[News Focus] Jobless rate for female NK defectors surges to record high

SEJONG -- The pandemic has worsened hiring conditions for female defectors from North Korea, who already faced higher unemployment rates than male defectors and South Korean women who were born here. According to the Korea Hana Foundation and Statistics Korea, the jobless rate for female North Korean defectors reached an all-time high of 11.4 percent in 2020. Though unemployment had been relatively high among female North Korean defectors for years, until last year the rate never exceeded 8 p

May 25, 2021

52 S. Koreans flown from India test positive for COVID-19

A total of 52 South Koreans who arrived from India this month on special flights have tested positive for the new coronavirus, health authorities said Tuesday. Of 1,718 people who returned home from the pandemic-ravaged country, 3 percent were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). South Korea has airlifted its nationals from India 10 times via special flights since May 4 after the South Asian country became a virus h

May 25, 2021

S. Korea confirms 3 more 'breakthrough' COVID-19 infection cases

South Korea on Tuesday confirmed three more cases of so-called breakthrough COVID-19 infections, bringing the total caseload here to four. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the four people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus even after receiving two doses of a vaccine.   A "breakthrough case" is when a person tests positive form COVID-19 between their first and second doses of a two-dose regimen or a person tests positive after full vac

May 25, 2021

S. Korea reports no additional bird flu cases for nearly 2 months

South Korea has reported no additional highly pathogenic bird flu cases for nearly two months, the environment ministry said Tuesday, indicating the latest wave of the animal disease has virtually come to an end. No additional cases of the H5N8 strain of bird flu have been reported among wild birds since April 1, according to the Ministry of Environment. There have been no new cases traced to poultry farms since April 6 as well. The alert level for the animal disease was already lowered to &q

May 25, 2021

1 in 3 young S. Koreans picks COVID-19 pandemic as No. 1 social anxiety factor

About 1 in 3 young South Koreans picked the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic as the biggest source of social anxiety last year, a poll showed Tuesday. The survey by Statistics Korea showed 32.2 percent of Koreans aged between 13 and 24 said they viewed the outbreak of the pandemic as the biggest threat to society. This marked a rise of 29.9 percentage points from 2.3 percent tallied two years earlier. Crimes ranked second with 22.6 percent, followed by unstable economic situations with 10.1 perc

May 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] Seoul to install more security cameras at riverside parks after med student’s death

Seoul plans to spend 3.8 billion won ($3.4 million) to install more security cameras in 155 locations throughout its riverside parks in response to the death of a 21-year-old medical student late last month. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it was proposing a 4.24 trillion won supplementary budget on top of its 40.16 trillion won budget for this year to further assist those whose lives were damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and to improve the city’s infrastructure f

May 25, 2021

Health minister cites importance of expanding vaccine capacity at WHA

South Korea's health minister on Tuesday stressed the importance of increasing COVID-19 vaccines and treatment manufacturing capacity to fight the pandemic. "We have to focus on developing and expanding the manufacturing capacity of vaccines and treatments to fight the current pandemic," Kwon Deok-cheol said in a keynote speech during the World Health Assembly (WHA). Kwon cited the importance of simplifying clinical trials to expand the commercial supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The he

May 25, 2021

New cases under 600 for 3rd day; infections rising outside greater Seoul

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 600 for the third straight day Tuesday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but health authorities are concerned over rising infections outside the greater Seoul area. The country reported 516 more COVID-19 cases, including 481 local infections, raising the total caseload to 136,983, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload came to 585 on Sunday and 538 on Monday. There were four additional virus dea

May 25, 2021

COVID-19 hinders children's language development: poll

Seven in 10 childcare center teachers in South Korea believe the coronavirus pandemic has reduced language development opportunities for preschoolers, a poll showed Monday. In the poll of 709 teachers at national and public daycare centers in the greater Seoul area, 74.9 percent agreed with the view that children‘s language development was disturbed by the use of masks against COVID-19. The poll was recently conducted by the World Without Worries About Shadow Education, an education nong

May 24, 2021

Local governments set target to go carbon neutral by 2050

South Korea’s local governments -- all 243 of them -- have pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, officials said in a joint declaration at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul Monday. It marked the first time in the world that every local government of a country made a joint pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions, according the Environment Ministry. In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the local governments promised to step up efforts to implement pro-climate pl

