S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases dip to 11-week low

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections fell to the 30,000s on Sunday, the first time in nearly 11 weeks, government data showed Monday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country reported 34,370 new COVID-19 cases during the 24 hours of Sunday. The total caseload reached 16,929,564. The daily figure dropped to the 30,000s for the first time since Feb. 28, when the government reported 36,713 new COVID-19 cases. It was also the lowest since the 27,435 rep

April 25, 2022

Yoon to visit headquarters of homegrown COVID-19 vaccine

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will visit homegrown vaccine producer SK Bioscience on Monday and emphasize vaccine sovereignty amid the country's fight against the novel coronavirus, his spokesperson said. Yoon is scheduled to visit SK Bioscience's headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, where he will inspect the company's latest research and development efforts in COVID-19 vaccine production, according Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin. "Yoon will encourage researchers there who are workin

April 25, 2022

S. Korea's new infections drop to 30,000s amid slowdown of omicron wave

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases dropped to the 30,000s on Monday for the first time in 76 days as most of the country's virus restrictions are lifted amid the slowdown of the omicron wave. The country added 34,370 new COVID-19 infections, including 31 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,929,564, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The omicron wave has been on the decline after the country's daily infections reached the peak of 621,178

April 25, 2022

Moon, first lady get second COVID-19 booster shots

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook on Monday received a second COVID-19 booster shot in line with guidance from health authorities, Cheong Wa Dae said. Earlier this month, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) expanded the rollout of second booster shots for people aged 60 and older, as the nation stepped up efforts to live with the virus while ensuring maximum protection for the public. Moon and Kim qualified for a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine under the guida

April 25, 2022

Pandemic, violence and women: What data doesn’t tell

The shadow pandemic. This is what the United Nations called violence against women in a November report last year, in which over two-thirds of women surveyed from 13 countries said that domestic violence has increased during the pandemic where they live. The pandemic’s impact on women in South Korea is harder to gauge, as the country was not included among the surveyed countries in the report. According to South Korea’s National Police Agency, arrests for domestic violence, whic

April 24, 2022

Bus union strike threatens major public transit disruption in Seoul

Seoul could be headed for a major public transit disruption this week, with the Seoul Bus Union set for a general strike Tuesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday, the Seoul Bus Union is planning a general strike early Tuesday morning if wage negotiations do not come through. The general strike, if it takes place, could further disrupt public transit across the city, after a disability advocacy group recently resumed staging subway protests, demanding improvements for

April 24, 2022

S. Korea downgrades disease level of COVID-19 with 4-week transition period

COVID-19 will be downgraded in South Korea’s four-tier infectious disease categorization system starting Monday, following the recent pandemic downturn. Eating inside movie theaters, indoor gyms and religious facilities has been allowed, starting on the same day. The government’s downgrading of the COVID-19 infectious level comes with a four-week transition period, during which the government will see if it will finally downgrade the COVID-19 infectious level. For the next four

April 24, 2022

Korea International School’s counselling supports students through college applications and beyond

Korea International School offers comprehensive counselling with emphasis on social-emotional growth and academic development that guides high school students through the challenges of their teenage years to aid them in the college application process. High school principal Aimmie Kellar observes that since the pandemic began, “We’re having more conversations with families. Parents talk with us about taking care of the whole child.” KIS counselors provide a common language to

April 24, 2022

[Newsmaker] Cleaner Earth: Healing ozone hole, less smog, more eagles

With climate change, plastic pollution and a potential sixth mass extinction, humanity has made some incredible messes in the world. But when people, political factions and nations have pulled together, they have also cleaned up some of those human-caused environmental problems, including healing the ozone hole, clearing perpetually smoggy air and saving many species from the brink of extinction. "We can be good at cleaning up our messes, it's whether or not we choose to be and what we prio

April 24, 2022

8 insurers fined W1.76b for collusion

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Sunday it has decided to impose a combined fine of 1.76 billion won ($1.42 million) on eight insurance companies for colluding to fix bidding prices. KB Insurance Co., six other non-life insurers and a local insurance consultancy colluded for the rental housing-related insurance bidding put forward by state housing developer Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH) in 2018, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). They colluded to intentionally offer low bi

