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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 40 civic groups call for equitable vaccine access for foreign nationals

People wait in long lines for COVID-19 tests at a separate temporary testing facility for foreign nationals in front of the Geumcheon District Office in Seoul, March 21. Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin A coalition of over 40 civic organizations around the issue of human rights for migrants is calling on the government to ensure that all residents of foreign nationality have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, pointing out that they are equal members of society and should not be excluded from the vaccine rollout. The government announced earlier that individuals of foreign nationality who have lived in Korea for over three months, including undocumented residents, will be vaccinated just like Korean nationals.However, some residents of foreign nationality are being left out of the vaccination drive, according to a statement released by the coalition on Thursday.“An undocumented resident over the age of 60 was told that he was eligible for a vaccine by the call center, but w

Jun 26, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Over 40 civic groups call for equitable vaccine access for foreign nationals
  • New virus cases stay in 600s for 5th day
Health

Booster shot plan premature: medical experts

People are inoculated for the coronavirus at a vaccination center in Seongbuk District, Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapGovernment advised to focus first on strengthening ongoing vaccination driveBy Lee Hyo-jin While the government is considering the possibility of providing booster shots to better respond to the spread of coronavirus variants, medical experts believe it is too early for Korea to discuss a third round of inoculations, citing its slow vaccine rollout. Amid rising cases of infections caused by the rapidly spreading variant viruses, including the Delta variant, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said, Thursday, that additional inoculations and booster shots were being considered as a potential response measure. A booster shot is an extra administration of a vaccine, given at a predetermined time after the initial injections in order to raise or maintain an individual's immunity against the targeted virus. “We are closely monitoring such moves in other countries to decide which vaccines to use for the booster shots and at which intervals. Additional pla

Jun 25, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Booster shot plan premature: medical experts
  • New cases in 600s for 3rd day as eased distancing rules set to run from July
Health

Delta variant emerges as new pandemic threat to Korea

Outbound travelers wait to receive a coronavirus test at a testing center at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. YonhapFear grows that Delta variant may become dominant strainBy Lee Hyo-jin With the Delta variant of COVID-19 having been detected in around 80 countries worldwide, fear is rising that the highly infectious mutation of the coronavirus may become the dominant strain in Korea. The Delta variant, which originated in India, is known to be three times more transmissible than the original virus and 50 percent more contagious than the Alpha variant first reported in the United Kingdom.It has already become the dominant strain in some countries such as the U.K., where it accounted for more than 99 percent of new COVID-19 infections last week. During the same period, 90 percent of cases in Moscow were due to the variant.In Korea, of the 2,225 infections due to variants, 1,886 cases were found to be the Alpha variant after genetic sequencing, followed by 190 of the Delta variant, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). After nine Delta cases from

Jun 24, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Delta variant emerges as new pandemic threat to Korea
  • New cases in 600s for 2nd day on cluster infections
Health

Austrian nurse receives Florence Nightingale Medal

By Lee Hyo-jin Sister Marianne Stoeger from Austria has been awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal, recognized for her more than 40 years of dedication to leprosy patients on Korea's remote Sorok Island, according to the Korea Nurses Association. The medal is awarded by the International Committee of the Red Cross to those distinguished in the nursing field for showing exceptional courage and devotion to victims of armed conflict or disaster, or exemplary services and a pioneering spirit in the areas of public health or nursing education.Sister Marianne Stoeger, left, has been awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Courtesy of Korea Nurses AssociationStoeger, 87, has been selected as a recipient along with 24 nurses from 18 countries, the association said.She has been hailed as the “angel of Sorok Island” for her sacrifices and genuine care for leprosy patients since beginning her mission of treating them on the island in South Jeolla Province in 1962. She and Sister Margaret Pissar, a fellow Austrian nun who started worki

Jun 24, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Austrian nurse receives Florence Nightingale Medal
Society

'Korean-style basic income system needed'

Won Hee-ryong, center, governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, speaks during an online discussion session with Nobel Prize-winning economist Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, on screen, at the provincial government's Seoul office, Monday. Courtesy of Jeju Peace InstituteJeju governor, Nobel laureate discuss inequality issuesBy Lee Hyo-jin Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong said the old should cooperate with the young in tackling the issues of deepening inequality among the younger generations, in order to build an equal and inclusive society. His remarks came during an online discussion session held Monday with Nobel Prize-winning economist Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee on inequality issues in Korea and the importance of public education and social welfare systems in addressing such problems.The session came ahead of the 16th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, scheduled to be held from June 24 to 26 on the southern island of Jeju by the Jeju Peace Institute.The discussion kicked off with Banerjee's lecture on his book “Good Economics for Hard Times,” co-written with Esther Duflo.

