Police recommends indicting 22 parents over buying leaked SAT papers

Twenty-two parents have been referred to the prosecution for potential indictment on charges of purchasing illegally leaked US Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) papers, police said Thursday. The parents allegedly bought SAT question and answer sheets leaked by brokers from 2014 to 2019, paying as much as 50 million won ($45,000) per paper, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The brokers obtained the SAT question sheets in China and elsewhere, and handed them over to the parents, w

Nov. 26, 2020

COVID-19 cases surge to 583

South Korea’s new daily COVID-19 case count soared to 583 on Thursday, the highest single-day increase in virus cases since early March amid a full-blown third wave of infections across the country. The country reported 553 locally transmitted cases and 19 cases imported from overseas in the 24 hours ending Wednesday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.　 It is the first time that the country’s daily virus cases have exceeded 500 since March 6,

Nov. 26, 2020

60 newly enlisted soldiers test positive for new coronavirus

Sixty newly enlisted soldiers tested positive for the new coronavirus at an Army boot camp in the central border town of Yeoncheon on Wednesday, the defense ministry said. They underwent virus tests after one of their colleagues showed symptoms and tested positive earlier in the day, even though he tested negative in an initial test taken upon his entrance into the camp, according to the ministry. They all joined the military on Nov. 10. The figure is feared to grow, as the authorities are

Nov. 26, 2020

Appellate court reduces Hyosung chairman's sentence

A Seoul appellate court on Wednesday overturned a lower court's prison sentence for the chief of South Korean textile and chemical conglomerate Hyosung Group, indicted for embezzlement and breach of trust, and granted a suspended prison sentence after acquitting him of certain charges. The Seoul High Court sentenced Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon to imprisonment of two years, suspended for three years, after convicting him only on the charge of embezzling 1.6 billion won (US$1.44 million)

Nov. 25, 2020

Prosecution in turmoil after chief suspended

A day after Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl was suspended from duty, turmoil continued at the nation’s prosecution, including a raid of Yoon’s office Wednesday by Justice Ministry-backed prosecutors over alleged illegal surveillance of judges. Armed with a search warrant, prosecutors from the Justice Ministry’s internal investigation team raided a unit of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in charge of data collection. The surveillance of judges, using the unit, is one

Nov. 25, 2020

Two-wheeler crash deaths rise, as COVID-19 pushes up demand for delivery

The overall number of traffic accident deaths in South Korea dwindled this year, but two-wheeler crash deaths increased, police data showed Wednesday, apparently reflecting the growing demand for delivery services amid the spread of the coronavirus. According to the National Police Agency (NPA) and the transport ministry, the number of deaths from all traffic accidents reached2,587 in the first 10 months of this year, marking a fall of 5.5 percent from 2,739 deaths in the same period of last ye

Nov. 25, 2020

USFK says soldier was erroneously declared to have contracted COVID-19

An American soldier recently reported to have contracted the new coronavirus is in fact free of the disease, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday, citing an "administrative error" for its inaccurate announcement. On Tuesday, the US military said the soldier at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, has tested positive for COVID-19 in the first case reported at the USFK headquarters since early last month. "USFK's established quality control measures identified an ad

Nov. 25, 2020

Childbirths in S. Korea down 2.2% in Sept.

The number of babies born in South Korea edged down 2.2 percent in September from a year earlier, data showed Wednesday, in yet another sign that the country's population is on the verge of a sharp decline. The data compiled by Statistics Korea showed that 23,566 babies were born in September, compared with 24,090 tallied in the same month of 2019. It marked the lowest number of newborns for any September since 1981, when the statistics agency started compiling data on newborns on a monthly ba

Nov. 25, 2020

Four more service members test positive for new coronavirus

An airman, two soldiers, and one Army officer have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the latest in a series of infections reported at barracks, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The airman in the central city of Seosan showed symptoms while being quarantined after his unit reported an infection cluster recently, according to the ministry. The total number of COVID-19 cases at the Air Force unit came to 15. The Army officer stationed in the border town of Paju was infected after comin

Nov. 25, 2020

Some 84% of newspapers, magazines in crisis due to pandemic: survey

Around 84 percent of local newspapers and magazines have experienced severe business difficulties due to the new coronavirus pandemic, a recent survey showed. According to the survey published Tuesday by the Korea Press Foundation, 33.4 percent of newspaper and magazine companies said the management crisis was "very severe," while 50.8 percent answered it was "somewhat severe." Only 13.3 percent of respondents said the crisis was "not that severe," while a mere 2.

