IYF founder Park Ock-soo met with African leaders to foster personality education

The number of severe COVID-19 cases dropped to three digits for the first time in almost six weeks, according to government data Thursday. The number of critically ill patients, as of midnight Wednesday, marked 962, down 52 from the previous day, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency figures showed. It was the first time for the figure to drop below 1,000 since March 7, when the country reported 955 severe cases. The occupancy rate of hospital beds for critically ill COVID-19 patient

Yoon says he provided sufficent explanations on Cabinet appointments to Ahn Cheol-soo

Top prosecutor doubles down on protecting investigative powers; ruling party lashes out at justice minister pick

Nominee says new government will seek substantial ways to bring N. Korea back to dialogue table

Gyeonggi governor hopeful Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party has said that voting rights of Chinese nationals with permanent residence here should be restricted on the grounds of reciprocity. “Over 120,000 foreigners, among which are nearly 100,000 Chinese people, will have voting rights in the upcoming local election,” the politician said in a Facebook post on Thursday. “If our citizens cannot vote in a certain country, it makes sense for us to restrict the same rights. I

Scant surveillance risks losing sight of highly probable Korean COVID-19 lineage, experts warn

Concerns rise over conservative bloc merger and plans for local elections

Health and Welfare Minister nominee Chung Ho-young has come under fire over allegations surrounding his children's admissions into a medical school in the southeastern city of Daegu years ago. According to the Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday, Chung's daughter entered Kyungpook National University's medical school to earn her second bachelor's degree in 2017, when he was serving as vice head of the affiliated Kyungpook National University Hospital. Chung's son was also admitted to the same medi

A US Forces Korea (USFK) service member was caught driving under the influence of alcohol and causing an accident in Seoul early Thursday, police said. The soldier in his 20s was found to have damaged about 10 vehicles and motorcycles while driving after drinking at a bar in the capital's western district of Mapo, according to police. His blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent, high enough to have his driver's license revoked, when he was apprehended by police on a road in the central Yongsan dist

A delegation of President Yoon Suk-yeol met with executives of Pfizer in New York to discuss cooperation on the supply of the COVID-19 drug Paxlovid to South Korea, Yoon's spokesperson said Thursday. During the meeting last week, Pfizer agreed to closely cooperate with the Korean government for an early supply of the antiviral treatment, Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin said at a press briefing. Pfizer also pledged to cooperate with Yoon's incoming government to smoothly supply Paxlovid to South

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to celebrate the completion of a construction project of riverside apartments in Pyongyang ahead of its late founder's birth anniversary, state media said Thursday. During the ceremony held the previous day, Kim said that he misses his late grandfather Kim Il-sung "more than ever" as the luxurious residential district has been built at a site related to him on the occasion of his birth anniversary, according to the official Korean Ce

South Korea will begin a 110 billion won ($89.8 million) project next year to develop a laser device to safely remove unexploded ordnance by 2027, the state arms procurement agency said Thursday. The policy and planning subcommittee of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the project and plans to conduct a feasibility study and coordinate budgetary issues with related agencies, its officials said. The project aims to develop a mobile laser device to safely detonate and

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 150,000 on Thursday, amid the continuing modest decline in infections after the worst omicron outbreak passed its peak last month. The country reported 148,443 new COVID-19 infections, including 35 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 15,979,061, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Excluding Mondays, when the daily counts tend to drop due to fewer tests on the weekend, the latest tally is the lowest number in abo

Six North Korean military officials have been promoted to the rank of four-star general at the order of leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of the 110th birth anniversary of late national founder Kim Il-sung, state media reported Thursday. The announcement came on the eve of the anniversary, one of the country's biggest celebrations, apparently aimed at rallying unity within the military amid heightened regional tensions. Kim has conferred the title of general to former Defense Minister Kim Jong-