South Korea on Thursday reported 128 COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily tally since the pandemic began, while the daily caseload hovered near the 200,000 mark. According to health authorities, the number of daily cases reported during the 24 hours of Wednesday came to 198,803. The total caseload thus came to 3,691,488, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The figure was down from that of the previous day, when it reached the highest figure of 219,241. The country&rs

Seoul’s own Beverly Hills had once lost its luster, then the pandemic brought luxury back

President Moon Jae-in will preside over a National Security Council meeting Thursday to discuss long-term security threats, Cheong Wa Dae said, amid expectations the session would focus on the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thursday's meeting was aimed at discussing security challenges between 2021 and 2030, but Russian attacks in Ukraine and their geopolitical ramifications are likely to top the agenda. South Korea said it will ban exports of strategic items to Russia and join inter

Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong has been cleared of allegations that he evaded taxes through the establishment of a paper company in the British Virgin Islands, according to police Thursday. The financial crime unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it decided not to file tax evasion and other charges against the Samsung Electronics Co. vice chairman in a case launched after the Youth Justice Party filed a criminal complaint last year. The party filed the complaint after Lee was purpo

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell below 200,000 Thursday, with health authorities staying on alert over the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant. The country reported 198,803 new coronavirus infections, including 198,749 local cases, raising the total caseload to 3,691,488 according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Daily infections surpassed 200,000 for the first time Wednesday, a day after the government suspended the enforcement of the vaccine

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test, his office said Thursday. He is currently waiting for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result at his official residence, the office added. Kim reportedly felt symptoms of the novel coronavirus after visiting Daegu on Monday. (Yonhap)

The new school year kicked off Wednesday while the country’s daily COVID-19 tally soared to nearly 220,000. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s report on Wednesday, the number of daily cases here reached 219,241, up 80,248 from the previous day. The total caseload reached 3,492,686 accordingly, the country’s health authorities said.　 Despite the tally, most schools opted for in-person classes Wednesday. Though the Education Ministry gave school

The military on Wednesday reported 898 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 20,167. The new cases included 639 from the Army, 73 from the Navy, 66 from the Air Force, 66 from the Marine Corps and 44 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry. There were also six cases from the ministry, three from the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 5,777 military personnel are under treatm

South Koreans bid a final farewell to late former culture minister Lee O-young on Wednesday, in a funeral ceremony led by the culture ministry for one of South Korea's most revered literary critics and novelists. His family, friends and figures from the culture and art scenes paid their respects to Lee at the National Library of Korea in southern Seoul. The library is a symbolic venue for him as he laid the foundation for cultural policy for developing libraries across the country during his ter

ULJIN -- Three sailors were rescued with cardiac arrest Wednesday morning after their fishing boat sank in the waters off the eastern county of Uljin, Coast Guard officials said. The 7.93-ton vessel went down in waters off Osan Port in Uljin, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at around 7:06 a.m., according to officials. The three crew members were sent to a nearby hospital upon rescue, and the Coast Guard plans to investigate the exact damage and the cause of the accident. (Yonhap)

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases surpassed 200,000 for the first time Wednesday as the highly transmissible omicron variant continues its frenetic spread across the nation. The surge came after the government temporarily suspended the enforcement of the vaccine pass system Tuesday, citing the lack of staff handling the pandemic. The country reported a record high of 219,241 new coronavirus infections, including 219,173 local cases, raising the total caseload to 3,492,686 according to the

A landmark UN report warned on Monday that time had nearly run out to ensure a "liveable future" for all, detailing a horrifying "atlas of human suffering" and warning that far worse was to come. Species extinction, ecosystem collapse, insect-borne disease, deadly heatwaves and megastorms, water shortages, reduced crop yields -- all are measurably worse due to rising temperatures, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said. In the last year alone, the world has

South Korea reported less than 140,000 cases of COVID-19 for the second consecutive day Tuesday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but virus-related deaths remained high amid the fast spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. The country reported 138,993 new coronavirus infections, including 138,935 local cases, raising the total caseload to 3,273,449, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally surpassed the 100,000 mark for the first time in mid-Fe

COVID-19 deaths in South Korea are soaring to record levels while the country moves to live with omicron despite the continuing surge. Meanwhile, as the country seeks to live with omicron, COVID-19 deaths are soaring to record levels. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Korea saw 114 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours ending Sunday midnight -- the highest to date since the pandemic began. In the past week, COVID-19 deaths have averaged at 86 per day, up from 49 se

The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea elected Oh Young-jin, president of The Korea Times, as its seventh chairman at its meeting of executive directors on Friday. Oh will serve as the chairman of Foreign Language Newspapers Association for a term of one year. The association was established in July 2015 and carries out joint research and projects to aid the development of foreign-language newspapers published in Korea. Its members are English-language dailies The Korea Hera