Drug trafficking via international shipping surges in S. Korea

Drug trafficking using international shipping has sharply increased as overseas travel became nearly impossible and online purchases went up amid the coronavirus pandemic, a local customs office said Tuesday. The Incheon Main Customs said it busted 189 cases of drug smuggling into South Korea in the first quarter of this year and has referred 16 suspects to the prosecution. Of the total, 182 cases involved international shipments, compared with the 118 cases reported during the same period la

April 13, 2021

Migrant workers allowed to extend stay in Korea for one year

South Korea on Tuesday announced a decision to extend the period of stay for about 115,000 foreign migrant workers by one year in a bid to relieve labor shortages at small businesses and in farming and fishing communities. The labor and justice ministries said that the temporary extension of stay will apply to the E-9 non-professional employment and H-2 visiting employment visa holders, whose period of staying and working in South Korea is set to expire between Tuesday and Dec. 31. The extraor

April 13, 2021

Police raid Gwangyang city hall over mayor's alleged land speculation

Police raided Gwangyang city hall on Tuesday as part of an investigation into allegations of land speculation by the mayor and his wife. The Jeonnam Police Agency said its investigators searched the office of Gwangyang Mayor Jeong Hyeon-bok, the office of the roads department and the mayor's official residence in the city 423 kilometers south of Seoul, and seized computers and cell phones to analyze for evidence. Jeong has been suspected of receiving special favors after a piece of land owned

April 13, 2021

With more school outbreaks, health concerns grow

SEJONG -- South Korea has recently experienced a flare-up in virus cases, with outbreaks occurring at schools that opened in early March for the spring semester, putting to test the ability of health and education authorities to keep schools safely open. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae visited a high school in Anyang, south of Seoul, on Monday to inspect efforts to contain the virus in and out of classrooms. She had originally planned to visit an elementary school, but changed the plan at the

April 13, 2021

New virus cases under 600 for 2nd day; spring resurgence in store

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained below 600 for the second straight day Tuesday on fewer tests over the weekend, amid concerns about a spike in COVID-19 cases in spring. The country reported 542 more COVID-19 cases, including 528 local infections, raising the total caseload to 110,688, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's daily caseload was down from 587 the previous day, when the daily tally slipped below 600 for the first time in six days on

April 13, 2021

S. Korea's FM says Ramadan holds greater significance at time of pandemic

  South Korea's foreign minister said Monday that the Islamic holy month of Ramadan holds a greater significance than ever at a time when the world is fighting against the coronavirus pandemic.  Chung Eui-yong made the comment on the ministry's Twitter page as he extended his best wishes to Muslim communities around the world that are set to begin the fasting month this week.  "More than ever, the worldwide pandemic has led us to appreciate the meaning of Ramadan, which is

April 12, 2021

[News Focus] Korea limits AstraZeneca shots to over-30s -- should it be higher?

South Korea restricted the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in people younger than 30 years old over the risk of unusual blood clots, but some experts say a higher age limit is advisable. Korea University’s infectious disease professor Dr. Kim Woo-joo said the move is “questionable” when the latest research found that blood-clotting conditions were reported in the vaccine’s recipients ranging in age from their early 20s to mid-50s. For people in their mid t

April 12, 2021

Mask mandate for all indoor spaces touches off controversy

A tougher mask mandate that went into effect for all indoor public places nationwide on Monday is triggering a spate of controversy, as some people complain of inconvenience in their daily lives. Beginning this week, mask wearing is mandatory in all public indoor spaces and on public transportation, including trains, taxis and ships, at all times, under authorities' bid to stem the spread of COVID-19. The mask mandate also applies to rallies, performances and outdoor settings where at least two

April 12, 2021

S. Korea reaffirms no link between COVID-19 vaccinations and deaths

South Korea's health authorities on Monday said there is no causal relation between COVID-19 vaccines and 11 reported deaths after vaccinations, assuring the public of the safety of the vaccines. An investigation was concluded on 11 out of 47 people who died within days of receiving COVID-19 vaccines by AstraZeneca and Pfizer Inc, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. An epidemiological survey on 32 out of 47 reported cases has been concluded so far, the KDCA said. The

April 12, 2021

49 more cases of COVID-19 variants confirmed, total now at 379

South Korea on Monday reported 49 more new cases of COVID-19 variants amid concerns that the spread of more transmissible strains may further strain the country's virus battle, with the fourth wave of the pandemic looming. Of the additional cases identified in the past seven days, 44 people were confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus variant believed to have originated in Britain, followed by four South Africa variant cases and the Brazilian strain with one, according to the Kore

