Buying of COVID-19 self-test kits will be restricted to five units per purchase for three weeks, as the government works to stabilize the supply in light of the recent surge in at-home treatment patients, according to officials Saturday. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the purchase restriction of self-test kits will be enforced for three weeks starting Sunday. Customers, however, will be allowed to purchase additional kits at different stores if needed, according to officials

Ultrafine dust plagued most parts of South Korea on Saturday, prompting authorities to take emergency emissions reduction measures against bad air quality, according to officials. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, the level of ultrafine dust in the greater Seoul area, Chungcheong and North Jeolla regions were all recorded at "very bad" on Saturday morning. South Korea measures air pollution in a four-tier system -- "good," "average," &

South Korea's new COVID-19 infections reached a fresh daily high Saturday, as the highly transmissible omicron variant continued to spread fast across the nation. The country reported 54,941 new COVID-19 infections, including 53,797 local cases, raising the total to 1,294,205, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It marks the third day in a row that the daily tally exceeded the 50,000 level. A total of 53,926 cases were reported Friday. The health authorities have war

A senior health and welfare ministry official has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said Friday amid worries over a spike in infections of the omicron variant and its spread among high-ranking government officials. Second Vice Health and Welfare Minister Ryu Geun-hyuk took the polymerase chain reaction examination earlier in the day after having tested positive with a self-test kit, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. He has been deeply involved in anti-pandemic efforts sin

Flu comparisons misleading, omicron likely as severe as original Wuhan virus

The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed a lower court's 30-year prison sentences for a couple in their 20s convicted of abusing and starving their 8-year-old daughter to death. The third-grade elementary school child died at their home in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, in March last year after suffering nearly three years of maltreatment and violence by her biological mother and stepfather, 29 and 28 years old, respectively. The top court also approved a lower court order that the couple un

Critics say growing anti-feminism sentiment is exacerbated by politicians who capitalize on the phenomenon

A 3.1 magnitude natural earthquake hit near North Korea's nuclear testing site Friday, South Korea's state weather agency said. The quake occurred about 40 kilometers north-northwest of Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, at 10:35 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Kilju is where North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear testing site is located. A total of 25 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or bigger have struck regions near Kilju since 1978, with a 3.2 magnitude quake th

An explosion rocked a petrochemical factory in the southern city of Yeosu on Friday, leaving four workers dead and four others injured, police said. The explosion occurred at 9:26 a.m. at the Yeochun NCC Co. factory in Yeosu, about 320 km south of Seoul, and eight people were believed to be at the scene at the time. Of them, four died and four were taken to a hospital with injuries. Police and firefighters believe the explosion occurred during a testing of the factory's heat exchange system and

South Korea's military on Friday reported 401 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 7,908. The new cases included 247 from the Army, 74 from the Air Force, 51 from the Marine Corps, 17 from the Navy, 11 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry and one from the ministry. Currently, 3,000 military personnel are under treatment. (Yonhap)

A 62-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for cursing at and speaking violently to a nurse conducting a COVID-19 test on him, court officials said Friday. The man was convicted of verbally abusing the 31-year-old nurse working at a COVID-19 testing center in Seoul in December 2020, telling her in a threatening way to gently push the nasal swab into his nose. "You are a public servant, right? If I file a complaint, you'll get fired," he said, cursing at her and poundin

South Korea's daily COVID-19 infections stayed above 50,000 for the second day in a row Friday amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant across the nation. The country reported 53,926 new COVID-19 infections, including 53,797 local cases, raising the total to 1,239,287, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It marks the second day in a row that the daily tally exceeded the 50,000 level. A daily record high of 54,122 was reported Thursday.

The government is considering placing a price ceiling on COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday, as at-home testing and treatment has become a key element of the government's COVID-19 response. Kim made the remark during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul as the government tries to ensure the stable supply of self-test kits following the initiation of an enhanced at-home treatment system amid soaring virus cases. Driven by the highly transmissible omicron v

The city of Seoul will receive citizens' applications to choose sites for new electric vehicle chargers as part of its plan to supply 35,000 charging stations in the capital this year, city officials said Thursday. About 22,000 EV chargers will be installed in the city with the support of the Seoul metropolitan government while about 12,000 units will be set up by the environment ministry and other agencies, they said. The city government will receive citizens' applications for one month from ne

South Korea said Thursday it will boost policy efforts to tackle the low birth trends that have been aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic as the country will likely suffer a severe fall in the working-age population in the coming years. The government plans to launch the fourth pan-government task force this month to deal with demographic challenges, including a fall in the population and preparation for a super-aged society, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The government ha