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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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Foreign Affairs

Christening ceremony for floating LNG facility for Mozambique

President Moon Jae-in and Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, fourth from left, pose with their respective first ladies during a christening ceremony for the Coral-Sul floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility at the shipyard of Samsung Heavy Industries on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. The offshore floating facility, built by the Korean company, will be used in LNG production off the coast of Mozambique. Yonhap

Nov 15, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Christening ceremony for floating LNG facility for Mozambique
Health

Korea's 'Living with COVID-19' scheme may face setbacks

People wait in line for coronavirus tests at a testing center in Songpa District, Seoul, Friday. YonhapExperts show mixed responses over moving to next phaseBy Lee Hyo-jin The government's “Living with COVID-19” plan, which began on Nov. 1, may face setbacks due to the worsening coronavirus situation, raising uncertainties over whether the country will be able to move on to the next phase of the plan. The public health authorities plan to ease the social distancing measures gradually in three phases, with each transition slated for four to six weeks. After the current phase 1 ends in late November, the authorities will assess the virus situation and decide whether to proceed to phase 2 in December. But the faster-than-expected rise in the number of critically ill patients has put public health authorities on high alert.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the number of critically ill patients hit a fresh high of 485 as of Friday, breaking the record set the previous day. Saturday's figure also stood at 483.The patients are currently occupyi

Nov 12, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea's 'Living with COVID-19' scheme may face setbacks
  • New infections above 2,000 for 4th day amid concern over serious cases
  • Women's national football head coach Bell hospitalized with COVID-19
Health

Korea may face 'twindemic' of COVID-19, flu this winter

A child receives a shot of an influenza vaccine at a clinic in Songpa District, Seoul, Sept. 14. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-sukRespiratory diseases may spread more easily under eased quarantine rulesBy Lee Hyo-jin Last year's flu season here was unusually mild thanks to COVID-19 precautions, but things may be different this year, according to health experts, who warn that the country may face a so-called “twindemic” of coronavirus and influenza infections this winter.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, coughing and a 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. Last year, however, the recorded number of flu patients was significantly lower compared to previous years, thanks to the COVID-19-induced measures such as face masks, social distancing rules and enhanced pers

Nov 11, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea may face 'twindemic' of COVID-19, flu this winter
Health

Critically ill COVID-19 patients hit record high

Medical personnel work in an intensive care unit for critically ill coronavirus patients at a hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 5. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients here spiked to an all-time high Tuesday, raising concerns over whether the country will be able to move on to the next phase of the government's “Living with COVID-19” plan. Critically ill patients refer to those requiring ventilators, high-flow oxygen therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).Under the “Living with COVID-19” plan which began Nov. 1, the government is focusing more on the treatment of critical patients, rather than bringing down the number of daily new infections.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country reported 460 such patients for Tuesday, up from 425 the previous day, hitting a record high for the COVID-19 pandemic which started here in February 2020. Of them, 82 percent were aged 60 or older.The severely ill patients are currently occ

Nov 10, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Critically ill COVID-19 patients hit record high
  • New infections bounce back to above 2,400 amid eased virus curbs
  • Jincheon's order to hire only vaccinated foreign workers draws criticism for discrimination
Society

Cold spell to grip nation this week

People hold their umbrellas tight against heavy rain and strong winds in downtown Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin A cold spell is expected to hit the nation this week as temperatures are forecast to drop sharply following the heavy rain nationwide, according to the state weather agency, Monday. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the downpour accompanied by strong winds is anticipated to sweep across the country until Wednesday.Most parts of the nation are likely to have 10 millimeters to 40 millimeters of rain, with southern Jeju Island and Mount Jiri being forecast to see over 60 millimeters. The rain may be coupled with thunder and lightning in some areas, while some regions may see snow, including northern Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province. The KMA has issued strong wind alerts for central inland regions and the southwestern Jeolla provinces.Temperatures began to drop sharply on Monday afternoon. The KMA predicted morning lows to fall to 2 degrees Celsius in Seoul on Tuesday, and plunge further to nearly 1 degree on Friday, marking the season's coldest wea

