Articles by Shim Woo-hyun
Shim Woo-hyun
ws@heraldcorp.com-
S. Korea to allow PCR test reservations nationwide, increase hospital beds amid COVID-19 resurgence
The South Korean government will introduce a reservation system for polymerase chain reaction tests amid a resurgence fueled by a highly contagious omicron subvariant, the government said Friday. The government also noted it would continue to secure additional hospital beds, while recommending local hospitals to spend more on oral antiviral pills for critically ill COVID-19 patients. According to a COVID-19 response meeting held on Friday, the government will allow people to make reservation
Social Affairs Aug. 5, 2022
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S. Korea confirms 5 percent minimum wage increase for 2023
The minimum hourly wage for next year has been finalized at 9,620 won ($7.38), up 5 percent, or 460 won, from this year, unchanged from the Minimum Wage Commission’s earlier decision, the Labor Ministry said Friday. The ministry officially published the 2023 minimum wage in the government gazette at 9 a.m. The new minimum wage translates to a monthly wage of 2.02 million won, when an individual works 209 hours a month. This will apply equally across all industries. Earlier on June 29,
Social Affairs Aug. 5, 2022
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Former South Chungcheong governor finishes prison term
Former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung was discharged from prison on Thursday after he completed a 3 1/2 year-long prison term for raping his female secretary. An, who came out of the Yeoju Correctional Institution in Gyeonggi Province early in the morning, was greeted by some 60 friends and acquaintances who were waiting in front of the prison. The former governor was convicted on charges of sexually assaulting an official under his charge and sexual assault through abuse o
Politics Aug. 4, 2022
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Government backpedals on lower school entry age
The South Korean government has backed away from plans it announced just days ago to lower the age at which children begin school to 5, but without actually scrapping the policy. Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party on Wednesday unveiled a survey of 131,070 parents, students and school teaching staff, which showed 97.9 percent disapproved of the reform. The survey, conducted between Monday and early Wednesday, said 95.2 percent of the respondents were strongly against the reform. About
Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2022
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S. Korea’s ruling party to hold national committee, shift to emergency leadership
The ruling People Power Party, which has been embroiled in an internal power struggle over its leadership, is expected to appoint interim party leaders soon. The ruling party on Tuesday decided to convene a meeting of the party‘s national committee, in which it would discuss switching to an emergency leadership system, where they are also likely to appoint interim party runners. A national committee meeting is expected to take place as early as Friday or next week. Four out of seven
Politics Aug. 2, 2022
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S. Korea’s Transport Minister mentions Uber as last resort to solve late-night taxi shortage
South Korea’s Transport Minister Won Hee-ryong said on Sunday evening that the country could consider implementing ride-sharing services like Uber to fight off the country’s dire nighttime taxi shortage. During a speech posted to his personal YouTube channel, Won said the government would first try other measures to relieve the taxi shortage and, if unsolved, may introduce car- and ride-sharing services as “last resort.” Uber entered South Korea in 2013, but withdrew
Social Affairs Aug. 1, 2022
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Lowering elementary school entry age sparks debate
A proposal to allow all children to enter elementary school one year earlier at 5 years old, starting as early as 2025, has been met with support and criticism from the education sector. On Friday, Education Minister Park Soon-ae directly reported the reform of the school system, which would require amending the country’s education law, to President Yoon Suk-yeol at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. Yoon ordered Park to push for the reform “immediately,” a
Social Affairs July 31, 2022
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Korea launches Jeongjo the Great, Navy's first 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer
President Yoon Suk-yeol traveled to the southeastern port city of Ulsan to join a ceremony to celebrate the launch of the country’s first 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer, the Jeongjo the Great destroyer, on Thursday. “We have now become capable of building a world-class Aegis destroyer with our own technologies,” Yoon celebrated the launch of the new destroyer, during his speech at the ceremony held at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, joined by some 150 people, in
Defense July 28, 2022
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S. Korea's daily COVID-19 infections surpass 100,000
South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases passed the 100,000 mark for the first time since late April due to the spread of BA.5, a new, more contagious version of omicron, the government said Wednesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 100,285 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Tuesday. Kim Sung-ho, vice minister for disaster and safety management, said during a COVID-19 response meeting on Wednesday that the daily tally was the highe
Social Affairs July 27, 2022
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Seoul to turn Yongsan‘s idle land into tech complex, transportation hub
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its development plan to turn massive idle land near Yongsan Station in central Seoul into the “Asian Silicon Valley” and a city transportation hub. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the government will transform the area into an “international business district as a new center for global urban competitiveness and technological innovation.” The Seoul city government will develop the area, which is a 4
Social Affairs July 26, 2022
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S.Korea forced to reinstate antivirus measures amid growing COVID-19 wave
South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections continued to post a week-on-week increase on Sunday amid the recent COVID-19 wave fueled by the highly contagious omicron strain BA.5, government data showed Monday. Amid the ongoing spread of the new omicron strain, some antivirus measures at international airports and senior care hospitals have also been reinstated. Starting on Monday, international arrivals need to take a polymerase chain reaction test on the day of their entry to the country,
Social Affairs July 25, 2022
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S. Korea to create new anti-terror unit
The government will create a new military unit dedicated to defenses against terrorist activities, the Prime Minister’s office said Friday. The government said it expects an increase in terrorist activities down the road, largely due to increased instability and political tensions around the world. The government also expressed concerns that there is a higher chance that terrorists could make their way into the country as pandemic-related travel restrictions are being eased. The anti-t
Defense July 22, 2022
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S. Korea is slow on consuming COVID-19 pills
South Korea is slow on consuming COVID-19 pills, yet the government earlier announced that it would secure additional pills in the future, government data showed Friday. The government expects that its increased number of one-stop COVID-19 treatment centers -- where people can take virus tests, get in-person medical care services and receive antiviral drugs -- would increase accessibility to COVID-19 pills. However, the COVID-19 pill use was still low. According to government data, the count
Social Affairs July 22, 2022
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S. Korea’s daily cases reach 68,000, up 9.5 times from four weeks ago
South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases on Thursday reached 68,000, up nearly 10 times than four weeks ago, fueled by the spread of a highly contagious new omicron strain, BA.5. The number of critically ill patients also surpassed 100 for the second straight day, government data showed Friday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 68,632 COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The daily tally is 9.5 times higher than 7,218 cases reported four weeks ago. The f
Social Affairs July 22, 2022
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S. Korea to boost COVID testing, beds as cases expected to peak at 300,000
Health authorities estimate that the new omicron wave would peak at around 300,000 COVID-19 cases a day, the government said Wednesday. The government added that it would expand the country’s medical capacity to cope with the increasing number of infections and severe cases. ”The number of daily COVID-19 infections, at its peak, is expected to come to some 300,000,“ said Lee Ki-il, second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, during a COVID-19 response meeting
Social Affairs July 20, 2022
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