The Korea Times

1 in 4 COVID-19 patients infected with virus variants

Korean citizens who were flown back home from India via a chartered flight gather in the arrival area at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. YonhapKorea reports 1st possible case of 'breakthrough infection'By Lee Hyo-jin The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported Wednesday that tests it conducted over the past week showed that more than one out of every four COVID-19 patients was infected with a variant of the original virus. Coronavirus variants are known to be more transmissible and virulent than the original strain, and according to the KDCA the detection rate of new strains among confirmed cases here has nearly doubled over the past two weeks, reaching 27.5 percent in the first week of May, up from 15 percent from the last week of April.This is the highest rate of detection since the health authorities began collecting related genome sequencing data last December. As of Tuesday, the KDCA has reported a total of 808 cumulative infections by the British, South African and Brazilian variants, which are classified as “major variants” by the heal

May 12, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

1 in 4 COVID-19 patients infected with virus variants

New cases back above 600 amid spreading variants

Foreign Affairs

Human rights commissions in Asia Pacific condemn military coup in Myanmar

Protesters make the three-finger salute during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, April 27. AFP-YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jinA coalition of human rights institutions in the Asia Pacific region, including the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), has condemned the ongoing military coup in Myanmar and urged the junta there to cease all forms of violence against civilians. The Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), a grouping of 25 national human rights institutions in the region, released a statement, Monday, expressing deep concerns about the continuing violence and killing of civilians in the country which began when the military seized power in February.“We are deeply concerned about the continuing violence in Myanmar, where more than 765 civilian protesters have reportedly been killed, and at least 3,500 people imprisoned, since the events of Feb.1,” read the statement issued under the APF chairperson's name. It called on the Myanmar military to immediately stop all forms of violence against protesters and release

May 11, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Human rights commissions in Asia Pacific condemn military coup in Myanmar

Law & Crime

Punishment urged for brutal assault of taxi driver

A man in his 20s accused of brutally assaulting a cab driver in his 60s is being taken to the Seoul Central District Court, May 7. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Calls are growing for strong punishment of a man in his 20s who allegedly assaulted a taxi driver in his 60s in Gwanak District, Seoul. Police said the suspect, surnamed Park, acted out of anger against the taxi driver who expressed discontent after Park who was drunk vomited in the vehicle. The incident took place outside the taxi in the district around 10 p.m., May 5, according to Gwanak Police Station.After both of them got out of the car following an argument over Park's vomiting, Park pushed the driver to the ground and punched him in the face multiple times. He continued to assault the victim even after police officers, who received reports from witnesses, came to the site. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Park, Friday, on charges of assault and obstruction of police officers' duties. The victim suffered several broken teeth and injuries to the back of his head for which he required surgery. He is cu

May 10, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Punishment urged for brutal assault of taxi driver

Law & Crime

Cryptocurrency-related crimes on the rise

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin The number of crimes related to cryptocurrencies, such as online fraud and hacking, is on the rise amid a virtual currency boom in the country, the National Police Agency said Sunday. There were 32 cases of cybercrimes involving fraudulent cryptocurrency websites over the last three months alone, a surge from a total of 41 cases that were reported in all of 2020, according to data released by the agency and the Ministry of Science and ICT. Such fraudulent websites lure cryptocurrency users to log in mainly by sending URL addresses via text messages, and then steal their personal information if they follow the link.“The number of text messages with false URL addresses that lure people to log into fake virtual currency exchange websites has surged amid an overheating of the crypto market,” the police said through a statement, warning that access to such websites may lead to financial losses.Starting on March 1, police have beefed up monitoring on cybercrimes involving cryptocurrencies to crack down on the hacking of accounts, distribution of ma

May 10, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Cryptocurrency-related crimes on the rise

Korea urged to overhaul regulations on cryptocurrencies

Health

Police officer lodges human rights petition for 'being forced' to get vaccine

Kim Chang-yong, National Police Agency Commissioner General, receives an AstraZeneca vaccine against coronavirus at a public health center in Jongno, Seoul, April 27. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwonBy Lee Hyo-jin A police officer has lodged a petition with the nation's human rights watchdog claiming that he and his colleagues have been forced by their superiors to receive COVID-19 inoculations. Kim Gi-beom, a sergeant at Gimhae Jungbu Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province, filed the petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, April 30, against National Police Agency (NPA) Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong and head of Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency Lee Moon-soo.In the petition, Sergeant Kim accused Commissioner Kim and Lee of violating officers' human rights, privacy and right to pursue happiness stipulated in the Constitution. “Unlike their promise that each individual officer will be given a choice on whether to receive a vaccine, superiors at police agencies have virtually coerced officers into getting it,” he said during an interview wit

May 9, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Police officer lodges human rights petition for 'being forced' to get vaccine

New virus cases fall below 600 on fewer tests

Health

When will Korea introduce its own COVID-19 vaccine?