Nov 8, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Cold spell to grip nation this week
Foreign Affairs

VANK urges UN to add 'East Sea' on its map

The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea's poster criticizing the United Nations for its map only using the name “Sea of Japan” to identify the ocean between South Korea and Japan / Courtesy of VANKBy Lee Hyo-jin The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), a civic organization promoting Korean culture and history online, is urging the United Nations to add the name “East Sea” on its map indicating the ocean between South Korea and Japan, criticizing the international organization for referring to the body of water only as the “Sea of Japan.”VANK has produced posters in English denouncing the UN for the misleading information on its official map and has posted an online petition on the website “Bridge Asia.”The group pointed out last month that the UN's geo service map (www.un.org/geospatial) is identifying the waters between South Korea and Japan only as the “Sea of Japan,” instead of concurrently using the “East Sea / Sea of Japan” names.The civic group claimed that the international organization is not following

Nov 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
VANK urges UN to add 'East Sea' on its map
Health

Gov't urged to recognize overseas vaccination of foreigners

Passengers stand in line to go through the check-in process at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, Friday. YonhapKDCA plans to allow registration to all foreigners, but fails to give exact dateBy Lee Hyo-jin Residents of foreign nationality who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 abroad are experiencing inconvenience here as they are ineligible to register their vaccination record with the government system unless they have a quarantine exemption certification. Under current measures, Korean nationals who have been vaccinated overseas may register their inoculation record on the COVID-19 vaccine app (COOV) by visiting a local health center, while non-Korean nationals can make the registration only if they have a quarantine exemption certificate.Quarantine exemption certificates are issued by diplomatic establishments abroad for urgent and inevitable entry for business, academic, public or humanitarian reasons.As such, foreign nationals without a quarantine waiver cannot prove their vaccination history, which leaves them categorized as “unvaccinated” in th

Nov 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't urged to recognize overseas vaccination of foreigners
  • New COVID-19 cases stay over 2,000 for 5th straight day amid relaxed virus curbs
Others

School bans on mobile phones violate students' human rights

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin A complete ban on the use of mobile phones in schools infringes on the basic rights of students including freedom of communication, the nation's human rights watchdog said, Wednesday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) expressed the opinion in response to a complaint filed by a student at a high school in the southeastern city of Daegu.Under the school policy, students must have their mobile phones turned off during school hours, with no exceptions even for recess and lunch time ― a common regulation at schools here.If a student is caught using their phone, teachers take it away for one week, and for two weeks if the student is caught a second time. The student may face other penalties such as cleaning duties.If the student is caught a third time, their parents are notified. When caught a fourth time, the student may face additional actions based on the decision of the school's disciplinary committee.The school explained that the outright ban on mobile phone use aims to minimize unnecessary use of electronic gadgets at schools and crea

Nov 3, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
School bans on mobile phones violate students' human rights
Society

Making kimchi for charity

Volunteers pose while making kimchi to be provided for underprivileged residents at a charity event in Daegu's Suseong District, Tuesday. Yonhap

Nov 2, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Making kimchi for charity
Health

Rights groups call for release of Moroccan man at immigration detention center

Members of migrants' rights groups hold a press conference in front of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea office in Seoul, Sept. 29, denouncing the human rights violations at Hwaseong Immigration Detention Center in Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwonBy Lee Hyo-jin Migrants' rights groups here are calling for the immediate release of a Moroccan man held in an immigration detention center, whose human rights have been violated due to excessive use of force by officers.The Ministry of Justice announced, Monday, the results of its investigation confirming the occurrence of human rights violations at Hwaseong Immigration Detention Center in Gyeonggi Province between March 23 and Sept. 1.Earlier in September, the Moroccan man in his 30s filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, claiming that he has been subject to inhumane treatment since he was sent to the center in March. Following physical conflicts with officers, the man was tied up and left in solitary confinement multiple times. Surveillance footage of the cell showed him lying

Nov 2, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Rights groups call for release of Moroccan man at immigration detention center
  • Gov't acknowledges rights violation at detention center for undocumented immigrants
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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.