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Kim Se-jeong

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.

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Health

New virus infections bounce back to triple digits

A boy gets a flu shot at a local clinic in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap By Kim Se-jeongThe Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Tuesday that 102 new COVID-19 infections were reported for Monday, a return to triple-digit cases on the day social distancing guidelines were eased and reigniting concerns that it was too early to lift the restrictions. On Monday, the social distancing guidelines were lowered to Level 1 allowing people to pursue normal daily activities.Chun Eun-mi, a pulmonologist at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, said the government had eased the social distancing restrictions prematurely. “I think there is still a danger. We have many imported cases now. When you look around in Korea, you still see sporadic cases from daycare centers, the military, family gatherings and social meetings. So, we're not at a stage to feel safe,” she said.The government defended its move saying the uptick was not a result of easing the social distancin

Oct 13, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
New virus infections bounce back to triple digits
Health

Gov't push with anti-abortion laws triggers opposition movement online

Activists cheer outside the Constitutional Court in Seoul after its ruling that the current anti-abortion laws are unconstitutional on April 11, 2019. Korea Times file By Kim Se-jeong The Korean government's current focus on abortion laws has triggered women here to launch an online movement under the hashtag #IHadAnAbortion.“I had an abortion. Because it is a crime in Korea, I never talked in public about how I dealt with my unwanted pregnancy and what I had to endure after having the abortion. Now I will do so without hesitation! #IHadAnAbortion” Lee Lang, an independent music singer-songwriter, wrote on Twitter recently in Korean. Lee-Kil Bora, a movie director, also tweeted, “I also had an abortion. It's 2020. Are you still talking about abortion as a crime? I send my support to those who have had a similar experience. #IHadAnAbortion.”Many other women also came forward on social media talking about their experiences and condemning the government's recent move.

Oct 9, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Gov't push with anti-abortion laws triggers opposition movement online
Health

Outbreaks feared to continue after Chuseok

People in Daejeon wait outside a health clinic for COVID-19 testing on Thursday. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongKorea's daily COVID-19 total was 69 on Wednesday, returning to double digits after spiking over 100 the previous day.While many people began showing relief that more mass infections following the Chuseok holiday may no longer be a worry, several medical experts, including Dr. Kim Woo-joo from Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul, said infections linked to the holiday have started and will continue.“The seed has been planted for a quiet spread of the virus during the five-day long weekend,” Kim said, adding that daily case totals will increase in the coming days. “An average incubation period for COVID-19 is five days and it will take another seven to 10 days for people to take the test and get the result.” The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Thursday confirmed new COVID-19 cases involving seven family members, including children, in Daejeon. They all traveled to a family burial site in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on Oct. 1 and met

Oct 8, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Outbreaks feared to continue after Chuseok
Entertainment

Visa denied again for Korean American singer, despite top court's decision

Korean American singer Yoo Seung-jun presents his American passport at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 2, 2002. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongThe Korean consulate general in Los Angeles turned down the latest visa application filed by Korean American singer Yoo Seung-jun ― also known as Steve Yoo ― despite the Korean top court's decision last year to grant him entry, according to Yoo's lawyers.In response, Yoo's lawyers filed an administrative suit Monday. “In reflection of the court decision, Yoon applied for a visa, but was again rejected on the basis that his change of citizenship in 2002 could compromise Korea's security and diplomacy. We view the decision is not right and filed the administrative suit to correct the injustice,” Yoo's lawyers said in a press release, Wednesday.In 2015, Yoon applied for an F-4 (ethnic Korean) visa and filed the suit after his request was rejected. Local and high courts sided with the government, stating that Yoo's return could demoralize young soldiers and encourage young people to seek ways to evade conscription. But the Supreme Court se

Oct 7, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Visa denied again for Korean American singer, despite top court's decision
Health

Free flu shots likely to resume on Oct. 12

A notice at a local health clinic in Seoul announces a halt to the government's free flu vaccination program, Sept. 22, after a storage mishap. Korea Times file By Kim Se-jeong The government said Tuesday that it is planning to resume its free flu vaccination program on Oct. 12, as vaccines refrigerated improperly during transport in September turned out to be safe. “The test results and following consultations with experts made us conclude that the vaccines in question have no safety problems,” Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “We need additional meetings, but we now have the plan to resume the free shots program on Oct. 12. We will update you when we have more details to share.”More than 5 million doses of the flu vaccine were exposed to room temperature on Sept. 21, which made the government halt the free vaccination program temporarily. The program later res

Oct 6, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Free flu shots likely to resume on Oct. 12
Society

