S. Korea's COVID-19 cases exceed 70,000, but winter wave shows signs of slowing down

South Korea reached another bleak milestone in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic as its total COVID-19 caseload broke the 70,000 mark Wednesday, but health authorities said the winter wave showed signs of slowing down. The virus, which was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, has killed more than 1,100 people in South Korea. New cases stood at 562 earlier in the day to raise the total to 70,212, surpassing the threshold 12 months after the nation's first

Jan. 13, 2021

Controversy grows over ‘real person slash’ sexualizing male K-pop idols

A presidential petition calling for stern punishment for those creating fan fiction called “real person slash”  sexualizing underage male idols began garnering support Wednesday, triggering questions as to whether it can be seen as a form of idol culture or if it constitutes a digital sex crime. “Real person slash is a culture of sexual crime, which features real male idols and describes pervert-like sexual intercourse and rape in an unspeakably explicit manner, and cou

Jan. 13, 2021

Reimbursement sought from church as hotbed of COVID-19 infections

South Korea’s state health insurance agency said Wednesday it plans to seek reimbursement from an evangelical church that became a new hotbed of COVID-19 infections, accusing it of hampering authorities’ epidemiological efforts. The National Health Insurance Service is filing for the reimbursement of costs for COVID-19 testing, self-quarantines and medical treatment linked to the BTJ Center for All Nations in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. The health insurance agency, which c

Jan. 13, 2021

Air Force unit in Gapyeong reports COVID-19 cases in series

Two service members from an Air Force unit tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total caseload there to 12, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The airmen stationed at the unit in Gapyeong, 60 kilometers east of Seoul, were confirmed to have been infected, as around 170 members of their base have been undergoing tests after the first COVID-19 case was reported Saturday, according to the ministry. "Contact tracing is under way, and we are taking steps to stop the further

Jan. 13, 2021

2 USFK employees at Yongsan base test positive for coronavirus

Two civilians working at US Forces Korea (USFK)'s Yongsan garrison in central Seoul have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Wednesday. The first patient is a South Korean national who works as a registered taxi driver, and the second individual is an American contractor of the US defense department, according to the USFK. Both reside in Seoul and are currently in isolation at their off-base residences before they will be transported to medical facilities, it added.

Jan. 13, 2021

New virus cases in 500s for 2nd day; worst wave of pandemic slowing

The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea remained in the 500 range for the second day in a row Wednesday, indicating that the third wave of the pandemic is possibly heading for a marked slowdown after a peak on the back of monthlong tougher virus curbs. The country added 562 more COVID-19 cases, including 536 local infections, raising the total caseload to 70,212, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The total caseload surpassed the 70,000 mark since t

Jan. 13, 2021

S. Korea confirms two more cases of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it has confirmed two more cases of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu on poultry farms. The latest cases were reported from a farm in Goseong, about 470 kilometers south of Seoul, and a farm in Namyangju, just north of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Authorities culled poultry within a 3-km radius of the infected farms as part of preventive measures and issued a standstill order in nearby farm

Jan. 12, 2021

Drug Ministry to stamp out misleading ads for COVID-19 treatments

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will closely scrutinize claims about foods, medicines and medical devices advertised as coronavirus treatments or preventives. Online shopping malls, agencies that buy products on behalf of customers and secondhand trading markets will be the subject of close examination for any false or exaggerated claims, the ministry said Tuesday. The main targeted products include prescription drugs, such as chloroquine and dexamethasone, and unauthorized medical devi

Jan. 12, 2021

Who will get COVID-19 vaccine first? The debate begins

As South Korea gears up for COVID-19 vaccinations, with the first batch of vaccines to be shipped here next month, the government is weighing whom to push to the front of the line. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Tuesday outlined the groups that would be granted priority: seniors aged 65 and above, those aged 19 or above who have health conditions, health care workers, child care workers, emergency dispatchers, police, firefighters and service members. The agency said the i

Jan. 12, 2021

More snow hits S. Korea, threatening rush hour traffic

The capital area began to see snowfall Tuesday afternoon as weather authorities warned of a bigger flurry around evening rush hour. The Korea Meteorological Administration said the snowfall will be heaviest from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the capital and central regions, with the greater Seoul area receiving up to 3 centimeters of snow and the adjacent areas of Gangwon Province receiving up to 5 cm. "We expect there to be traffic congestion as the heavy snowfall will occur around evening rush ho

