CIO chief denies targeting journalists in phone spying scandal

GWACHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- The chief of the state agency dedicated to investigating political elites and high-level bureaucrats denied targeting journalists in a phone spying scandal that surfaced in December last year. Kim Jin-wook, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, said in a press conference Monday that the controversial surveillance occurred “in the process of basic investigations” to identify owners of unknown phone numbers. On the cr

May 16, 2022

[H.eco Forum] Protecting tidal flats important in fighting climate change, expert says

As global warming intensifies due to climate change, coastal regions will be among the areas worst hit. The rise in sea level is expected to cause severe disturbance to coastal ecosystems and ignite catastrophic socioeconomic problems with natural disasters. Countries are working together to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in a belief that problems hinted to stem from climate change will be prevented with eco-friendly initiatives, but experts say sea level rise is still inevitable even if t

May 16, 2022

Education Ministry to run 50-day inspection on school safety

The Ministry of Education is to run a 50-day inspection on the educational environment of 1,250 kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools from Wednesday. The newly launched task force will review the schools’ respective quarantine measures, guidelines for extracurricular activities and monitor school facilities. As schools have recently resumed normal operations after a two-year COVID-19-induced hiatus, the inspection team will also examine schools’ respective infectio

May 16, 2022

Quirks of Korean dating explained (1) Love confessions, a rite of passage for all couples

They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed.    For Koreans, confessing their love to a crush is deemed a crucial step for a romantic relationship to begin. Only when one party makes the confession, the so-called “some&rdquo

May 16, 2022

Going solo: Korean body scrubs adapt to pandemic

For the first time in nearly two years, Bae Eun-jin, a 35-year old office worker in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, recently had a proper Korean sauna experience -- soaking her body in hot water and getting a full-body scrub.  The only difference was that the bathhouse she visited was set up for a single customer only.  “Since I was the only customer there, I felt safe from infection risks. I loved the quiet atmosphere without any distractions from other people,” said Bae, w

May 16, 2022

Holler for Seollal: Holiday traditions burden some

* From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the second installment. – Ed. Korea’s two biggest -- and longest -- holidays are Seollal and Chuseok, around which the hyperlocal community app Karrot Market is bustling with cries for help. The website usually operates a separate page for part-time jobs targe

May 16, 2022

Half of older adults in Seoul have no experience using kiosks: survey

Half of older adults in Seoul have no experience using digital kiosks, a survey showed Monday, despite a rising number of businesses adopting such self-service electronic machines amid the pandemic. The poll released by the Seoul Digital Foundation, a digital arm of the city government, showed 45.8 percent of people aged 55 or older living in Seoul said they have used kiosk machines, compared with 94.1 percent of those aged less than 55. Noticeably, 29.4 percent of those aged between 65 and 74 h

May 16, 2022

S. Korea's Black Eagles aerobatic team to perform in British air shows in July

The South Korean Air Force's aerobatic flight team plans to join three international air shows in Britain in July, Seoul officials said Monday, marking its first visit to the European nation in 10 years. The Black Eagles team is set to participate in the Southport Air Show, Royal International Air Tattoo, and Farnborough Airshow from July 9-22, as part of military diplomacy to promote South Korean-made aircraft. The team last attended a British show in 2012. Later, it joined flight events in Sin

May 16, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 4-month low amid efforts for return to normalcy

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to their lowest tally in nearly four months Monday amid a slowing virus trend giving a boost to efforts for a return to normalcy. The country reported 13,296 new COVID-19 infections, including 28 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,795,357, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's count is the lowest since the 13,005 reported on Jan. 26. The omicron wave spread rapidly across the nation early this year, peaking at mo

May 16, 2022

Helicopter carrying 3 crashes in southern city of Geoje

A helicopter carrying three crewmen crashed in the southern coastal city of Geoje on Monday, with their fate remaining unknown, firefighters said. The chopper went down near Mt. Seonja at around 9 a.m., according to an accident report filed with firefighting authorities. Three people were presumed to have been on board, according to an accident report Rescuers are trying to verify the fate of the crewmen. (Yonhap)

May 16, 2022

Korea-led initiative launched at UNCCD forum

The Korea Forest Service held an event commemorating the launch of Business for Land Initiative on Tuesday, during the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Cote d’Ivoire. Woori Financial Group became the first business in Korea to announce its support for the organization. The UNCCD is an international organization established in 1994 to protect and restore land. There are currently 197 member countries to

May 15, 2022

Family matters ... or does it?

