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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

Korea's COVID-19 vaccination timeline faces uncertainties

Special school teachers receive their first shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine at a vaccination site in Gwangju, Monday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin As Korea's COVID-19 vaccination timeline is facing multiple uncertainties, the country may not be able to reach its goal of achieving herd immunity by November considering the low inoculation rate so far.According to data collected by the University of Oxford-based Our World in Data, during the 45 days since the Feb.26 nationwide vaccination rollout, 2.26 percent of the population had been given at least one shot of the vaccine as of April 11.The data show that other countries had vaccinated a larger percentage of their populations during the first 45 days of their COVID-19 inoculation programs. Israel, which began public vaccinations Dec. 19, marked a rate of 37.57 percent, Feb. 25, the 45th day since it started vaccinating people. The inoculation rate in the United Kingdom, the first country to begin vaccinations, stood at 7.93 percent Jan. 21; while The Maldives and Serbia recorded 39.93 percent and 13.59 percent, respectively, on their 45th d

Apr 13, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea's COVID-19 vaccination timeline faces uncertainties
  • New Seoul mayor's proposed COVID-19 'self-testing kit' stirs controversy
Health

Concerns rise over Seoul mayor's proposed social distancing scheme

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a COVID-19 response briefing held at Seoul City Hall, Monday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Concern is rising over new Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's plan for the capital to impose its own social distancing measures. Although he said he would consult with the central government, health officials worry that his unilateral steps may weaken the antivirus measures set by the central government.Oh, who took office, April 8, following a by-election, vowed to come up with new COVID-19 measures for the capital area ― focused on minimizing the economic damage to the self-employed ― after criticizing the current central government's ban on the operation of entertainment facilities for taking a toll on small business owners.The health authorities recently decided to extend social distancing Level 2 across Seoul and its surrounding areas until May 2, and banned the operation of entertainment facilities such as clubs and bars with dance floors. Eateries, cafes, karaoke rooms, and gyms are allowed to stay open until 10 p.m., but the authorities warned that the operating hours

Apr 12, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Concerns rise over Seoul mayor's proposed social distancing scheme
  • Korea reaffirms no link between COVID-19 vaccinations and deaths
Health

Korea to resume AstraZeneca injections except on people under 30

A medical staff at a public health center in Yangcheon District, Seoul, extracts AstraZeneca vaccine from a vial to a syringe, March 18. YonhapJitters linger over safety of AstraZeneca vaccineBy Lee Hyo-jin The government decided Sunday to resume AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccinations except for people aged under 30, as public concern continues over the safety of the drug. The resumption comes four days after the government suspended inoculations for certain groups of people citing safety issues.Due to concerns over potential blood-clotting side effects, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on people aged under 60, Wednesday, and temporarily called off plans to begin inoculations for school teachers and school nurses that were scheduled to begin Thursday.But the agency announced the resumption of injections based on experts' opinions and a thorough review of the latest report from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which found possible links between the vaccine and very rare cases of blood clots.The KDCA stated that among the th

Apr 11, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea to resume AstraZeneca injections except on people under 30
Health

Signs show Korea has entered 4th wave of infections

People stand in line at a makeshift coronavirus testing site in front of Seoul Station, Thursday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea may be at the beginning of a fourth big wave of COVID-19 infections, according to health experts, with the daily caseload reaching its highest level in three months amid sporadic cluster infections across the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country reported 700 daily new cases for Wednesday, the highest level in 91 days, bringing the total caseload to 107,598. Among the new cases were 674 local infections and 26 cases from overseas.Medical experts who viewed that Korea has already entered its fourth wave of infections expressed concerns that the daily caseload could cross into the thousands unless the government introduces tighter social distancing measures, considering deepened public fatigue from the year-long pandemic and increased outdoor activities in the warming weather. Jacob Lee, an infectious disease specialist at Hallym University Medical Center, wrote on Facebook, “Experts have been warning of a

Apr 8, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Signs show Korea has entered 4th wave of infections
  • EU, UK regulators find possible link between AstraZeneca and rare blood clots
  • Korea to resume AstraZeneca jabs amid lingering safety woes
  • Korea to extend current social distancing measures: PM
Politics

Foreign residents want better support and equity from new Seoul mayor

Foreign residents participate in a mock poll at a multicultural family support center in Busan, April 16, 2018, ahead of the nationwide local elections, which were held on June 13, 2018. Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin Foreign residents in Seoul, including eligible immigrant voters of the mayoral by-election, shared various expectations from the new mayor on making the capital a more foreigner-friendly city. As foreign nationals who have been in the country for over three years after obtaining permanent residency are given the right to vote in local elections, 38,126 foreign residents in Seoul were eligible to cast their votes in the election, according to the National Election Committee (NEC). “The amount of the city budget allocated to programs supporting foreigners has declined in the past three years so I hope to see that decline arrested by the new mayor,” said Paul Carver from the United Kingdom, 44, who works here as an accountant. He was the head of the Seoul Global Center, an organization established to support foreign residents in the capital, between 2016 and 20

