Korea says AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine safe, allays blood clot worries

Korean public health authorities said Monday that AstraZeneca vaccinations should go on in the country, echoing rulings from regulators elsewhere that the benefits outweigh the risks of side effects. In a news briefing, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that it continues to recommend the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, especially considering the immediate threats of the pandemic.  Still, it admitted that the vaccine’s link to rare bl

March 22, 2021

S. Korea reports 36 more cases of COVID-19 variants, total now at 249

South Korea on Monday reported 36 more new cases of COVID-19 variants, including 26 local infections, further escalating concerns over the spread of the more transmissible strains. Of the additional cases, 33 people were confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus variant believed to have originated in Britain, followed by the South Africa variant with two and the Brazil variant with one, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The new variant cases were i

March 22, 2021

[Newsmaker] Oh, Ahn start poll to decide who will run for Seoul mayor

The opposition’s two strongest candidates have begun a two-day poll starting Monday to decide which of them should run in the Seoul mayoral by-election on April 7 to defeat the ruling party. Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party will conduct surveys of 1,600 people each, and add up the results to be announced by Wednesday. Should they be able to finish earlier, the final candidate may also be revealed on Tuesday

March 22, 2021

[News Focus] Foreign workers still face COVID-19 tests outside Seoul

Foreign workers in many parts of South Korea are still being required to undergo COVID-19 testing even after Seoul withdrew its own order Friday. Testing mandates remain in force in other regions, apparently due to less influence from white-collar foreign workers, who tend to be more vocal and active on social issues. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday withdrew its earlier order to require coronavirus testing for all foreign workers after facing backlash from diplomatic circles, commu

March 22, 2021

Runaway suspect nabbed in massive solar energy fraud case

JEONJU -- Police have apprehended a man who allegedly ripped off tens of billions of won from investors in a fraudulent solar energy development project and went on the run amid a probe, officials said Monday. The 53-year-old man was charged with defrauding around 800 people of some 70 billion won ($61.9 million) on false solar power business proposals from December 2017 to June 2020, according to Deokjin Police Station in Jeonju, about 240 kilometers south of Seoul. He disappeared ahead of a

March 22, 2021

Police raid LH regional office in land speculation probe

Police on Monday raided a regional office of the state housing developer, Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of land speculation by LH employees. The Jeonbuk Police Agency said its investigators seized relevant materials at the LH office in Jeonju, 243 kilometers south of Seoul, and the home and vehicle of an unnamed person involved in the case. "We are executing search warrants for two separate cases and will reveal the details after f

March 22, 2021

S. Korea investigating new suspected case of bird flu, total now at 106

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Monday it is investigating a new suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu, with the country's total caseload standing at 106. The suspected case came from a duck farm in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, the previous day, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. It was the first suspected case in 10 days. South Korea has reported a total of 106 cases of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza since November last year. Over the

March 22, 2021

New infections in 400s for 6th day, no clear signs of slowdown in sight

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 400s for the sixth day in a row Monday as cluster infections continued to pop up across the country, raising concerns over a resurgence during spring. The country reported 415 more COVID-19 cases, including 396 local infections, raising the total caseload to 99,075, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country added one more death from COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,697. The fatality rate was 1.71

March 22, 2021

[News Focus] Smaller households hit record high of 14.6 million

SEJONG -- All-time low fertility rates have caused a surge in the number of two-member households in South Korea, alongside the sharp increase in the number of single-person households amid sliding marriage rates, official data showed. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of one- or two-member households reached a record high of 14.61 million (9.16 million and 5.44 million respectively), or 62.9 percent of the total 23.19 million households nationwide as of February. T

March 21, 2021

Spring travel surge adds to concerns as S. Korea reports over 400 cases

Warmer spring weather is concerning authorities in South Korea as the country battles community infections amid the third COVID-19 wave to date. As flowers blossom across the country, traffic has surged nationwide with an increasing number of people traveling for gatherings in the warmer weather. Although most regions have canceled their flower festivals for the season, the number of travelers is expected to stay high, especially on weekends. The situation is alarming, as the number of daily n

