South Korea - The Korea Times

Infections at cram schools stokes fears among students, parents

A hagwon in Seoul is shut down after one of the teachers there got confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus on Sunday/ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong A teacher at a Seoul private cram school targeting university students wishing to transfer to another school was among newly reported COVID-19 patients, stoking fear among students who attended the institute and their parents, according to the health authorities, Monday.Korea has many private schools, known as “hagwon,” and they have the potential to become the breeding ground for infection clusters. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday despite the city's recommendation, only 16.9 percent of hagwon in its jurisdiction had closed.Early on, the government shut down elementary, middle and high schools and universities to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Yet, the shutdown remained optional for hagwon and many have kept their businesses open through the outbreak. The hagwon infection was reported as a heated debate is underway on whether elementary, middle and high schools across the country should reope

Mar 30, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Infections at cram schools stokes fears among students, parents

Gangnam chief slammed for defending 'reckless' residents

Gangnam District Chief Jeong Sun-kyun speaks during a media briefing at the Gangnam District Office, Sunday, apologizing for his earlier comments that defended a daughter and mother who traveled to Jeju Island despite showing COVID-19 symptoms. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeSeoul's Gangnam District Chief Jeong Sun-kyun is facing harsh criticism for attempting to defend a student and her mother who have drawn the ire of the public after having traveled to Jeju Island despite showing symptoms associated with COVID-19.The daughter, a student at a university in the United States, came back to Korea, March 15, and traveled to the resort island with her mother for five days from March 20. The daughter suffered from muscle pains and a sore throat on the first day of the trip, but the two pushed ahead with their visit.The two tested positive shortly after returning to their home in Gangnam District, forcing stores and more than 40 people on Jeju to be shut down or quarantined as a result of coming into contact with the pair.During a media briefing, Friday, Jeong called the daughter and mother “

Mar 30, 2020

Gangnam chief slammed for defending 'reckless' residents

Municipalities refuse entry to cancelled flower festival areas

Local residents pass by a famous cherry blossom festival spot in Changwon's Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. Changwon City has set up fences there to control visitor access amid COVID-19 fears. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeLocal administrations and district offices governing villages and streets famous for spring flower festivals have taken stronger measures to ban visitors from entering the related areas as there are still people who are visiting to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom despite the cancellations amid COVID-19 fears, officials said Monday.Their actions to keep tourists, who ignore the pleas to refrain from visiting the regions in accordance with the government's social distancing guidelines, out of the areas include setting up fences and mobilizing police.The strong measures came as two Busan residents in their 60s were confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus, March 23, after going flower-viewing to Gurye, South Jeolla Province, March 18. Gurye County had already called off its annual Gurye Sansuyu Festival featuring Cornelian cherry flowers earlier this

Mar 30, 2020By Jun Ji-hye

Municipalities refuse entry to cancelled flower festival areas

Daewoong Pharmaceutical fined for refusing gov't probe

By Bahk Eun-jiDaewoong Pharmaceutical was fined 5 million won ($4,084) for refusing an administrative probe by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups over allegations that the company stole botulinum toxin (BTX) strains from rival Medytox, the ministry said Monday. The two firms have been in a legal dispute since 2017.Park Young-sun, minister of SME and StartupsMedytox has claimed Dawoong stole its BTX strain and trade secretly through former Medytox employees who joined Daewoong. Daewoong insists it discovered the strain in its lab here. The government, which received a complaint from Medytox in March 2019, requested Daewoong's cooperation in its field investigation into the firm's research lab in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on the grounds that the DNA sequence of registered botox strains from both companies is identical. Daewoong Pharmaceutical CEO Jeon Seng-ho“The purpose of the administrative investigation is to resolve an unreasonable situation whereby victims have to prove the fact that their technology was stolen. The SME ministry will continue to develop the system to help sma

Mar 30, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Daewoong Pharmaceutical fined for refusing gov't probe

