South Korea’s health authorities said Tuesday it is “encouraging” that US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has made a breakthrough in developing a vaccine against the coronavirus, but warned against “hasty” expectations. Pfizer announced Monday that its vaccine candidate developed with BioNTech was found to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, raising hopes for bringing forward an end to the global fight against the pandemic. “As the virus s

Social Affairs Nov. 10, 2020

South Korea will maintain the lowest level of social distancing rules across the country as the daily average of new cases from the previous week remained below 100, health authorities said Friday, with the new five-tier social distancing system to take effect starting Saturday. Korea reported 145 new coronavirus cases – 117 locally transmitted and 28 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Thursday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. &ld

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2020

Police said Wednesday that they had launched a probe into two people in connection with posters found on the wall outside the French Embassy in central Seoul condemning France’s treatment of Muslims. 　 The Embassy of France in Korea filed a complaint after it found five posters on Sunday next to the main entrance to the embassy, claiming France was attempting to “destroy” Islam, according to a Seodaemun Police Station official. 　 The posters said, “Don’t destroy

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2020

A survey in August showed that people in Denmark were happier than people from any other advanced economy about their government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. They were more satisfied than South Koreans. 　 Some 95 percent of Danes believed their government was doing a good job of handling the pandemic, while 86 percent of Koreans felt the same way about their government, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. 　 Though Denmark is also grappling with a resurgence of COVI

Technology Nov. 4, 2020

The ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul will hold a showcase presenting some of the tourist attractions, cultures and authentic delicacies of all 10 ASEAN countries, starting Thursday, the organization said Tuesday. As international tourism is put on hold due to the global spread of COVID-19, the showcase intends to provide South Koreans with a chance to experience nostalgia and the simulation of travel, while deepening their understanding of the culture, tourism and food of Southeast Asia, the center

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 3, 2020

The cumulative number of asylum applications filed in South Korea topped 70,000, government data showed Monday, amid persistent calls for improvements to the country’s refugee screening system. According to data from the Korea Immigration Service, 70,254 foreigners had applied for refugee status here as of August, since the government began to compile relevant data in 1994. The number of refugee applications soared in 2013 when the Refugee Act took effect, making Korea the first Asian

Social Affairs Nov. 2, 2020

South Korea saw an uptick in the daily average number of COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive week, since the country lifted most of its antivirus restrictions in mid-October, as health authorities are on alert over a post-Halloween weekend surge in infections. Korea reported 97 new coronavirus cases -- 79 locally transmitted and 18 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Sunday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.   Halloween is a

Social Affairs Nov. 2, 2020

The ninth annual Swedish Film Festival will take place starting Thursday in five major cities in South Korea, offering Koreans a glimpse into Swedish culture and society through 10 films, the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul said. Organized by the embassy in collaboration with the Swedish Institute and Swedish Film Institute, the festival will kick off Thursday in Seoul and Busan for a seven-day run. The films will screen Nov. 11-15 in Daegu, Nov. 12-16 in Gwangju and Nov. 13-15 in Incheon. Openi

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2020

South Korea introduced a new five-tier social distancing system on Sunday to make the government’s antivirus response more quick, effective and sustainable amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In what Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun called “meticulous antivirus response,” the level of antivirus restrictions will be divided into five stages, from the previous three, depending on the scope and magnitude of the virus spread. Also restrictions will be customized for different facil

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2020

A book has been launched to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Spain this year. It covers the past, present and future of bilateral relations, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. “Our relationship has matured and has been growing, but we cannot be satisfied. We need to be much more ambitious for the future,” Spanish Ambassador to Korea Juan Ignacio Morro said at an event to publicize the book “Spain and Korea: Towards a New Strategic Asso

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 29, 2020

South Korea reported a triple-digit increase in new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day Thursday, amid rising cases traced to nursing homes and hospitals as well as the emergence of new clusters of infections mostly within Greater Seoul. 　 Korea reported 125 new coronavirus cases --106 cases locally transmitted and 19 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Wednesday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 　 Despite ups and downs in the daily

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2020

Changes to the current three-tier social distancing system will likely be announced Sunday, health authorities said Wednesday, as part of efforts to make it more effective, acceptable and sustainable amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. 　 “In that we cannot help but inevitably be living with COVID-19 before vaccines and treatment are developed, it is crucial to stably control the virus at a manageable level,” said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior official from the Central Disaster Management

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2020

South Korea’s health authorities on Tuesday urged members of the public to refrain from attending social gatherings as the country faces a second coronavirus winter without a vaccine, amid a rising number of cases linked to in-person gatherings and increased autumn activities. 　 Korea reported 88 new coronavirus cases -- 72 locally transmitted and 16 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Monday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 　 &ldqu

Social Affairs Oct. 27, 2020

South Korea saw a triple-digit increase in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases Monday, as health authorities warned of a possible outbreak with clusters of infections at senior care homes, and worried about increased autumn activities and a resurgence of the coronavirus abroad.  Korea added 119 new coronavirus cases -- 94 locally transmitted and 25 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Sunday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 　 Three

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2020

South Korea’s new daily COVID-19 cases bounced back to a level not seen in over a month Friday, due to clusters of infections traced to senior care homes and social gatherings, as well as double-digit increases in imported cases. Korea added 155 new coronavirus cases -- 138 locally transmitted and 17 imported from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending midnight on Thursday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. “We are seeing an upward trend in the number of n

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2020