April 24, 2022

New infections below 100,000 for 4th day amid ebbing omicron wave

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 100,000 for the fourth day in a row Sunday, with most of the country's virus restrictions set to be lifted this week amid the slowdown of the omicron wave. The country added 64,725 new COVID-19 infections, including 36 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,895,194, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The omicron wave has been on the decline after the country's daily infections reached the p

April 24, 2022

New virus cases below 100,000 for 3rd day amid ebbing omicron wave

South Korea’s daily tally of new coronavirus cases stayed below 100,000 for the third day in a row Saturday as the omicron wave is gradually subsiding. The country added 75,449 new COVID-19 infections, including 29 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,830,469, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The new tally is down 5,609 cases from a day earlier and down 32,467 from a week earlier. It marks the lowest number for a Saturday since Feb. 12.  T

April 23, 2022

New virus cases below 100,000 for 2nd day amid slowdown of omicron spread

South Korea reported fewer than 100,000 coronavirus cases for two days in a row on Friday as the omicron variant apparently is receding. The country added 81,058 new COVID-19 infections, including 15 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,755,055, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The new tally is down more than 44,000 cases, or around 36 percent, from a week ago and marks the lowest number for Friday since Feb. 18, as the highly contagious omicron vari

April 22, 2022

Morning rush hour interrupted by subway mayhem

Protests by disabled activists, together with a train breakdown, caused massive subway disruptions during morning rush hour on Thursday. The rallies began at around 7 a.m. at the Gyeongbokgung Station on subway line No.3. and City Hall Station on line No. 2. Seoul Metro, which operates the affected lines, said the protests caused delays of up to one hour and 12 minutes to subway operations. Police said Thursday they will hold the protestors accountable for the illegal protests and hindering

April 21, 2022

Moon administration, Yoon transition team at odds over ending COVID-19 rules

The outgoing Moon Jae-in administration and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition team are at odds over the future of South Korea’s COVID-19 policy. The Moon administration’s COVID-19 response headquarters announced last week that starting April 25, COVID-19 will cease to be the most high-consequence infectious disease under Korea’s classification. The headquarters said as the disease’s legal status changes, all pandemic-related restrictions will be terminate

April 21, 2022

Return to school greeted with excitement, hesitation

Plans to bring pre-pandemic normalcy to schools across the country in May are being met with both excitement and worry. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education announced the “back to normal” guidelines that will see schools in Korea resume normal operations beginning May 1. Under the new guidelines, kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools will reintroduce both academic and extracurricular activities, halting online classes, dropping self-testing routines and arrangin

April 21, 2022

[Feature] Not feeling yourself yet after infection?

For some people, full recovery from COVID-19 is frustratingly elusive. Many suffer with lingering symptoms, ranging from dry cough, muscle weakness to depression, weeks or even months after the infection.  Dubbed as Long COVID, or post-COVID-19 syndrome, this is a growing concern as South Korea breathes a sigh of relief, past the omicron surge. According to a survey conducted between March 21 and April 11 on 748 patients infected with the virus by Myongji Hospital in Goyang, Gyeonggi Pr

April 21, 2022

New virus cases fall below 100,000 as omicron wave ebbs

South Korea reported fewer than 100,000 coronavirus cases Thursday as the omicron curve has turned downward since mid-March. The country added 90,867 new COVID-19 infections, including 31 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,674,045, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The new tally is down 57,558 cases, or 38.7 percent, from a week ago and marks the lowest number for Thursday since Feb. 17, in an apparent sign of a downward trend in cases of the highly

April 21, 2022

COVID-19 rapid tests bring bonanza to local clinics

Local clinics and hospitals received over 700 billion won ($564 million) won in total in February and March for conducting rapid antigen tests from the national health insurance scheme, data has revealed. According to data submitted to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday, the National Health Insurance Corp. received claims for payment of medical expenses involving COVID-19 rapid antigen tests totaling 730.3 billion won between Feb. 3 and April 3. This is e

April 21, 2022

[2030 Busan World Expo] Busan hosts key figures from Colombia and Peru in hopes to host Expo 2030

Busan has invited three major figures from Colombia and Peru for a tour of the city as the southern port city of South Korea looks to host the World Expo in 2030. The city government said Wednesday that Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon invited Tito Jose Crissien Borrero, minister of Science, Technology and Innovation for Colombia; Nicolas Del Castillo Piedrahita, head of Colombia’s National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority; and Jorge Vicente Martin Munoz Wells, mayor of Lima, Peru, for a tw

April 20, 2022