Calls grow for tougher measures as hospitals near crisis

Government officials said Wednesday that the country would hang on without imposing tougher COVID-19 curbs, reiterating the decision announced Sunday, despite metrics over the last two weeks that indicate South Korea is eligible for the second-strictest tier of its social distancing system. A total of 22,973 tests confirmed 511 more cases -- 493 locally transmitted and 18 imported -- on Tuesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s situation report Wednesda

Dec. 2, 2020

Police investigate cause of deadly fire at Gunpo apartment

Police were investigating Wednesday the cause behind a fire at an apartment in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, that left four people dead and seven injured a day earlier. Forensic officials conducted an on-site inspection of the apartment unit on the eighth floor of a 12-story building. It was under renovation and workers were replacing window frames when the blaze began, the Gunpo Police Station said. Authorities suspect flammable materials, such as urethane foam, may have caught fire and started

Dec. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Not just students being examined as Suneung puts ‘K-quarantine’ to test

Tens of thousands of college hopefuls in South Korea will take the annual national college entrance exam Thursday, so important that many here describe it as one of the most pivotal moments in life. The College Scholastic Aptitude Test, or the Suneung, will begin at 8:40 a.m. at over 1,300 testing sites across the country, and will last until 5:40 p.m. Some 493,433 college hopefuls are to sit the marathon test. Coming amid a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections, this year’s Suneung is argu

Dec. 2, 2020

Another soldier at Camp Casey tests positive for COVID-19

An American soldier stationed at Camp Casey, north of Seoul, tested positive for the new coronavirus on Wednesday, after another service member at the base was confirmed to have contracted the virus over the weekend, the US military said.    The soldier has been transferred to an isolation facility designated for confirmed COVID-19 patients at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, according to the US Forces Korea (USFK).    "Contact tracing is ongoing, and US

Dec. 2, 2020

7 more soldiers test positive for new coronavirus

Four Army officers and three enlisted soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday, in the latest in a series of infections reported at barracks. The enlisted soldiers were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 while in quarantine after cluster infections were reported at their boot camp in the border county of Yeoncheon, according to the ministry. The total number of infections reported at the unit rose to 75. An officer in Pocheon, north of Seoul

Dec. 2, 2020

New virus cases bounce back to over 500 as effect of tougher curbs yet to be felt

The daily number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea bounced back to over 500 again Wednesday, adding to concerns that the country faces a bigger wave of the pandemic in winter amid tougher social distancing measures. The country added 511 more COVID-19 cases, including 493 local infections, raising the total caseload to 35,163, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It reported no additional coronavirus fatalities, bringing the total to 526. The daily virus t

Dec. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] S. Korea braces for nat'l college entrance exam amid pandemic

South Koreans were on high alert Wednesday with only hours to go until hundreds of thousands of students would sit for the annual state college entrance exam amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 490,000 high school seniors, graduates and others plan to take the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on Thursday amid a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus infections across the country. That includes 37 coronavirus patients and 430 people in self-quarantine, according to Dec. 1 data from th

Dec. 2, 2020

S. Korea confirms 2nd highly pathogenic bird flu case from farm

South Korea on Wednesday confirmed another highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) case from local poultry farms, sparking further concerns over possible nationwide transmission of the disease. A suspected case from an egg farm in Sangju, 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier this week tested to be a highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. Local authorities said they are currently culling 188,000 chickens being raised at

Dec. 2, 2020

Four killed, seven injured in apartment building fire in Gunpo

Four people were killed and seven others injured in a fire at a 25-story apartment building in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday afternoon, fire authorities said. Among the victims, two fell to their deaths, while two were found dead in the stairwell leading to the rooftop, authorities said, adding one of them is in a critical condition. The blaze started on the 12th floor of the building located in the city about 32 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 4:37 p.m. Firefighters brought th

Dec. 1, 2020

Health authorities begin last-ditch prep for virus control during Suneung

Health authorities on Tuesday vowed to guard against potential threats of the new coronavirus to ensure the safety of around 500,000 college hopefuls taking the national college entrance exam this Thursday. They also pledged to make all efforts to not allow a single test taker to miss the life-defining exam due to the virus. Even if one is diagnosed with the COVID-19 on the eve of the test date, they will still be able to sit the College Scholastic Aptitude Test, known here as Suneung. 　 &ldq

