[Feature] Death sentence looming for universities as first-ever demographic winter starts

Private universities in South Korea may be heading for mass closures as the country crosses into its first-ever demographic winter, and experts say more government support is needed. As the population shrinks, universities -- particularly less prestigious institutions, and those located away from population centers -- are facing a student shortage and increasing financial difficulties. According to a Statistics Korea analysis, the number of Koreans aged between 18 and 21 is projected to fall

Jan. 17, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 6th day; tougher curbs partially eased

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 500s for the sixth consecutive day Sunday, as the country partially eased restrictions on cafes and gyms to strike a balance between maintaining social distancing and easing the burden on virus-hit businesses. The country added 520 more COVID-19 cases, including 20 imported infections, raising the total caseload to 72,340, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Sunday's daily number marked a sharp fall from

Jan. 17, 2021

[Eye Plus] Green refuge underground

Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7 in bustling southern Seoul offers an unlikely escape from pollution and the gray urban environment, reviving the original meaning of the name Cheongdam in a small section of the station. The name Cheongdam means “clear pond,” and is said to have been given to the area for the Han River’s clear waters in the area. The modern-day revival of the clear pond takes the form of a 650-meter section of the subway station where plants, an artific

Jan. 16, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 5th day as govt. announces eased restrictions

South Korea on Saturday eased restrictions on previously shuttered or scaled back businesses as the number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed in the 500s for the fifth consecutive day. The country added 580 more COVID-19 cases, including 547 local infections, raising the total caseload to 71,820, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Saturday's daily number marked a slight increase from 513 posted a day earlier, the KDCA said. Prime Minister Chung

Jan. 16, 2021

S. Korea extends current social distancing level for 2 weeks, eases restrictions on cafes, gyms

South Korea on Saturday extended its current social distancing level for two weeks while easing business restrictions on cafes, gyms and other indoor facilities. Under the new measures taking effect Monday, the capital area will continue to enforce Level 2.5, the second highest in a five-tier system, and the rest of the nation will remain under Level 2. The ban on private gatherings of five or more people, and the restriction on business operations after 9 p.m., will also be kept intact. Prim

Jan. 16, 2021

USFK reports 6 more virus cases linked to Yongsan, Pyeongtaek bases

One American soldier stationed in South Korea and five individuals affiliated with US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the new coronavirus, military officials said Friday. The service member resides and works on the US Army Garrison Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, and has access to the Yongsan base, according to USFK. Four civilian workers -- three American and one Korean -- and a family member tested positive on Thursday, it added. The Yongsan ba

Jan. 15, 2021

Gyeonggi Governor tops poll of presidential hopefuls

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung came out on top in the latest poll of support for presidential candidates released Friday, while previous front-runner Lee Nak-yon plummeted. In a survey by Gallup Korea conducted with 1,000 adults over the age of 18 from Tuesday to Thursday, 23 percent of respondents picked Lee as their most favored presidential candidate, up 3 percentage points from the poll a month earlier. Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl came in second with 13 percent support, unch

Jan. 15, 2021

Court orders pirate site to compensate authors for illegally using their works

The operators of a South Korean pirate website have been ordered to pay compensation to around 50 online comics creators for using their works without permission, judicial sources said Friday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the creators in the damages lawsuit they filed in October 2019 against the pirate website named Bamtoki. The court ordered its three operators to pay between 1.5 million won ($1,366) and 6 million won to each plaintiff. Bamtoki was one of the largest ill

Jan. 15, 2021

Captain of bulk carrier missing in Indian Ocean

The captain of a South Korean-flagged bulk carrier went missing early this month while sailing in the Indian Ocean, Coast Guard officials said Friday. A local shipping company reported to the Coast Guard in the southern port city of Busan at 12:24 a.m. on Jan. 4 the disappearance of the chief of its 400,000-ton vessel that was traveling from Brazil to China. A sailor went to the captain's room to call him for dinner but he was not seen anywhere on the ship, the company told the authorities. N

Jan. 15, 2021

COVID-19 patients suffer hair loss most after 3 months

Coronavirus patients in South Korea experienced side effects such as hair loss, fatigue and decreased breathing capacity months after they recovered from the infection, according to a survey of health authorities. Three months after they recovered from COVID-19, the most common side effects survivors had was hair loss and shortness of breath during exercise, according to a survey on 40 recovered coronavirus patients by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Six months after the reco

