The Korea Times

Daily new virus cases fall below 100 for first time since Aug. 13

A medical staff member works at a makeshift clinic located in central Seoul, Sunday. YonhapPM says the country needs to maintain Level 2 before Chuseok holidayBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea's daily new COVID-19 cases fell below 100 for the first time in 38 days, Sunday, but the health authorities continue to remain on edge over the increasing number of untraceable infections.The government decided to maintain its Level 2 social distancing measure nationwide before the Chuseok holiday as sporadic infection clusters and untraceable cases continued to put the health authorities on alert, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Sunday.“The situation outside the Seoul metropolitan area has been showing signs of abating with around 20 cases daily, but we cannot become complacent, considering the country is still suffering from high ratio of patients with unknown infection routes and sporadic infection clusters nationwide,” Chung said in a regular COVID-19 response meeting.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 82 new COVID-19 infections for Saturday, including 72 local

Sep 20, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Daily new virus cases fall below 100 for first time since Aug. 13

Students in greater Seoul area return to school

Society

Cosmos in bloom

Visitors walk through a field of cosmos at an arboretum in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, as autumn begins in Korea. Yonhap

Sep 20, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Society

Students in greater Seoul area return to school

A student waves bye to his parents before class in an elementary school in Gwangju, Sept. 14. The school reopened previously providing online classes amid fears over the continuing spread of COVID-19. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiMore than 7,000 kindergartens, and elementary, middle and high schools in the Seoul metropolitan area will resume in-person classes, Monday, in line with a recent slowdown in COVID-19 infections, according to the Ministry of Education, Sunday. It has been almost a month since the schools began online-only education following the Aug. 26 resurgence of the contagious virus.Quarantine measures on schools were originally scheduled to end Sept. 11, but were extended until Sept. 20 as the spread of the coronavirus showed no sign of abating.The decision made by the education ministry last week follows the slow relaxing of social distancing measures in Seoul amid a recent drop in new COVID-19 cases and deepening concerns over economic damage. According to ministry data, the 7,000 schools, including 2,000 in Seoul, 800 in Incheon, west of Seoul, and 4,200 in Gyeonggi Province

Sep 20, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Students in greater Seoul area return to school

Daily new virus cases fall below 100 for first time since Aug. 13

Politics

Controversy heating up over daily school attendance of first graders

Cho Hee-yeon, right, the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, checks a student's temperature at Seryun Elementary School in Seoul in this Feb. 3 file photo. Korea Times photo by Hong In-kiBy Bahk Eun-jiControversy is heating up over a suggestion made by Seoul's education chief, that first graders in elementary and middle schools resume daily school attendance from Oct. 12.Some parents and educators said in-person classes cannot be delayed any longer as the number of low performing students has increased since schools started to provide online lessons, while others are concerned of the high possibility of classrooms becoming virus hotbeds if too many students gather in one place. The controversy has come as the prolonged period of remote teaching has not solved the problems of poor basic education, educational gaps, and childcare, while there is a tight confrontation between those who are worried about the possibility of COVID-19 infections and those who cannot afford to postpone the start of in-person classes until the end of the pandemic.According to the Seo

Sep 18, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Controversy heating up over daily school attendance of first graders

Society

Prolonged virus situation creates 'blind spot' for childcare

An instant noodle bowl is seen near the home of two boys who were seriously injured by a fire while cooking in Incheon, Sept. 17. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-jiKim Kwon-soo, 55, who is raising two elementary school-age grandchildren alone, said he was shocked and then heartbroken when he saw the news about two young brothers who were seriously injured trying to boil ramen while their parents were not at home.“It was heart-wrenching news because the two brothers' situation seems like mine,” Kim said. “I don't have much time to take care of my grandchildren as I work all day at a mid-sized supermarket in my neighborhood.” He said he can't quit his job or reduce his work hours as he is the only breadwinner. “I'm worried that the children could experience a similar accident while they stay at home due to the virus,” Kim said.On Sept. 14, the brothers, 10 and eight, were seriously injured while trying to cook at their home in Incheon. Their mother, 30, was not home. The brothers

Sep 18, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Prolonged virus situation creates 'blind spot' for childcare

Society

Schools struggle to quarantine due to lack of money, staff

A teacher greets students at an elementary school in the southwestern city of Gwangju after the school reopened Monday. It had previously implemented online classes amid fears over the spread of COVID-19. / YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiSchools, particularly those in provincial areas, are struggling to implement quarantine measures ahead of the second semester as they are short of money and staff, according to data presented by Rep. Sim Sang-jung, leader of the minor progressive opposition Justice Party, Tuesday. A total of 39,182 workers were performing the role of quarantine officials in schools across the country for the last semester as of June 22. This amounted to 0.65 people per 100 students, meaning one staff member was in charge of 153 students, the data showed.In some cities and provinces, one person was responsible for 300 to 400 students due to the shortage of workers. In addition, the government's budget to pay their wages was not approved until about 40 days after the start of school.The school quarantine support system project, which was implemented in May before the physical ope

