S. Korea's new COVID-19 infections bounce back to over 40,000 amid resurgence woes

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases sharply bounced back to over 40,000 Tuesday, sharply rebounding after showing a gradual decline in the past week. The country reported 43,759 new COVID-19 infections, including 71 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,355,350, the Korea Disease and Prevention Agency said. The figure is more than double from 14,302 a day earlier and the highest daily tally in the past week. Except for Oct. 18, daily caseloads have stood under the 3,000 mark, KDCA d

Oct. 25, 2022

Seoul to create Champs-Elysees-style walkway from Gwanghwamun to Han River

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the city government will create wider walkways along a 7-kilometer route from Gwanghwamun in central Seoul to the Han River, while on his visit to Paris on Saturday. Oh made the remark after touring the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, where the Paris city government is running a city-led green makeover project. Oh was visiting Paris as part of his ongoing 11-day trip to Europe. According to the Seoul city government, Paris has injected some 330 billion won ($230 million) t

Oct. 24, 2022

New immigration center to open in Andong on Oct. 31

A new immigration center is set to open in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 31, which will provide immigration services to foreigners living in Andong and six cities nearby. The new center, operated by the Daegu Immigration Office, will be located on the Andong National University campus. The center will offer general immigration services, including foreigner registrations and extensions or changes to visa status, according to the Daegu Immigration Office on Monday. It will service for

Oct. 24, 2022

Education minister nominee to face tough hearing amid allegations, escalating partisan conflict

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister nominee Lee Ju-ho will be challenged over inappropriate funding, past education policies and more at a confirmation hearing slated for Friday. In addition to the allegations, an ongoing investigation concerning key figures in the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which has brought the parliamentary audit process to a halt, appears likely to affect the confirmation hearing process. If Lee takes the post, he will be returning to the post afte

Oct. 24, 2022

[Newsmaker] Depression, panic disorder fester in Korea as social stigma persists

Two-hundred and fifty-six. That's the number of people between age 10 and 20 that took their lives due to mental health problems last year. Of a total 13,205 deaths by suicide in 2021, some 5,258 had histories of mental health treatment, according to police data provided by Rep. Oh Young-hwan of the main opposition Democratic Party. The same data shows that the number of suicides aged 10-29 age groups jumped each year from 2019, with the figure for the latter marking 888 as of 2021. The figures

Oct. 24, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 infections continue on-week growth amid resurgence woes

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to below 15,000 on Monday, but the daily count recorded a marked rise from the previous week amid concerns over a virus resurgence in the winter. The country reported 14,302 new COVID-19 infections, including 56 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,311,636, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The figure marked a fall from the previous day's 26,256 new infections due mainly to fewer tests over the weekend, and it is the

Oct. 24, 2022

Seoul to push smoking, drinking ban at Han River parks, but backlash expected

Seoul is considering imposing drinking and smoking bans across Han River parks, the city government said Sunday. But the plan could come to nothing if backlash ensues. The Seoul city government, seven years ago, tried to make Han River parks smoke-free, but failed due to staunch public backlash. Last year, the city government also tried to push ahead with imposing a ban on drinking at the riverside parks, but the local government also made no progress even after a yearlong discussion. The Se

Oct. 23, 2022

S. Korea sees uptick in COVID-19 cases amid resurgence worries

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections increased Saturday, while a new variant was confirmed in the country, fanning concerns for a resurgence in the winter. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of new COVID-19 cases on Saturday reached 26,256, slightly down from the previous day’s 26,906 cases. The daily figure, however, was up around 4,800 from the previous week’s 21,569 and up 8,610 from two weeks ago. The country reported 16 new deat

Oct. 23, 2022

Death toll from construction site accident in Anseong rises to 3

The death toll from a concrete formwork collapse at a construction site in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, last week has risen to three as another worker died, authorities said Sunday. Five workers pouring cement at the low-temperature warehouse construction site in the city, 67 kilometers south of Seoul, plunged about 10 meters after a cement formwork collapsed on the structure's fourth floor on Friday. Three of the five workers -- all foreigners -- were transported to hospitals in a state of

Oct. 23, 2022

Action for Clean Environment Awards recognizes seven organizations for their contributions to environmental improvement

Action for Clean Environment (ACE), a global nonprofit organization working to facilitate global environmental activism, awarded seven organizations including businesses and local governments for their contribution to environmental protection on Tuesday. The Global Clean Environment Awards, held for the third time, was given to seven winners in five categories -- Siheung City government in the Public Service category; Panacell Biotech in the Healthcare category; AMP Robotics, Joyview Education,

