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Residents expressing anxiety over policy shift to 'Living with COVID-19'

People wait in long lines to go through COVID-19 testing at a temporary testing center in Seoul's Songpa District, Thursday. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeAn increasing number of residents here are expressing anxiety over the government's policy shift to the “Living with COVID-19” scheme, as the country's new coronavirus cases have stayed above 2,400 for the second consecutive day.The policy shift, which took effect Monday, is aimed at achieving a “return to normalcy” through a gradual phasing out of many coronavirus-related restrictions. The government has already eased key social distancing measures from that day, lifting the limitations on operating hours for restaurants, cafes and movie theaters.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Thursday, the country added 2,482 new COVID-19 cases for Wednesday, including 2,457 local ones, raising the total caseload to 373,120.The latest daily caseload figure, which went up by 371 from a week ago, came after Tuesday's daily caseload figure of 2,667 marked the fourth-largest number since the country

Nov 4, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Residents expressing anxiety over policy shift to 'Living with COVID-19'

Gym owners file damage suit against 'unfair' COVID-19 restrictions

Members of the Korea Indoor Sport Facilities Association hold a protest against the government's "unfair" COVID-19 measures near the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's office in Seoul, Nov. 3. YonhapHundreds of gym operators collectively sued the government for damages Thursday, claiming anti-COVID-19 business restrictions caused heavy losses to private indoor sports facilities and violated their rights to property and equality.About 350 gym operators and employees joined hands to file the suit with the Seoul Central District Court, demanding the government pay some 3.4 billion won ($2.88 million) in compensation for the financial losses they suffered due to state-ordered business restrictions.Holding a press conference before the legal action, associations of gym operators, including the Korea Indoor Sport Facilities Association (KIFA), said they were left to shoulder the burden of rent and labor costs on their own while their businesses were ordered to close or cut down on operating hours due to the pandemic. Some members of the Korea Indoor Sport Facilities Association cry during

Nov 4, 2021
Gym owners file damage suit against 'unfair' COVID-19 restrictions

New infections over 2,400 for 2nd day amid eased COVID-19 curbs

A visitor wears plastic gloves to help curb the spread of the coronavirus as they wait in a line for the tests at a temporary screening clinic for coronavirus in Seoul, Nov. 2. AP-YonhapSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 2,400 for the second consecutive day Thursday as the country relaxed its virus restrictions nationwide in line with its "Living with COVID-19" scheme.The country reported 2,482 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 373,120, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. New cases slipped a bit from the previous day's 2,667, which marked the fourth largest ever and the first time since Sept. 30 that daily infection cases exceeded 2,500.The health authorities warned virus cases could continue to trend upward again, especially after the Halloween weekend when once-empty popular nightlife districts became bustling and busy again with young people.The seven-day average from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4 was 2,101.7, the first time since Oct. 8 that the tally surpassed 2,000.The KDCA said 75.9 percent of the country's 52 million population are f

Nov 4, 2021
New infections over 2,400 for 2nd day amid eased COVID-19 curbs

Father donates organs from brain dead 5-year-old daughter to save children

Jeon So-yul / Courtesy of Korea Organ Donation AgencyBy Bahk Eun-jiThe organs of a five-year-old girl who was declared brain dead following an accident, were donated to save other sick children. The Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) said Wednesday that the father of the girl who was named Jeon So-yul consented to the donation of his daughter's heart and both kidneys to three children at Seoul National University Hospital, Oct. 28, upon confirmation of her death.The young girl was partially drowned at a public bathhouse attached to a children's cafe in 2019, which left her on life support with minimal brain function and being fed via a naso-gastric tube.Ahead of surgery to connect a tube directly to her stomach, Oct. 19 the girl suffered a cardiac arrest was later determined to be brain dead. Her father then consented to donate her organs.According to the KODA, the girl's mother died six months ago after treatment for lung cancer ― which she was diagnosed with in 2018 ― failed. So-yul's father, who had been caring for both of his two critically ill family members, was reportedly unab

Nov 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Father donates organs from brain dead 5-year-old daughter to save children

'Quarter of COVID-19 patients are teenagers'

