USFK reports 9 COVID-19 cases

Eight American service members and a family member have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here in the past two weeks, US Forces Korea said Friday. Four service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on a US military flight, while the others arrived on commercial flights via Incheon International Airport, west of the capital, according to the US military. "Thorough cleaning of all transportation assets and quarantine rooms h

Aug. 13, 2021

Korean delegation to meet with Moderna to resolve vaccine disruption

A Korean delegation of government officials on Friday departed for the United States to meet with Moderna representatives over the delay in shipments of their COVID-19 vaccine. The delegation of four high-ranking officials, including Second Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae and Presidential Secretary for Social Policies Ryu Geun-hyuk, will meet with Moderna representatives at the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Friday afternoon, US t

Aug. 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] Anti-feminism website singled out celebs, lists RM from BTS as ‘verified feminist’

A website claiming to “verify” feminist celebrities and high profile figures was deleted hours after launch Friday, highlighting once again how feminism faces backlash from anti-feminist groups and how deepened gender conflict has become in the country. The website, dubbed “Check Femi,” had several dozens of figures analyzed by 11 a.m. Friday, categorizing them to three groups of “suspected,” “verified” and “vanguard” in their associat

Aug. 13, 2021

Seoul to hold int'l online forum marking 'comfort women' memorial day

The Seoul city government said Friday it will hold an international online forum marking the annual memorial day for the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. The forum, themed on how to remember the victims, euphemistically called comfort women, will be livestreamed on Seoul city government's official YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/kEbE4SSijzI) from 10 a.m. Saturday. Prominent scholars specializing in modern Japanese history -- Prof. Carol Gluck from Columbia University and Prof. Andr

Aug. 13, 2021

Refrain from traveling or meeting in groups during 3-day weekend: PM

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Friday asked the public to minimize traveling or meeting in groups during the upcoming three-day weekend. “If we do not stop now, we will not be able to stop COVID-19,” he said in a nationally televised address asking people to do their part alongside the country’s ongoing disease control efforts. “Despite the strong quarantine measures, the number of newly confirmed cases per day has recently stayed at around 2,000. It is the highest fi

Aug. 13, 2021

Police warn of stern response to mass rallies during Liberation Day weekend

Police have warned it will take stern action on any illegal protests during the Liberation Day weekend after a number of civic groups announced plans to hold rallies over the next few days in downtown Seoul. The National Police Agency said Thursday it plans to clamp down on anyone who breaks social distancing rules and participates in illegal assembly and rallies. The warning comes at a time when South Korea is struggling to tamp down a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections that has pushed the nu

Aug. 13, 2021

Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong walks free on parole

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong walked free from prison Friday after he was granted parole, about 11 months before scheduled release. The de facto leader of Samsung Group walked out of the Seoul Detention Center in a southern suburb of Seoul at 10 a.m. Friday. He is one of 810 prisoners scheduled for release Friday as part of South Korea’s annual tradition of clemency for Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday. “I apologize for causing this much concern to fellow citi

Aug. 13, 2021

New COVID-19 cases feared to plateau in 2,000s, citizens urged to stay home over weekend

South Korea's new coronavirus infections stayed at around 2,000 for the third day in a row Friday amid worries that the daily caseload may stay above the threshold due to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant and a potential increase in activities over the weekend. The country added 1,990 COVID-19 cases, including 1,913 local infections, raising the total caseload to 220,182, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily cases on Friday were up thre

Aug. 13, 2021

[Anniversary Special] Out of sight, out of mind?

For Lee Ji-min (not her real name), a 32-year-old employee at a South Korean gaming company, the shift to working remotely offers clear benefits: no grueling commute and a distraction-free work environment at home. Lee is one of many Korean workers who have switched from office-based work to working from home due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Although not all Korean companies allow employees to fully work from home, the number of those working remotely has soared as the country has yet

Aug. 12, 2021

[Anniversary Special] ‘Will COVID-19 end?’ Top vaccine expert urges hopeful patience

Our exit from the COVID-19 pandemic will be a gradual process, with the ferocious beast becoming progressively less threatening until it becomes something we can live with, says the International Vaccine Institute’s director general, Dr. Jerome H. Kim. “Successful vaccination turns the tiger that is COVID-19 into an alley cat. Many fewer people will end up in hospitals or on ventilators, and deaths will be very rare,” he said. Real-world experience from better-vaccinated part