S. Korea reports 78 new virus cases, total at 9,661. Death toll hits 158

South Korea reported 78 new cases of the novel coronavirus Monday, down from 105 new cases a day earlier, bringing the nation's total infections to 9,661.The 78 new cases of COVID-19, detected Sunday, marked the 18th consecutive day that new infections hovered around 100 or fewer additional cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The death toll rose by six to 158.Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the nation's two worst-affected regions, reported 14 and 11 new cases, respectively, the KCDC said.Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with 31 additional cases in Seoul and the surrounding region.The country also detected 13 cases coming from overseas.The government earlier said starting Wednesday, it will enforce a two-week mandatory quarantine on all entrants from overseas in a drastic move to curb a steady rise in imported cases.Under the new measure, all arrivals to the country regardless of nationality are required to stay in isolation for 14 days. Visitors without local addresses are to stay in government-designated fac

Mar 30, 2020

S. Korea reports 78 new virus cases, total at 9,661. Death toll hits 158

Telegram sex video case makes Samsung worried

Cho Ju-bin, who is accused of of blackmailing women and minors to make sexually abusive videos and then selling access to them, has his face made public outside Jongno Police Office in Seoul, Wednesday./ YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong An extortion scheme hatched by Cho Ju-bin, the mastermind behind a sex slavery and abuse ring, involving cable news channel JTBC CEO Sohn Seok-hee is causing worries for Samsung.Cho contacted Sohn saying he and his family were in danger from Kim Woong, a reporter with whom Sohn had a legal fight. When he was asked for proof, Cho demanded money and Sohn paid him, although he never received any further communication from Cho. The CEO also said he decided not to contact the police and many journalists are wondering why. One day later, Sohn explained that Cho claimed Kim had the support of Samsung and for that reason he was hesitant to call the police. JTBC's largest shareholder is the JoongAng Group, a media group which used to be owned by Samsung. Former Chairman Hong Seok-hyun, in office between 2011 and 2017, is the brother-in-law of Samsung Group Chairman Lee K

Mar 29, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Telegram sex video case makes Samsung worried

Dealing with medical waste

Staff at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center in Daegu load medical waste containers onto a truck, Sunday./ Yonhap

Mar 29, 2020By Kim Se-jeong

Gov't to enforce two-week quarantine for all entrants

A pedestrian passes by the closed front gate of Manmin Central Church, Guro, Seoul, Sunday, as a number of its members were detected to have been infected by COVID-19. /YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe government said Sunday that it will enforce a two-week mandatory self-quarantine for all people arriving here from overseas, starting Wednesday, as the number of “imported cases” of COVID-19 is emerging as a problem.“Mandatory self-quarantine measures will be expanded to all people arriving from overseas regardless of their nationality and the period of their stay here as an additional countermeasure to prevent the further spread of the virus,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a press briefing at the Government Complex in Seoul.The administration had already enforced a two-week quarantine period and virus tests for all long-term arrivals from Europe, regardless of symptoms. In addition, passengers from the United States for long-term stay have been required to self-isolate at home for two weeks since Friday.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (K

Mar 29, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Gov't to enforce two-week quarantine for all entrants

Baby, parents re-infected with coronavirus 10 days after recovery

By Park Si-soo A 17-month-old baby and her parents have been re-infected with coronavirus 10 days after they had recovered from the virus, health authorities said on Sunday. According to Gimpo City, the baby and a parent are being treated at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and the other parent at Myongji Hospital in Goyang. “An investigation is under way to find out why they got infected again,” a health official said. “The virus that survived the treatment in their bodies could have revived with their immune system weakened. Another possible assumption is that they were exposed to fresh pathogen.” They first tested positive for coronavirus in late February after attending a wedding ceremony at Queen Vell Hotel in Daegu, which the 31th patient also attended.

Mar 29, 2020

Baby, parents re-infected with coronavirus 10 days after recovery

S. Korea reports 105 new virus cases, total at 9,583. Death toll tops 152

South Korea reported 105 new cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday, bringing the nation's total infections to 9,583, the public health agency said.The death toll rose by eight to 152, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province -- the nation's two worst-affected regions -- reported 25 of the 105 new cases.An additional 222 patients have been released following full recovery, bringing the number of total cured people to 5,033, the KCDC said.South Korea has strengthened social distancing through April 5 to contain the spread of the virus that emerged in China late last year.The government asked people to stay at home and refrain from activities that could cause close contact in enclosed places, such as religious gatherings and indoor sports activities.South Korea has enforced a two-week quarantine period and virus tests for all long-term arrivals from Europe, regardless of symptoms, in an effort to contain imported virus cases. (Yonhap)