The South Korean government’s vaccine mandate on youths attending cram schools is facing strong backlash from parents and private academies. The vaccine pass system for people aged 12-18 using cram schools, reading rooms, study cafes and other private educational facilities faces a delay, after a local court issued an injunction on the controversial measure. Its introduction had already been pos...

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday expressed his condolences over the death of three firefighters who were killed while battling a warehouse blaze in Pyeongtaek. Moon said he is "heartbroken" by the news of three firefighters "who died while engaging in rescue activities at the forefront of protecting the lives and safety of people," according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon pr...

North Gyeongsang Province is striving to boost its cultural, tourism, medical and bio sectors that will be in the spotlight in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said Gov. Lee Cheol-woo in an interview with The Korea Herald. The governor stressed the need for balanced regional development, saying a new engine for national growth lies in the provinces, and that the power and capital mon...

LAS VEGAS/SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics vice chairman and CEO Han Jong-hee told reporters on Wednesday that the doors for collaboration with panel supplier LG Display is “wide open” for its launch of organic light-emitting diode television sets. At a press conference in Las Vegas, when asked about the rumored partnership with its archrival in TV industry ahead of the world’s largest tech show CES...

The National Assembly will prioritize tackling problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 by passing bills aimed at stimulating the economy and strengthening the social safety net, Speaker Park Byeong-seug said Thursday. Park said in an online meeting with reporters that the National Assembly will focus on addressing bills drafted in concern of people suffering from the COVID-19 fallou...

With controversies and allegations continuing to mar the ongoing presidential race, calls have grown for the ruling and main opposition parties to replace their nominees and install ones with cleaner pasts and clearer views. Many voters are unfavorable to the two-way race between Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, ho...

Valid from 5PM January 5, 2022 (PST) until April 5, 2022 (PST) Customers in the US and Europe receive e-voucher, customers in Vietnam receive physical voucher: e-voucher/physical voucher are transferable after April 5, 2022 and valid until December 31, 2023 e-voucher/physical voucher are invalid when reservation fee is refunded or applied during purchase In addition, customers als...

South Korea is ready to take measures to stabilize the foreign exchange market, if needed, a senior government official said Thursday, as the Korean currency has sharply weakened against the US dollar in recent weeks. First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon said the government plans to closely monitor the forex market amid the prospects for the won's further descent as the US Federal Reserve wo...

Heads of the nation’s financial policymaker and watchdog held their first meeting of the year on Thursday and vowed to cooperate on adopting stronger preemptive measures to counter lingering pandemic risks. Financial Services Commission Chairman Koh Seung-beom and Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Jeong Eun-bo agreed to make risks tied to the nation’s household debt growth, accumulating debt of...

South Korean stocks retreated for the second straight session Thursday, largely as the US Federal Reserve minutes stoked concerns that the Fed may push harsher-than-expected rate hikes. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) decreased 33.44 points, or 1.13 percent, to close at 2,920.53 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 774 m...

Starbucks Korea, the nation’s No. 1 specialty coffee chain, said Wednesday it is considering bumping up the price for a cup of Americano in almost eight years due to the price surge in coffee beans imported from overseas. “Even when other franchise coffee shops have increased their coffee prices, we have fixed our price rate. It was bearable back then, but since COVID-19, the price of coffee bea...

Police are stepping up an investigation into South Korea's single largest embezzlement case that has engulfed a local medical equipment producer, officers said Thursday, following the arrest of a suspect the previous day. A 45-year-old employee of Osstem Implant Co., identified only by his surname Lee, was arrested at his residence in Paju, 30 kilometers north of Seoul, on Wednesday on charges o...

More than 16,000 people joined a year-end bell-ringing festival hosted by the Seoul city government in the metaverse, the digital arm of the city said Thursday. The Seoul Digital Foundation said an accumulated 16,067 people joined the metaverse festival marking the new year during its eight-day run from Dec. 25. The metaverse event included a midnight bell-ringing ceremony on New Year's Eve, to...

The Collection has been designed with three key elements: a design that blends into the space, optimized performance and a state-of-the-art user experience. By focusing on the products‘ original functions, the products‘ designs harmonize with their surroundings to compliment any home’s aesthetic mood, the company said. “Globally, we are all spending more time in our homes than ever. This has on...

In a last-ditch effort to regain eligibility for the Beijing Winter Games, South Korean Olympic short track speed skating champion Shim Suk-hee has filed for a court injunction against a ban by the sport's national federation, a source said Thursday. The source, privy to the legal proceedings, said Shim asked the Seoul Eastern District Court on Monday to nullify a two-month suspension by the Kor...