South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 6,000 for the first time in six days Monday due partly to less testing over the weekend, but the number of new critically ill patients was at almost 1,000. The country added 5,318 more COVID-19 cases, including 5,258 local infections, bringing the cumulative total to 570,414, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The number of new critically ill patients came to 997, slightly down from an all-time high of 1,025 on Sunday and

The bad news and the good

The government on Sunday released the personal details of two non-custodial parents who have failed to pay child support for the first time since a related law revision came into effect in July. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said it has disclosed the personal information of two separate obligors of child support who failed to provide the expenses ordered by the court, on its website. According to the ministry, one obligor did not provide 65.2 million won ($55,543) of accumulated

The number of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in South Korea hit an all-time high Saturday, the government announced the same day. The increasing number of critical COVID-19 cases continues to overwhelm the country’s medical capacity. The number of critical COVID-19 cases reached 1,025 as of midnight Saturday, surpassing the previous high of 1,000 reported just the previous day, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The number of hospital beds for COVID-19

Schools in the capital area will resume remote learning this week as part of a government campaign aimed at stemming the fast spread of the coronavirus, officials said Sunday. Under the latest rules, schools in the capital area and overly crowded schools in other parts of the country will roll back fully in-person classes and reintroduce a mix of in-person and virtual classes starting Monday. Middle and high schools will be able to run at two-thirds capacity, while third- to sixth-grade elemen

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 7,000 for the first time in five days Sunday, but critical cases surged to a record high as the government reimposed restrictions to contain the fast spread of the virus. The country added 6,236 more COVID-19 cases, including 6,173 local infections, bringing the cumulative total to 565,098, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Sunday's tally is slightly down from the previous day's 7,313 and the record high of 7,850 repor

South Korea issued a heavy snow advisory in the greater Seoul area for the first time this winter, the weather agency said Saturday. The Korea Meteorological Administration said the advisory went into effect in Seoul, the western port city of Incheon and some of the western parts of the greater Seoul area at 3 p.m. The snowfall that began at around 1 p.m. is expected to gradually move east to affect the country's capital region at 2-4 p.m. and the inland areas of Gangwon Province at 3-5 p.m.

South Korean drugmakers have begun the process to develop COVID-19 vaccines that are effective against the new omicron variant amid concerns that the highly transmissible strain may become a dominant one soon. As the omicron variant fuels fears around the world that the pandemic could rage during the winter season, local pharmaceutical firms have either begun developing omicron-tailored vaccines or studying whether their vaccine candidates are effective against the strain. The country does not

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 7,000 for the fourth consecutive day Saturday and critical cases surged to a record high as the government reimposed restrictions to contain the fast spread of the virus.  The country added 7,314 more COVID-19 cases, including 7,284 local infections, bringing the cumulative total to 558,864, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Saturday's tally is slightly down from the previous day's 7,434 and the record high of 7,850 rep

South Korea has confirmed an additional case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a chicken farm in the central region, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The latest case was reported at the farm where around 344,000 egg-laying chickens are being raised in Sejong, 144 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Health authorities have cordoned off the site and are culling chickens in the farm to prevent the spread of the disease outside t

As of Thursday, more than 50 percent of youths between 12 and 17 in Korea have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and some 40.1 percent are fully vaccinated, officials said Friday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 1.55 million teenagers, 55.9 percent of the age group, have received the first dose of the vaccine. The rate of vaccination in older youths is higher, compared to a younger age group. More than 70 percent of those aged between 16 and 17 have received

Centuries-old sport adapts to call of the times, filling child care void

  Seoul’s Subway Line No. 1 posted the highest concentration of fine dust among all eight lines operated by Seoul Metro this year, data showed Thursday.  Subway Line No. 1 recorded an annual average of 74 micrograms per cubic meter of dust particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter, or PM10. The reading was higher than last year’s 66.6 micrograms, data from the operator of the eight subway lines in the Seoul metropolitan area showed. Line No. 4 came next at 70.

A noncommissioned Air Force officer was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment Friday for sexually abusing a female colleague who later took her own life, according to a military court. The master sergeant, surnamed Jang, was accused of groping the victim of the same rank inside a car in March. He also blackmailed her not to report the case to the authorities while sending threatening text messages. The ruling by the General Military Court in Seoul came seven months after the victim took her

South Korea is considering sending COVID-19 vaccines for booster shots to its troops abroad, officials said Friday, amid concerns over breakthrough infections and the omicron variant. It initially sought the local supply of additional vaccines needed for booster jabs. But it has begun consultations with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the direct provision of vaccines, as they may not be readily available in some areas and there may be shortage of medical facilities, they said