South Korea will continue to require those entering the country to provide negative results of COVID-19 tests taken before entering the country. According to the central disaster response team, the measure will remain in place as the daily caseload remains high. The country currently requires travelers entering the country – both Korean and foreign nationals – to take a PCR test within 48 hours prior to arrival or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours prior to arrival. The Kore

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will hold a meeting Friday to discuss measures for supporting the victims of stalking crimes. After the enactment of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, more simply known as the anti-stalking law, the Gender Ministry has been working on expanding support for the victims of stalking crimes. The ministry plans to provide an emergency temporary accommodation for victims of stalking crimes using state rental housings, allowing victims to be

The award ceremony for the 51st Korea Herald English Speech Contest was held at the Australian Embassy in the Republic of Korea in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Tuesday. The Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Catherine Raper, Vice-Chair of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea Jo Billing, The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young, The Korea Herald Vice President Shin Yong-bae and more were in attendance. “I believe we could have the next generation of Korean leaders right

The Korean government will maintain its ban on in-person visits to nursing homes and long-term care hospitals during the upcoming Chuseok holidays, as the nation marks its first Korean Thanksgiving without social distancing in three years. “The ban on in-person visits to nursing homes and long-term care hospitals will be maintained in a precaution against COVID-19 transmission for the elderly,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said at a meeting at the governmental complex in Sejong, We

The government and ruling People Power Party will push to introduce a new subsidy for job seekers and increase support for low-income groups in next year’s budget, the ruling party said Wednesday. The ruling party and the government also agreed to include budget for planning storm drains in urban areas in light of recent rains, to direct more funds into supporting disabled people. The budget plans agreed on by the party and government will be put to a Cabinet meeting and then to the

Amid the ongoing pandemic, schools in Seoul are to continue normal operations, with the local education office promising to strengthen support for students’ mental health. “All schools will run under ‘normalcy attendance’ scheme in the second semester, operating face-to-face classes,” Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said at a press briefing at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Tuesday. “If the spread of COVID-19 worsens, however, schools can auton

Following the plan to nurture 150,000 skilled workers in the semiconductor industry over the next 10 years, the Korean government aims to nurture 1 million skilled workers for the digital industry within the next five years. The Ministry of Education announced on Monday that in cooperation with other ministries, it will train 1 million skilled workers for the digital industry by 2026, by doubling the number of information technology curriculum hours for elementary and secondary schools and re

The presidential office on Thursday announced plans to add a senior secretary position to the secretariat in a move apparently aimed at strengthening the office‘s policy coordination capabilities. 　 “As there has been problems of communication with civil affairs and policy agendas, there needs to be a post that helps the presidential office, Cabinet and people to communicate with each other,” President Yoon Suk-yeol’s Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki said during a press brief

The Ministry of Education will lift restrictions on universities’ student quotas as part of its drive to nurture more semiconductor talent. The move, aimed at encouraging universities to open or expand related departments from 2024, is part of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s plans to add 150,000 people to the country’s semiconductor industry workforce over the course of 10 years. On Wednesday, the ministry announced it will give advance notice of an enforcement decree tha

Kookmin University’s faculty association is holding a vote on a proposal to reassess some academic papers written by first lady Kim Keon-hee, despite the university having earlier cleared her of allegations of plagiarism after a monthslong probe. The faculty association at Kookmin University, a Seoul-based university where Kim did her Ph.D. program, has decided to survey professors asking them whether it should reassess the four papers written by Kim. The online survey will continue unti

Seoul has sustained the heaviest damage from the heavy downpour that has hit Korea over the past week, government officials said Tuesday. The torrential rain that hit the greater Seoul region last week moved to the southern coastal areas of Korea on Tuesday. The Korea Meteorological Administration said the southern coastal regions will receive up to 150 millimeters of rain through Wednesday. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the week of rain has flo

The Education Ministry is again under fire, this time from teachers against its new all-day schooling policy. With its minister Park Soon-ae announcing her willingness to resign after proposing to lower the elementary school entry age to five, the ministry said it will run all-day schooling programs to offer state-provided childcare. The plan involves elementary schools offering childcare services through afterschool classes until 8 p.m. At the National Assembly meeting held Tuesday, the min

The Korean government on Friday announced a plan to ensure the safety of children, based on the Child Safety Management Act, enacted in May 2020. In cooperation with other ministries, the Ministry of Interior and Safety pledged to ensure the safety of children from traffic accidents by improving the pedestrian environment in school zones and tightening the management of traffic lights, and more. It will designate roads without sidewalks as “pedestrian priority roads,” giving pr

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday issued an apology over the downpour that plagued the greater Seoul area, and pledged fundamental measures to prevent a repeat of Monday night’s havoc. Due to the record-setting heavy rain which hit Seoul, its surrounding regions and Gangwon Province from Monday to Tuesday, nine people have been reported dead, seven missing and some 600 displaced as of Wednesday morning. The president presided over an emergency meeting held at the governmental comp

With the education minister offering her resignation, the controversial plan to lower the school entry age to 5 could be shelved, nearly 10 days after it was first introduced. The Education Ministry on Tuesday apologized for a lack of communication concerning the previous report to the president, which proposed the system reform, saying it caused confusion.　 “It has become realistically difficult to push for the lowering of school entry age,” Vice Education Minister Jang Sang-yoon