The National Assembly on Friday passed a controversial bill that dealt a severe blow to the ride-hailing service Tada, in an attempt to put an end to the conflict between the service operator and taxi companies. The passage of the bill comes on the heels of a court ruling last month that allowed the ride-hailing service to operate freely. Tada is the only company to offer the service here. The bill limits the hours of operation for ride-hailing services and also imposes restrictions on the ou

Politics March 7, 2020

Once renowned for its bustling nightlife and friendly people who like to meet, dine and drink together, South Korea is pushing “social distancing” as a way to contain the rapidly spreading new coronavirus. The campaign calls on people to hold back from casual physical contact and avoid large gatherings, such as office parties and religious services. First proposed by professor Ki Mo-ran at the National Cancer Center, who also heads the Korean Society for Preventive Medicine&rsquo

Social Affairs March 6, 2020

The United Arab Emirates has evacuated some 210 Arab nationals -- both of the UAE and its neighbors -- from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated, via aircraft, embassy officials in Seoul said Thursday. The evacuees are to be received at the new Emirates Humanitarian City in the UAE, where they will undergo medical testing and a 14-day quarantine for maximum safety. “The move follows the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa

Diplomatic Circuit March 5, 2020

Wearing face masks on buses and subways -- and even at the office -- has become the new normal in South Korea amid the coronavirus outbreak. People are washing their hands and sanitizing the surfaces they’ve touched as often as possible, and personal hygiene products are in high demand. In the face of scarcity, some people have opted to make their own masks and sanitizers, while retailers have introduced some products that are out of the ordinary, such as an “anti-coronavirus ha

Social Affairs March 5, 2020

South Korea’s full recovery rate of patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus stood at 1.4 percent, strikingly low compared to other countries with a large number of confirmed instances, figures showed Thursday. The country had an accumulated total of 6,088 patients infected with COVID-19, 39 of them died and 88 have fully recovered, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That puts the disease’s fatality rate here at 0.6 percent and recovery rate at 1.4

Social Affairs March 5, 2020

Shincheonji Church of Jesus said Friday it is being targeted in a witch hunt, despite having cooperated with authorities to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The minor Christian sect, known for its covert evangelistic activities, has been linked to more than half of South Korea’s coronavirus cases, including a massive number of cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. In a video posted on its official YouTube channel, the sect refuted public criticism that it has failed to prov

Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2020

Cotton masks with a manually added filter were as effective as government-certified masks in blocking particles of human saliva, research by a public health institute showed Friday. The average particle collection efficiency of cotton masks with an electrostatic filter cotton attached inside was found to be 80 to 95 percent, while government-certified KF 80 masks measured at over 80 percent, according to Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment. Efficiency of dental masks ca

Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2020

Demand for face masks and hand sanitizers has been going through the roof, as the number of COVID-19 infections continues to surge here, prompting some customers to take matters into their own hands -- with DIY hygiene products. A vast majority of pharmacies, retail stores and online shopping malls have sold out of masks and hand sanitizer, while the stock available on the market often comes at a hefty price, as the most sought-after necessities amid the virus outbreak. “As you may wel

Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2020

Members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus reportedly held meetings in the Chinese city of Wuhan until late last year, raising the possibility that the group’s South Korean members could have contracted COVID-19 virus there and brought it back to Korea. Korea now has the greatest number of COVID-19 infections outside China with over 1,000 confirmed cases. The majority are tied either to the religious sect’s church in Daegu or to the Cheongdo Daenam Hospital in the nearby county of C

Social Affairs Feb. 26, 2020

Some 400 Koreans returned from Israel on Tuesday via chartered planes arranged by the Israeli government after COVID-19 infections were confirmed among two earlier groups of tourists after their return home. The first batch of some 220 Koreans arrived at Incheon International Airport Tuesday morning, followed by 196 Koreans on board Israeli government-sponsored chartered flights offered to Korean nationals who wish to return home, the Korean Embassy in Israel said. “We plan to operate

Social Affairs Feb. 25, 2020

The British Embassy poured free coffee for anyone who brought in a reusable cup on Friday, at an event it hosted in Seoul to promote climate change awareness. “This is a critical year for our planet. A truly global effort is required from governments, businesses and each member of society. If we work together to develop and deploy clean technologies, we can accelerate innovation, increase economies of scale, and bring down costs more quickly,” said Mike Welch, country director at t

Diplomatic Circuit Feb. 25, 2020

Greece is seeking to attract South Korean film and TV producers in the hope that more of them will choose Greece as a shooting location and keep the momentum going for tourism. The country has long been popular among honeymooners and historians, but it received a big boost as a dream holiday destination for Koreans thanks to the 2016 smash hit television series “Descendants of the Sun,” featuring Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki. The Korean TV series was shot in Zakynthos, a Gre

Diplomatic Circuit Feb. 25, 2020

A 4-year-old girl in Daegu has been confirmed with the novel coronavirus, in the first case involving a patient under the age of 10, fueling fears of the virus affecting young children, local authorities said Sunday. She is the youngest patient among 556 cases in Korea. Prior to her confirmation, the youngest patient was 11 years old. She had been in self-isolation with a mild fever after a teacher at her nursery tested positive for the virus. “The 4-year-old child has a minor sickne

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2020

Of 76 Koreans who traveled to Israel for religious pilgrimages in February, 18 tested positive for the deadly coronavirus upon returning home, local health authorities said Sunday. Two groups of Roman Catholic travelers stayed in Israel for about a week each for religious tourism earlier this month, visiting packed religious sites. Among 39 Koreans from North Gyeongsang Province who visited Israel from Feb. 8-16, 18 have been confirmed positive, including a tour guide residing in Seoul. A 5

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2020

More than just a production base, Hungary wants to become a hub for creative innovations for Korean companies, Ambassador to Seoul Mozes Csoma said. “We would like to move together with Korea,” Csoma told The Korea Herald at the embassy on Feb. 7. “Hungarian and Korean engineers jointly innovating and developing products -- that would be the best.” Last year, South Korea became Hungary’s No. 1 foreign investor, as more companies sought to capitalize on its comp

Diplomatic Circuit Feb. 21, 2020