Labor, management struggle to narrow gaps over next year's minimum wage

Labor and management representatives met this week to negotiate the details of next year's minimum wage but came away with little progress after clashing on whether the rate should be hourly or monthly. The Minimum Wage Commission, a trilateral panel composed of nine representatives each from labor, management and the general public, held its third meeting this year Tuesday to begin negotiations in earnest. The commission holds plenary meetings around this time each year to set the following y

June 17, 2021

[Newsmaker] Pro-tattoo activists challenge “outdated” tattoo laws

Getting a tattoo is not illegal in South Korea, but having one done by an artist without a medical license is -- legislation that activists are fighting to fix, as they say it is outdated and does not fit today’s growing attitude of acceptance. Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the minor left-wing Justice Party joined tattooists and advocates for a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday, wearing a backless purple dress. Her back was painted with temporary tattoos in a show of

June 17, 2021

Army soldier, Air Force officer test positive for COVID-19

An Army soldier and an Air Force officer have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. The soldier, based in the northeastern border county of Hwacheon, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 while away from his base on vacation, and the Air Force officer in Osan, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, was found to be infected after coming into contact with a civilian virus patient, according to the ministry. The latest cases raised the total number of infections

June 17, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 2nd day, vaccinations set to be expanded to more age groups

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 500s for the second day Thursday as health authorities are set to announce the vaccination plan for the next quarter that centers on people aged under 60 and priority groups. The country reported 540 more virus cases, including 523 local infections, raising the total caseload to 149,731, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is similar to 545 cases Wednesday, sharply up from 373 on Tuesday. The co

June 17, 2021

Korea reports first death from rare blood clots likely linked to AstraZeneca shot

A man in his early 30s who was hospitalized with blood clots in his brain after receiving his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine died Wednesday afternoon. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, he is the first Korean to die from a rare type of blood clotting that is likely linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine. The agency said the man died at around 2 p.m. Wednesday while being treated in intensive care. About a week after he received an AstraZeneca shot on May

June 16, 2021

[Herald Interview] Korean-learning app Mypool sets sights on beating rivals

Aided by the success of South Korean popular culture, interest in learning the Korean language has ballooned in recent years. The number of foreign applicants for the state-run Korean proficiency test surpassed 375,000 in 2019, a hundredfold rise over the last decade. American apps such as Duolingo and Rosetta Stone have been popular choices for many foreigners, but a local company hopes to change that. “We wanted to make an app that teaches Korean by Koreans,” Lee Hyun-jun, CEO

June 16, 2021

Korea may reassess AstraZeneca shot’s age cutoff after 2nd rare blood clot case

South Korea on Wednesday confirmed another case of a rare blood clot linked to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in a man in his early 30s. The man was diagnosed with blood clots in his brain 12 days after his first dose of the vaccine, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency told reporters in a closed-door briefing. After receiving the shot on May 27, the man soon developed severe headache and nausea that worsened over time, the agency said. Nine days later, on June 5, he went to

June 16, 2021

S. Korea reports 2nd COVID-19 vaccine-induced blood clotting case

South Korea has reported its second case of unusual blood clotting in a recipient of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, health authorities said Wednesday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the man in his 30s was confirmed to have the very rare but serious side effect, called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, following inoculation on May 27. The patient showed symptoms of a severe headache and nausea nine days after receiving the vaccine shot, the KDCA said.

June 16, 2021

Local governments offer incentives for vaccinations

From free tickets to discounted travel, and to advantages in hiring, local governments are offering various incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. As of Tuesday, 25.7 percent of South Koreans have received their first dose of a vaccine and 6.8 percent have been fully vaccinated, health authorities said. Aiming to achieve herd immunity by November, the government is striving to speed up inoculations with incentives for vaccinated people, such as lifting mask requirem

June 16, 2021

Delivery workers resume rally for 2nd day amid stalled talks on preventing overwork

Thousands of unionized delivery workers continued their strike for a second day in Seoul on Wednesday, calling on logistics firms to implement an agreement on preventing overwork. Around 4,000 workers belonging to the Parcel Delivery Workers' Solidarity Union resumed their protest, after spending a night outdoors in tents or on mats at Yeouido Park, western Seoul. The overnight protest was timed with the resumption of the final meeting over the implementation of overwork prevention measures.

