South Korea will focus on containing the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus till the end of this year as the country started to enforce tightened social distancing measures amid rising daily infections, Prime Minster Kim Boo-kyum said Monday. "The threat of the omicron variant is becoming apparent," Kim said during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul. "Although we do not have a clear grasp of the omicron variant, what looks certain is that it is highly contagious."

South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to address sticky issues in customs procedures for better implementation of their free trade agreement (FTA), the finance ministry said Monday. Under the agreement, South Korean firms will be able to receive tariff benefits if they submit a copy of certificates of origin when they export goods to the 10 member states of ASEAN, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Korean exporters have had difficulties a

Helping economically vulnerable people hit by the COVID-19 pandemic will be the top election pledge of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP)'s presidential candidate, Yoon Seok-youl, the party's campaign chief said Monday. Kim Chong-in, a veteran politician who recently accepted an offer to head Yoon's campaign, said the PPP nominee will focus on providing solutions for economically disadvantaged people amid growing economic inequality prompted by the pandemic. "How to revive peo