Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung officially announced his presidential bid Thursday, vowing to ensure fairness and to turn a crisis into an opportunity with powerful economic policies. Using a prerecorded video released via social media channels including YouTube and Facebook, Lee signaled the beginning of his presidential campaign by reading Article 1 of the Constitution. “The Republic of Korea shall be a democratic republic. The sovereignty of the Republic of Korea shall reside in

Politics July 1, 2021

South Korea’s daily new COVID-19 case count surged to its highest since April as eased social distancing guidelines were set to take effect. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday reported 794 virus cases confirmed the previous day. Over 80 percent of the new infections were found in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. With the less strict social distancing guidelines set to take effect Thursday, health authorities are closely monitoring daily infection tallies. “

Social Affairs June 30, 2021

Korea’s first dose vaccination rate reached 29.8 percent as of Saturday, health officials said Sunday. So far, nearly 15.3 million people across the country have received their first jabs since the vaccination drive kicked off on Feb. 26. Of them, 4.6 million, or 9 percent of the population, have been fully inoculated. Health authorities aim to administer the first rounds of COVID-19 vaccine shots for 70 percent of the population or 36 million people by September, aiming to have 70 perc

Social Affairs June 27, 2021

Starting in 2026, all police hopefuls will have to take the same physical test regardless of gender. The National Police Committee on Monday passed a plan to introduce a physical examination that requires the same standard for both men and women, the National Police Agency said. The new physical exam is a timed event involving five stations -- running an obstacle course, skipping hurdles, pushing and pulling a 32-kilogram object, carrying a 72-kilogram human-like doll for 10 meters and pullin

Social Affairs June 23, 2021

As a male in my early 30s, and an Army reserve, I was able to receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. I work out three times a week, and have no underlying conditions or drug allergies. This is my experience. Before vaccine The online reservation system for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Janssen vaccine opened at midnight on June 1. As tens of thousands of people tried to book for their shots at the same time, a waiting list prevented me from accessing the system. I exited

Social Affairs June 20, 2021

Police across the country apprehended 2,626 people on drug charges in the second quarter and detained 614, the National Police Agency said Tuesday. Teenagers and people in their 20s made up 40 percent of all those apprehended, an increase of about 28 percent on year. People in their 30s accounted for 24.5 percent of the total. Police in South Gyeongsang Province brought in 42 teenagers accused of violating the Narcotics Control Act by obtaining fentanyl patches on false pretenses, then selli

Social Affairs June 16, 2021

CORNWALL, England/SEOUL -- Korea’s invitation to the G-7 summit signifies that it has risen to the ranks among developed countries standing shoulder to shoulder with global leaders, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. The Group of Seven is an organization of leaders from some of the world’s biggest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The G-7 members meet annually to discuss global issues and coordinate policies.    Ho

Foreign Affairs June 13, 2021

Efforts from individuals are important in the fight against the climate crisis, but to save the Earth changes at a larger scale must happen now, climate activists said Thursday. Under the theme of climate change activism, the third session of Herald Corp.’s first H.eco Forum brought climate activists together to discuss solutions and share ideas. “We have only six years and seven months to respond to the climate crisis. The climate crisis is not a small problem and it cannot be s

Social Affairs June 10, 2021

Like all aspects of life over the past year, education has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. While numerous schools struggled to cope with the pandemic, North London Collegiate School Jeju's Class of 2020 achieved the highest level of academic proficiency and college advancement in its 10-year history. “In the midst of the pandemic, we were really supporting those children through the academic support we give, through the pastoral well-being support we give and ensuring that we hav

Social Affairs June 9, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities to turn to online classes last year. As the coronavirus swept the country, both students and professors struggled to adapt to video-based courses. But more than three semesters into the pandemic, students are discontented with the quality of the online classes. “After taking the midterm exam in one of my core courses, the professor did not upload online classes for four weeks without any notice,” a student told The Korea Herald. “T

Social Affairs June 7, 2021

Sejong University ranks as the 46th best in Asia, according to the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021. It marked the first time in school history to crack the top 50 in the region, the university said Thursday. While other universities in Korea struggled to improve their scores from the British institute for higher education, the school said that Sejong University’s latest reputational jump recorded the biggest climb in Asia, up 32 places from last year’s 78th.

Social Affairs June 3, 2021

Sejong Univeristy’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management is the sixth best in the world for its subject, according to ShanghaiRanking’s the 2021 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. It climbed three places from last year’s ninth place, maintaining the top spot among Korean universities for two consecutive years. ShanghaiRanking began to publish world university rankings by subject in 2009. More than 1,800 universities across 93 countries and regions are listed. To

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

For someone who is not familiar with the term “zero waste,” it might seem like simply creating no waste. But there is a whole lot more to it. To establish guiding principles, the Zero Waste International Alliance defines it as “the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.&rd

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

The torch relay route map on the Tokyo Olympics website illustrating Korea’s Dokdo as part of Japan’s territory has raised the possibility of Seoul boycotting the Summer Games. Dokdo, Korea’s easternmost islets, appeared on the official website of the Tokyo Olympics Committee as part of Japan in July 2019. Seoul’s Foreign Ministry immediately urged Tokyo to delete Korea’s islets from the map. Japan then revised the map to make Dokdo less visible, but the islets we

Social Affairs May 30, 2021

A total lunar eclipse will take place Wednesday night, according to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. The eclipse, which can be observed in the Americas, Asia, Australia and Antarctica, and over the Pacific and Indian oceans, will peak for about 18 minutes starting at 8:09 p.m. Korean Standard Time. Although the unusual celestial alignment will begin before moonrise, the full visual effects will only be clear once the moon has risen fully. It will be South Korea’s first

Social Affairs May 26, 2021