South Korea says boosters now recommended after breakthrough COVID-19

South Korea on Thursday updated its vaccine advice to recommend boosters to people who have had a “breakthrough” case, meaning an infection following full vaccination. The latest vaccine advice says boosters or third doses are recommended to all adults aged 18 and up as well as clinically vulnerable children aged 12 to 17, if their last infection was three months or longer ago. Previously, eligibility for boosters or third doses opened up for fully vaccinated people aged 12 and o

Aug. 18, 2022

[Newsmaker] 230,000 job vacancies: Diagnosis and treatment

By Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik The number of job vacancies stood at 230,000 as of June 2022 in Korea, the highest since February of 2018. Particularly, labor-intensive industries such as shipbuilding and basic manufacturing industries, and service industries such as restaurants and retailers are seeing an increasing number of unfilled jobs. Labor shortages in shipbuilding and basic manufacturing are getting worse due to dire labor conditions such as dangerous work environmen

Aug. 18, 2022

Millions of COVID-19 vaccines have been wasted: report

More than five million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been discarded in South Korea, according to a report released by the National Assembly on Thursday. More vaccines, however, are expected to be discarded with their expiration dates approaching. The issue of COVID-19 vaccines going to waste is likely to continue as more are scheduled to arrive in South Korea by the end of this year. According to the National Assembly Budget Office, the country discarded a total of 5.29 million doses of C

Aug. 18, 2022

Speed skaters choose not to appeal DUI-related bans

Four South Korean speed skaters, including three-time Olympic medalist Kim Min-seok, have decided not to appeal their recent suspension over a drunk driving accident, an official with the national Olympic body said Thursday. The official from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said Kim and three of his fellow national team athletes did not submit appeals by Wednesday's deadline. On Aug. 8, the Korea Skating Union (KSU) suspended Kim for 18 months for impaired driving in July. Chung

Aug. 18, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases over 170,000 for 2nd day

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 170,000 for the second consecutive day Thursday as the country is experiencing a new virus wave amid the continued spread of a highly contagious omicron subvariant. The country added 178,574 new COVID-19 infections, including 633 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 21,861,296, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It marked a slight fall from the previous day when the figure hit a four-month high of 180,

Aug. 18, 2022

Seoul to trial banning cars from Jamsu Bridge

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it was considering converting Jamsu Bridge on the Han river into a pedestrian-only route. As part of the plan, the government plans to run a pilot program, restricting traffic on the bridge from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every Sunday from Aug. 28 to Oct. 30. Also from noon to 9 p.m. on the day of traffic control, events such as street performances and outdoor movie screenings will be held on the bridge. Events and traffic control will not tak

Aug. 17, 2022

COVID-19 spread reaches 4-month high

South Korea‘s daily COVID-19 cases reached a four-month high due to increased activities over the extended weekend, government data showed Wednesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Tuesday’s daily tally of new COVID-19 infections jumped to 180,803. The figure was up around 20 percent from a week ago. It was also the highest figure since April 12, when the country added some 195,000 cases. “An increase in travelers during the summer vacation se

Aug. 17, 2022

Education ministry eases regulations in bid to increase semiconductor departments at colleges

The Ministry of Education will lift restrictions on universities’ student quotas as part of its drive to nurture more semiconductor talent. The move, aimed at encouraging universities to open or expand related departments from 2024, is part of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s plans to add 150,000 people to the country’s semiconductor industry workforce over the course of 10 years. On Wednesday, the ministry announced it will give advance notice of an enforcement decree tha

Aug. 17, 2022

Plagiarism allegations hound first lady

Kookmin University’s faculty association is holding a vote on a proposal to reassess some academic papers written by first lady Kim Keon-hee, despite the university having earlier cleared her of allegations of plagiarism after a monthslong probe. The faculty association at Kookmin University, a Seoul-based university where Kim did her Ph.D. program, has decided to survey professors asking them whether it should reassess the four papers written by Kim. The online survey will continue unti

Aug. 17, 2022

[Newsmaker] [Feature] Mind if I smoke here?

