South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 50,000 on Sunday amid lingering concerns over a surge in winter. The country reported 46,564 new COVID-19 infections, including 69 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 27,308,090, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Sunday's number decreased slightly from the previous week's 47,010, possibly reflecting a pause in the spread. South Korea added 60 deaths from COVID-19, putting the death toll at 30,729, the KDCA

Snowfall turned Hallasan on Jeju Island, the country’s tallest mountain, into a winter wonderland on Friday. Mountain climbers can take in the breathtaking sight of snow-capped mountains, glimmering frost on trees, as well as beautiful views of the island and landscape. Hallasan saw the first snow of the season on Wednesday, when a nationwide cold wave advisory was issued. With a cold spell gripping the nation, a mixture of snow and rain is expected this weekend as well. (Photos: Yonhap)

A Korean government-organized youth camp for teenagers across the world who are learning Korean language as second language completed its four-day run on Thursday. Organized by the Education Ministry here, the 2022 International Korean Education Youth Camp had 100 international students joining from 32 different countries its first in-person event since 2019. On Thursday, marking the finale of the event-packed schedule, an awarding ceremony took place at Hana Global Campus in Cheongna, Incheon

Namyang Dairy Products’ founder’s grandson was arrested for illegal drug use and the supply of drugs, according to legal professionals and news reports Friday. On Nov. 15 Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office arrested and charged the grandson, identified only by his family name Hong, with possession of marijuana and chronic drug administration under the country’s Narcotics Control Act, they said. The grandson, 40, is also suspected of distributing marijuana to his cl

Performers with the Little Angels staged a show titled "The Flight of Angels" at Sejong Center for Performing Arts in Seoul, Thursday. The show was directed to deliver a message for world peace as well as commemorate the troupe's 60th anniversary. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)

Seoul subway services returned to normal as unionized workers at the state-run Seoul Transportation and Korea Railroad reached a last-minute deal early Friday, officials said. The labor union of the main operator of the Seoul Metro Lines No. 1, 3, 4 and Korail agreed to the complete withdrawal of the walkout on Thursday after hours-long labor-management negotiations took place at Korail’s Seoul office. The two sides shook hands over higher wages and better working conditions, steering clea

The head of the Seoul police was summoned for questioning Friday as part of an investigation into the bungled response to the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood. Kim Kwang-ho, the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, appeared at a special investigation team's headquarters in western Seoul as a suspect. Kim was booked on charges of professional negligence, resulting in the deaths of 158 people, mostly those in their 20s, on Oct. 29. Asked about the charges upon

The state-run Korea Railroad Corp. and its labor union reached a last-minute deal early Friday, officials said, avoiding a possible disruption to major transportation services in the wider Seoul area. The Korean Railway Workers' Union had initially threatened to begin the walkout at 9 a.m. as it demanded a wage increase of 187,000 won ($143) per month, a transparent promotion system and the maintenance of the current criteria for performance-based pay. The union has also called on the compa

A woman was fined after abandoning her 3-year-old child in August in downtown Seoul, avoiding a prison sentence and possible deportation. Seoul Central District Court opted for leniency on Thursday, ordering a fine of 5 million won ($3,850) to a foreign national and ordering her to take a course against child abuse for abandoning her daughter in an alley in Myeong-dong, Seoul, according to local media reports. Child abandonment is punishable by up to 3 1/2 years in prison and generally leads to

The state-run Korea Railroad (KORAIL) and its labor union engaged in last-minute talks Thursday to avoid what would be the first railway workers' walkout in three years. The Korean Railway Workers' Union has threatened to go on strike Friday, demanding higher wages and better working conditions. Their action comes as the nation's logistics and supply chains are already being disrupted by cargo truckers' stoppage launched last Thursday. Both KORAIL and the union are pessimis

The Army has decided not to recognize Byun Hee-soo, a transgender soldier in her 20s who was found dead last year after being forcibly discharged from service, as having died in the line of duty, military authorities said Thursday. In a committee meeting held earlier in the day, the Army classified Byun's case as a "general death," a distinction referring to those in mandatory military service who died due to negligence or misconduct and are not recognized as an on-duty death, t

‘We don’t need money. We want punishment for people who were responsible’

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 60,000 on Thursday amid lingering concerns over a virus resurgence during the cold winter months. The country reported 57,079 new COVID-19 infections, including 43 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 27,155,813, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Thursday's tally is down from the 67,415 reported the previous day. While the number declined by around 2,000 cases from a week ago, it is slightl

Seoul subway operations returned at full capacity early Thursday morning after a late-night agreement by management to withdraw a staff downsizing plan ended the strike. Some parts of Line Nos. 1, 3 and 4, however, might not run at full capacity due to separate work-to-rule action by labor unions of Korail, another subway system operator in Greater Seoul. Workers on Line Nos. 1 through 8 went on strike over revived plans to reduce staff by not replacing retiring workers. The subway operator had

Labor minister says policy focus to change from punishing management for accidents to requiring prevention