The Korea Times

Gov’t calls for COVID vaccinations amid spike in cases in neighboring countries

Health authorities in Korea are calling for older adults to receive COVID-19 vaccines as a resurgent wave spreads across neighboring countries. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Friday that the risk of spread here should not be dismissed, despite no such signs observed so far here. Between May 11 and 17, 100 patients were admitted to hospitals after contracting the virus, a decrease from 146 the previous week, officials said. In the past four weeks, there has been no drastic change in the number of patients, they added. But given a recent surge in cases in Singapore, China and other Asian countries, the public should take precautions by wearing masks, washing hands frequently and getting vaccinated for COVID-19, the agency said. “To prevent domestic transmission and outbreaks, it’s important to take precautions such as washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough and wearing a mask in crowds,” agency chief Jee Young-mee said. “In particular, high-risk groups such as the elderly, those with weak immune systems and patients staying in medical facilit

May 24, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Gov’t calls for COVID vaccinations amid spike in cases in neighboring countries

Politics

PPP sends mixed messages on early voting amid fraud conspiracy theories

When Kim Moon-soo accepted the conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) nomination for president in his speech at the party's national convention on May 3, he vowed to abolish the early-voting system, which some extreme conservatives believe can be used for vote rigging. Despite previously promoting conspiracy theories about early voting, Kim on Sunday urged his supporters to participate in the early-voting process after visiting the birthplace of former first lady Yuk Young-soo, the assassinated wife of former President Park Chung-hee, in North Chungcheong Province. "Our party pledges to mobilize all available resources to thoroughly monitor and oversee early voting," Kim said, adding that he, too, will cast his ballot during the early voting period. Kim was expected to face a dilemma over early voting, as many of his conservative supporters remain wary of the system due to lingering election fraud conspiracy theories. Avoiding or downplaying early voting could have fueled doubts about his position on election integrity, while actively promoting it risked alienating his core base. In th

May 23, 2025By Jung Min-ho and Jung Da-hyun

PPP sends mixed messages on early voting amid fraud conspiracy theories

Health

Incheon reports over 1,200 drug-resistant infection cases

Incheon has reported over 1,200 confirmed cases of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections this year, fueling growing concerns over bacteria that have developed resistance to certain antibiotics, officials said Thursday. The increasing prevalence of CRE, a group of germs that are difficult to treat, highlights an ongoing public health challenge as medical professionals grapple with dwindling options for effective treatment. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Government, the number of CRE cases rose to 1,233 over the first months of 2025 at a rapid pace. By the year’s end, the figure is expected to hit far above the city’s previous record of 3,649 in 2024, officials said. These bacteria are resistant to the carbapenem class of antibiotics, considered the most reliable last-resort treatment for bacterial infections. For this reason, CRE infections can be highly risky and even fatal. Left untreated, they can lead to complications like pneumonia and bloodstream infections. To curb this worrying trend, city officials are now developing a new system in collaboration wit

May 23, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Incheon reports over 1,200 drug-resistant infection cases

Global Community

Reform Party candidate criticized over dual wage proposal

A powerful labor group and human rights activists for migrant workers are criticizing Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok over his campaign pledge to introduce a separate minimum wage system for noncitizens. Lee, the former leader of the People Power Party, advocates for a tiered minimum wage for foreign migrant workers, suggesting pay could vary by origin country or skill set. He argues this would ease burdens on small businesses and alleviate labor shortages. His proposal faces strong opposition from human rights groups, who condemn it as discriminatory and a violation of international labor standards. During a press conference Thursday at the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which has more than 1 million members, its representatives called the idea “unconstitutional” and urged the presidential hopeful to respect their human rights. “This election should be about ending the politics of discrimination and hate and moving toward a society where the rights of all workers are respected. But instead, we’re moving backward,” the organization s

May 23, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Reform Party candidate criticized over dual wage proposal

Reform Party candidate pledges separate minimum wage system for foreign workers

Global Community

Immigration raids spark rural labor crisis

When presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung visited Changnyeong, a small county with some 55,000 residents in South Gyeongsang Province on May 10, representatives of its farmers used the opportunity to convey their single most urgent request: Stop the ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrant workers. On April 14, five government ministries and agencies launched a crackdown on undocumented foreign workers ― a campaign that is set to continue through June 29. Criminals and those who threaten the livelihood of citizens are among the main targets, according to immigration officials. But for many citizens, especially farmers in rural regions, the effects are not what was hoped for. “Many farmers here say their livelihood is now under threat because they can no longer find workers after the beginning of the crackdown,” said Sung Bo-kyung, head of an emergency committee formed in Changnyeong over the issue. “It is a very serious problem. If farmers fail to remove garlic scapes between around April 10 to May 10, their crops for this year will be ruined.” This localized crisis in Changn

May 21, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Immigration raids spark rural labor crisis

Politics

Presidential candidates embrace Seoul mayor’s vision for social mobility initiatives

