S. Korea hit by increasing heat waves, tropical nights, data shows

South Korea experienced three to four more days of heat waves and tropical nights per year during the past decade than it did during the past 48 years, data from the Korea Meteorological Administration showed Monday. Heat wave days from 2011 to 2020 averaged 14 days per year, up 3.9 days from the 10.1 days recorded between 1973 and 2020. The average number of tropical nights increased 3.3 days to nine days during the same period. A heat wave alert is issued when the maximum sensible temperatur

July 12, 2021

Say goodbye to Gangnam Style, treadmill running for next 2 weeks

South Korea’s virus authorities are asking those in the Greater Seoul area to give up high-speed running on treadmills and fast dance music for group exercises in fitness clubs, as they worry that intense workouts could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 during its most challenging wave to date. The restrictions under the strictest level of the four-tier system now require many fitness clubs and users to revise their plans, or else face fines. The health authorities have also come under mo

July 12, 2021

‘Different wave, same problems’

South Korea’s front-line medical workers and experts say the way the fourth COVID-19 wave has unfolded here is largely a repeat of previous waves, and that the country has landed itself in a preventable mess by failing to learn from past mistakes. “Lessons are going unlearned,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Eom Joong-sik at Gachon University Medical Center, which has been designated by the government for serious COVID-19 cases in Incheon since February last ye

July 12, 2021

Employment insurance subscribers increase fastest in 19 months

The number of employment insurance subscribers posted the largest year-on-year increase in 19 months in June in a sign of recovery of the pandemic-hit job market, government data showed Monday. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, there were 14.33 million subscribers to the state insurance plan last month, up 462,000 from June 2020. The increase was the biggest since November 2019, when the number jumped by 477,000 on-year. The ministry said the increase is attributable to stron

July 12, 2021

New infections above 1,000 for 6th day, cases start to rise in non-capital areas

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose by more than 1,000 for the sixth consecutive day Monday despite fewer tests over the weekend, as the greater Seoul area, the hotbed for the recent spike in new infections, is placed under the toughest social distancing measures. The country added 1,100 new COVID-19 cases, including 1,063 local infections, raising the total caseload to 169,146, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally compares with 1,324 tallied

July 12, 2021

Korea, 30th of 36 OECD members in female employment

SEJONG -- The hiring market for women has been relatively tough in South Korea, compared to Western countries. This could also be seen in global comparison data. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Korea posted a 56.7 percent employment rate for women in the working age population of 15-64 in 2020. Korea placed No. 30 among the 36 OECD members for the female employment rate. Of the total 37 members, last year’s figure for Mexico has yet to be compiled.

July 12, 2021

Stiffest distancing measures take effect in Greater Seoul

Starting Monday, the most restrictive social distancing measures are taking effect in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon for the next two weeks to control the surging number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The number of newly confirmed cases recorded 1,324 in the 24 hours ending Saturday at midnight, marking the third day in a row that the figure had stayed in the 1,300s. On Friday the country set a record for the highest number of new infections reported in one day, with 1,378 p

July 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] Seoul to start towing illegally parked e-scooters Thursday

Seoul will start towing illegally parked electric scooters, as the city asks service providers to take responsibility by preventing their products from disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday that it will start towing illegally parked e-scooters Thursday in six of its districts, before going on to do so in the remaining 19 districts. The city plans to levy a 40,000 won ($35) towing fee for each scooter and a 700 won storage fee for every 30 mi

July 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] Court to begin trials Friday for ex-YG chief in whistleblower blackmail case

A Seoul court will this week begin trials for Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO of K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment, on charges of attempting to cover up a drug scandal involving a singer-rapper, judicial officials said Sunday. According to the officials, the Seoul Central District Court is to hold its first hearing Friday for Yang, who was indicted last month for having threatened and coerced an informant who testified to police about drug suspicions surrounding B.I, the former songwriting leader of

July 11, 2021

Elite high schools retain status in 10-0 victory over education authorities

Elite high schools will be able to keep their status for the time being after the courts ruled 10-0 against the education authorities' decision to cancel their licenses. On Thursday, Dongsan Christian High School in Ansan, 42 kilometers south of Seoul, became the tenth and last "autonomous private high school" to win against the education authorities in the first round of an ongoing legal battle for legitimacy. "I hope the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education will humbly accept

