Outdoor activities expected to increase as the government lifts outdoor mask mandate

The bereaved family of an 18-year-old football player who took his own life recently claimed that the victim had been target of monthslong bullying by teammates and coaches. A person claiming to be a parent of Jeong Woo-rim -- formerly a member of the Gimpo Football Club of South Korea’s second division K League 2 -- posted an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae homepage on Monday about how the supposed bullying led to Jeong’s suicide on April 27. The person claimed that after goin

Kim becomes first nominee in Yoon’s Cabinet to withdraw

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose to over 50,000 on Tuesday from a nearly three-month low the previous day, as the country has sought to regain normalcy amid a recent gradual decrease in infections. The country reported 51,131 new COVID-19 infections, including 45 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,346,753, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's count more than doubled from the previous day's 20,084. But it was still a marked drop from a week ear

Police raided the headquarters of Woori Bank, one of South Korea's largest commercial banks, on Monday as one of the bank's employees is suspected of embezzling more than 60 billion won ($47 million).    Police confiscated computers and documents of the employee during the four-hour raid, officials said.    According to the bank, the employee, who has worked at Woori Bank for more than 10 years, took out a total of 61.45 billion won through three withdrawals, in 2012, 201

More than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, which play a vital role in sustaining life for all on this planet. In the face of climate change, the ocean is the center of many life-threatening challenges such as rising sea levels, water scarcity and changes in sea temperature. This year, Herald Corp. will host the second edition of H.eco Forum, an annual event focused on environmental issues, on Nodeul Island on May 26, under the theme of “The Climate Crisis and

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition committee on Monday met with family of a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korean troops near the western sea border on Sept. 21, 2020. Ahn Cheol-soo, the chief of the presidential transition committee, spoke with the official’s older brother Lee Rae-jin and an attorney representing his family at around 12: p.m. at the committee’s office in Jongno, central Seoul. In a letter delivered to Ahn on Mo

President Moon Jae-in says he believes Korea’s experience in forest restoration and international forest cooperation can contribute to sustainable forest management around the world, in a message to mark Seoul’s hosting of the 15th World Forestry Congress, He suggested three ways in which Korea would contribute to the international community. “First, we will actively participate in the international community’s efforts to restore tropical and subtropical forests and

UN secretary-general, heads of various international organizations to attend meeting

People seemed reluctant to take off their masks, although the country’s outdoor mask mandate was lifted on Monday. For various reasons, it was difficult to find people not wearing masks than those wearing them. “It is rather inconvenient to take off a face mask outside and put it back on when entering an indoor space,” said a 32-year-old female graduate student surnamed Cho in Seoul when asked why she still wore a mask outside, even though the mask rule had been scrapped. Ch

Annual forum will discuss ‘Climate Crisis and the Ocean’ this year

Voluntary efforts and effective policies helped Korea take lead in global forestry

South Korea's icebreaker is on its way to the southeastern port of Busan after completing a 195-day international exploration mission in the Antarctic Ocean, the oceans ministry said Monday. The Araon, South Korea's first ice breaking vessel, kicked off its mission to the South Pole on Oct. 20 last year and will return to Busan on Tuesday, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said. The 7,487-ton research ship explored the sea under the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, one of the biggest ice shelves i

South Korea has identified descendants of six independence activists who supported the nation's fight against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule from Hawaii, the veterans affairs ministry said Monday. The identification was an outcome of the project that the ministry launched in December to locate descendants of the activists, who operated in the U.S. territory, and properly honor them with state benefits, according to officials. Among the four descendants were George Blair McCun, the grandson of Geo

Police on Monday raided Seongnam City Hall over allegations that former ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung took hefty donations from companies via the city's football club while serving as mayor of the city. Investigators from the Bundang Police Station searched five divisions of the city government, including the city planning and policy planning divisions, to seize materials related to the allegations, according to officials. Lee, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidential elec