From study cafes to ride-sharing, Koreans seem to prefer same-sex environments. Why?

“Boys and girls shouldn’t sit together past the age of seven.” This old saying from the Confucianism-dominated Joseon era seems to hold true to an extent even in present-day Korea.  From study rooms to gosiwon, tiny housing cubicles available for rent, separating people by sex is widely accepted as a norm. Seoul’s latest move to allow taxi ride-sharing also attests to the popular guide of separating people by gender, making the service available only among same-sex

Feb. 18, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases top 100,000 for first time

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases surpassed the 100,000 mark for the first time since the country reported the first COVID-19 infection in January 2020. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 109,831 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Thursday. The total caseload came to 1,755,806. Daily infection numbers have been surging due to the omicron wave. On Jan. 26, the country added 13,004 new infections, the first time that the country&

Feb. 18, 2022

COVID curfew extended to 10 p.m. from Saturday

South Korea has decided to partly ease current social distancing curbs, the government announced Friday. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the current 9 p.m. curfew for dining out at restaurants and other businesses will be pushed back by an hour to 10 p.m. Kim, however, noted that the government will keep the six-person limit on private gatherings. The change will become effective from Saturday to March 13. Kim noted further changes can also take place, depending on how the omicron wave develo

Feb. 18, 2022

Electronic parts maker under probe over acute poisoning of 16 workers

The labor ministry on Friday raided an air conditioning component manufacturer in the southern city of Changwon over suspected violations of the workplace disaster prevention law after 16 workers were diagnosed with acute poisoning with a hazardous substance. The raid into Doosung Co. came after acute chloroform intoxication was reported in the 16 workers showing liver function problems after they were exposed to as high as six times the normally permitted level of the chemical during a product

Feb. 18, 2022

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surpass 100,000, concerns rise over further uptick

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 100,000 on Friday for the first time since the pandemic began about two years ago as the highly transmissible omicron variant spreads rapidly. The cases could continue to rise going forward as the government is set to partially relax social distancing rules, apparently to help small merchants taking the brunt of the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The country reported 109,831 new COVID-19 infections, including 109,715 local cases, raising the t

Feb. 18, 2022

Govt. to push back curfew on cafes, restaurants to 10 p.m., keep gathering size limit at 6

The government decided to push back the curfew on cafes and restaurants by one hour to 10 p.m. while keeping the private gathering size limit at six starting this weekend, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday. The easing of the social distancing rules comes despite a massive surge in new COVID-19 cases, with the country's daily virus cases exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time Friday since the pandemic began two years ago. The updated antivirus curbs will be in place from Saturday to

Feb. 18, 2022

Critical cases spike as COVID-19 continues record spread

The number of critically ill patients in Korea rose to 389 on daily figures released Thursday, up 76 from the previous day. COVID-19 cases reported during the 24 hours of Wednesday increased to hit another high of over 93,000, health authorities said. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Thursday that the country’s daily COVID-19 cases reached a fresh high of 93,135, which raised the total caseload to 1,645,978. The figure was up from the previous day’s 90,443. Th

Feb. 17, 2022

Cold snap remains unabated

Temperatures in Seoul fell to below minus 10 degrees Celsius Thursday as a cold snap continued to grip the country, the state weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has issued cold wave alerts in the central inland area, most parts of the eastern Gangwon Province and the southeastern North Gyeongsang Province. As of 8 a.m, temperatures were minus 10.7 C in Seoul, minus 9.7 C in Incheon, minus 10.1 C in Daejeon, minus 7 C in Gwangju and minus 6.6 C in Busan, due to col

Feb. 17, 2022

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases rise closer to 100,000 over raging omicron

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit another high Thursday, exceeding 90,000 for the second consecutive day, amid few signs that the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant will subside. The country reported 93,135 new COVID-19 infections, including 93,045 local cases, raising the total caseload to 1,645,978, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The number of daily cases rose sharply Wednesday to surpass the 90,000 level for the first time ever, coming

Feb. 17, 2022

38 Southeast Asians busted for alleged distribution, use of illegal drugs

UIJEONGBU -- A total of 38 Southeast Asians have been apprehended on charges of distributing and using illegal drugs smuggled from overseas, police said Thursday. The suspects, 36 Thais and two Cambodians, are alleged to have either resold methamphetamines purchased from overseas or used them from January 2019 to this month, according to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. Of those, 19 have been formally arrested. Many of them were illegal aliens, according to police. Authorities have a

