South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases passed the 100,000 mark for the first time since late April due to the spread of BA.5, a new, more contagious version of omicron, the government said Wednesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 100,285 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Tuesday. Kim Sung-ho, vice minister for disaster and safety management, said during a COVID-19 response meeting on Wednesday that the daily tally was the highe

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its development plan to turn massive idle land near Yongsan Station in central Seoul into the “Asian Silicon Valley” and a city transportation hub. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the government will transform the area into an “international business district as a new center for global urban competitiveness and technological innovation.” The Seoul city government will develop the area, which is a 4

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections continued to post a week-on-week increase on Sunday amid the recent COVID-19 wave fueled by the highly contagious omicron strain BA.5, government data showed Monday. Amid the ongoing spread of the new omicron strain, some antivirus measures at international airports and senior care hospitals have also been reinstated. Starting on Monday, international arrivals need to take a polymerase chain reaction test on the day of their entry to the country,

The government will create a new military unit dedicated to defenses against terrorist activities, the Prime Minister’s office said Friday. The government said it expects an increase in terrorist activities down the road, largely due to increased instability and political tensions around the world. The government also expressed concerns that there is a higher chance that terrorists could make their way into the country as pandemic-related travel restrictions are being eased. The anti-t

South Korea is slow on consuming COVID-19 pills, yet the government earlier announced that it would secure additional pills in the future, government data showed Friday. The government expects that its increased number of one-stop COVID-19 treatment centers -- where people can take virus tests, get in-person medical care services and receive antiviral drugs -- would increase accessibility to COVID-19 pills. However, the COVID-19 pill use was still low. According to government data, the count

South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases on Thursday reached 68,000, up nearly 10 times than four weeks ago, fueled by the spread of a highly contagious new omicron strain, BA.5. The number of critically ill patients also surpassed 100 for the second straight day, government data showed Friday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 68,632 COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The daily tally is 9.5 times higher than 7,218 cases reported four weeks ago. The f

Health authorities estimate that the new omicron wave would peak at around 300,000 COVID-19 cases a day, the government said Wednesday. The government added that it would expand the country’s medical capacity to cope with the increasing number of infections and severe cases. ”The number of daily COVID-19 infections, at its peak, is expected to come to some 300,000,“ said Lee Ki-il, second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, during a COVID-19 response meeting

South Korea‘s new coronavirus cases doubled again Monday from the previous week to surpass 70,000, amid a resurgence of infections fueled by the highly contagious new omicron strain BA.5. In figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Tuesday morning, the country reported 73,582 additional cases. That was more than double from a week earlier, when the country posted 37,360 cases. The figure is up more than fourfold from 18,147 cases two weeks ago. It is also

Second COVID-19 booster shots for people aged 50 and older began Monday as the country battles a resurgence in cases. The second boosters are also available for those aged 18 and older who have underlying health conditions, along with patients and workers at some facilities considered vulnerable to disease transmission, such as senior care centers. For people aged 50 and older, the government will send out text messages to inform them that they are eligible for booster shots. The governme

Seoul city is offering transport subsidies for pregnant women, but the measure is limited to Korean residents, casting questions on the inclusiveness of the city’s policies. The Seoul city government has been offering pregnant women living in the city 700,000 won ($538) each in transportation vouchers since July 1. However, depending on their residency status, some pregnant mothers may not receive the voucher, even if they are bearing a child of South Korean nationality. According to t

South Korea’s new COVID-19 infections continued to double from a week earlier on Saturday, largely due to the highly contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant and waning immunity among the people, government data showed Sunday. Health experts anticipated that daily infections could increase more than the government has projected, given the current pace of the spread. The introduction of a newer strain of omicron, BA.2.75, also known as ”centaurus,“poses another threat. According t

The Constitutional Court in South Korea held an open hearing Thursday on whether the death penalty is constitutional or not. It is the first time in 12 years and the third time in the country’s history that the death penalty has been challenged at the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the death penalty system both in 1996 and 2010, with 7-2 and 5-4 decisions, respectively. For The death penalty to be found unconstitutional, at least six out of nine have

The Seoul city government on Wednesday announced it would propose a record-breaking extra budget of 6.37 trillion won ($4.88 billion). The city government will submit the proposal on the same day to the Seoul Metropolitan Council, which would start its review on Friday this week. The budget is the first supplementary budget proposal since Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon began his new term earlier this month. It is also the largest extra budget ever, following the previous record-high extra budget of 4.

Omicron strains are driving a new COVID-19 wave in South Korea. The daily infections reached a 2-month high, while the weekly average number of COVID-19 infections almost doubled last week. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 37,360 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Monday. The daily count is the highest since May 11, when the country reported 43,908 cases. Tuesday’s figure was an almost twofold increase compared to 19,371 cases

Renewed discussions on the seven-day mandatory quarantine for COVID-19 patients have begun, but related restrictions appear likely to remain in place due to the recent resurgence of cases. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s new expert committee for infectious disease, under the wing of the prime minister‘s office, will discuss whether to keep the quarantine measure in place, and the government will announce its decision Wednesday. Other antivirus measures are also to be discusse