South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed below 170,000 for the third straight day Sunday, but critical cases from the virus continued to rise at a fast pace amid the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. The country reported 163,566 new coronavirus infections, including 163,414 local cases, raising the total caseload to 2,994,841, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally slightly decreased from the 166,207reported Saturday. Daily infections exc

The presidential National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday expressed grave regret over North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile, calling for Pyongyang to immediately stop acts that threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula. National security adviser Suh Hoon presided over the NSC meeting, shortly after North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile that marked the North's eighth show of force this year. NSC members "expressed deep concern and grave regret over North Korea's launch of a b

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's eighth show of force this year. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from around the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 7:52 a.m., and that the missile flew about 300 kilometers at a top altitude of 620 km. The latest launch, the first in just under a month, came 10 days ahead of South Korea's presidential election and amid the armed conflict in Ukraine

Located in the heart of Seoul, Gwanghwamun has been an essential hub for Korea’s history, culture and art. A new project there offers a glimpse of what the future might look like, with the help of cutting-edge 5G and artificial intelligence technologies. 　 The immersive media art project “Age of Light,” or “Gwanghwa Sidae” in Korean, was unveiled by the Korea Creative Content Agency and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  The project provides eight dif

A rising star chef from Korea recently awarded a Michelin star for his French restaurant in London. Park Woong-chul, 38, who opened Sollip, a French restaurant with a Korean touch in the heart of London, is the first Korean chef to receive a Michelin star in the UK. There are currently 194 Michelin-starred restaurants in Britain, including 19 which were newly awarded this year. “I still remember us (my wife and I) being devastated when the UK government issued a COVID-19 lockdown just

Jeju Island has been known for its citrus fruits since its days as the Tamna Kingdom -- its identity before it was taken over by the Goryeo Kingdom in 1105. When residents of Jeju Island, who were forced to send citrus fruits to the Joseon king in the capital Seoul during the Joseon period (1392-1910), were not always able to meet growing demand, the issue was elevated to the Kingdom's policy. “The Joseon government nationalized citrus farms to secure harvests and managed 36 citrus orcha

Users and funds drawn into digital revolution in mental health

Korean-Finnish artist duo Nana & Felix have picked up photographs of families, someone’s childhood or Christianity quotes kept in a frame from urban detritus. Once considered cherished memories, they were left behind for some reason, probably when people move out of cities. The artists found nearly 200 frames over the past several years in South Korea. At the center of the exhibition hall at Posco Art Museum in Seoul is the photography installation “Camera, Cigarette, Whiskey,

If you like sticky party wings to munch on, you need to try my recipe for pan-fried Korean honey garlic chicken wings. These wings not only taste great, but they are so simple and quick to make. You will love the combination of soy sauce, garlic, and honey. As a Korean, I couldn’t resist adding some fresh chilies to give a spicy kick to the chicken wings. However, you can omit the chilies and enjoy the mild honey garlic chicken as is. If you love Korean chicken wings, this is perhaps th

Former Culture Minister Lee O-young, one of South Korea's most revered literary critics and novelists, died of cancer Saturday at the age of 89. Lee, born in 1933 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, served as the country's first cultural minister in 1990-1991 under the Roh Tae-woo administration. With his various literary works, he was respected as one of the most prominent "intellectuals of this era" in South Korea. In 1956, Lee caused a stir in the literary critics circle when he

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed gratitude for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's messages about the Beijing Winter Olympics and voiced hopes for developing the two nation's friendly ties, the North's state media said Saturday. Xi sent a letter Monday to the North's leader to deliver his thanks to Kim for having sent congratulatory messages for the opening and the "successful" closing of the Winter Games, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Xi said Kim's

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States on Saturday "strongly condemned" Russia's invasion of Ukraine and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, the foreign ministry here said. In their phone talks, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated their "steadfast support" for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, and urged Moscow to cease its military actions on Ukraine immediately, the ministry said

South Korean stocks are expected to face highly volatile sessions next week as investors will pay keen attention to situations in Ukraine and the US Federal Reserve's updated stance on its monetary policy, analysts said Saturday. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,676.76 on Friday, down 2.45 percent from a week earlier, amid jitters over the escalating tensions in Ukraine as Russia launched a military offensive in the East European neighbor. KOSPI rebounded on

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed below 170,000 for the second straight day Saturday, but the daily death count hit an all-time high amid the fast spread of the omicron variant. The country reported 166,209 new COVID-19 infections, including 166,068 local cases, raising the total caseload to 2,831,283, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally slightly rose from the 165,890 reported Friday. Daily infections exceeded the 100,000 mark for the first t