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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

AZ vaccine unexpectedly catching on among 30s, 40s

An individual receives a coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center in Dongjak District, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Many people in their 30s and 40s are snatching up leftover AstraZeneca vaccines, after the government recently revised the age limit for the vaccine, defying earlier expectations that they would shun the product due to concerns over the risk of side effects. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) lowered the minimum age of eligibility for the vaccine to 30, Aug. 13, a change from its previous policy that made it available only to people aged over 50, due to concerns it may cause blood clots in a small number of recipients. It explained the decision as a measure to use leftover doses effectively, as well as to give more opportunities to individuals who wish to be vaccinated ahead of their inoculation schedule. The health authorities also noted that only three people among 12.69 million administered cases of AstraZeneca here were officially confirmed to have suffered from thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), one of whom died. Contrar

Aug 18, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
AZ vaccine unexpectedly catching on among 30s, 40s
Health

Moderna to increase vaccine supply to Korea in coming months

Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae speaks during a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex, Tuesday, on the outcomes of the meeting with executives from Moderna, during the government delegation's visit to the drug firm's U.S. headquarters, Aug. 13. YonhapCritics say US firm's plan lacks details such as schedules, amountsBy Lee Hyo-jin Moderna will increase its supply of COVID-19 vaccine this month and September, and make every effort to speed up the planned delivery of doses for next month, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday. The U.S. pharmaceutical company will inform the ministry about specific shipment dates and amounts by the end of the week, the ministry added. This agreement was reached during a meeting between a government delegation and Moderna officials at the drug firm's headquarters in Massachusetts, Aug. 13 (local time). The delegation, led by Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae, made the visit to deliver a protest on supply setbacks and discuss ways to resolve delayed vaccine shipments. Earlier last week, Moderna notified the health authorities here that it wo

Aug 17, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Moderna to increase vaccine supply to Korea in coming months
Health

Gov't to incentivize vaccine trial volunteers

A researcher at SK Bioscience works on a potential coronavirus vaccine at the company's manufacturing plant in this undated photo. Courtesy of SK BioscienceBy Lee Hyo-jin The Korean government will offer incentives to participants in clinical trials of domestic COVID-19 vaccines, as a part of its efforts to expedite vaccine development here amid the ongoing global competition in vaccine procurement. “We will put our full efforts into the safe development of domestic vaccines, while doing our best to provide incentives for those who are participating in clinical trials,” Sohn Young-rae, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said during a briefing, Sunday.While detailed incentive measures are yet to be disclosed, the government is considering offering opportunities for early vaccination ahead of the inoculation schedule, or various discounts to volunteers for participating in clinical trials. “Amid the ongoing global competition in securing COVID-19 vaccines, achieving vaccine sovereignty through producing locally developed products will be a first ste

Aug 17, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't to incentivize vaccine trial volunteers
Society

How COVID-19 has affected campus life in Korea

A college student in Seoul attends an online lecture via Zoom in this March 2020 photo. Korea Times fileProlonged pandemic disrupts social, academic lives of college studentsBy Lee Hyo-jin Freshman year of college in Korea usually begins with meeting new friends during orientation. New students are also invited to engage in various extracurricular activities, while enjoying energetic and vibrant campus life by attending festivals and other events that get people together. But for those who entered university after the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, their freshman year was very different from that anticipated. Meeting and making new friends has been tougher than ever at a time when the pandemic has forced students to socially distance from each other.“Before entering university, I dreamt of hanging out and drinking at bars with friends after class and having fun at festivals on campus,” said Jeong Jee-hee, a sophomore at Sookmyung Women's University majoring in business administration. But her dreams have been left unfulfilled for the past three semesters, after she bega

Aug 17, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
How COVID-19 has affected campus life in Korea
Health

Public irked by government's flip-flopping on AstraZeneca vaccines

People are being observed for possible side effects after receiving their COVID-19 shots at a vaccination center in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government's recent decision to revise the age limit on AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as a measure to use leftover doses effectively has deepened public distrust in the nationwide vaccination drive. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Friday that people aged 30 and above are now allowed to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, a change from its previous policy that the product is only available to those aged over 50, due to concerns over blood clotting side effects. The decision to expand eligible recipients came as many unused doses have been wasted recently, as they were not booked through the online reservation system.“Amid the fourth wave of infections, we have decided to give more opportunities to people who wish to be vaccinated ahead of their inoculation schedule, while providing them with sufficient information on the advantages and potential risks of receiving the vaccine

Aug 15, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Public irked by government's flip-flopping on AstraZeneca vaccines
  • New COVID-19 cases dip to 1,800s amid worry over spike in holiday-tied cases
Health

Blood donation campaign

Lee Pil-soo, head of the Korea Medical Association, donates blood in a Korea Red Cross blood donation bus located in front of the association's office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. The donation campaign aims to tackle the blood shortage in hospitals following a decreasing number of people donating blood amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yonhap

Aug 11, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Politics

Celebrating K-ETA launch

Justice Minister Park Beom-gye, right, attends an unveiling event for the signboard of the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) Center at Gimpo International Airport, Wednesday. The justice ministry will launch K-ETA, an entry system for people from countries that are eligible to enter Korea without a visa, in September, following a pilot program that started in May. Yonhap

Aug 11, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Health

Experts see no peak in Korea's COVID-19 infection numbers

Graphic by Cho Sang-wonDaily cases hit record new high of 2,223By Lee Hyo-jin The COVID-19 pandemic is spiraling out of control in Korea with daily confirmed cases for Tuesday reaching an all-time high of over 2,000. Medical experts also believe that this current fourth wave of infections, which is proving tougher to curb than previous ones, has not even reached its peak. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 2,223 daily new infections for Tuesday, a significant jump from the previous day which saw 1,537 cases, and bringing the total caseload to 216,206The tally is the highest figure since the coronavirus outbreak began here in January 2020, breaking the previous record of 1,895 set July 27. The number has stayed above 1,000 for over a month since July 6. The latest uptick which came despite the month-long toughest anti-virus measures in the capital area have put the health authorities on high alert as they had assessed that current infections in the region were “gradually decreasing” just two days ago. “We are entering a new phase, a new c

Aug 11, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Experts see no peak in Korea's COVID-19 infection numbers
Health

Supply problems seriously disrupt vaccination schedule

People wait to receive a coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center in Dongjak District, Seoul, Monday. YonhapMore people losing trust in gov't vaccination programBy Lee Hyo-jin The delay in the shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines has disrupted the government's vaccination plan, leading to confusion among people who had their inoculation appointments abruptly rescheduled. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday that the U.S.-based pharmaceutical company has more than halved the 8.5 million doses it had planned to deliver in August due to production-related problems.Due to the supply delay, the government has announced that it will readjust the gap between the first and second doses of the mRNA vaccines ― Pfizer and Moderna ― to six weeks from the current four, starting Aug. 16. This announcement led to confusion among those who had their appointments abruptly pushed back by two weeks without receiving any prior notice from the health authorities. “I checked the COVID-19 vaccine app (COOV) after reading the news. The reservation for my second shot,

Aug 10, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Supply problems seriously disrupt vaccination schedule
Politics

Taxi driver training course

Lee Jun-seok, center, chairperson of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, heads to an education center run by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday, the first day of his summer holiday, to attend a training course to become an owner-driver cabbie. He obtained a license to drive a taxi for a taxi company in 2019 in a move to better understand the hardships of taxi drivers and to listen to the opinions of passengers. He vowed to finish the course during his vacation which lasts through Friday. Yonhap

Aug 9, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Taxi driver training course
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