1 in 2 S. Koreans have been infected with COVID-19

Nearly 1 in 2 South Koreans have been infected with COVID-19, with the reinfection rate on the rise, the government said Wednesday. A total of 48 percent of the country's population have so far tested positive for the virus, said Kim Sung-ho, a senior interior ministry official in charge of disaster management, during a regular briefing. Kim also said the reinfection rate has steadily increased from 9.65 percent in the fourth week of August to 10.17 percent in the first week of September an

Oct. 5, 2022

Half of sex offenders against children, disabled avoid jail terms

About half of convicted sex offenders against children and the disabled, and the majority of child abusers, have avoided jail terms, data showed Tuesday. According to Supreme Court data revealed by Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok of the People Power Party, 42 percent of those convicted of sex crimes against the disabled between 2016 and 2020 and 50.3 percent of those convicted of sex crimes against children under the age of 13 had received suspended sentences. Among 565 child abusers who were sentenced to

Oct. 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] Gender gaps overshadow South Korea’s progress

South Korea has progressed a long way over the past three decades. But that journey has not been the same for the country’s women, the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report suggests. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Pedro Conceicao, the UNDP director of the Human Development Report Office, said that Korea “has evolved since the 1990s to have a very balanced growth” on the Human Development Index. The HDI looks at three components: economy

Oct. 4, 2022

New COVID-19 cases below 20,000 for 2nd day as virus wave subsides

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 20,000 for the second consecutive day Tuesday, extending the declining trend as the virus wave is subsiding. The country reported 16,423 new COVID-19 infections, including 106 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,848,184, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's count is up from 12,150 the previous day but a significant drop from 39,410 a week earlier. Fewer tests from the extended weekend appear to

Oct. 4, 2022

Education minister nominee stresses schools' autonomy

Education Minister nominee Lee Ju-ho is likely to focus on ensuring the autonomy of schools if he takes office, while pushing for the launch of a high school credit system and more. Lee, who was the head of the now-split Ministry of Education, Science and Technology from 2010 to 2013 during the Lee Myung-bak administration, has been named the nominee for education minister by President Yoon Suk-yeol last week. If confirmed, he will be returning to his post after nearly 10 years. "When I w

Oct. 3, 2022

S. Korea's new virus cases below 20,000 amid waning virus wave

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 20,000 on Monday after staying in the 20,000s for the previous three days amid waning virus infections and fewer tests over the extended weekend. The country reported 12,150 new COVID-19 infections, including 132 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,831,761, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest virus wave, triggered by the spread of a highly contagious omicron variant, has been on a decline since mid-

Oct. 3, 2022

Seoul safety app available in English, Chinese, Japanese

Seoul Metropolitan Government has started providing foreign language services on its personal safety app, Ansimi, in an effort to ensure the well-being of foreign residents and visitors to the city. The service, which was previously only available in Korean, will now offer service in three additional languages -- English, Chinese and Japanese -- starting Saturday. This comes as the number of foreign residents in Seoul grew by 31 percent over a decade, while crimes against foreigners have seen

Oct. 2, 2022

Cancer and suicide among leading causes of death for Koreans

For Koreans under the age of 40, the most common cause of death is suicide, while cancer remains the No. 1 killer overall, according to recent data from the state-run Statistics Korea. On average, 37 people took their own lives per day in South Korea last year, which is the highest level among the member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Of the 317,680 deaths reported in the country in 2021, those who died from cancer accounted for 26 percent. This was followed b

Oct. 2, 2022

Number of visitors to Cheong Wa Dae tops 2m

The total number of visitors to the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae has topped the 2 million mark, data showed Sunday. The milestone was reached around 10:35 a.m. Sunday, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). Cheong Wa Dae had been the presidential office and residence for the past 74 years in Seoul before President Yoon Suk-yeol relocated the top office to the former defense ministry building in Yongsan in central Seoul. Cheong Wa Dae opened its doors to the

Oct. 2, 2022

Trials for military sexual crimes jump 77.6 percent over past 4 years

Trials for sexual crimes in the military jumped 77.6 percent over the past four years, according to data from military courts. The number of trials for active-duty soldiers accused of sexual crimes amounted to 2,185 between 2018 and last year, according to the data provided to Rep. Kim Seung-won of the main opposition Democratic Party. The figure breaks down into 443 in 2018, 434 in 2019, 521 in 2020 and 787 last year. "Sexual crimes keep happening in the military," Kim said. &quo

