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Panmunjeom tours suspended again amid virus resurgence

A medical worker in a booth takes a nasal sample from a man during a COVID-19 testing at its testing site in Seoul, Thursday. AP-YonhapTours to the truce village of Panmunjeom have been suspended again due to coronavirus concerns, the unification ministry said Friday, shortly after health authorities here decided to impose the toughest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area.The ministry made the announcement to suspend the program starting Friday after South Korea saw the highest-ever daily COVID-19 cases since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. Authorities raised virus curbs to Level 4 in Seoul and the neighboring Gyeonggi Province and Incheon on Monday for two weeks."Our ministry has temporarily suspended the Panmunjeom tours starting from July 9 in accordance with the Level 4 rules in the greater Seoul area," the ministry said."The measure was taken considering the safety of the people as the top priority and in close consultation with the relevant authorities," it added.The ministry said it will resume the tours when the COVID-19 restrictions ease.Tours to Panmunjeom were tem

Jul 9, 2021
Panmunjeom tours suspended again amid virus resurgence

Travel industry and restaurants worry about toughest social distancing rules

Gimpo International Airport's departure lounge is quieter than usual, Friday. The government announced a decision to place the Seoul metropolitan area under the toughest social distancing rules of Level 4 amid concerns over a fourth wave of new COVID-19 outbreaks. Yonhap By Jun Ji-hyeHotel, food service, airline and tourism industries' expectation toward a business recovery in the latter half of the year is turning into disappointment, following the government's decision to apply the toughest, Level 4, social distancing rule in the Seoul metropolitan area, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, amid an explosive increase in COVID-19 infections in the area.The industries had expressed hopes that their businesses would improve in the third quarter, provided that the country's vaccination rate picks up speed, combined with expectations of the government easing social distancing rules. However, the government changed its position on Friday and announced its decis

Jul 9, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Travel industry and restaurants worry about toughest social distancing rules

Concerns growing over large music concert this weekend in Cheongju

Some 10,000 people are expected gather for the “Mr. Trot” concert scheduled for this weekend in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, raising concerns over the possible spread of COVID-19 infections. Captured from Showplay websiteBy Jun Ji-hyeConcerns are being raised over a large music event scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, as some 10,000 people are expected to gather there amid growing concerns over another wave of COVID-19 infections.According to Cheongju city, six trot singers who were featured in TV Chosun's smash hit audition show, “Mr. Trot,” including winner Lim Young-woong, will take the stage for concerts that will be held four times over two days in the city. Each concert is expected to draw around 2,500 people. The concert was planned as North Chungcheong Province is currently under the lowest, Level 1, social distancing measure.But new daily COVID-19 infections have recently surged in the Seoul metropolitan area, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, with health officials applying the toughest soci

Jul 9, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Concerns growing over large music concert this weekend in Cheongju

Korea imposes toughest social distancing measures in capital area

A platform at Sindorim station in Seoul is crowded with commuters during the morning rush hour, Friday. Yonhap'4th wave will be harder to curb than previous ones' By Lee Hyo-jin The government has imposed its toughest level of social distancing measures in Seoul and its surrounding areas starting Monday to tackle a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the port city of Incheon to the west will be placed under Level 4 distancing, the highest in the new distancing system, from Monday until July 25, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday. Medical experts said the stringent quarantine regulations may prevent the number of daily infections from expanding further.But at the same time, they believe the current wave of infections will be trickier to contain than previous surges, citing several factors such as the presence of the Delta variant, and increased travel during the summer vacation season.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,316 new cases for Thursday, including 1,236 local transmissions, raising the t

Jul 9, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea imposes toughest social distancing measures in capital area

COVID-19 cases break record for 2nd day, wider Seoul under semi-lockdown

People wait to get tested for COVID-19 at a testing center in Gangnam District, Seoul, July 9. YonhapSouth Korea on Friday reported the highest-ever daily COVID-19 cases since the outbreak of the pandemic, as health authorities decided to impose the toughest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area, the hotbed for the recent spike in virus infections, in an effort to bring the fourth wave of the outbreak under control. The country recorded 1,316 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,236 local infections, raising the total caseload to 164,028, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.It marked the highest number since the nation reported its first confirmed infection on Jan. 20 last year. Also, it was the first time that the nation's daily infections rose above 1,200 for the third straight day. Friday's figure compares with 711 on Monday, 746 on Tuesday, 1,212 on Wednesday and 1,275 on Thursday.The country added two more COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 2,036.Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the government will raise virus curbs to the toughest level in Seoul and

Jul 9, 2021
COVID-19 cases break record for 2nd day, wider Seoul under semi-lockdown

