Online travel permit system making it harder to plan trips to Korea, critics say

South Korea's new coronavirus cases swelled to over 60,000 on Tuesday, with a possible winter surge of the virus on the horizon. The country reported 62,273 new COVID-19 infections, including 52 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,919,183, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The figure compared with 58,363 cases a week ago, 43,741 two weeks ago and 15,465 four weeks ago, showing a sustained increase in infections. The average daily cases for the past seven days were 43

The National Assembly on Monday grilled high-ranking officials over their handling of the Itaewon crowd crush as the country tries to get to the bottom of a tragedy that has left at least 156 people dead. At the parliamentary grilling, the police and the fire authorities came under fire as details of their tardy response emerged. The police station in Yongsan, the district where Itaewon is located, failed to dispatch its teams in time despite getting 11 calls starting from nearly four hours p

Lawmakers at the National Assembly proposed revising a domestic violence law to allow the punishment of stalking crimes committed by family members. Independent Rep. Yang Jeong-sook and other 10 lawmakers on Thursday purposed a revision to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Crimes of Domestic Violence to extend the scope of punishing stalking crimes, Yang’s office announced Monday. The current domestic violence law has only regulated limited scope of stalking crimes, suc

Although the national mourning period for the Itaewon disaster ended on Saturday, many people are left traumatized by direct and indirect exposure to tragic scenes. Experts and mental health associations asked hospitals to prioritize the treatment of patients suffering from the disaster. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Sunday, the Korean Association of Psychiatric Practitioners recently sent a text message to its members saying, "We ask for prompt therapeutic intervention

Seoul police chief apologizes for 'insufficient response'

Guenego Limamou was on 10-day visit of Korea, planning fusion French-Korean restaurant back home

Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University and a multicultural educator, will hold an author event in Seoul on Wednesday. In the lecture, Min will talk about his recent book “Land of Squid Game,” which highlights some deep-rooted aspects of Korea’s unique culture and traditional games. The first 100 participants will receive a copy of the book for free. A live chat with the author is limited to 50 guests on a first come, first served basis. The event

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 20,000 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend amid growing concerns that daily infections could spike to as high as 200,000 during the winter. The country reported 18,671 new COVID-19 infections, including 60 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,856,910, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The figure fell from the previous day's 36,675 cases, but it was up from 14,242 cases two weeks ago and from 8,974 fo

A train derailed in central Seoul on Sunday, injuring some 30 passengers, the operator said. The derailment occurred at 8:52 p.m., when the Mugunghwa train with 275 passengers on board was entering Yeongdeungpo Station in central Seoul, according to the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL). Six railroad cars including five passenger cars ran off the tracks, it added. The train was on its way to Iksan, in North Jeolla Province, some 180 kilometers south of the South Korean capital, from Yongsan, Seoul,

Criticism against the anti-stalking law is rising again following a court's decision to acquit a man of stalking charges, based on the fact that the victim did not answer the defendant's repeated calls. The Incheon District Court announced Sunday that it had acquitted a 54-year-old man accused of stalking. The perpetrator was indicted on stalking charges after repeatedly calling and sending text messages to his former girlfriend from March 26 to June 3. In April, a restraining order wa

Mine operator hesitated to report accident; gave rescuers outdated mine plans

One railway worker was killed and another injured after being struck by a cargo train in Uiwang, just southwest of Seoul, officials said Sunday. The accident occurred at 8:20 p.m. Saturday at Obong Station in Uiwang, killing the 33-year-old employee of Korea Railroad Corp. , the operator of railway services, they said. Another KORAIL worker was treated at the scene for symptoms such as hyperventilation. The workers were trying to connect and separate cargo trains at the time, they said. Police a

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 40,000 on Sunday amid concerns over a possible outbreak of a "twindemic" of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza during the winter. The country reported 36,675 new COVID-19 infections, including 66 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,838,239, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Daily infections jumped to 58,363 on Nov. 1 from 18,504 a day earlier but have been on the decline. The daily caseload stayed above 40,000 in

BONGHWA -- Two miners trapped for more than nine days in a collapsed zinc mine in southeastern South Korea walked out alive Friday, authorities said. The pair had been stuck in a vertical shaft about 190 meters underground at a zinc mine in the county of Bonghwa, 244 kilometers southeast of Seoul, since the mine collapsed on Oct. 26. Rescue authorities said the two, both surnamed Park and aged 62 and 56, came out at 11:03 p.m. after 221 hours. They are in stable health condition and have been se