AI chatbot mired in legal dispute over data collection

Artificial intelligence-based chatbot Lee Luda, which ended this month in ethical and data collection controversy, faces lawsuits on charges of violating personal information. On Friday, around 400 people filed a class action suit against the creator of the chatbot, Seoul-based startup Scatter Lab, claiming their personal information was leaked in the process of developing and providing the service. Launched on Dec. 23, Lee Luda, an AI chatbot service designed to imitate a 20-year-old colleg

Jan. 22, 2021

S. Korea to prepare 250 COVID-19 vaccination centers to start inoculations next month

South Korea is preparing 250 vaccination centers across the country as it looks to kick off a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program next month. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Friday that the government was moving ahead of schedule with its preparations to start the program after it became possible that the first batch of purchased vaccines will come before the Lunar New Year holiday, as opposed to originally expected timeframe of late next month. The government is planning to i

Jan. 22, 2021

S. Korea investigating new suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Friday it is investigating a new suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu traced to a poultry farm, with the total caseload here approaching nearly 70. The latest suspected case of the malign 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 country has confirmed 68 cases of contagious bird flu since late November, when it reported the first such

Jan. 22, 2021

New virus cases under 400 again; alert in place against potential upticks

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 400 Friday on the back of tougher virus curbs, but health authorities warned against complacency as they try to further slow down new infections. The country added 346 more COVID-19 cases, including 314 domestically transmitted infections, raising the total caseload to 74,262, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Friday's daily caseload was sharply down from 401 cases reported the previous day. The third

Jan. 22, 2021

[Video] A symbol of hope in COVID-19 era: Medical staff in suits

Protective gear has become a symbol of hope to fight back the pandemic, as the virus continues to sprawl to unprecedented heights. Medical personnel swathed in thick layers of protective hazmat suits have become harbingers of life and death. In this battle, doctors and nurses treating patients are playing the role of real-life superheroes. Footage of buckets of sweat pouring out of hazmat suits are commonplace in media around the globe. In particular, Europe displayed gratitude by hanging ba

Jan. 21, 2021

Ex-short track coach sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison for sexual assault of athlete

A former national short track speed skating coach was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison on Thursday on charges of sexually assaulting Olympic champion Shim Suk-hee. The Suwon District Court convicted Cho Jae-beom of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse, saying his act is highly condemnable. Cho is accused of assaulting Shim for about three years until a few months before the country hosted the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The court also orde

Jan. 21, 2021

Korean language test for foreigners to take place 3 times abroad in 2021

The Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), a Korean language exam for nonnative speakers of Korean, will take place three times outside of South Korea this year, according to test administrators. The overseas exams are slated for April 10-11, July 11 and October 16-17 and the registration periods for each test are January 29-February 3, May 21-27 and August 3-9, respectively. Two more exams will be held only in South Korea in May and November. Anyone who wishes to apply to take the test can

Jan. 21, 2021

[Newsmaker] School violence halved, but cyberbullying rises in pandemic

School violence in South Korea nearly halved from a year earlier in 2020 but cyberbullying gained greater presence among students as the COVID-19 pandemic limited the number of in-school interactions, a government data showed Thursday. According to an online Ministry of Education survey of 3.57 million students between 4th grade and 11th grade conducted from September 2019 to October 2020, 0.9 percent of respondents said they experienced school violence, down 0.7 percentage points from the same

Jan. 21, 2021

S. Korea's gender equality index rises for 5th year in 2019: govt. report

South Korea's national gender equality level improved for the fifth straight year in 2019, as more women were appointed to senior government posts and committees, a government report showed Thursday. The country's gender equality index stood at 73.6 out of 100 in 2019, inching up 0.5 points from the previous year, according to the report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The index measures gender equality in eight major categories: family, welfare, health, economic activities, deci

Jan. 21, 2021

Social distancing likely to persist through the year, says health minister

Social distancing will likely be necessary for the rest of the year, Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol said Thursday. “Even if we achieve 70 percent herd immunity, social distancing and other public health measures will probably persist for a while,” he told a virtual press conference, suggesting that vaccinations alone would not immediately put an end to the outbreak. The minister said the government aimed to vaccinate around 70 percent of the population against COVI

