S. Korea forecasts severe cases to peak at some 900 in early September

The South Korean government on Tuesday said that the total number of critically ill COVID-19 patients will peak between 800 and 900 in early September. The government added the number of deaths from COVID-19 could also reach between 100 and 140 during the same period. The government, however, did not change its projection for the number of daily infections, which it previously anticipated to peak at around 200,000 cases in late-August. “The COVID-19 spread is expected to peak by the e

Aug. 16, 2022

Police mull more safety measures as stalking cases soar

Police are reviewing strengthening support measures for stalking cases, including increasing the supply of smartwatches and directing greater manpower. According to the National Police Agency on Tuesday, 14,271 cases of stalking incidents were reported to the police from January through June this year. The figure is about 4.1 times higher than the 3,494 reports received during the same period last year. Illegal filming reports also increased to 3,240, a spike of over 50 percent from 2,140 case

Aug. 16, 2022

Korea ‘strong match with goals of Gates Foundation,’ Bill Gates tells Yoon Suk-yeol

Bill Gates on Tuesday said he hoped South Korea would take on a larger role in tackling global health threats to match the scale of its economy in a stronger partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which he co-chairs. In a meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol at his office in central Seoul, Gates said that South Korea‘s growing contribution to global health and its capabilities made the country “a strong match” with the goals of the Gates Foundation. &ldquo

Aug. 16, 2022

Campus rape suspect suspected of pushing victim off building

INCHEON -- A university freshman indicted on charges of attempted rape and murder of a female schoolmate is said to have confessed to pushing the victim off a campus building, judicial officials said Tuesday. The 20-year-old student of Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul, is accused of attempting to rape the victim and causing her to fall to her death from the campus building on July 15. The victim was found by a passerby about one hour after her plunge from the third floor of the five-sto

Aug. 16, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 100,000 for 2nd day; critical cases at 4-month high

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 100,000 for the second consecutive day Tuesday, but the number of seriously ill patients hit about a four-month high amid the continued spread of a highly contagious omicron subvariant. The country added 84,128 new COVID-19 infections, including 463 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 21,502,164, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). New daily infections fell below the 100,000 level on Monday for the

Aug. 16, 2022

S. Korea‘s COVID-19 spread slows but resurgence expected to continue

The latest resurgence in COVID-19 infections in South Korea slowed down on Sunday, according to government data Monday. The resurgence, however, is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, coinciding with the summer holiday season, as well as the Chuseok holiday in early September. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s report on Monday, the country added 62,078 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday. The daily tally reported during the 24 hours of Sunday was

Aug. 15, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 100,000 for 1st time in 7 days

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 100,000 for the first time in seven days Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend amid the spread of a highly contagious omicron subvariant. The country reported 62,078 new COVID-19 infections, including 396 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 21,418,036, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily tally stayed above 100,000 for the past six days, with new cases reaching a four-month high of 151

Aug. 15, 2022

What is behind South Korea’s growth in soft power?

Since the turn of the 21st century, South Korean pop culture has grown in prominence to become a major export driver in entertainment, music, TV dramas and movies, strengthening its soft power and cultural diplomacy in addition to economic gains. On Netflix, a string of original Korean-produced content such as “Squid Game,” “Hellbound” and “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” have become megahits. The film “Parasite” won four awards, including the Acad

Aug. 14, 2022

Heavy rain-caused deaths stand at 14; number of missing revised down to 4

The deaths from last week’s heavy rains stood at 14 and the number of people registered missing was revised down to four from five as one person was mistakenly reported missing, officials said Sunday. 　Of the dead, eight died in Seoul, four in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and two in the eastern Gangwon Province, according to data from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. 　Previously, one person had been registered as missing in Seoul, but the person was mist

Aug. 14, 2022

New COVID-19 cases down for 3rd day; deaths at over 3-month high

South Korea‘s new daily COVID-19 cases declined for the third straight day Saturday but remained above the 100,000 level for the fifth day in a row amid the fast spread of the omicron variant. 　The country added 124,592 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total caseload to 21,236,355, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. 　Of the new cases, 480 were from overseas. 　The daily tally marked a fall from 128,714 the previous day, but it was higher than the 110,632

