Seoul to add 3,000 late-night taxis to solve shortage

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday announced new measures to increase the number of late-night taxis to cope with a worsening cab shortage, after the government lifted social distancing rules last month. The city plans to add around 3,000 taxis that run from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., 2,700 of which will be operated by independent drivers, and another 300 from Seoul-based taxi firms. To secure more late-night taxi drivers, authorities have announced a raft of changes to existing rules, suc

May 4, 2022

Disabled advocacy group resumes subway protests

South Korea‘s largest disabled advocacy group resumed subway protests Wednesday, calling on the government to roll out more detailed plans to guarantee the basic rights of those with disabilities.　 Like recent demonstrations, Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, a disability advocacy group that has recently been staging protests at subway stations, held a demonstration at Gyeongbokgung Station during the morning rush hour. Members of the disabled advocacy group crawled along t

May 4, 2022

World Forestry Congress, Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute preserve wild plant seeds

The 15th World Forestry Congress has kicked off. At this year’s congress, running under the theme of “Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future with Forests,” some 13,000 officials of governments, international organizations, civic groups and academic associations from 143 countries are participating to discuss forestry and environmental problems in order to find solutions. As damages derived from climate change -- such as the recent cases such as flooding in Europe, th

May 4, 2022

KFS-Woori Financial Group agrees to cooperate for carbon-neutral, ESG management

Korea Forest Service and Woori Financial Group agreed to work together to promote the importance of carbon-neutrality in business management, as well as a priority on environmental, social and governance issues, the forest agency said Wednesday. The agreement signed Monday comes as part of their joint efforts to recognize the importance of forests in responding to climate change and ESG activities, and to contribute to their joint goals of sustainability by encouraging activities promoting ca

May 4, 2022

Can kids grow up happy in Korea?

For many years, South Korea has lived with the infamy of being one of the unhappiest places to grow up in among advanced nations. Dozens of articles have highlighted how saddening it may be to live as school-age children in Korea. Citing statistics that put South Korea at the bottom of advanced nations in terms of children’s happiness, they point to the competitive educational environment and lack of time and resources for leisure and extracurricular activities. A 2019 study by Save the

May 4, 2022

Ex-intel official for top prosecution body indicted in case related to president-elect

GWACHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- A senior prosecutor, Son Jun-seong, was indicted Wednesday for using his then-position as an intelligence official at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to help file criminal complaints against ruling Democratic Party of Korea figures ahead of the April 2020 general election. At the end of an eight-month investigation, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials indicted Son on charges of violating laws on the election of public officials an

May 4, 2022

Dossier unveils historic moment of first inter-Korean talks in early 1970s

The South Korean government Wednesday made public newly declassified documents on its first-ever formal meeting with North Korea since the division of the peninsula and other cross-border exchanges in the early 1970s, offering a glimpse into the beginning of a new chapter in tumultuous inter-Korean relations. The dossier included a transcript of a three-minute conversation between the South Korean Red Cross envoy and his North Korean counterpart at the truce village of Panmunjom on Aug. 20, 1971

May 4, 2022

S. Korea's new infections fall below 50,000 amid lifting of mask mandate

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 50,000 on Wednesday as the government has lifted the outdoor mask mandate in the latest effort to return to pre-pandemic normalcy amid a downward trend in COVID-19 cases. The country reported 49,064 new COVID-19 infections, including 29 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,395,791, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Daily coronavirus infections have been on the downward trend in recent weeks after peaking a

May 4, 2022

Korea Quiz (1) Children’s Day

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related.  Answer: c Korean children have Christmas in the middle of the year -- on Children’s Day. On May 5 every year, children get special treats, which usually include presents, and go on family outings to amusement parks, zoos and the like. It has been a public holiday since 1975. There is no school for children, and all salaried workers -- regardless if they have a child or not

May 4, 2022

SNU med school professor chosen as Yoon's physician

A gastroenterology professor at Seoul National University (SNU)'s College of Medicine has been chosen as the physician to incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol, an official said Wednesday. Kim Joo-sung, who graduated from the college in 1989, is a specialist in the areas of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The physician to the president is a pro bono honorary position equivalent to the level of vice minister, who works at their regular job but conducts routine check

