OSONG, North Chungcheong Province -- Safety and quality are what make Korean food products stand out, according to Minister of Food and Drug Safety Oh Yu-kyoung. “I believe the competitive edge that Korean food products have in the global market is their safety and high quality,” Oh said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “The interest in Korean culture has extended beyond K-pop or K-dramas. Now we’re seeing a growing popularity of Korean food -- hence I think the nam

The Korea Meteorological Administration said Monday that snow and rain will fall in various regions this week as temperatures drop from Tuesday, urging caution against safety accidents caused by icy roads and cold weather. The temperature, which will be similar to average year until Tuesday afternoon, will drop sharply at night as cold air comes down from the northwest. Compared to the previous day, Wednesday morning temperatures will be about five to 11 degrees Celsius lower throughout the coun

Authorities warn that adolescents are 3 to 5 times more prone to contracting omicron variant

Do Kwon, the wanted co-founder and CEO of Terraform Labs accused of fraud following the massive collapse of the blockchain firm's cryptocurrencies, is currently in Serbia, prosecutors said Monday. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office obtained intelligence that Kwon has stayed in Serbia for about month after leaving the United Arab Emirates. He was most recently spotted in Singapore in early September. The disgraced entrepreneur has been under investigation for alleged fraud and ta

South Korea reported more than 25,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the largest for a Monday in more than three months, amid concerns of another surge as the government mulls easing the indoor mask mandate. The country reported 25,667 new COVID-19 infections, including 63 from overseas, bringing the total to 27,754,149, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Monday's daily infections marked the highest for a Monday since the figure reached 36,917 on Sept. 12. On Friday, the gove

Ensuring safe work environment for both local and foreign laborers is crucial, says labor minister

An Egyptian facing persecution in his home country for participating in pro-democracy protests has been granted refugee status after winning a lawsuit against the South Korean Justice Ministry and its immigration office, the court said Sunday. According to the Seoul Administrative Court on Sunday, the Egyptian man took part in a pro-democracy protests in 2011 to oust then-President Hosni Mubarak and other protests from 2013 to 2014 against the coup of current Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Si

South Korea reported more than 50,000 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, the largest for a Sunday in more than three months, amid concerns of another surge as the government mulls easing the indoor mask mandate. The country reported 54,319 new COVID-19 infections, including 52 from overseas, bringing the total to 27,728,482, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Sunday's daily infections marked the most for a Sunday since the figure reached 72,112 on Sept. 4. The government earlier

Multiple fires have been reported across South Korea on Saturday. A fire broke out in a traditional five-day market, also known as Oiljang, in Damyang, South Jeolla Province at around 8:07 a.m., burning down nearly 10 booths out of 40 there for 30 minutes. No casualties have been reported. At around 10:17 a.m., a fried chicken restaurant at Suwon Chicken Street in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, caught fire. Firemen put out the fire after an hour. No casualties were reported. Also in Suwon, a fire sta

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 60,000 for the fifth consecutive day Saturday amid lingering concerns of another surge as the government mulls easing the indoor mask mandate. The country reported 62,738 new COVID-19 infections, including 61 from overseas, bringing the total to 27,674,163, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Friday's tally is slightly higher than the previous day's 62,734 and over 9,000 higher than a week earlier, KDCA data showed. T

Seoul International School, a major international school in Korea located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a new head. An experienced educator who has lived in diverse cultures, SIS head James Gerhard presented a multifaceted vision to maintain SIS’ reputation. Gerhard has been in the education field for about 28 years, and has a doctorate in education. He taught high school economics and government in New York before moving on to teach Ame

South Korean truckers voted to return to work after 16 days of striking, with a majority of union members voting against continuing the demonstration. The Cargo Truckers Solidarity union has been on strike since Nov. 24, calling for the government to make permanent a minimum freight rate system that is to expire this year. They held an emergency meeting on Thursday and decided to vote on whether to continue the strike. “If the union members decide (to cancel the strike), we will return to

A couple in their 60s who owned a bear breeding farm were found dead in an apparent attack by the bears they own, the police said on Friday. Bear breeding faces criticism for violating animal rights, but the government is not able to provide other options at the moment, as it would take many more years to build adequate facilities. On Thursday night, police found the bodies of the couple at the entrance of the farm after receiving a missing person report from their daughter at 9:45 p.m. It was d

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases continued their weekly climb Friday, as the government mulls adjusting the indoor mask mandate even as the virus spreads. The country reported 62,734 new COVID-19 infections, including 50 from overseas, bringing the total to 27,611,555, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Friday's tally is slightly lower than the previous day's 65,253, but up by more than 9,700 from the same day a week earlier, and more than 9,000 higher than two

Striking cargo truckers voted Friday to end their weekslong walkout after their collective action incurred massive supply disruptions across industries and prompted the government to issue back-to-work orders. In a plenary vote conducted in the morning, nearly 62 percent voted in favor of ending the strike while about 38 percent objected, according to the results of the vote released by the North Jeolla branch of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union. The vote was participated by 3,574 of the uni