Car accidents, domestic violence down during Chuseok holiday

Kyungbu Highway near Jamwon Interchange in Seoul is busy with cars returning home after the Chuseok holiday. Traffic on highways was not as bad as previous years as fewer people traveled for the holiday due to COVID-19. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong Car accidents and domestic violence usually increase during holidays in Korea, but this Chuseok saw both down ― possibly due to COVID-19 ― according to the National Police Agency (NPA), Sunday.The NPA released a report Sunday summarizing their activities during the Chuseok holiday from Sept. 21 to midnight Oct. 3 across the country. According to the report, a total of 898 cases of domestic violence were reported during Chuseok, down approximately 14 percent from last year. Commonly a higher number of domestic violence cases are reported during the traditional Korean holidays ― Seollal and Chuseok ― as family stress levels increase due to deeply embedded cultural expectations. An average of 331 car accidents were reported each day between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, down 28.5 percent from last year's 463 accidents. The death toll also decreased to an ave

Oct 4, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Car accidents, domestic violence down during Chuseok holiday
Health

Will mass coronavirus infections hit Korea after Chuseok holiday?

Visitors pack Seoul Forest Park, Sunday, despite government advice to stay home during the Chuseok holiday to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19. YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong With new daily COVID-19 cases mostly remaining below 100 during the Chuseok holiday, some people have begun to feel optimistic that the coronavirus pandemic may finally be under control here and another mass outbreak is less likely to occur.However, medical experts and quarantine officials say it's too early to become complacent.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 113 new COVID-19 infections, Sept. 30, the first day of the holiday, followed by 77 on Oct. 1, 63 on Oct. 2, 75 on Oct. 3 and 64 on Oct. 4. “We are genuinely concerned that the number of COVID-19 cases will grow exponentially after the holiday,” Kwon Joon-wook, a senior official responsible for the government's response to the pandemic, said Saturday. “The movement of people and how individuals respected social distancing rules during the holiday will determine how COVID-19 will play out in the future for Kor

Oct 4, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Will mass coronavirus infections hit Korea after Chuseok holiday?
Society

Things to do in Seoul during Chuseok

Trot singer Song Ga-in sings during a recording session. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Kim Se-jeongAs many are expected to stay home this Chuseok holiday due to COVID-19, the Seoul Metropolitan Government released a list of performances and activities that residents can enjoy via the city's culture channels on YouTube and Naver TV.A 60-minute joint performance by Song Ga-in, a trot singer, and Yu Taepyungyang, a traditional Korean pansori singer is one thing the city government has prepared especially for this Chuseok. Song became popular through “Miss Trot,” a Korean reality show, early this year and is one of the most popular entertainers here. Yu, 29, is a singer whose voice has earned him millions of fans across Korea. The show was recorded in advance at Seoul tourist destinations ― Donuimun Museum Village, Seoul Donhwamun Traditional Theater, Namsangol Hanok Village and sites around the old Seoul City Wall ― and will be uploaded at 7 p.m. on Oct. 2 to the channels and also be aired at 10 p.m. Oct. 3 on cable channel SBS MTV. Virtual Reality and 3D techn

Sep 29, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Things to do in Seoul during Chuseok
Health

In-car protests introduced amid pandemic

Anti-government protesters prepare to start a car-based demonstration from a parking lot in Mapo District, Seoul. Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong In response to the rising public criticism after the Aug. 15 rallies, some anti-government protesters have chosen an alternative way to make their voices heard ― while staying in their cars.On Saturday, almost 45 cars ― nine each in five groups ― cruised around Seoul bearing anti-government messages.One banner bore the slogan “Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae out.” Protesters also criticized Moon Jae-in and his government's pro-China, anti-U.S. foreign policies and acts of corruption by close aides of the President. Five groups drove on different routes ― Mapo Resevoir Parking Lot to Seocho Fire Office, Sadang Public Parking Lot to Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Dobongsan Station on lines 1 and 7 to Sinseoldong Station on lines 1, 2 and the Ui LRT, Sinseoldong Station to Wangsimni Station on lines 2, 5, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Bu

Sep 27, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
In-car protests introduced amid pandemic
Society

Plant breeder who fought starvation in Africa writes about origins of plants

Dr. Hahn Sang-kiBy Kim Se-jeongDr. Hahn Sang-ki, 87, is a world-famous plant breeder regarded for his contributing efforts to the development of agriculture in Africa. For 23 years, he worked for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) located in Abadan, Nigeria. There, he developed high-yielding disease-resistant cassava varieties, which saved many across Africa from starvation. He was  a professor of the Seoul National University before he joined the IITA in 1971. Cassava is a major spale of poor farmers in Africa, but it had very serious diseases problems with both African cassava mosaic virus and cassava bacterian blight disease that plagued the poor farmers. Hahn identified from a wild related species of cassava the sources of resistance to the two major disases of cassava. He successfully incorporated them into cultivated local cassava varieties. The improved, high yielding and disease resistant cassava varieties have been widely grown by many farmers on over 5 million hectars in West Africa particularly in Nigeria and saved many lives of poor

Sep 24, 2020By Kim Se-jeong
Plant breeder who fought starvation in Africa writes about origins of plants
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