July 11, 2021

COVID-19 cases rise above 1,300 for 3rd day, greater Seoul faces toughest curbs

South Korea's daily new COVID-19 cases rose above 1,300 for the third straight day Sunday, as health authorities were set to impose the toughest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area to bring the fourth wave of the outbreak under control. The country recorded 1,324 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,280 local infections, raising the total caseload to 168,046, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is the first time that the nation's daily infections have risen above 1,30

July 11, 2021

Escaped bears expose decades-old problems of inhumane bile farming in S. Korea

Early this week, two young bears escaped from their cramped cages at a breeding farm in Yongin, south of Seoul. One was shot to death hours after the escape, and the other is still on the loose.    Similar incidents have occurred in the past in a country where bears -- mostly moon bears, or Asiatic Black Bears, on the endangered species list -- are kept captive for life for their bile and other body parts that are used in alternative medicinal treatments.    The owner of t

July 10, 2021

COVID-19 cases hit new high for 3rd day ahead of semi-lockdown in greater Seoul

South Korea on Saturday posted the highest-ever daily COVID-19 cases for the third straight day, as the country is set to impose the highest level of virus curbs on the greater Seoul area next week. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 1,378 COVID-19 cases were confirmed the previous day, including 1,320 local infections, raising the total caseload to 166,722. It marked the highest figure since the country reported its first confirmed infection on Jan. 20 last year. It

July 10, 2021

Restaurant, bar owners fear dark days ahead

As South Korea readies to go into a near-lockdown bracing for its worst wave yet of COVID-19 to hit, owners of restaurants, bars and other nightlife establishments are expressing worries over their chances of survival. “I heard from the news that Level 4 guidelines were under consideration two or three days ago, but I am shocked that this is really happening,” a 53-year-old Korean barbecue restaurant owner surnamed Lee in Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, told The Korea Herald. “I

July 9, 2021

All you need to know about Level 4 social distancing rules

Starting from Monday, social distancing measures in the greater Seoul area will be raised to the highest in the four-tier system, as South Korea’s daily infection tally had spiked over 1,000 in the past few days. The new measures will remain in place for two weeks until July 25. Here’s what you need to know about the latest rules. Private gatherings Private gatherings of more than four people are banned. After 6 p.m., gatherings are limited to two people, even for the fully

July 9, 2021

5 theatergoers test positive for COVID-19 in 1st case among audience members

Five people who went to a theater in Seoul last month have tested positive for COVID-19, the first time an infection has been confirmed among audience members, the city government said Friday. The five are among 22 confirmed COVID-19 patients traced to the theater in Jongno Ward. The first case was reported in a theater personnel member on June 29. "This is the first time we have confirmed infections among members of an audience at a theater, which we manage separately in case of cluster

July 9, 2021

Toughest social distancing measure to deal yet another blow to service sectors

The retail, hospitality and other service sectors in the wider capital area are expected to suffer another setback as the highest level of social distancing rules will be implemented amid the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry watchers said Friday. Under the Level 4 guidelines to go into effect Monday for two weeks in Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon, entertainment establishments, including night clubs, will be ordered to shut down, while

July 9, 2021

Small business owners despondent over toughest-ever distancing rules

The upcoming ban on private gatherings of three or more people in the greater Seoul area is driving owners of restaurants, bars, cafes and many other small businesses into utter despair. On Friday, the government announced a decision to put the capital area under the toughest social distancing rules of Level 4, halving the maximum number of people allowed for private gatherings to a mere two. Under the unprecedented restrictions set to be in effect for two weeks beginning Monday, gatherings of

July 9, 2021

All schools in greater Seoul area move online as pandemic worsens

All schools in the greater Seoul area will switch to virtual instruction full-time, as the government decided to raise the virus alert level to the highest next week amid record-breaking COVID-19 cases. The measure will go into effect Wednesday at schools in Seoul, Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capital, and Gyeonggi Province until July 25, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said during a briefing Friday. Cram schools should shut down at 10 p.m. starting Monday. School summer vacation normally

July 9, 2021

USFK to toughen COVID-19 quarantine rules amid another wave of pandemic

The US Forces Korea (USFK) decided to implement tougher antivirus rules for two weeks, banning visits to bars and clubs and mandating mask wearing, amid the fast spread of the pandemic in South Korea, the US military said Friday. South Korea has seen a drastic surge in the daily COVID-19 caseload over the past several days, reporting the highest-ever figure on Friday since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. The Seoul government decided to impose the toughest social distancing scheme in the

July 9, 2021