Yoon declines to get ahead on question of alternative military service for BTS

President Yoon Suk-yeol declined to get ahead on the question of allowing alternative military service for K-pop group BTS, saying any decision should be based on public opinion. The issue has reemerged in political circles after the septet announced its suspension of group activities last week. "I don't think the president should state his position first," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work. "Depending on how the people view it, it could proceed in accordance with th

June 23, 2022

Govt. to launch joint investigation team to crack down on voice phishing scams

The government will launch a joint investigation team to eradicate voice phishing crimes that cause damage worth more than 700 billion won ($538 million) annually, the prosecution said Thursday. The Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) announced it will form the joint investigation team with relevant agencies, such as the National Police Agency, Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service and Korea Communications Commission, to launch a massive crackdown on voice phishing scams. The

June 23, 2022

Presidential Archive rejects request for disclosure of record on fisheries official's death

The Presidential Archives on Thursday rejected a request by the family of a fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 to disclose confidential records on the controversial death, according to the family's lawyer. The family has demanded access to classified presidential documents from the previous administration related to the death of the late fisheries ministry official, Lee Dae-jun, who was shot and killed by North Korea's military near the western sea border on Sept. 22, 202

June 23, 2022

New COVID-19 cases below 10,000 for 2 straight weeks amid slowing omicron

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 10,000 for the 14th straight day on Thursday amid a steady omicron downtrend, though the country remains vigilant against any potential virus resurgence. The country reported 7,497 new COVID-19 infections, including 92 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,305,738, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily tally has stayed below 10,000 since June 10. The numbers have declined at a steady pace after hit

June 23, 2022

Military opens new prison with advanced suicide prevention sensors

ICHEON -- South Korea's military on Thursday launched new correctional facilities with an advanced monitoring solution, including the country's first suicide prevention sensors and other systems designed to improve the living conditions of inmates and help reduce the workload of guards. The opening of the institution, located 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, came around two years after the Military Correctional Institution broke ground on a 17.7-billion-won ($13.6 million) project to

June 23, 2022

Preserving wildlife? ‘Frog kimchi’ puts school lunches under scrutiny

While most people would rather not have a metaphorical frog in their throat, the prospect was quite literal for students at two Seoul schools, who found uninvited amphibians in their lunch trays. Now, the suppliers of the “frog kimchi” served in the school lunches face the possibility of having their food safety certifications revoked. Both frogs were found in radish kimchi, a common side dish, but at different schools dealing with different suppliers. A dead frog was found in a

June 22, 2022

South Korea ups monkeypox alert level, confirms first patient

South Korea raised the alert level for monkeypox after confirming its first patient on Wednesday. The patient had come from Germany on Tuesday afternoon, and was sent straight to the Incheon Medical Center nearby the airport for showing possible monkeypox symptoms, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. His symptoms were a low-grade fever of 37 degrees Celsius, sore throat, fatigue and lesions around the body -- which he said began around the day of his departure. S

June 22, 2022

[Newsmaker] Could Korea’s gun control offer any lessons?

A police officer in South Korea is awaiting punishment after he lost his bullet holder with six rounds of ammunition in it on May 18.  The incident, belatedly revealed to the media, made headlines, as he belonged to a special police unit in charge of security services for the office of President Yoon Suk-yeol in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Criticism ensued over the police‘s lax management of firearms and slack discipline. In the aftermath, the police unit’s leader was replaced on Wedne

June 22, 2022

Just 1 in 7 S. Koreans have paid for online news content: report

Only 14 percent of South Koreans paid for online news content last year, according to a recent report. The proportion of people who said they paid for news content, however, has been gradually increasing over the past years, the report added. According to the 2022 Digital News Report, published by Reuters Institute, the proportion of survey respondents who had paid for online news content in South Korea last year increased by 1 percentage point from the previous year.　 The data, based on a Yo

June 22, 2022

Yoon names chiefs of defense procurement, weather agencies

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday named the chiefs of the state defense procurement and weather agencies, his office said. Eom Dong-hwan, a graduate of the Korea Military Academy and official of the Agency for Defense Development, was tapped to head the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, while Yoo Hee-dong, deputy chief of the Korea Meteorological Administration, was tapped to head the agency, according to the presidential office. Yoon also named Park Ku-yeon and Lee Jung-won, offici

