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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 3rd day; toughest curbs still under review

A medical worker wearing protective gear takes sample from a woman during a COVID-19 testing at coronavirus testing site in Seoul, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. APSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the third day Friday on continued cluster infections nationwide and increased tests, but health authorities remain cautious about adopting the toughest virus restrictions due to the far-reaching economic impact.The country added 1,062 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,036 local infections, raising the total caseload to 47,515, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for the third consecutive day. The country reported record high daily virus cases of 1,078 on Wednesday, and the figure slightly fell to 1,014 the previous day.The resurgence of new virus cases has been putting pressure on local authorities to raise the country's virus response measures to the highest level, but they are still reluctant to do so, as the strongest virus curbs, the highest under the five-tier s

Dec 18, 2020
Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 3rd day; toughest curbs still under review
  • Gov't to make 'bold' decision on social distancing restrictions if necessary: PM

Korea confirms 2 more highly pathogenic bird flu cases at poultry farms

Health officials check duck farms in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 17. / YonhapSouth Korea on Thursday confirmed two more cases of highly pathogenic bird flu at poultry farms, raising the total to 18.The avian influenza (AI) was found in samples collected from a chicken farm in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, and a duck farm in Gochang, some 300 kilometers southwest of the capital, according to the government.Authorities have culled poultry within a 3-km radius of the infected farms in a precautionary move. Poultry farms within a 10-km radius were put under a 30-day standstill, with AI tests mandatory.After reporting this year's first farm-related bird flu case in late November, the country has culled some 5.5 million birds, including 3.5 million chickens. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.The country reported this year's first highly pathogenic avian influenza case from wild birds in late October, followed by a series of other cases confirmed from wild bird habitats across the country. (Yonhap)

Dec 17, 2020
Korea confirms 2 more highly pathogenic bird flu cases at poultry farms

Healthcare in post-COVID era

American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea) Chairman James Kim speaks during the 11th AMCHAM Healthcare Innovation Seminar at the Millennium Hilton Seoul, Thursday. Representatives from the U.S. and Korean governments as well as industry and academia participated in the seminar, which highlighted the importance of collaboration and open innovation in the healthcare industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Courtesy of AMCHAM Korea

Dec 17, 2020By Nam Hyun-woo
Healthcare in post-COVID era

Korea struggling to cope with increasing COVID-19 deaths

Workers install shipping container medical rooms at Seoul Medical Center in Seoul, Thursday, as part of measures to secure more hospital beds amid the third wave of COVID-19 infections here. / YonhapCountry's daily virus cases top 1,000 for 2nd dayBy Jun Ji-hyeKorea is suffering from a rising number of deaths related to COVID-19 with the country being hit by the third wave of infections for almost a month. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Thursday, the nation added 22 COVID-19-related deaths, Wednesday, raising the death toll to 634 with a fatality rate of 1.36 percent. This was another new daily high since the country reported its first case in January, and a sharp increase from 12 deaths reported Tuesday.The KDCA noted that the number of critically ill patients has been also increasing amid a continuous surge in infections, noting that patients in a serious condition rose by 16 to 242, which may lead to more deaths in the near future.As the country's response system for controlling virus infections and treating patients is reaching its limits ami

Dec 17, 2020
Korea struggling to cope with increasing COVID-19 deaths
  • Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic
  • Tourists on Jeju Island drop 55 percent amid 3rd wave of infections

Gov't implements online prior notification system for undocumented immigrants

By Bahk Eun-jiUndocumented immigrants who want to leave the country voluntarily can now use an online system to give prior notification to immigration authorities, following government measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Justice, Thursday. Undocumented immigrants staying illegally in the country wait to report their voluntary departure to an immigration office at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, March 6. YonhapPrior to October 2019, undocumented immigrants could leave the country voluntarily after reporting to immigration on the day of departure, as long as they were not under a travel ban. The regulation was then expanded to allow notification three to 15 days prior to departure. Under the latest changes, undocumented immigrants can make an online advance report by registering their personal information, scheduled departure date, airport and flight number on HiKorea.go.kr, and print out a copy of the report. However, documents such as coronavirus tests showing negative results required by their home countries or airlines before departur

Dec 17, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Gov't implements online prior notification system for undocumented immigrants

Samsung Biologics names John Rim as new chief

By Nam Hyun-wooSamsung Biologics CEO John Rim / Courtesy of Samsung BiologicsSamsung Biologics has appointed John Rim as its new president and CEO, embracing the second-generation leadership of its contract drug manufacturing business. Samsung Biologics held a board meeting on Wednesday and appointed the Korean American as its new head. The appointment was made effective immediately. “In the next 10 years, we will become world's No. 1 player in the business of contract manufacturing, developing and researching,” Rim said in a statement to employees. “In the long term, we will become a global biopharmaceutical firm whose domain covers all parts of the biologic industry.” Rim served as an executive vice president of Samsung Biologics for the past three years, and was a key figure in driving the company's recent growth. Since joining the company, he has been in charge of running the company's Plant 3 in Incheon, which currently has the world's largest biologic drug manufacturing capacity at a single site.Before joining Samsung Biologics, Rim worked for Genentech/