Nov. 25, 2020

Labor group set to stage nationwide rallies despite virus surge

An umbrella labor group staged nationwide rallies Wednesday despite calls for restraint following the recent resurgence of the coronavirus. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the more militant of the country's two largest umbrella labor organizations, held the rallies in addition to a strike to protest the Moon Jae-in government's labor reform policies. The rallies involved no more than nine people in Seoul, in line with the city government's new social distancing rules. But rallies in

Nov. 25, 2020

COVID-19 cases see largest daily increase since August

South Korea reported the highest number of new daily COVID-19 cases since late August on Wednesday, amid the continued emergence of infection clusters from every corner of daily life. The country reported 382 new coronavirus cases -- 363 locally transmitted and 19 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Tuesday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Wednesday’s case tally marked the highest figure since Aug. 27, when it stood at 434 amid a re

Nov. 25, 2020

Ex-UN chief Ban Ki-moon awarded ‘Strait of Magellan’

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday was awarded the “Strait of Magellan” Award by the Chilean government for his global leadership to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Ban, who now serves as chairman of the National Council on Climate and Air Quality as well as president and chair of the Global Green Growth Institute, won the award for his contribution in leading the international community to adopt Sustainable Development Goals and in reaching th

Nov. 24, 2020

KDCA commissioner named among BBC’s 100 women

Jeong Eun-kyeong, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, has been named among the top 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020 by the BBC, the British broadcaster said Monday. “This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times,” it said. Introducing the commissioner as the “virus-hunter,” it said Jeong, a preventive-medicine specialist, has led Sout

Nov. 24, 2020

USFK reports one COVID-19 patient at Pyeongtaek headquarters

One member of US Forces Korea (USFK) stationed at its headquarters in the city of Pyeongtaek tested positive for the new coronavirus Tuesday, the US military said. It is the first case of COVID-19 that USFK has reported at Camp Humphreys since early last month. The latest case brought the total number of new coronavirus cases among USFK-affiliated people to 369, most of whom tested positive upon arrival here from the United States. "Notifications to those affected, case trace, and team

Nov. 24, 2020

Cafes, movie theaters adjust to new social distancing rules

South Koreans in the greater capital area were forced to adjust to toughened social distancing rules Tuesday as cafes banned indoor seating and moviegoers were told to eat popcorn outside theaters. The new Level 2 guidelines took effect at the start of the day after the government raised the scheme to stem the recent surge of the coronavirus. Most notably, cafes were ordered to offer takeout and delivery only, while restaurants were told to do the same after 9 p.m. Small cafes, in particular,

Nov. 24, 2020

As bed shortage looms, National Medical Center proposes home care for mild COVID-19

As resurgence in Seoul rapidly fills hospital beds, public doctors at the National Medical Center on Tuesday proposed home care as an option for mildly sick patients with COVID-19. Seoul saw a near-record rise in daily new infections of 132 on Tuesday, continuing the weeklong streak of summer wave numbers. Health care facilities, especially intensive care units, are once again being strained to their limit in the capital area, the NMC doctors warned. There are 125 critical care beds that can

Nov. 24, 2020

[News Focus] Jeju has highest proportion of registered foreign residents for 4th year

SEJONG -- The number of foreigners per 1,000 population in South Korea reached the all-time high of 24.53 at the end of 2019, data held by Statistics Korea showed. The figure was based on the number of registered foreign residents, 1.27 million, of the nation’s resident registered-based population, 51.84 million, as of last year. The figure does not include people in Korea on F-4 visas, because they are not registered as residents here. The proportion of registered foreign residents cl

Nov. 24, 2020

Top prosecutor's mother-in-law indicted over medical law violation, fraud

The prosecution on Tuesday indicted the mother-in-law of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl on charges of violating the medical law and fraud. Prosecutors believe the 74-year-old woman, surnamed Choi, established a medical foundation to run a long-term care hospital for seniors in November 2012 even though she was not qualified to do so. The hospital was caught for illegally receiving 2.29 billion won ($2.06 million) in medical care insurance allowances for two years from May 2013, according to

Nov. 24, 2020

[Newsmaker] KCTU to launch nationwide rallies Wednesday despite COVID-19 surge

The largest umbrella labor group in South Korea is sticking to its plans to launch a general strike and nationwide rallies Wednesday, despite warnings from authorities about the COVID-19 situation. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said Tuesday that the one-day walkout will go ahead as previously announced, and striking members will take to the streets in small groups throughout the country. In the capital, rallies of nine people or fewer at various locations are planned in accordance

Nov. 24, 2020