New infections below 10,000 amid virus slowdown

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 10,000 on Thursday due to fewer tests being conducted amid the previous day's local elections. The country added 9,898 COVID-19 infections, including 32 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,129,313, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Daily infections have shown a downward trend after posting an all-time high of over 620,000 in mid-March. The death toll came to 24,212, up 15 from Wednesday, with t

June 2, 2022

Miryang wildfire continues for 3rd day, nearly 650 ha of woodland scorched

MIRYANG -- Dozens of firefighting helicopters battled to bring a wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang under control Thursday, as the blaze continued for the third day, scorching nearly 650 hectares of woodland, authorities said. The fire that broke out on a hill in Miryang, around 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, early Tuesday, is continuing to spread rapidly, driven by strong winds and a dry spell. Forestry and firefighting authorities dispatched 53 helicopters to resume their firefig

June 2, 2022

Seoul’s liberal education chief serves another term

Seoul’s education chief, Cho Hee-yeon, appeared likely to extend his term for a third time, with exit polls for Wednesday’s local elections showing him attracting 38.6 percent of the vote. The exit polls, conducted by terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, had the liberal-leaning candidate snatching a victory against conservative-leaning opponents who had failed to merge their campaigns and bring together their supporter base. The runner-up in the exit polls was Cho Jun-hyuk, w

June 1, 2022

S. Korea vows all-out efforts to put out wildfire in southeast

The South Korean government on Wednesday mobilized 57 choppers to help contain a wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang, while vowing to make all-out efforts to put out the blaze. The fire broke out on the previous day on a hill in Miryang, around 280 km southeast of Seoul. As of 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters said about 62 percent of the blaze had been brought under control. The number of helicopters sent to the scene is higher than 51 deployed to fight another wildfire that broke ou

June 1, 2022

Movie theater attendance nears pre-pandemic level in May: data

South Korean film attendance numbers nearly shot back up to the pre-pandemic level in May, data showed Wednesday, with a couple of big hits leading the charge. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), movies screened in the country amassed a combined 14.55 million admissions in May, the highest monthly figure since 16.84 million from January 2020 -- the last full month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The May figure was also a massive jump from just 3.21 million admissions in April. During

June 1, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 16,000 amid slowing virus trend

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to below 16,000 Wednesday amid a slowing virus trend, as authorities take steps for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. The country added 15,797 COVID-19 infections, including 44 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,119,415, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily cases have marked a steady decline since the all-time daily high of more than 620,000 in mid-March. The infection numbers have fallen to five di

June 1, 2022

IPEF members will get first look from American companies for investment: Raimondo

WASHINGTON -- The countries that sign on to the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) will receive priority consideration for any future investment from American companies, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Tuesday. Raimondo also insisted that US businesses seeking to relocate out of China will look first look at those countries. "This is a perfect concrete example of the potential power of the Indo Pacific Economic Framework, because if we get this right, IPEF will create a

June 1, 2022

S. Korea mulls lifting curfew at Incheon Airport from July

South Korea's transportation ministry is considering lifting the curfew for arrivals at Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to the country, from July at the earliest, as part of efforts to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, sources said Tuesday. Currently, there are no arrival flights allowed at Incheon Airport from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in April that the pre-pandemic returns at Incheon International Airport may be considered aft

May 31, 2022

Over 1,000 people evacuated as wildfire spreads in Miryang

Authorities evacuated over 1,000 people from villages, hospitals and correctional facilities near a fast-spreading wildfire in the southern city of Miryang on Tuesday. The blaze broke out at 9:25 a.m. on the hill in Miryang, around 280 km southeast of Seoul, and is continuing to spread, according to firefighting authorities. Close to noon, the Korea Forest Service upgraded its wildfire response level to the highest level of 3, issued when a fire is estimated to scorch over 100 hectares.

