South Korea received 1.26 million more doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine Sunday, a key supply for the country to continue on with its nationwide vaccination scheme. With the latest shipment arriving at Incheon Airport on Sunday afternoon, Moderna fell some 2.8 million doses short of the 7.01 million promised by the first week of September. The country is set to receive 2.55 million more doses Monday afternoon, a day late, but this is still more than 250,000 doses short of the amount pr

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung achieved a landslide victory in the ruling Democratic Party’s first and second round of primaries for the presidential election, solidifying his standing as the front-running contender for the next presidency. According to the ruling party on Sunday, Gov. Lee finished the second round of Democratic Party’s national presidential primary elections of Sejong and North Chungcheong Province by winning 54.54 percent of all cased votes. Rep. Lee Nak-yo

Police on Thursday arrested the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions for organizing a rally in Seoul in defiance of COVID-19 rules. Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on early Thursday morning arrested Yang Kyung-soo, head of the KCTU, at the labor group’s office in Jung-gu, central Seoul. Dozens of officers were dispatched to the scene for the arrest, which took around 40 minutes. Some KCTU members attempted to block police when they entered the building, bu

The controversial “fake news” bill has been put on hold, with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea taking a step back Tuesday in the face of fierce criticism from opposition parties and the media. Floor leaders of the Democratic Party and main opposition People Power Party announced Tuesday that a committee would be set up to discuss and revise details of the bill, which would increase the penalties that media outlets and journalists could face for spreading misinformation with &ld

South Korea’s National Assembly has effectively failed to cast a final vote on the “fake news” bill, as fierce opposition from those outside the ruling bloc is believed to prevent lawmakers from holding the vote within this month’s provisional parliamentary session. Even after a series of meetings between floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition People Power Party held for hours until late Monday afternoon, lawmakers failed to reach a dea

Lawmakers on Monday continued to debate the timing of a final vote on a bill on penalizing the press for “fake news,” with fierce opposition from those outside the ruling party likely pushing the date back. In face of fierce protest from the media and opposition lawmakers, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was debating within its members whether to walk back from its plan to push the bill through the National Assembly within this month’s provisional session. The bill has f

Doctors in South Korea are fiercely opposing the passage of a bill that would require surveillance cameras being installed inside operating rooms, as they believe the move would negatively influence surgical procedures and serve as potential leak of personal data. The Korean Medical Association has been staging a one-person rally since Tuesday to oppose the bill from being enacted on coming Monday during the next plenary meeting of the National Assembly. KMA head Lee Pil-soo started the rally o

Seoul has placed QR codes at all of its riverside parks that would serve as tourist information centers. The city government said Friday that it has posted 176 QR code posters across 11 riverside parks in Seoul for visitors to scan and receive guides on where to tour, locate nearby facilities and receive tour guides on their smartphones. The QR code will direct users to a website designated for each riverside park and provide links to use audio guide for tourism courses, give directions to nea

Criticism continues to pile up in response to the ruling party’s “fake news” bill, with critics saying it would suppress freedom of the press in South Korea. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has defended the proposed revision to the Act on Press Arbitration and Remedies, Etc. for Damages Caused by Press Reports as a means to protect the public from misinformation and malicious press reports. Opposition lawmakers and local media organizations have attacked the bill from th

South Korea’s National Assembly postponed a plenary meeting scheduled for Wednesday, preventing the ruling party from passing two controversial bills that have drawn fierce protests from opposition lawmakers. Early Wednesday, National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug notified the political party floor leaders that the plenary meeting scheduled later in the day would be postponed, since bills should not go through two legislative stages on the same day. At around 4 a.m. Wednesday, a cont

Seoul will provide free online lectures to 110,000 underprivileged students and young people as a means to bridge the growing achievement gap among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that the free academic package will be provided to elementary, middle and high school students from low-income families, starting Friday, as well as to adolescents who are not in school and those from multicultural families. The online courses will b

Seoul’s subway workers on Monday warned of a full strike next month to protest Seoul Metro’s massive restructuring plan, the company’s response to continuing financial losses. Unionized workers at Seoul Metro said at a press conference Monday that they will stage a full-scale walkout on Sept. 14 unless the central government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government withdraw the restructuring plan and devote the funds to improving the corporation’s financial standing. The u

Seoul will upgrade the restrooms at its riverside parks and install new ones over the next four years to make the parks more inviting for visitors. The city government said Sunday that it will make investments starting this year to improve the ventilation of the restrooms at Seoul’s riverside parks and increase the number of toilets for women. Some public restrooms at the parks have been criticized over the years for being run-down and unhygienic. “As the number of visitors at riv

A bill backed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea that would penalize media outlets and journalists for producing “fake news” was approved by a parliamentary committee Thursday, taking it another step closer to becoming law. It is likely the proposed revision to the Press Arbitration Act will be put to a final vote and passed during a plenary session Wednesday, as the ruling party controls about 60 percent of the National Assembly’s 300 seats. The bill, which the ruling p

Apartment security guards will get at least four days of leave every month and a better work environment if a recent government initiative succeeds. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday that it would propose a legislative revision to improve working conditions for apartment security workers by setting guidelines on how their offices should be equipped and what benefits must be provided. Under the proposal, security workers would be guaranteed at least four days of leave every m

Wedding ceremonies in South Korea face another round of cancellations and disappointment, as restrictive virus rules limit the number of guests and force organizers to pivot from their game plans. At the moment, Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province are under Level 4 social distancing rules, limiting the number of guests at weddings there to 49. The rule is not likely to be relaxed anytime soon, which has drawn immense anger from to-be-married couples and wedding venues alike. Officials and exp

An arrest warrant for an umbrella union head has been issued, but resistance from the union is likely to present tougher challenges for police. On Friday, a local court issued an arrest warrant for Yang Kyung-soo, head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on charges of violating COVID-19 rules by organizing a large rally last month. Despite repeated requests from authorities and restrictions implemented as part of Level 4 social distancing rules, the KCTU held a rally with 4,701 of i

As COVID-19 sweeps through society, once populous urban areas and tourist spots have become almost desolate, pushing small-business owners to the brink. The strict social distancing rules are taking a heavy toll on small businesses, which was evident from what The Korea Herald saw last week in some of the most well-known areas in Seoul for social gatherings and entertainment. On any given day of the week, the streets of Hongdae, western Seoul, are expected to be filled with people. The go-to c

A website claiming to “verify” feminist celebrities and high profile figures was deleted hours after launch Friday, highlighting once again how feminism faces backlash from anti-feminist groups and how deepened gender conflict has become in the country. The website, dubbed “Check Femi,” had several dozens of figures analyzed by 11 a.m. Friday, categorizing them to three groups of “suspected,” “verified” and “vanguard” in their associat

Police have warned it will take stern action on any illegal protests during the Liberation Day weekend after a number of civic groups announced plans to hold rallies over the next few days in downtown Seoul. The National Police Agency said Thursday it plans to clamp down on anyone who breaks social distancing rules and participates in illegal assembly and rallies. The warning comes at a time when South Korea is struggling to tamp down a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections that has pushed the nu