Aug. 13, 2022

COVID-19 reinfections rising in South Korea

COVID-19 reinfections appear to be rising, and the average time until reinfection is getting shorter. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention, the number of suspected cases of reinfection in the third week of July recorded 28,966, accounting for 6.5 percent of the cases newly confirmed that week. In the second week of the same month, the share of suspected reinfections was 3.7 percent or 8,895 cases. Suspected reinfection means a positive test more than 90 days since the last i

Aug. 12, 2022

Education Ministry’s all-day schooling scheme draws ire from teachers

The Education Ministry is again under fire, this time from teachers against its new all-day schooling policy. With its minister Park Soon-ae announcing her willingness to resign after proposing to lower the elementary school entry age to five, the ministry said it will run all-day schooling programs to offer state-provided childcare. The plan involves elementary schools offering childcare services through afterschool classes until 8 p.m. At the National Assembly meeting held Tuesday, the min

Aug. 12, 2022

[Newsmaker] Government announces complete plan on child safety

The Korean government on Friday announced a plan to ensure the safety of children, based on the Child Safety Management Act, enacted in May 2020. In cooperation with other ministries, the Ministry of Interior and Safety pledged to ensure the safety of children from traffic accidents by improving the pedestrian environment in school zones and tightening the management of traffic lights, and more. It will designate roads without sidewalks as “pedestrian priority roads,” giving pr

Aug. 12, 2022

Supreme Court upholds acquittal of Shincheonji leader

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld lower courts' acquittal of a religious sect leader of charges that he obstructed the government's response to COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020. Lee Man-hee, the 91-year-old founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was indicted two years ago for allegedly underreporting the number of Shincheonji followers and church locations to the government when the virus was quickly spreading among the followers. The top court also approved an appellate court's d

Aug. 12, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall for 2nd straight day

The number of new daily COVID-19 cases in South Korea declined for the second straight day Friday, but infections stayed above 100,000 for a fourth day amid a fast-spreading omicron variant of the virus. The country added 128,714 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total caseload to 21,111,840, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Of the new cases, 464 were from overseas. The tally marked a fall from 137,241 the previous day, but it was higher than 112,858 a week earlie

Aug. 12, 2022

‘Where would I go?’: Seoul’s underground dwellers see few options

Seoul is banning subterranean living spaces after a series of deaths due to flooding. Over the last three days of downpour, a child and three adults drowned in their semi-basement homes, known as “banjiha.” Seoul announced Wednesday that in the next two decades, it would phase out all forms of underground residences that are home to about 5 percent of all families in the city. Mayor Oh Se-hun said in a press release that banjiha homes were “residential structures

Aug. 11, 2022

Travel ban again between Gayang and Dongjak Bridge

The section of the Olympic-daero between Gayang Bridge and Dongjak Bridge has been closed off from Thursday 3 p.m. due to heavy rain. The outflow of the Paldang Dam increased due to torrential rains in Seoul and the upper regions of the Han River, and the water level of the Han River rose, said the official from the Seoul city government and requested nearby vehicles to make a detour. The same section was also closed off once on Tuesday night.

Aug. 11, 2022

‘More rain for nice photo’ lawmaker incites public wrath

Rep. Kim Sung-won of ruling People Power Party is facing criticism over his remarks wishing for rain at a flood recovery volunteer work site. “I hope it rains for nicer photos,” Kim was caught saying by a television camera, at a recovery site in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Kim was taking part in volunteer work along with the party’s lawmakers including interim committee chair Rep. Joo Ho-young and floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong. Kim made the comment while waiting to help with th

Aug. 11, 2022

S. Korea’s COVID-19 deaths rise to three-month high

Nearly 60 people died with the COVID-19 virus Wednesday, the highest in around three months, and is expected to keep rising along with cases. According to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday, South Korea added 59 deaths from the virus during the previous day, the highest since May 11, when the government added 63 deaths. The death toll came to 25,441, and the fatality rate was 0.12 percent. Health authorities added 89.8 percent or 53 deaths were

Aug. 11, 2022

Seoul Festa 2022 kicks off spectacle-filled five-day run with K-pop Super Live

The Seoul Metropolitan government kicked off its annual tourist event, Seoul Festa, on Tuesday, marking the event’s return after two years of a pandemic-induced hiatus. With the ambition to boost tourism in the capital city, the festival kicked off Tuesday for a five-day run across the city until Sunday. The city embarked on its large-scale, global event with a K-pop concert titled “K-pop Super Live” Tuesday evening at the Olympic Main Stadium in Jamsil Sports Complex, sout

Aug. 11, 2022