South Korean film attendance numbers nearly shot back up to the pre-pandemic level in May, data showed Wednesday, with a couple of big hits leading the charge. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), movies screened in the country amassed a combined 14.55 million admissions in May, the highest monthly figure since 16.84 million from January 2020 -- the last full month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The May figure was also a massive jump from just 3.21 million admissions in April. During

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to below 16,000 Wednesday amid a slowing virus trend, as authorities take steps for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. The country added 15,797 COVID-19 infections, including 44 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,119,415, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily cases have marked a steady decline since the all-time daily high of more than 620,000 in mid-March. The infection numbers have fallen to five di

WASHINGTON -- The countries that sign on to the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) will receive priority consideration for any future investment from American companies, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Tuesday. Raimondo also insisted that US businesses seeking to relocate out of China will look first look at those countries. "This is a perfect concrete example of the potential power of the Indo Pacific Economic Framework, because if we get this right, IPEF will create a

South Koreans voted Wednesday to elect mayors, governors, local council members and regional education chiefs in nationwide local elections that could determine whether the newly inaugurated government of President Yoon Suk-yeol can powerfully push its agenda in its first years. Up for grabs in this year‘s local elections are 17 metropolitan mayoralties and provincial governorships, 226 lower-level administrative leadership positions, as well as 872 seats in provincial and metropolitan c

South Korea's transportation ministry is considering lifting the curfew for arrivals at Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to the country, from July at the earliest, as part of efforts to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, sources said Tuesday. Currently, there are no arrival flights allowed at Incheon Airport from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in April that the pre-pandemic returns at Incheon International Airport may be considered aft

Authorities evacuated over 1,000 people from villages, hospitals and correctional facilities near a fast-spreading wildfire in the southern city of Miryang on Tuesday. The blaze broke out at 9:25 a.m. on the hill in Miryang, around 280 km southeast of Seoul, and is continuing to spread, according to firefighting authorities. Close to noon, the Korea Forest Service upgraded its wildfire response level to the highest level of 3, issued when a fire is estimated to scorch over 100 hectares.

South Korea's health authorities on Tuesday said that it plans to place monkeypox in the second level of contagious diseases, out of a four-tier scheme, as monkeypox is spreading fast around the globe, though it has not yet been detected here. The country has been vigilant against a potential inflow of the monkeypox virus as an increasing number of countries have recently reported cases of the virus traditionally confined to regions in Africa. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

S. Korea approves Hanwha Defense to begin negotiations on exporting machine guns to Poland

S. Korean brigadier general will command Expeditionary Strike Group training for first time

The British School at Seoul Foreign School is celebrating its 40-year anniversary. The British School was founded on Aug. 25, 1981, through collaboration among the British Council, the British Businessmen’s Group and the British Women’s Group as well as the Seoul Foreign School. The British School began with two classes, 17 students and two UK-qualified teachers, and in 1984, the British School was recognized as a permanent entity. With permission granted, a new school building w

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Tuesday showed up to participate in the Samsung Ho-Am Prize award ceremony for the first time in six years, but stayed mum on questions about his meeting with Intel’s CEO from the previous day. A group of reporters asked him about investment plans on his way to the ceremony, but Samsung group‘s de facto leader did not answer any questions. Named after the penname of Samsung group’s late founder Lee Byung-chull, the Samsung Ho-

Wednesday’s vote come down to local governance and education, but its outcome is likely to impact rival parties’ standing in years to come

Territorial dispute over the Dokdo islets has flared up once again, even as the governments of South Korea and Japan expressed their respective determination to reset their long-strained relationship. The South Korean government rejected a protest from Japan on Tuesday after the neighboring country lodged a complaint against Seoul for conducting a marine survey in waters off the Dokdo islets. “We cannot accept Japan’s claims on our legal activities which have been carried out in

The 2022 local elections are upon us. Here’s a quick look at the vote by key numbers. 2.2 percent This is the first local election in which 18-year-olds can cast ballots. They already hit the polls during the presidential election in March after the voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 in late 2019. The number of 18- and 19-year-old voters stands at 973,335, or 2.2 percent of the country‘s 44.3 million eligible voters. 7 sheets In the June 1 elections, most voters will

Presidential office says system to investigate corruption of public officials under review