Jan. 15, 2021

[Newsmaker] Court acknowledges sexual harassment by late Seoul mayor

A local court acknowledged that former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was found dead in July in an apparent suicide, had sexually harassed his former secretary in a separate trial involving the victim and a former city employee. The Seoul Central District Court said the victim suffered considerable mental distress due to Park’s unwanted sexual advances while handing down a ruling in a case where another employee of the Seoul city government was accused of sexually assaulting the same vic

Jan. 15, 2021

Police, taxi drivers join forces to find missing people

South Korea’s taxi drivers and the police are joining forces to find missing people, the National Police Agency said Thursday. In the event of a missing persons report, depending on the details and circumstances of the case, the police will first determine whether to dispatch a message to KaKao Mobility, the operator of Korea’s biggest taxi-hailing app Kakao T. Once the police decide to do so, they will set the scope of the targeted search area and send a description of the missi

Jan. 15, 2021

S. Korea may extend current social distancing rules with more exemptions

Authorities are in discussion to potentially adjust social distancing rules for next week, as the country looks to address demands from small merchants while controlling the ongoing third COVID-19 wave. South Korea on Friday saw 513 new COVID-19 cases -- 484 locally transmitted and 29 from overseas -- raising the total number of cases recorded here to 71,241, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. By Thursday’s end, Korea had also reported a total of 1,217 deaths f

Jan. 15, 2021

Ex-BIGBANG member Seungri additionally indicted for inciting assault

YONGIN -- Seungri, the disgraced former member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, has been additionally indicted for allegedly mobilizing gang members to threaten people he got into a fight with at a bar. Prosecutors on Thursday added the charge for the 31-year-old, according to the general military court under the Ground Operations Command in Yongin, about 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Seungri, whose legal name is Lee Seung-hyun, was at the center of a major sex and drug scandal that roiled the c

Jan. 15, 2021

Delivery workers threaten strike ahead of Lunar New Year

Unionized delivery workers on Friday threatened to launch a general strike unless measures are put in place to prevent their overwork before next month's Lunar New Year. Parcel deliveries are expected to increase around the holiday, which falls on Feb. 12 this year, as people travel to their hometowns and exchange gifts with family and friends. Couriers have complained for months that their workloads are unbearable, especially after a surge in online orders caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Jan. 15, 2021

S. Korea's highly pathogenic bird flu caseload reaches 62

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Friday the total number of highly pathogenic bird flu cases traced to farms reached 62 amid the growing concerns over the spread of the disease across the country. The latest confirmed case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from an egg farm in Anseong, 77 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. South Korea saw its first farm-traced case in nearly three years in November 2020. Later on Friday

Jan. 15, 2021

S. Korea extends pandemic-driven advisory against overseas travel until Feb. 15

South Korea on Friday extended its special advisory against overseas travel for another month amid the continued spread of the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. The measure, which will be effective until Feb. 15, calls for citizens to cancel or postpone their planned trips abroad. The current monthlong advisory is set to expire Saturday. The ministry said that it extended the advisory, as many countries around the world continue to restrict entries of people arriving from overseas an

Jan. 15, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 4th day in sign of downturn in infections

The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed in the 500s for the fourth consecutive day Friday, in a sign that the third wave of the pandemic has slowed down following a peak on the back of monthlong tougher virus curbs. The country added 513 more COVID-19 cases, including 484 local infections, raising the total caseload to 71,241, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Friday's daily number marked a slight drop from 524 posted a day earlier, the KDCA

Jan. 15, 2021

No new COVID-19 cases reported at correctional facilities for 2nd day

Correctional facilities in South Korea reported no new coronavirus cases on Thursday for the second day in a row, after an alarming surge in a cluster infection at a Seoul prison. A total of 1,249 COVID-19 cases linked to prisons across the countryb had been reported as of Thursday, unchanged from Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice said. The government has announced a set of enhanced COVID-19 measures for prisons following the outbreak at the Seoul detention center that has emerged as a hotbed

Jan. 14, 2021

S. Korea’s refugee approval rate hits all-time low

South Korea’s refugee approval reached an all-time low over a 10-month period last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, dipping below 1 percent, government data showed Thursday. The number of asylum-seekers granted refugee status here was 44 from January to October last year, putting the proportion of refugee claims accepted during the period at 0.8 percent, according to statistics from the Justice Ministry. This marks the lowest figure since the country began to compile relevant data in 19

Jan. 14, 2021