The Korea Times

Sex exploitation case conspirator has face disclosed

Kang Hun, a conspirator in the highly publicized Telegram chatroom sexual exploitation ring, has his face disclosed to the public in front of the Jongno Police Station in Seoul, Friday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongAn 18-year-old boy, Kang Hun, a conspirator of the highly publicized Telegram sex exploitation ring, had his face made public, Friday, as was the case for his conspirator, Cho Ju-bin, who was indicted earlier this week. Kang allegedly helped Cho ― who called himself “Baksa,” meaning a doctorate degree holder in Korean ― operate the chatroom in which sexually explicit and abusive videos were consumed via a subscription service. He allegedly attracted new clients to the chatroom, collected entrance fees ― the payments were made with cryptocurrency ― converted them into cash and handed the money over to Cho.“I am sorry. Sincerely, I send my sincere apologies,” Kang said in front of Jongno Police Station in Seoul surrounded by camera flashes, Friday. He stood handcuffed, looking down to avoid eye contact. He refused to answer questions from journalists and was

Apr 17, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Sex exploitation case conspirator has face disclosed

Health

Gov't vows support for vaccine and therapy developers

President Moon Jae-in attends a meeting on COVID-19 treatment and vaccine development at the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong The government promised Tuesday to give comprehensive support to local companies developing vaccines or drugs to combat COVID-19 to help them become among the first to produce a treatment for the novel coronavirus.It said drugs for treatment and vaccines would be available as early as next year.“Developing treatments and vaccines is a challenge we must overcome in order to stay safe from COVID-19,” said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official in charge of quarantine efforts against the pandemic, during a press conference. Yoon said the National Institute of Health and local pharmaceutical company, Celltrion, were working on an antiviral medicine for coronavirus patients. “They are aiming to start clinical trials for an antiviral drug sometime this year, and if that happens, the medicine could be on the market as early as next year,” he said. “When it comes to plasma the

Apr 14, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Gov't vows support for vaccine and therapy developers

Korean pharma, biotech in race for COVID-19 treatment

Health

S. Korea mulls easing social-distancing rules

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun attends a daily government meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, Monday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongThe government will discuss easing social-distancing rules later this week as COVID-19 infections have shown signs of decreasing, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 25 new infections Sunday, pushing the total number of cases to 10,537, with 217 deaths. Chung also said the administration would replace any easing of the social-distancing campaign with an enhanced personal hygiene program.He cautioned, however, that the government will take a cautious attitude toward relaxing rules because it could give mixed messages to citizens, and reiterated Korea was not immune to a second wave of COVID-19 infections.“We shouldn't forget things are still far from being normal and shouldn't lower our guard completely. It could cost us a lot. That's why the government is very cautious about easing social distancing regulations.”The enhanced personal hygiene guidelines include skipping w

Apr 13, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

S. Korea mulls easing social-distancing rules

Health

Many churches open to celebrate Easter

A church member gets his temperature checked at the entrance of a church located in Daegu on Easter Sunday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongMany protestant churches in Korea opened to hold Easter services, the most important holiday for Christians who celebrate the story of the resurrection of Christ, on Sunday, despite ongoing government warnings against gatherings.Sarang Cheil Church in Seongbuk-gu in Seoul has continued to hold worship gatherings every weekend despite the warnings. Last month, the city government ordered a shutdown of the church. City officials were outside the church, trying to stop the gathering, but the church members blocked their access. The city assessed almost 1,200 people attended the Easter service.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sarang Cheil Church was one of more than 2,000 protestant churches that were open on the Easter weekend ― there are almost 6,400 registered protestant churches in the jurisdiction. No figure was available for other cities. In March, the central government banned any type of gathering and violators can now be punished with fines of u

Apr 12, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Health

Korea set to deport more quarantine rule violators

Incheon International Airport's departure lounge is empty after new regulations to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic reduced international travel. The government will suspend a visa-waiver program from April 13 to further limit the number of arrivals./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong The Ministry of Justice said Thursday that three Vietnamese nationals will be deported for violating self-quarantine rules, the second deportation in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.More cases could follow after the government pledged to take stern measures against foreigners who violate the restrictions. “No exceptions will be made,” the ministry said. On Wednesday, an Indonesian national was deported for the same reason. According to the North Jeolla Province Government, three students from Vietnam left their home in Gunsan last Friday and spent five hours at a nearby park. All left their cellphones behind in their rooms. Their action was discovered during a phone conversation with the quarantine authorities.The government's deportation warning comes as the number of new coronavirus ca

Apr 9, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Korea set to deport more quarantine rule violators