Korea to impose toughest Level 4 distancing scheme in greater Seoul area amid virus resurgence

Social distancing signs are seen on benches at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, July 9. YonhapSouth Korea announced Friday it will place the greater Seoul area under the toughest social distancing rules of Level 4 as concerns of a fourth wave of new COVID-19 outbreaks over the summer grow stronger.The decision to implement Level 4 guidelines in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capital, Monday for two weeks was reached in an interagency COVID-19 response meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.Under Level 4 rules, gatherings of more than two people will be banned after 6 p.m. Demonstrations will also be restricted, although the government will allow one-person protests. Weddings and funerals can only be joined by relatives. Entertainment establishments, including night clubs, will be ordered to shut down, while restaurants will be allowed to have dine-in customers until 10 p.m.The government also decided to suspend incentive programs, such as outdoor no-mask rules and exclusion from headcounts in private gatherings, for those who have receive

Jul 9, 2021
Korea to impose toughest Level 4 distancing scheme in greater Seoul area amid virus resurgence

S. Korea to announce new virus curbs for greater Seoul area on Friday

Travelers queue in lines at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, Thursday, when the country reported 1,275 new COVID-19 cases to set a new daily record. YonhapKorea's health authorities said Thursday they will announce new social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area soon, amid expectations that the capital area may be placed under the highest level in the four-tier system.Korea reported 1,275 new COVID-19 cases on the day, setting a new daily record.The government will announce a readjusted level of social distancing Friday after a COVID-19 control meeting in the morning, officials said.Korea earlier planned to ease virus-related restrictions in July as the country gained confidence after providing at least one COVID-19 jab to around 30 percent of the population.The growing concerns over uptick in virus infections, coupled with the rising number of more transmissible delta variant cases, however, induced the country to delay its decision to lift regulations in the greater Seoul area.The capital area, home to around half of the population, is currently under Level 2, in whi

Jul 8, 2021
S. Korea to announce new virus curbs for greater Seoul area on Friday

Female janitor at SNU found dead after supervisor's alleged bullying, poor working conditions

A member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions speaks during a press conference at Seoul National University, Seoul, Wednesday, criticizing the school for workplace bullying that allegedly led to the death of a female janitor. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooThe death of a female janitor at Seoul National University has been met with allegations that she met her demise as a result of workplace bullying by her supervisor. A woman in her 50s was found dead in the staff lounge of a dormitory building at the school, June 26, but police said there was no evidence of homicide or suicide. However, a subsidiary union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions claims that a newly appointed manager, in charge of the dormitory's safety management, abused his power unduly toward janitors who were already suffering from poor working conditions.“The deceased was extremely stressed out by the workplace bullying, military-style work orders and high intensity of labor she experienced,” the union said in a press conference on the school campus, Wednesday.The union criticized the manager's un

Jul 8, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Female janitor at SNU found dead after supervisor's alleged bullying, poor working conditions

Children of foreign nationality should be included in virus support measures: rights body

By Bahk Eun-jiThe nation's human rights watchdog said Thursday that it is discrimination against preschoolers of foreign nationality to exclude them from the government's emergency anti-virus relief fund for children, and recommended that the health and welfare ministry change its related policies. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea made the recommendation in response to petitions filed by civic groups advocating for the rights of immigrants. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea / Korea Times fileIn September of last year, the government provided 200,000 won ($175) per preschool and elementary schoolchild to parents as emergency relief funds to alleviate the burden of childcare imposed by COVID-19 restrictions. The health and welfare ministry was in charge of distributing the funds for preschoolers, while the education ministry was in charge of distribution of those for schoolchildren.However, children of foreign nationality were not included on the list of fund recipients.The health ministry said that the beneficiaries of the relief funds were defined by the spec

Jul 8, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Children of foreign nationality should be included in virus support measures: rights body

Experts call for strongest quarantine measures

People stand in lines to receive a coronavirus test at a public health center in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapKorea reports record high daily caseload of 1,275By Lee Hyo-jin Medical experts called for the strongest possible antivirus distancing measures Thursday after Korea began to grapple with another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the daily caseload for Wednesday hitting a new record high since the coronavirus outbreak was first reported here, they pointed out that this unprecedented situation is a result of the government's complacent response measures, and warned that the country may see a further increase in infections unless the toughest distancing rules are imposed. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,275 new cases for the day, including 1,227 local transmissions, raising the country's aggregate total of infections to 164,028.This is the largest daily tally since the coronavirus hit the country Jan. 20 last year, and it is the first time the figure has stayed above 1,200 for two consecutive days. KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeo

Jul 8, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Experts call for strongest quarantine measures
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