In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Kazakhstan, coming up next year, a bust of poet Abai Qunanbaiuly was recently installed at Seoul Cyber University. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Lee Sang-kyun, chair of the Shinil Education Foundation, unveiled the sculpture together on Tuesday at Seoul Cyber University, which is run by the foundation. “National poet Abai, with his soul-touching and beautiful lyrics, was a grateful visionary

Social Affairs Aug. 19, 2021

As schools reopened for the second semester, Seoul Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon has hinted at expanding in-person classes to more students even with the toughest social distancing measures in place. “If the distancing level (in Seoul) comes down to Level 3 by Sept. 3, we can allow in-person classes for all students. Even if Level 4 continues, we can still have in-person classes for two-thirds of students,” Cho said during a visit to an elementary school in western Seoul on

Social Affairs Aug. 18, 2021

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 Moderna’s vaccine. “Moderna apologized for the difficulties caused by the sup

Social Affairs Aug. 17, 2021

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 for public communication, said in a briefing held few hours after Lee was released.

Politics Aug. 13, 2021

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 and biotechnology company’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Friday afternoon, US t

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2021

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 confirmed cases per day has recently stayed at around 2,000. It is the highest fi

Social Affairs Aug. 13, 2021

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology President Lee Kwang-hyung is hoping to put the institution on the global map, by starting with “failures.” KAIST is one of Korea’s leading universities, but its standing on the global stage remains far behind its local reputation. According to the QS Global World Rankings 2022, KAIST came in 41st spot as one of the two Korean schools along with Seoul National University to crack the top 50. KAIST’s standing among t

Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2021

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, two-thirds of middle school students and half of first- and second-year high school students can g

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2021

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 by the delta variant, unlike the past waves, is characterized by faster spread and stronger in

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2021

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 climate crisis and reviewed the scenarios based on five principles: accountability, inclusivene

Social Affairs Aug. 5, 2021

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 considering an option to give COVID-19 disaster relief funds to the 12 perce

Politics Aug. 3, 2021

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 Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Brazil, Suriname, Paraguay, Chil

Social Affairs July 29, 2021

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. He has denied the allegations since the CIO launched the probed into his case in April. “Re

Social Affairs July 27, 2021

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 officials at the base camp, posted his message Friday on the Instagram account of Death Zone Freeride, a R

Social Affairs July 25, 2021

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 early last year. Due to a surge in the number of infections in the Greater Seoul area earlier t

Social Affairs July 25, 2021