Released red fox travels 200 kilometers south

An endangered red fox released by conservation authorities traveled some 200 kilometers south from North Gyeongsang Province to Busan, the Korea National Park Service said. According to the park service under the Ministry of Environment, a male red fox, labeled SKM-2121, is currently living on a hill within the boundaries of Busan, having traveled some 200 kilometers south after being released in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in December. The fox was born at a research institute under

July 6, 2022

Parents of family found dead suffered from depression: police

The parents in the family found dead in a submerged car suffered from depression, police have said. According to police, both of Cho Yu-na’s parents were being treated for depression at a medical center in Gwangju, where the family had resided, from 2020 until recently. “We have received information that Cho’s parents were being treated for depression by the National Health Insurance Corp.,” police said. “It is difficult to reveal details as the investigation i

July 6, 2022

Korea to open the era of space economy: Yoon

President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared that South Korea will open the era of the “space economy,” aiming to develop a lunar lander by 2031 and expand its participation in the Artemis program during his visit on Wednesday to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon to congratulate the second successful launch of the Nuri. The OECD defines the space economy as the full range of activities and the use of resources that create value and benefit to human beings in exploring, rese

July 6, 2022

BA.5 omicron poised to take over as dominant virus in Korea

The BA.5 version of omicron is on course to take over as the dominant COVID-19 virus in South Korea, with the number of cases tied to the variant having tripled over course of a week, data showed Wednesday. The BA.5 variant appeared in 24.1 percent of sequenced samples in the last week of June, more than triple the prior week’s 7.5 percent, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s weekly report updated Tuesday. On the other hand the BA.2.3, which remains the

July 6, 2022

Airport bus passengers increase 2.6 times in 1st half due to rising travel demand

The number of airport bus passengers in Seoul increased by 2.6 times during the past six months, the city government said Wednesday, as the demand for air travel has spiked after the lifting of almost all COVID-19 social distancing restrictions in April. The number of rides performed by foreign tourist taxis has also rebounded and exceeded 5,000 in only three months after they resumed operations in April, the government said. The two modes of public transportation had suspended operations for ab

July 6, 2022

Mexican FM becomes honorary Seoul citizen

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard was given an honorary citizenship of Seoul on Wednesday in recognition of his contribution to friendship between Seoul and Mexico City, officials said. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented Ebrard with a certificate of honorary citizenship at a ceremony at City Hall. Ebrard, who has been on a visit to South Korea since Sunday, served as mayor of Mexico City from 2006-2012 before becoming the country's top diplomat. In 2010, Oh met with Ebrard during a visi

July 6, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (10) Food and celebrations

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related.  Answer: (a)  Koreans usually eat a bowl of miyeokguk (seaweed soup), typically for breakfast, on their birthday.  ------------------- Like in many cultures, Koreans mark special occasions and events by eating and sharing certain foods. They include Lunar New Year and Chuseok – the two biggest traditional holidays here. Koreans eat a bowl of tteokguk, rice cak

July 6, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases up for 2nd day amid resurgence concerns

South Korea's new coronavirus cases increased for the second straight day on Wednesday, as the virus spread at a faster pace amid eased social distancing restrictions. The country added 19,371 new COVID-19 infections, including 224 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,433,359, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Wednesday's tally is up from 6,253 on Monday and 18,147 on Tuesday, and nearly doubled from 10,455 a week ago. The KDCA has said the pace o

July 6, 2022

[Weekender] Free hotel room stays and parasols: Korea gears up for heat waves

From Japan to India, the US and countries in Europe, summer has arrived early this year with stifling heat domes and deadly temperatures. South Korea is no exception to the global heat crisis, and city and district officials are introducing novel measures to help residents stay cool and healthy. Yongsan District, one of the 25 districts in the capital city, has recently opened seven air-conditioned rooms in a local hotel to single and low-income seniors aged 65 and above to stay for free durin

July 5, 2022

Education Minister takes office, apologizes for drunk driving

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Park Soon-ae on Tuesday apologized for driving under the influence of alcohol and vowed to reform the country’s education system, as she took office about a month after her nomination. Park, a former professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Administration, met with the press at Government Complex Sejong on Tuesday following her inauguration ceremony. Her nomination for the post raised doubts as she was caught