A researcher at SK Bioscience works on potential coronavirus vaccine at the company's manufacturing plant in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in this undated photo. Courtesy of SK BioscienceBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea is trying to speed up the domestic development of COVID-19 vaccines amid continuous global competition in procurement and concerns over the possible emergence of new virus variants. Even though the government has secured an abundant supply of doses ― via contracts ― from various global pharmaceutical companies, some medical experts say the country should be prepared for other zoonotic diseases in the long term.Oh Myoung-don, head of the country's central clinical committee for emerging diseases control, predicted that the coronavirus could become endemic, like influenza, which requires an annual vaccination program. “We will have to live with the virus. Even if we eradicate COVID-19, the world may encounter COVID-21 or COVID-22 as similar zoonotic diseases originating from animals could reoccur in the future,” Oh said during a press conference organized by the Na

May 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

When will Korea introduce its own COVID-19 vaccine?

Health

Concerns mounting over surge in COVID-19 variants

Quarantine officials guide entrants from overseas at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Concerns are mounting over a recent surge in cases of COVID-19 variants. This surge poses a risk that possibly more transmissible mutated viruses may become the dominant strains in some regions.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country reported 97 more cases involving new variants as of Tuesday, bringing the total caseload to 632 since the country confirmed its first mutated virus cases from Britain last December. Among the new infections were 75 local transmissions and 22 cases from overseas.Of the total 632 cases, the vast majority, 551, were of the British variant, 71 cases were of the South African variant, and another 10 were of the Brazilian variant. In addition, the health authorities believe that another 867 infections are epidemiologically linked to the new virus strains, although they have not been screened through genome sequencing, meaning that at least 1,499 infections are estimated to involve the variant

May 5, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Concerns mounting over surge in COVID-19 variants

Society

Celebrating Children's Day

People watch an aerobatic display performed by the Korean Air Force's Black Eagles from outside the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday, to celebrate Children's Day. Yonhap

May 5, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Health

Vaccination hits snag due to supply and demand imbalance

Seats are empty at a public vaccination center in Gwangju, Monday, following the health authorities' earlier decision to halt temporarily giving first shots of the Pfizer anti-COVID-19 vaccine in order to carry out inoculations for those scheduled for second shots. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government's vaccination plan is hitting a snag due to an imbalance between supply and demand, adding uncertainty to its goal of fully vaccinating 12 million people in the first half of the year. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), around 3.39 million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine as of Sunday, among which 236,468 have been fully vaccinated with two.But rising demand for second shots of the two-dose regimen vaccines is causing a supply-demand imbalance, leading to the temporary suspension of initial shots. The health authorities announced Friday that they would stop giving first shots of the Pfizer vaccine until mid-May, in order to inoculate those scheduled for their second doses. Accordingly, the KDCA requested local governments to refrain fr

May 3, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Vaccination hits snag due to supply and demand imbalance

COVID-19 herd immunity looks increasingly unlikely: experts

Health

Appointments for 1st shot of Pfizer vaccines temporarily suspended

Elderly people aged over 75 wait to receive their first shot of the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer at a vaccination center in Songpa District, Seoul, April 1. Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin The health authorities will temporarily halt giving first shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in May to more effectively carry out inoculation for those scheduled for second shots. Currently, the two-dose regimen vaccine is being administered to Korean over the age of 75 ― eligible recipients are advised to make appointments at their district offices and visit a vaccination center. Those who have received a first shot should schedule the second one for three weeks later.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Friday, it has issued an order to each district office to refrain from making new appointments for the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine from May, following a request from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Other local governments including Busan, Incheon, Daejeon and Ulsan have followed suit. Following concerns whether the decision is due to vaccine shortage, th

Apr 30, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Lee Hyo-jin

Read more

1 in 4 COVID-19 patients infected with virus variants

Human rights commissions in Asia Pacific condemn military coup in Myanmar

Punishment urged for brutal assault of taxi driver

Cryptocurrency-related crimes on the rise

Police officer lodges human rights petition for 'being forced' to get vaccine

When will Korea introduce its own COVID-19 vaccine?

Concerns mounting over surge in COVID-19 variants

Celebrating Children's Day

Vaccination hits snag due to supply and demand imbalance

Appointments for 1st shot of Pfizer vaccines temporarily suspended

Top 5 stories