South Korea on Thursday started taking reservations for South Koreas first COVID-19 vaccine developed by a domestic firm, SK Bioscience. Adults aged 18 and older can make reservations for the country’s first homegrown vaccine if they have not completed the primary vaccination series. Those who make reservations will be able to get the vaccine from Sept. 13. Public health centers and local hospi...

Seoul prosecutors on Thursday searched the Presidential Archives in the widening investigation into the case of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean fisheries official who was fatally shot and burned by North Korean troops at sea in September 2020. The prosecutors searched the presidential records to look for evidence relating to the Moon Jae-in administration’s determination that the slain fisheries off...

Nearly one in five foreigners staying in South Korea are without a valid visa, latest government data shows. According to the Korea Immigration Service, as of July, a total of 395,068 foreigners were staying illegally, which is 19 percent of the country’s total foreigner population of over 2 million. The figure, which is up 4,665 from a year earlier, was the highest since September 2020, when t...

Typhoon Hinnamnor has grown into the strongest level typhoon, and is expected to pass by Jeju Island by early next week. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Hinnamnor will reach 470 km south-southwest of the city of Seogwipo, Jeju, on Monday and be 180 km east-northeast of Seogwipo at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Most of the route prediction models expect Hinnamnor to pass through the K...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the 80,000 range Thursday amid a moderate declining trend, though a sharp rise in the death toll called for a continued close watch over serious cases. The country reported 81,573 new COVID-19 infections, including 300 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 23,327,897, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally i...

One in 5 foreign nationals staying in South Korea are illegal immigrants, with the number of undocumented immigrants rising to nearly 400,000, government data showed Thursday. According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Justice, 395,068 foreigners were staying in the country without a valid visa in July, about 20 percent of the entire population of foreign nationals residing in the country...

South Korea is currently involved in at least six other ongoing arbitration proceedings in addition to that lodged by Lone Star. About a dozen foreign investors have launched arbitration claims against South Korea in the past 10 years, with the combined claims made against the government totaling over 14 trillion won, according to Lawyers for a Democratic Society, or Minbyun. The total claims fi...

The police are investigating the online sexual exploitation of minors through chat rooms similar to those used in the "Nth Room" and “Baksa Room” incidents that caused public outrage two years ago. According to police Tuesday, the cybercrime investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating a suspect on charges of violating of the law on protection of children against s...

Three foreign workers accused of smuggling drugs to Korea from Southeast Asia have been arrested, amid statistics that seem to show narcotic crimes on the rise. Busan Regional Customs said that it referred three foreign workers in their 30s to prosecutors on charges of smuggling the drugs, Wednesday. Two of them are suspected of smuggling a synthetic drug known as spice by hiding it inside pack...

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed There is no state religion in South Korea and over half of Koreans profess no religion. But among those who are religious, the two largest groups are Christianity and Buddhism. According to a census conducted in 2015, 19.7 percent of the country’s population consider themselves Prot...

South Korea will lift its current pre-travel COVID-19 test requirement for inbound travelers later this week, an official said Wednesday, as the government believes the recent virus wave has passed its peak and the spread of omicron could slow down. The new rule that will take effect Saturday came after a state infectious disease advisory committee recommended the government lift the mandatory p...

An empty fridge, a sink full of instant noodle packets, and notices for unpaid bills were what filled the home of a 50-something man in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, who was found dead on June 28. His passing added to the growing number of lonely deaths in South Korea, where nearly one-third of all households consist of a single person. Social isolation and loneliness are becoming severe issues in modern ...

A recent study showed the number of students from multicultural families has been increasing for 10 consecutive years, the Education Ministry said Tuesday. According to the study conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute shared Tuesday, the number of students from multicultural families increased by 5.4 percentage point, from 160,058 in 2021 to 168,6...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebounded to over 115,000 Tuesday after declining for a few days, due largely to fewer tests, as the virus trend continues at a steady pace. The country reported 115,638 new COVID-19 infections, including 380 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 23,142,479, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's tally is a jump from...

South Korea’s advisory committee on infectious diseases, under the office of the prime minister, on Monday advised the government to lift COVID-19 testing regulations for inbound travelers. The committee’s announcement is fanning speculations that the government will lift the predeparture COVID-19 testing rule. The government’s decision is expected to be made this week. At present, all traveler...