President Yoon Suk-yeol named Jee Young-mee, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, to lead the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the presidential office said Friday. Jee replaces incumbent chief Peck Kyong-ran, who offered to resign earlier in the day. The newly tapped commissioner of the public health agency is a veteran of infectious diseases with more than 20 years of experience in health and research institutions. Jee received her M.D. from Seoul National University’s College of Me

Politics Dec. 16, 2022

Heavy-hearted tears fell down the faces of some 150 bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy Friday morning as a 49th-day memorial service was given for the souls of the deceased at Jogye Temple in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. Under Buddhist belief, the deceased's spirit leaves the human world after lingering 49 days after death. At the main Daeungjeon Hall within the compound of Jogye Temple, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, South Korea’s largest Buddhism sect, expressed condolences

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2022

While the season’s freezing temperatures gripped South Korea on Wednesday morning, a group of disabled protesters on wheelchairs staged their rush-hour subway protests at around 8 a.m. -- once again paralyzing train operations at Samgakji Station on Seoul’s subway Line No. 4. The 15 protesters are from Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, Korea’s largest disability rights group. Protesters usually stand in front of subway doors to stop people from entering and exiting,

Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2022

Worries of a possible resurgence of COVID-19 this winter is weighing on the South Korean government, as officials mull whether it should lift the indoor mask mandate as early as January next year. Monday’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 25,667, including 63 cases from overseas, bringing the total to 27,754,149, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The tally is also the highest for a Monday in more than three months since it reached 36,917 on Sept. 12. South

Social Affairs Dec. 12, 2022

As the answers to this year’s Suneung, or the college scholastic ability test, are set to be released Friday, competition for college entrance is expected to heat up. But local education experts on Thursday said that the scores for Suneung don’t carry much weight now since universities weigh the scores differently in their college admissions. “Universities differ in terms of how much they take Suneung into account when it comes to college entry, so students and parents need to

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2022

As a rapid rise in drug-related offences is catching South Korea off guard, eyes are on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s final decision to abolish or formalize an official organization overseeing narcotics-related matters in the country. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently putting the final touches on transitioning a temporary narcotics division to an official organization called the Deputy Director General for Narcotics Safety Planning, with the aim of making it a m

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2022

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee met with Vietnam's President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday, asking the Vietnamese president to look into Korean citizens’ visa issues in the Southeast Asian country. The first lady called for the Vietnamese president’s “keen interest” in Koreans’ visa-related issues during Phuc’s visit to Cheong Wa Dae, saying she saw news reports about how Korean travelers or nationals dwelling in Vietnam hav

Foreign Affairs Dec. 7, 2022

Namyang Dairy Products’ founder’s grandson was arrested for illegal drug use and the supply of drugs, according to legal professionals and news reports Friday. On Nov. 15 Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office arrested and charged the grandson, identified only by his family name Hong, with possession of marijuana and chronic drug administration under the country’s Narcotics Control Act, they said. The grandson, 40, is also suspected of distributing marijuana to his cl

Social Affairs Dec. 2, 2022

Seoul subway services returned to normal as unionized workers at the state-run Seoul Transportation and Korea Railroad reached a last-minute deal early Friday, officials said. The labor union of the main operator of the Seoul Metro Lines No. 1, 3, 4 and Korail agreed to the complete withdrawal of the walkout on Thursday after hours-long labor-management negotiations took place at Korail’s Seoul office. The two sides shook hands over higher wages and better working conditions, steering clea

Social Affairs Dec. 2, 2022

Since weeks ago when Kim Jong-un revealed his 10-year-old daughter Kim Ju-ae to the world openly for the first time, her fashion style has proven to be an instant hit in North Korea, and her styling seems to be sending young North Koreans abuzz. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, published pictures of North Korean women in white and pink padding jackets similar to that previously worn by Kim’s daughter when they inspected the launch of an intercontinen

North Korea Dec. 1, 2022

With a recent tit-for-tat between Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon and Citizen Press The Tamsa TV inviting a discussion on the status of citizen journalists, local academics on Wednesday described them as a new form of news media but said they did not comply with the rules and ethics of traditional journalism. “The Tamsa TV could be classified as citizen journalism, as it doesn’t gather news materials by complying with the rules and ethics (of media), so it could also be perceived as m

Social Affairs Nov. 30, 2022

The South Korean-born New Zealand citizen in her 40s believed to have killed two of her children was extradited to New Zealand after her arrest earlier this year. The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday it repatriated the 42-year-old New Zealand citizen of Korean descent to New Zealand at Incheon International Airport, Monday evening, as well as the evidence seized by police. The woman, only identified by her family name Lee, was arrested over the alleged murder of two children whose bodies were di

Social Affairs Nov. 29, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday it would kick off the construction of the Wirye Line Tram at the end of this month as the project was approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The construction is an eco-friendly new transportation project that connects 12 stations, including two transfer stations: Bokjeong Station on Line 8 and the Suin-bundang Line, and Namwirye Station on Line 8. Trams were first introduced in Seoul in 1899 and operated for nearly 70 years u

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2022

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon turned over five reporters from Citizen Press the Tamsa TV on suspicions of housebreaking and retaliation, Seoul Suseo Police Station said Sunday. On Sunday at around 1:30 p.m., five reporters from the online media outlet allegedly broke through Han’s apartment building doors in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul. According to footage from the Tamsa TV’s official YouTube channel, the journalists tried to enter the minister’s residence by pressing keys on

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2022

After enjoying immense success with its first-ever world tour, K-pop girl group Itzy made its way back to the music charts with its new EP, “Cheshire,” which will be released on Wednesday evening. The EP comes after it dropped “Sneakers” in July. Itzy’s press conference was held five days ahead of the release as they will be attending the 2022 Mama Awards on Wednesday at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. During Friday’s event, Lia said the latest release means some

K-pop Nov. 25, 2022