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Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

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Health

Nearly 10 million COVID-19 vaccines may be discarded in Korea

A person receives his fourth shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at a local clinic in Seongdong District, Seoul, July 18. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanGov't struggles to handle soon-to-expire dosesBy Lee Hyo-jin Nearly 10 million soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccine doses are likely to be discarded in Korea amid waning demand, in sharp contrast to the early days of the national vaccination campaign when the country grappled with a scarce supply. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as of Monday, there are a total of 14,208,000 stockpiled vaccine doses. They include 8.3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 2.7 million doses of Moderna, 1.98 million doses of Johnson & Johnson, 671,000 doses of Novavax and 609,000 doses of the SKYCovione, the country's first domestically developed vaccine by SK Bioscience. Considering that about 100,000 shots are being administered per week, at the current pace, about 10 million doses are likely to go to waste by the end of this year with their expiration dates approaching. The shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines is usually betwee

Sep 12, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Nearly 10 million COVID-19 vaccines may be discarded in Korea
Environment & Animals

Super typhoon Hinnamnor forecast to hit Jeju Island early next week

An official at the Korea Meteorological Administration examines the movement of the super typhoon Hinnamnor at the administration's office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Hinnamnor, which is the strongest tropical storm this year so far, is expected to hit the southern island of Jeju by next Tuesday, according to the state weather agency. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest tropical storm this year so far, is expected to hit the southern regions of the Korean Peninsula early next week, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Thursday. Hinnamnor, the 11th typhoon of this season, was traveling at a speed of 27 kilometers per hour over waters some 360 kilometers southwest of Okinawa, Japan, as of 3 a.m. Thursday, bringing powerful gusts to the area, the KMA said. It is expected to move southwest to the waters south-southwest of Okinawa on Friday, after switching its course to veer north and approach the sea 70 kilometers south of Jeju Island by next Tuesday. The KMA predicted that the entire island of Jeju to come under direct influence of th

Sep 1, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Super typhoon Hinnamnor forecast to hit Jeju Island early next week
Environment & Animals

K-water celebrates launch of new floating solar panel cluster

K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon, fifth from right, poses with other dignitaries during a congratulatory ceremony held to mark the completion of construction of a new floating solar photovoltaic cluster at Chungju Dam in North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of K-waterBy Lee Hyo-jin The state-run Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) has completed construction of a new floating solar photovoltaic cluster at Chungju Dam in North Chungcheong Province, as part of its effort to promote eco-friendly hydropower technology. A congratulatory ceremony to mark the completion of construction was held in Chungju on Wednesday, attended by K-water officials and local residents. A floating solar photovoltaic system is an emerging technology in which solar cells are placed directly over a body of water, as opposed to other conventional places such as building rooftops. The newly installed floating photovoltaic array was built as part K-water's efforts to promote eco-friendly hydropower technology, in response to the accelerating climate change and to contribute to the country's net zero go

Aug 31, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
K-water celebrates launch of new floating solar panel cluster
Global Community

Birthrate among multicultural families also falling

President Yoon Suk-yeol meets with members of multicultural families at a family support center in Guro District, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapMulticultural families face diverse challenges in parentingBy Lee Hyo-jinMulticultural families in Korea are having fewer children due apparently to difficulties in raising children here. The number of students from multicultural backgrounds in Korea's schools has been growing continuously over the past decade, but the trend may end in the coming years, as more families are opting out of becoming parents, according to government data.According to data from the Ministry of Education disclosed on Tuesday, the number of students from multicultural backgrounds attending elementary and middle schools as of April 1 stood at 168,645, a 5.4 percent increase from the previous year. The figure has been increasing consistently since the government began to collect relevant data from 2012, and now accounts for 3.2 percent of the total students. It is notable, however, that the percentage of students from multicultural backgrounds in schools is increasing not bec

Aug 31, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Birthrate among multicultural families also falling
Health

Korea likely to see 'twindemic' in upcoming flu season

People wait to receive COVID-19 tests at a screening center in Seocho District, Seoul, Tuesday. NewsisVulnerable groups advised to receive both flu and updated COVID-19 vaccinesBy Lee Hyo-jin A “twindemic” ― a severe flu season occurring at the same time as an increase in coronavirus cases, possibly overwhelming healthcare systems ― is likely to occur in Korea this coming flu season, according to local medical experts, amounting to a worrisome scenario. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory disease caused by a family of viruses that infect the nose, throat and even lungs in serious cases. Common symptoms of the illness include a high fever, cough and sore throat.Each year, the country grapples with a flu season which usually begins at the end of November, reaches its peak in December and lasts until as late as April.It is not the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 that experts have warned about a possible twindemic.But Korea has so far avoided such a double whammy of viral infections. Thanks to COVID-19-induced measures such a

Aug 30, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea likely to see 'twindemic' in upcoming flu season
  • Prime Minister hints at ending pre-arrival COVID-19 tests before Chuseok holiday
Politics