July 5, 2022

Gangneung welcomes tourists with portal site, ‘Visit Gangneung’

You might know Gangneung as one of the host cities for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and among the host cities of another Olympics event, the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics. But Gangneung is so much more. Gangneung, a city in Gangwon Province on the east coast of South Korea, is where you can watch the first sunrise in the country. If you take the high-speed KTX train, it takes an hour and 50 minutes from Seoul to get to Gangneung, and three hours from Incheon Airport. The Yangya

July 5, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections reach highest in 40 days, raise resurgence fears

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections reached the highest in the recent 40 days, raising concerns about a possible resurgence during the summer season. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 18,147 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Monday. The total caseload reached 18,413,997. The daily tally reported on Tuesday nearly doubled from 9,894 a week ago. It was also the biggest increase since last week when the country started to see sig

July 5, 2022

Police search for woman in her 20s gone missing since June 27

A police search is underway for a woman in her 20s who has been missing for a week, after last being seen in western Seoul. The woman named Kim Ga-eul has been missing since the evening of June 27 after last being seen near the Line No. 9 Gayang Station in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul. Kim’s family reported her missing to police at around 11:30 p.m. the same day. Kim’s sister reportedly told the police that an ambulance came to Kim‘s home in Gangseo-gu at 11 p.m. upon a report f

July 5, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases spike amid resurgence woes

South Korea's new coronavirus cases sharply increased Tuesday amid concerns about the virus' resurgence following eased social distancing restrictions. The country added 18,147 new COVID-19 infections, including 171 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,413,997, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's tally nearly tripled from 6,253 the previous day and nearly doubled from 9,894 a week ago. The KDCA has said the pace of decline has recentl

July 5, 2022

Govt. to investigate Eastar Jet for false documents

South Korea will investigate Eastar Jet Co. to see if there was any violation in the process of the budget carrier having obtained government approval last year for flight resumptions, the transport ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently found that Eastar Jet submitted false accounting documents to receive air operator certificate (AOC) approval from the ministry on Dec. 15. Eastar's financial statements published in the Financial Supervisory Serv

July 5, 2022

Yoon picks new police chief: sources

President Yoon Suk-yeol has tapped Yoon Hee-keun, deputy commissioner general of the National Police Agency, as the new national police chief, informed sources said Monday. If appointed, he will replace Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong, who offered to resign in late June after the president strongly chastised police over recent personnel reshuffle flip-flopping. The nominee will undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing, although an approval is not mandatory. President Yoon did not acce

July 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘I am a Nepalese who interprets for Nepalese asylum seekers’

   Sujan Shakya is perhaps the most famous Nepalese in Korea now.  Having starred in JTBC’s multinational talk show “Non-Summit” and MBC Every 1’s reality travel show “Welcome, First Time in Korea?” the 34-year-old is among those foreign residents who found fame here.  He is less well-known for his work as an interpreter for other Nepalese seeking asylum in Korea.  Almost every week, he meets two or three refugee applicants from Ne

July 4, 2022

Yoon administration’s antivirus measures to be under scrutiny amid COVID-19 resurgence

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections are going up again, ending the downward trend that continued since the omicron-driven wave that pushed up daily cases to over 620,000 in March. As the daily counts continue to increase, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s new antivirus measures will be put to the test soon. Over the last week, the increases in the county’s daily infections speeded up. On Monday, the number of COVID-19 infections went up just by 586 from the previous wee

July 4, 2022

Lovebug outbreak hits northwestern Seoul

Over the weekend, northwestern Seoul saw an outbreak of lovebug, a type of march fly. The packs of flies, mostly flying in pairs, were seen across the northwestern Seoul area, in places like Eunpyeong-gu, Seodaemun-gu and the neighboring Gyeonggi area. Lovebugs are a species of march fly. While their scientific name is plecia nearctica, they are nicknamed lovebugs because matured pairs remain together for several days after mating. Though they are not toxic or harmful, they have invaded re

July 4, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases drop due to fewer tests

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 10,000 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend. The country added 6,253 new COVID-19 infections, including 164 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,395,864, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's tally declined from 10,059 the previous day but nearly doubled from 3,423 a week ago. The daily count tends to fall on Mondays and Sundays due to fewer tests on the weekend before rising toward the

July 4, 2022