Eight service members and an Army civilian employee have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,732, the defense ministry said Saturday. Seven of them -- one airman, two Marines, three soldiers and an Army civilian employee -- were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 during or after a vacation, while the others were found to have been infected after developing symptoms, according to the ministry. The infections were re

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2021

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country's strong relations with China will further grow against "vicious challenges and obstruction by the hostile forces" in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday. Kim made the remark in a reply to Xi's earlier letter that offered congratulations on the North's 73rd founding anniversary, where the Chinese leader said he intends to "develop these ties of friendship and cooperation on a lon

North Korea Sept. 25, 2021

Daily coronavirus cases in Seoul surpassed 1,000 for the first time following this week's Chuseok holiday, health authorities said Saturday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 1,222 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed during the 24 hours before midnight. Of them, 1,217 were local infections and five were imported cases. The number is far higher than the city's previous record high of 907 cases announced Friday. The city added three more deaths from COVID-19, raising th

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2021

WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in thanked and praised South Korean superband BTS for using their powerful influence in encouraging people to act on various global issues such as climate change and COVID-19. "Since BTS represents the younger generation and many young people relate to them, I believe they can spread awareness and empathy," Moon said in an interview with U.S. TV network ABC. The interview, also attended by the seven members of BTS, took place on Tuesday,

Politics Sept. 25, 2021

South Korean stocks are likely to move in a tight range next week amid uncertainties from a Chinese developer's debt crisis and the local surge of new coronavirus cases, analysts said Saturday. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 3,125.24 points Friday, down 0.49 percent from a week ago. Stock markets were closed Monday through Wednesday this week for the Chuseok holiday. The losses came as investors digested the U.S. FOMC meeting results that said the Fed could b

Market Sept. 25, 2021

South Korea is poised to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women and younger children starting next month as part of its inoculation campaign. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) will announce the list of fourth-quarter vaccine recipients next Monday to achieve its goal of herd immunity by November. The country's vaccination campaign started Feb. 26 with some virus-vulnerable groups and front-line medical workers being prioritized for inoculations. A total o

Social Affairs Sept. 25, 2021

A South Korean media bill under criticism for potentially undermining press freedom, if passed, could give a "negative message" to the world about the country's stance on freedom of media, a UN expert said Friday. Irene Khan, a UN special rapporteur on promoting the right to freedom of expression, made the remark during a virtual press briefing, weeks after she sent a letter to the Seoul government calling for a revision of the bill. The legislation, titled Press Arbitration Act

Politics Sept. 24, 2021

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases on Saturday exceeded 3,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic as people returned home from the Chuseok holiday. The country reported an all-time high number of daily cases for the second consecutive day by adding 3,273, including 3,245 local infections, raising the total caseload to 298,402, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Saturday's daily caseload jumped 839 from the previous day's record high of 2,43

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2021

South Korean stocks slumped for a second straight session Friday after the country's daily COVID-19 cases hit a record high, erasing gains from easing fears over China Evergrande Group's debt crisis. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 2.34 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 3,125.24 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 738 million shares worth some 12.3 trillion won ($10.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering lo

Market Sept. 24, 2021

The prosecution on Friday indicted a 56-year-old man on charges of killing two women while he was under a location monitoring program for sexual offenses. The suspect named Kang Yoon-seong turned himself in to the police in southern Seoul on Aug. 29 and confessed to murdering two acquaintances for money issues. According to investigators, he killed one woman while wearing an electronic ankle bracelet and slew the other while on the run after cutting off the device. The Seoul Dongbu District P

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2021

Ten cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea have filed applications to register with the nation's anti-money laundering body to continue their businesses under tougher regulations, according to the body Friday. By Friday midnight, both foreign and local cryptocurrency exchanges targeting Korean investors are required to register with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KFIU) and have real-name bank accounts. If they have no real-name bank accounts, cryptocurrency exchanges will be banned fr

Economy Sept. 24, 2021

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Friday that President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare a formal end to the Korean War is an "admirable idea" and Pyongyang is willing to discuss improving inter-Korean relations if Seoul ceases to be hostile toward it. Kim Yo-jong stressed, however, that the right conditions should be created first before an end-of-war declaration is adopted, such as the removal of what she called "inveterate hostile policy and unequal double st

North Korea Sept. 24, 2021

South Korea reported a surplus in the trade of intellectual property rights in the first half of this year, as exports of copyrights increased, central bank data showed Friday. The nation's surplus in the intellectual property account came to $850 million in the first half, compared with a deficit of $1.11 billion in the second half of last year, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the first six-month surplus since the second half of 2019, when the nation rep

Economy Sept. 24, 2021

The number of convicted child sexual abusers has been growing steadily over the past few years in South Korea amid lenient penalties against such crimes, a judicial report showed Friday. According to the Supreme Court report submitted to Rep. Lee Tahney of the ruling Democratic Party, a total of 1,675 people have been found guilty of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses by district courts from 2016 to June this year. By year, 111 were convicted in 2016

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2021

South Korea's financial market continues to be stable, but concerns remain over a build-up of financial imbalances due to surging home prices, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Friday. In a regular report on financial stability, the BOK also called for vigilance against a rise in the debt of households and companies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The nation's financial stability index shot up to 22.3 in April last year, breaching the lower boundary for a crisis warning, but it has since come down to

Economy Sept. 24, 2021