President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday thanked people and medical workers for their efforts to battle COVID-19 as South Korea removed all social distancing measures, except a mask mandate, and returned to normal life. "With social distancing fully lifted, people regained their daily lives," Moon told a Cabinet meeting. "I sincerely thank people, epidemic prevention and medical workers for their cooperation." Starting Monday, restaurants, cafes and many other business establishments

From international marriages, political asylum to run-ins with the law, there are a myriad of legal problems that foreign nationals can get embroiled in. The Korea Herald takes a look at some of the cases involving legal disputes of foreigners in South Korea. The following is the second installment of a three-part series. -- Ed. For decades, there has been a custom of Korean bachelors from rural agricultural towns finding brides in lower-income countries with the help of international marriag

The interior ministry on Tuesday signed an agreement with the local governments of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province to launch a new European Union-like administrative unit aimed at promoting balanced regional development and invigorating local economies. The "special union" of the three local governments will officially start operating in January next year, with its council to comprise 27 members -- nine each from the three municipalities -- and the heads of the three governm

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases jumped Tuesday, apparently due to increased virus tests, but the caseload was about half the tally from a week ago as the spread of omicron slows down. The country added 118,504 new COVID-19 infections, including 20 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,471,940, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The new tally is similar to the numbers seen in the third week of February when the omicron wave started to accelerate na

President Moon Jae-in paid his respects Tuesday to those killed in a 1960 pro-democracy civil uprising that led to the ousting of South Korea's first President Syngman Rhee. Moon offered flowers and burned incense before holding a moment of silence at a national cemetery in northern Seoul that holds the remains of 186 people killed in the "April 19 Revolution." In a message posted on social media, Moon said the civil uprising proved that all state authority shall emanate from people. &

The construction of a new command center for the combined forces of South Korea and the United States has been completed in a major American military base south of Seoul, a US Army website showed Tuesday. South Korean and US officials commemorated the completion of Command Center Humphreys in Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on Thursday last week, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The new center is designed to support the operations of the allies' Co

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Monday shifted its travel advisory on South Korea to the lowest tier of Level 1, a sharp change from the highest warning of Level 4 that was issued in February. The announcement followed reports that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its own travel recommendation on South Korea by a notch from the "Do Not Travel" level. South Korea is reportedly among around 90 nations and other regions that dropped to "Level 3:

WASHINGTON -- The United States is willing to listen to any concerns North Korea may have but only if North Korea engages in dialogue, a Department of State spokesperson said Monday, urging Pyongyang to return to diplomacy. Ned Price also reiterated the North will continue to face consequences until it ceases its escalatory actions. "We are willing to listen to the full range of the DPRK's concerns, but this can only happen through dialogue and the DPRK has not yet given any concrete indica

From international marriages, political asylum to run-ins with the law, there are a myriad of legal problems that foreign nationals can get embroiled in. The Korea Herald takes a look at some of the cases involving legal disputes of foreigners in South Korea. The following is the first installment of a three-part series. -- Ed. The Act on Citizen Participation in Criminal Trials, introduced in 2008, states that anyone, regardless of nationality, has a right to receive a jury trial. It states

US special envoy for North Korea travels to Seoul, urges North Korea to return to ‘path of dialogue’

Ahn expected to create ‘pro-Ahn force’ and run for party leader next June

The Democratic Party of Korea ratcheted up its attack on President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s Cabinet nominations, raising allegations against a second nominee. Kim In-chul, the nominee for deputy prime minister and education minister, has been accused of improperly holding an additional position while he was president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. According to Rep. Park Chan-dae from the Democratic Party, Kim worked as a nonexecutive director of Lotte Chemical, then Lotte

Exonerated man raises concerns about Democratic Party bid to abolish prosecution’s investigative powers

Military equipment visible at Mirim Parade Training Ground in Pyongyang, source says

Rep. Park Jin condemns North Korea’s latest missile provocations