The only way is up from a year of disappointments

The year is at its end, but the problems that many had hoped to see the ends of still aren’t. At its start, the year was “supposed” to bring hope. Hope in the form of vaccines to end the pandemic. Hope in the form of the UN Climate Change Conference. Hope in the form of a new US administration and the changes its rise would set in motion. The reality, however, has fallen far short of the hopes. The new administration taking control in the US has led to little change in the

Dec. 30, 2021

A look back at 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to dominate news in 2021, impacting all areas of life from the economy to politics. Hopes of vaccines ending the pandemic were quashed, and daily caseloads around the world soared to new highs. The year also saw an unexpected wave of Korean popular culture, surges in stock markets, deaths of old dictators and rise of new, and intensifying rivalries on the global stage. Here are The Korea Herald’s top 10 international and domestic news stories of the year.

Dec. 30, 2021

Taxi falls from 5th floor; 1 killed

A taxi driver died Thursday after he drove his car through a wall on the fifth story of a Homeplus supermarket in Busan and fell to the ground. Seven people were injured and 12 cars were damaged, police said.

Dec. 30, 2021

Youth vaccine pass likely to be delayed to next March

The planned expansion of the government's COVID-19 vaccine pass system to include 12- to 18-year-olds will likely be delayed by one month to next March, government officials said Thursday. The possible delay may be formally announced by the government on Friday, together with its decision on whether to extend the current strict social distancing measures for two more weeks, the officials said. Starting on Dec. 6, South Korea expanded its vaccine pass program, requiring vaccine passes or a nega

Dec. 30, 2021

Constitutional Court sees no problem with only allowing the blind to become massage therapists

The Constitutional Court has ruled again unanimously that there is no problem with the Medical Service Act that allows only blind people to be eligible for an official license as massage therapists, officials said Thursday. A group of sighted massage parlor owners filed the petition claiming the law infringes upon their right to choose jobs. The law stipulates up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($25,300) in fines for those practicing massage therapy for profit without a license. But

Dec. 30, 2021

FKTU becomes S. Korea's biggest umbrella union in 2020: govt.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) reclaimed its status as South Korea's largest umbrella union in 2020, outpacing its rival organization in terms of membership size, a government report showed Thursday. According to the labor ministry's latest report on workplace unionization, the number of union members registered under FKTU was recorded at 1.15 million, or 41.1 percent of the total 2.8 million unionized workers in the country as of 2020. The more militant Korean Confederation of T

Dec. 30, 2021

Cats responsible for 107 house fires in Seoul in past 3 yrs

In a total of 107 house fires that occurred in Seoul between January 2019 and November this year, the culprit is believed to be cats, the city’s fire department said Thursday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, cats are believed to have started the blaze by turning on the electric stove in the kitchen with their paws. Nearly half of the cases, or 52, occurred while the owners were out. Electric induction cookers often come with touch-sensitive button

Dec. 30, 2021

Military reports 28 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 28 additional COVID-19 cases, including 25 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,235. Of the new cases, 14 are from the Air Force, 10 from the Army, two from the Navy, one from the Marine Corps, and one from a unit under direct control of the ministry. Currently, 268 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,436 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Dec. 30, 2021

New COVID-19 cases above 5,000 for 2nd day, critical cases remain high

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 5,000 for the second day in a row Thursday as authorities weigh whether to extend the current social distancing rules amid concerns over the omicron variant and critical cases. The country added 5,037 new COVID-19 infections, including 4,930 local infections, raising the total caseload to 625,967, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Thursday's figure is lower than 5,408 cases reported the previous day but marked

Dec. 30, 2021

Health officials say surge is slowing, but hospitalizations still at all-time high

Top health officials say COVID-19 cases in are finally slowing in South Korea after bed shortages and increasing out-of-hospital deaths forced “return-to-normal” plans to halt two weeks ago. Despite the reassurance, the highly transmissible omicron variant is spreading while hospital admissions continue a record-setting rise. Son Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, told reporters Wednesday that, “Based on important metrics, one thing appears certain

Dec. 29, 2021

[What’s your say] Too light a punishment?

