Moderna has pledged to put utmost efforts to increase the COVID-19 vaccine supply to South Korea for August and September and move up the supply schedule for September, the Korean government said Tuesday. The announcement came after a Korean government delegation of four high ranking officials visited the US pharmaceutical and biotechnology company’s headquarters over the delay in shipments of M...

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said Friday that the decision to release Samsung’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong from prison on parole was made in the national interest. “We are well aware of opinions either in favor or against the parole of (Samsung Electronics) Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. The opinion of people who oppose it is also right,” Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary f...

A Korean delegation of government officials on Friday departed for the United States to meet with Moderna representatives over the delay in shipments of their COVID-19 vaccine. The delegation of four high-ranking officials, including Second Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae and Presidential Secretary for Social Policies Ryu Geun-hyuk, will meet with Moderna representatives at the pharmaceutical a...

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Friday asked the public to minimize traveling or meeting in groups during the upcoming three-day weekend. “If we do not stop now, we will not be able to stop COVID-19,” he said in a nationally televised address asking people to do their part alongside the country’s ongoing disease control efforts. “Despite the strong quarantine measures, the number of newly confir...

“In the past, we have been satisfied with excelling at something that others did not do within the country. Now, we must broaden our comparisons to the world,” he said. “That depends on each professor and student’s mind. So how can I persuade them to think that way? I should treat them well. That is why I have the organizational chart upside down.” In order to help students learn about the worl...

The Ministry of Education announced Monday that in-person classes will be expanded in phases during the second semester. According to the ministry, kindergartners and first and second graders will be able to attend in-person classes regardless of which social distancing level the health authorities designate. At Level 3, three-quarters of elementary school students between grades three and six,...

Despite having its most restrictive social distancing measures in place for nearly a month, South Korea is still scrambling to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The country reported 1,729 newly confirmed cases in the 24 hours ending Saturday at midnight, setting yet another record. It is the highest daily case tally on a weekend since the outbreak began early last year. “The fourth wave led b...

The Presidential Committee on Carbon Neutrality unveiled Thursday three options for reducing carbon emissions by 2050, but only one of them achieves carbon neutrality. Depending on which road map the country decides to follow, net emissions in 2050 could vary from zero to 25.4 million metric tons. “The committee established the vision of a safe and sustainable carbon neutral society from the cl...

The clash among the ruling Democratic Party’s presidential contenders is gaining renewed steam, despite the candidates’ vow to work as “one team.” The infighting resurged over Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s idea of providing cash handouts for all residents in the province, as it drew criticism from other presidential hopefuls. He first mentioned the idea Sunday, saying that he is consid...

In preparation for an influx of students coming for the fall semester, the Education Ministry has come up with a separate set of guidelines for students from 26 countries where there has been a higher risk of the spread of virus variants, including the highly contagious delta variant. The government has designated 26 countries where COVID-19 variants are spreading fast. The countries are South A...

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on Tuesday summoned Seoul Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon for an ongoing probe over alleged power abuse in pushing for unfair employment. Cho is accused of abusing his authority by pressing for a 2018 special employment process for five teachers who were fired after being convicted of violating the Public Official Election Act....

Russian mountaineer Vitaly Lazo has openly accused climbers of passing by Kim Hong-bin, a disabled South Korean mountaineer who went missing July 18 after reaching the Broad Peak in Pakistan -- one of the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world -- and ignoring the stranded 56-year-old for hours without even sending an SOS to the base camp. Lazo, who tried to rescue Kim, according to Korean offici...

Reporting over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for the 19th consecutive day Sunday, South Korea is struggling to contain a stubborn fourth wave of infections even with the stiffest social distancing measures in place. The number of newly confirmed cases in the 24 hours ending Saturday at midnight was 1,487, marking the highest daily tally reported on a weekend since the coronavirus outbreak started ear...

North London Collegiate School Jeju’s Class of 2021 scored an average of 39 points in the International Baccalaureate diploma program, demonstrating academic excellence even with the virus-ridden year. The IB diploma program is a two-year educational assessment that provides internationally accepted qualification for entry into top universities across the globe. According to NLCS, it marked the...

Buddhist monks are facing criticism after seven of them were caught having a private gathering in violation of local social distancing guidelines. According to the local government of Haenam in South Jeolla Province, there was a report of several Buddhist monks having a meal together with alcoholic drinks on Monday evening, when the region’s social distancing guidelines prohibiting private gathe...