S. Korea confirms another case of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea confirmed another case of highly pathogenic bird flu in poultry Wednesday, bringing the total caseload to 85.    The latest case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from a duck farm in Chungju, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.    The farm was raising 7,000 birds. All poultry within a 3-kilometer radius of the infected farm were culled, officials said.    The country has now confir

Feb. 3, 2021

New virus cases over 400 again on pileup of cluster infections

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases bounced back to over 400 after four days on Wednesday as cluster infections continue to rise despite extended virus curbs. The country added 467 more COVID-19 cases, including 433 local infections, raising the total caseload to 79,311, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload rebounded after staying under 400 for the past three days. The rebound comes after health authorities extended tough social distanci

Feb. 3, 2021

Top 500 firms' hiring falls in 2020 on coronavirus impact

South Korea's major companies reduced their hiring of new employees in 2020 in an effort to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, a corporate tracker said Wednesday. According to CEO Score, 497 out of the country's top 500 firms by sales newly hired 264,901 workers last year, down 5,902 from the previous year. The decline compares with an on-year increase of some 17,200 in 2019. Out of the 22 business sectors, 12 recorded on-year decreases, with the construction and construction materials

Feb. 3, 2021

S. Korea speeds up approval process of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments

South Korean health authorities have stepped up efforts to speed up the approval process for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments amid a third wave of coronavirus outbreaks. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Tuesday it would apply for a special import procedure for Pfizer's vaccines. The nation seeks to bring in 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine, enough to inoculate 60,000 people, this month through the COVAX Facility, the World Health Organization's global vaccine provisi

Feb. 2, 2021

Nine inmates at Seoul prison test positive for COVID-19

Nine inmates at a Seoul prison have tested positive for the coronavirus, all of whom worked in the kitchen, the justice ministry said Tuesday. The Nambu Correctional Institution in southwestern Seoul conducted COVID-19 tests on dozens of inmates and staff after one prisoner who worked in the kitchen recently showed signs of fever and subsequently tested positive. The ministry said a total of nine inmates who worked in the kitchen were found to have contracted the virus, leading officials to is

Feb. 2, 2021

Women's football Olympic qualifiers for S. Korea postponed from Feb. to April due to pandemic

South Korea's final Olympic women's football qualifiers against China have been pushed back from later this month to April due to effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Tuesday the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) informed it of the postponement earlier in the day. The two Asian countries had been scheduled to meet on Feb. 19 in South Korea and again on Feb. 24 in China, with a spot at the Tokyo Olympics at stake. The two-legged series will now be

Feb. 2, 2021

French language teacher shortage leaves schools stuck

For over a decade, preferences for foreign language classes have favored some languages over others, and by 2022, only one French teacher will be left in Seoul's public schools. To guarantee that students have a choice of subjects and maintain a diverse range of language education offerings, growing concerns have risen over the need to appoint new eligible teachers. According to the Korea Association of French Professors and Teachers (ACPF), on Wednesday, there are currently nine French teac

Feb. 2, 2021

‘It’s time to rethink S. Korea’s pandemic response’

South Korean experts say the country’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic needs restructuring to address the unequal cost of social distancing. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday invited a panel of experts across various fields, ranging from public health to economics, to deliver their recommendations ahead of planned revisions to its social distancing guidelines. Health policy and management professor Dr. Kim Yoon of Seoul National University said it was time Korea

Feb. 2, 2021

64-year-old man dies during fitness test for forest fire watchers

A 64-year-old man, who ran a fried-chicken restaurant located in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, passed away in a tryout for forest fire watchers, police said Monday. The man lost consciousness during the fitness test held at a gym in Jangsu in the afternoon on Jan. 29, then later died, according to the Jeonbuk Police Station. At the time of the accident, the man had been carrying a 15-kilogram backpack equipped with an oxygen pump while running along a 1.2-kilometer track. The man reportedly c

Feb. 2, 2021

Korea to deploy new 3D forecasting system for forest fires

The Korea Forest Service will set up a three-dimensional prediction system in a bid to minimize damages from forest fires this year, after a devastating year that has ravaged forests nationwide. The new 3D forest fire spread forecast program, which recreates the shape of the mountains in digital form, utilizes advanced information and communication technology, the KFS said Monday. More precise extinguishing missions will be possible when the new 3D program replaces its two-dimensional predece

