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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

Over 30% of 16-17 years old make reservation for COVID-19 vaccine

People are observed for possible side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Over 30 percent of eligible recipients among teenagers aged 16 and 17 have made an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination during the first two days of their reservation period, against earlier expectations that many parents would be hesitant to have their children vaccinated. The government began to receive the reservations for those born between 2004 and 2005, from 8 p.m., Tuesday.As of Thursday, around 300,000 out of 900,000 eligible recipients, or 33 percent, have made an appointment for a shot, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The reservation rate is expected to increase as it will run through Oct. 29. The teenagers will be administered with a Pfizer vaccine beginning Oct. 18. Appointments for those aged between 12 and 15 can be made from Oct. 18 through Nov. 12.The 33 percent is a high figure considering that the government did not “strongly recommend” teens to be vacc

Oct 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Over 30% of 16-17 years old make reservation for COVID-19 vaccine
  • New cases in 2,000s for 2nd day, resurgence in wider Seoul worrisome
Society

Exhibition of products with fonts developed by 5 elderly women marks Hangeul Day

Choo Yoo-eul, second from right, poses at a gallery in Chilgok County Office, North Gyeongsang Province, during the opening ceremony of the exhibition of products using fonts developed by five elderly women in the county, Wednesday. Courtesy of Chilgok CountyBy Lee Hyo-jin An exhibition has opened displaying products inscribed with fonts developed by five elderly women in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, who have belatedly learnt how to write and read Hangeul (Korean letters), in commemoration of Hangeul Day which falls on Oct. 9. The five women in their 70s and 80s ― Choo Yoo-eul, Kim Yong-bun, Lee Won-soon, Kwon An-ja and Lee Jong-hee ― came to see the products at a gallery in the county office, Wednesday, for the exhibition which runs until Oct. 15. The products include “byeongpung” (traditional folding screens), traditional goblets and folding hand fans.The fonts gained public attention earlier in May, when software developer Hancom introduced the women's handwriting in its Hancom Office software, a Korean language-based software package that is the Korean e

Oct 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Exhibition of products with fonts developed by 5 elderly women marks Hangeul Day
Health

People vaccinated abroad to receive vaccine incentives here

Passengers arrive at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Starting Thursday, people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus abroad will be eligible for incentives offered to vaccinated people in Korea, following the government's announcement that it will recognize inoculation records from overseas. Previously, vaccine incentives, such as being exempt from the limit on the number of people allowed at private gatherings, had only applied to those who had been vaccinated and received certification for it in the country. People who were vaccinated abroad were not eligible for these incentives due to the absence of a system to verify the validity of certificates issued overseas.As this situation has led to inconveniences for those vaccinated in other countries, the health authorities have decided to gradually recognize vaccination records from overseas, beginning with individuals who are eligible to skip the mandatory self-quarantine upon arrival, the United States Force Korea (USFK) service members, diplomats and their families. Currently, people

Oct 6, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
People vaccinated abroad to receive vaccine incentives here
Health

Gender ministry deepens efforts to embrace diverse forms of family

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Chung Young-ai speaks during a press conference on the 2021-2025 Basic Plan for a Healthy Family Policy, at Government Complex Seoul, April 27. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jinThe social perception of the definition of family is rapidly changing in Korea. Once frowned upon, unmarried couples living together have become widely accepted. Also, the percentage of one-person households accounts for nearly one-third of the total number of households in the country, according to government data. However, the Civil Law defines “family” as based on marriage, childbirth or adoption. Other types, such as couples and roommates who live together, as well as single-person households, are not legally recognized, making them ineligible for some government programs and benefits.In this regard, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is seeking to expand the definition of family to include those who are in diverse relationships based on closeness and care for each other. In April, the ministry introduced its 2021-2025 Basic Plan for a Healthy Family Policy, wh

Oct 6, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Gender ministry deepens efforts to embrace diverse forms of family
Health

