaked at 10.969 million in 1992, accounting for 24.6 percent of the entire population of 44.503 million, according to unofficial demographic statistics held by the government. Data from the Ministry of Interior and Safety showed that the share of residents in Seoul of the population of Korea fell to

May 4, 2021

Pfizer vaccines for 218,000 people to arrive in S. Korea on Wednesday

Another batch of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccines for around 218,000 members of the general public aged 75 and over, and other virus-vulnerable groups will arrive in South Korea later this week, health authorities said Tuesday. The products are part of a direct contract for 3.3 million people between the US pharmaceutical firm and the Seoul government, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. So far, Pfizer vaccines, under the direct contract, for 1 million people have alrea

May 4, 2021

[Seoul Struggles 6] Seoul not so welcoming to newcomers when it comes to housing

For 28-year-old Hong Seong-kyun, buying a home in Seoul has been near the top of his bucket list for years, even before he started worrying about getting a job in the city. Born and raised in Seoul, he thought owning an apartment, however small it might be, was not a far-fetched dream. But years later, he has come to know otherwise. Hong now has about 15 million won ($13,370) sitting in his savings account, which guarantees nothing when it comes to housing. The 28-year-old spends about eight h

May 4, 2021

More than 170 Koreans return home from virus-hit India via special flight

More than 170 South Korean residents in virus-hit India returned home on Tuesday via a special flight, and more people will come home this week, health authorities said. A flight operated by Indian air carrier Vistara landed at Incheon International Airport around 10:17 a.m. with 172 passengers, including workers of Hyundai Motor Co., after departing from Chennai International Airport in southern India. India has been a virus hotspot in recent months, with a COVID-19 variant strain also posin

May 4, 2021

Over 40 foreigners found infected with COVID-19 in Gangneung's preemptive testing

GANGNEUNG -- More than 40 foreign migrant workers in the east coast city of Gangneung tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday after preemptive coronavirus testing, municipal officials said. The municipality of Gangneung, 240 kilometers east of Seoul, has so far conducted the preemptive testing on 743 migrant workers and 43 of them were diagnosed with the new coronavirus, the officials said. By nationality, Russians accounted for 36 of the confirmed cases, with the others from Central Asian nat

May 4, 2021

New cases bounce back to 500s; variants emerging as another drag

South Korea's daily new virus cases bounced back to the 500s on Tuesday amid growing fears that rising cases of COVID-19 variants could become another challenge to the country's virus battle. The country reported 541 more COVID-19 cases, including 514 local infections, raising the total caseload to 124,269, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The country added six more deaths, raising the death toll to 1,840. The daily caseload had been in the 600s since Wednesday, b

May 4, 2021

Nearly 400 Koreans to return home from virus-hit India this week

Nearly 400 South Korean residents in India will return home this week via non-scheduled flights authorized by the government, health authorities here said Monday, as they plan to safely transport the nation's citizens from the coronavirus-hit country.  The authorities said a Vistara flight carrying 173 people, including workers of Hyundai Motor, will arrive in Incheon on Tuesday after departing from Chennai International Airport in India. Also, a flight by Asiana Airlines is scheduled to

May 3, 2021

Will Korea reach herd immunity by November? Top doctor says no

Korea probably won’t get to herd immunity by November as promised by the government, but “some degree of normal” is likely once vulnerable groups are covered, an infectious disease expert at the National Medical Center said Monday. “Even after 70 percent of Koreans are vaccinated, there might not be herd immunity as we know it,” Dr. Oh Myoung-don, who is leading the state hospital’s clinical committee for emerging infectious diseases, told a news conference

May 3, 2021

Controversy brews over online quasi-real name system

Controversy is brewing over the pros and cons of a bill that would obligate netizens to fully disclose their usernames in posts and comments online. A National Assembly subcommittee approved an amendment to the information and communications network act late last month, mandating the so-called “quasi-real name system” to protect victims from malicious comments. The bill, proposed by Rep. Park Dae-chool of the People Power Party, calls for the full disclosure of the usernames of t

May 3, 2021