South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to the 40,000s on Sunday, but daily COVID-19 cases are widely on a downward trend even after the lifting of almost all antivirus curbs. The country added 40,064 new COVID-19 infections, including 16 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,544,398, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally is up from 26,714 on Friday and 39,600 on Saturday. Daily infections have been on the downward trend in recen

Packaging and bottles floating over from the North show development of private markets, informal economy

South Korea reported nearly 40,000 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, marking a gradual decrease in infections, amid eased social distancing rules designed to return the country to normalcy. The country added 39,600 new COVID-19 infections, including 26 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,504,334, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Saturday‘s figure is up from the previous day’s 26,714, but it marked a 13-week low for Saturdays. Dail

The 15th World Forestry Congress concluded with the closing ceremony on Friday in Seoul, adopting the Seoul Forest Declaration. The five-day congress is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization and held every six years to share worldwide forest-related and environmental problems, like climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification, and devise solutions through forests. The closing ceremony started with the announcement of outcomes across the five days, followed by commen

At the last meeting of Moon Jae-in administration’s COVID-19 headquarters top officials applauded South Korea’s handling of the pandemic over the years. Presiding over the meeting Friday, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum warned against “disparaging the country’s success in combatting COVID-19 without any evidence” in a message to critics. “There have some criticisms that compared to other countries, Korea was late in returning to normal life. But based on statis

South Korea's government-civilian consultative body on dog meat consumption decided Friday to extend its operations for two more months for further discussions on the sensitive issue in the country. The 21-member task force was launched in December to come up with compromise policy recommendations on dog meat consumption in order for the incoming government to take measures to deliver them, including related law revisions. "Members have found common ground that an end to dog meat consumptio

Last month ranked as the second warmest April on record in the nation, the weather agency said Friday. Data compiled by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) showed the average temperature last month was 13.8 C, the second highest for April since nationwide record-keeping began in 1973. It was 1.7 degrees above the 30-year average of 12.1 C. The average daytime high was 20.4 C, the fourth highest ever, and the average overnight low was 7.5 C, the third highest on record. The warm weather

The amount of illegal narcotics confiscated in South Korea reached an all time high last year, with an increase of foreign and juvenile drug offenders, government data showed Friday. According to the data compiled by the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO), a total of 1,295.7 kilograms of illegal drugs were confiscated in 2021, more than a threefold jump from a year earlier. Noticeably, the amount of major illegal drugs -- including methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana -- soared more than five ti

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the 20,000 level Friday from above 40,000 the previous day amid eased antivirus restrictions designed to return the nation to normalcy. The country added 26,714 new COVID-19 infections, including 28 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,464,782, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Friday's tally is a marked decrease from 42,296 reported the previous day and a sharp down from 50,556 reported a week earlie

Police on Friday referred an employee of Woori Bank, one of South Korea's largest commercial banks, and his brother to the prosecution on charges of embezzling more than 60 billion won ($47 million), officials said. The employee is suspected of having embezzled a total of 61.4 billion won through three occasions, in 2012, 2015 and 2018. He turned himself in last week after learning the bank determined him as a suspect and filed a complaint against him. Most of the stolen money was found to

Former Kiribati President and environmental activist Anote Tong says that for many Pacific Islanders, climate change is already an “existential threat.” Over 119,000 people of Kiribati at risk of losing their homes as rising sea levels slowly inundate the islands. Scientists believe the island nation could become inhabitable by 2050. The following are excerpts from The Korea Herald’s interview with Tong. KH: Tell us about how the climate crisis is afflicting Pacific isla

With the COVID-19 pandemic losing its grip, Children’s Day has returned with its full grandeur in South Korea, with theme parks and other kid-friendly venues jam-packed with crowds. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the holiday, which falls on May 5 and is usually celebrated by parents taking their kids to enjoy a special treat.   

One out of five children ‘feel unhappy,’ survey shows

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases remained below 50,000 on Thursday for the second straight day, amid the recent lifting of the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward a return to "normalcy." The country reported 42,296 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total caseload to 17,438,068, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Thursday's tally is slightly down from 49,064 reported Wednesday and sharply down from 57,464 reported a week earlier. Daily coron

Five stories behind the father of Children’s Day in Korea and the beloved 100-year-old holiday for kids