South Korea's new COVID-19 cases came in the 50,000 range on Saturday for the third day in a row, continuing the recent mild resurgence on the back of the winter virus wave. The country reported 52,788 new COVID-19 infections, including 62 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 26,890,488, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Saturday's figure is down from 53,698 posted the previous day but increased by more than 2,000 compared with a week earlier,

Two teenage brothers have been found dead with their parents unconscious at their home in Incheon, police said Saturday. A teacher of the school of one of the children found the family at 11:41 a.m. Friday and reported to the police, according to the Incheon Seobu Police Station in the city, about 30 kilometers west of Seoul. The police believe no foul play was involved. When fire workers arrived, all of them were lying in one room where signs of suicide were found, the police said. The brothers

"Squid Game" actor O Yeong-su has been indicted on charges of sexual misconduct, judicial officials said Friday. The Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office indicted the 78-year-old O without detention Thursday over an allegation that he inappropriately touched the body of a woman in mid-2017, the officials said. The case dates back to December last year, when the alleged victim filed a complaint against O with police. Police then closed the case without filing any cha

The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that it is unconstitutional for the Army to force enlisted soldiers to participate in religious events at the Army Training Center. Following the ruling, the Army said they will guarantee the basic rights of individual soldiers. "Forcing people to attend religious events held at religious facilities limits soldiers' freedom of not having faith and not attending religious ceremonies," the Constitutional Court said in the ruling. The court

A revised bill to prevent minors from taking the burden of their deceased parents’ debts was passed at a plenary session of the National Assembly on Thursday. If parents die, the inheritor has to choose between three choices – “absolute acceptance,” to inherit both debt and property, “qualified acceptance,” to pay off the parent's debt only within the scope of the inherited property, or “renunciation,” which is to give up both the inherited pr

Transport disruptions are expected in Seoul's Yeouido district until the late afternoon on Friday due to a protest that has gathered some 50,000 people. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Friday, transportation disruptions are expected on the main road that connects Mapo Bridge and Seoul Bridge in the Yeouido area as a union representing irregular workers at schools held a street protest, occupying part of the road. On Friday, the union of irregular workers at schools went

After South Korea’s first match of the World Cup on Thursday, I overheard a policeman saying to his colleague over the radio that the public screening event at Gwanghwamun Plaza, central Seoul “wrapped up superbly.” There were no fights, no mess left by drunkards, and no fighting with the officials from the government, police and hosting group over being told what to do. There was some scattered trash in the streets, but most had been picked up by the roughly 23,000 people who

Police brought in two emergency monitoring officers for questioning Friday as part of their widening investigation into the bungled response to the crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood. Former senior emergency monitoring officer at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), Ryu Mi-jin, appeared before a special investigation team in western Seoul as a suspect. She has been booked on a dereliction-of-duty charge. Ryu is under suspicion of failing to promptly understand the situation

Inspired by local balloon flower, county office turns two small islands into 'mecca of purple'

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit almost 60,000 on Thursday, rising from a week earlier, as the looming winter virus wave adds to worries over yet another spike in transmissions. The country reported 59,089 new COVID-19 infections, including 55 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 26,784,142, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Thursday's count is down from 70,324 cases the previous day but up by about 3,600 compared with a week ago. Fifty-nine more

Government, ruling party label protests as illegal, warn of legal responsibility

By Han Wha-jin The “loss and damage” funding was at the center of tense negotiations of the UNFCCC COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. It was no surprise that new funding arrangements for assisting developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate were placed high on the agenda of the climate conference hosted in Africa. The continent contributes less than 3 percent of global emissions, and yet the region remains most vulnerable to the worst climate

From Thursday, the government will expand its ban on single-use merchandise with a yearlong grace period, adding plastic bags, straws, stir sticks and more to its list of restricted items. Single-use plastic bags will be banned from retail stores including convenience stores and bakeries. The ban, previously applicable to large stores with a floor space of 3,000 square meters or more and supermarkets with a 165 square meters of floor space or more, will be expanded to more retail stores. Though

The National Police Agency said Wednesday it will dispatch around 600 personnel to a mass street cheering event for the South Korean men's soccer team's first game at the FIFA World Cup being played in Qatar on Thursday. A total of eight squads of riot police and 41 additional police officers will be deployed to maintain order at Gwanghwamun Square, located in Jongno, central Seoul, where fans plan to gather. The Seoul municipal government decided Tuesday evening to allow the Red Devil

Police are investigating the parents of a dead infant found in a plastic container at a home in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. According to Pocheon police on Wednesday, the couple are believed to have hid the death of their 15-month-old daughter for three years since she died. The container that they used to keep the body was just 35 centimeters long, 24 centimeters wide and 17 centimeters tall, police said. Police said the mother, 34, is suspected of having left the infant to die at the couple