Feb. 17, 2022

Firefighters battling wildfire in coastal county of Yeongdeok for 2nd day

YEONGDEOK -- About 40 firefighting helicopters and more than 1,100 personnel resumed operations to extinguish a wildfire in the southern coastal county of Yeongdeok on Thursday as the blaze remains uncontained for the second consecutive day. The fire started on a mountain in Yeongdeok, about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday. It was extinguished but reignited overnight and spread to nearby residential areas the previous day, according to firefighters and local officials. The fire is

Feb. 17, 2022

Firefighters battling wildfire spreading in coastal county

YEONGDEOK -- Firefighters battled a major wildfire in the southern coastal country of Yeongdeok on Wednesday as the blaze spread to local communities, forcing the evacuation of more than 180 households. The fire started on a mountain in the county, about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday. It was extinguished but reignited overnight and spread to nearby residential areas, according to firefighters and local officials. Firefighters were having difficulties containing the fire late

Feb. 16, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases surpass 90,000

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections jumped to an all-time high of 90,443 as the omicron wave intensifies, but the number of critical cases are rising at a slower pace, the government said Wednesday. With the cases rising by more than 30,000 in a day, the government issued an apology for failing to control a spiraling omicron variant outbreak. The government added that it will soon decide whether it will ease current social distancing curbs or not. According to the Korea Disease Con

Feb. 16, 2022

Education Ministry waters down guidance for school COVID testing

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday watered down its guidelines for school students’ COVID-19 testing, saying that students are recommended to take two rapid antigen tests a week. While saying that schools will be provided with testing kits, the ministry said that the tests were not mandatory and that schools will be given autonomy in implementing measures against spread of the virus. The measure comes days after the ministry came under fire over reports that COVID tests could be mad

Feb. 16, 2022

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit grim milestone of 90,000 amid omicron woes

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases spiked to an all-time high Wednesday amid worries that the number could further increase as the government might ease current tough social distancing curbs later this week. The country reported 90,443 new COVID-19 infections, including 90,281 local cases, raising the total caseload to 1,552,851, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest figure is sharply up from the previous day when new daily cases hit a record high of

Feb. 16, 2022

Daily COVID-19 cases top 90,000: PM

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surged to over 90,000, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday, as the country struggles to contain the spread of the omicron variant. Kim also said the government will decide whether to adjust current social distancing rules on Friday. "We have to decide after considering both the spread of the omicron variant ... and damage to people's livelihood coming from tightened antivirus curbs that have been around more than two months," Kim said during

Feb. 16, 2022

S. Korea records more than 85,000 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday

South Korea has added 85,114 COVID-19 infections as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the government said Tuesday. It is the first time that the country’s daily COVID-19 case number has surpassed 80,000. The country’s daily case figure spiked on Tuesday as the omicron wave continued its nationwide rampage. On Monday, the country added 57,177 COVID-10 cases.

Feb. 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] Korea’s plans for COVID-19-positive voters spark voting rights concerns

South Korea has changed the rules around voting to let people infected with COVID-19 cast their ballots in polling stations, as the omicron surge places record numbers of people under self-quarantine. On the second day of advance voting, March 5, and on the day of the presidential election, March 9, eligible voters with active cases will be able to vote in person past the regular hours, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The National Assembly passed the exceptional measure into a bill on Monday. As many as

Feb. 15, 2022

COVID-19 deaths spike as S. Korea continues to report record case numbers

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in South Korea spiked in figures reported Tuesday, as cases continued to reach record levels. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country reported 57,177 new COVID-19 infections in the 24 hours leading up to midnight Monday, raising the total number of cases Korea has had to 1,462,421. The daily figure has been over 50,000 for six straight days amid the recent omicron wave, according to government data. The government said i

Feb. 15, 2022

615,000 Pfizer coronavirus vaccines to arrive in S. Korea on Wednesday

A total of 615,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. will arrive in South Korea this week, health authorities here said Tuesday. The vaccines will land at the country's main gateway, Incheon International Airport, at about 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday, they said. The planned shipment will raise the total amount of COVID-19 vaccines delivered here to 6.97 million this year. The country has so far secured 154.4 million doses of vaccines, enough to inoculate the

Feb. 15, 2022