Sep 15, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Schools struggle to quarantine due to lack of money, staff

Health

Korea to develop COVID-19 treatment this year, vaccine next year

Jeong Eun-kyeong, the first head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), speaks during her inaugural ceremony at Osong health and medical administrative town in Sejong, Monday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced Monday the government's goal of securing a domestically developed treatment for COVID-19 this year and a vaccine next year.During an opening ceremony following the reorganization of the former Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) into the KDCA, an independent agency with more authority to respond to infectious disease more effectively, its chief Jeong Eun-kyeong said, “We will push ahead with overcoming COVID-19 as a top priority in response to the public's trust and expectations.”In her inaugural speech, Jeong told agency personnel, “We are still in the middle of a stormy sea. As the captain and a sailor of this new ship called the KDCA, I will be your companion to complete this voyage with all of you.”The government had already announced plans for the mass-product

Sep 14, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea to develop COVID-19 treatment this year, vaccine next year

Society

Cram school owners oppose tighter restrictions

A public official disinfects a cram school in Mok-dong, southwestern Seoul, June 1, amid the spread of COVID-19. Korea Times Photo by Ko Young-kwonBy Bahk Eun-jiAn association representing private cram school owners said Monday that it strongly opposed a proposed revision bill that will empower the education minister or provincial superintendents to order them to close when there is a serious alert for infectious diseases such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.While the revision is being pushed for the first time in four years ― since the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in 2015 ― owners of the private academies claim the bill infringes on their “property rights.” In particular, they are against part of the revision that stipulates stricter requirements for them to receive government compensation in the event of forced closures.“We agree with the government's efforts to curb the coronavirus spread, but if you look at the revision closely, compensation for academies is only provided when public schools are closed,” said an official of the Korea A

Sep 14, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Cram school owners oppose tighter restrictions

Eligibility controversy continues over 'adult entertainment facilities'

Health

Korea to ease social distancing in greater Seoul area for 2 weeks

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a meeting on the COVID-19 response at the government complex in Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe government decided to ease the tougher social distancing requirements in the greater Seoul area for the next two weeks as the country's virus situation showed signs of abating, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Sunday.“We have kept an eye on the virus situation over the last week. Although sporadic infection clusters and untraceable cases continued to put health authorities on alert, the government judged that the stricter quarantine measures are generating results,” the prime minister said in a regular government COVID-19 response meeting. “We truly appreciate the public's efforts to comply with the rules and their patience.”Under the new decision, the social distancing scheme will be relaxed to Level 2.0 from Level 2.5. Under level 2.0, most daily routines are allowed but outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people and indoor meetings of over 50 are prohibited.However, Chung said the eased rules will only stay two

Sep 13, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea to ease social distancing in greater Seoul area for 2 weeks

Where are we with COVID-19 vaccine development?

Law & Crime

Korea prepares for undercover investigation into online sex crimes

Cho Ju-bin is taken into a car at a police station in Seoul, March 25, before being sent to prosecutors on allegations that he blackmailed dozens of victims into performing humiliating sex acts and sold the content in a mobile group chat on the messaging service Telegram. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea is gearing up to introduce undercover investigations into sex crimes taking place online in a bid to eradicate such felonies and protect minors from sexual assault, police said Sunday.According to the National Police Agency (NPA), a delegation of the National Assembly's Committee for Gender Equality and Family will discuss relevant bills, Wednesday. The developments came as the nation has been shocked recently by a string of sexual exploitation cases centered on group chats in the Telegram messenger service. Undercover investigation techniques, currently used for drug investigations, will be introduced to online sex crimes, with investigators posing as minors, for instance, the NPA said. Cho Ju-bin, a 24-year-old operator of pay-to-view chat rooms on Telegram messenger, has been arrested fo

Sep 13, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

Daily new virus cases fall below 100 for first time since Aug. 13

Cosmos in bloom

Students in greater Seoul area return to school

Controversy heating up over daily school attendance of first graders

Prolonged virus situation creates 'blind spot' for childcare

Schools struggle to quarantine due to lack of money, staff

Korea to develop COVID-19 treatment this year, vaccine next year

Cram school owners oppose tighter restrictions

Korea to ease social distancing in greater Seoul area for 2 weeks

Korea prepares for undercover investigation into online sex crimes

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