Jan. 12, 2021

Govt. urged to increase rewards for medical workers fighting COVID-19

A local medical workers' union on Tuesday called for greater government attention to increasing financial compensation for frontline health workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic, saying insufficient remuneration for nurses, in particular, threatens the operations of public hospitals and other hub-hospitals for COVID-19. The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union held a news conference in front of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul to call for immediate measures to expa

Jan. 12, 2021

Evangelical church emerges as new hotbed of coronavirus infection in S. Korea

An evangelical church in a central city has emerged as a new hotbed of infections amid a downturn in the daily number of coronavirus cases in the country, health authorities said Tuesday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said a total of 576 cases across the nation were linked to BTJ Center for All Nations in Sangju, 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as of midnight. Out of 2,800 people who visited the center between Nov. 27 and Dec. 27, 126 people have tested positive for

Jan. 12, 2021

Two former executives acquitted in humidifier cleaner deaths case

A court on Tuesday acquitted the former heads of SK Chemical Co. and the consumer goods company Aekyung Industrial Co. in a deadly humidifier sterilizer case. The Seoul Central District Court found both Hong Ji-ho, the former CEO of SK Chemical, and Ahn Yong-chan, the former CEO of Aekyung Industrial, not guilty of professional negligence resulting in death. They were accused of manufacturing and selling Humidifier Mate, a humidifier sterilizer that includes harmful chemicals, in the early 200

Jan. 12, 2021

Seoul Library added 15,000 Korean, foreign e-books, available for free

The Seoul Metropolitan Library added 15,000 Korean and foreign books in the digital format and 3,000 audiobooks to its catalog, making them available for free for registered users. Any registered user can log on to the library’s website or mobile app, browse through available e-books and click on the “borrow” button. One can borrow up to five e-books at the same time and download them or read them from a web browser for up to 14 days. The newly added books are subscription

Jan. 12, 2021

Seoul detention center reports 7 more COVID-19 cases, 5 of them among female inmates

A detention center in southeastern Seoul, the center of recent mass COVID-19 outbreaks, has reported seven more confirmed cases from its latest round of mass testing, the justice ministry said Tuesday. The additional seven cases were confirmed at the Dongbu Detention Center on Monday during its eighth round of mass testing conducted on all inmates and center officials. Two of the new cases involved male inmates while the remaining cases involved female inmates, according to the ministry. Addit

Jan. 12, 2021

Revised traffic law to allow police, firefighters to act promptly

Drivers of emergency vehicles such as police cars, fire trucks and ambulances will not be punished for running traffic lights or crossing the median when carrying out their official duties, according to the revised Road Traffic Act. The new act became effective Tuesday, the National Fire Agency and the National Police Agency said in a joint press release. The law was revised to ensure that emergencies are handled promptly -- meaning, for example, that fire trucks arrive within five minutes a

Jan. 12, 2021

S. Korea nears deal to buy Novavax COVID-19 vaccines

South Korea is close to striking a deal to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for 10 million people from US drugmaker Novavax, according to informed sources Tuesday. The Seoul government has been negotiating with Novavax to secure its vaccines as early as in the second quarter of this year, sources with knowledge of the issue said. In August 2020, Novavax signed a development and supply deal with Korean bio firm SK Bioscience Co. to supply vaccines in global markets. The government earlier said it ha

Jan. 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] Public outcry grows over group killing, torturing stray cats

Public outrage is growing in South Korea over a group of people shown brutally killing and torturing stray cats in videos and then encouraging such acts in a mobile chat room, leading the police to launch an investigation into the case Monday. In an open online chat room named “Gore Professionals” on the country’s top messenger app, KakaoTalk, anonymous users reportedly shared pictures and videos that showed stray cats being brutally killed and tortured. They also reportedly

Jan. 12, 2021

[News Focus] Small businesses to launch legal challenge to social distancing rules

Small business owners are taking legal action against the government, calling the social distancing rules unfair and saying the restrictions have greatly diminished their chances of economic survival. On Monday, a group representing coffee shop owners in South Korea announced that around 200 of its members would lodge a suit against the government later this week demanding compensation for business lost as a result of the government’s social distancing rules. In the suit, to be filed wi

Jan. 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea investigating 3 suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it is investigating three suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu from poultry farms. The latest suspected case of the malign H5N8 strain of avian influenza was reported from a duck farm in Goseong, 466 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. There were also suspected cases from Muju, 241 kilometers south of Seoul, and Namyangju, just north of the capital city. South Korea has confirmed

Jan. 12, 2021