Civic groups opposing the government's plan to expand the COVID-19 vaccine pass program to adolescents filed a petition with the state human rights commission on Wednesday, arguing that the scheme would violate the learning rights of students. The decision to require teens aged 12 to 18 to present vaccine certificates at multiuse facilities, most notably public study rooms and cram schools, starting February has been met with wide opposition among parents, arguing the measure amounts to forcing

Peter Chung Soon-taick will officially assume the role of the new archbishop of Seoul on Wednesday, succeeding Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, who served in the post for nearly a decade. Chung's installation ceremony and Mass will be held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul at 2 p.m., according to the Archdiocese of Seoul. During the ceremony, the 60-year-old archbishop will accept pastoral staff symbolizing the authority of the pastoral office from his predecessor Yeom and take a seat in

Seoul's daily coronavirus cases reached a record high of 2,901 on Wednesday as the country's total surpassed 7,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, officials said Wednesday. Seoul's total was up 781 from the previous day and up 628 from the previous high of 2,273 logged Friday, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters. Of the total, 2,890 were local infections and 11 were from overseas. Seoul saw its daily virus figure exceed 2,000 every day except for Sunday in the p

South Korea's average temperature in the January-November period reached an all-time high of 14.4 degrees Celsius, making this year likely to be the warmest year ever, the state weather agency said Wednesday. The 11-month average temperature marks the highest since 1973 when the country beefed up weather observation networks across the nation, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. With the average daily temperature in December projected to be warmer than previous years, the yea

South Korea's new coronavirus cases hit an all-time high on Wednesday as infections continued to surge around the country amid waning immunity and colder weather. The country confirmed 7,175 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 489,484, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily tally was up by 2,221 from a day earlier, the biggest daily jump since the pandemic began early last year. The previous record of 5,352 was set on Saturday. The av

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases have surpassed 7,000 for the first time, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday, amid concerns over the omicron variant and the rising number of critical virus patients. "In the capital area, where 80 percent of total cases are reported, we continue to add hospital beds with active cooperation from the medical community, but still it is tough to catch up with the pace of rising virus cases," Kim said at the government's COVID-19 response meeting

The count of COVID-19’s omicron variant in South Korea rose by 12 in one day to 36 on Tuesday, with three of those cases traced to Seoul for the first time. Out of the 12 additional cases, three were “imported” cases involving recent travelers from South Africa and the rest were tied to an outbreak at a church in Incheon. Seoul said in a news briefing its first three omicron cases were identified among university students. The three students are among some 400 people who w

A Korean woman on Tuesday won the Ombudsman board’s support to change the English spelling of her name on her passport, after she said she was bullied by classmates over it. Currently, her passport reads “Ha Hena,” but she wants it to be spelt as “Ha Hannah,” so her name doesn’t sound like the word “hyena.” According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the state-run panel ruled that the Foreign Ministry should reconsider its earl

Boy, 6, dies in ER after two days of home care

Seoul Metropolitan Government picks 13 shops in city’s southeastern area, adds to list of 105

The Supreme Court has raised the maximum recommmended sentence for those convicted of child abuse resulting in death to 22 1/2 years in prison amid calls for tougher punishment for such heinous crimes, sources said Tuesday. The highest court's sentencing commission held a meeting Monday and raised the standard sentence for the crime to 4-8 years in prison, with up to 15 years of imprisonment possible for aggravated cases, from the current 4-7 years in prison and up to 10 years for aggravated ca

South Korean authorities are speeding up an inoculation plan for students as schools across the nation saw a significant spike in COVID-19 infections after returning to full-scale, in-person classes. From Nov. 29 to Sunday -- the second week since schools have fully reopened -- 1,450 students in Seoul tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a report from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education released Tuesday. The cases marked a 33 percent increase from the 1,090 infected studen

Change announced after embassies unite to support foreign residents inoculated overseas

The Air Force launched a surprise operation to install an anti-missile radar on a mountain in the southeastern city of Busan, sparking angry protests from residents concerned about potential health hazards from the radar's electromagnetic waves. Police were trying to disperse a group of protesters on Mt. Jang in the city, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, where the Air Force began installing a Green Pine land-based radar at around 6 a.m. Minor clashes broke out during the standoff. The Air Fo

Three foreign students attending universities in Seoul have been confirmed to be infected with omicron, officials said Tuesday, signaling the highly contagious COVID-19 variant's penetration into the capital. One foreign student each from Seoul National University (SNU), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) and Kyunghee University has been confirmed to have contracted the omicron variant, according to the Seoul city government.All of the three were found to have visited a church in Inche