S. Korean civic group slams Japan's Fukushima decision as criminal act

The National YWCA of Korea, one of the nation's largest women's organizations, on Monday urged the Japanese government to immediately scrap its plan to dump contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. During a news conference in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, YWCA condemned Tokyo's planned discharge of radioactive water as a criminal act that will eventually put all of mankind to death. "Japan has chosen a cheap and reckless method, though Korea an

April 19, 2021

Justice ministry grants temporary stay permits for undocumented migrant children

Illegal migrant children who are born and have lived in South Korea for more than 15 years will be given temporary stay permits, the Ministry of Justice said Monday, as part of efforts to recognize their fundamental and equal rights and inherent dignity. The policy, which runs until February 2025, is limited to children who graduated from elementary school before Feb. 28, 2021. Middle or high school kids will be granted the D-4 visa, and those who already graduated from high school will get the

April 19, 2021

New virus cases back under 600 on fewer tests; stable vaccine rollout in focus

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 600 for the first time in six days Monday mainly due to fewer tests over the weekend amid concerns over the fourth wave of the pandemic as the country strives to get more people vaccinated. The country reported 532 more COVID-19 cases, including 512 local infections, raising the total caseload to 114,646, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's figure was sharply down from 672 the previous day. The daily f

April 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] Number of S. Korean stay-at-home fathers hits new high in March

SEJONG -- The number of South Korean stay-at-home fathers reached an all-time high in March as fewer women took charge of bringing up kids, government data showed Monday. A total of 13,000 South Korean men outside the labor force were in charge of child care last month, up 6,000 from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). It was the largest number since data tracking began in 1999. The on-year increase was also the biggest since March 201

April 19, 2021

US service member injured in stabbing, police searching for suspect

A US service member stationed in South Korea was stabbed during a scuffle at a local bar, and police are searching for a suspect who is presumed to also be an American soldier, officers said Sunday. The 21-year-old service member was stabbed in his stomach late Saturday at the bar in the city of Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, during a fight, according to Pyeongtaek Police Station. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and has received treatment, the officers said, adding t

April 18, 2021

Embattled senior prosecutor questioned in ex-vice minister travel ban case

SUWON -- Prosecutors have questioned the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office over alleged abuse of power in connection with an illegal travel ban imposed against a scandal-ridden senior official two years ago, officials said Sunday. Lee Sung-yoon was questioned at the Suwon District Prosecutors Office as a suspect on Saturday over allegations that he exercised undue influence in 2019 to bring an end to an investigation into the alleged illegal exit ban imposed on former vice

April 18, 2021

[News Focus] Widening wage gap seen between nonregular, regular jobs

SEJONG -- The wage gap between regular and nonregular workers in South Korea has continued to grow over the past decade, state data showed. According to Statistics Korea, the average monthly wage for regular workers came to 2.29 million won ($2,050) in 2010, which posted a gap of 1.03 million won, compared to 1.26 million won for nonregular workers. In 2015, the gap between the two widened to 1.23 million won by 2.7 million won vs. 1.47 million won for nonregular employees. The state-run agen

April 18, 2021

S. Korea to start vaccinations of care workers, airline crews

South Korea will start giving AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers and airline crews this week to speed up the vaccination drive against the pandemic, the health authority said Sunday. Health authorities will administer AstraZeneca vaccines to health care workers for the disabled, seniors and veterans as well as airline crews starting from Monday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Those under age 30 will be excluded from the list on concerns over rar

April 18, 2021

New virus cases in 600s for 4th day as sporadic infections continue

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 600s for the fourth consecutive day Sunday as sporadic infections continue to pop up across the nation, complicating antivirus efforts against the fourth wave of the pandemic. The country reported 672 more COVID-19 cases, including 649 local infections, raising the total caseload to 114,115, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It added three more deaths, raising the total to 1,797. The average daily number of loc

April 18, 2021

Digital sex crimes against children increased nearly 20% in 2019

Digital sex crimes against underage people rose nearly 20 percent in 2019 from a year earlier, a government report showed Sunday. The number of criminals convicted of digital sex crimes reached 266 in 2019, up 19.3 percent from 223 previous year, according to the report published by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Digital sex crimes refer to the sending of online sexual online messages to children, filming and producing sexual videos and photos of minors, or threatening to disclose

