NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested once again in his United Nations speech Tuesday that the two Koreas and the United States, probably joined by China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. "I propose that three parties of the two Koreas and the US, or four parties of the two Koreas, the US and China come together and declare that the War on the Korean Peninsula is over," he said, addressing the 76th session of the UN General Assembly here. "When

Politics Sept. 22, 2021

　South Korean superband BTS addressed the U.N. General Assembly Monday and praised the world‘s young people for welcoming the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. 　The septet flew to New York to speak in person at the 76th U.N. 　General Assembly’s Sustainable Development Goals Moment event as special presidential envoys for future generations and culture. 　  Following a speech by President Moon Jae-in, the K-pop act took the podium at the U.N. General Assembly Hal

K-pop Sept. 21, 2021

The leaders of South Korea and Britain had discussions Monday on setting up a bilateral COVID-19 vaccine swap during their summit talks here, Cheong Wa Dae said. 　Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed progress in consultations on the issue. President Moon Jae-in also said it demonstrates friendly ties between the two sides, as they met each other on the sidelines of a U.N. General Assembly session, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. 　The president expressed hope that the

Politics Sept. 21, 2021

South Korea‘s daily coronavirus cases increased to over 1,700 on Tuesday despite fewer tests over the weekend, adding to woes that infections could further increase after the Chuseok holiday in the wider capital area. 　The country reported an additional 1,729 COVID-19 cases, including 1,697 local infections, raising the total caseload to 289,263, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). 　It was the third straight day the daily caseload fell under 2,000, but t

Social Affairs Sept. 21, 2021

A 2.2 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern South Korea early Monday, but no damage was reported, the weather agency said. The quake hit some 20 kilometers northeast of Boseong County in South Jeolla Province, some 395 kilometers from Seoul, at 6:58 a.m. from a depth of 8 km, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The epicenter was located at a latitude of 34.88 degrees north and a longitude of 127.25 degrees east. The maximum seismic intensity scale was 3, which means

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2021

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell to around 1,600 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but concerns have grown further over a surge in infections after the Chuseok holiday amid the fast spread of the virus in the greater Seoul area, officials said. The country reported an additional 1,605 COVID-19 cases, including 1,577 local infections, raising the total caseload to 287,536, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It was the second straight day

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2021

K-pop sensation BTS flew to New York on Saturday to attend a United Nations event as a special presidential envoy. The chart-topping group is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony for the Sustainable Development Goals Moment of the Decade of Action event in New York on Monday (US local time), along with President Moon Jae-in. The president appointed the seven-member group as a "special presidential envoy for future generations and culture" Tuesday. BTS will give a speech in New Yo

Social Affairs Sept. 19, 2021

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell below 2,000 on Sunday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but concerns linger over a spike in transmissions after the Chuseok holiday, when millions of people usually travel across the country to meet relatives. The country reported an additional 1,910 COVID-19 cases, including 1,871 local infections, raising the total caseload to 285,931, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The country added 10 more deaths from COVID-19, r

Social Affairs Sept. 19, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York on Sunday to attend an annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. He plans to deliver a keynote speech on Korean peace and Seoul's role in resolving global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, according to his office. His five-day visit to the US, which will also take him to Hawaii for an alliance event, comes as Korean people celebrate Chuseok, one of their biggest and most important traditional hol

Politics Sept. 18, 2021

Many sections of major highways in South Korea remained congested with heavy traffic Saturday morning as millions of people headed to their hometowns to celebrate the Chuseok holiday with their families. According to the Korea Expressway Corp (KEC), cars moved at a slow pace in some sections of the major highway linking Seoul to the country's second-largest southern port city of Busan as of 8:10 a.m. Traffic congestion was also spotted on the western highway along the country's western coast

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2021

  South Korea's daily coronavirus cases exceeded 2,000 for two consecutive days Saturday amid worries about a possible upsurge after a major holiday when people are expected to travel across the country in droves. The country reported an additional 2,087 COVID-19 cases, including 2,047 local infections, raising the total caseload to 284,022, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country added five more deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 2,3

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2021

Eastar Jet Co., a debt-ridden South Korean budget carrier, said Friday it has submitted restructuring plans to a bankruptcy court to finalize an acquisition deal with a local property developer, aiming to resume flights next year. Eastar Jet submitted its debt repayment and other rehabilitation plans to the Seoul Bankruptcy Court, three months after Sung Jung Co. signed a deal to buy an 80 percent stake in the low-cost carrier for 108.7 billion won ($97 million). Eastar is required to first

Mobility Sept. 17, 2021

South Korean stocks closed higher Friday ahead of a three-day holiday as investors weighed the pace of the economic recovery from the pandemic. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 10.42 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 3,140.51 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 575 million shares worth some 14.6 trillion won ($12.4 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 491 to 380. Foreigners bought a net 46 billion won, while

Market Sept. 17, 2021

The annual exodus for Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, began Friday as South Koreans head to their hometowns for family reunions and take trips during the extended holiday. This year's three-day Chuseok holiday runs from Monday to Wednesday and it is extended by an extra two days due to the preceding weekend. Traditionally, Koreans head back to their hometowns to be with their family members and visit their ancestors' graves to commemorate them. The nationwide exodus is expected t

Social Affairs Sept. 17, 2021

South Korea has larger class sizes and lower employment rates among the highly educated than Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) averages, the education ministry said Friday. According to the latest edition of the OECD's "Education at a Glance," released by the Ministry of Education, elementary and middle school classes had an average of 23 and 26.1 students, respectively, in 2019. The figures were lower than 23.1 and 26.7 from 2018 but still higher than the OE

Economy Sept. 17, 2021