89 pets test positive for COVID-19

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin A total of 89 dogs and cats have tested positive for the coronavirus in Korea as of September, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Tuesday. Available information to date in the country and overseas shows that animals can be infected with the virus, mostly during close contact with confirmed human patients, but the risk of pet-to-human transmission is considered to be low.According to the data submitted from the ministry to Rep. Maeng Sung-kyu of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea, 55 dogs and 34 cats have been infected here since the pandemic began in January 2020.Of them, 80 were reported in Seoul, while three were seen in Gyeonggi Province, followed by two in Sejong City. Under the government quarantine policy, if an owner is confirmed to have been infected by the virus, the local government may test their pet if it shows coronavirus-like symptoms, including fever, coughing and breathing difficulties, in cooperation with a local veterinary service center.If an animal tests positive, it will be placed un

Oct 5, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
89 pets test positive for COVID-19
  • New cases slightly under 1,600 on fewer tests
Health

93% of COVID-19 infections are among unvaccinated

A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at a hospital in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The vast majority ― 93 percent ― of coronavirus infections reported in Korea over the last three months have occurred among unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people, prompting concerns, as some 5.77 million individuals in the country have yet to receive a single dose.According to the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, Friday, a total of 108,646 people tested positive for the virus between July 4 and Sep. 19, among whom 93 percent were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.During the same period, 96 percent of the 2,292 critically ill patients were not fully vaccinated, while 87 percent of the 280 deaths were patients who had not been fully vaccinated. Given such data, health authorities say that unvaccinated people are at higher risk of infection, and that they are more likely than fully vaccinated individuals to fall into critical condition once infected.They also warned that the country may see a resurgence of infections among

Oct 2, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
93% of COVID-19 infections are among unvaccinated
  • New virus cases remain in 2,000s despite beefed-up vigilance
Health

Daegu mosque protests discriminatory: human rights commission

This photo taken on Feb. 14 shows the construction site of a mosque in Daegu's Buk District. Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin The National Human Rights Commission of Korean (NHRCK) said Friday that a mosque construction project in Daegu, which had been suspended due to complaints, should be allowed to resume, as the decision on the suspension was based on discrimination and prejudice against Muslims. The human rights watchdog expressed its opinion in response to a petition filed by the Darul Emman Kyungpook Islamic Center, against the Buk District Office that had issued the administrative order to halt the mosque's construction.The Islamic community in the Buk District of Daegu, the nation's third-largest city, located in the southeastern region of the country, launched the construction of the place of worship in Daehyeon-dong in December 2020, after receiving a construction permit from the local district office the previous September. The mosque was to be built on a site where Muslims were previously holding religious gatherings.But some residents, who worry that the mosque might lead

Oct 1, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Daegu mosque protests discriminatory: human rights commission
Politics

Main opposition party calls for special counsel probe

Conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok, second from right, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. The PPP is calling for an investigation by a special counsel into corruption allegations involving Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner among the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea's presidential contenders, surrounding a land development project in Seongnam when Lee Jae-myung was mayor of the city. Joint Press Corps

Sep 30, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Main opposition party calls for special counsel probe
Society

Pink muhly blossoms

Visitors walk around a pink muhly field in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Also known by the botanical name, Muhlenbergia capillaris, pink muhly grass gardens have emerged as popular tourist destinations in the fall season during recent years. Yonhap

Sep 30, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Pink muhly blossoms
Health

Human rights watchdog calls for better working conditions for foreign fishing crew members

By Lee Hyo-jin The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has called on the government to improve the working conditions of crew members of foreign nationality working on fishing boats here, many of whom suffer from violations of human rights due to excessively long working hours, as well as economic exploitation and physical abuse by their employers. The NHRCK asked the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Thursday, to implement measures to protect the human rights of foreign nationals working on local fishing boats hired under the Seafarers' Act.The offices of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea / Korea Times fileIn Korea, migrant workers hired to work on ships weighing 20 tons and over are legally subject to the Seafarers' Act, while those employed on ships weighing less than 20 tons enter the country through the Employment Permit System (EPS), operated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Through monitoring conducted in 2020, the NHRCK found that many of the foreign fishing crew members go into large debt during the recruitment process, as private brokers in

Sep 30, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Human rights watchdog calls for better working conditions for foreign fishing crew members
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