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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

Where are we with COVID-19 treatments, vaccines?

Celltrion, a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Incheon's Songdo, unveiled to the public its potential COVID-19 antibody treatment known as CT-P59, Dec. 22. / YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin While both vaccines and treatments are needed in order to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, Korea seems to be showing faster progress in developing treatments compared to its vaccine development and procurement plans. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has approved a total of 29 clinical trials of potential COVID-19 treatments from domestic drug companies, among which 21 trials were underway as of Dec. 23. As several firms have recently announced promising results from their clinical trials, hopes are rising that the treatments may be commercialized for actual use soon, with a goal of release as early as January. Among them, Celltrion, a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Incheon's Songdo, unveiled to the public, Dec. 22, its treatment candidate known as CT-P59 (regdanvimab), a monoclonal antibody treatment, which it has been working on since May.On Nov. 25, it finished its Phase

Dec 25, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Where are we with COVID-19 treatments, vaccines?
  • Government struggling to quell outcry over late, insufficient vaccine procurement
  • South Korean stocks break 2,800 ceiling on vaccine deals
  • South Korea adds over 1,100 virus cases despite tougher distancing rules
Health

No sunrise events

Fences are installed to ban entry to Sokcho Beach in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, Thursday, as the annual New Year's Day sunrise festival there has been canceled following toughened infection control measures imposed by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The beach will be closed from Thursday to Jan. 3. / Yonhap

Dec 24, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
No sunrise events
Politics

Confirmation hearing of gender minister nominee

Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Chung Young-ai speaks during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Thursday. She pointed out many ruling bloc figures are responsible for sexually discriminative remarks and behaviors. / Yonhap

Dec 24, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Confirmation hearing of gender minister nominee
Politics

'I'm right, you're wrong' attitude prevails in 2020

The four-character Chinese idiom “asitabi” was selected as a phrase best describing Korean society this year, according to Kyosu Shinmun, a weekly journal of professors, Monday. / Courtesy of Kyosu ShinmunBy Lee Hyo-jin Korean society this year has experienced continuous unproductive debates in political and social circles, with people claiming they are right and the others are wrong, said a group of professors, Monday.The professors selected “asitabi” (我是他非), a four-character Chinese idiom meaning that means to blame others, as a phrase best describing our society in 2020, according to Kyosu Shinmun, a weekly journal. Since 2001, the journal has been choosing a phrase applicable to the situation of the country at the end of each year.Asitabi was chosen by 32 percent of 906 professors nationwide in a survey conducted from Dec. 7 to 14. Unlike many other traditional four-character Chinese expressions, “asitabi” has a parallel Korean four-character idiom. It has become popular as a Chinese-character version of “naeronambul,” a Korean phra

Dec 21, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
'I'm right, you're wrong' attitude prevails in 2020
Politics

Law proposed to deport foreign nationals for false virus test results

People wait in line at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport on Aug. 14. / YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jinLaws may be revised to enable the deportation of foreign nationals accused of submitting false PCR test results, an entry requirement for travelers from certain countries, in a bid to effectively prevent and control imported COVID-19 cases.Independent lawmaker Lee Yong-ho said Sunday that he and 10 other lawmakers have proposed a revision bill to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, which will enable the deportation of foreigners who have violated immigration or quarantine laws.Following the quarantine measures implemented by the health authorities in July, foreign arrivals from countries designated by the government as high-risk countries must submit certificates proving they have tested negative for COVID-19 on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Currently, six countries ― Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan ― are on the list. The certificates must be issued by medical institutions designated by the countries Korean e

Dec 21, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Law proposed to deport foreign nationals for false virus test results
  • South Korea to close ski slopes, tourist sites in virus fight
Politics

Gender Ministry hit for recognizing Uniqlo as family-friendly company

A civic group member holds a rally in front of a Uniqlo store in Jongno District, Seoul on Oct. 24, 2019./ YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has come under fire for recognizing the domestic operator of Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo as a family-friendly company despite controversies over the brand, including its ad accused of mocking victims of wartime sexual slavery. FRL Korea, the operator of Uniqlo here, was included in the list of “Family-friendly firms in 2020” which the ministry disclosed Saturday. Since 2008, the government has been issuing certifications every year to companies taking a lead in supporting employees' work-family balance by creating flexible working environments. A total of 4,340 firms were selected this year.The certification not only enhances the corporate image, but the selected firms can also receive 220 types of benefits and incentives such as extra support through government programs and preferential treatment in immigration procedures. However, the gender ministry's decision to include the Japanese brand in th

