Govt. gives foreign farming, fishing workers immediate access to health insurance

Foreign nationals employed by farms and fisheries will be eligible for health insurance upon arrival in the country, the labor ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced a set of measures aimed at improving working conditions of foreigners, jointly with the ministries of health, agriculture, and oceans and fisheries. The measures come after a foreign national was found dead inside a greenhouse used as makeshift housing in December. The revision allows foreign nation

March 2, 2021

One killed, dozens injured in traffic accidents amid heavy snow

One person was killed and dozens were injured in traffic accidents caused by heavy snowfall in the country's northeast, officials said Tuesday. Gangwon Province received up to 90 centimeters of snow in the mountains and 5-20 cm inland between Monday and Tuesday afternoon, according to local weather authorities. The snow caused severe traffic congestion and road closures across the province, leading to 79 traffic accidents and multiple casualties, according to firefighting officials. A man in

March 2, 2021

New virus cases stay in 300s for 3rd day as new school semester starts amid potential uptick

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 300s for the third straight day Tuesday due to fewer testing over the weekend, as the country's schools opened a new semester amid lingering concerns over potential upticks. The country reported 344 more COVID-19 cases, including 319 local infections, raising the total caseload to 90,372, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally was slightly lower than the 355 recorded Monday and 356 on Sunday, apparently d

March 2, 2021

A year into pandemic, new school year starts amid hopes, concerns

South Korean schools opened for the new school year Tuesday amid a mix of anxiety and hopes, as the country is still fighting against the third wave of the pandemic, but much-anticipated vaccinations have finally begun. The Ministry of Education has said it would expand in-person classes this year, by giving schools more leeway and revising the government's health protocols on COVID-19 at schools. In a policy unveiled in late January for school operations for the first half of the year, the mi

March 2, 2021

Hundreds of cars trapped on coastal highway amid heavy snow

CHUNCHEON -- Hundreds of cars were trapped on some parts of a highway along the east coast Monday as heavy snowfall caused a traffic gridlock, the road authority said.    Gangwon Province received about 10 centimeters of snowfall earlier in the day, which caused many cars returning from a three-day holiday to be stuck on the snow-covered Donghae Expressway, according to Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC)'s regional office.    Monday is Independence Movement Day, a South Korean n

March 1, 2021

Small rallies held in Seoul amid coronavirus concerns

Some conservative groups went ahead with small street rallies in Seoul on Monday to denounce the Moon Jae-in administration amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. On the rainy day, the 102nd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against Japan's colonization of Korea, more than 10 members of a group staged a rally at around 11 a.m. in front of Gwanghwamun in the city center. The group, which calls itself Freedom Korea National Defense Corps, had applied for approval of the gathe

March 1, 2021

Confirmed cases remain in mid-300s; around 21,000 vaccinated

As the third wave of the pandemic continues, the number of new confirmed cases remain in the mid-300s, while more than 21,000 doses of vaccines have been administered as of Monday. The government’s central response team said Monday the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 355 to 90,029 as of midnight. The figure declined by one from the previous day, staying in the 300s for the second consecutive day apparently due to the number of inspections having decreased over the weekend. O

March 1, 2021

Japanese collaborators sued over real estate assets

The South Korean government has started a legal challenge to confiscate 11 land properties from descendants of four Japanese collaborators, the Ministry of Justice said Monday. The ministry said it filed complaints with the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul Western District Court on Friday to take back 85,094 square meters of land valued at 2.68 billion won ($2.4 million) from descendants of those on the list of pro-Japan collaborators announced in 2007. The four collaborators, named

March 1, 2021

[Newsmaker] Cardinal Cheong Jin-suk hospitalized

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, the former Catholic archbishop of Seoul, has been hospitalized since Feb. 21, the office of the Seoul archdiocese said Sunday. The 90-year-old Catholic leader was admitted to the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital days after reporting pain, but he can converse, the office said in a statement. The cardinal has refused to be put on life support, and had signed papers in 2006 to donate his organs and corneas upon his death. Days after h

March 1, 2021

New virus cases in 300s for 2nd day, cluster infections still worrisome

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 400 for the second straight day Monday, but health authorities remained alert over a continued rise in cluster infections ahead of the start of the spring school semester. The country reported 355 more COVID-19 cases, including 338 local infections, raising the total caseload to 90,029, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally was lower than the 356 recorded Sunday and 415 on Saturday. The fall in new cases l

