The number of international students enrolled in Korean higher education institutions hit a record high last year, data showed Sunday. According to the data released by the Ministry of Education, there were 166,869 foreign students enrolled at domestic universities and colleges as of April 1 2022, marking an increase of 10 percent from a year earlier and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The number of international students included those enrolled in both degree and non-degree programs, such as l

South Korea plans to "swiftly" lower its national crisis level for COVID-19, the head of the country's public health agency said Saturday, after the World Health Organization declared an end to the virus as a global health emergency earlier this week. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jee Young-mee made the announcement in a release, following WHO's move Friday to end the public health emergency of international concern that had been in place since

Flight operations on the southern island of Jeju, which was hit by heavy rain and strong winds for two days, partially resumed Friday, airport authorities said. A domestic flight departing from Seoul arrived at Jeju International Airport at 10:10 a.m., they said. The airport had reported the cancellation of 488 flights as of 10 a.m. As of 6 p.m. Friday, 64 flights had departed from Jeju and 77 others had landed on the island. Airlines had added 45 extra domestic flights and two international fli

Heavy rainfall in the southern part of South Korea caused property damage Friday, the Children's Day holiday, while also forcing multiple flights and ship services to be canceled. According to municipal officials in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, the platform at Airport Station on Gwangju Metro Line 1 was flooded with muddy water Friday afternoon, forcing trains to pass without stopping at the station for over an hour, starting at around 4:45 p.m. Gwangju said its western dist

LONDON (Reuters) -- The World Health Organization on Friday declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency, marking a major step toward the end of the pandemic that has killed more than 6.9 million people, disrupted the global economy and ravaged communities. The WHO's Emergency Committee met on Thursday and recommended the UN agency declare an end to the coronavirus crisis as a "public health emergency of international concern," which has been in place for over three ye

A South Korean lawmaker's call for the abolition of “no kids zones” in certain restaurants and venues met a divided response from the public Friday. Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor progressive Basic Income Party on Thursday claimed that many private restaurants and public venues adopt “no kids” policies without reasonable grounds. “Today, popular cafes and restaurants on Instagram and even public libraries have become ‘no kids zones,’” Yong said

South Korea's continued noncompliance with the Hague Abduction Convention designed to prevent the international abduction of children by a parent might pressure the Yoon Suk Yeol administration which seeks to bolster ties with the US, a lawmaker said Friday. The continued failure of Seoul to enforce the return of children to the US in international abduction cases could spark diplomatic trouble between Seoul and Washington, according to Rep. Park Yong-jin of the main opposition Democratic P

The Supreme Court judged that a construction company was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of parrots in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, Yonhap News reported Friday, citing legal sources. The plaintiff, who runs a parrot farm, filed a lawsuit against the construction company, claiming that noise and vibrations from a construction site nearby caused the deaths of parrots. From January 2017 to December of the same year, total 427 parrots died on the plaintiff’s farm. The plaintiff filed 16 c

A growing number of parents around the world are recording the lives of their children and posting them on social media to cherish and proudly share their kids' most precious moments. But from the perspective of the children, such practices often lead to the unwanted exposure of their identities on the internet. South Korea has been working to create legal frameworks to ensure children's rights are not forgotten on the internet. Only when they grow up will they begin to fully comprehen

Series of bills brought forward in the fight against drug crimes

Scores of flights were grounded at Jeju International Airport for two straight days due to strong winds and heavy rain, turning Children's Day into one of gloom and frustration. According to the Jeju Island branch of the Korean Airports Corp., 183 domestic flights to and from Jeju airport -- 92 departures and 91 arrivals -- had been canceled as of 8 a.m. A total of 488 domestic flights -- 238 arrivals and 235 departures -- and 15 international flights -- seven arrivals and eight departures

The number of daycare centers in Seoul, which accommodate infants and toddlers under age seven, has decreased by 24 percent in the last five years as the country has continued to record the world's lowest fertility rate, data showed Friday According to statistics from the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday, the number of daycare centers in Seoul was 4,712 as of the end of 2022, which decreased by 24.3 percent from 6,226 in 2017. The number of daycare centers by year has been steadily

Four general hospitals in Daegu are to be penalized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for refusing to accept a severely injured teenager on March 19, which led to the girl’s death after two hours of driving from hospital to hospital in an ambulance. The ministry determined that the hospitals -- Daegu Fatima Hospital, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital and Daegu Catholic University Medical Center -- unreasonably refused to treat an emergency p

Elementary school students would love to hear “I love you” the most from their parents and teachers on Children’s Day, according to a survey released Wednesday. According to the survey conducted by Chungcheongnamdo Office of Education, 37.8 percent of respondents said they wanted to hear "I love you" while 24 percent said they want to hear "you can do it.” From their friends, some 40 percent of respondents said they want to hear "let's hang out

Activists demand a formal apology from Japanese PM over historical disputes