Health

Noryangjin cram schools no exception to coronavirus pandemic

A shutdown notice is posted at the door of a hagwon in Noryangjin, Seoul, Wednesday, where a new confirmed case was reported./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong A busy district of Noryangjin, Seoul, filled with cram schools was empty Thursday after a case of COVID-19 was reported at one of them. The Seoul Metropolitan Government ordered the closure of the affected school and the 65 people the patient came into contact with into self-quarantine. Among these 50 had tested negative as of Thursday morning.The case involved a cram school student in his 20s who had symptoms Sunday and attended classes Monday before being confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus Tuesday.The city shut down three other cram schools last month after cases of infection occurred at them. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to a voluntary shutdown of cram schools in the city. Despite the city's recommendations, the schools, also known as hagwons, remain open.According to the Seoul Education Office, as of Wednesday, only 3,763 cram schools in its jurisdiction had closed, or 14.9 percent. In the affluent dist

Apr 9, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Noryangjin cram schools no exception to coronavirus pandemic

Society

COVID-19 blues? Look into Seoul's therapeutic gardening programs

Seoul Agricultural Technology Center Director Cho Sang-tae poses in the center's strawberry garden. The center will offer therapeutic gardening programs that would help those suffering depression brought on by COVID-19. / Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeongBy Kim Se-jeong For those practicing social distancing, working from home, or having an extended school vacation, the joys of remaining at home are starting to wear thin.People are beginning to miss spending afternoons with friends at coffee shops or the cinema, or walking or running along the Han River banks, enjoying the breeze or the flowering cherry blossoms.Malls, supermarkets and parks packed with people over the past two weekends were just one sign of how desperate people have become to get out and get some fresh air. But, “COVID-19 depression” is likely to continue, as the government last weekend extended its social distancing campaign until later this month. In addition to this, some are dealing with added stress related to the financial fallout of COVID-19 among other issues from the disease itself. The Seoul Ag

Apr 8, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Health

Confusion continues over online classes

Teachers at Yongsan Technical High School in Seoul film a lecture on Wednesday which will be watched by students from Thursday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong Teachers, parents and students were still unsure about what to expect from upcoming online classes, Wednesday, a day before the start of the unprecedented online-only spring semester for high school students and middle school seniors.Last week, the Ministry of Education said schools from elementary to high school will open Thursday but lectures should be offered virtually in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, plunging teachers, students and parents into panic.Following high school students and middle school seniors, freshmen and sophomores and fourth to sixth graders in elementary schools will begin their online lectures on April 16, followed by first to third graders in elementary schools on April 20. “I am not sure how things will play out. I haven't done a test lecture with students yet,” said a teacher from Daegu who teaches Korean language to senior high school students. “I made a 50-minute class for my

Apr 8, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Health

Seoul orders shutdown of all bars, clubs

By Kim Se-jeong Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon ordered the shutdown of all room salons, clubs, bars and discos across the city until April 19, Wednesday, after a coronavirus infection was reported at a room salon in the affluent Gangnam district.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon speaks during a press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak on March 13 in Seoul./ YonhapPreviously, the city government recommended the shutdown to all 2,146 such outlets, but 422 were still up and running. The government has the authority to shut down businesses in times of national crisis.“New cases from a room salon in Gangnam is worrisome. Patients from the bar jeopardize public health for the entire city of Seoul and their inconsiderate behavior needs to be stopped,” Park said. “I understand people are getting tired of social distancing. But we can't afford to let our guards down.”The growing number of infections in Seoul is worrying the city government. So far, 578 cases have been reported in the city. On Tuesday alone, Seoul added 11 new cases.Infectious disease experts warned against la

Apr 8, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Seoul orders shutdown of all bars, clubs

Health

Gov't debates electronic tagging devices for people in self-quarantine

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, right, speaks during a daily meeting on COVID-19 in Sejong city, Tuesday. The government said it's considering introducing electronic tagging wristbands for people under self-quarantine. /YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong The government said Tuesday it was debating whether to force those undergoing two weeks of self-quarantine to wear electronic tagging wristbands as more people have been caught defying the regulation designed to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.The debate has raised some concerns over whether it would constitute an unconstitutional invasion of privacy despite its efficacy. There are also apparently some technical problems. The issue of electronic tagging to monitor people under self-quarantine arose after some defied the government imposed restriction and left the facilities they were self-isolating in.Police across the country have identified 75 self-quarantine regulation violators, as of Tuesday. Among them were a couple in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province who, after intentionally leaving their phones at home, visited an art museum, shops,

Apr 7, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Kim Se-jeong

Read more

Sex exploitation case conspirator has face disclosed

Gov't vows support for vaccine and therapy developers

S. Korea mulls easing social-distancing rules

Many churches open to celebrate Easter

Korea set to deport more quarantine rule violators

Noryangjin cram schools no exception to coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 blues? Look into Seoul's therapeutic gardening programs

Confusion continues over online classes

Seoul orders shutdown of all bars, clubs

Gov't debates electronic tagging devices for people in self-quarantine

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