May 24, 2021

Stray dog menace poses growing threat to people

A woman was mauled to death by a stray dog in a suburb near Seoul on Saturday afternoon. The 59-year-old died of excessive bleeding a few hours after the dog bit her neck.  The dog's attack was filmed by a closed circuit camera set up in the neighborhood, and police later captured the dog, which looked like a hybrid of Pungsan Dog and Samoyed. This is not an isolated incident at a time when many pedigreed dogs end up on city streets and turn into strays, baring fangs and attacking people

May 24, 2021

[Seoul Struggles 8] Illegally parked cars wreak havoc for drivers in Seoul

Paying fines for illegal parking has become a habit for Lee Hyeon-seok, a 34-year-old office worker based in Jung-gu, central Seoul, where finding a parking spot by his workplace is nearly impossible on most days. Driving to and from his workplace, where designated parking space is not guaranteed, he spends most weekday mornings driving around every corner of the block trying to locate a spot that would be able to house his four-door sedan for eight hours. He has cash waiting in his pocket wai

May 24, 2021

Seoulites have more free time but do less cultural activities amid pandemic: survey

Seoul citizens had more free time but engaged in fewer cultural activities last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey showed Monday. The average Seoulite had 3.6 hours of free time on weekdays and 6.5 hours on weekends, up 0.4 hour (12 percent) and 0.5 hour (8 percent), respectively, from 2018, according to the survey by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC). The foundation attributed the increase to reduced travel time due to remote working and fewer group activities and

May 24, 2021

This summer expected to be hotter than usual: KMA

This summer is expected to be hotter than usual with heavy rains concentrated in parts of the country rather than nationwide, the state weather agency said Monday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), temperatures in June and July are likely to be similar to or higher than the average year with a probability of 40 percent each, and lower with a probability of 20 percent. The average temperature in June is 21.1-21.7 C, and 24-25.2 C in July, the KMA said in its annual sum

May 24, 2021

S. Korea to designate killer whale as protected species

South Korea's oceans ministry said Monday it will seek to include killer whales in its list of protected marine species as the country plans to bolster measures to preserve marine mammals in line with tightened global environment rules. The move came in line with efforts to meet the requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of the United States, which centers on bolstering protection of animals, including dolphins and whales, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The US is

May 24, 2021

New cases under 600 for 2nd day on fewer tests, distancing rules again extended

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 600 for the second straight day Monday on fewer tests over the weekend, with a rebound in the reproduction rate, coupled with sporadic cluster infections, straining the country's antivirus fight. The country reported 538 more COVID-19 cases, including 513 local infections, raising the total caseload to 136,467, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload stood at 585 on Sunday and 666 on Saturday. There

May 24, 2021

S. Korea to plant 3 billion new trees, joining global initiative

The South Korean government plans to plant 3 billion new trees over the next 30 years, joining the World Economic Forum’s One Trillion Trees Initiative, an ambitious global agenda suggested in 2020 to grow one trillion trees worldwide by 2030. Earlier this year, the Korea Forest Service announced the new planting plan as a part of the country’s larger scheme to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. With estimated cost of around 6 trillion won ($5.3 billion), the project aims to restor

May 23, 2021

[News Focus] Number of foreigners in Korea slides to 50-month low

SEJONG -- The number of foreign nationals in South Korea has dropped to the lowest level in more than four years in the wake of the pandemic, state data showed. According to the Korea Immigration Service, the tally for foreign nationals in the nation -- both as long-term residents and short-term visitors -- stayed at 1.99 million in April, down about 9,000 from 1.999 million a month earlier. This was the lowest number in 50 months since the figure stood at 1.986 million in February 2017. Thi

May 23, 2021

Teenage addiction to smartphones, internet rises in 2021 amid pandemic

The number of South Korean students at high risk of addiction to smartphones and the internet increased last year on extended online classes at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a government survey showed Sunday. According to the annual survey of 1.27 million fourth, seventh and 10th graders nationwide by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, a total of 229,000 students were found to be in danger of overdependence on smartphones or the internet, nearly unchanged from a year earlier. Among

May 23, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘US-owned hotel should be moved out of proposed Yongsan park’

Yongsan-gu mayor said that a US military resort hotel in the city should be out of an envisioned national park slated to open within a decade. Upon the agreement made between Korea and the US in 2003, the US Forces Korea headquarters and the United Nations Command moved to Pyeongtaek in 2018, ending the US military presence in the city. In 2005, the Korean government announced plans to build the nation’s first urban national park in the area by 2027. “The land occupied by foreign

May 23, 2021