South Korea has dispatched a patrol ship to carry out search and rescue operation for six South Koreans that went missing in waters west of Taiwan after their vessel sent a distress call, Seoul‘s foreign ministry said Friday. 　 　The 3,000-ton patrol ship dispatched by the Coast Guard will begin the search operation immediately after arriving in Taiwan at around 11 a.m. Saturday, an official at the ministry said. 　 　Along with the patrol ship, a diving support ship was also dispatched to

South Korea may start recommending a third COVID-19 vaccination for people who have recovered from a breakthrough infection to prepare for any future variants and ensuing waves, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The national health protection agency told reporters Friday that a review by the advisory committee on immunization practices was underway, the agency said. Distributing third doses to people with a history of a breakthrough infection is now being considere

A ship with six Koreans aboard has been reported missing off the waters of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday. “Taiwanese authorities have informed the Korean government that they received distress signals from Kyoto 1 near the waters of Taiwan at 9:50 a.m. on Thursday,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding the six crew members who were on the Kyoto 1 are all of Korean nationality. The boat was on its way to Indonesia’s Port of Batam from Busan, while tow

The Korean branch of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Friday it has decided to begin mediation procedures between Chanel Korea's labor union and management over the company's alleged violation of labor acts and human rights. In December last year, employees of the French luxury brand's cosmetics counters at department stores and duty-free shops filed a complaint with the OECD's Korean National Contact Point (KNCP) against the company, claiming it did not pay

A 40-year-old woman has turned herself in after strangling her two sons to death, saying she also attempted to take her own life after killing the sons due to economic hardship, according to police Friday. The woman, whose identity was withheld, killed the sons, aged 8 and 7, at their home in Seoul's southwestern district of Geumcheon on Tuesday night and turned herself in to police on Thursday, officials said. She was raising her children alone after separating from her husband because of his g

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the fourth consecutive day Friday in a downward trend that could cause health officials to lower the infectious disease level of COVID-19 amid eased social distancing rules. The country reported 205,333 new COVID-19 infections, including 31 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,983,694, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The public health agency reported 373 new COVID-19 deaths Friday, u

INCHEON/JEJU -- A Coast Guard helicopter crashed in waters off South Korea's southernmost island of Mara on Friday, leaving two crewmen dead and another missing, officials said. Four people were aboard the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter when it went down in waters 370 kilometers southwest of Mara Island at 1:32 a.m., officials said. Of them, a co-pilot, identified by his surname Chung, 51, and a vessel radar operator, surnamed Hwang, 28, were killed, and a mechanic, surnamed Cha, 42, went missing. Its

South Korean left’s claims of news media colluding with prosecutors go long way back

As South Koreans push to break free of the pandemic’s long grip, Incheon Airport, the country’s main international gateway, is gearing up for the long-awaited return of air travelers. Although not quite to pre-pandemic levels yet, passengers were seen forming lines in front of certain airline counters on Wednesday, including South Korean flag carrier Asiana Airlines. However, many were unattended, with no flights scheduled. On Wednesday, usually one of the quietest days of th

1 in 2 children under 10 have had a COVID infection

Police have referred about 30 employees of the battery maker SK Innovation Co. to the prosecution on charges of stealing electric vehicle technology secrets from rival firm LG Energy Solution Ltd., officials said Thursday. They were among about 100 former LG employees, who moved to SK between 2017 and 2019 and sparked a trade secrets dispute between the two companies. LG claimed SK scouted its employees to gain trade secrets on EV batteries after coming late to the market. LG took the case to th

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained in the 200,000s for the third consecutive day on Thursday as the government is considering lifting social distancing rules in a step toward people's return to normalcy. The country reported 224,820 new COVID-19 infections, including 40 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,778,405, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The public health agency reported 348 new COVID-19 deaths, raising the total death toll to 1

Han Dong-hoon, a senior prosecutor considered a close associate of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, was cleared Wednesday of attempted coercion charges in a highly-watched blackmail case involving a liberal television commentator, officials said. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office cleared the charges for Han, vice head of the Judicial Research & Training Institute, on the grounds of insufficient evidence, about two years after the probe was launched. Han was accused of b

Marathon TV viewing may help relieve stress of quarantine, but there are dangers

South Korean government says the omicron wave is in retreat here, and that a return to normal life is on the horizon. “The weekly average deaths are falling, and this declining trend is expected to continue,” Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesperson Son Young-rae said at a briefing Wednesday. He said the number of patients in critical care have also fallen from a peak in late March, with 60 percent of beds at ICUs hospitals across the country filled. The ICU occupancy rates ho