Omicron appears to be losing its grip in South Korea, raising hopes for a return to pre-pandemic life. For many Koreans, this would entail a farewell to face masks, a daily nuisance that they had to get used to for the past two years.  But not all are happy to ditch their masks. Some say masks are one of the good things that came out of the pandemic in a society obsessed with looks.  “After two years (of wearing masks), it doesn’t bother me too much to wear one for a l

Social Affairs April 13, 2022

  The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. 　 Dongmyo Station on Subway Lines No. 1 and 6 takes its name from a shrine for a Chinese god of war -- Guan Yu.  Most visitors, however, are indifferent to the pavilions that stand behind the shrine’s stoned wall, and do not seem to question why the Han Dynasty warrior, later deified as a god in China, is enshrined there.  Wha

Social Affairs April 11, 2022

Kim Young-seo, a 30-year-old piano teacher, had resisted last year’s “Squid Game” phenomenon, shutting herself off from the world of streaming. Then COVID-19 came for her. After being diagnosed in late February, she signed up for multiple streaming platforms, including Netflix and Apple TV+. “The fact that I was trapped at home made me feel lethargic and I came to spend hours looking at computer, phone and television screens,” said Kim, who lives alone i

Social Affairs April 6, 2022

Past the omicron peak, South Korea now has over 14 million accumulated coronavirus cases, which means in this country of 52 million, more than 1 in every 4 have gotten COVID-19 at least once.  A vast number of them must have had that experience in the past several weeks, as the country’s virus curve hit over 620,000 daily cases on March 17.  But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. People who have recently recovered shared with The Korea Herald some of the positive t

Social Affairs April 4, 2022

　 Lee, a 41-year-old math teacher at a public high school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has been commuting by bike since last week after retail oil prices slid over the 2,000-won mark. From his home in Mohyeon-eup of Cheoin-gu to Pogok-eup, where the school is located, it takes about 10 minutes by car, but 30 minutes by bike. Instead of spending more time in bed, he chose to save money on gas by waking up early. “I used to pay 200,000 won per month for fuel, which went up to almost 300,

Social Affairs March 30, 2022

   The omicron surge threatens to disrupt wedding plans of many couples here, but some are refusing to let it spoil the most important day of their life. Videoconferencing, livestreaming and emerging metaverse technology have made attendance possible even for those actively infected with COVID-19 -- including quarantined brides and grooms.  A couple’s non-face-to-face wedding photo went viral recently, aptly captioned “Wedding in virus times” by a guest who u

Culture March 29, 2022

Kang, 42, who runs a butcher shop in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, experienced a sore throat and dry coughs two weeks ago, which are the common cold-like symptoms of the fast-spreading omicron variant. As expected, two lines appeared on an at-home test kit for COVID-19, meaning a positive result. Yet, instead of seeking an official diagnosis from a nearby public health center, Kang continued tending to his store to process pre-orders, with “extra attention to personal hygiene.” &ld

Social Affairs March 23, 2022

Monday was the first day of school for 85 children of evacuees from Afghanistan in the southeastern city of Ulsan, after being airlifted here from the war-torn home country last year.  Among them, 28 started school life at Seoboo Elementary School in Dong-gu, while 16 children aged 5 to 7 entered nearby preschools operated by Noksu Elementary School and Sangin Elementary School.  Nineteen middle school students and 22 high schoolers also began attending classes at 14 neighboring publ

Social Affairs March 21, 2022

South Koreans were largely divided over President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement on Sunday of plans to move the presidential office to the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.  While some Yongsan residents expressed worry over downside risks to the region’s property market due to security-related restrictions, those living in neighborhoods near the current presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, hoped it would open new development opport

Social Affairs March 20, 2022

  Police are tracking down two Russians who escaped from a COVID-19 treatment center in North Chungcheong Province, violating their quarantine requirement, according to the North Chungcheong Provincial Office Friday. The undocumented foreigners in their 30s were quarantined in separate rooms on the fourth floor of the facility located in Jangan-myeon, Boeun-gun, sources said. They sneaked out of their rooms at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday and met secretly at a vacant room on the same floor.

Social Affairs March 11, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s seven companion animals are set to become the nation’s “first pets” after he is inaugurated on May 10. Without children, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee live with four dogs -- Tori, Narae, Mari and Sunny -- and three cats -- Akkaengi, Navi and Norangi -- since they tied the knot in 2012. He will become the president with the most pets ever.  Among them, Jindo dog Tori is especially well known to the public from starring in a news phot

Social Affairs March 10, 2022

Kim Keon-hee, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife and future first lady, spoke to local media early Thursday morning after Yoon won the 20th presidential election. “I will assist, with my humble capabilities, the president-elect to fulfill the tasks given to him by the people,” said Kim, 49, in an interview with a local media outlet early Thursday morning after Yoon’s win became clear. “I will try to help the president-elect pay more attention to (people living

Social Affairs March 10, 2022

Election Day has arrived in South Korea, along with a sharp spike in the daily virus tally. Amid reports of 342,446 new coronavirus cases in South Korea, voters across the country flocked to their local polling stations starting as early as 6 a.m. to elect the next leader of the country. Long lines snaked out the doors at schools and community centers, reflecting voters’ eagerness to have their voices heard. Seongbuk Child and Youth Center in northern Seoul had more than 20 people in l

Politics March 9, 2022

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring the subway stations and surrounding areas across the city. -- Ed.  Outside exit No. 5 of Seoul’s Cheongnyangni subway station is a giant construction site.  Dump trucks and heavy duty vehicles come and go, carrying building materials and occasionally making backup warning beeps. Pedestrians hasten their way through a walkway lined with safety fences to escape the intimidating sound

Social Affairs March 7, 2022