Jan. 21, 2021

S. Korea culls 19.9m poultry, raises guard against bird flu

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Thursday it has completed culling 19.9 million poultry since late November as the country continues to raise its guard against highly pathogenic bird flu. The figures include 16.4 million chickens and 1.73 million ducks, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The total caseload of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza traced to farms reached 68 as of Thursday. The latest confirmed case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came

Jan. 21, 2021

S. Korea to revamp rules on aquariums to better protect animal rights

South Korea's oceans ministry said Thursday that it plans to come up with detailed guidelines for aquariums and ban newly established facilities from displaying whales and dolphins amid the public's growing awareness of animal rights. The move came as the country lacks detailed guidelines over the management of animal rights despite the fact that more than a million people visit local aquariums every year, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. South Korea currently has 23 aquarium

Jan. 21, 2021

Delivery workers, employers reach agreement on preventing overwork

Delivery workers reached a final agreement with their employers on Thursday to prevent overwork by placing the burden of sorting parcels on the companies. The two sides had been in negotiations over a deal after 19 delivery workers died last year apparently due to overwork. The agreement, which was mediated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stipulates that logistics firms bear the responsibility for sorting parcels before their delivery, a job couriers have blamed for thei

Jan. 21, 2021

New virus cases in 400s for 2nd day amid downward trend

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in 400s for the second consecutive day Thursday as health authorities try to further slow down infections with an enhanced social distancing scheme. The country added 401 more COVID-19 cases, including 380 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 73,918, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Thursday's figure was slightly down from 404 cases reported the previous day. The third wave of COVID-19 here reac

Jan. 21, 2021

Customs seize 1.3 tons of Chinese tobacco stashed in punching bags, other household goods

A team of four Chinese nationals was caught smuggling tobacco leaves from China in punching bags and other household goods shipped to South Korea, officials said on Wednesday. The Incheon Main Customs uncovered some 1.3 metric tons (1,300 kilograms) of tobacco leaves at the Incheon International Airport, which can be used to manufacture up to an estimated 13 million packs of cigarettes. Customs authorities slapped each of the four smugglers, including a 30-year-old woman in charge of the opera

Jan. 20, 2021

Govt. applauds own ‘superb’ COVID-19 response 1 year on

A year on since the official introduction of the novel coronavirus into South Korea, the government says the country has responded to the pandemic “superbly,” especially compared to other countries. “Korea has managed to dodge the kind of chaotic situation seen overseas without having to lock down or close borders,” Yoon Tae-ho of the Ministry of Health and Welfare told a news briefing Wednesday, in an assessment of the past year. On Jan. 20 last year, the Korea Cent

Jan. 20, 2021

Veggie restaurant guide released on Seoul City website

The Seoul city government released a list of restaurants, cafes and bakeries in the country’s capital offering vegetarian or vegan options, making it easy for users to search for one in their own neighborhood. A total of 948 restaurants -- 368 independent restaurants and 580 franchise chains -- were introduced, including vegetarian-only restaurants as well as others with vegetarian options. A click on a district on the map of Seoul will bring up a list of places in the district serving

Jan. 20, 2021

Gyeonggi residents, including foreigners, to receive COVID-19 relief

All residents of Gyeonggi Province, including registered foreigners, will receive 100,000 won ($90.90) in emergency cash payouts to cope with the COVID-19 economic fallout regardless of their income, age or occupation, with the exact timing to be decided soon. Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday at an online press conference that it is appropriate to dole out the second round of cash relief and to do so rapidly, given the devastating economic situation, the slowing coronavirus infe

Jan. 20, 2021

State-run Youth Startup Academy set to recruit record-high number of students

The state-run Youth Startup Academy has recruited 1,065 students so far, already a record-high number, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Monday. Established in 2011, the Youth Startup Academy has so far fostered 4,798 young entrepreneurs and created 13,718 jobs while generating 4.78 trillion won ($4.35 billion) in cumulative sales from startups that began with its support. South Korea’s leading fintech unicorn Viva Republica’s Toss and one of the country’s most popular

Jan. 20, 2021

Euljiro opens resting area dedicated for essential public workers

A dedicated resting area for essential public workers is to be newly built in central Seoul’s Euljiro 5-ga. Jung-gu Office announced Wednesday that it plans to build a seven-floor resting area building with a floor space of 200 square meters by October, with construction to begin early this month. The existing rest areas in Jung-gu for on-site essential public workers were installed on a small scale and mostly located underground. They have been vulnerable to ventilation problems,

Jan. 20, 2021