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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.

Population mobility falls 9.4% in March amid pandemic

Vehicles travel in a traffic jam during rush hour, amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Seoul, April 27, 2020. ReutersThe number of South Koreans who changed residences to a different region fell in March, data showed Tuesday, amid the coronavirus pandemic that led to strict social distancing guidelines.The number of people who changed their residences declined 9.4 percent last month from a year earlier to 766,000, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.Compared with a month earlier, however, the number climbed 19.4 percent, the data showed. The population mobility rate ― the number of those changing residences for every 100 people ― fell 1.5 percentage points to 17.6.The government's stricter regulations on mortgage loans, an effort to reduce household debt, also affected population mobility.After four weeks of strict social distancing and aggressive testing, South Korea appears to have brought the disease under control, with the nation reporting about 10 or fewer daily new infections for the eighth consecutive day. South Korea eased some restrictions in the soc

Apr 28, 2020
Population mobility falls 9.4% in March amid pandemic
  • With lax social distancing in store, virus curve flattens for days

With lax social distancing in store, virus curve flattens for days

A couple wearing face masks enjoy the view of the sunset, amid the spread of COVID-19, in Seoul, April 27, 2020. ReutersSouth Korea reported fewer than 15 cases of the new coronavirus for the 10th day in a row Tuesday, with the upcoming holidays set to be crucial in whether the country can go ahead with a lax social distancing drive next week.The country reported 14 new virus cases, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,752, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).Health authorities, however, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is still "persisting" in the country amid the rising number of imported cases and concerns over cluster infections.Of the newly added cases announced Tuesday, 12 were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,056. The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 244.The fatality rate came to 2.27 percent, with victims aged 80 and above accounting for more than half of the reported deaths.No deaths were reported among those aged 29 and below, though the age group accounted for a third of confirmed

Apr 28, 2020
With lax social distancing in store, virus curve flattens for days
  • Population mobility falls 9.4% in March amid pandemic

Global COVID-19 cases surpass 3 million

A woman wears personal protective equipment as she speaks on her phone beside a mural depicting a skull and clock, Monday, April 27, 2020, in the Bushwick neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York. APThe number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide soared past three million on Monday as several European nations and a handful of US states began taking steps to reopen their shuttered economies.But as schools and shops reopened in some parts of Europe, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson emerged after his own battle with the virus to call for patience in the UK, saying it was too early to follow suit. Around the world the pandemic has killed more than 209,000 people and infected more than three million, with the highest death toll ― over 55,000 ― in the United States, according to an AFP tally.Well over half of all deaths are in Europe, with the toll hitting 126,233 on the continent Monday.With some of Europe's worst-hit nations reporting drops in daily death counts, governments are exploring how to relax confinement orders exacting their own damaging economic and psychologic

Apr 28, 2020
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 3 million

Chong Kun Dang's anthelmintic eradicates parasites

Chong Kun Dang's anthelmintic drug, called Zelcom / Courtesy of Chong Kun DangBy Jun Ji-hyeCases of parasitic worm infections have been increasing in Korea despite higher living standards and growing awareness of the importance of sanitation in modern society.This is partially attributed to diversified food ingredients and people's changing living habits, which have resulted in more diverse paths for parasites to enter the human body.Health experts have cited foods such as raw fish and organic vegetables, and the presence of pets in the home as possible causes of parasitic worm infections, advising people to take anthelmintic drugs regularly to prevent the worms from spreading to others.Chong Kun Dang, one of Korea's major pharmaceutical companies, said its anthelmintic drug, called Zelcom, helps eradicate parasitic worms for the whole family at once. Zelcom, the anthelmintic drug flubendazole, rids the body of roundworms, pinworms, whipworms, hookworms and mixed infections, according to the company. The drug kills the parasites and they decompose in the intestines, allowing them to

Apr 27, 2020
Chong Kun Dang's anthelmintic eradicates parasites

Self-quarantine violators fitted with location-tracking bracelet

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip, left, holds an electronic bracelet equipped with a location-tracking system before a regular meeting on the coronavirus at the government complex in Sejong, April 24. /YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiPeople who broke self-quarantine rules began wearing electronic bracelets, Monday, as the government steps up measures against those who could possibly spread the coronavirus, according to Korea's top infectious disease official. The number of violators reached 286.The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters introduced the controversial plan on April 11 because the number of cases of people breaching self-quarantine has raised public concerns.An electronic bracelet to be worn by violators of self-quarantine rules to prevent further spread of COVID-19, starting Monday /Yonhap“Violators will be given two options ― either wearing the bracelets or being sent to state-designated quarantine facilities ― in order to avoid the controversies over human rights,” said Park Jong-hyun, an official of the Ministry of Health and Welfare during a regul

