[Newsmaker] Delivery Hero to sell Yogiyo under watchdog’s antitrust policy

Germany-based Delivery Hero will concede its food delivery services Yogiyo as a cost of acquiring Woowa Brothers, the operator of market champion app Baemin, officials said Monday. The apparently reluctant decision came after South Korea’s antitrust watchdog disapproved the monopolistic merger of the top two apps in the fast-growing food delivery market. “We request that the Fair Trade Commission send the final notice in the first quarter next year,” the company posted on

IndustryDec. 28, 2020

[Newsmaker] USFK to begin COVID-19 vaccination Tuesday

US Forces Korea (USFK) will start administering its initial doses of a COVID-19 vaccine this week, beginning with health care workers, officials said Monday. USFK received the first shipment of Moderna's vaccine on Friday as Camp Humphreys was chosen by the US government as one of four sites outside the continental US that will receive the initial vaccination. "USFK has received its initial shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and will begin inoculations tomorrow at US Army Garrison Camp

DefenseDec. 28, 2020

[Newsmaker] N. Korean exports to China down to $2,400 last month

 North Korea’s exports to China slumped to just $2,382 last month, as the reclusive regime’s all-out push to stave off COVID-19 outbreak on its soil has brought trade with its largest economic partner to a halt. 　 In November, North Korean shipments to China totaled $2,382, the Voice of America reported Saturday, based on data from China’s General Administration of Customs. 　 This figure excludes $1.123 million of electricity exports. The VOA does not count this as expo

North KoreaDec. 27, 2020

[Newsmaker] S. Korea issues nationwide standstill order on poultry farms amid bird flu cases

South Korea issued a 24-hour standstill order on Sunday on all poultry farms across the country following a series of highly pathogenic bird flu cases. Until Sunday, all poultry farms and livestock production facilities, including their vehicles and personnel, will be subject to the movement ban, with disinfection work to be carried out during the period, authorities said. It was the second time this month that a nationwide standstill order was issued over bird flu cases. On Dec. 12, a 48-hour

Social AffairsDec. 27, 2020

[Newsmaker] Coupang offers streaming for premium subscribers

South Korea’s major e-commerce platform operator Coupang said Thursday that it has launched Coupang Play, an over-the-top service that provides unlimited streaming to premium membership holders. Vying with global players such as Netflix and incoming Disney Plus, as well as a number of domestic rivals, Coupang Play will tap the video content market by bundling it with their Rocket Wow Club service at the existing price of 2,900 won ($2.63) per month. The application for Android mobile ph

IndustryDec. 24, 2020

[Newsmaker] Star lecturer Seol takes responsibility for misinformation

Star lecturer Seol Min-seok said he would take sole responsibility for the controversy surrounding misinformation during the second episode of popular tvN entertainment show “Seol Min-seok’s Naked World History.” The apology posted on YouTube on Tuesday followed the announcement the producers made on the program website the previous day, apologizing for the misinformation in the second episode on Saturday. Archaeologist Kwack Min-soo, one of the advisers for the program, poi

TelevisionDec. 23, 2020

[Newsmaker] Moon Joon-yong, President Moon’s son, criticized for receiving artist relief fund

Criticism is rising over President Moon Jae-in’s son Moon Joon-yong, who was selected as a recipient of 14 million won ($12,600) in relief funding for artists who have been hit by the pandemic. The fund is operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. On Dec. 17, Moon Joon-yong’s solo exhibition kicked off at Keumsan Gallery in Seoul, reportedly with the city funding received earlier in the year. The exhibition runs until Wednesday.

Arts & DesignDec. 22, 2020

[Newsmaker] K-pop band BTOB's rapper under probe on alleged marijuana use

K-pop band BTOB's rapper Jung Il-hoon was apprehended by the police earlier this year for allegedly smoking marijuana on multiple occasions, according to law enforcement authorities. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday they referred the 26-year-old rapper, together with accomplices, to the prosecution in July, with recommendations to indict him for violating the Narcotics Control Act. Jung is accused of repeatedly using marijuana he bought secondhand through his acquaintance. He w

Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020

[Newsmaker] Concerns mount over COVID-19 outbreak at detention center

A massive coronavirus outbreak has been discovered at a detention center in southeastern Seoul, with the source of infection remaining unknown. As of Monday morning, a total of 215 people -- including 185 inmates -- tested positive for the virus at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, according to health authorities, after some 3,557 inmates and staff members underwent testing on Friday. District courts in Seoul are on alert as many of the inmates from the detention center are said to have att

Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020

[Newsmaker] COVID-19 cases top 50,000 in S. Korea amid worsening pandemic

South Korea's total COVID-19 caseload broke the 50,000 mark on Monday as new cases have been rising at their fastest pace ever, hampering authorities' antivirus efforts. New cases stood at 926 earlier in the day to push up the total to 50,591, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily death toll hit a record high of 24, raising the total to 698. The caseload surpassed the 50,000 mark in the 11 months since the nation reported its first case on Jan. 20. The

Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020

[Newsmaker] [Feature] A week of YouTuber chaos leaves Ansan residents angry

As the winter cold wave hit Tuesday, the many YouTubers surrounding the residence of child rapist Cho Doo-soon left one by one, leaving behind worried and weary residents. On Friday, the alleys around Cho’s house were quiet and empty, according to residents and police. While YouTubers left with their mission of grabbing online interest successfully completed, the residents were left angered by the YouTubers on top of their worries about Cho. Cho was convicted of raping an 8-year-old gir

CultureDec. 20, 2020

[Newsmaker] N. Korea making all-out efforts against coronavirus before key party convention

North Korea has been striving to stave off a COVID-19 outbreak on its soil ahead of a major national event, according to its state-controlled media Sunday. It plans to convene the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea next month, in which the Kim Jong-un regime is expected to unveil the direction of its major policies at home and abroad. No exact date has been announced yet. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the powerful ruling party, called for more thorough coronavirus virus

North KoreaDec. 20, 2020

[Newsmaker] S. Korea faces shortage of hospital beds as cases on the rise

South Korea faces a dearth of hospital beds due to a surge in confirmed cases especially in Seoul and nearby areas. A total of four coronavirus patients have died while waiting for hospital treatment in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, authorities said Friday. And 251 patients, most of them severe cases, in Gyeonggi Province and 580 patients in Seoul are on standby for available hospital beds. 　 According to Gyeonggi Provincial government Friday, two coronavirus patients in their 70s and a pati

Social AffairsDec. 18, 2020

[Newsmaker] S. Korea culls 6.1m poultry as farm-related bird flu cases reach 18

South Korea has completed the culling of 6.1 million poultry nationwide to curb the nationwide spread of highly pathogenic bird flu, as the total farm-related caseload reached 18, the agricultural ministry said Friday. The destroyed poultry included 4 million chickens and 1.2 million quails, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Under the local law, poultry within a 3-kilometer radius of farms infected with highly pathogenic bird flu must be culled. South Korea has

Social AffairsDec. 18, 2020

[Newsmaker] Top prosecutor to fight suspension in court

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl is taking legal action to overturn his two-month suspension from office, which took effect Wednesday night upon receiving presidential approval. Lee Wank-kyu, a legal representative for the prosecutor general, told reporters in a statement Thursday that Yoon’s defense would file for an injunction from the Seoul Administrative Court to halt the suspension order. The injunction request will be submitted electronically after working hours as it is impossibl

PoliticsDec. 17, 2020

[Newsmaker] High school dropouts no longer exempt from active duty

High school dropouts will no longer be exempt from mandatory active duty from next year, South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration said Wednesday. All able-bodied men here aged between 18 and 30 must serve active duty for 18 to 21 months. Currently, those who do not graduate from high school must complete alternative service. Unlike soldiers on active duty, participants in the program do not live together or take part in training at military bases. Instead they work as delegates to d

DefenseDec. 16, 2020

[Newsmaker] Virus death toll experiences double-digit rise for 2nd day, hospital bed shortage looms

South Korea's coronavirus death toll continued to rise Wednesday, posting a double-digit increase in virus fatalities for the second straight day as critically ill patients piled up amid spiking virus cases. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the country reported 12 additional deaths from COVID-19, raising the total to 612. The country reported a daily high of 13 COVID-19 deaths Tuesday. The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 226, sharply

Social AffairsDec. 16, 2020

[Newsmaker] Moon pins high hopes on new probe unit to fight corruption

President Moon Jae-in expressed high hopes Tuesday for the imminent launch of a new investigative body that will be tasked with looking into corruption among high-level government officials, such as prosecutors and presidents. Setting up the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, independent from the state prosecution office, is one of Moon’s main campaign pledges and is key to his reform push to fight corruption. Last week, parliament approved a bill on expediting i

PoliticsDec. 15, 2020

[Newsmaker] Tourists to S. Korea forecast to drop to 32-year low this year

The number of overseas tourists visiting South Korea is expected to slump to the lowest level in 32 years amid the new coronavirus pandemic that has practically paralyzed the global tourism sector, data showed Tuesday. The number of foreigners who visited the country in the January-October period reached 2.39 million, down 83.6 percent from the same period last year, according to the culture ministry and the state tourism office. Roughly half of the figure -- 1.27 million -- was tallied in Jan

EconomyDec. 15, 2020

[Newsmaker] Police book YouTubers, others after chaos outside child rapist's home

Ansan Danwon Police Station said Monday eight people had been booked for alleged offences outside the residence of child rapist Cho Doo-soon in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, following his release on the weekend. One of those under investigation, a 17-year-old, was booked for allegedly attempting to break into Cho’s residence by climbing a wall, and another is under investigation for allegedly assaulting police officers. A man in his 50s was booked for allegedly interfering in the teenager&rs

Social AffairsDec. 14, 2020