Union to push ahead with strike despite mounting concerns

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Tuesday urged the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to call off the general strike planned for Wednesday, warning that the organizer will be punished if the rally violates quarantine rules. Despite concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the more militant of the country’s two umbrella labor organizations, has decided to go ahead with a rally involving 550,000 people. Less than two months have passed since the orga

Oct. 19, 2021

Rapper NO:EL arrested over allegedly assaulting police officer, refusing breathalyzer

Police said Tuesday they have referred rapper NO:EL to the prosecution after arresting him on charges of driving without a license, refusing a breathalyzer test and headbutting a police officer. The incident took place on the night of Sept. 18 when the 21-year-old rapper, whose real name is Chang Yong-jun, caused a fender bender while driving his Mercedes in southern Seoul. His driver's license was revoked at the time. Police sent to the scene asked Chang to take a breathalyzer test, but he re

Oct. 19, 2021

Students infected with COVID-19 or in quarantine to take college entrance exam at separate sites

Students infected with COVID-19 or in self-quarantine for possible coronavirus exposure will be assigned to separate testing sites for next month's state-administered college entrance exam to ensure a safe test environment, the education ministry said Tuesday. About 509,800 high school seniors and graduates are set to take this year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) slated for Nov. 18. It marks the second year the college entrance exam will be held against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pa

Oct. 19, 2021

New virus cases less than 2,000 for 11th day amid rising vaccination rate

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed below 2,000 for the 11th straight day Tuesday, as vaccine effects are taking hold with rising inoculations amid preparations for a gradual return to normalcy. The country reported 1,073 new cases, including 1,048 local infections, raising the total caseload to 344,518, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's tally is up from the 1,050 counted the previous day, which marked the lowest daily number since July 7, but down

Oct. 19, 2021

S. Korea to develop space weather forecast system for military operations by 2024

South Korea has launched a 16.2 billion-won ($13.9 million) project to develop a space weather forecast system by 2024 to ensure the stable operations of military assets, such as high-altitude drones, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it signed a contract with the local company, Satrec Initiative Co., last week to develop the system to predict space weather conditions and issue related alerts. Once developed, the envision

Oct. 19, 2021

[Graphic News] 16.5% of S. Korea’s population aged 65 and older in 2021: report

People aged 65 and older made up 16.5 percent of South Korea’s population this year, a report showed, highlighting concerns that the fast-aging demographic transition could pose a drag on the country’s economy. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 and older stood at 8.53 million this year. The South Korean population is projected to peak in 2028 before going on a downward curve, the report showed. However, the graying of South Korea will acce

Oct. 19, 2021

29 foreigners caught cheating on Korean language test

Twenty-nine foreign nationals got caught cheating on a recent Korean language proficiency test, the organizer of the test said Tuesday. According to the National Institute for International Education, the foreigners either disobeyed supervisors' order to turn in their phones and other mobile gadgets or were caught possessing forbidden electronic devices while taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) at a school in Seoul's Gangdong district Sunday. Of them, 13 were Chinese and nine othe

Oct. 19, 2021

S. Korea's planned scheme of 'living with COVID-19' raises hope, concerns

South Korea is set to gradually phase out coronavirus restrictions starting next month as the vaccination rate rises, joining a list of countries embracing a new scheme of returning to normal life with the coronavirus. The scheme, dubbed "Living with COVID-19," is set to take effect in early November. It means that COVID-19 will be treated as an infectious respiratory disease, like seasonal influenza, with eased social distancing being implemented. From the early stages of the pandem

Oct. 19, 2021

[News Focus] Seoul to see population per household sink below 2.0

SEJONG -- Seoul has the smallest number of people per household, on average, among the eight major cities across the nation. The average population per household in Seoul fell to an all-time low of 2.16 -- 9.52 million people in 4.42 million households -- as of September, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety. The average household size of the capital posted a noteworthy slide in the last five years, falling from 2.38 in September 2016 and 2.44 in September 2011. Further, the pace

Oct. 18, 2021

Slovak presidential advisor discusses collaboration with Sejong University

Norbert Kurilla, advisor to the President of the Slovak Republic, discussed ways for future collaboration and exchange efforts with Seoul’s Sejong University during a recent visit to Korea. Kurilla met with Sejong University’s dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy on October 8, the school said Monday. As there are numerous Korean companies in Slovakia, the school said Kurilla expressed interest in expanding cooperation and networking between the two countries. The Slovak

