Winter edition of Seoul Light show kicks off

The December edition of the Seoul Light show, a media facade show organized by the Seoul Design Foundation, kicked off on Dec. 17, welcoming visitors and tourists to enjoy large-scale light-emitting diode video displays woven into the exterior surface of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Seoul Light is an annual event that features media facade shows at the famed DDP in central Seoul, utilizing projection mapping and the curved aluminum-panel surface of the architectural building. The show comes in t

Dec. 25, 2022

COVID-19 cases below 70,000 for third day

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 70,000 for the third straight day Sunday, as the government is seeking to phase out mask-wearing regulations in certain places. The country confirmed 58,448 new coronavirus infections, including 64 from overseas, bringing the total to 28,659,055, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The daily caseload jumped to 88,160 on Wednesday but has been on the decline through Sunday. Concerns still remain, however, over a possible wintertime s

Dec. 25, 2022

[Photo News] Myeong-dong regains vitality on Christmas Eve

  　Myeong-dong, a famous shopping district in central Seoul for locals and foreign visitors, is crowded with people to enjoy the Christmas spirit on Saturday. Some 40 safety guards will be deployed in the neighborhood over the weekend, according to Jung-gu office. Myeongdong Cathedral, founded in 1898, will have a Christmas mass late Saturday without restrictions on the congregation size.  　 　By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com) 　

Dec. 24, 2022

COVID-19 cases below 70,000 for 2nd day; deaths hit 3-month high

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases remained below 70,000 for the second straight day Saturday, while new coronavirus-related deaths hit a three-month high. 　 　The country reported 66,211 new COVID-19 infections, including 66 from overseas, bringing the total to 28,600,607, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. 　 　The number of newly infected cases is down from 68,168 a day earlier and 66,930 a week ago. The daily tally slightly decreased after hitting a three-month high Tu

Dec. 24, 2022

Court issues arrest warrants for 2 senior police officers

Two senior district police officers were arrested Friday for failing to promptly respond to the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood, which killed 158 people. The Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant for Lee Im-jae, former head of the Yongsan Police Station, on charges of professional negligence resulting in death or injury. He is accused of not taking enough crowd control measures after prior warnings of overcrowding during the Halloween celebrations and arri

Dec. 23, 2022

Indoor masking to be phased out

Indoor masking will be phased out gradually, Korean public health authorities said Friday, with the mask mandate to be downgraded to a recommendation as long as certain conditions are met. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters did not specify when the phase-out would be implemented or any timeline for the measures. In the first stage of the phase-out, indoor masks will be encouraged to be worn voluntarily. The mask mandate will remain intact on public transportation and at

Dec. 23, 2022

Schools closed, flights canceled after heavy overnight snow

Heavy snow has fallen in the southwest of the peninsula since Thursday night, causing a large number of flights to be canceled and schools to be closed on Friday. A number of traffic accidents were also reported overnight. The heavy snow advisories, issued Thursday night around the southwest of the peninsula, continue to be in effect in Jeolla Province, Sejong, Chungcheong Province, Jeju Island, Ulleung Island and Dokdo as of 12:00 p.m., Friday. According to the Jeollabukdo Office of Education o

Dec. 23, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 70,000; govt. unveils plans to lift mask rules

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit below 70,000 on Friday, continuing an upward curve, as the country is set to remove the indoor mask mandate, the last remaining antivirus rule, as part of broader recovery efforts. The country reported 68,168 new COVID-19 infections, including 95 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 28,534,558, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Friday's count is up by about 1,200 from a week ago. The daily infection numbers have been on

Dec. 23, 2022

Coldest day of the season grips South Korea

South Korea witnessed the coldest day of the season on Friday, with the morning low plummeting to minus 13.6 C in Seoul, the state weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administrationsaid the freezing temperatures were accompanied by heavy snow in the southern part of the country, including the Chungcheong and Jeolla areas, and the southern resort island of Jeju. In Seoul, morning lows plummeted to minus 13.6 C and a sensible temperature of nearly minus 22 C, the KMA said. The weather ag

Dec. 23, 2022

Fire causes Seoul subway disruption

A fire broke out at 6:24 a.m. in a Seoul subway tunnel on Line No. 3, with smoke suspending train operations between Yaksu Station to Gupabal Station for nearly two hours, according to Seoul Transportation Corp. on Friday. The fire broke out in a tunnel between Muakjae Station and Dongnimmun Station, authorities said. Seoul Metro resumed operations between Yaksu Station and Gupabal Station at 8:12 a.m. Trains did not run for two hours in either direction as smoke plumed from the subway tunnel. N

