South Korea has confirmed 97 more cases of contagious variants of the new coronavirus, adding to concerns that the country's virus battle may be exacerbated by the more transmissible viruses. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 75 case were local infections and 22 imported cases, bringing the total to 632. Of them, 87 cases were the Britain-originated variant, followed by 10 from South Africa, according to the KDCA. The authorities have said they remain vigilant agains

Social Affairs May 4, 2021

South Korea will wait for North Korea's final decision on whether to play a World Cup qualifier set to take place in the South next month, an official said Tuesday, after Asia's soccer governing body asked Pyongyang to reconsider its decision not to play the game. Earlier, the South's Korea Football Association (KFA) said its North Korean counterpart, known as the DPR Korea Football Association, sent an official document to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) last Friday to declare its inten

North Korea May 4, 2021

Another batch of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccines for around 218,000 members of the general public aged 75 and over, and other virus-vulnerable groups will arrive in South Korea later this week, health authorities said Tuesday. The products are part of a direct contract for 3.3 million people between the US pharmaceutical firm and the Seoul government, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. So far, Pfizer vaccines, under the direct contract, for 1 million people have alrea

Social Affairs May 4, 2021

North Korean propaganda outlets on Tuesday denounced a South Korean court's decision to dismiss a lawsuit by wartime sexual slavery victims against the Japanese government as "a disregard for conscience and justice" and an act of subservience to Japan. Last month, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the case brought by 20 plaintiffs, including surviving victims forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II, citing sovereign immunity, a legal do

North Korea May 4, 2021

More than 170 South Korean residents in virus-hit India returned home on Tuesday via a special flight, and more people will come home this week, health authorities said. A flight operated by Indian air carrier Vistara landed at Incheon International Airport around 10:17 a.m. with 172 passengers, including workers of Hyundai Motor Co., after departing from Chennai International Airport in southern India. India has been a virus hotspot in recent months, with a COVID-19 variant strain also posin

Social Affairs May 4, 2021

GANGNEUNG -- More than 40 foreign migrant workers in the east coast city of Gangneung tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday after preemptive coronavirus testing, municipal officials said. The municipality of Gangneung, 240 kilometers east of Seoul, has so far conducted the preemptive testing on 743 migrant workers and 43 of them were diagnosed with the new coronavirus, the officials said. By nationality, Russians accounted for 36 of the confirmed cases, with the others from Central Asian nat

Social Affairs May 4, 2021

Seven soldiers at an Army base in Yangju, just north of Seoul, have tested positive for the new coronavirus in another cluster infection reported in barracks, the defense ministry said Tuesday. One of the soldiers first tested positive upon returning from vacation after a family member was found to have contracted COVID-19, according to the ministry. In subsequent tests conducted on 50 people who had direct contact with the soldier, six tested positive, while 12 are awaiting their results. The

Defense May 4, 2021

A state-run Korean language education center said Tuesday it has launched a new Korean learning program using popular K-pop and K-drama content. The new series, titled "K-wave Korean," carries 52 five-minute video clips in English and provides subtitles in four other languages -- Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Russian -- according to the King Sejong Institute Foundation. Twenty-seven videos help viewers learn daily Korean expressions, grammar and culture with scenes from popular

Culture May 4, 2021

J-hope, a member of popular K-pop band BTS, has donated 100 million won (US$89,000) for children in Tanzania, a Seoul-based charity said Tuesday. According to ChildFund Korea, J-Hope expressed hope that his donation will be a helping hand to children in overseas countries on South Korea's Children's Day, which falls on Wednesday. J-hope has contributed 700 million won through the charity since 2018 as a member of Green Noble Club, a group of high-value donors of ChildFund Korea. (Yonhap) 

K-pop May 4, 2021

The new corruption investigative body's policy to supersede the prosecution has triggered an escalating backlash, offering a potential flash point between the two powerful agencies. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced Monday its rules on investigation, including superseding power over indictment in certain cases. The CIO, which began operation in January, is authorized to investigate and prosecute former and current public officials for corruption, in

Politics May 4, 2021

SK Telecom Co., South Korea's largest mobile carrier, said Tuesday it has decided to cancel 2.6 trillion won ($2.32 billion) worth of treasury shares, over 10 percent of its total floated stocks, in a move to boost shareholder value amid plans to split into two companies later this year. The telecom operator said in a statement that it would retire 8.69 million treasury stocks, or 10.8 percent of its total issued stocks, by Thursday. The cancellation would reduce SK Telecom's total floated sto

Technology May 4, 2021

South Korea's daily new virus cases bounced back to the 500s on Tuesday amid growing fears that rising cases of COVID-19 variants could become another challenge to the country's virus battle. The country reported 541 more COVID-19 cases, including 514 local infections, raising the total caseload to 124,269, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The country added six more deaths, raising the death toll to 1,840. The daily caseload had been in the 600s since Wednesday, b

Social Affairs May 4, 2021

South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday on inflation concerns and the partial resumption of short selling. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 10.66 points, or 0.34 percent, to 3,116.54 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI got off to a weak start after a five-session losing streak. Bio and tech shares dropped amid rising inflation, which could help raise market rates, while bank shares performed strong. South Korea's consumer price index rose 2.3 perc

Market May 4, 2021

North Korea's official newspaper on Tuesday urged people to brace for a prolonged fight against the coronavirus pandemic, saying that vaccines are not a cure-all solution, amid the country's apparent failure to secure supplies. "The situations in many countries prove that vaccines are far from a panacea," the Rodong Sinmun said. "Some vaccines, which had been considered highly effective, caused severe side effects, including even death, leading many countries to stop their use.&q

North Korea May 4, 2021

The Korean Cultural Center in Washington said on Monday that it will showcase nine South Korean films to American viewers in a month-long film festival in the United States. The festival will be hosted by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, offering streaming services of films such as "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982," which is based on a best selling South Korean novel of the same title. "The Korean Film Festival DC 2021, which will be hosted by the Smithsonian's National M

Culture May 4, 2021