[Newsmaker] Seoul education chief admits 'naeronambul'

Seoul’s Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon admitted hypocrisy in pushing to get rid of elite private high schools while having sent his own kids to such schools. “(I) admit it was ‘naeronambul’ to have sent my children to foreign language high schools while calling for the abolishment of autonomous private high schools,” Cho told the city council on Wednesday, referring to a popular term that translates into “If I do it, it’s romance. If you do it, i

July 1, 2021

Korea will not give AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to people under 50

South Korea’s top health agency said Thursday that effective immediately, people under 50 will be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, raised by 20 years from the current cutoff of 30, due to a rare but possible risk of serious blood clots. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong told a news briefing that for people in their 50s and above, the benefits of receiving an AstraZeneca vaccine were “clearly greater&rd

July 1, 2021

Labor group sticks to large-scale rally plan despite authorities' ban

South Korea's largest labor group said Thursday it will push ahead with a large-scale rally in Seoul this weekend in disregard of a ban issued by police and the metropolitan government. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a militant labor umbrella group with about 1 million members, said it will organize the National Workers Rally in Yeouido on Saturday as scheduled, despite objections raised by police and the Seoul city government due to fears over the spread of COVID-19. The KCT

July 1, 2021

Military reports 1st breakthrough infection

A fully vaccinated Navy officer has tested positive for the new coronavirus, marking the first breakthrough infection reported in the military, officials said Thursday. The officer, based in the southeastern city of Busan, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms despite having received two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine in April and early June, according to the officials. A breakthrough case refers to when a person is diagnosed with the virus two weeks after being a

July 1, 2021

Small firms begin to implement 52-hour workweek

Small businesses with five to 49 employees began to implement a 52-hour workweek Thursday as mandated by law. Under a revision to the Labor Standards Act, the government began enforcing the 52-hour workweek system in 2018, starting with firms with 300 or more employees in July of that year. In January 2020, the system began to be applied to firms with 50 to 299 employees, and on Thursday, to smaller businesses. South Korea has among the longest working hours among the member states of the Org

July 1, 2021

New cases in 700s for 2nd day, capital area at risk of resurgence

South Korea's daily new virus cases remained in the 700s for the second day Thursday as the greater Seoul area is facing a potential resurgence in new infections, which led authorities to push back eased virus restrictions. The country reported 762 more COVID-19 cases, including 712 local infections, raising the total caseload to 157,723, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload soared to an over two-month high Wednesday due to a series of cluster infecti

July 1, 2021

USFK reports 10 virus cases across country as cluster infections continue

Nine American service members and a dependent have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the latest in a series of infections reported at US military bases here, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. Six of the infections were reported from Camp Casey in Dongducheon, 40 kilometers north of Seoul; two from K-16 Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital; and one each from Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of Seoul, and Camp Carroll in the southeastern county of Chilgok, accordi

July 1, 2021

Ex-minister indicted over alleged abuse of power in reactor shutdown decision

Prosecutors indicted a former industry minister and a former presidential secretary Wednesday for their alleged abuse of authority and interference with business in the process of the government's decision to close a decades-old nuclear power plant.    The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office has been looking into suspicions former minister Paik Un-gyu and former presidential aide Chae Hee-bong abused their power in the viability assessment of Wolsong-1, the nation's second-oldest nu

June 30, 2021

95.6% of vaccinated people say they recommend receiving shots: poll

Nine out of 10 people who have been vaccinated said they would recommend that their families and friends receive shots, a government survey showed Wednesday. The poll, jointly conducted by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters and the culture ministry, showed that 95.6 percent were favorable toward receiving COVID-19 vaccines. The share was up 10.4 percentage points from the same survey conducted last month. Some 1,000 adults aged 18 and older took part in the latest su

June 30, 2021

Seoul city reports this year's biggest jump in new coronavirus cases

The city of Seoul on Wednesday reported this year's biggest daily increase in new coronavirus cases, one day before the nation loosens social distancing rules. The metropolitan government said 375 new cases were registered Tuesday, up 170 from the previous day. The previous highest number of daily cases this year was 329, set on Jan. 3. Coronavirus infections in the capital soared late last year, reporting a record 552 daily cases on Dec. 24. The number was reduced to 100-200 levels this spri

June 30, 2021

Top court upholds 4-year prison term for ex-justice minister's nephew for financial crimes

The top court on Wednesday confirmed a four-year prison sentence for a nephew of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk for embezzlement and other financial crimes. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict handed down to Cho Beom-dong by an appellate court, in which he was sentenced to four years in prison and a fine of 50 million won ($41,570) on charges including embezzlement, breach of trust and a violation of capital market law. The court also maintained the lower court's decision to clear him of mos

June 30, 2021

Court extends SsangYong's rehabilitation plan deadline until Sept.