Dec. 1, 2020

[Newsmaker] Safety concerns revived at campuses as finals approach

As the second semester nears its end, a debate is being rekindled on campuses – should final exams be held in-person or online? While most universities leave the matter up to lecturers to decide, who appear to favor physical attendance to prevent cheating, students fear the risk of infection, as young people have been pointed to as potential silent spreaders of the virus. As the nation undergoes a third wave of coronavirus infections, the number of college students diagnosed with COVID

Dec. 1, 2020

[Herald Interview] From former epicenter to zero cases, Daegu vows lessons won’t go unlearned

Daegu, once the epicenter of South Korea’s coronavirus epidemic, is faring better than most parts of the country in the midst of a coronavirus resurgence. For the whole month of November, as a third big wave of the coronavirus began to sweep across the country, Daegu managed to maintain a single-digit rise in daily new infections. No new cases were found for six November days. When the nationwide tally shot up to 569 cases Friday, Daegu was the only region in Korea to report zero cases.

Dec. 1, 2020

Special street project celebrating BTS singer Jin's birthday opens in Seoul

A China-based fan community of Jin, a member of K-pop megastar BTS, opened a street project in western Seoul on Tuesday to celebrate the singer's 28th birthday, officials said. The community named China Jin Bar opened the BTS Jin Theme Street on the main commercial festival avenue of the bustling entertainment district near Hongik University, located in Seoul's western ward of Mapo, ward officials said. Jin, a sub vocalist of BTS, was born on Dec. 4, 1992, in South Korea. China Jin Bar organi

Dec. 1, 2020

Hospital bed shortage looms amid surge in critical COVID-19 patients

Concerns are mounting over a possible shortage of hospital beds for novel coronavirus patients in critical condition, as daily new cases in the country continue to pile up. South Korea reported 451 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the total caseload to 34,652, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Tuesday's daily tally stayed in the 400 range for the third day in a row. Noticeably, the number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 97 as of

Dec. 1, 2020

Employment insurance to be expanded to artists

The Cabinet approved a revised regulation Tuesday to expand the coverage of the state employment insurance program to artists. The labor ministry said artists who are in a work contract and earn at least 500,000 won ($450) per month will be eligible under the amended executive ordinance of the Employment Insurance Act, which will go into effect on Dec. 10. It is the first step in the government's long-term plan to expand employment insurance to all forms of workers by 2025. The labor ministry

Dec. 1, 2020

Mother under arrest after 2-month-old found dead in freezer

Police are investigating the death of an infant found inside a freezer at an apartment unit in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The mother, 43, has been arrested on charges including child abuse and abandonment of a corpse, investigators in Yeosu said Tuesday. 　 It is suspected that the dead baby, a boy, was about 2 months old when he died and had been kept in the freezer since. He appeared to be the twin brother of the woman’s daughter, who is now 2 years old. Police say they were seeking

Dec. 1, 2020

4 more military members test positive for new coronavirus

The military reported four new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the latest in a series of infections at barracks across the country. An Army officer stationed in the city of Chuncheon, northeast of Seoul, tested positive for COVID-19 after coming into contact with a civilian patient, prompting the authorities to carry out tests for around 180 members of his unit, according to the ministry. A civilian worker for the Navy in the southern city of Jinhae was confirmed to have been infected upo

Dec. 1, 2020

New infection cases in 400s for 3rd day, next few days 'critical' in virus fight

The daily number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed in the 400 range for the third day in a row Tuesday, but health authorities say the next few days may be critical in the virus fight amid concerns over a third infection wave coming with the winter season. The country added 451 more COVID-19 cases, including 420 local infections, raising the total caseload to 34,652, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It reported no additional coronavirus fatalitie

Dec. 1, 2020

Govt. to launch winter season fine dust management program next month

The government announced Monday that it will launch a national winter season fine dust management program next month centered around reducing the amount of air pollutants during the season. The environment ministry said the program will run from December to March of next year and will center around the reduction of vehicle traffic in and around Seoul, cuts in industrial emissions and suspensions of power generation by coal plants. The government first adopted the program last year to lower th

Nov. 30, 2020

World’s largest anti-corruption forum to highlight the power of integrity

South Korea will host the world’s largest global forum on anti-corruption this week, bringing together world leaders via virtual link to discuss international cooperation to fight corruption. Under the theme of “Designing 2030: Truth, Trust and Transparency,” the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the country’s anti-corruption policy control tower, will host the 19th International Anti-Corruption Conference from Tuesday to Friday at a studio located in Coex,

Nov. 30, 2020