May 31, 2022

S. Korea to group monkeypox on second level of contagious diseases

South Korea's health authorities on Tuesday said that it plans to place monkeypox in the second level of contagious diseases, out of a four-tier scheme, as monkeypox is spreading fast around the globe, though it has not yet been detected here. The country has been vigilant against a potential inflow of the monkeypox virus as an increasing number of countries have recently reported cases of the virus traditionally confined to regions in Africa. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

May 31, 2022

Seoul Foreign School British School celebrates 40 years

The British School at Seoul Foreign School is celebrating its 40-year anniversary. The British School was founded on Aug. 25, 1981, through collaboration among the British Council, the British Businessmen’s Group and the British Women’s Group as well as the Seoul Foreign School. The British School began with two classes, 17 students and two UK-qualified teachers, and in 1984, the British School was recognized as a permanent entity. With permission granted, a new school building w

May 31, 2022

Lee Jae-yong shows up at Ho-Am Award in 6 years

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Tuesday showed up to participate in the Samsung Ho-Am Prize award ceremony for the first time in six years, but stayed mum on questions about his meeting with Intel’s CEO from the previous day. A group of reporters asked him about investment plans on his way to the ceremony, but Samsung group‘s de facto leader did not answer any questions. Named after the penname of Samsung group’s late founder Lee Byung-chull, the Samsung Ho-

May 31, 2022

Cats shot dead at US air base in Gunsan: tipster

Feral cats were shot dead at a US air base in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, a tipster told The Korea Herald. Military personnel at the US Air Force’s Kunsan Air Base shot cats with pellet guns as a part of the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Striking Hazard program, according to the tip from a person who participated in the BASH program firsthand in 2020. “The man in charge at the time openly bragged to me how he loved to shoot anything because he was authorized to do so, and he especi

May 31, 2022

Authorities probe frog carcass found in lunch at Seoul high school

The Seoul education office said Tuesday it will open a probe into the shocking discovery of a dead tree frog in a lunch dish provided to students at a high school in the capital the previous day. The incident occurred at the unnamed high school in western Seoul, where students were appalled to find a tree frog carcass in radish kimchi, a popular Korean fermented side dish, served with their lunch Monday. The school sent a letter of apology to all students and their parents, saying the contaminat

May 31, 2022

New infections rebound to over 10,000 amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to above 10,000 on Tuesday due to increased COVID-19 tests following the weekend amid eased antivirus curbs. The country added 17,191 new infections, including 43 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,103,638, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload rebounded from the 6,139 cases reported Monday. The daily count tends to fall on Mondays and Sundays due to fewer tests on the weekend befo

May 31, 2022

Yoon’s Justice Ministry poised to get power to vet presidential appointments

President Yoon Suk-yeol is pushing to put the Ministry of Justice in charge of vetting and screening candidates for roles at the Cabinet, courts and other state agencies -- a job undertaken by the now-abolished post of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs in previous administrations. The immediate beneficiary of the ministry’s new function is Han Dong-hoon, the president’s longtime colleague at the prosecution and a close associate who was appointed the Justice Minister

May 30, 2022

Seoul education head candidates’ pledges split politically

The pledges of Seoul’s education superintendent candidates are split according to their political inclinations, despite the rule against candidates revealing their political stances. With the local election just around the corner, candidates from the conservative bloc are promising to improve students’ academic achievements, attacking the previous administration led by Seoul’s education superintendent, Cho Hee-yeon, who is recognized as a liberal-leaning figure. The conserv

May 30, 2022

S. Korea to focus on treatment of high-risk people for COVID-19, optimize health care spending

The South Korean government said Monday that it would stop operating clinics for mild COVID-19 cases and introduce a fast-track process for at-risk groups. The government said it has decided to close down all local clinics that have temporarily been used for mild COVID-19 cases due to their low operation rate, as well as to prevent the government’s health expenditures from going to waste. Starting Tuesday, 12 clinics, along with some 3,400 hospital beds, will stop their operations, ac

May 30, 2022

Guys, get a fancy car to sign up for Korean dating apps

If you’re a single man and looking for love and marriage through dating apps in Korea, you’d better have at least one of these: A diploma from a high-ranking university, a high-paying job, a sizable net worth, or at least a luxury car. These are the requirements for men to be qualified for a matchmaking service at the Gold Spoon app, which has more than 470,000 members. “We thoroughly evaluate male candidates’ financial ability by looking into their employment contra

May 30, 2022

[Newsmaker] Conservative churches ramp up attacks on student rights ordinance

At a megachurch in the affluent Seocho district in southern Seoul, a poster near the entrance calls on churchgoers to oppose Seoul’s ordinance of student rights by signing a petition. “We are against the Student Human Rights Ordinance which tells kids that homosexuality, transgenderism and pregnancy are a right,” the poster at SaRang Community Church reads. “By not teaching the scientific fact that people aren’t born with their sexual orientation, gay and transgen

May 30, 2022