Apr 27, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Self-quarantine violators fitted with location-tracking bracelet

PM urges Jeju officials to stay alert during long holiday weekend

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a meeting at the government complex in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has urged Jeju officials to stay alert for a possible new wave of coronavirus infections during the upcoming holiday weekend.“I have been told that plane and train tickets to major tourist attractions were almost sold out. I urge all officials on Jeju and Gangwon provinces to stay alert,” Chung said at Monday's meeting in the Seoul government complex. “The outcome would be seen as a litmus test of whether our society can handle this health crisis while maintaining normal activities of daily living.”Despite Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong's call for people to refrain from visiting the island, more than 170,000 visitors are expected to spend time there during the holiday from late April to early May, including Buddha's Birthday (Apr. 30), May Day (May 1), Children's Day (May 5) and a weekend in between.With the number of daily new cases hovering around 10 and social distancing eased, many people opt to enjoy their holida

Apr 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho
PM urges Jeju officials to stay alert during long holiday weekend
  • Jeju braces for surge in incoming holiday tourists amid easing pandemic restrictions

PHOTOS Thumb-up: A shout-out to health workers

Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) director Jeong Eun-kyung, center in the front row, and other officials show a thumb-up put on the palm of the other hand in collective show of respect for healthcare workers fighting against the coronavirus pandemic across the country. Their show of support and solidarity took place at KCDC headquarters in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, April 22. A “Shout-out to health workers” campaign, represented by the hand shape, has gone viral online since the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures HQ launched the campaign on April 16. Numerous people from all walks of life ― children, bureaucrats, office workers, celebrates, sports stars, police officers, firefighters and soldiers, to name a few ― have participated, sharing photos of themselves making the symbol with their hands. YonhapKCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyung. YonhapPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyunKorea Coast Guard officialsKorea Coast Guard officialsVice?Health Minister Kim Gang-lip, center, and other officials show their “thumb-ups” to health workers

Apr 27, 2020

Petition demanding resignation of WHO chief gathers more than 1 million signatures

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland. ReutersBy Jung Min-hoA petition demanding the immediate resignation of World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic has gathered more than 1 million signatures.The petition, initiated by a person using the ID “Osuka Yip” on Jan. 31, blames Tedros' poor leadership for the wide spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 200,000 people and infected nearly 3 million around the world.How and when exactly the virus infected the first person, most likely by making a jump from a wild animal, in the Chinese city of Wuhan is still unclear. But when the threat was brought to the attention of Chinese authorities in December and then of the world, Tedros hesitated to declare a global health emergency ― until Jan. 31.His belated decision has drawn criticism, particularly from U.S. politicians. President Donald Trump accused the WHO of failing its basic duty and suspended the U.S. contribution on Apr

Apr 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Petition demanding resignation of WHO chief gathers more than 1 million signatures

S. Korea reports 10 more cases of coronavirus, total at 10,738

 South Korea reported 10 more cases of the new coronavirus Monday, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,738.It marked the fifth day in a row that the number of new infections stayed at 10 or below, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the newly added cases, seven were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,044. The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 243.In total, 8,764 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 47 from a day earlier.The number of new infections continued to slow in Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region that accounts for around 64 percent of the total cases, with just one additional case.North Gyeongsang Province, which surrounds Daegu, reported no new COVID-19 infections, along with Seoul, the capital city.South Korea believes it has avoided the worst scenario due to its social distancing drive despite being one of the first countries hit hard by the virus that originated from China.The drive is still in force until May 5, but the country is likely to move to

Apr 27, 2020
S. Korea reports 10 more cases of coronavirus, total at 10,738
  • Moon proposes cooperation with North Korea on COVID-19

Young people urged to keep social distancing

Members of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, the biggest Protestant church in the country, attend a Sunday service, as the church reopened after the government eased the social distancing measures amid a slowdown in new COVID-19 cases. /YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe government is urging people in their 20s and 30s to continue to practice social distancing, as young people are more likely to become coronavirus “super spreaders” because of their active social life, according to Korea's top infectious disease official Sunday. Those in their 20s and 30s account for 27 percent of coronavirus patients.Korea reported a number of confirmed cases below 15 for the eighth consecutive day, but health authorities kept calling for people, especially those in their 20s, to comply with the social distancing measures. “Those in their 20s have a high possibility of being super spreaders as they often have a wide range of activities. They can come into contact with many people and unwittingly spread the virus especially in confined spaces such as a nightclub. The government urged them to p

Apr 26, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Young people urged to keep social distancing
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