Oct. 2, 2022

New virus cases under 30,000 for 3rd day amid waning virus wave

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 30,000 for the third straight day Sunday as the virus wave has been gradually slowing down, coupled with fewer tests over the extended weekend. The country reported 23,597 new COVID-19 infections, including 246 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,819,611, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally was down from the 28,497 reported Friday and 26,960 Saturday. It was also the lowest in 12 weeks for any virus

Oct. 2, 2022

1 dead, 14 injured in pharmaceutical factory fire

An explosion sparked a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Friday, leaving one person dead and 14 others injured, officials said. The fire broke out at the Hwail Pharmaceutical Co. factory in Hwaseong, about 50 kilometers south of Seoul, at 2:22 p.m. and dozens of emergency calls came in reporting they heard the sound of an explosion, fire officials said. Officials said one person was killed and 14 others were injured. Officials said the deceased was a person in

Sept. 30, 2022

Life sentence sought for woman and her accomplice accused of killing husband for insurance payout

The prosecution on Friday asked for life sentences for a woman and her accomplice who are standing trial for murdering the woman's husband. In the trial for Lee Eun-hae, 31, and Cho Hyeon-soo, 30, who are accused of killing Lee's husband and attempting to cover it up as an accidental drowning, the prosecution has requested life imprisonment. The court's decision will be made on Oct. 27. An official from the Prosecutors Office at the trial on Friday said the nature of the crime is serious, as

Sept. 30, 2022

No PCR tests for inbound travelers to S. Korea from Saturday

South Korea will completely lift the requirement for a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test for travelers entering the country starting from Saturday, the country‘s health authorities said Friday. From Saturday, inbound travelers will no longer have to take a PCR test within a day of their arrival, Second Vice Health Minister Lee Ki-il said during a COVID-19 response meeting on Friday. Until Friday, a PCR test has been mandated, and inbound travelers have been required to take the te

Sept. 30, 2022

KEPCO to hike Q4 electricity rate on high costs, losses

SEJONG -- South Korea's state power utility said Friday it will raise fourth-quarter electricity rates for consumer and industrial use amid high energy costs and mounting losses. Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) said it has decided to jack up the adjusted unit fuel cost -- a key part of the country's electricity rates -- by 2.5 won ($0.002) per kilowatt hour for the October-December period. It comes on top of the 4.9-won increase the government has already decided to apply from Octob

Sept. 30, 2022

S. Korea to hike natural gas prices in Oct.

South Korea will raise natural gas prices for civilian use next month amid high international gas prices, the industry ministry said Friday. Starting in October, natural gas prices for households and commercial use will be hiked by 2.7 won ($0.002) per megajoule, the ministry said in a press release. Natural gas prices for households will climb 15.9 percent, with the growth rate for commercial use ranging from 16.4 percent and 17.4 percent. "The hike reflects soaring global natural gas pric

Sept. 30, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 30,000 amid waning virus wave

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 30,000 on Friday, as the virus wave has been gradually slowing down in recent weeks. The country reported 28,497 new COVID-19 infections, including 276 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,769,101, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily count grew to nearly 40,000 on Tuesday from around the 20,000 level but has since been constantly decreasing. The comparable figure for a week earlier came to 29,097. The

Sept. 30, 2022

Democratizing legal information through technology

Legislative officials and experts from eight Asian countries gathered in Seoul on Thursday to discuss advances and challenges in legislation in times of digital technology. Speaking at the annual Asian Legislative Experts Symposium, South Korean Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu said artificial intelligence and big data technologies brought forward a “new era of legal tech industry,” which is expected to make legislative process “more democratic.”　 For so

Sept. 29, 2022

Korea-China forum seeks bilateral growth in technology

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat held the 2022 Korea-China Smart Manufacturing Industry-Academia-Research Forum Thursday to discuss industrial growth in both countries. Figures from universities, research centers and government bodies in Korea and China attended the event held both online and offline in central Seoul. Gao Xiang, the head of the China Science and Technology Exchange Center, opened the event with a congratulatory speech. “Two countries (Korea and China) are geographic

Sept. 29, 2022

Supreme Court confirms 7 year sentence for Air Force sexual harassment perpetrator

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a seven-year sentence for a former Air Force master sergeant accused of sexually harassing late Air Force Master Sgt. Lee Ye-ram. As in the previous two trials, the Supreme Court concluded that the defendant, identified by the surname Chang, was guilty of sexual harassment, but did not acknowledge the other charges of retaliation and intimidation, confirming the seven-year prison sentence of the high court. Chang was a colleague of the victim, when both we

Sept. 29, 2022