Dec 20, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Gender Ministry hit for recognizing Uniqlo as family-friendly company
Global Community

Migrant women call for 'equal pay for equal work'

Female migrant workers and local activists demand the government provide better working conditions for migrant women at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) in central Seoul, Nov. 17. / Courtesy of Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea80 percent of female migrants experience disadvantages in workplace By Lee Hyo-jin Hundreds of female migrant workers employed at government-run facilities are suffering discrimination and unfair treatment, according to a recent survey by Hope Center with Migrant Workers, a civic group based in Seoul. The survey results were revealed on Wednesday at a discussion session held by the Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea ahead of International Migrants Day which falls on Dec. 18. About 80 percent of the 403 respondents working as interpreters, counselors and bilingual tutors stated that they have experienced discrimination such as unequal payment, limited promotion opportunities and unrecognized work experience. “I've been working as an interpreter at a multicultural family support center for 13 years, during which I hav

Dec 17, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Migrant women call for 'equal pay for equal work'
Global Community

College student bridges Korean, Vietnamese cultures

Jeon Hyung-jun poses in a radio booth at Voice of Vietnam (VOV) World, a Vietnamese public broadcaster, where he used to work as a radio producer in 2019. / Courtesy of Jeon Hyung-junBy Lee Hyo-jin Jeon Hyung-jun, 26, has helped more than 2,000 Vietnamese expatriates in Korea over the past seven years by offering free interpretation services using his bilingual skills. The undergraduate student at Sogang University majoring in Global Korean Studies serves as a volunteer at BBB Korea, a consulting service for foreigners in the country. Jeon is on the hotline 24/7 to provide interpretation services in various situations: at police stations, hospitals, banks, COVID-19 testing sites and so on. “Being an interpreter is not only about delivering words, but sometimes I become the mediator bridging two cultures by helping them understand their cultural differences,” Jeon told The Korea Times. He recalled a recent incident in which he had helped out an international married couple going through conflicts due to language differences. He helped them to understand each other through

Dec 17, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
College student bridges Korean, Vietnamese cultures
Health

Tourists on Jeju Island drop 55 percent amid 3rd wave of infections

The terminal at Jeju International Airport is crowded with tourists in this file photo taken before the coronavirus outbreak. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin The number of tourists visiting Jeju Island dropped to 19,511 ― including 86 foreign nationals ― Dec. 15, a 55 percent fall from Nov. 15, amid the third wave of COVID-19 infections sweeping the country, according to the Jeju Tourism Association, Wednesday.Although the tourism sector in Jeju Island had been showing signs of recovery, recording over one million tourists in October, the sharp decline is attributable to a surge of infections in the metropolitan area as well as the growing number of confirmed cases on Jeju Island. The island, which used to be the only part of the country with confirmed cases in the double digits, has recently seen the number surpass 100. Recent cases are related to groups of tourists from Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province and infections from local churches and welfare centers, according to the health authorities. To this end, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has announced plans to raise the socia

Dec 17, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Tourists on Jeju Island drop 55 percent amid 3rd wave of infections
  • Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic
  • Korea struggling to cope with increasing COVID-19 deaths
Global Community

Korea to ease re-entry rules for migrant workers

Migrant workers stage a rally calling for better working conditions in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, in this December 2018 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea will ease qualifications for re-entry permits for migrant workers to improve their employment conditions, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Tuesday.The ministry said the revision to the Act on Employment of Foreign Workers was approved in a Cabinet meeting.Under the current laws, migrant workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) enter Korea with a contract that initially allows them to work for up to three years, after which they can extend the period by one year and 10 months if their employer agrees. “Diligent workers” who have maintained stable employment without changing their workplace during their four years and 10 months in Korea could be granted another chance to re-enter the country after a three month period. The revised bills will shorten the period to one month, in order to minimize the workforce vacuum due to the absence of foreign employees. Also, migrant workers who cha

Dec 15, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea to ease re-entry rules for migrant workers
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