Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday unveiled a package of support measures for visitors during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next week, as the capital city is expected to see 2.3 million foreigners traveling there during the international event. The mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Suhorang (R) and Bandabi. Yonhap“We expect that around 80 percent of the foreign tourists visiting South Korea for the Olympics, as well as the Games’ officials and high ranking delegates,

Olympic Games Feb. 1, 2018

Thursday’s weather is expected to be clear and cold during peak commuting hours in the morning, with a rise in temperatures in the daytime. Morning temperatures remained at minus 8.1 degrees Celsius in Seoul as of 7 a.m., but will rise to 1 C later in the day, 2 C in Chuncheon and 5 C in Daegu. (Yonhap)Air quality levels are forecast to be moderate in general, but particulate matter could remain in the air in the morning in some parts of southern provinces. A cold wave advisory is currently in e

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2018

When Yeom Tae-young became the mayor of Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul, his goal was clear: a shift away from the car-centric paradigm to more sustainable green urban transport and a focus on pedestrians. Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young delivers a speech at a recent forum on ecology in Johannesburg, South Africa. Suwon CityLess than eight years after Yeom was elected mayor, the city’s “eco-mobility” model has inspired the world’s transportation planners, including those i

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2018

Daytime temperatures will rise to above zero Wednesday following record cold weather last week, according to the weather agency.There is a chance of occasional snowfall in some parts of North Chungcheong Province, North Gyeongsang Province and Gangwon Province throughout the day. (Yonhap)Cold weather conditions continued in the morning as temperatures remained at minus 3 degrees Celsius in Seoul, minus 2 C in Incheon, minus 4 C in Suwon and minus 6 C in Daegu, as of 6:30 a.m., Wednesday. Tempera

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2018

Seoul is virtually a co-hosting venue of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics slated for next month as all athletes, delegates, officials and tourists from around the world will “stay or pass through” the capital city during the games, the city’s Mayor Park Won-soon said during a press conference for the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Tuesday.“Seoul designated 52 days from Jan. 26 as special welcoming days and released five special support packages during the period (for foreign visitors)

Olympic Games Jan. 30, 2018

MIRYANG, South Gyeongsang Province -- When Sohn Eun-gi, 29, heard the news of a fire at Sejong Hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, last Friday, Sohn had no doubt his grandmother had been safely evacuated -- until she wasn’t. His grandmother, Park Bong-gi, 96, died from smoke inhalation in a deadly blaze that killed 39 and injured 151. “My grandmother was scheduled to leave the hospital today after months of recovery. We just weren’t ready for this,” Sohn told The Korea Herald at a lo

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2018

Weather on Tuesday is expected to be clear in the morning and partially cloudy, with a rise in temperature in the afternoon. Morning temperatures continue to stay below freezing from minus 11 degrees Celsius in Seoul to minus 7 C in Busan, and are expected to ease off in the afternoon to around 1 C.  (Yonhap)Wednesday morning temperatures will be around 5 C higher than Tuesday, likely ending the cold snap that has engulfed the country since last week, according to the weather agency. Air quality

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2018

Water was sent gushing into the streets of Gwanghwamun around midnight Sunday, as a water main near Gyeongbokgung Station broke due to record cold weather, according to city local news outlets. Roads around the area were blocked for more than six hours as the water froze, creating icy conditions. Workers mop up at Express Bus Terminal Station on Line No. 9, southern Seoul, Monday morning. (Yonhap)Also on Monday, a water pipe burst at around 5:30 a.m. at Express Bus Terminal Station on Line No. 9

Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2018

Cold and partly snowy conditions will prevail across South Korea on Monday, although a slight rise in temperatures in general is expected, according to the weather agency. Temperatures have remained cold across the country, ranging from minus 5.1 degrees Celsius in Busan to minus 10.4 C in Seoul as of 6 a.m., a slight rise from previous record cold temperatures last week.  Tourists bundle up in central Seoul, Sunday. (Yonhap)Daytime highs are expected to hover from minus 7 C in some parts to 3 C

Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2018

Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, is an ideal place to learn about the distinct historic home-brewing culture of South Korea. Located in the far northeast of the region, Sansawon, which means “hawthorn garden,” exhibits various rice-based alcoholic drinks and offers opportunities to learn about them. Large pots that store traditional liquor are displayed at Sansawon gallery in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. (Photo: Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Rice, the main ingredient for most of the country’s traditi

Social Affairs Jan. 26, 2018

At least 37 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a blaze broke out at a hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, according to fire officials as of 5 p.m., just a month after 29 died in a fire in a fitness center fire elsewhere. The death toll could rise, as 18 among the injured who were taken to nearby hospitals were in critical condition, the officials said. 　A deadly fire in a local hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, is extinguished Friday morning by fi

Social Affairs Jan. 26, 2018

Cold weather persisted Friday in South Korea, with temperatures plunging as low as minus 19.4 degrees Celsius in some parts north of Seoul, according to the national weather agency. Lows had dipped to minus 17.5 C in Seoul as of 7 a.m., minus 16.9 C in Incheon and minus 16.7 in Suwon.  (Yonhap)The wind chill intensified the cold to a virtual minus 25 C in the capital city as of 9 a.m., and minus 20 C near Seoul.Cold wave advisories and warnings are in effect in most parts of the country, while t

Social Affairs Jan. 26, 2018

Russia’s Viktor Ahn, one of most decorated Olympic short track speedskaters, expressed strong dissatisfaction over the International Olympic Committee’s recent decision to bar him from competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games in his native South Korea, according to Russia’s local broadcasting company Match TV on Wednesday. Short track speedskater Viktor Ahn. YonhapThe six-time Olympic champion, 32, Tuesday left the team meeting room without a word, shortly after he heard that the IOC exclu

Olympic Games Jan. 25, 2018

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PyeongChang Organizing Committee will host the Korea PyeongChang Night in Davos, Switzerland during the Davos forum on Thursday as part of an event to promote the upcoming Winter Games slated for next month. The mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Suhorang (R) and Bandabi. YonhapAccording to the ministry, the separate session on the sidelines of the forum will take place at 7 p.m. (Korean time) and will be attended by Foreign Minister Kan

Olympic Games Jan. 25, 2018

Bone-chilling cold continues to grip much of South Korea, with temperatures remaining at minus 16.4 degrees Celsius in Seoul as of 8 a.m. and minus 10.5 C in Gwangju on Thursday.Parts of the northern and central regions, including Paju, Daejeon and Jeju, are experiencing one of their coldest periods between late December and January on record, with temperatures hovering around minus 17 C, according to the weather agency.  A light-emitting diode sign displays the temperature in eastern Seoul on T

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2018