South Korea - The Korea Times

Military reports 1,592 more COVID-19 cases

This photo taken on July 20 shows a laboratory technician working at a COVID-19 testing facility in Dingxi, in China's northwestern Gansu province. AFP-YonhapSouth Korea's military reported 1,592 additional COVID-19 cases Friday, raising the total caseload among its service members to 195,434, the defense ministry said.The new cases included 1,149 from the Army, 168 from the Air Force, 122 from the Navy, 77 from the Marine Corps and 71 from units under the direct control of the ministry.There were also three cases from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, one from the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and one from the ministry. Currently, 8,045 military personnel are under treatment. (Yonhap)

Jul 22, 2022

Military reports 1,592 more COVID-19 cases

A closer look inside Korea's vaccine training center

Trainees participate in a hands-on session of a vaccine bio-manufacturing course organized by the Asia Development Bank and the E-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund (EAKPF) at Yonsei University International Campus, located in Songdo, Incheon, July 21. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin Trainees from developing countries invited for 8-week vaccine manufacturing courseBy Lee Hyo-jin Songdo, INCHEON ― The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a local manufacturing infrastructure for medical equipment and vaccines moving forward, and scientists have raised concerns about the increasing threat of new zoonotic diseases emerging amid continuing climate change and urbanization. In particular, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that did not have timely access to vaccines, have realized that they must develop their own local manufacturing capacity in order to ensure sustainable and predictable supplies of vaccines, not only for th

Jul 22, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

A closer look inside Korea's vaccine training center

Court rules against tattooing by unlicensed practitioners

Tattoo artist Kim Do-yoon, left, and his attorney Kwak Yae-ram speak during a press conference in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul's Jongno District, Thursday. The banner set up by Kim's tattoo union next to him reads, “Tattoos are a form of drawing art” in Korean. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rinBy Lee Hae-rinThe Constitutional Court upheld its previous ruling against tattooing by practitioners who do not hold a medical degree. On Thursday, the top court ruled against a tattooist who claimed tattooing is a form of art, not a medical practice, and thus tattooists can perform their trade without having to go through medical school. During a press conference in front of the court in Seoul, tattoo artist Kim Do-yoon and his lawyer said the court reaffirmed its previous 5-to-4 ruling against tattooing by artists rather than just medical practitioners. The court called tattooing “an act of medical service” and claimed allowing non-licensed practitioners could endanger people's health.Kim took the case to the Constitutional Court after the Seoul Northern D

Jul 21, 2022By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul city to increase COVID-19 testing centers, operating hours amid virus resurgence

A medical staffer receives citizens visiting the public health center of Seoul's Gangnam District for COVID-19 testing, Thursday. YonhapThe Seoul city government plans to set up more COVID-19 testing centers and expand their operating hours in response to a new wave of virus resurgence, officials said Thursday.According to the city's virus resurgence response plans, a temporary COVID-19 testing center will be set up in each of the city's 25 administrative districts starting Friday.The operating hours of the existing testing centers at public health centers and designated hospitals will be extended to run until 6 p.m. on weekdays while new temporary testing centers will run until 9 p.m. They will also take turns to open on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in order to expand COVID-19 testing on weekends, officials said.The city plans to set up more temporary testing centers if the current virus upsurge worsens further, according to the officials.South Korea's new daily coronavirus cases stayed above 70,000 for the third straight day Thursday, up sharply from 38,196 cases a week earli

Jul 21, 2022

Seoul city to increase COVID-19 testing centers, operating hours amid virus resurgence

New infections above 70,000 for 3rd day as subvariant spreads

Outbound travelers wait in line at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport in Incheon, west of Seoul, July 20, amid the spread of an Omicron subvariant. YonhapKorea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 70,000 for the third straight day Thursday due to the spread of a highly contagious Omicron subvariant. The country reported 71,170 new COVID-19 infections, including 320 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 19,009,080, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The daily caseload more than doubled to 73,582 on Tuesday from 26,299 a day earlier and rose to 76,402 on Wednesday. Health authorities reported 17 deaths from the virus Thursday, putting the death toll at 24,794. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent.The number of critically ill patients was 107, up from the previous day's 96.The Omicron suvariant BA.5 has spread fast since end-June with the start of the summer holiday season. The daily count hit over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time in about three weeks before jumping to over 20,000 on July 9 and then above 40,000 on July 13. The subvariant