March 21, 2021

S. Korea to begin inoculating people aged 65 or over at nursing homes, hospitals this week

South Korea will start administering vaccines to inpatients and employees of nursing homes and long-term care hospitals who are aged 65 or older this week as part of its monthslong inoculation plan, health authorities said Sunday. Starting from Tuesday, more than 370,000 health workers and patients aged 65 and older at sanatoriums, nursing facilities and rehabilitation facilities will receive their first shots of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in steps, according to the Korea Disease Control an

March 21, 2021

S. Korea to provide own satellite-backed real-time air quality map

South Korea will begin providing a real-time air quality map for the Korean Peninsula and neighboring areas to the public, utilizing data sent from Chollian-2B, its environmental satellite launched last year, the science ministry said Sunday. The new service, available from Monday, will provide data of seven types of air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone and aerosol optical depth, whose coverage ranges from India to Japan. It will also provide additional data, such as sulfur dioxi

March 21, 2021

Prosecution decides to close false testimony case related to ex-PM

The top prosecution office said Sunday that it has finally decided to put an end to the reexamination of allegations of false testimony in a bribery case involving former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. The Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) said it reported the decision to the Ministry of Justice the previous day. It came as a group of senior prosecutors reached a conclusion to drop the false testimony case after a 13-hour marathon meeting on Friday. Han, who served as prime minister from 2006

March 21, 2021

New virus cases in 400s for 5th day on cluster infections

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 400s for a fifth day on Sunday, raising concerns that continued sporadic cluster infections might lead to a resurgence in the pandemic. Cases tied to saunas, sports facilities and church gatherings continued to take place, and more infections are likely in the coming weeks from spring outings. The country reported 456 more COVID-19 cases, including 437 local infections, raising the total caseload to 98,665, the Korea Disease Control and P

March 21, 2021

Korea to add clot warning to AstraZeneca vaccination guidance

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in a press briefing Saturday that official instructions for vaccinators and emergency medical services will now include a warning about blood clotting risks following AstraZeneca vaccinations. The update comes as the European Medicines Agency said the previous day that although the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, a link to rare blood clots could not be ruled out. The European regulator urged hea

March 20, 2021

[Photo News] Spring, the season of flowers, blooms in Korea

Cherry blossoms begin to form pink clouds of flowers near Yeojwacheon Romance Bridge in Jinhae-gu, Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province.   Against a clear sky without fine dust, Magnolia Kobus are in full bloom on the campus of Chonnam National University, located in Gwangju. Fully-bloomed plum blossoms attract honey bees to the campus of Chonnam National University in Gwangju. (Photos: Yonhap) By Yoon Chae-won (choenayoon@heraldcorp.com)

March 20, 2021

Seongnam university reports coronavirus infections of 11 foreign students

Thirteen foreign students enrolled in a university in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, municipal officials said Saturday. The first coronavirus case of a foreign student occurred at the unnamed university in the city's Sujeong district on Wednesday, and two more expat students who lived together with the first patient tested positive for the virus the following day, the officials said. On Friday, eight other foreign students were confirmed to be infected with t

March 20, 2021

New virus cases in 400s for 4th day, concerns over resurgence during weekend

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 400s for a fourth day on Saturday, with continued sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area adding to concerns over a resurgence in cases as more people go out during the weekend. The country reported 452 more COVID-19 cases, including 440 local infections, raising the total caseload to 98,209, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The country added three more deaths from COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,693.

March 20, 2021

Korea pushes back announcement on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as EU regulator adds warning

Korean health authorities on Friday have postponed an announcement of their response to the European medical regulator’s verdict on the safety of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, after it once again vouched for jab, but without fully dispelling concerns surrounding the side effects. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency had said earlier that it would be giving its official opinion on the European Medicines Agency’s announcement at 2 p.m. Friday, but pushed it back t

March 19, 2021

Seoul withdraws testing mandate for all foreign workers

The Seoul city government on Friday withdrew an order requiring mandatory coronavirus testing for all foreign workers after facing criticism from foreigners, medical workers and the human rights commission. The Seoul Metropolitan Government released a statement on Friday afternoon, saying, “We changed the administrative order issued on March 17 after the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters requested the withdrawal of the order.” “We changed from the man

March 19, 2021