Students at a high school in Gwangju wait in long lines to undergo COVID-19 testing at the school's playground, Tuesday, following the confirmation of a virus infection there. YonhapVirus infections to continue to surge amid eased distancing rulesBy Jun Ji-hyeThe health and education authorities are on high alert following a surge in COVID-19 infections among teenagers. The spike comes as the education ministry plans to resume in-person classes later this month in line with the government's “Living with COVID-19” plan. The authorities expect new daily infection numbers to increase for the time being, following the Halloween weekend that drew huge crowds to bars and clubs, and the government's phased return to normal that considerably eased social distancing restrictions from Monday.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Wednesday, the country added 2,667 new infections Tuesday, a sharp increase from 1,589 reported the previous day. It is also the fourth-largest number since the country reported its first COVID-19 case in January last year.&ld

Nov 3, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
'Quarter of COVID-19 patients are teenagers'

Obsessive fans are happier: study

gettyimagesbankBy Yoon Ja-youngObsessive fans of K-pop and those who hold a deep interest in another particular area tend to be happier than others, according to a recent study.In a study introduced by the Korea Food Forum, a team led by professor Park Hyun-ju of the College of Nursing at Kangwon National University analyzed the mental health of college students. The research team categorized college students into two groups: “otaku” and “non-otaku.” “Otaku” is a Japanese term for those who are obsessively interested in certain things. A closely related term in Korea is “deokhu” and the activities of such people are called “deokjil.” These people study or collect anything related with their obsession, which could be anything including celebrities, comics, animations, figurines, science fiction and games. Such people previously faced negative prejudices and were seen as lacking social skills, but those perceptions have changed in recent years as they became actively engaged in online communication and offline gatherings such

Nov 3, 2021By Yoon Ja-young
Obsessive fans are happier: study

New infections spike to over 2,600 amid 'Living with COVID-19'

A medical worker wearing protective gears prepares to take a sample at a temporary screening clinic for coronavirus in Seoul, Nov. 2. AP-YonhapSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked to over 2,600 on Wednesday, two days after the country began its "Living with COVID-19" scheme as part of a broader plan to gradually lift the virus restrictions.The country reported 2,667 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 370,640, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Wednesday's tally marked a sharp hike from 1,589 reported a day earlier.It marks the first time since Sept. 30 that the daily new cases exceeded 2,500.The health authorities warned there would be more cluster infections following the Halloween weekend, with daily new cases continuing to spike. The authorities said more than 70 percent of new COVID-19 patients have not been vaccinated, with 24 percent of them in their teens.Of the total, 2,640 were local infections, the KDCA said. Twenty-seven cases came from overseas, putting the cumulative total at 15,151.Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul ha

Nov 3, 2021
New infections spike to over 2,600 amid 'Living with COVID-19'

Debates rise over discrimination against unvaccinated

A person receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot at a clinic in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiPeople are showing mixed reactions to stories about jobseekers who claimed that companies refused to hire them because they were unvaccinated against COVID-19 and had no plans to get inoculation.Some denounced the companies for discriminating against the unvaccinated, while others said they understand the companies would want to reduce the possibility of infection spreading among workers.A person wrote on an online community of jobseekers, Oct. 29, that his employment was canceled because he was not inoculated.“I passed the interview yesterday and was supposed to start work next Monday. A company official called to ask if I had been vaccinated, so I answered I haven't and I don't intend to get one due to fear of possible side effects. Then the official told me it is regrettable but I cannot take the job,” the person wrote.“If this is the company's rule, they should have told me about it in advance when I had the interview. I even turned down a job offer from another company.

Nov 2, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Debates rise over discrimination against unvaccinated

Rights groups call for release of Moroccan man at immigration detention center

Members of migrants' rights groups hold a press conference in front of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea office in Seoul, Sept. 29, denouncing the human rights violations at Hwaseong Immigration Detention Center in Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwonBy Lee Hyo-jin Migrants' rights groups here are calling for the immediate release of a Moroccan man held in an immigration detention center, whose human rights have been violated due to excessive use of force by officers.The Ministry of Justice announced, Monday, the results of its investigation confirming the occurrence of human rights violations at Hwaseong Immigration Detention Center in Gyeonggi Province between March 23 and Sept. 1.Earlier in September, the Moroccan man in his 30s filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, claiming that he has been subject to inhumane treatment since he was sent to the center in March. Following physical conflicts with officers, the man was tied up and left in solitary confinement multiple times. Surveillance footage of the cell showed him lying

Nov 2, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Rights groups call for release of Moroccan man at immigration detention center
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