May 4, 2022

1 brain dead, 2 seriously injured in apartment fire in Busan

A fire broke out at an apartment building in the southeastern port city of Busan, leaving one brain dead and two others seriously injured, officials said Wednesday. The fire is assumed to have started in the living room of an apartment on the 13th floor at 9:43 p.m. Tuesday and was extinguished in about 30 minutes after completely destroying the unit, according to officials. A 70-year-old resident was found unconscious in the laundry room and transported to a nearby hospital but was reportedly d

May 4, 2022

The road to better recovery found in forests

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a lot of pain for all of us, is coming to an end. Over the past two years, COVID-19 has caused us a lot of economic and social loss, and everyone is struggling for a better recovery, but we don’t know where to start. In Seoul, where spring has sprung, discussions are underway for a better recovery through forests. Governments, international organizations and civic groups from various countries gathered in the South Korean capital for the 15th World

May 4, 2022

Hidden meaning of Korean term “agassi” leads to murder

An error in a mobile translation application recently prompted a 35-year-old Chinese man in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, to murder a Korean resident.  On Sunday, the Jeonju District Court delivered a 20-year prison term to the foreigner charged with killing his female coworker’s Korean husband, according to court officials.  It was the Korean term “agassi” that triggered a fistfight between the two men of different nationalities, which eventually turned deadly.&

May 3, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 deaths drop under 50

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 deaths dropped below 50 for the first time in about two months, government data showed Tuesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of deaths from COVID-19 reported during the 24 hours for Monday came to 49, down from the previous day’s 83. The death toll came to 23,007, and the fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent. During the same period, the country reported 51,131 daily COVID-19 infections, bringing the total case

May 3, 2022

‘Bullying’ by coaches, teammates blamed for young footballer’s suicide

The bereaved family of an 18-year-old football player who took his own life recently claimed that the victim had been target of monthslong bullying by teammates and coaches. A person claiming to be a parent of Jeong Woo-rim -- formerly a member of the Gimpo Football Club of South Korea’s second division K League 2 -- posted an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae homepage on Monday about how the supposed bullying led to Jeong’s suicide on April 27. The person claimed that after goin

May 3, 2022

[Newsmaker] Nominee bows out amid snowballing accusations

Kim In-chul, the nominee for deputy prime minister and education minister, became the first Cabinet pick for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to step away from the confirmation process. After a series of allegations surrounding his term as president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and his family were raised, Kim said he will no longer seek the post. “I am to withdraw today,” Kim told the press in front of the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety in Yeouido, west

May 3, 2022

New COVID-19 cases rise to over 50,000 amid moves to return to normalcy

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose to over 50,000 on Tuesday from a nearly three-month low the previous day, as the country has sought to regain normalcy amid a recent gradual decrease in infections. The country reported 51,131 new COVID-19 infections, including 45 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,346,753, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's count more than doubled from the previous day's 20,084. But it was still a marked drop from a week ear

May 3, 2022

Police raid Woori Bank headquarters over embezzlement probe

Police raided the headquarters of Woori Bank, one of South Korea's largest commercial banks, on Monday as one of the bank's employees is suspected of embezzling more than 60 billion won ($47 million).    Police confiscated computers and documents of the employee during the four-hour raid, officials said.    According to the bank, the employee, who has worked at Woori Bank for more than 10 years, took out a total of 61.45 billion won through three withdrawals, in 2012, 201

May 2, 2022

Herald Corp. to host H.eco Forum on May 26

More than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, which play a vital role in sustaining life for all on this planet. In the face of climate change, the ocean is the center of many life-threatening challenges such as rising sea levels, water scarcity and changes in sea temperature. This year, Herald Corp. will host the second edition of H.eco Forum, an annual event focused on environmental issues, on Nodeul Island on May 26, under the theme of “The Climate Crisis and

May 2, 2022

Yoon’s transition team meets with bereaved family of S. Korean man killed by N. Korea

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition committee on Monday met with family of a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korean troops near the western sea border on Sept. 21, 2020. Ahn Cheol-soo, the chief of the presidential transition committee, spoke with the official’s older brother Lee Rae-jin and an attorney representing his family at around 12: p.m. at the committee’s office in Jongno, central Seoul. In a letter delivered to Ahn on Mo

May 2, 2022