Oct. 18, 2021

[Us and Them] People living in poverty become targets of hate in Korea

In Gwanak Dream Town, an apartment complex in Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, the area that is home to middle-class residents is fenced off with barbed wire to prevent their poorer neighbors from coming in. The fence was installed in 2003 after residents of buildings numbered 101 to 144 demanded separation from the public housing section -- buildings numbered 145 to 149, where the government subsidizes the rent. Now, they live side by side with little interaction. “In the very beginning,

Oct. 18, 2021

[From the scene] Teens eager to put pandemic behind them, return to school

On the first day of COVID-19 vaccinations for teens under 18, the high schoolers The Korea Herald met at Hong-ik Hospital in Seoul’s Yangcheon-gu shared their hopes of returning to face-to-face classes. Among them was Park Ju-young, 16, who said he’d left school early to get his first Pfizer dose. “Virtual learning is nothing like actually being in class. I think going to class is so much better than doing it online because then you get to see everyone and stuff,” h

Oct. 18, 2021

Naver map to be used to provide address information of sex offenders

The gender ministry said Monday it will begin a pilot service this week that allows citizens to search where convicted sex offenders live using internet portal operator Naver Corp.'s map app. The pilot service, which uses the Naver map to display actual home addresses of sex offenders listed in the government's registry system (www.sexoffender.go.kr), will run from Tuesday to the end of this month before the official launch, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The service

Oct. 18, 2021

[Newsmaker] Prosecutors detain key figure in land development scandal, raid Seongnam City Hall

A key figure in a high-profile land development corruption scandal was detained upon his arrival from the US on Monday morning for questioning on bribery and misconduct allegations. Attorney Nam Wook was taken into custody by the prosecution on suspicion of promising to pay a bribe and breach of trust, and transported to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office immediately after he arrived at Incheon International Airport from Los Angeles. Nam has been accused of playing a key ro

Oct. 18, 2021

First frost of season spotted in Seoul as chilly weather continues

The first frost of the season was observed in Seoul on Monday as unseasonably cold weather continued for most parts of the country in the morning, the state weather agency said. Morning lows hovered around 5 C across the country, slightly up from Sunday, when some areas experienced record-low temperatures for mid-October, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. The first frost of this fall was spotted in Seoul and nearby Suwon, the agency said. The weather is expected to warm up i

Oct. 18, 2021

New virus cases hit 3-month low; eased rules on private gatherings in force

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases dropped to the lowest level in more than three months Monday as the country eased restrictions on private gatherings ahead of preparations for a gradual shift to the "living with COVID-19" scheme. The country reported 1,050 new cases, including 1,030 local infections, raising the total caseload to 343,445, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's tally is the lowest daily number since July 7, when the country reporte

Oct. 18, 2021

Lack of Korean language skills not reason to deny child custody: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Sunday overturned a lower court’s ruling that a foreign woman who married a Korean man and later divorced could not have child custody due to a lack of Korean language communication skills. The nation’s highest court said that it partially reversed and remanded the case to the Jeonju District Court after the lower court previously ruled in favor of the Korean husband and gave him parental rights over the Vietnamese wife in a divorce and child custody case. Acc

Oct. 17, 2021

Scandal-hit volleyball twins depart for Greece

Two South Korean volleyball players left for Greece to continue their athletic careers after being ousted from the national team as well as their club due to claims of bullying. Twins Lee Jae-yeong and Da-yeong were spotted Saturday night at Incheon Airport ready to fly to Greece with their mother. They were leaving to join PAOK Volleyball Club in Thessaloniki. The twin Lees stayed silent and did not respond to reporters’ questions when passing through immigration. Their mother was spott

Oct. 17, 2021

Seoul logs coldest mid-October morning in 67 years

Temperatures in Seoul sharply dropped to nearly 1 degree Celsius on Sunday, marking the coldest morning for mid-October in 67 years, the state weather agency said. The morning low in Seoul came to 1.3 C in the day, the lowest since Oct. 13, 1954, when the figure was 1.2 C, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Some areas of the capital city saw the mercury drop below zero, and the season's first ice was seen in the city, 17 days earlier than average, it added. Cold weath

Oct. 17, 2021

Early cold snap grips Korea

Temperatures dropped sharply across the country over the weekend as cold wave alerts were issued for most regions. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Sunday’s morning lows dropped below 5 degrees Celsius nationwide with many regions marking the coldest weather of the year. Seoul saw its first ice of the year Sunday, a week earlier than the last year and 17 days earlier than the average, according to the KMA. The capital city’s Sunday morning low recorded 1.3 degrees C

Oct. 17, 2021