South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 2,100 for the second consecutive day Friday, as worries persist over a virus resurgence with the country set to relax antivirus measures for a return to normalcy. The country added 2,124 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 2,094 local infections, raising the total caseload to 360,536, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily tally surpassed the 2,000 mark after 20 days on Thursday. The daily infection tally has moved in

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday that up to 10 people in the wider Seoul area and 12 people in the non-metropolitan area are free to meet regardless of vaccination as part of daily recovery to be carried out step by step in three stages. The first step will be implemented for four weeks and the quarantine situation will be comprehensively evaluated to decide whether to switch to the next step. “It is urgent to recover small business owners and self-employed people who have endure

Four-day event continues to Oct. 30 featuring colorful side events

Health authorities struggling to contain COVID-19 are on high alert ahead of this Halloween weekend, as Seoul's downtown areas are expected to be crowded with larger-than-usual numbers of people celebrating the annual Western holiday. Coronavirus-battered retailers in Seoul's popular entertainment districts, such as Itaewon and Hongdae, are looking forward to boom sales of Halloween-themed products, food, drinks and various other consumer goods, particularly because of the government's recent d

Extra dose not necessary for vaccine pass for now, but officials hint at potential for change

South Korea's new daily coronavirus cases surged to more than 2,100 on Thursday, as the virus spread is gaining ground amid efforts to ease the distancing rules and return to normalcy. The country added 2,111 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 2,095 local infections, raising the total caseload to 358,412, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is the first time in 20 days that the daily caseload has surpassed the 2,000 mark. The daily count was 1,952 the previous day, 1,

Scary holiday weekend falls on eve of grand return to normal

The fifth UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities, hosted by Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu, began its four-day run Wednesday. The international event is being held at Songdo Convensia in Yeonsu-gu under the theme of “From emergency to resilience: Building healthy and resilient cities through learning.” The conference comes at a critical juncture with an aim of discussing global health education in cities, their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and actions to improve res

9th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium also explores how Asian countries should work together

Ministry of Environment aims to repair 3,332 km of water pipes by 2024

Government employees will be subject to much tougher rules against drunk driving and inhumane misconduct under a soon-to-be-revised law, the Ministry of Personnel Management said Wednesday. The ministry issued an advance notice of a revision of the Decree on Disciplinary Action against Public Officials, saying any government employee caught driving drunk with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2 percent or higher can be expelled from office. According to the revision, public officials refusing

The number of babies born in South Korea dropped to a record low in August, data showed Wednesday, underscoring the country's gloomy demographic situation with its chronically low birthrate. A total of 22,291 babies were born in August, down 0.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest tally for any August since the country began compiling related data in 1981. South Korea has been struggling with a constant fall in childbirths as m

South Korea's new coronavirus cases soared to nearly 2,000 Wednesday, as fresh concerns emerge over people letting their guard down ahead of the start of a gradual easing of virus curbs aimed at returning to normalcy. The country added 1,952 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,930 local infections, raising the total caseload to 356,305, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest count is a big jump from the previous day's 1,266 and 1,190 reported on Monday, al

The members of the International Association of Prosecutors decided to launch a regional office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia in St. Petersburg, Russia, organizers said Tuesday. The decision was reached during the IAP’s 52nd Executive Committee Meeting and 26th General Meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Oct. 20-22. At the opening event on Oct. 20, IAP President Hwang Cheol-kyu, who is the chief prosecutor of the International Center for Criminal Justice in Korea, and Deputy Pr

The fifth International Conference on Learning Cities, held by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, kicks off in Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu on Wednesday to promote lifelong education for sustainable and healthy urban lives. Upholding learning cities’ green goal, the conference is set to be “paperless,” fully utilizing electronic documents. It is the district office’s effort to keep in step with UNESCO’s values and to meet its sustainable development goals, ac