April 12, 2021

Seoul to introduce own social distancing rules to help small-business owners

Seoul plans to introduce its own social distancing system as an alternative to South Korea’s nationwide rules out of concern for small-business owners. In a press briefing Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the Seoul Metropolitan Government is preparing to announce new social distancing rules exclusively for the city, as the current nationwide system harms small-business owners and merchants. The city government is looking to have its municipal social distancing rules ready by the end o

April 12, 2021

Nearly 2,000 LH employees buy or lease public housing provided by their company: lawmaker

Nearly 2,000 employees at a state housing developer have signed contracts for public housing provided by their own company over the last 10 years, data showed Monday. According to the document that Rep. Kwon Young-se of the opposition People Power Party received from the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), 1,900 workers at the company signed such contracts between 2011 and 2020. The company is at the center of the ongoing government-led investigation into alleged land speculation involving its

April 12, 2021

New virus cases back under 600 on fewer tests; curbs extended amid spring resurgence

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 600 for the first time in six days Monday partly due to fewer tests over the weekend, amid looming concerns over the fourth wave of the pandemic. The country reported 587 more COVID-19 cases, including 560 local infections, raising the total caseload to 110,146, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's figure was down from 614 the previous day, but it was still high given fewer tests conducted over the week

April 12, 2021

Seoul mayor faces bumpy road ahead to stabilize housing market

New Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, whose main pledge was to stabilize the city’s housing market, faces a difficult task of winning support from a ruling party-led government and lawmakers, on top of having to curb soaring property prices that have risen in anticipation of promised policy easing. Oh’s real estate policy focuses on revitalizing private-led development and urban redevelopment with various deregulation policies. Through this, he aims to provide 360,000 housing units in five

April 11, 2021

Korea resumes AstraZeneca vaccinations for people 30 and up

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine will not be given to anyone under the age of 30 in South Korea, as growing evidence points to possible associations with a rare but serious blood-clotting disorder. The government’s advisory committee on immunization practices said in a news briefing Sunday that AstraZeneca vaccinations will resume Monday after a partial suspension for the last four days. In an emergency announcement Wednesday evening, the immunization advisory committee said it wou

April 11, 2021

[News Focus] 60-somethings outnumber 30-somethings for 1st time

SEJONG -- People in their 60s outnumbered those in their 30s in South Korea for the first time ever this year, state data showed. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, those aged 60-69 outnumbered those aged 30-39 at 6.87 million versus 6.81 million in March. That put the aged 60-69 category in third place among 11 age groups, from those under 10 to centenarians. The top two groups were people in their 50s (8.61 million) and 40s (8.25 million). The change can be attributed to

April 11, 2021

Jeju stuck in dilemma over tourism recovery and spread of COVID-19

A rapid growth in tourist numbers is bringing joy to and causing concern among residents of Jeju, the southern holiday island increasingly favored by locals as an alternative to overseas travel amid the COVID-19 outbreaks. Tourist arrivals on Jeju Island have rapidly recovered to pre-coronavirus levels in recent months to the delight of its tourism sector, but residents are concerned about growing COVID-19 cases among visitors. According to Jeju provincial authorities on Sunday, the number of

April 11, 2021

New virus cases in 600s for 3rd day amid extended social distancing scheme

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 600s for the third consecutive day Sunday amid looming concerns over the fourth wave of the pandemic, with authorities struggling to contain sporadic cluster infections nationwide. The country reported 614 more COVID-19 cases, including 594 local infections, raising the total caseload to 109,559, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. South Korea reported 677 new cases Saturday, which marked a slight rise from 671 ta

April 11, 2021

Man sentenced to 6 years in prison for trafficking marijuana

A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for selling marijuana he smuggled in from the United States using an unmanned parcel locker, judicial sources said Sunday. According to the sources, the Seoul Central District Court recently handed down the prison term to a 29-year-old man, whose identity has been withheld, on charges of violating the Narcotics Act. He is accused of buying marijuana from US-based drug dealers he met on the dark web, an area of the internet that is not accessible

April 11, 2021

Sea-parting festival in Jindo to be held only online this year

A world-famous sea-parting festival hosted annually by the southwestern South Korean island county of Jindo will be held only as an online event this year, officials said Sunday. The 42nd edition of the Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival, described worldwide as the "Korean version of Moses' miracle," will be held only online from April 27-29, the officials said, in accordance with authorities' campaign for non-face-to-face events to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Around this time of y

April 11, 2021