New infections in 300s for 2nd day ahead of eased distancing

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 300s for a second straight day on Sunday on fewer tests on the Lunar New Year holiday, with eased social distancing measures in store this week. The country reported 326 more COVID-19 cases, including 304 local infections, raising the total caseload to 83,525, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Daily infections fell from 362 cases the previous day, 403 on Friday, 504 on Thursday when the number of new cases surge

Feb. 14, 2021

Extend work permits for stranded migrants, advocates say

A rise in the number of unregistered migrants who are stranded in South Korea, unable to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic, is prompting calls to allow them to live and work legally in the country. With international flights curtailed due to the pandemic, the government has granted extensions of stay for migrant workers whose visas have expired. But they are not allowed to work here during the extended stay. “We urge the government to extend work permits for migrant workers w

Feb. 13, 2021

Govt. seeking to allow foreigners subject to deportation to extend stay in return for donation

South Korea's government is pushing for a program in which foreign nationals subject to deportation due to minor offenses could extend their stay legally in return for a donation, the justice ministry said Saturday.    According to a research paper commissioned by the ministry on the subject, convicted foreign nationals who are given even minor punishments, such as a fine or suspended sentence, could face deportation under the current Immigration Act.    The government is

Feb. 13, 2021

S. Korea decides to ease social distancing, retains ban on gatherings of 5 or more

The government decided Saturday to lower social distancing levels by one notch each for the greater Seoul area and the other regions next week, but kept tight vigilance to curb COVID-19 by retaining a ban on gatherings of five people or more.    Health authorities said that starting Monday, they plan to lower social distancing guidelines to Level 2 -- the third highest in a five-tier system -- for the greater Seoul area and Level 1.5 for other regions until Feb. 28.    The

Feb. 13, 2021

Seoul's public transport ridership fell sharply last year due to COVID-19: data

Public transport usage in Seoul plummeted last year due to passengers' coronavirus fears, throwing their operators into management difficulties, official data showed Saturday.    According to the data from the metropolitan government, Seoul's subway and bus passenger numbers plunged 27 percent and 24 percent, respectively, last year. Notably, airport bus ridership dived by as much as 85 percent.    Seoul Metro, the operator of the city's vast subway system, saw its annual d

Feb. 13, 2021

Activists call for release of dolphins from aquariums

A group of animal activists called Saturday for South Korea to free captive dolphins in line with the upcoming policy banning newly established aquariums from displaying marine mammals.    Earlier this year, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it plans to ban newly established aquariums from displaying whales and dolphins, although existing facilities will be allowed to continue keeping them.    The decision -- with details yet to be worked out -- came as a total of

Feb. 13, 2021

New virus cases dip below 400; govt. decides to ease social distancing level

 South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 400 on Saturday, apparently due to fewer tests during the Lunar New Year holiday, as the government decided to ease social distancing restrictions.    The country reported 362 more COVID-19 cases, including 345 local infections, raising the total caseload to 83,199, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It added seven fatalities, bringing the accumulative death toll to 1,514.    Saturday's inf

Feb. 13, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Foreigners in Seoul want more benefits, less discrimination’

Seoul is an attractive city for expats, but administrative discrimination must be addressed, says the new chair of the foreign resident council that represents around 500,000 foreigners in Seoul, vowing to improve the quality of their life in cooperation with council members and the government. “Seoul is a globalized and inclusive city that foreigners want to live. However, there is still discrimination against foreigners in the workplace and in terms of social benefits,” said Boqi

Feb. 12, 2021

New virus cases fall back on Lunar New Year's Day, post-holiday virus fight in focus

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases retreated Friday, apparently due to fewer tests amid the Lunar New Year holiday, but health authorities are staying vigilant over a potential uptick after the traditional holiday. The country reported 403 more COVID-19 cases, including 384 local infections, raising the total caseload to 82,837, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Friday's daily caseload was sharply down from 504 cases reported the previous day, when the number of ne

Feb. 12, 2021

Too many in Korea can’t afford to get sick

South Korean workplaces have little sympathy for workers when they get sick. But “toughing it out” constitutes a public health hazard during a pandemic, experts say. Workplaces have emerged as one of the most common settings for coronavirus outbreaks in Korea. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s January data, 18 percent of all locally transmitted cases diagnosed that month were workplace-related, up 7 percent from the month prior. ‘Empty m