Oct. 23, 2022

New COVID-19 cases post sharp on-week rise amid resurgence woes

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 30,000 for the fifth consecutive day Sunday, but the daily count recorded a sharp hike from the previous week amid rising concerns over a resurgence in infections nationwide in the winter. The country reported 26,256 new COVID-19 infections, including 67 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,297,334, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. It marks a slight fall from the previous day's 26,906 new cases, but 4,800 ca

Oct. 23, 2022

New COVID-19 cases under 30,000 for 4th consecutive day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 30,000 for a fourth straight day Saturday with the daily death toll down to its 14-week low for a Saturday. The country reported 26,906 new COVID-19 infections, including 48 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,271,078, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The daily figure has stayed below the 30,000 mark this month except for three days, KDCA data showed. The latest virus wave, triggered by the spread of a high

Oct. 22, 2022

[Newsmaker] Church finalizes punishment on pastor for blessing LGBT people

The Korean Methodist Church’s court on Thursday upheld its earlier decision to suspend a pastor from his duties for two years for blessing sexual minorities in 2019. “According to the creed of the Methodist Church, praying in front of sexual minorities can be seen as advocating or agreeing with their actions,” the court said, on why it decided to deny the appeal made by Rev. Lee Dong-hwan, the 42-year-old pastor of Glory Jeil Church in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The decision was

Oct. 21, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 30,000 for 3rd day, but signs of resurgence appear

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 30,000 for the third straight day Friday, but signs have emerged indicating that the coronavirus might be picking up steam again. The country reported 24,751 new COVID-19 infections, including 60 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,244,255, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. While the country's sixth and latest virus wave has slowed since mid-August, health authorities cautioned that the pace of slowdown is e

Oct. 21, 2022

Deaths from excessive alcohol use surged during pandemic in Korea

The number of people who died in South Korea as a result of alcohol addiction surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with solitary deaths accounting for half of that figure, a survey showed Thursday. The Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry collected the data from local addiction treatment facilities nationwide, which keep records of patients with alcohol use disorder. Excessive alcohol use was responsible for 156 deaths in 2019, according to KAAP. The figure increased to 204 in 2020 and 215

Oct. 20, 2022

Korean Studies scholars gather amid rising Korea Wave

International Korean Studies scholars gathered on Thursday for two-day discussion on the opportunities and challenges posed by the “once-unimaginable” global popularity of Korean culture, at a forum held in-person for the first time since the pandemic. The 11th biannual World Congress of Korean Studies kicked off at the Academy of Korea Studies headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, with some 120 scholars in attendance, the host Academy of Korean Studies said. Concurrently held on

Oct. 20, 2022

Seoul approves reconstruction of dilapidated Eunma apartment complex

An antiquated southern Seoul apartment complex long at the center of the nation's real estate policy debate due to its massive size and location in the wealthy Gangnam district has obtained a long-awaited reconstruction approval, the city government said Thursday, signaling its intent to speed up its plan to increase the housing supply. The Seoul city government's Urban Planning Committee convened Wednesday to approve a reconstruction plan by Eunma Apartments, a complex of 4,424 apartm

Oct. 20, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases stay below 30,000 for 2nd day amid virus slowdown

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases continued to stay below 30,000 Thursday as the country's virus curve has moved down in recent months. The country reported 25,431 new COVID-19 infections, including 53 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,219,546, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Thursday's figure is down 4,072 from a day ago. It also declined by around 1,500 from a week ago and 3,200 from two weeks ago. The country reported 23 deaths from CO

Oct. 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] Disability rights group continues subway protests despite leader's sentence

A disabled advocacy group continued its daily rush-hour subway protests on Wednesday, criticizing a Seoul court’s decision to hand down a suspended prison sentence to the leader of the group. Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination members on Wednesday began the protest at Seoul National University of Education Station on Subway Line No. 2. They were scheduled to later move to the National Assembly Station on Subway Line No. 9 and march to the People Power Party’s headquarters

Oct. 19, 2022

'Baksa Room' leader indicted again for sexual assault charge against minor

Cho Ju-bin, the ringleader of the “Baksa Room” case that shocked the nation two years ago, is facing new charges of sexually assaulting a minor, which could push his sentence to life imprisonment from the current 42 years. Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office indicted Cho on Sept. 30 on additional charges of sexually assaulting an adolescent victim and forcing her to film sexual content. This newly revealed crime began in 2018, a year before Cho began the sexual exploitati

Oct. 19, 2022