The inaugural chief nominee for a high-profile corruption investigative body vowed Tuesday to sternly investigate any high-ranking officials in accordance to the law without being politically influenced. The remark was made during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly for Kim Jin-wook, a former judge picked by President Moon Jae-in to serve as the inaugural chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. “The establishment of the CIO is a historic event

Politics Jan. 19, 2021

President Moon Jae-in on Monday ruled out pardoning two former presidents in the near future, but left open the possibility of pardons down the line when backed by public consensus. Moon said Monday during a New Year’s press conference that he is not considering pardoning the previous two presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, both of whom are serving prison sentences for corruption. “Two former presidents being incarcerated is a lamentable situation for the country, and as t

Politics Jan. 18, 2021

Private universities in South Korea may be heading for mass closures as the country crosses into its first-ever demographic winter, and experts say more government support is needed. As the population shrinks, universities -- particularly less prestigious institutions, and those located away from population centers -- are facing a student shortage and increasing financial difficulties. According to a Statistics Korea analysis, the number of Koreans aged between 18 and 21 is projected to fall

Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2021

Authorities are in discussion to potentially adjust social distancing rules for next week, as the country looks to address demands from small merchants while controlling the ongoing third COVID-19 wave. South Korea on Friday saw 513 new COVID-19 cases -- 484 locally transmitted and 29 from overseas -- raising the total number of cases recorded here to 71,241, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. By Thursday’s end, Korea had also reported a total of 1,217 deaths f

Social Affairs Jan. 15, 2021

The highest court upheld a 20-year prison term for former President Park Geun-hye, closing the final chapter in one of the greatest political scandals in South Korea to date. The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the lower court’s decision to sentence Park to 20 years in prison and levy an 18 billion won ($16.37 million) fine for her part in a corruption case that cost her the presidency in 2017. The court also confirmed an additional forfeiture of 3.5 billion won. In July, the Seoul H

Politics Jan. 14, 2021

Anger and sadness have swept across South Korea for the past week following the death of Jeong-in, a 16-month-old toddler whose death from months of child abuse in October caused a huge public outrage and controversy. After the toddler’s case came to light through an SBS investigative reporting show earlier this month, a number of civic groups and members of the general public have called for better protection of adoptees and stronger penalties against child abuse offenders. President Mo

Social Affairs Jan. 13, 2021

Small business owners are taking legal action against the government, calling the social distancing rules unfair and saying the restrictions have greatly diminished their chances of economic survival. On Monday, a group representing coffee shop owners in South Korea announced that around 200 of its members would lodge a suit against the government later this week demanding compensation for business lost as a result of the government’s social distancing rules. In the suit, to be filed wi

Social Affairs Jan. 12, 2021

South Korea is mulling whether to readjust its social distancing rules as optimism rises from a continued fall in the daily count of new coronavirus cases. The country on Monday saw 451 new COVID-19 cases -- 419 locally transmitted and 32 from overseas -- raising the total number of cases recorded here to 69,114, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Monday’s tally is the lowest figure recorded since 451 new cases were confirmed Dec. 1. The daily number of new cas

Social Affairs Jan. 11, 2021

Having a baby is not even a question for Lim Ji-yeon, 34, as she and her husband made the decision that it was not for them years ago. Both Lim and her husband thought having a child would be nice, but that was before they had to really consider the idea of becoming parents after getting married in 2018. They quickly gave up on that dream, vowing to devote the remaining years of their lives solely to themselves. “Why have a baby to voluntarily go through all the struggles? There’s

Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2021

South Korea is thought to have passed the peak of the third COVID-19 wave thanks to tough social distancing guidelines as the country reported the lowest number of cases since Jan. 2 on Friday, officials said. Korea saw 674 new COVID-19 new cases – 633 locally transmitted and 41 imported from overseas – raising the total number of cases recorded in Korea to 67,358. The daily number of new cases has stayed below 1,000 for four days in a row, continuing to show signs of slowing down.

Social Affairs Jan. 8, 2021

Business owners expressed discontent and dissatisfaction toward the government for making “unrealistic” and “nonsensical” exceptions to let indoor sports facilities operate in a limited capacity. Starting Friday, indoor sports facilities were allowed to reopen their doors with a cap of nine children at a time, an exception the government made to address the gap in child care. Indoor sports facility owners are frustrated with the response, as the revised rules do not add

Social Affairs Jan. 8, 2021

Authorities were on alert as South Korea identified three new cases of a more contagious COVID-19 variant from the UK on Thursday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in a press briefing Thursday that three individuals had been confirmed infected with the variant first identified in the UK. The three belong to the same family as another patient, who was found to have the UK variant earlier after arriving in Korea from Britain in mid-December. With the addition of the three new

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2021

South Korea is revising its social distancing guidelines to allow certain businesses to operate, as strict virus control measures have wreaked havoc on the lives of small merchants. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a meeting Thursday that the government would take steps to assure fairness and address the financial difficulties facing small businesses, with details to be announced in the coming days. “As frustration continues and seems endless, people have questioned the virus contr

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2021

Another high-profile child abuse case has once again spurred a nationwide political movement in South Korea. The public is calling for legislative change to protect children’s rights, including heightened punishment for child abusers and an improved system to investigate potential cases. But the movement could end up as just another short-lived hype, experts warn, saying that earlier such endeavors fell short of yielding meaningful results. The 16-month-old girl at the center of the lat

Social Affairs Jan. 5, 2021

South Korea’s nationwide vaccination program will start as early as next month as the country’s coronavirus situation remains in its third and deadliest wave thus far, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday. Speaking at the central response team meeting, Chung said the government will do its best to ensure that the country has a detailed vaccination plan in place, covering all stages from shipment and storage to inoculation and aftercare, by the end of this month. He asked relat

Social Affairs Jan. 4, 2021