Feb. 11, 2021

[Animals in Korea (1)] Animals still things, not beings, in Korea

There is a saying that goes, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” At a glance, South Korea -- with 15 million pet owners -- is a decent place for animals. With a growing trend toward considering pets part of the family, some guardians spare no expense and shop around carefully for the best foods, toys, vets and groomers. Looking closely, however, there is a dark side. Many animals are abandoned when they are sick, old or no longer considere

Feb. 11, 2021

S. Korea reports another case of bird flu

South Korea on Thursday reported one more case of avian influenza (AI). The case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of avian influenza was confirmed at an egg farm in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The farm was home to some 240,000 hens, according to the government's AI response headquarters. Quarantine authorities imposed a travel ban on movement into and out of the poultry farms in the affected area, having culled chickens at nearby farms as part of precautionary measur

Feb. 11, 2021

Road traffic slows over Lunar New Year migration despite COVID-19

Major highways across South Korea began to clog with heavy traffic Thursday as many people headed to hometowns despite the COVID-19 pandemic to celebrate Lunar New Year's Day. Many southbound sections of the Gyeongbu Expressway connecting Seoul to the southeastern port city of Busan, including those near Osan and Cheonan, both south of Seoul, were congested due to heavy traffic as of early Thursday morning, according to Korea Expressway Corp. Cars were also crawling on several southbound se

Feb. 11, 2021

New virus cases at 15-day high as extended Lunar New Year holiday kicks off

South Korea's daily virus cases bounced back above 500 Thursday, putting authorities on heightened alert over a potential surge in infections during the extended Lunar New Year holiday. The country added 504 more COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including 467 local infections, raising the total caseload to 82,434, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marks the biggest daily tally since Jan. 27 when the figure was 559. The Thursday tally also marks a jump from 4

Feb. 11, 2021

15% of passengers not buckled up: survey

About 15 percent of vehicle passengers do not wear seat belts, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority said Wednesday. Despite amendments to the Road Traffic Act in September 2018, mandating that all occupants of a vehicle wear seat belts, the country’s seat belt use rate recorded just 84.8 percent last year, a slight decrease from the previous year, according to the 2020 Traffic Culture Index. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority said 86.1 percent of passengers in the front seat

Feb. 10, 2021

Paternity leave increases 23% in 2020: govt. data

The number of men going on paternity leave jumped 23 percent last year from the previous year, reflecting cultural and policy changes, the labor ministry said Wednesday. The total number of private sector workers requesting paternity leave stood at 27,423 last year, more than double the number in 2017 (12,042), the ministry said. The increase can be attributed to more couples raising their children together and policies encouraging men to take leave, it said. The coronavirus pandemic likely c

Feb. 10, 2021

SoCar under fire over lack of cooperation in sexual assault case

South Korean car-sharing app operator SoCar is facing a public outcry over a sexual assault case involving one of its users. A local news report suggests that the company slowed down the police investigation when it failed to promptly turn over the suspect’s information. The accused man, who is in his 30s, reportedly rented a car from SoCar on Saturday and allegedly used it to pick up the teenage girl who later accused him of sexual assault. The two had met in an online chat room, the r

Feb. 10, 2021

Police to crack down on traffic violations during Lunar New Year holiday

The police will crack down on traffic violations during the Lunar New Year holiday – when the country’s traffic volume usually surges as people visit their hometowns for family gatherings. The National Police Agency (NPA) said Tuesday that the most frequent violations of traffic laws on highways during the Lunar New Year holiday over the past three years were driving on shoulders, the paved space on the side of the road for emergency use. It took up 41.8 percent of all reports, fol

Feb. 10, 2021

Discrimination, hatred against trans people 'serious' in S. Korea: watchdog

Many transgender people in South Korea have experienced discrimination and hatred in everyday life, a survey by the state human rights watchdog showed Wednesday. A total of 591 transgender aged 19 or above took part in the survey on the discrimination they have experienced under nine criteria, including daily life, education and employment, conducted by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea over six months from May of last year. The survey is the largest of its kind conducted here. Am

Feb. 10, 2021

USFK to ease antivirus restrictions except in greater Seoul area next week

The US Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday it will ease antivirus restrictions for most areas except for Seoul and some surrounding regions, starting Monday, allowing its members to dine at restaurants and conduct off-base activities. The Health Protection Condition (HPCON) level will be adjusted by one notch to the second-lowest level of "Bravo" from "Charlie" for USFK areas I and III and the Seongnam district, effective Monday at 7 a.m., according to the US military. Those

Feb. 10, 2021