Web cartoons and web novels, rising as mainstream forms of Korean content, will join the official collection list of the National Library of Korea. The National Library said Tuesday it has amended the related regulations for the first time in 11 years to expand the criteria of the “official types and forms of online data to be collected.” According to Article 20-2 of the Libraries Act, the National Library of Korea collects and preserves online materials with high preservation val

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 12,000 for the second consecutive day Thursday amid eased antivirus restrictions as the country is seeking to restore pre-pandemic normalcy. The country added 12,161 COVID-19 infections, including 65 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,200,346, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Thursday's figure marked a slight fall from the previous day's 13,358. The daily caseload had been below 10,000 fo

Campaign banners used for the June 1 local elections will be reborn as products such as bags and wallets according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will promote a recycling project in cooperation with Seoul districts and Seoul Upcycling Plaza to reuse the campaign banners as materials for everyday products. Campaign banners used in elections are usually thrown away or burnt, causing environmental issues. They are normally made o

Monkeypox assigned same threat status as COVID-19

More than a dozen unionized truckers on a general strike were apprehended Wednesday for allegedly obstructing business operations of a plant in Icheon, officers said. A total of 15 members of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity, under the wing of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, were taken into custody on charges of blocking cargo trucks from entering the plant operated by the country's leading beverage company, Hite Jinro Co., in the city 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul at around 8:30

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases bounced back to over 13,000 on Wednesday following an extended weekend, as the country is working to return to pre-pandemic normalcy by easing antivirus restrictions. The country added 13,358 COVID-19 infections, including 59 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,188,200, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload had stayed below 10,000 from Sunday through Tuesday on fewer tests over the weekend and the

Song Hae, South Korea's oldest TV presenter, died Wednesday. He was 95. According to the police and hospital officials, he passed away in the morning at his home in southern Seoul. He had been admitted to a hospital for medical treatment and released several times this year. He tested positive for COVID-19 in March. Born in 1927 in Hwanghae Province in present-day North Korea, Song crossed the inter-Korean border to the South during the 1950-53 Korean War. He started his entertainment caree

South Korea is pushing to approve AstraZeneca's antibody treatment Evusheld this month to better protect people with weak immune systems, the health authorities said Wednesday. The government plans to wrap up due procedures for its approval for emergency use within June and administer it to the people "as soon as possible," Second Health Vice Minister Lee Gi-il said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Evusheld is designed to stop the c

An employee of KB Savings Bank, a unit of KB Financial Group, has been arrested for allegedly embezzling 9.4 billion won ($7.5 million) of corporate funds over a six-year period, officials said Wednesday. The Songpa Police Station in southern Seoul detained the employee in his 40s a day earlier on embezzlement charges following its investigation into the case since December at the request of the bank, according to the officials. The bank employee in charge of corporate financing allegedly embezz

The special counsel investigation into the Air Force sexual abuse scandal officially kicked off Tuesday, more than a year since the victim -- 23-year-old Master Sgt. Lee Ye-ram -- took her own life. Ahn Mi-young, the prosecutor tasked with leading the probe, told reporters outside the team’s office in western Seoul that the military was facing “mounting allegations of mishandling sexual abuse complaints and engaging in victim-blaming.” “Through the probe I hope to mak

Late-night services on all subway lines in Seoul will be fully back on track in early August

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to below 10,000 for the third consecutive day Tuesday amid a slowing virus trend. The country added 6,172 COVID-19 infections, including 35 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,174,880, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily cases have been on a steady decline since mid-March when the daily caseload had spiked to over 620,000 amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant. The country a

Drivers demand government guarantee minimum cargo rates; Yoon vows stern response to irregularities

The number of South Koreans living in the capital Seoul is declining sharply, and will continue to drop in the coming decades, according to government data Monday. Seoul’s total population of native South Koreans reached 9.49 million as of May according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, showing an alarming decline. Seoul has been widely known as a city of 10 million residents. The population of Seoul -- both natives and foreigners included -- first surpassed the 10 million ba

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases fell to the 5,000s for the first time since Jan. 19, when the country reported 5,804 infections. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 5,022 COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Sunday. The total caseload reached 18,168,708. The decrease came largely as the number of tests conducted typically dips on the weekend then later rebounds. The extended holiday, which includes Memorial Day on Monday, also contrib