Jul 21, 2022

New infections above 70,000 for 3rd day as subvariant spreads

Korea steps up COVID-19 measures amid surging sixth wave

A medical worker sprays disinfectant at a COVID-19 screening center in Songpa district, Seoul, Wednesday. NewsisDaily cases expected to reach 300,000 in mid-AugustBy Lee Hyo-jin The government decided Wednesday to secure an additional 4,000 hospital beds, as well as increase the number of testing centers and the distribution of self-testing kits amid the resurgence of new COVID-19 infections caused by the fast-spreading BA.5 Omicron subvariant.Some health experts, however, are urging the government to reintroduce social distancing measures at least to some extent before the infections spiral out of control. The country reported 76,402 new infections for Tuesday, including 429 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,937,971, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The number of critical cases stood at 96, with 12 new COVID-19-related fatalities.The authorities predicted that the current wave will reach its peak between mid-August and the end of that month, during which the country may see up to 300,000 new infections per day.Alarmed by the increas

Jul 20, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea steps up COVID-19 measures amid surging sixth wave

New COVID-19 cases stay above 70,000

Staffs disinfect the department store in Daegu, July 19, as a highly contagious Omicron subvariant spreads fast amid eased virus curbs. YonhapKorea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 70,000 for the second straight day Wednesday as a highly contagious Omicron subvariant is spreading fast amid eased virus curbs. The country reported 76,402 new COVID-19 infections, including 429 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,937,971, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.On Tuesday, the daily caseload more than doubled to 73,582 from 26,299 a day earlier. Daily infections stood at 41,310 on Saturday and 40,342 on Sunday. The Omicron subvariant BA.5 has spread fast since end-June with the start of the summer holiday season. The daily count hit over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time in about three weeks before jumping to over 20,000 on July 9 and then above 40,000 on July 13. The KDCA reported 12 deaths from the virus Wednesday, putting the death toll at 24,777. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent. (Yonhap)

Jul 20, 2022

Study finds correlation between pandemic-induced socio-economic difficulties and suicide

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin One in five people who died by suicide since 2020 had suffered exacerbated socio-economic difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a government report, Tuesday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare disclosed the results of psychological autopsies compiled between 2015 and 2021 through joint research conducted with the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention.Psychological autopsy refers to a series of analyses conducted to look into the deceased's mental state before death. It involves interviews with families, friends and others who had contact with the person before his or her death, as well as medical reports and the police investigation.Of the 132 suicide cases reported since January 2020, 29 deaths ― or 22 percent ― were found to be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.The study found that these 29 people ― 19 men and 10 women ― had already been suffering from difficulties such as unstable employment status, difficult relationships or mental health issues before the onset of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 outbreak significantly wors

Jul 20, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Study finds correlation between pandemic-induced socio-economic difficulties and suicide

Gov't reduces financial support for COVID-19 patients amid explosive spike in cases

Officials at Songpa District Office in Seoul look at a screen showing 73,582 daily COVID-19 cases reported on Monday, the highest figure in 83 days. Joint Press CorpsDaily infections surge to over 73,000By Lee Hyo-jin The government's recent decision to reduce financial support for COVID-19 patients has drawn criticism from civic groups and medical experts, who expressed concerns that many cases could go undetected as people skip getting tested.As Korea continues to grapple with a new wave of infections led by the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, the country reported 73,582 new infections for Monday, the highest figure in 83 days, raising the aggregate total to 18,861,593. The number of critical patients stood at 91, with 12 new COVID-19-related deaths, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).With the recent introduction of the BA.2.75, also known as “Centaurus,” a new Omicron strain more contagious than its predecessors, health experts anticipate daily infections could reach 100,000 as early as next week.The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said

Jul 19, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Gov't reduces financial support for COVID-19 patients amid explosive spike in cases

Yoon calls for care for seriously ill COVID-19 patients

Medical workers check equipment at a COVID-19-only hospital in Seoul, Dec. 27, 2021. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol instructed officials Tuesday to pay special attention to seriously ill COVID-19 patients amid a resurgence of the virus across the country.More than 73,000 new cases were reported Tuesday as the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 continues to spread, more than double the 26,299 reported a day earlier."COVID-19 is at a crossroads of a resurgence," Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting. "We must go all-out to take care of people's lives and health with priority on managing serious cases, while placing importance not on people's sacrifice and compulsion but on freedom and responsibility."Yoon said his administration's basic philosophy has been to prevent and treat COVID-19 through science-based measures designed by experts.The president appeared to be distancing himself from the blanket COVID-19 business restrictions imposed under the previous government."I ask related agencies to do their best to secure enough hospital beds and treatments," he said. "I also ask that th

Jul 19, 2022

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