Apr 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Foreign residents want better support and equity from new Seoul mayor
  • Conservatives win landslide victory in Seoul, Busan by-elections
Health

COVID-19 vaccine side effects: What to expect and when to see a doctor

An elderly woman goes through a preliminary medical examination with a doctor ahead of her COVID-19 vaccination at a vaccination center in Busan, April 1. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Nearly one million people in Korea have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of April 5, and the government is preparing to largely expand inoculations to the general public in the second quarter.As wider vaccinations are expected to prompt more questions on side effects, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) recently announced a set of guidelines on what symptoms to expect after the injection, how to reduce potential side effects, and in which specific situations people should seek further medical attention.The latest guidelines are aimed at helping people receive appropriate medical treatment in cases of severe reactions to vaccination, while unnecessary visits to emergency rooms.According to the KDCA, it is normal to experience swelling and pain in the injection site after inoculation. People are advised to apply a clean cloth on the area and ice if experiencing heat-like di

Apr 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
COVID-19 vaccine side effects: What to expect and when to see a doctor
Health

Calls grow for toughened punishment against animal abusers

This photo shows four homeless dogs that were rescued by the Korean Animal Welfare Association in Chagwon, South Gyeongsang Province, in February. Courtesy of Korean Animal Welfare AssociationBy Lee Hyo-jin On March 7, a dog was spotted tied to the rear of an SUV vehicle driving at 80 kilometers per hour on a road in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. The dog was hanging unconscious with its feet severely damaged. The Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) filed a police report against the driver and owner of the dog, a man in his 60s, for animal cruelty resulting in its death, March 24. During the police investigation, the man reportedly said he had no intentions to kill the dog, claiming he had “tied the dog to the truck to make it exercise, and then picked up speed because he had forgotten about it.” The incident immediately prompted an uproar among internet users calling for heavy punishment, but in many cases in Korea, animal abusers get off leniently compared with the level of the violence of their crimes. According to the Ministry of Justice, among 3,398 animal a

Apr 5, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Calls grow for toughened punishment against animal abusers
Health

Korea considers introducing COVID-19 self-testing kit

This photo shows an at-home coronavirus testing kit developed by Lucira Health, which won the first approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Nov. 17, 2020. Captured from Lucira Health websiteBy Lee Hyo-jin The government is considering allowing people to use self-testing kits for COVID-19 as a measure to largely increase testing capacity amid rising sporadic infections. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) held a meeting with quarantine experts, Friday, to thoroughly discuss possible use of self-diagnostic kits.“Discussions will be held on the necessity, legitimacy and accessibility of the kits as well as monitoring the situations of other countries where the devices are being used. We will find ways to strengthen our quarantine capacity by using all the tools and means available to this date,” KDCA official Kwon Jun-wook said at a briefing, Thursday. But he added that the meeting did not imply that the country would immediately introduce at-home testing kits allowing citizens to take samples by themselves and get the result

Apr 2, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea considers introducing COVID-19 self-testing kit
  • Over 70% of Koreans willing to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots: poll
  • Non-regular workers hit harder by COVID-19, poll shows
Politics

Foreign residents left on sidelines in mayoral by-elections

Foreign residents participate in a mock poll at Seoul Station organized by an election office in Seoul in this May 31, 2018 photo, ahead of the nationwide local elections which were held three days later. Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin Eligible immigrant voters in the upcoming Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections who are not fluent in Korean are being sidelined due to the absence of translated information on the candidates and voting procedures. Following the revision to the Public Official Election Act in August 2005, foreign nationals who had stayed in the country for over three years after obtaining permanent residency were given the right to vote in local elections. The upcoming Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections set for April 7 will be the fifth time they will be able to exercise their voting rights.However, the National Election Commission (NEC) and the local governments in Seoul and Busan are not providing information on the candidates and their pledges as well as voting procedures in multiple languages, although they have done so in past local elections. Their main excuse i

Apr 1, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Foreign residents left on sidelines in mayoral by-elections
Health

Will Korea introduce Russian, Chinese COVID-19 vaccines?

Vials of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine are placed in this illustration picture, March 24. Reuters-YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The government may need to consider introducing Russian or Chinese COVID-19 vaccines amid lingering production uncertainties, as many countries worldwide are competing to secure the products that are in limited supply. Although vaccines from Russia and China were not included in the nation's initial procurement plan, the health authorities have been considering them as alternative options in the case of continued unstable vaccine shipments.Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong stated in February that Russia's Sputnik V was being considered as an alternative option, saying, “We will continue to review the need for additional vaccines due to uncertainties about new variants or supply issues.”TASS news agency reported Tuesday, citing the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Korea, that the Korean government was reviewing the registration of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, with all the necessary documents already ha

Mar 31, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Will Korea introduce Russian, Chinese COVID-19 vaccines?
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