Feb. 2, 2021

More than half of S. Koreans want eased virus curbs on family gatherings for Lunar New Year: poll

Over half of South Koreans want eased virus curbs for family gatherings of more than four people during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, a survey showed Tuesday. The country has banned gatherings of five or more people across the country to further slow down the COVID-19 pandemic since last month. On Sunday, health authorities decided to extend tough social distancing guidelines for another two weeks until Feb. 14. The Lunar New Year holiday falls on Feb. 11-13. According to a survey on 1,

Feb. 2, 2021

Minors account for 9% of virus cases in S. Korea, appear less susceptible to COVID-19

South Koreans aged 18 and below accounted for about 9 percent of the total new coronavirus cases reported here, with youngsters being less susceptible to COVID-19 compared to adults, the health authority said Tuesday. Minors accounted for 8.9 percent of the 75,084 virus patients confirmed here through Sunday, according to the data compiled by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case back on Jan. 20, 2020. No fatalities have

Feb. 2, 2021

[News Focus] Plastic waste crisis thwarts Korea’s efforts towards greener future

Korea’s progress towards a cleaner environment is being pushed back by the surge in plastic waste fanned by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the pandemic pushing people to buy food and drinks via takeaway or deliveries that come in plastic packaging, the amount of waste has surged, causing concerns the changes in consumption trend could permanently damage Korea’s green initiatives and disrupt people’s everyday lives. According to the Ministry of Environment, the number of food de

Feb. 2, 2021

KAIST to hold online forum with MIT, Tokyo Tech, Northwestern University

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea’s leading science and tech university, will launch an online forum with three other renowned universities, exploring ways to gain a competitive edge in the industrial sector in the COVID-19 era. The online forum titled, “The Roles and Responsibilities of Universities in a Global Crisis,” will be livestreamed on Wednesday, featuring a range of issues that affect universities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Feb. 2, 2021

[News Focus] Population decreases in 15 of 17 regions of Korea

SEJONG -- The downhill trajectory in South Korea’s demographic figures, which started in December 2019, continued last month as more cities and provinces posted negative population growth. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the nation’s population declined by 3,091 on-month to 51.825 million in January 2021. In December 2018 the figure stood at 51.826 million. Furthermore, 15 of the country’s 17 major cities and provinces saw growth in the minus range, with onl

Feb. 2, 2021

Nearly 8 in 10 companies hit by coronavirus pandemic: survey

Nearly 8 out of 10 businesses in South Korea suffered the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, a recent survey showed. Of those, 4 out of 10 were operating in emergency mode. According to a survey of 302 local firms by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 75.8 percent said they had taken a hit from the coronavirus crisis and some 8.3 percent said their survival was threatened. Only 14.6 percent of the companies responded that the coronavirus had helped their

Feb. 2, 2021

S. Korea investigating another suspected bird flu case, total now at 83

South Korea said Tuesday it is investigating another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu, with the total confirmed caseload traced to poultry farms here since November reaching 83. The latest suspected case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from an egg farm in Icheon, just south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The number of confirmed infections traced to wild birds also reached 127 as of Tuesday. South Korea has so far culled nearl

Feb. 2, 2021

New infections in 300s for 3rd day; this week 'critical' for eased curbs

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 300s for the third straight day on Tuesday as health authorities extended tough virus curbs amid a continued rise in cluster infections. The country added 336 more COVID-19 cases, including 295 local infections, raising the total caseload to 78,844, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload stood at 305 cases on Monday and 355 on Sunday, when the tally fell back to the 300s for the first time

Feb. 2, 2021

S. Korea speeds up approval process of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments

South Korea's drug safety agency has stepped up efforts to speed up the approval process for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments amid a third wave of coronavirus outbreaks. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Tuesday, it will hold a meeting on Friday to give final approval for Celltrion Inc.'s COVID-19 treatment. Celltrion has submitted an application for conditional marketing authorization of CT-P59, an anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment candidate, to the ministry. If

Feb. 2, 2021

How Korea’s first rounds of COVID-19 vaccines may roll out

The National Medical Center on Monday evening demonstrated how the first rounds of COVID-19 vaccinations could be carried out. The state hospital will be the first medical institution to administer the vaccines that are to arrive in the next couple of weeks. “Once people arrive to get their COVID-19 jabs, they will be screened for symptoms and then verified for eligibility, as vaccinations will be accessible to different groups at a time,” the hospital’s infectious disease

Feb. 1, 2021