The Seoul Bankruptcy Court said Wednesday it has accepted SsangYong Motor Corp.'s request to extend the deadline for its rehabilitation plan by two months until Sept. 1 considering its ongoing sales process. The bankruptcy court in April put the debt-laden automaker under court receivership, a step short of bankruptcy, and ordered it to submit its rehabilitation plan by July 1. On Monday, SsangYong opened an auction for its majority stake after its Indian parent Mahindra & Mahindra faile

June 30, 2021

Six more Han River bridges to glow at night from July

Six more bridges straddling the Han River in Seoul will be lit at night from July, adding to the 20 bridges that already have nocturnal lighting features, the city government said Wednesday.  The 26 bridges, including the newly fitted six -- Achasan Bridge, Mapo Bridge, Cheonho Bridge, Dumo Bridge, Seoho Bridge and Noryang Bridge -- will glow from 15 minutes after sunset to midnight during the next three months. There are 29 bridges across the lifeline of Seoul, but the remaining three ha

June 30, 2021

With distancing set to be eased, daily case count hits two-month high

South Korea’s daily new COVID-19 case count surged to its highest since April as eased social distancing guidelines were set to take effect. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday reported 794 virus cases confirmed the previous day. Over 80 percent of the new infections were found in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. With the less strict social distancing guidelines set to take effect Thursday, health authorities are closely monitoring daily infection tallies. “

June 30, 2021

Two-day intl. ocean forum opens in Incheon

INCHEON -- An international ocean forum opened in the western port city of Incheon on Wednesday to seek ways to further promote the maritime industry down the road. The two-day Incheon International Ocean Forum (IIOF) 2021 kicked off at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, under the theme of "The World Calls, The Ocean Waves," bringing together maritime industry experts and businessmen from across the world. The forum is hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fishe

June 30, 2021

Immigration to limit period of stay to passport validity period

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice said Wednesday that when foreign nationals get permission to stay in Korea, starting July 1 the period of stay will not exceed the passport validity period. Up to now, foreigners whose passports expired during their stay in Korea could get new passports and report the change to the immigration authorities later. But some faced difficulty when entering or leaving the country, and some were fined for failing to report their new passport information within 1

June 30, 2021

Congestion alert system to run at beaches amid eased social distancing

South Korea's oceans ministry said Wednesday it will launch a congestion alert system at local beaches this week as more people are expected to travel across the country amid hot weather and eased social distancing guidelines. The country will implement the three-level alert system at local beaches to keep safe distances among visitors Thursday, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. While the system was applied at only 50 beaches last year, the ministry said it has decided to exp

June 30, 2021

New cases most since late April as capital area braces for sharp upticks

South Korea's daily new virus cases spiked to an over two-month high Wednesday as a series of cluster infections were reported in the wider Seoul area amid jitters over growing COVID-19 variant cases. The country reported 794 more COVID-19 cases, including 759 local infections, raising the total caseload to 156,961, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest figure was up 199 from the previous day. The country added one more death, raising the death toll to 2,018.

June 30, 2021

Samsung chief to stand trial over allegations of propofol use

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong will face a formal court trial on charges of illegally taking propofol injections, according to sources Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court has decided to hold a trial on the issue, at the request of the state prosecution service, they added. Early this month, prosecutors indicted the de facto leader of Samsung Group, now in jail for bribery and corruption, on a "summary offense" in connection with his alleged use of propofol, whi

June 29, 2021

Korea to show ‘zero tolerance’ for quarantine violations in Seoul

The government will toughen quarantine inspections in the Seoul metropolitan area for two weeks starting Thursday, when relaxed social distancing rules begin to take effect, officials said Tuesday. The confirmed cases in the Seoul metropolitan area made up 73.9 percent of the nationwide total in the fourth week of June, up from 63.5 percent in the fourth week of May. The daily number of new cases in Greater Seoul averages 363.4. “More than 70 percent of domestic infections are concent

June 29, 2021