Kim Ji-woo (alias), a 36-year-old office worker, found herself near the end of the line to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as she is not among the groups that are prioritized in the country's nationwide inoculation plan. But she learned that the newly-launched "leftover" vaccine booking system was a way for her to "cut in line" and get the vaccination that would allow her to gradually return to normal life. Anybody older than 30 who is not yet officially eligible to receive vaccine

Social Affairs June 6, 2021

A total of 20 doctors lost their medical licenses over the past six years for having unlicensed people practice medicine on their behalf, including plastic surgeries, a report showed Sunday. Two dentists, two doctors of Korean medicine and one nurse had their medial licenses revoked for engaging in such illegal practices over the 2015-2020 period, according to the report compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and submitted to the parliament. Out of the 20 doctors who were stripped of t

Social Affairs June 6, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back to the 500s on Sunday due to less testing over the weekend, while the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is gathering pace. The country reported 556 more COVID-19 cases, including 541 local infections, raising the total caseload to 144,152, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally fell from 744 on Saturday and 695 Friday, but the decline was attributable to fewer tests over the weekend. The number of daily virus

Social Affairs June 6, 2021

South Korean player Kwon Soon-woo couldn't get past the third round of the French Open against a top-10 opponent. Kwon, world No. 91, dropped a straight-set decision against the ninth-ranked Matteo Berrettini, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-4, in their men's singles match at Court Simonne-Mathieu inside Roland-Garros in Paris on Saturday (local time). This was Kwon's first appearance at the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. The 23-year-old is expected to crack the top 80 in the next world rankings.

More Sports June 6, 2021

The Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of Buddhist wooden printing blocks, will open to the public every Saturday and Sunday starting later this month. Considered the most comprehensive set of Buddhist scriptures found to date, the Tripitaka Koreana, or "Palmandaejanggyeong" in Korean, comprises 13th-century Buddhist scriptures carved on more than 80,000 wooden printing blocks. They are stored at Janggyeong Panjeon in the Haein Temple, in Hapcheon, 354 kilometers south of Seoul. The sto

Social Affairs June 6, 2021

St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun is on the injured list (IL) for the second time this season, with the same condition that kept him sidelined in spring. The Cardinals placed Kim on the 10-day IL on Saturday (local time) with right back tightness, a day after the left-hander exited his start against the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the fourth inning. Kim also missed time during spring training and at the start of the regular season with the back problem. In Frida

Baseball June 6, 2021

That's more like it. That South Korea defeated Turkmenistan 5-0 in their World Cup qualifying match on Saturday wasn't a surprise in itself. The biggest takeaway is that South Korea, in addition to beating the team they were supposed to beat, looked good doing it. And that hadn't always been the case with the underachieving national team in recent matches. The win at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, kept South Korea at the top of Group H in the second round of the Asian qualificat

Soccer June 6, 2021

The head of the ruling Democratic Party said Saturday that he would seek a visit to the United States in the near future to explore a "clue" for the resumption of the now-shuttered inter-Korean industrial complex in North Korea's border city of Kaesong. Song Young-gil made the remarks during a meeting with an association of businesses that used to run operations at the complex closed in February 2016 following the North's nuclear and missile tests. The business owners have called fo

Politics June 5, 2021

It was all of South Korean baseball fans' worst nightmares rolled into one. Two major league starters from South Korea, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays and Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals, got the nod on the same day -- Friday evening in America, when it was Saturday morning in their home country. And both took losses, while Kim exited his start early with a lower back injury. They made four regular season starts on the same day last year and both notched victories on Sept. 24.

Baseball June 5, 2021

South Korean renowned director Hong Sang-soo will visit the Cannes Film Festival again with his 26th feature, "In Front of Your Face." According to the festival's 2021 official lineup announced Thursday, "In Front of Your Face" was listed in Cannes Premieres, a new section dedicated to works from well-established filmmakers. Hong was invited with nine other filmmakers, including Arnaud Desplechin of "Deception," Mathieu Amalric of "Hold Me Tight," Andr

Film June 5, 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for guaranteeing the security of North Korea to resolve the standoff over its nuclear program, stressing that pressure and sanctions alone are not going to solve the quandary. Putin made the remark during a virtual session with chiefs of global news agencies at an annual economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday (Russia time), as the nuclear negotiations between the North and the United States remain deadlocked after the breakdown of the Hanoi summit be

International June 5, 2021

A national promotional agency has published a book on kimchi and how it is perceived around the world amid a continued cultural feud over the traditional Korean staple. "Kimchi in the Eyes of the World," released on Tuesday, explores the culture of kimchi through stories of foreigners who have tasted the vegetable dish, how the spicy condiment is made, and what social and historical context it carries, according to the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) affiliated with th

Food June 5, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases bounced back to over 700 on Saturday, as cluster infections continued to sprout up across the country despite a stepped-up vaccination campaign. The country reported 744 more COVID-19 cases, including 725 local infections, raising the total caseload to 143,596, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally marked the highest since May 26 when 706 new cases were reported. There were two additional fatalities, raising th

Social Affairs June 5, 2021

Fewer than two out of 10 cosmetic containers distributed in South Korea are recyclable, an environmental group said Saturday, urging cosmetics companies to raise the recycling rate of their cosmetic packaging. The group, which calls itself "Cosmetic Attack Citizens Action," said it examined 6,617 brand-name cosmetic containers, and only 18.7 percent, or 1,238 containers, turned out to be recyclable. It said 68.5 percent (4,531 containers), mostly made of colored or translucent plast

Social Affairs June 5, 2021

South Korean stocks are likely to extend gains next week on sustained recovery hope and the accelerating inoculation drive here. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 3,240.08 points Friday, up 1.61 percent from a week ago. Stocks advanced this week as improved economic data at home and abroad further enhanced hopes for a quicker-than-expected recovery. In May, South Korea's exports jumped 45.6 percent on-year to extend their gains to a seventh consecutive month, a

Economy June 5, 2021