A couple of months ago, a plea from a person about the right to smoke in his or her own home circulated on the internet, sparking debates about whether smoking in an multiunit apartment at the expense of one’s neighbors can be justified. “I’m smoking in my home, and you people are yelling at me every night,” the person wrote, apparently infuriated by quarrels with neighbors. “You may be illiterate and ignorant of the law, but the law says you can’t force me n

Aug. 17, 2022

[Herald Interview] Startup bets on proliferation of virtual avatars

The age of digital avatars is coming. Soon, there will be countless virtual humans taking up various roles, such as store clerks, brand models and social influencers.  Ordinary people, too, will have digital versions of themselves, though not necessarily similar looking, deployed for everyday interactions on social media and online spaces, says Jin Seung-hyuk, founder and CEO of KLleon, a Seoul-based startup specializing in technology to create virtual humans.  “I don’t

Aug. 17, 2022

Prosecutors to decide soon whether to suspend prison term for ex-justice minister's wife

Prosecutors will determine this week whether to suspend the prison term of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's wife, who was convicted of college admission fraud involving their daughter and financial misconduct, sources said Wednesday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office will hold a meeting Thursday to determine whether to grant a request by Cho's wife, Chung Kyung-sim, to suspend her four-year prison term for health reasons, according to the legal sources. Chung, a former pro

Aug. 17, 2022

Govt. proposes law requiring convicted stalkers to wear electronic anklets for up to 10 yrs

The justice ministry has proposed a law requiring convicted stalkers to wear electronic monitoring devices for up to 10 years, officials said Wednesday. The ministry unveiled the proposal in a pre-legislation notice. Currently, high-risk convicted murderers, sex offenders, burglars and child kidnappers are subject to the use of devices such as ankle bracelets, which use GPS technology to monitor the location of the person. The move comes amid a rising number of stalking-related crimes despite th

Aug. 17, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to 4-month high of over 180,000

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases jumped to a four-month high on Wednesday following the extended weekend amid the continued spread of a highly contagious omicron subvariant. The country added 180,803 new COVID-19 infections, including 567 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 21,682,816, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It is the highest figure since April 13, when the daily tally came to 195,387 amid the worst virus wave. Wednesday's f

Aug. 17, 2022

New COVID-19 cases surge to 18-week high of over 180,000

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases surged to an 18-week high of about 180,000 on Wednesday amid a new resurgence of the virus, a government official said. The number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients came to 469 with the daily death toll reaching 42, Kim Sung-ho, the head of the interior ministry's disaster management office, said during a government COVID-19 response meeting. "An increase in travelers in the summer vacation season and the recent extended Liberation Day holiday is expected t

Aug. 17, 2022

Four candidates announced for prosecutor general

The justice ministry on Tuesday announced four candidates shortlisted for the first prosecutor general of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. A special ministry committee recommended the four -- Yeo Hwan-seop, head of the Institute of Justice; Kim Hoo-gon, head of the High Prosecutors Offices; Lee Doo-bong, head of the Daejeon High Prosecutors Office; and Lee Won-seok, deputy chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors Office. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon will pick and recommend one of them t

Aug. 16, 2022

FULL TEXT: Bill Gates address to the National Assembly

The following is a text version of the address given by Bill Gates to South Korea’s National Assembly on Tuesday, transcribed and loosely edited by The Korea Herald for clarity. -- Ed. It’s a great honor to be here. Thank you Speaker Kim (Jin-pyo) and all the members of the National Assembly for your invitation. During my trip to the Republic of Korea, one highlight is that I’ll sign a memorandum of understanding with the government to outline our work together on global h

Aug. 16, 2022

How wet wipes are escaping plastic waste controls in South Korea

In just a few years, wet wipes have become a daily necessity that many can’t live without. They are used for everything from baby’s bottoms to floor spills, potentially virus-contaminated door handles and facial makeup. They are convenient, hygienic and cheap. But this handy invention doesn’t come cost-free. The wipes, or at least most of the ones sold in Korea now, are not biodegradable. Made of plastic fibers, it could take more than 100 years for them to decompose or

Aug. 16, 2022

Most damage from heavy rain reported in Seoul

Seoul has sustained the heaviest damage from the heavy downpour that has hit Korea over the past week, government officials said Tuesday. The torrential rain that hit the greater Seoul region last week moved to the southern coastal areas of Korea on Tuesday. The Korea Meteorological Administration said the southern coastal regions will receive up to 150 millimeters of rain through Wednesday. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the week of rain has flo

Aug. 16, 2022

Seoul to choose new slogan by December

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it has officially embarked on developing the city‘s new slogan, which will replace the eight-year-old “I·SEOUL·U,” created under the mayorship of Park Won-soon. The city government said it has decided to change the slogan after the existing one has been widely criticized for lacking clarity. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also previously criticized his predecessor’s slogan for being incomprehensible and fo

Aug. 16, 2022