Independence activist groups and opposition parties were set to boycott the government's ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day on Thursday in protest over the appointment of a new president of the Independence Hall of Korea. The Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI), a state-funded association of independence fighters and their descendants, has vowed to skip the ceremony and organize its own at Hyochang Park in central Seoul in protest of the appointment of Kim Hyoung-suk, accu

The government will secure and distribute additional COVID-19 treatments before the end of this month to fight a resurgence of infections nationwide, a presidential official said Wednesday. South Korea has seen a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with virus hospitalizations at 220 major medical institutions nationwide having risen sixfold in a month to come to 861 as of the first week of August, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. "We

A Seoul bus driver is under investigation after a passenger was killed when the vehicle sped off before they had fully disembarked, police said Wednesday. The Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station have filed a case against the driver for professional negligence resulting in death for the fatal accident that occurred in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Monday. The victim, in her 80s, fell to the ground while disembarking when the vehicle began to move. She got caught in the rear wheel and was later pronounc

Country continues to seek heirs of more than 7,200 heroes

Thirty-two medical schools have requested from the government 4,301 additional faculty members over the next six years, in order to address an anticipated faculty shortage in light of the state's plan to expand the medical school enrollment quota across the country. The medical schools slated for a quota increase next year submitted their requests for the thousands of additional faculty members to the Education Ministry in March, according to the report compiled by Rep. Jin Sun-mi of the

The controversy over Korea's national day has resurfaced in the past week, after the Yoon Suk Yeol administration appointed a conservative professor accused of supporting a political movement that wants the country’s founding to be recognized as happening in 1948, instead of liberation in 1945. Kim Hyoung-suk, who took office as the new director of the Independence Hall of Korea earlier this month, has been accused by the liberal bloc and some descendants of Korean independence fighte

The Education Ministry announced Wednesday that care programs for elementary schools driven by the state will begin in the second semester of the 2024 academic year, benefiting more than 6,300 schools nationwide. Dubbed "Neulbom school" which directly translates to "always caring" in Korean, the policy is a comprehensive after-school management system that integrates various educational resources from the school, the community and universities in the area in addition to regul

Weather agency says convergence of high-pressure systems fending off typhoons

100 caregivers from Philippines to start work in September

The number of COVID-19 child patients in South Korea jumped this month, as the nation saw a surge in cases amid a summer wave, hospital data showed Wednesday. At 42 pediatric hospitals, there were 1,080 child patients with COVID-19 on Aug. 5-9, compared with 387 child patients on July 22-26, according to data compiled by the Korea Children's Hospital Association. In particular, the number of COVID-19 child patients stood at 301 on Aug. 5-9 in Chungcheong provinces, compared with 54 on July 22-26

An increasing percentage of foreign visitors to South Korea are opting to use air and sea ports in areas outside of the Greater Seoul region of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, government data showed Wednesday. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, data showed that 74.4 percent of the foreign visitors who entered the country in the first half of this year used Incheon International Airport, Incheon Port and Gimpo International Airport, which are located in the country's gateway

Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it has developed a diagnostic test to identify dog meat, with a recently passed ban on dog-sourced meat set to fully take effect in 2027. The test kit uses polymerase chain reaction to identify dog DNA in meat, and has been developed by Seoul's Research Institute of Public Health and Environment in June. The city government plans to use the system to catch those who attempt to sell dog meat by falsely advertising it as other types of meat. Seou

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Wednesday pledged to take stern measures against attempts to obstruct junior doctors' return to hospitals. Cho's remarks came as lists of junior doctors who decided to return to work were circulating online, with the police conducting an investigation upon the request of the ministry. "So far, we have referred 21 cases regarding the release of lists and defamation, with investigative authorities identifying the suspects and sending the cases to the

The government will ease restrictions on the price of meals served to public officials and other professions later this month, officials said Wednesday, in a move aimed at reflecting the current price levels since the anti-corruption law came into effect in 2016. Under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, commonly known as the Kim Young-ran law, public officials and individuals in specific roles, such as journalists and private school teachers, are not allowed to be served meals worth more t

The ongoing heat wave continues to take a toll on humans and livestock alike, with men, the elderly and manual laborers most affected, while poultry remains hardest hit among animals. As of Sunday, South Korea reported nearly 2,300 heat-related illnesses and over 700,000 livestock deaths, data showed Tuesday. According to the Interior Ministry, the cumulative number of heat-related illness cases had reached 2,293, with 21 deaths reported. This is the highest number since the record-breaking heat