Taking a step back from its initial decision to ban COVID-19-confirmed students from taking midterms, the Ministry of Education is now looking into allowing them to sit for the exams. The Education Ministry said it is currently reviewing the possibilities of having students with active coronavirus cases take the tests later this month. “We have not decided to allow students who have been ordered into isolation from the disease control authorities to take the midterm exams,“ the m

Close aide to Yoon Suk-yeol faces steep uphill battle in Assembly

President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed deep condolences after two Coast Guard officials were killed in a helicopter crash earlier in the day, Moon's spokesperson said. Moon also called for utmost efforts to find one missing crew member of the helicopter and wished for the recovery of another crew member who was rescued, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a statement. Four people were aboard the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter when it went down in waters 370 kilometers southwest of Mara

A ship with six Koreans aboard has been reported missing off the waters of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday. “Taiwanese authorities have informed the Korean government that they received distress signals from Kyoto 1 near the waters of Taiwan at 9:50 a.m. on Thursday,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding the six crew members who were on the Kyoto 1 are all of Korean nationality. The boat was on its way to Indonesia’s Port of Batam from Busan, while tow

South Korea's defense ministry set in motion phased relocation work Friday to empty its main building in the central Seoul district of Yongsan for use as the country's new presidential office starting in May. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has decided to move the presidential office to the compound from Cheong Wa Dae in the northern part of the capital. "The relocation work for the fifth story (of the building) and higher got underway in earnest this morning," a ministry official said.

South Korea's top diplomat told NATO members that Seoul plans to provide Ukraine with humanitarian aid worth a total of $40 million and will consider an additional package. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong was attending a foreign ministerial session of NATO members and four Asia-Pacific partners in Brussels Thursday (local time), according to his ministry. He became the first South Korean foreign minister to be present at such a high-profile NATO meeting. During the session, Chung made public his

Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo said Friday he will explain the allegations of conflicts of interest related to his home in the upcoming confirmation hearing. "I submitted explanatory materials and data (on personal assets). All of my explanations may not be accepted but I think (confirmation hearing) members will understand it well if I faithfully explain," Han told reporters on his way to the office. Han's conflict of interest allegations center on his house being rented to local

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will embark on a national tour next week, starting with a trip to the southeastern region of Daegu where a visit with former President Park Geun-hye is under consideration, his spokesperson said Friday. During the visits to Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, Yoon will thank the people for his election victory and gather opinions on ways to achieve balanced growth across regions, a task he has repeatedly highlighted, Bae Hyun-jin said during a press

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a phone call with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Friday, Yoon's spokesperson said. It will mark the first time Yoon will be speaking with the chief of an international organization since his election last month. During the call, Yoon plans to express his gratitude to Bach for sending a congratulatory letter on his election and discuss cooperation in South Korea's planned hosting of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Yoon's spoke

The Korean branch of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Friday it has decided to begin mediation procedures between Chanel Korea's labor union and management over the company's alleged violation of labor acts and human rights. In December last year, employees of the French luxury brand's cosmetics counters at department stores and duty-free shops filed a complaint with the OECD's Korean National Contact Point (KNCP) against the company, claiming it did not pay

A 40-year-old woman has turned herself in after strangling her two sons to death, saying she also attempted to take her own life after killing the sons due to economic hardship, according to police Friday. The woman, whose identity was withheld, killed the sons, aged 8 and 7, at their home in Seoul's southwestern district of Geumcheon on Tuesday night and turned herself in to police on Thursday, officials said. She was raising her children alone after separating from her husband because of his g

The government will finalize a decision on adjusting the infectious disease level of COVID-19 as virus cases are clearly on a downward trend, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday. The novel coronavirus is currently classified as "Class 1 infectious disease," the highest in the four-tier classification that falls under the same category with diseases like the Ebola virus and the Middle East respiratory syndrome, and the government is considering downgrading it by one notch. The move

North Korea appears to be continuing restoration work at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, including the construction of a tunnel entrance, a new report said, amid concerns that the secretive state may be pushing for another nuclear experiment. Commercial satellite imagery taken between March 24 and April 6 indicates continued activity at the site's Tunnel 3, such as new spoil piles and a newly uncovered entrance, according to the report released by the Vienna-based Open Nuclear Network. "T

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the fourth consecutive day Friday in a downward trend that could cause health officials to lower the infectious disease level of COVID-19 amid eased social distancing rules. The country reported 205,333 new COVID-19 infections, including 31 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,983,694, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The public health agency reported 373 new COVID-19 deaths Friday, u

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol will seek to hold summit talks with US President Joe Biden at an early date, the head of Yoon's delegation said Thursday, adding the Biden administration also understands the need for an early meeting between them. Rep. Park Jin of the People Power Party said the exact date and other details of a Yoon-Biden summit will be discussed through diplomatic channels. Yoon is set to take office May 10. "Every person we have met in the U