Conservative presidential hopefuls are increasingly aligning themselves with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's signature welfare initiatives, framing them as a potential blueprint for enhancing social mobility across Korea. This alignment underscores a potential conservative pivot toward addressing inequality, suggesting that even staunch fiscal conservatives see a political imperative in tackling Korea's social mobility challenges. At Monday’s forum reviewing the city government’s Stepping Stone Income and Seoul Learn programs, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party praised their success and pledged to expand them into national initiatives if elected. “These are not created by scholars. They are proven, verified policies that work,” Kim said at Seoul City Hall. “There are many underprivileged people in rural areas across Korea … I will spread these programs nationwide.” The Stepping Stone Income program, known as "didimdol" in Korean, is an experimental policy that supplements the income of low-income households earning less than 85 percent of the median income. A key feature of the

May 19, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Presidential candidates embrace Seoul mayor’s vision for social mobility initiatives

Politics

Impact of ex-president’s departure from PPP will be limited: experts

Can conservative Kim Moon-soo build a united front before the June 3 presidential election and rally enough support to overcome Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)? In an effort to boost Kim's struggling campaign, former President Yoon Suk Yeol officially left the People Power Party (PPP) on Saturday. His severing ties with the party is seen as an attempt to rally conservative voters behind Kim in what is shaping up to be a tough race. So far, however, the move has fallen short of rallying sufficient support from reform-minded members within the party — a critical faction needed to mount a viable challenge against Lee Jae-myung of the DPK. “Although I am leaving the party, I will continue to stand at the forefront to defend freedom and national sovereignty,” Yoon said in a social media post. “Please give your support to Kim Moon-soo. Make sure to cast your vote. Your vote is needed for a path toward safeguarding this country’s freedom, sovereignty and prosperity.” Yet the impact of his announcement on the race will likely be limite

May 18, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Impact of ex-president’s departure from PPP will be limited: experts

Global Community

E-9 visa holders allowed to work as restaurant servers, parcel sorters

E-9 visa holders in Korea are now permitted to serve customers at restaurants and sort parcels at fulfillment centers, as the government relaxes restrictions on the types of work they can do — roles that were previously reserved mostly for citizens. The Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, which is responsible for shaping major policies for foreign workers, decided on Thursday to allow holders of E-9 or non-professional employment visas to work as restaurant servers and parcel sorters at logistics firms, to address rising labor shortages. This means more than 300,000 foreign workers who have come here under the Employment Permit System on E-9 visas can now help fill that labor shortage. Previously, restaurant owners were only allowed to hire E-9 visa holders as kitchen assistants. At logistics companies, foreign workers could load and unload parcels, but were not permitted to sort them. These restrictions remained in place due to concerns among many Koreans about losing jobs to foreign labor. “But in reality, employees serve food and do kitchen work whenever necessary, especially in s

May 15, 2025By Jung Min-ho

E-9 visa holders allowed to work as restaurant servers, parcel sorters

Sports

Figure skating star supported by Seoul City’s new sports program

Figure skating star Cha Jun-hwan, 24, has joined the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s new figure skating team as its first member, officials said on Wednesday. Cha, who won the gold medal in the men’s singles event at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, which will provide him with stable support for training ahead of next year’s Winter Olympics in Italy. The city government launched the figure skating team as part of its broader effort to nurture young athletes and support competitors in less-publicized sports. It currently runs 26 teams with a total of 189 athletes, including fencers, sprinters and women's soccer players. At this year’s Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Seoul's athletes won two gold medals and three silver medals, helping Korea finish as the overall runner-up behind China. “I am so honored and excited to be the first athlete to join the figure skating team of the city government in Seoul. The fact that it is the first such Korean team established for figure skaters makes it even more meaningful,” Cha said at a joini

May 15, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Figure skating star supported by Seoul City’s new sports program

Law & Crime

2 pro-Yoon rioters jailed for vandalizing court

Two men have been imprisoned for vandalizing court facilities in protest against the decision to issue an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this year. Judge Kim Jin-sung at the Seoul Western District Court, where the Jan. 19 attack took place, on Wednesday sentenced a 35-year-old man, surnamed Kim, to 18 months in prison, and another man, surnamed So, to one year, on charges of trespassing and damaging public property. Kim and So were among dozens of protesters who stormed the building that day, smashing windows and damaging cars parked in the compound, all while searching for the judge, Cha Eun-kyung, who had made the decision. The violence followed the approval of Yoon's formal arrest, after he was impeached by the National Assembly and was being investigated on charges of insurrection related to his declaration of martial law the previous month. Investigators later found that Kim had damaged one of the court building’s walls using bricks and had trespassed despite warnings and attempts by police to stop him. So was also found to have used pieces of broken til

May 14, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Jung Min-ho

Read more

Gov’t calls for COVID vaccinations amid spike in cases in neighboring countries

PPP sends mixed messages on early voting amid fraud conspiracy theories

Incheon reports over 1,200 drug-resistant infection cases

Reform Party candidate criticized over dual wage proposal

Immigration raids spark rural labor crisis

Presidential candidates embrace Seoul mayor’s vision for social mobility initiatives

Impact of ex-president’s departure from PPP will be limited: experts

E-9 visa holders allowed to work as restaurant servers, parcel sorters

Figure skating star supported by Seoul City’s new sports program

2 pro-Yoon rioters jailed for vandalizing court

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