Daily cases of omicron variant patients surge to 269, with 186 imported

More vaccines, treatments. Less social distancing.

South Korea extended the ban on short-term travelers from 11 African countries for another four weeks on Wednesday in an effort to “prevent the omicron variant from entering the country.” But as cases rise elsewhere, the decision to single out Africa has left many Africans living in Korea angry. The measure to restrict entry from select African countries was first enacted in late November, soon after the omicron variant was first detected in South Africa. The Korea Disease Control a

  A total of 467 people affiliated with the US Forces Korea tested positive for the new coronavirus in the week ending Dec. 27, according to data from the US Forces Korea released Thursday.  The US military counted 457 cases among service members at its Osan base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and 10 from overseas arrivals.  The weekly figure marks a steep rise from 75 cases reported in the previous week of Dec. 14-20. It was also the highest since Nov. 9.&

The year is at its end, but the problems that many had hoped to see the ends of still aren’t. At its start, the year was “supposed” to bring hope. Hope in the form of vaccines to end the pandemic. Hope in the form of the UN Climate Change Conference. Hope in the form of a new US administration and the changes its rise would set in motion. The reality, however, has fallen far short of the hopes. The new administration taking control in the US has led to little change in the

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to dominate news in 2021, impacting all areas of life from the economy to politics. Hopes of vaccines ending the pandemic were quashed, and daily caseloads around the world soared to new highs. The year also saw an unexpected wave of Korean popular culture, surges in stock markets, deaths of old dictators and rise of new, and intensifying rivalries on the global stage. Here are The Korea Herald’s top 10 international and domestic news stories of the year.

A taxi driver died Thursday after he drove his car through a wall on the fifth story of a Homeplus supermarket in Busan and fell to the ground. Seven people were injured and 12 cars were damaged, police said.

The planned expansion of the government's COVID-19 vaccine pass system to include 12- to 18-year-olds will likely be delayed by one month to next March, government officials said Thursday. The possible delay may be formally announced by the government on Friday, together with its decision on whether to extend the current strict social distancing measures for two more weeks, the officials said. Starting on Dec. 6, South Korea expanded its vaccine pass program, requiring vaccine passes or a nega

The Constitutional Court has ruled again unanimously that there is no problem with the Medical Service Act that allows only blind people to be eligible for an official license as massage therapists, officials said Thursday. A group of sighted massage parlor owners filed the petition claiming the law infringes upon their right to choose jobs. The law stipulates up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($25,300) in fines for those practicing massage therapy for profit without a license. But

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) reclaimed its status as South Korea's largest umbrella union in 2020, outpacing its rival organization in terms of membership size, a government report showed Thursday. According to the labor ministry's latest report on workplace unionization, the number of union members registered under FKTU was recorded at 1.15 million, or 41.1 percent of the total 2.8 million unionized workers in the country as of 2020. The more militant Korean Confederation of T

In a total of 107 house fires that occurred in Seoul between January 2019 and November this year, the culprit is believed to be cats, the city’s fire department said Thursday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, cats are believed to have started the blaze by turning on the electric stove in the kitchen with their paws. Nearly half of the cases, or 52, occurred while the owners were out. Electric induction cookers often come with touch-sensitive button

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 28 additional COVID-19 cases, including 25 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,235. Of the new cases, 14 are from the Air Force, 10 from the Army, two from the Navy, one from the Marine Corps, and one from a unit under direct control of the ministry. Currently, 268 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,436 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 5,000 for the second day in a row Thursday as authorities weigh whether to extend the current social distancing rules amid concerns over the omicron variant and critical cases. The country added 5,037 new COVID-19 infections, including 4,930 local infections, raising the total caseload to 625,967, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Thursday's figure is lower than 5,408 cases reported the previous day but marked

Top health officials say COVID-19 cases in are finally slowing in South Korea after bed shortages and increasing out-of-hospital deaths forced “return-to-normal” plans to halt two weeks ago. Despite the reassurance, the highly transmissible omicron variant is spreading while hospital admissions continue a record-setting rise. Son Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, told reporters Wednesday that, “Based on important metrics, one thing appears certain

Last summer, a man grabbed a teenage girl who was shopping at a large shopping mall in the city of Sejong and raped her in a men’s bathroom. Committed in broad daylight, it shocked many at that time. On Wednesday, the 20-something offender avoided jail time, as a local court sentenced him to three years of imprisonment suspended for four years. The act on the protection of children and youth against sex offenses states that a rape of a minor shall be punished by imprisonment for life o