South Korea has been speeding up its vaccination efforts, with 1 in 4 now fully vaccinated, but a surge in the delta variant is hampering the country‘s efforts to contain the pandemic. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday, “The number of confirmed cases exceeded 2,000 again after five days. The delta variant is being found in 9 out of 10 confirmed cases in Korea.” He added that the delta variant emits up to 300 times more virus than conventional COVID-19 viruses. &l

A fresh bill proposing military exemptions for K-pop artists and athletes has reignited controversy. On Tuesday, Rep. Sung Il-jong of the main opposition People Power Party said he had proposed a bill that would excuse men from military service if they promoted national prestige. The exemptions would apply to top K-pop stars, such as the members of boy band BTS, and athletes who set national records. The regulations were revised in December to allow leading pop culture artists to postpone

About 30 families representing Afghans who have worked for the Korean government in the war-torn country called for support from authorities in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Monday. “We are here to appeal to the Korean government to save our family because our families in Afghanistan are on the verge of being killed by the Taliban for cooperating with Korea,” one of the Afghan protesters told reporters. The protesters fear the fate of their Afghan relatives who have c

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug met with the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan during a nine-day visit that ended Saturday, officials said Sunday. During those meetings the leaders of both nations agreed to deepen economic and diplomatic ties with Korea. Park stressed the significance of bilateral economic cooperation and asked them to support the efforts of Korean companies to take part in major projects there, according to a statement released by the speaker’s office. P

South Korea will receive 7 million vaccine doses from Moderna over the next two weeks, officials said Sunday, a move to further boost the nation’s ongoing vaccination efforts. “Moderna informed us Saturday that it would supply 7.01 million doses by the first week of September,” said Second Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae in a press briefing. About 1.01 million doses of the Moderna vaccine are scheduled to arrive at Incheon Airport on Monday. The remaining 6 million doses w

The South Korean government is positively reviewing plans to allow Afghan nationals in Korea to stay beyond the expiration of their current visas until the country regains stability, according to government sources. “Although it has not been confirmed yet, we are positively reviewing extension of their stay like we did for the Burmese,” one source from the justice ministry said. In March, the government decided to implement a special stay for about 25,000 Myanmar people. The mo

The Ministry of Justice made a pre-announcement of legislation Thursday to revise the Civil Act to introduce the clause to declare “Animals are not things.” As the number of households with companion animals has increased significantly over recent years in Korean society, there is widespread social consensus that animals should be more protected and cared for as living creatures. There are also growing concerns about animal cruelty and animal abandonment. The rationale behind insu

With public health workers warning of a strike, concerns are rising that hospitals already struggling with surge in patients could face series difficulties. On Wednesday, 122 branches of the Korean Health and Medical workers’ Union (136 medical institutions) filed for a dispute settlement with the Labor Relations Commission. The union demanded an expansion of public health centers, medical workers, infrastructure and financial support. If the union does not settle with the government in

The prime minister has urged young South Koreans to get vaccinated for COVID-19, saying more of the country’s unvaccinated young people are becoming critically ill. “We believe that some people still avoid vaccination because of concerns about side effects. And some don’t get shots because they think the coronavirus is nothing,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Wednesday. “However, even among unvaccinated young people, the number of severely ill patients (due to

South Korea’s youngest member of parliament believes the National Assembly should be more inclusive and represent the diversity of the Korean public, not just middle-aged men. “They say the National Assembly should resemble the citizens, but that’s not what the current parliament does,” said 29-year-old Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive Justice Party in an interview with The Korea Herald. “Currently, 80 percent of the members are male, and those in

There are fears that the medical system could collapse under the weight of the fourth wave of COVID-19, with some hospitals reporting bed shortages and a woman dying at a treatment center while waiting for care. As of Sunday at midnight, the daily number of newly confirmed cases was 1,556, the highest Sunday figure ever recorded in South Korea. The number of confirmed cases now stands at 225,481. Of the newly confirmed cases, 1,493 were locally transmitted and 63 were imported, with 857 of t

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug began his nine-day visit to Turkey and Azerbaijan on Friday, hoping to strengthen cooperation on the economy and defense, officials said Sunday. He will spend six days in Turkey and three days in Azerbaijan, according to the speaker’s office. During his visit to Turkey, South Korea’s strategic partner, Park will seek support for the participation of Korean businesses in large-scale infrastructure and defense projects in the nation. On

South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is poised to push ahead with the revision of the Act on Press Arbitration, despite resistance from opposition parties and the media. The Act on Press Arbitration aims to mediate disputes over media reports that infringe on people’s rights, interests or reputations. The ruling party recently proposed a revised bill that would further toughen consequences for false reports, including the introduction of punitive damages. Under the revised law

As schools are set to start opening amid the latest surge in infections, health concerns emerge among unvaccinated students, parents and teachers. The Ministry of Education plans to gradually increase in-person classes, but some concerned students and parents are demanding a full review of the policy in posts on the website of presidential Blue House. A petition posted by one student Wednesday reads, “In my school -- although it is hard to generalize -- students’ wearing masks is

South Korea’s COVID-19 situation continued to deteriorate Wednesday with 2,223 new cases reported Wednesday. This is the first time Korea’s daily tally has risen above 2,000 since the pandemic began last year. The cases are unlikely to drop anytime soon as highly contagious delta variants have become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in line with holiday season and slow inoculation, experts say. Health Minister Kwon Deok-chul said a meeting on the day, “Although we hav