Dec. 23, 2022

[Graphic News] One-person households hit record high in 2021

The proportion of one-person households in South Korea hit a fresh record last year, data showed, as more young people delayed marriages. Single-member households accounted for 33.4 percent of the total last year, up from 31.7 percent the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. It marked a sharp rise from just 20 percent tallied in 2005. The agency said the portion of single-member households is expected to hit 39.6 percent in 2050. Households consisting of a single member to

Dec. 23, 2022

Constitutional Court opens way for launch of police bureau

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled in favor of the launch of the police bureau, backing the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s moves to regain control of the police. As soon as Yoon took office, he moved to create the unit so the police would fall under government control, after the police took over most of the right to investigate by Yoon’s predecessor and the opposition-led Assembly. The National Police Commission filed the complaint on Sept. 30. The litigation w

Dec. 22, 2022

South Korea may waive indoor masking, but not for good

South Korea may do away with the indoor masking rule if metrics like the COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates fall. Even then, masking will not be gone for good, and could be reinstated should those metrics worsen. Ruling People Power Party leaders met with top public health officials Thursday, a day before the government COVID-19 response headquarters is set to announce how the rule on masking indoors may change. At Thursday’s meeting, public health officials laid down the possible co

Dec. 22, 2022

Multiple chaebol family members arrested on drug charges

The grandson of the founder of Kiswire Limited, a midsized steel enterprise, was arrested on charges of use and possession of marijuana on Wednesday, amid continued revelations concerning the drug use of chaebol and wealthy families. Prosecutors are accelerating their probe, suspecting more drug offenses and related crimes. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office received an arrest warrant for a man surnamed Hong on charges of violating the drug law, Wednesday. Hong is the grandson o

Dec. 22, 2022

Vietnamese mother allegedly abandons newborn in subzero weather

A 20-year-old Vietnamese woman is under police investigation for allegedly abandoning her newborn child in subzero weather in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Officials at the Jeonju Deokjin Police Station said Wednesday that they are planning to file for a warrant to detain the suspect for violating the Child Welfare Act. Anyone who abandons a child under his or her protection and supervision can be punished with up to two years in prison or 3 million won ($2,349) in fines. The suspect is accused

Dec. 22, 2022

[Newsmaker] On-air ‘sexual harassment of stepdaughter’ controversy sparks police probe

A man who was seen inflicting unwanted physical contact on his 7-year-old stepdaughter on a recently-aired TV show is under investigation for sexual harassment, local police said late Wednesday. According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency, officials have commenced the pre-arrest investigation on the person after being notified of the allegation. “Details of the case will not be revealed due to fear of secondary damage on the victim. (Officials) will summon the related individuals whe

Dec. 22, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases above 75,000 as winter wave spreads

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stood above 75,000 on Thursday, up by nearly 5,600 from a week earlier, as the virus wave continues to spread in the winter. The country reported 75,744 new COVID-19 infections, including 73 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 28,466,390, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The latest daily count is up by 5,590 from a week ago. South Korea has seen a steady rise in the infection numbers in recent weeks amid growing fears of a wint

Dec. 22, 2022

Temperatures fall sharply following heavy snow

Temperatures took a plunge across South Korea on Thursday, with the morning lows dipping to minus 14 C in some inland areas, the state weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administration said the freezing temperatures were accompanied by snow in the southern part of the country, including South Chungcheong Province and the Jeolla provinces, and the southern resort island of Jeju. In Seoul, morning lows plummeted to minus 9 C, sharply down from a day earlier, the KMA said. The weather ag

Dec. 22, 2022

[Graphic News] South Korean banknotes’ life span grows on increased reliance on cashless payments

South Korean banknotes saw their lifetimes increase on-year in 2022 as people use less cash and depend more on credit cards and internet banking for transactions, a central bank report showed. According to the report from the Bank of Korea, the country’s smallest denomination bills, 1,000 won notes, had an average estimated lifetime of 70 months, with 5,000 won and 10,000 won bills lasting for 63 months and 135 months, respectively. The largest face-value bill, 50,000 won notes, had a life

Dec. 22, 2022

PM reported to police for jaywalking

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has been reported to police for jaywalking during a visit to a memorial altar for victims of the Itaewon crowd crush earlier this week, police said Wednesday. The report was filed on the online petition website of the state Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on Tuesday, according to a post seen on an online forum. The report was titled, "I report Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's violation of the Road Traffic Act." Han visited a memorial altar

Dec. 21, 2022