In a retrial of a power abuse case that sparked the #MeToo movement in 2018, a former senior prosecutor was acquitted of disadvantaging a junior colleague from work to cover up his sexual harassment of her. The Seoul Central District Court's Appellate Division on Tuesday acquitted Ahn Tae-geun of the charges of abuse of power, overturning a two-year prison sentence delivered by the same court for him in July 2019. The retrial came after the Supreme Court ordered the lower court in January to r

Since the dawn of the novel coronavirus pandemic, governments around the world have limited activities and businesses based on how “essential” they are. Mid-pandemic protests prompt fear that they could lead to a new outbreak of cases -- and with some justification. In Korea, a recent protest has been tied to a resurgence in summer, reversing reopening in the capital area. Protests during a pandemic raise a difficult question: Is there a time and place when protests should be stop

Jobless migrant workers unable to return home, with flights rarely available amid COVID-19 pandemic

Chuseok has traditionally been a time for families to gather, enjoy time together and share good food. Many visit their rural hometowns for ancestral rituals and reunions with other family members and relatives. But this year, as long-distance trips and large gatherings are being discouraged as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus, many have been forced to adjust their plans. For some, that is not such a bad thing. Those yearning for respite from work, in particular, look forward to

North Korea continued illicit maritime exports of coal and imports of petroleum products despite having stopped most trade due to the spread of COVID-19, according to international experts affiliated with the United Nations Security Council. North Korea only temporarily suspended coal exports between late January and early March, the panel of experts on the UNSC’s North Korea sanctions committee said in a midterm report published Sept. 28. “Satellite imagery provided by a member

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha asked her Peruvian counterpart to support South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid for the top post of the World Trade Organization (WTO) during phone talks Tuesday, the foreign ministry said. Peruvian Foreign Minister Mario Lopez Chavarri took note of Yoo's professionalism and leadership as Seoul's sitting trade minister, pledging to closely cooperate with South Korea on the issue, the ministry said in a press release. During the talks, Kang and Lopez al

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Monday (US time) said “creative ideas” were discussed regarding ways to resume stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea during his talks with South Korea’s top nuclear envoy, and called for the communist regime’s engagement. 　 “I very much appreciate the encouragement and creative ideas that we discussed today,” Biegun told reporters after his meeting with Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsu

The five-day Chuseok holiday begins Wednesday and health authorities remain on high alert as the nation begins its first major national holiday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent resurgence of coronavirus in Seoul and surrounding regions appears to be stabilizing, but health authorities warn the situation is still precarious, as there are likely to be a large number of undetected virus carriers. The country added 38 new virus cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily increase since Aug.11, bri

The Korea Coast Guard said Friday the South Korean fisheries official shot to death by the North Korean military at sea last week was trying to defect to the North. The Coast Guard reached the conclusion based on the intelligence retrieved from the military, the analysis of the tidal current on the day of the incident and other circumstantial evidence. "The official was wearing a life jacket and hanging onto a floating object when he was spotted by the North," said Yoon Seong-hyun,

Passengers head to their hometowns from Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho, southern Seoul, on Tuesday, just ahead of the Chuseok holiday.  The bus terminal has seen a sharp decline in passengers in recent months due to the spread of the COVID-19 infection.  The five-day Chuseok holiday starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday. (Photos: Yonhap) By Park Jun-hee (junheeep97@heraldcorp.com)

An Air Force officer working at the arms procurement agency has tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. The officer at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration is believed to have been infected with COVID-19 after his wife tested positive for the virus, according to officials. He was among 22 agency officials who went through the virus test and quarantined after his wife, who also works at the agency, tested positive for the virus last week in the first virus cas

The defense ministry has confirmed with the help of its special intelligence that North Korea ordered the burning of the body of a South Korean fisheries official after he was shot dead by its soldiers last week, the main opposition floor leader said Tuesday. "The Ministry of National Defense has verified through special intelligence that (North Korea) told (its officials) to apply fuel oil and burn (the body)," People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Joo Ho-young said in an interview w