Health authorities are updating their screening protocols after a series of novel coronavirus cases here revealed that infection can occur without symptoms, and in patients who have not visited high-risk areas of China. South Korea confirmed four additional cases of the virus Thursday morning, taking the national tally to 23. Three of the four new patients were Koreans with no recent China trav...

With face masks running out fast as the new China-borne virus spreads, the government is cracking down on hoarding and illicit trading of hygiene goods in high demand. Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip announced Wednesday a joint clampdown on market cornering and price gouging of face masks and hand sanitizers. A response team comprising 180 officials of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Fa...

Health authorities are increasing efforts to help protect foreigners here amid the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Korea Herald that language services are being provided via the centers’ hotline 1339 for patients and suspected patients of foreign nationalities. The KCDC call service will soon have a voice message in English and has made ...

The government said on Monday all contacts of Wuhan coronavirus cases will be required to undergo 14 days of self-quarantine starting Tuesday. Those failing to observe the quarantine order will be subject to a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,500), as per the laws on infectious disease control and prevention. Announcing the expanded response, the Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said during a meeti...

South Korea saw the number of cases of the Wuhan coronavirus climb rapidly over the weekend, stoking fears of possible community transmission in the country. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said Sunday afternoon that containment efforts are “at a critical juncture,” pointing out instances of transmission in the absence of symptoms. “The government places utmost importance on the safety of the pe...

Wuhan virus fears are setting off a wave of cancellations of plans and events across the country, with many Koreans choosing to avoid crowds and gatherings. On Thursday, coastal cities Busan and Samcheok said they were scrapping plans for the annual celebration of Daeboreum, the first full moon of the year festival slated for early February. Busan City office said this year’s full moon festival...

A novel coronavirus that started last month in Wuhan, a central Chinese city, has spread across China and to at least 13 other countries, including South Korea. In China, the pneumonia-inducing virus has killed 132 people and sickened 5,974 as of Wednesday morning, leading to an unprecedented lockdown of around 56 million people in affected areas. But this is after about 5 million had already le...

A major doctors’ group on Sunday called on the South Korean government to make all necessary administrative preparations, including an entry restriction from China, to contain the spread of the new coronavirus discovered in Wuhan, China. In a briefing at its office in Yongsan, central Seoul, the Korean Medical Association’s president Choi Dae-zip said that while the limit on entry “may not be im...

Millions of South Koreans will flock across the country today to reunite with family members for one of the two biggest national holidays -- Seollal. The Lunar New Year, which this year falls Saturday, is characterized by traditional food, celebrations and customs and a chance to start over again with one’s resolutions. But for many, the time of celebrations and togetherness is increasingly bec...

South Koreans experienced cardiac arrests out of hospital more frequently on national holidays than any other day of the year, according to a study. The May 2019 study published in the Korean Circulation Journal showed the two biggest holidays of Seollal and Chuseok -- Lunar New Year and Korean thanksgiving -- were associated with higher rates of incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and ...

Our criminal justice system is not perfect, and most vulnerable to its flaws and errors are the society’s disadvantaged and marginalized, according to one lawyer helping exonerate those wrongly convicted. The celebrated lawyer, Park Joon-young, gained fame for defending men and women who have fallen victim to wrongful convictions, working to prove them innocent. “Laws may be designed to protect...

Police are investigating the death of a 62-year-old North Korean defector who was found dead last week at a cemetery in Daegu. The Daegu Suseong Police Station said Monday that the defector, from the North’s Ryanggang Province, was found by a rescue dog at around 10:20 a.m. Friday at the cemetery in Suseong, a southeastern district in the city. According to the police, the man, who came to Sout...

A paroled ex-convict who spent 19 1/2 years locked behind bars as a child rapist and killer is challenging his 1989 conviction, with a new trial slated for next month. The man, 53, who wanted to be identified only by his surname Yun, told The Korea Herald on Thursday that “a chance to clear my name has come,” after “three decades framed as a criminal.” Suwon District Court on Wednesday said the...

A man who publicly identified parents owing child support on an online platform vowed to continue his campaign to raise awareness about the issue, after a local court cleared him of defamation charges on Wednesday. “Hopefully, the action for resolving unpaid child support will gain more momentum now that it is free of defamation accusations,” Koo Bon-chang, 57, told The Korea Herald on Wednesday...

The police said Tuesday they will begin follow-up work to execute the bills expanding their investigative jurisdiction, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and other relevant agencies. The National Police Agency said its existing task force team for reforming the criminal investigation system will lead the preparations for at least six months. The parliament on Monday passed revisions t...