Wedding ceremonies in South Korea face another round of cancellations and disappointment, as restrictive virus rules limit the number of guests and force organizers to pivot from their game plans. At the moment, Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province are under Level 4 social distancing rules, limiting the number of guests at weddings there to 49. The rule is not likely to be relaxed anytime soon, which has drawn immense anger from to-be-married couples and wedding venues alike. Officials and exp

Social Affairs Aug. 17, 2021

An arrest warrant for an umbrella union head has been issued, but resistance from the union is likely to present tougher challenges for police. On Friday, a local court issued an arrest warrant for Yang Kyung-soo, head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on charges of violating COVID-19 rules by organizing a large rally last month. Despite repeated requests from authorities and restrictions implemented as part of Level 4 social distancing rules, the KCTU held a rally with 4,701 of i

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2021

As COVID-19 sweeps through society, once populous urban areas and tourist spots have become almost desolate, pushing small-business owners to the brink. The strict social distancing rules are taking a heavy toll on small businesses, which was evident from what The Korea Herald saw last week in some of the most well-known areas in Seoul for social gatherings and entertainment. On any given day of the week, the streets of Hongdae, western Seoul, are expected to be filled with people. The go-to c

Social Affairs Aug. 14, 2021

A website claiming to “verify” feminist celebrities and high profile figures was deleted hours after launch Friday, highlighting once again how feminism faces backlash from anti-feminist groups and how deepened gender conflict has become in the country. The website, dubbed “Check Femi,” had several dozens of figures analyzed by 11 a.m. Friday, categorizing them to three groups of “suspected,” “verified” and “vanguard” in their associat

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2021

Police have warned it will take stern action on any illegal protests during the Liberation Day weekend after a number of civic groups announced plans to hold rallies over the next few days in downtown Seoul. The National Police Agency said Thursday it plans to clamp down on anyone who breaks social distancing rules and participates in illegal assembly and rallies. The warning comes at a time when South Korea is struggling to tamp down a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections that has pushed the nu

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2021

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong walked free from prison Friday after he was granted parole, about 11 months before scheduled release. The de facto leader of Samsung Group walked out of the Seoul Detention Center in a southern suburb of Seoul at 10 a.m. Friday. He is one of 810 prisoners scheduled for release Friday as part of South Korea’s annual tradition of clemency for Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday. “I apologize for causing this much concern to fellow citi

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2021

An appellate court on Wednesday upheld a four-year prison term for Chung Kyung-sim, the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, for forging documents to help her daughter gain admission to medical school and for other actions concerning a private equity fund. But the Seoul High Court lowered Chung’s fine to 50 million won ($43,000) and lowered her forfeiture to 10.61 million won. In December the Seoul Central District Court had fined her 500 million won and ordered her to forfeit 140 mil

Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2021

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is weighing whether to investigate a lawmaker affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party for allegedly receiving illegal political support funds. If conducted, it would be the first official investigation of an incumbent lawmaker by the CIO. Last week the anti-corruption watchdog asked the North Gyeongsang Province branch of the National Election Commission to send over related documents and other data on a main opposit

Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2021

The latest wave of COVID-19 infections is showing no signs of slowing down, with 1,540 new cases announced Tuesday -- 1,476 locally transmitted and 64 imported from overseas. The figure, which covers the 24 hours ending Monday at midnight, pushes the total number of cases to date to 213,987, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. South Korea added nine more deaths, raising the death toll to 2,134. The virus seemed to have slowed down a little in the capital region -- Seo

Social Affairs Aug. 10, 2021

South Korea is again on alert to contain the spread of the deadly Africa swine fever after finding a new case at a pig farm just three months after the last discovery. The government-led ASF task force announced Sunday that an ASF case was confirmed at a domesticated pig farm in Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province. The latest discovery of an ASF case in a pig farm comes three months after the last case was found in the province on May 4. The country so far has located a total of 18 ASF cases at loca

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2021

Seoul’s subway workers are mulling a full-scale strike as Seoul Metro prepares to carry out a massive restructuring plan to resolve continuing financial losses. Unionized workers at Seoul Metro are planning to hold a vote, along with union members who work for subway corporations in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Incheon and Gwangju, from Aug. 16 to 19 to decide whether to launch a full-scale strike to protest Seoul Metro’s plan to reduce its head count by 1,539 employees. Seoul Metro&rsqu

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2021

South Korea could maintain the strictest level of social distancing in the greater capital region throughout August, as the fourth wave of infections shows little signs of subsiding. The country on Wednesday reported 1,725 new COVID-19 cases, 1,664 locally transmitted and 61 imported from overseas, raising the cumulative total to 203,926, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The latest addition is sharply up from 1,200 cases reported a day earlier and 1,218 cases repo

Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2021

The amount of debt held by job seekers in South Korea has surged as COVID-19 pandemic remains strong and affects employment landscape, data showed Wednesday. According to a survey of 1,498 job seekers from local human resources service Saramin released Wednesday, 40.5 percent of respondents said they have outstanding debt to pay back. Their average amount reached 32.87 million won, up 2.68 million won from the same survey done a year earlier. The surveyed amount for this year is up by more tha

Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2021

A spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s presidential campaign resigned from his post Monday after it was found he had made comments defending driving under the influence. The comment, likely made to defend the past criminal record of Lee, stirred controversy across political parties and again shone light on the presidential contender’s past criminal record, which could damage his campaign. Park sent a text message to reporters late Monday saying he was stepping do

Politics Aug. 3, 2021

Police in the coming days will summon the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions as they investigate the umbrella labor group’s rally last month for violating COVID-19 rules. Yang Kyung-soo, head of the KCTU, is scheduled to appear at Seoul Jongno Police Station by 2 p.m. on Wednesday for questioning, according to police on Monday. The timing of the meeting was reportedly at the request of Yang. Police asked Yang to appear for the investigation three times last month, but Yang

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2021