June 22, 2022

S. Korea confirms homegrown space rocket's satellite orbit deployment capability

A South Korean satellite has made two-way communication with its ground station, officials said Wednesday, confirming the success of the country's first-ever self-powered satellite deployment project. South Korea on Tuesday successfully launched the 200-ton Nuri from Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung in a major milestone in the country's space program. The rocket, also known as KSLV-II, succeeded in deploying satellites at a target altitude of

June 22, 2022

Yoon calls for strengthening measures against inflow of monkeypox

President Yoon Suk-yeol called Wednesday for stronger measures against the inflow of monkeypox after the country reported its first two suspected cases the previous day, an official said. Yoon instructed health authorities to strengthen quarantine measures for foreign arrivals and to thoroughly monitor the possibility of additional cases, the presidential official told reporters. Yoon also told health authorities to be fully ready to deploy vaccines and treatments to the medical front-lines and

June 22, 2022

Hong Kong to include Korean language in university entrance examination from 2025

Hong Kong will include Korean as one of the foreign languages in its university entrance exam starting in 2025, Seoul's education ministry said Wednesday. The ministry said its National Institute for International Education and Hong Kong's state examination board, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the arrangement. Under the MOU, Hong Kong will accept test results of TOPIK, or the Test of Proficiency in Korean, in the

June 22, 2022

S.Korea reports first two suspected cases of monkeypox

als said Wednesday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said two probable cases were found Tuesday and diagnostic tests are being conducted. KDCA said one of the suspected patients was a foreigner, who arrived in the country on Monday, and another was South Korean, who arrived on Tuesday. According to officials, the foreigner visited a hospital in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday after having a sore throat, skin lesions and other possible symptoms of the mo

June 22, 2022

Environment Ministry promises to double renewable energy production

Korea will see a twofold increase of renewable energy production at environmental facilities within five years, the Ministry of Environment said Tuesday while announcing its renewable energy expansion road map. The ministry shared its plan to expand renewable energy production at environmental facilities, setting an annual production goal of 5,764 gigawatt-hours by 2026. The goal currently stands at 3,264 GWh per year as of 2021. Environmental facilities refer to those dealing with waste and

June 21, 2022

[Newsmaker] From workplace to partisan politics, clash of MZ vs. kkondae in S. Korea

Korean language has no shortage of insults, but “kkondae” seems to hold a special place in the country right now. While the term‘s definition and usage have expanded over the years from condescending seniors at work to people of older generations in general who come into conflicts with younger people over values and resources, the fear of being labeled as such has grown in tandem. At Kyobo Book Center, a keyword search for “kkondae” returns some 75 entries with

June 21, 2022

S. Korea prepares to launch homegrown space rocket after failed attempt last year

South Korea was preparing Tuesday to launch its homegrown space rocket Nuri in the second attempt to put satellites into orbit, a critical mission for the country's space program. The 200-ton Nuri is set to blast off from the Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung at around 4 p.m., the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said. The state-run institute plans to announce the exact time of the liftoff at 2:30 p.m. South Korea had planned to launch the

June 21, 2022

New COVID-19 cases below 10,000 for 12th day amid omicron slowdown

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 10,000 for the 12th day Tuesday, marking a steady decline in the virus curve amid the slowdown in the omicron spread. The country added 9,310 new COVID-19 infections, including 76 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,289,373, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is more than double the previous day's 3,538, but the daily counts tend to fall sharply on Mondays due to fewer tests before cli

June 21, 2022

FTC could sanction AstraZeneca over alleged collusion

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission is looking to impose sanctions against AstraZeneca over allegations that the global pharmaceutical firm colluded with a local firm to hinder the launch of cheaper generic drugs. The FTC has recently sent out an audit report to the two drug makers, according to industry sources on Monday. The audit report, which is considered as a prosecutor’s indictment, contained the regulator’s opinion that AstraZeneca provided financial benefits to Alvoge

June 20, 2022

Police interpreters underpaid, unprotected and burning out: study

Police interpreters in South Korea are often underpaid, mistreated and unprotected, prompting many to avoid taking on the role, a local study shows. Police interpreters are individuals who engage with non-native speakers in interpreting in police interviews and courts. The study, written jointly by police officer Choi Seob-min of National Office of Investigation and professor Jeong Ji-su of Korean National Police University, said many police interpreters here have experienced burnout. Acc

June 20, 2022