March 1, 2021

Nation marks subdued Independence Movement anniversary amid pandemic

South Koreans commemorated the 102nd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement with smaller, subdued commemorations Monday as the nation is battling the coronavirus pandemic. The national holiday is usually observed with large ceremonies, processions and performances remembering the months of popular uprisings against Japan's colonial rule (1910-45), which started in Seoul on March 1, 1919. About 2 million people participated in the protests across the county and more than 7,500 were

March 1, 2021

Cardinal Cheong Jin-suk hospitalized due to ailment

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, former Catholic archbishop of Seoul, has been hospitalized due to deteriorating health conditions, according to Catholic insiders Sunday. Cheong, 90, was recently admitted to a hospital and was receiving treatment, according to the sources familiar with the cardinal's situation. He has reportedly managed to overcome critical, life-threatening situations on multiple occasions. Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the current archbishop of Seoul, has reportedly noti

Feb. 28, 2021

[News Focus] Korea’s working-age population falls to 23-year low

SEJONG -- The percentage of working age population in South Korea fell to its lowest level in more than two decades, in the wake of continuously falling births and an ageing population, latest data showed. The nation has seen a gradually declining number of newborns since the 1990s and an ongoing entry of baby boomers -- people born between 1955-1963 -- to the senior population, which started in January 2020. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety

Feb. 28, 2021

[Newsmaker] Child abuse can now lead to death penalty in South Korea

South Korea is strengthening punishment for child abuse amid a growing number of cases, with the recent revision of a child abuse law now making the death penalty a possibility. On Friday lawmakers passed a bill at the plenary session of the National Assembly to revise a law dealing with penalties for child abuse, making it possible for child abusers to be convicted of murder even if they did not intend to cause death. The amendment, called the Jeong-in Act, is named after a 16-month-old gir

Feb. 28, 2021

S. Korea's bird flu cases tallied at 103

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Sunday it has identified another case of highly pathogenic bird flu traced to poultry farms, with the confirmed caseload staying at 103. The latest case of the deadly H5N8 strain of avian influenza was reported from an egg farm in Pocheon, 46 kilometers north of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. South Korea reported its first highly contagious bird flu case from farms since 2018 in November last year. Cases traced

Feb. 28, 2021

New cases below 400; virus curbs extended for 2 weeks

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 400 on Sunday, partly due to fewer testing over the weekend, as the country launched its first mass vaccination campaign last week. The country reported 356 more virus cases, including 334 local infections, raising the total caseload to 89,676, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Sunday's daily caseload marks a decline from 415 tallied the previous day. The figure was gradually increasing throughout last week

Feb. 28, 2021

New legislation toughens punishment for perpetrators of fatal child abuse

The National Assembly has approved a law revision that would step up the punishment for perpetrators of fatal child abuse in the wake of a series of recent deaths of abused children. The bill to revise the act on child abuse crimes passed a plenary National Assembly session Friday. The revised law newly codifies the crime of child abuse homicide, stipulating the maximum capital punishment and a minimum seven-year imprisonment for perpetrators. Before the revision, the worst cases of child abu

Feb. 28, 2021

[From the scene] ‘I feel safer’: Vaccinations begin for Korea’s front-line workers

After many months, workers on the front lines of South Korea’s pandemic response are finally getting their COVID-19 shots. On Saturday morning, The Korea Herald met a few of the recipients at the National Medical Center -- one of the select institutions in the country capable of managing the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at ultralow temperatures. The first person in Korea to get a Pfizer vaccine was Jung Mi-kyung, 51, a member of the state hospital’s cleaning staff. Comme

Feb. 27, 2021

[Eye Plus] 18th-century poet’s abode shows there is charm in simplicity

The home of Yi Cheon-bo can be found in a remote town in Gapyeong, a county not far from Seoul. Yi was a member of the Joseon Dynasty elite, spending all his adult life as a trusted adviser to the king. Privately, he was a poet who left behind eight collections. His verses were known for their wit and refreshing absence of pretense.  With faded ivory walls, bare wooden pillars and a slate-gray roof, Yi’s home bespeaks the beauty of moderation. The low stone fence is unthreatening, s

Feb. 27, 2021

[Photo News] COVID-19 vaccine enters Korea

A medical professional extracts the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from a vial at the Dobong-gu public health center in northern Seoul on Friday morning. A health professional prepares the AstraZeneca vaccine on the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination program in Korea at the Geumcheon-gu public health center in southern Seoul. A health official prepares a COVID-19 vaccination at a nursing home in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. (Photos: Yonhap) By Yoon Chae-won (choenayoon@heraldcorp.com)

Feb. 27, 2021