South Korea‘s daily COVID-19 cases stayed above 6,000 for a second consecutive day as of midnight Thursday, largely as the spread of the omicron variant picks up pace. As of midnight Thursday, the country added 6,769 new COVID-19 cases, which raised the total caseload to 719,269, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The country‘s daily caseload surpassed 6,000 on Wednesday for the first time in 27 days, after staying below the mark since Dec. 24, when the figure re

What to know about new testing protocol

CHEONGJU -- A battery factory in the southern city of Cheongju caught fire Friday, leaving one person trapped inside, firefighters said. The fire broke out at the auto battery factory at around 3 p.m. in the city, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. Two people were immediately rescued, but one other is believed to be trapped inside the building, firefighting authorities said. Police initially said four people were inside the burning building with one having been rescued, but firefighters later co

South Korea plans to host the World Forestry Congress (WFC), the world's largest gathering of foresters, in May this year, government officials said Friday. The 15th WFC is scheduled to take place at Seoul's COEX from May 2-6, according to the Korea Forest Service (KFS). The WFC is the largest and most influential gathering of the world's forestry sector, and it has been held every six years under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It also provides a

JEJU -- The provincial government of Jeju said Friday it will push to raise the minimum investment required of foreigners under its real-estate investment immigration policy to 1.5 billion won. Under the current property investment immigration system, foreigners who invest 500 million won (about $419,000) or more in condominiums or other resort facilities on the southern resort island are eligible to receive a resident visa. The visa can be upgraded to a permanent residence visa after five year

Prosecutors have found Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group and Korean Air, borrowed and repaid 3 billion won ($2.5 million) from a man at the center of a far-reaching development corruption scandal but concluded there was no illegality in the transaction, sources said Friday. The transaction was detected as the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office looked into bank accounts of Kim Man-bae, who is at the center of the corruption scandal involving a lucrative apartment development project i

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed over 6,000 for a second straight day Friday amid concerns over the spread of the omicron variant ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.   The country added 6,769 new COVID-19 infections, including 6,482 local infections, raising the total caseload to 719,269, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Health authorities are on high alert over a possible spike in infections as many people travel for family reunions

The government will lower the age of eligibility for COVID-19 treatment pills from 65 to 60 to better contain the spread of the omicron variant, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday. Kim announced the measure during a COVID-19 response meeting held a day after President Moon Jae-in said omicron has become the dominant strain in the country. The first batch of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 treatment pills arrived in the country last week to be administered first to those with compromised immune sys

A worker died at a plant of South Korea‘s top steelmaker POSCO on Thursday after being hit by a coal-moving vehicle, police said. The 38-year-old worker, affiliated with a service provider for the company, was run over by a vehicle charging coal at a POSCO steel mill in the southeastern city of Pohang at around 9:47 a.m. while on duty. He was sent to a nearby hospital, but pronounced dead, according to the Pohang Nambu Police Station and the company. “I offer my deepest apologie

Pulling ‘emergency brake’ may be possible down the road, says government COVID-19 adviser

Two men, who were convicted of selling illegal abortion pills and helping two cases of infanticide, have been sentenced to three years in prison, according to the Daejeon District Court, Thursday. The court also banned the two men from getting child-related careers for three years. In January, 2020, the two men, who are in their 30s, sold illegal abortion pills online to a woman in her 20s. However, the woman gave birth in her bathroom after the abortion pills failed. She then asked the two m

A man in his 80s who is believed to have murdered his wife over suspicion of a possible relationship with another man has been arrested, police said Thursday. The case has been sent to the prosecutor’s office for further investigation. According to the Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station, the man is alleged to have murdered his wife on Jan. 12 at home. The man reportedly called his son and confessed to the crime. The son reported the case to police, and police arrested him at the scene.

The government and opponents of vaccine pass measures both appealed the court ruling that suspended some parts of the vaccine measures, each claiming the ruling is insufficient.　 “In consideration that we are in a crisis now due to COVID-19 pandemic, the minister has directed an immediate appeal against the case for the Seoul Metropolitan Government,” the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday. “As a ministry of judicial affairs, we will actively respond to lawsuits related to

Young ‘pro-anorexia’ followers share images of dangerously thin bodies, tips for fasting

DAEGU -- Two underage brothers were sentenced to prison terms of up to 12 years Thursday for killing their caretaker grandmother and assisting in the murder out of rage over her scolding. The Daegu District Court sentenced the 19-year-old elder brother to a prison term of minimum 7 years to maximum 12 years for murdering his grandmother at their home in Daegu in late August last year. He was also ordered to wear a GPS tracker for 10 years. Under the Juvenile Act, courts can give an unfixed ter