Jun 22, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
'Korean-style basic income system needed'
Health

SPECIAL REPORT Korea urged to improve migrant policy to reflect diverse needs

Migrants and local activists protest near Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul in this May 7, 2020 photo, urging local governments to provide COVID-19 relief funds not only to locals but also to foreign residents. YonhapThis article is the last in a four-part series to highlight and address issues surrounding marginalized residents of foreign nationality who are living in legal blind spots in Korean society. ― ED.By Lee Hyo-jinThe struggles experienced by foreign residents in Korean society are becoming more and more complex over time, as they face various challenges depending on their employment status, family environment and financial standing. However, the government's policies on migrant support measures overall are focused on legal status, often failing to align with the actual needs of each migrant, according to immigration experts.In many cases, whether or not foreign residents are eligible for a government support program depends on the type of visa they are holding, rather than the circumstances they are in, leaving many migrants seeking support in blind spots.“Given that the needs

Jun 22, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
[SPECIAL REPORT] Korea urged to improve migrant policy to reflect diverse needs
Health

Mixed responses rise over forthcoming eased social distancing rules

People stand in line to enter a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government's latest decision to ease social distancing measures, such as gathering bans and limits on the operating hours of eateries, cafes and entertainment facilities beginning next month has drawn a mixed response from medical experts and business owners. The experts warn that a premature relaxation of gathering bans may lead to an increase in COVID-19 infections, while small business owners are welcoming the easing of the months-long regulation of their operations.According to the revised version of the administration's social distancing system unveiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sunday, the limit on numbers for private gatherings will be increased to a maximum of six people from the current four starting in July in the greater Seoul area, while there will be no upper limit for participants in other regions. In addition, eateries, cafes and entertainment facilities in Seoul and the surrounding area will be able to operate until midnight, an extension from the current 10 p.m

Jun 21, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Mixed responses rise over forthcoming eased social distancing rules
Health

Eased social distancing rules to take effect from July

Citizens wait for any possible side effects after receiving the coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, June 17. YonhapAll students to return to in-person classes from fall semester By Lee Hyo-jin Beginning next month, the government will increase the limit of private gatherings to a maximum of six people from the current four in Seoul and the surrounding area, while there will be no ceiling on the number of participants in such gatherings applied in other regions, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sunday. In addition, eateries, cafes and entertainment facilities will be able to operate until midnight, an extension of two hours from the current 10 p.m., if the number of daily coronavirus cases remains at the current level.These eased rules were included in a revised version of the government's social distancing plan unveiled Sunday, and will be put into effect from July 1. The current five-tier system, adopted in November last year, has been facing growing criticism as it unilaterally limits the operation of certain businesses, res

Jun 20, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Eased social distancing rules to take effect from July
  • All students set to return to full in-person classes from fall semester
Health

Health authorities warn public of summer infections

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin As the weather heats up, health authorities have warned the public to pay special attention to some summer diseases, as various infectious bacteria and viruses thrive in hot and humid environments. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country reported this year's first case of a vibrio vulnificus infection. Commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria, vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative bacterium that can cause fatal human infections. “A man in his 60s showed symptoms of fever, fatigue and skin lesions on June 9, two days after he ate soy sauce-marinated crab. He was diagnosed with a vibrio vulnificus infection while receiving hospital treatment at a medical institution in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province,” the KDCA said through a statement. It also noted that 70 patients were reported to have been infected with vibrio vulnificus in 2020, among whom, 25 died, and most of the infections occurred during the summer.A vibrio vulnificus infection can result from eating raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oy

Jun 18, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Health authorities warn public of summer infections
Health

1st dose vaccination goal reached early

Citizens receive COVID-19 shots at a vaccination center in Nowon District, Seoul, Wednesday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, over 13.21 million people, or 25.7 percent of the entire population, have received as least one shot of a vaccine as of Tuesday, fulfilling the government's goal of vaccinating 13 million people by the end of June ahead of schedule. Yonhap

Jun 16, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
1st dose vaccination goal reached early
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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.