Supreme Court justice nominee supports abolishment of death penalty

Oh Seok-joon, Supreme Court justice nominee and head of Jeju District Court / NewsisBy Lee Hyo-jin Supreme Court justice nominee Oh Seok-joon viewed that the death penalty should be abolished in the long term, saying that he personally does not support the practice in which “the state deprives an individual's right to life.”The 60-year-old chief judge of the Jeju District Court expressed his opinion in response to a written question by a lawmaker, ahead of his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly set for Monday.“There have been conflicting views surrounding the death penalty for a long time, both of which are supported by valid arguments,” he wrote. “Personally, I am not in the position of supporting the practice, which deprives of an individual's right to life in the form of state punishment.”“And considering that an execution cannot be undone in the case of misjudgment, death row should be abolished in the long term through legislative procedures,” he added. Although Korea retains capital punishment, it has not actually execu

Aug 28, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Supreme Court justice nominee supports abolishment of death penalty
Society

Will planned taxi fare hike resolve driver shortage?

People stand in line at a taxi rank near Seoul Station, Aug. 25. NewsisSeoul city mulls 20-percent fare increase from year endBy Lee Hyo-jin In recent months, residents in Seoul and other metropolitan areas have been struggling to catch a taxi home at night mainly due to an imbalance in demand and supply resulting from a severe shortage of drivers. In a bid to tackle the“cab-catching war,” the Seoul Metropolitan Government is reviewing various measures including a fare hike, hoping to get drivers back at the wheel. But experts gave differing views as to whether the proposed fare hike would encourage drivers to work late shifts.One of the options being discussed is increasing the window of time during which a 20-percent surcharge is applied to 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., from the current midnight to 4 a.m. period. The city authorities are also considering doubling the surcharge to 40 percent for nighttime peak periods ― between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. ― which would push up the basic charge to 5,300 won from the current 4,600.Moreover, the authorities are considering increasing the initi

Aug 28, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Will planned taxi fare hike resolve driver shortage?
Politics

First lady's fan club faces mounting pressure to shut down

“Keon-hee Sarang,” a fan club of first lay Kim Keon-hee / Screen captured from FacebookBy Lee Hyo-jin A fan club of first lady Kim Keon-hee has been facing growing pressure from politicians to be closed down. Such calls came from within the ruling People Power Party (PPP) after the fan club became mired in yet another controversy involving leaks of confidential information about President Yoon Suk-yeol's schedule. “Keon-hee Sarang,” which translates into “love for Keon-hee,” is a Facebook page with over 24,000 followers where pictures and videos of Kim's daily life are shared, including some unauthorized photos.The latest controversy began after the president's confidential schedule to visit a traditional market in the southeastern city of Daegu on Friday was leaked two days prior by the fan club, raising security concerns. One user of the fan page posted, Tuesday, “Notice: President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit Seomun Market in Daegu at noon, Aug. 26. Please gather to the parking lot and participate in the event.”The official schedule of t

Aug 26, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
First lady's fan club faces mounting pressure to shut down
Health

Korea mulls lifting pre-departure COVID-19 tests for inbound travelers

An arriving traveler waits to receive a PCR test at a testing site installed at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government is reviewing whether to lift COVID-19 testing regulations for inbound travelers in response to calls from the tourism industry and businesses to drop the stringent border control measure that now remains in only a few countries. Under current measures, all travelers, regardless of their vaccination history and nationality, must submit the results of a PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to traveling to Korea or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to travel. Travelers should also receive a PCR test within one day after arriving in Korea.Korea is one of the few countries with such strict requirements, along with China and Japan.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), among OECD member states, 10 countries have COVID-19-related restrictions on overseas entrants such as the requirement of pre-departure tests or vaccinations. Currently, unvaccinated individuals are banned from traveling to t

Aug 26, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea mulls lifting pre-departure COVID-19 tests for inbound travelers
Health

Surgeon shortage raises red flag

GettyimagesbankSurgery-related departments unpopular among medical studentsBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea is considered an advanced country when it comes to the provision of healthcare services, as essential medical services are offered at relatively affordable prices thanks to the nation's solid state-run medical insurance system. However, the recent death of a nurse working at one of the biggest hospitals in the country has revealed a serious vacuum in the medical system due to a dearth of surgeons.A 37-year-old nurse working at Asan Medical Center in Seoul fell unconscious after showing symptoms of a brain hemorrhage, July 24. She received emergency treatment for the embolization but there was no neurosurgeon at the hospital who could perform a craniotomy, a type of surgery where a bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull so as to gain access to the brain.The patient was transferred to Seoul National University Hospital, located some 10 kilometers away, where she was pronounced dead after having missed the golden hour for the life-saving procedure.Officials at Asan Medical Center lat

Aug 25, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Surgeon shortage raises red flag
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.