Dec 17, 2020By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Biologics names John Rim as new chief

South Korea inching closer to toughest virus curbs, as daily virus tally tops 1,000 for 2nd day

Morning commuters crowd a Gwanghwamun subway station platform in Seoul's Jongno District, Thursday. The posters on a pillar urge to wear facial masks and do cautionary measures to minimize the COVID-19 risks. YonhapSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases surpassed the 1,000 mark Thursday for the second day in a row as an alarming increase in cluster infections across the country continued, prompting health authorities to seriously consider adopting the toughest virus curbs.The country added 1,014 more COVID-19 cases, including 993 local infections, raising the total caseload to 46,453, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The KDCA said the country reported another daily high of 22 COVID-19 deaths, sharply up from 13 a day earlier, raising the total caseload to 634, indicating that the rising number of seriously ill virus patients may lead to more deaths down the road.Thursday's daily caseload is slightly down from a daily record high of 1,078 on Wednesday.After falling to 718 on Monday due to fewer tests carried out over the weekend, infections reboun

Dec 17, 2020
South Korea inching closer to toughest virus curbs, as daily virus tally tops 1,000 for 2nd day
  • Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic

Tourists on Jeju Island drop 55 percent amid 3rd wave of infections

The terminal at Jeju International Airport is crowded with tourists in this file photo taken before the coronavirus outbreak. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin The number of tourists visiting Jeju Island dropped to 19,511 ― including 86 foreign nationals ― Dec. 15, a 55 percent fall from Nov. 15, amid the third wave of COVID-19 infections sweeping the country, according to the Jeju Tourism Association, Wednesday.Although the tourism sector in Jeju Island had been showing signs of recovery, recording over one million tourists in October, the sharp decline is attributable to a surge of infections in the metropolitan area as well as the growing number of confirmed cases on Jeju Island. The island, which used to be the only part of the country with confirmed cases in the double digits, has recently seen the number surpass 100. Recent cases are related to groups of tourists from Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province and infections from local churches and welfare centers, according to the health authorities. To this end, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has announced plans to raise the socia

Dec 17, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Tourists on Jeju Island drop 55 percent amid 3rd wave of infections
  • Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic
  • Korea struggling to cope with increasing COVID-19 deaths

Calls growing for raising social distancing scheme to Level 3

A ski resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, is nearly empty, Wednesday, following confirmation of COVID-19 infections among park-time workers and tourists there. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeAn increasing number of small business owners, parents and health experts here are calling on the government to raise it five-tier social distancing measures to the highest ― Level 3 ― as the current Level 2.5, imposed Dec. 8, has appeared to fail to slow the spread of COVID-19 cases amid the third wave of infections.Small business owners said they have suffered serious financial difficulties this year due to the prolonged pandemic and distancing measures, but want the toughest measures imposed now so that they can normalize their operations next year.“I have suffered deficits every month. Now I think it would be better for the government to implement the toughest antivirus measures for about a month until new daily COVID-19 cases fall to a controllable level so I can see a normalization of my business,” a cafe owner in Seoul's Jungnang District said.For their part, parents are raising con

Dec 16, 2020By Jun Ji-hye
Calls growing for raising social distancing scheme to Level 3
  • 21 Vietnamese students in Boryeong test positive for COVID-19
  • Small group interactions most common COVID-19 infection route
  • Foreigner under probe over disobeying quarantine order
  • Korea lagging on vaccination plan

Korea lagging on vaccination plan

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks during a press briefing on the government's plan to secure COVID-19 vaccines at the government complex in Seoul, Dec. 8. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea seems to be lagging behind other nations not only in the development of a vaccine for COVID-19 but also in the procurement of a sufficient number of vaccine doses from abroad, experts said Wednesday. As the country faces the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of the virus is rapidly increasing, the experts stated that both the procurement and development of COVID-19 vaccines should be accelerated.Following the first COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom on Dec, 8, the United States and Canada have also begun vaccinating people, but Korea has yet to map out a specific plan to provide the same protection for people living here.Early this month, the health ministry announced a plan to secure vaccines for a total of 44 million people ― 10 million through COVAX Facilities, an international project for the joint purchase and distribution of vaccines, and supplies for another 34 million p

Dec 16, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea lagging on vaccination plan
  • Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic
  • Calls growing for raising social distancing scheme to Level 3
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