Last summer, a man grabbed a teenage girl who was shopping at a large shopping mall in the city of Sejong and raped her in a men’s bathroom. Committed in broad daylight, it shocked many at that time. On Wednesday, the 20-something offender avoided jail time, as a local court sentenced him to three years of imprisonment suspended for four years. The act on the protection of children and youth against sex offenses states that a rape of a minor shall be punished by imprisonment for life o

Dec. 29, 2021

Women earn 11% less than male counterparts at Seoul government

Women working at the Seoul Metropolitan Government earn about 11 percent less than their male colleagues, data showed Wednesday, marking a smaller gap than the average figure registered by members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The data found that the gender wage gap, referring to the rate of men’s average pay to that of women, reached 11.28 percent last year, lower than 12.8 percent, the latest average of member nations of the OECD. Female civil servants f

Dec. 29, 2021

Company poses as University of Oxford’s agency under police investigation

Seoul police are investigating a local firm for falsely advertising itself as the University of Oxford’s affiliate in charge of admissions.  “The University of Oxford has promoted countermeasures against the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. It launched the ‘Oxford Graduate School Management Center’ in South Korea in charge of helping international students, especially from Asian countries with their preparation for graduate school admission,” the company introduce

Dec. 29, 2021

[Feature] Coal-reliant families lack warmth this winter

This winter has been colder to Yang Jae-sook, a 57-year-old woman living in a shanty town near the Naksan Mountain Trail in northern Seoul.  “I need about nine coal briquettes (a day) to keep the house warm, but these days I’m trying to burn less because donations have decreased recently amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Yang said. “Also, the price of the fuel has become quite burdensome, making me want to wait for volunteers to arrive with briquettes,” said the w

Dec. 29, 2021

About 2,000 wild dogs living in Jeju’s mid-mountain area: study

In Jeju Island’s less populated areas on the midslope of Hallasan, around 2,000 wild dogs are believed to be living in packs for hunting and breeding, a recent study revealed. According to Jeju National University’s Wildlife Rescue Center, which led the research, the population of wild dogs in the midsection of the mountain, lying between 300 meters and 600 meters above sea level, is estimated to be somewhere between 1,626 and 2,168. The researchers explained they are domestic dog

Dec. 29, 2021

Population mobility falls for 11th month in Nov.

SEJONG -- The number of South Koreans who moved to different residences in the country dropped for the 11th straight month in November amid fewer newly available apartments, data showed Wednesday. The number of people who changed their residences sank 7.1 percent on-year to 567,000 last month, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the 11th consecutive month the number has dropped and was lower than the 10.7 percent decline posted in September. The fall was attributable

Dec. 29, 2021

S. Korea's childbirths hit record low in Oct.

The number of babies born in South Korea sank to a record low in October, data showed Wednesday, highlighting the country's bleak demographic situation with the chronically low birth rate. A total of 20,736 babies were born in the country in October, down 5.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest tally for any October since 1981, when the statistics agency began compiling related data. The October figure was also down from 21,920

Dec. 29, 2021

Seoul citizens pick infectious diseases as most dangerous health hazard: survey

Citizens in Seoul picked infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, as the most dangerous health hazard, followed by fine dust and climate change, a survey showed Wednesday. Infectious diseases topped the list of dangerous health and environmental factors with 4.21 points on a 5-point scale in an online survey of 1,000 Seoul citizens and 321 experts on public health and the environment, according to the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment. Fine dust came in second at 4.02 poi

Dec. 29, 2021

New COVID-19 cases bounce back to above 5,000; critical cases hit record high

South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to above 5,000 for the first time in three days Wednesday and the number of critically ill patients surged to a record high. The country added 5,409 new COVID-19 infections, including 5,283 local infections, raising the total caseload to 620,938, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Wednesday's figure marked a rise from 3,865 on Tuesday and 4,206 on Monday, but it represented a sharp decline from a daily record h

Dec. 29, 2021

[Best Brand] 100 Classics offers personalized English learning based on books

A reading-focused English education program based in South Korea is helping students stay competitive in standardized tests and increase their chances to advance to prestigious institutions. "100 Classics," an English education brand owned by In Times In, has drawn participation from school-age children from South Korea, the US and Japan, to engage in a special program that uses English-based discussions to nurture students as globally competitive talents in today’s society. Un

Dec. 28, 2021