Roses in full bloom brighten up people’s day amid continued virus outbreak. Seoul citizens admire different species of roses while taking a walk around the Rose Garden at the Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul. On the opposite side of the country, a German rose called “Corona” attracts a bee at the River Seomjingang village in Gokseong, South Jeolla Province. People also take time to enjoy roses from around the world even though the 5th International Rose Festival that was

South Korea’s mandatory ID card system is set to remove information about the region of issuance from October, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Monday. All Koreans are assigned a 13-digit resident registration number in their ID cards. Currently, four digits are used to indicate the place of issuance. The Interior Ministry said Monday the four digits, from eighth to eleventh, will be replaced by arbitrary numbers in an effort to protect personal information and prevent discrim

Tiger cub siblings, one male and one female, were introduced to the public Thursday at Everland, a zoo and theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The mother tiger was shown taking care of her cubs, which are less than 100 days old. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

Spring flowers in full bloom welcome tourists in Jeju, South Korea’s largest island. Tourists enjoy the warm spring weather, taking pictures in a field filled with poppy flowers in Jeju City. Hydrangeas in full flower capture the spring mood at a cafe in Seogwipo, Jeju. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

Buddhism-themed traditional lanterns portraying fairies, lotus flowers, animals and Buddha are displayed to brighten up Cheonggye Stream in Seoul from Thursday to next Sunday. Meanwhile, Buddhist groups in South Korea canceled a lantern procession this weekend to mark Buddha’s birthday amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The procession had already been postponed, with the actual Buddhist holiday being on April 30. Celebratory services, however, will be proceeded at temples across the

After a series of delays in school reopening, high school seniors in South Korea finally returned to classrooms on Wednesday as the first group of students to do so amid the continued virus outbreak. Strict guidelines were followed, such as maintaining social distancing, checking temperatures and even placing plastic dividing screens on desks, to prevent virus spread. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

The Statue of Peace, a symbol of Japan’s World War II-era atrocities and sexual slavery, was damaged Wednesday by a man in his 20s. At the same time, a scandal was unfolding in connection with alleged corruption by local organizations advocating for the rights of the Korean victims. According to police, the suspect damaged the statue in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, by hitting its face with a rock on Wednesday at 6:45 a.m. He was subdued by a pedestrian before the police arrived. He threatened to

The Northwestern University Korean Alumni Association on Saturday donated food and face masks to Jincheon Community Children’s Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, in efforts to support children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The children’s center received prepackaged boxes of food, including nonperishable items such as pasta and masks donated by Cei Chung, CEO of Noodle Lover and alumnus of Northwestern University. “Our association in Korea remains steadfast in its

Five kestrels, designated as South Korean natural treasure No. 323, were born in a nest built inside a flower pot on an apartment balcony in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. It was March 20 when the chicks’ parents settled on the balcony. The resident of the apartment made a bigger nest out of cardboard for his little guests to have enough space to brood five eggs. The five chicks were all born healthy and are now getting ready to fly on their own. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun

People visited the Gwangju May 18 National Cemetery ahead of the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising to honor those who were killed during the protest. May 18 in South Korea is a day of remembrance for the hundreds of protestors that died in the southern city of Gwangju in their fight against the military rule of former general-turned-President Chun Doo-hwan and his brutal government-led crackdown, in May 1980. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

A group of protesters held a rally against Japan’s disposal of radioactive water into the ocean, in front of the “Statue of a Girl Of Peace” at the Japanese Embassy on Tuesday.  One protestor wore a mask resembling Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and acted out the disposal of radioactive water into the ocean. The water containing radioactive materials are stored at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Japan, which was damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsuna

Shanghai Disneyland which was closed on Jan. 25 reopened on Monday, reflecting a loosening of social distancing linked to the novel coronavirus outbreak. It is the first of its kind to reopen among all other entertainment parks in the US, Japan, Europe and Hong Kong. Along with rides and attractions, Shanghai Disneyland opened all shops, restaurants and cafes within the park to its visitors. However, it decided to limit the number of visitors and closed some of its performance and play area

A full moon, also called the Supermoon or Flower Moon, shines bright in every part of the world.  The Supermoon rises above the Statue of Liberty in New Jersey, US.  A silhouette of a bird is seen as it files past the moon that is behind Lomonosov Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia. The Supermoon glows red in an astronomical event that occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, which makes it appear usually larger and brighter, as it rises over Caracas, Ven

No events will be held at parks run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Children’s Day, which falls on Tuesday, May 5, this year. The city announced Sunday the cancellation of all festivals and events at its public parks that were planned to be held around the Children’s Day holiday, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The city encouraged park visitors to take a walk rather than staying in one place for a longer period, which could cause cluster

As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps students away from campuses, college festivals are getting postponed to the fall semester. In recent weeks, the number of new infections has slowed down, prompting the country to end its 45-day social distancing campaign in favor of “everyday life quarantine,” starting Wednesday. However, universities in Seoul and other regions remain cautious about the lingering threat from the novel coronavirus. As a preventive measure, universities are pushing b

About 200 people were unable to take the Test of English for International Communication on Sunday as the site closed without prior notice due to the coronavirus issue. Test-takers waited outside Kyungil High School in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, until 9:20 a.m., shortly before the test was scheduled to start. The person in charge belatedly arrived and explained that they had to go to a different test site by 9:50 a.m. If that wasn’t possible, the person said, they could skip the test and get

South Koreans are sticking to the social distancing guidelines, even though the coronavirus curve has flattened in recent weeks.  The country plans to loosen its social distancing campaign, starting Wednesday, but throughout the nation many citizens remain cautious because a resurgence of the novel coronavirus cannot be ruled out. Social distancing is practiced in many places. People enjoying their holiday weekend are keeping a safe distance, and so are job applicants sitting company r

Words engraved by calligrapher Kim Dong-wook on sand at Yeongildae Beach in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, express the message that Dokdo is Korea’s territory and urge Japan to stop its attempts to claim it. Kim has held more than a hundred calligraphy performances nationwide, 24 on Dokdo, to promote awareness that the country’s eastern most islets are part of the nation’s territory. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

Prior to the long holiday period, many have expressed concerns over the novel coronavirus and are choosing to keep “social distance,” data showed Tuesday. According to Incruit and Albacall, a local job search portal and smartphone application, respectively, 95.2 percent of 1,345 respondents aged 20-59 have decided to maintain social distancing during the long holiday period, which begins Thursday and ends Tuesday. For plans on ways to spend the holiday amid virus fears, relaxing

“Untact” tourism has become a new trend amid the protracted spread of the novel coronavirus. The new style of traveling -- the name being a Korean contraction of “undoing contact” -- refers to avoiding crowded places or indoor activities, and instead turning to outdoor attractions with plenty of space. Targeting forthcoming holidays, operators of several tourist sites popular among South Koreans, including Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, have been promoting a li