A married couple and their children is what usually pops up in most people’s heads when hearing the word “family,” at least until now. But recent research indicates that this picture may be changing for a growing number of the local population, especially for youngsters. Last week, a survey by a local think tank revealed that 52.4 percent of South Koreans in their 20s said they will not have children when they get married. The study, conducted by the Korea Development Insti

May 15, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases under 30,000 for 2nd day amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 30,000 for the second straight day Sunday in the latest sign that the country's virus cases are on a downward trend amid eased virus curbs. The country added 25,434 new virus infections, including 26 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,782,061, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country added 48 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 23,709, with the fatality rate at 0.13 percent. The numb

May 15, 2022

Once extinct oriental white storks return to farmland

Oriental white storks are returning to Korea after more than four decades, with fourth-generation chicks being hatched in the wild. This year, 12 pairs of oriental white storks are nesting in Korea this season and about 30 young storks have hatched including three fourth-generation chicks. While they were once commonly found across Korea, the domestic population drastically dropped after the 1950-1953 Korean War. The birds faced extinction as industrialization starting in the mid 1960s dest

May 13, 2022

S. Korea to increase international flights to meet travel demand

South Korea has decided to add an additional 230 international flights next month to meet increasing travel demand amid the weakening pandemic. With the addition, the number of weekly international flights will come to 762 in June, up from 532 in May and 420 in April, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said during a COVID-19 response meeting on Friday. From May 23, the government would also take rapid antigen test results for travelers coming to South Korea. Previously, the government only accep

May 13, 2022

Steering in the wrong direction :Safety education for electric wheelchairs still lacking

As the number of registered disabled people in South Korea hit 2.64 million, accounting for 5.1 percent of the total population, electric wheelchairs are becoming more common. But related safety education is still hard to find, despite the need for it being flagged up seven years ago. The last survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency on the use of electric mobility aids was in 2015. At the time, the number of users was increasing as well as the number of accidents involving them. In

May 13, 2022

Police to continue to ban rallies near presidential office

Police have decided to continue to ban demonstrations within the 100-meter radius of the new presidential office in Seoul's central district of Yongsan, sources said Friday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police has recently instructed the Yongsan Police Station and nearby police forces to give a notification of prohibition to those filing for permission to stage rallies near the presidential office, according to the sources. Since President Yoon Suk-yeol relocated the presidential office to Yongsan ear

May 13, 2022

Female construction workers face discrimination despite a surge in number

The female workforce is increasing, even in once male-dominated industries. But South Korea’s construction industry is failing to provide an adequate working environment for them, as sexual harassment and a lack of safety equipment for women go unaddressed. Construction sites no longer men-only Construction work has largely been regarded as a man’s profession in South Korea. However, research by Statistics Korea recently revealed that female construction workers now comprise 10.4

May 13, 2022

Govt. to significantly increase international flights to meet travel demand

The government will add an additional 230 international flights by next month to meet growing demand for travel in the wake of an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said Friday. The addition will raise the number of weekly international flights from 532 in May to 762 in June. Starting May 23, the government will also recognize negative rapid antigen test results for travelers boarding flights to South Korea, on top of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results curr

May 13, 2022

Yoon to visit Gwangju to commemorate democracy uprising

President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit the southwestern city of Gwangju next week to commemorate a democracy uprising that led to the massacre of hundreds of civilians in 1980, his office said Friday. Yoon will travel to Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul, to attend a state memorial ceremony on the anniversary of the May 18 uprising at the May 18th National Cemetery. The visit will mark Yoon's first trip outside of Seoul since taking office Tuesday. During a visit to the cemetery in November as

May 13, 2022