June 16, 2021

Eastar Jet founder gets suspended prison term for election law violations

JEONJU -- Rep. Lee Sang-jik, an independent lawmaker and founder of budget carrier Eastar Jet, was given a suspended prison sentence Wednesday for violating election laws. The local district court in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul, sentenced Lee to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. Lee is the first sitting lawmaker of the 21st National Assembly to receive a prison term for violating election laws. If the ruling is confirmed by the top court, he will lose his parliamentary

June 16, 2021

[Newsmaker] 40% of people apprehended on drug charges are under 30

Police across the country apprehended 2,626 people on drug charges in the second quarter and detained 614, the National Police Agency said Tuesday. Teenagers and people in their 20s made up 40 percent of all those apprehended, an increase of about 28 percent on year. People in their 30s accounted for 24.5 percent of the total. Police in South Gyeongsang Province brought in 42 teenagers accused of violating the Narcotics Control Act by obtaining fentanyl patches on false pretenses, then selli

June 16, 2021

[KH Explains] How to avoid 14-day quarantine in S. Korea if vaccinated abroad

Starting next month, people vaccinated abroad will no longer be required to lock themselves up for two full weeks. The South Korean government opened the doors to greater freedom in international travel on Sunday, when it announced that starting in July it would waive its self-quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated passengers arriving here under certain circumstances, regardless of their citizenship. There are some exceptions to this rule, but overall, it is a positive sign for the touri

June 16, 2021

Police raid Hyundai Development Co. over fatal building collapse in Gwangju

GWANGJU -- Police investigating last week's fatal building collapse during demolition in a housing redevelopment district of the southwestern city Gwangju raided HDC Hyundai Development Co., the main contractor of the project, on Wednesday, officials said. The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency sent a dozen investigators to the leading real estate developer's Seoul headquarters to execute a search and seizure warrant and ascertain whether the company is responsible for the disaster, they said.

June 16, 2021

Landlord who reported tenant for abandoning 14 cats turns out to be their owner

BUSAN -- A landlord who reported a tenant for abandoning 14 cats in the apartment before moving out has bizarrely turned out to be the animals' owner, police said Wednesday. Last week, a local ward office in this southeastern port city received a complaint from a person in their 20s who claimed a tenant had moved out of their apartment leaving 14 cats behind in a pile of garbage and abandoned household goods. The ward office failed to reach the tenant and reported the case to the police on sus

June 16, 2021

New virus cases spike to 500s amid accelerating vaccination drive

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases bounced back to over 500 on Wednesday as health authorities ramp up the country's vaccination drive with a quarter of the population receiving one jab. The country reported 545 more virus cases, including 522 local infections, raising the total caseload to 149,191, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is sharply up from 399 on Monday and 374 cases on Tuesday. The country added one more death, raising the death t

June 16, 2021

Korea meets first vaccine target: 13 million people get one dose

Korea reached its COVID-19 vaccine target for the first half of the year on Tuesday, with 13 million adults inoculated with at least one dose, according to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency statistics, more than three months since its vaccination campaign kicked off on Feb. 26. “About a quarter of Koreans had one dose of a vaccine as of today,” the agency’s senior official Kim Ki-nam told a news briefing. Tuesday’s feat brings Korea closer to the goal of hav

June 15, 2021

Sejong University ranks 1st among general Korean universities in 2021 Leiden Ranking

For four years in a row, Sejong University has ranked No. 1 among general universities in South Korea in the annual Leiden Ranking due to its continued research initiatives, the Seoul-based institution said Tuesday. According to this year’s Leiden Ranking, released earlier this month, Sejong University placed second among all higher education institutions in Korea, after the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology. The Leiden Ranking assesses universities from around the world

June 15, 2021

70 US civic groups condemn Fukushima water release

Seventy US civic groups sent a joint letter to Japan opposing the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, arguing that Japan’s filtration system is insufficient to make the water safe. According to the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement on Tuesday, US nongovernmental organizations including the Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World wrote to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on June 5 o

June 15, 2021

Sex offenders to be banned from becoming homeroom teachers for up to 10 yrs: ministry

SEJONG -- Teachers punished for sexual misconduct will be banned from becoming homeroom teachers for a maximum of 10 years, the education ministry said Tuesday. According to the ministry, the Cabinet approved revised enforcement decrees of the Educational Officials Act and the Private School Act to enhance students' safety and prevent secondary damage from sex-related crimes at school. Under the revision, teachers who have been dismissed or expelled from their posts due to sex offenses, inclu

June 15, 2021