Kang, 42, who runs a butcher shop in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, experienced a sore throat and dry coughs two weeks ago, which are the common cold-like symptoms of the fast-spreading omicron variant. As expected, two lines appeared on an at-home test kit for COVID-19, meaning a positive result. Yet, instead of seeking an official diagnosis from a nearby public health center, Kang continued tending to his store to process pre-orders, with “extra attention to personal hygiene.” &ld

Social Affairs March 23, 2022

Monday was the first day of school for 85 children of evacuees from Afghanistan in the southeastern city of Ulsan, after being airlifted here from the war-torn home country last year.  Among them, 28 started school life at Seoboo Elementary School in Dong-gu, while 16 children aged 5 to 7 entered nearby preschools operated by Noksu Elementary School and Sangin Elementary School.  Nineteen middle school students and 22 high schoolers also began attending classes at 14 neighboring publ

Social Affairs March 21, 2022

South Koreans were largely divided over President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement on Sunday of plans to move the presidential office to the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.  While some Yongsan residents expressed worry over downside risks to the region’s property market due to security-related restrictions, those living in neighborhoods near the current presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, hoped it would open new development opport

Social Affairs March 20, 2022

  Police are tracking down two Russians who escaped from a COVID-19 treatment center in North Chungcheong Province, violating their quarantine requirement, according to the North Chungcheong Provincial Office Friday. The undocumented foreigners in their 30s were quarantined in separate rooms on the fourth floor of the facility located in Jangan-myeon, Boeun-gun, sources said. They sneaked out of their rooms at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday and met secretly at a vacant room on the same floor.

Social Affairs March 11, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s seven companion animals are set to become the nation’s “first pets” after he is inaugurated on May 10. Without children, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee live with four dogs -- Tori, Narae, Mari and Sunny -- and three cats -- Akkaengi, Navi and Norangi -- since they tied the knot in 2012. He will become the president with the most pets ever.  Among them, Jindo dog Tori is especially well known to the public from starring in a news phot

Social Affairs March 10, 2022

Kim Keon-hee, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife and future first lady, spoke to local media early Thursday morning after Yoon won the 20th presidential election. “I will assist, with my humble capabilities, the president-elect to fulfill the tasks given to him by the people,” said Kim, 49, in an interview with a local media outlet early Thursday morning after Yoon’s win became clear. “I will try to help the president-elect pay more attention to (people living

Social Affairs March 10, 2022

Election Day has arrived in South Korea, along with a sharp spike in the daily virus tally. Amid reports of 342,446 new coronavirus cases in South Korea, voters across the country flocked to their local polling stations starting as early as 6 a.m. to elect the next leader of the country. Long lines snaked out the doors at schools and community centers, reflecting voters’ eagerness to have their voices heard. Seongbuk Child and Youth Center in northern Seoul had more than 20 people in l

Politics March 9, 2022

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring the subway stations and surrounding areas across the city. -- Ed.  Outside exit No. 5 of Seoul’s Cheongnyangni subway station is a giant construction site.  Dump trucks and heavy duty vehicles come and go, carrying building materials and occasionally making backup warning beeps. Pedestrians hasten their way through a walkway lined with safety fences to escape the intimidating sound

Social Affairs March 7, 2022

Amid the global shock waves from Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, calls are growing for South Korea’s Yong In University in Gyeonggi Province to cancel the honorary doctorate it had granted to Russian President Vladimir Putin more than a decade ago, according to sources Sunday. On Sept. 21, 2010, Putin received an honorary doctorate in judo from the college, which has gained global recognition since its establishment in 1953 for its martial arts program that has trained wo

Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2022

Come March, students will return to Seoboo Elementary School in the southeastern city of Ulsan for the spring semester. Among them will be some 25 kids from Afghanistan who last year were airlifted from their home country to South Korea along with their families following the Taliban takeover.  One mother of a current student of Seoboo Elementary says the new group of incoming students is why she is considering moving.  “Muslim refugees from Afghanistan are living together in

Social Affairs Feb. 24, 2022

The “Purple Island” in Sinan, South Jeolla Province, will be featured at the 2022 fall-winter Paris Fashion Week, slated to take place virtually next week, according to officials Wednesday.  The island’s 1.4-kilometer purple bridge has been turned into a runway in a recent filming of South Korean designer Yang Hae-il’s show as part of one of the fashion world’s biggest events.  The bridge connects the two islets of Banwol and Bakji, which comprise Purple

Travel Feb. 23, 2022

Before Koreans discovered exotic holiday destinations abroad, Jeju Island, the semi-tropical, volcanic island off the south coast of the Korean Peninsula, was the No. 1 honeymoon destination.  But it wasn’t the first choice for Sohn, who tied the knot last October. Like most couples of his generation, his idea of a honeymoon was a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a far-off destination, like the Maldives. But the COVID-19 pandemic made such a trip almost impossible for many.  So to ma

Travel Feb. 22, 2022

“Boys and girls shouldn’t sit together past the age of seven.” This old saying from the Confucianism-dominated Joseon era seems to hold true to an extent even in present-day Korea.  From study rooms to gosiwon, tiny housing cubicles available for rent, separating people by sex is widely accepted as a norm. Seoul’s latest move to allow taxi ride-sharing also attests to the popular guide of separating people by gender, making the service available only among same-sex

Social Affairs Feb. 18, 2022

Nicknamed “celebrity town,” Seoul Forest Trimage is a luxurious apartment complex in eastern Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, known to be the home of K-pop stars, actors, athletes and other public figures. With a four-room unit measuring 152 square meters last quoted at 5.5 billion won ($4.59 million), the housing complex built in 2017 near Seoul Forest consists of two 47-story buildings that overlook the Han River, which bisects the capital. High-rise apartments with views of Seoul la

Market Feb. 16, 2022