South Korea's new COVID-19 cases jumped to a nearly four-month high Tuesday amid a resurgence of infections driven by a highly infectious omicron variant. The country added 149,897 new COVID-19 infections, the highest since April 13 when the tally hit 195,387, bringing the total caseload to 20,694,239, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally includes 588 cases from overseas. Tuesday's figure is up from 55,292 the previous day and 111,785 from a week earli

Flooding displaces hundreds from their homes, interrupts public transportation across capital region

Heavy downpours battered Seoul on Monday, flooding homes and roads and causing traffic chaos in parts of the city, including Gangnam.  No casualties were reported as of midnight. Here are some photos from the mayhem.  Major roads in Daechidong in southern Seoul are completely submerged. (Yonhap)    Rainwater pours into the Isu subway station in southern Seoul on Monday night. (Yonhap)  Cars are seen half-submerged in a flooded

Heavy downpours battered the country's central region, including the capital area, on Monday, flooding homes, roads, buildings and other properties. Southern Seoul received more than 100 mm per hour, forcing sections of the subway to halt, and causing blackouts and residents in low-lying areas to flee for safety. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered relevant agencies to stay alert and do their best to prevent causalities and property damage in high-risk areas. The Korea Meteorological Admi

Over 520,000 dogs are being raised for meat in South Korea as of this February, with about 388,000 slaughtered a year, a study revealed Monday. There are a total of 1,156 dog farms across the country and they each keep an average of 450 animals. The total number of restaurants serving dog meat across the country is 1,666. These are the findings of a two-month field study conducted by the country’s government-civilian consultative body on dog meat consumption, which was announced Monda

Voice grows for legislation protecting children’s basic rights in Korea

The South Korean government could reinstate electronic travel authorization in Jeju, following a number of cases involving foreign visitors overstaying their tourist visas. The Ministry of Justice confirmed Monday that the government plans to introduce the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) for the island. A spokesperson of the ministry, however, added it would still collect opinions from representatives from Jeju’s tourism organizations before making the final decision. Th

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 100,000 on Monday for the first time in a week on fewer virus tests during the weekend, but the number of seriously ill patients remained at a two-month high amid a virus resurgence fueled by a highly contagious omicron subvariant. The country added 55,292 new COVID-19 infections, including 482 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 20,544,420, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Daily cases tend to increase through

Heavy rain advisories have been issued in much of the capital area, including all of Seoul, and northern parts of Gangwon Province, the weather agency said Monday. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued heavy rain watches earlier in the morning across the capital and Incheon as well as northern parts of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul and northern Gangwon Province. Such advisories are issued when precipitation is predicted to surpass 60 millimeters in a span of three hours or 110

South Koreans are not letting rising cases of COVID-19 get in the way of their summer plans, with travel and businesses already freed up by current policies. So far in August, an average of 101,290 cases and 31 deaths were reported per day, climbing from the 80,648 cases and 24 deaths seen between July 25-31. Over two days on Friday and Saturday, 92 patients with COVID-19 died -- the highest since mid-May in the aftermath of a deadly omicron wave that peaked in March. In recent briefings, th

The whereabouts of 55 out of 280 Thai tourists who entered South Korea earlier this week through the airport on the southern island of Jeju are unknown, immigration officials said Sunday. Out of 697 Thai nationals who arrived at the Jeju International Airport from Bangkok through a direct Jeju Airlines flight between Tuesday and Friday, 417 were denied entry and were flown home, according to the Jeju Immigration Service. Of the other 280 people who have entered the country for a three-day touris

About 1,000 people were evacuated Sunday after a man in his 20s threatened to blow up the Jamsil Sports Complex in southern Seoul. The man, who claimed to be an Islamic State (IS) warrior, uploaded a posting on an internet bulletin board Sunday morning saying he would explode bombs three times at the sports complex, according to Seoul Songpa Fire Station. The station alerted police to the threat at 10:19 a.m., officials said. Police sent 14 vehicles and 58 personnel to evacuate about 1,000 peopl

A Seoul court has ruled that an employee who slipped and died after heavy drinking with a boss should be recognized as a victim of a workplace accident, officials said Sunday. The Seoul Administrative Court sided with the family of the deceased worker in their litigation against the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service for the payment of survivors' benefits and his funeral expenses. The man, who worked as a security guard, slipped in front of his house after returning from d

Police on Sunday launched an investigation into an internet posting about assassinating President Yoon Suk-yeol, officials said. The posting, titled "How to assassinate Yoon Suk-yeol," was uploaded on an internet community website at 8:21 a.m., with the unidentified writer saying, "All plans are set," and asking for money necessary to carry out the plans. A viewer alerted police to the posting around 9:50 a.m., and police in the central city of Daejeon, about 150 kilometers s

From busking performances by idol trainees to fan events, campus town turns into a bustling K-pop mecca on weekends