Typhoon Hinnamnor, which could be the most powerful storm to hit the Korean Peninsula in two decades, is headed to South Korea and expected to affect the country until Tuesday, after which it is expected to move north-northeast. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Hinnamnor was located 460 kilometers south-southwest of Jeju Island's Seogwipo, moving north at a speed of 19 kilometers per hour with an atmospheric pressure of 935 hectopascals at its center -- traveling faster than

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2022

Tennis, once considered in Korea as a sport of the middle-aged, is gaining popularity among younger generations seeking a more affordable outdoor sport with more "Instagrammable" moments. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to its rising popularity as well. After a long period of the pandemic, people began looking for active sports that they could play with a small number of people, partly to sidestep social distancing measures. Kim, a 31-year-old woman living in Seoul, says she started

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

Typhoon Hinnamnor is approaching South Korea, and it is expected to bring heavy rains accompanied by strong winds to the southern part of the country, including the island of Jeju, the state weather agency said Friday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Typhoon Hinnamnor, the 11th typhoon of this year, is currently passing Taiwan's east coast and began to move northward at a slow speed, 2 kilometers per hour. Typhoon Hinnamnor is expected to pick up speed Saturday night to

Social Affairs Sept. 2, 2022

South Korea's new COVID-19 infections stayed below 90,000 for the second straight day, the government reported Friday. The number of critically ill patients, however, remained above 500 for a 10th straight day. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country reported 89,586 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, including 317 from overseas. The daily tally was up from the previous day’s 81,573. But it was the lowest for a Thursday count in five weeks, dating to A

Social Affairs Sept. 2, 2022

  South Korea on Thursday started taking reservations for South Koreas first COVID-19 vaccine developed by a domestic firm, SK Bioscience. Adults aged 18 and older can make reservations for the country’s first homegrown vaccine if they have not completed the primary vaccination series. Those who make reservations will be able to get the vaccine from Sept. 13. Public health centers and local hospitals will also use the vaccine from Monday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare explained

Social Affairs Sept. 1, 2022

The Democratic Party of Korea’s new Chairman Lee Jae-myung began his first day on Monday by pledging to seek cooperation with the ruling party and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to overcome pressing economic issues and to improve people’s livelihoods. But, he also noted that he will fight any attempts to hurt democracy. On Monday morning, Lee began his first day with a visit to Seoul National Cemetery to pay tribute to fallen patriots. He then held a meeting with high-level offi

Politics Aug. 29, 2022

South Korea’s advisory committee on infectious diseases, under the office of the prime minister, on Monday advised the government to lift COVID-19 testing regulations for inbound travelers. The committee’s announcement is fanning speculations that the government will lift the predeparture COVID-19 testing rule. The government’s decision is expected to be made this week. At present, all travelers to South Korea must submit the results of a polymerase chain reaction test tak

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2022

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is setting sail with Lee Jae-myung, its former presidential candidate, while the ruling party continues to struggle with an ongoing internal feud. On Sunday, Lee was confirmed as the new chairman with a strong majority. The ruling People Power Party, on the other hand, looks likely to struggle in internal dispute for some time to come, with a court ruling suspending interim leader Rep. Joo Ho-young from duty. On Sunday, the Democratic Party held

Politics Aug. 28, 2022

South Korea’s new daily infections continued to stay high Thursday, according to government data released Friday. The government noted the spread is expected to last for a while. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Thursday reached 138,812, bringing the total caseload to over 22 million. The daily tally was down from the previous day’s 178,574 cases, but up from 128,714 cases one week prior. The

Social Affairs Aug. 19, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday announced that the government would provide a 300,000 won ($226) monthly subsidy to babysitting family members to help young parents find child care. 　 But, concerns have already mounted that the system could be abused. According to the city government, Seoul will provide a monthly subsidy of 300,000 won to those looking after a relative’s child under three for over 40 hours per month. The household’s combined earnings must be less th

Social Affairs Aug. 19, 2022

More than five million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been discarded in South Korea, according to a report released by the National Assembly on Thursday. More vaccines, however, are expected to be discarded with their expiration dates approaching. The issue of COVID-19 vaccines going to waste is likely to continue as more are scheduled to arrive in South Korea by the end of this year. According to the National Assembly Budget Office, the country discarded a total of 5.29 million doses of C

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2022

South Korea‘s daily COVID-19 cases reached a four-month high due to increased activities over the extended weekend, government data showed Wednesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Tuesday’s daily tally of new COVID-19 infections jumped to 180,803. The figure was up around 20 percent from a week ago. It was also the highest figure since April 12, when the country added some 195,000 cases. “An increase in travelers during the summer vacation se

Social Affairs Aug. 17, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it has officially embarked on developing the city‘s new slogan, which will replace the eight-year-old “I·SEOUL·U,” created under the mayorship of Park Won-soon. The city government said it has decided to change the slogan after the existing one has been widely criticized for lacking clarity. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also previously criticized his predecessor’s slogan for being incomprehensible and fo

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2022

The South Korean government on Tuesday said that the total number of critically ill COVID-19 patients will peak between 800 and 900 in early September. The government added the number of deaths from COVID-19 could also reach between 100 and 140 during the same period. The government, however, did not change its projection for the number of daily infections, which it previously anticipated to peak at around 200,000 cases in late-August. “The COVID-19 spread is expected to peak by the e

Social Affairs Aug. 16, 2022

The ruling People Power Party’s internal conflict appears likely to continue, with a party leadership contender launching another volley of criticism at the former chair‘s actions. Na Kyung-won, a former four-term People Power Party lawmaker, on Monday berated Lee Jun-seok, the suspended chairman of the same party, for his scathing press conference attacking the party held over the weekend. Na claimed that he “threw a bomb” at the party by making a speech undermining fe

Politics Aug. 15, 2022