April 18, 2021

Civic groups decry Japan's plan to discharge Fukushima nuke plant water

South Korean civic groups held a press conference Saturday to denounce Japan's recent decision to discharge into the ocean contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Eight groups, including the Global Econet, lambasted the plan to release the radioactive water as an "irresponsible" act and demanded the cancellation of the decision, during the conference at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. On Tuesday, Japan finalized the decision to start discharging the t

April 18, 2021

[Photo News] Remembering the Sewol ferry tragedy, seven years later

Seven years ago, more than 300 lives were lost as the Sewol ferry sank deep into the sea. Most were teenagers attending high school. Seven years after the disaster, the nation still mourns that day as if it were yesterday. People all over the nation observed a moment of silence to remember the victims. At a memorial space in Gwanghwamun Square, a citizen can be seen paying his respects.  The bereaved families grieve their loss as they throw flowers into the sea at a ceremony commemorating

April 17, 2021

40 percent of deaths from industrial accidents among people 60 or older: ministry

Four out of 10 people who died last year from industrial accidents were aged 60 or older, according to the labor ministry. A total of 882 people died in industrial accidents last year, marking an increase of 27, or 3.2 percent, from 2019, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Of the total, people aged 60 or above accounted for 347 (39.3 percent), followed by those in their 50s (292), 40s (137), 30s (64) and between 18-29 (42). "Deaths from industri

April 17, 2021

New virus cases in 600s for 3rd day amid rising concerns over new virus wave

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 600s for the third consecutive day Saturday as health authorities ramp up their vigilance amid growing concerns over a looming fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country reported 658 more COVID-19 cases, including 630 local infections, raising the total caseload to 113,444, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It added four more deaths, raising the total to 1,794. Saturday's daily caseload was down from 673

April 17, 2021

Korea gives 500,000 AstraZeneca shots with potentially faulty syringes

At least 500,000 people in South Korea were given AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine with potentially faulty syringes, a Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency official told The Korea Herald Friday. The official said the agency had ordered a recall of some 700,000 special syringes -- designed to squeeze extra doses out of a vaccine vial -- after reports of contamination and erroneous scale markings.  These so-called low dead space syringes for AstraZeneca vac

April 16, 2021

[Video] Memorial institute commemorates Sewol ferry sinking

April 16, 2014, left an unforgettable scar in the hearts of many South Koreans. On that day the Sewol ferry sank off the country’s southwestern coast, taking the lives of more than 300 people. Most were teenage students from Danwon High School on a field trip. It was one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the country’s history. As the nation commemorates the seventh anniversary of the tragedy on Friday, the April 16 Institute of Democratic Citizenship Education has opened in

April 16, 2021

7 years after Sewol ferry disaster, harrowing losses still remembered

Families of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster returned Friday to the unforgiving sea that swallowed their loved ones seven years ago, a disaster that overturned their lives and left a lasting scar for the nation. Onboard a ship rocking in choppy waters off the southwestern tip of the country, they cried as they mourned the victims, with the painful memories still fresh. Seven years ago on the day, the 6,825-ton ferry, carrying 476 passengers en route to the resort island of Jeju, capsized of

April 16, 2021

Climate groups urge S. Korea to declare coal phaseout at US-led climate summit

A coalition of South Korean environmental groups urged the government to declare its intention to go coal-free by 2030 at the upcoming US-led climate summit of world leaders, with a two-day campaign featuring a blue-spotted giraffe mascot. President Moon Jae-in is among the 40 world leaders invited by US President Joe Biden to the Leaders Summit on Climate to be held online Thursday, where the leaders are expected to discuss how to limit global warming. Seeking to reestablish his country&rsq

April 16, 2021

Yellow dust storm from China, Mongolia heading towards Korea

The density of fine dust particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter, known as PM 10, will rise to "very bad" levels in Seoul and many other parts of South Korea, beginning Friday evening, due to the influx of yellow dust originating from deserts in northern China and Mongolia, a state forecasting agency said. The PM 10 reading is to soar above the government-designated "very bad" level in the greater Seoul area and central and southern provinces, including Gangwon and

April 16, 2021

2021 Korea Basic Income Fair to kick off on April 28

The 2021 Korea Basic Income Fair, the world’s largest venue for public discussions on basic income, will take place online and offline at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from April 28 to 30. The first Korea Basic Income Fair was held in 2019. Now marking its third anniversary, this year’s event will be the largest to date with 68 scholars from around the world participating in online discussions under the theme of “Humans Humane

April 16, 2021