Aug. 12, 2021

[News Focus] Korea lags behind OECD wage average

SEJONG -- South Korea continued to fall short of matching the average annual wage of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2020, though the nation’s minimum wage has been drastically hiked since 2018. The yearly wage for Korean employees posted $41,960 on average in 2020, compared to the OECD average of $49,165, according to calculations by the French-based organization. While the OECD average climbed from $48,935 posted in 2019, Korea’s figure retreated fr

Aug. 12, 2021

Korean USFK workers protest alleged workforce reduction

Unionized Korean workers for US Forces Korea (USFK) protested Thursday that the American military has been reducing the size of the regular Korean workforce and hiring more irregular workers instead. The union held a press conference outside the National Assembly to demand a series of improvements to the workers' employment conditions, including job security and the direct hiring of subcontracted workers. "USFK's reduction of regular Korean workers and hiring of irregular subcontracted wo

Aug. 12, 2021

Concerns loom as schools set to reopen amid virus surge

As schools are set to start opening amid the latest surge in infections, health concerns emerge among unvaccinated students, parents and teachers. The Ministry of Education plans to gradually increase in-person classes, but some concerned students and parents are demanding a full review of the policy in posts on the website of presidential Blue House. A petition posted by one student Wednesday reads, “In my school -- although it is hard to generalize -- students’ wearing masks is

Aug. 12, 2021

New cases still hover around 2,000; 4th wave of pandemic yet at peak

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 2,000 on Thursday, but the peak of the current wave of the pandemic has not yet come amid calls for tougher measures to bring virus infections under control and slow vaccinations. The country added 1,987 COVID-19 cases, including 1,947 local infections, raising the total caseload to 218,192, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload was down 236 from 2,223 the previous day, the largest since

Aug. 12, 2021

Korea reports record new cases, 4th wave still not at peak

South Korea’s COVID-19 situation continued to deteriorate Wednesday with 2,223 new cases reported Wednesday. This is the first time Korea’s daily tally has risen above 2,000 since the pandemic began last year. The cases are unlikely to drop anytime soon as highly contagious delta variants have become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in line with holiday season and slow inoculation, experts say. Health Minister Kwon Deok-chul said a meeting on the day, “Although we hav

Aug. 11, 2021

8 in 10 S. Koreans want college tuition to be halved: poll

More than 8 out of 10 South Koreans think colleges are too expensive and that tuition should be halved from the current level, a poll showed Wednesday. In the online poll of 1,000 people nationwide released by Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Korea, 83.9 percent of the respondents said college tuition is overpriced. Only 14 percent and 2.1 percent said it is reasonable or low-priced, respectively. Also, 79.7 percent said tuition costs need to be reduced, while 14 percent said it needs

Aug. 11, 2021

[Herald Interview] Weirdos change the world: KAIST chief

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology President Lee Kwang-hyung is hoping to put the institution on the global map, by starting with “failures.” KAIST is one of Korea’s leading universities, but its standing on the global stage remains far behind its local reputation. According to the QS Global World Rankings 2022, KAIST came in 41st spot as one of the two Korean schools along with Seoul National University to crack the top 50. KAIST’s standing among t

Aug. 11, 2021

Court confirms 4-year jail term for Cho Kuk’s wife

An appellate court on Wednesday upheld a four-year prison term for Chung Kyung-sim, the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, for forging documents to help her daughter gain admission to medical school and for other actions concerning a private equity fund. But the Seoul High Court lowered Chung’s fine to 50 million won ($43,000) and lowered her forfeiture to 10.61 million won. In December the Seoul Central District Court had fined her 500 million won and ordered her to forfeit 140 mil

Aug. 11, 2021

Anti-corruption unit could probe lawmaker for first time

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is weighing whether to investigate a lawmaker affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party for allegedly receiving illegal political support funds. If conducted, it would be the first official investigation of an incumbent lawmaker by the CIO. Last week the anti-corruption watchdog asked the North Gyeongsang Province branch of the National Election Commission to send over related documents and other data on a main opposit

Aug. 11, 2021

Seoul posts record 661 COVID-19 cases Wednesday

Seoul reported 661 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, a daily high that coincided with a record-breaking number of new infections in the country, health authorities said. Seoul added 650 local infections and 11 cases from overseas arrivals, up 24 from the previous record high of 637 on July 13. The country as a whole posted 2,223 new cases, the highest number since the pandemic began, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Seoul and the surrounding area have been under the s

Aug. 11, 2021