South Korea’s new daily COVID-19 case count dropped to 50 Monday, the lowest in 48 days, as the country strives to prevent a rebound in coronavirus infections over the Chuseok holiday. 　 Of the 50 new COVID-19 cases reported in the 24 hours ending Sunday at midnight, 40 were locally transmitted and 10 were imported, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 　 Health authorities, meanwhile, confirmed that three individuals in Korea had been infected with influenza and

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Sunday appealed to South Koreans to refrain from visiting their hometowns during the upcoming Chuseok holiday to help rein in the coronavirus. He also renewed warnings against holding illegal rallies. 　 The country’s virus fight is to be put to the test during the extended holiday, which runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, when a mass movement of people could heighten the risk of community spread of COVID-19. The country recorded double-digit figures in daily ne

Level 2 social distancing rules will remain in place across the nation over the long Chuseok holiday with tougher measures added, the government announced Friday, to prevent a rise in infections during the five-day period. Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo reiterated his calls for refraining from traveling and asked people to stay home during Chuseok, saying the country is at a critical juncture for the government’s antivirus fight. “The large outbreak of COVID-19 has bee

South Korea reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day Thursday, due to sporadic clusters of infections across the country, keeping health authorities on edge ahead of the Chuseok holiday. 　 Korea added 125 more COVID-19 cases -- 109 locally transmitted and 16 imported -- in the 24 hours ending Wednesday at midnight, pushing up the total caseload to 23,341, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 　 Korea saw fewer than 100 new cases for thre

The ASEAN-Korea Centre will organize its annual 2020 ASEAN Youth Career Mentorship on Saturday to support ASEAN students in building their future careers in South Korea. At the event, to be livestreamed at 11 a.m. on the center’s YouTube channel, Korean professionals as well as ASEAN mentors currently working in Korea are to share information on visa issues, job searching and career building. This year’s mentorship program, which has been held every year since 2017, is composed

South Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases bounced back over 100 for Wednesday’s count, as sporadic clusters of infections and untraceable cases continue to strain health authorities’ virus containment efforts. 　 Korea counted 110 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency -- 99 locally transmitted and 11 imported. 　 The resurgence of COVID-19 here has been contained “considerably,” but it will take further time an

　 South Korea’s daily new COVID-19 cases stayed below 100 for the third consecutive day, though authorities strive to bring the situation under control before the upcoming Chuseok holiday. Korea reported 61 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday -- 51 locally transmitted and 10 imported -- according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, who leads the country’s COVID-19 response, got tested for the coronavirus after one of his close aides t

The trial began Monday for former and incumbent lawmakers of the then-main opposition Liberty Korea Party in connection with a mass brawl that broke out inside the National Assembly in April 2019 over the fast-tracking of major reform bills. Hwang Kyo-ahn, the Liberty Korea Party’s former chief, and Na Kyung-won, its former floor leader, denied all charges, denouncing the indictment as politically motivated and defending their actions as legitimate resistance against “unconstituti

The government appears to be stuck over whether to extend the current level of tightened social distancing as daily coronavirus cases remain in the triple digits, and untraceable cases and sporadic clusters of infections weigh on its virus containment efforts. South Korea reported 176 new COVID-19 cases Friday -- 161 locally transmitted and 15 imported, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday that the government will annou

A COVID-19 infection cluster that so far numbers 17 cases emerged at one of the country’s biggest general hospitals in Seoul on Thursday, as health authorities struggle to bring the number of infections nationwide below 100 per day.   　 Korea reported 155 new COVID-19 cases Thursday -- 141 locally transmitted and 14 imported, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total caseload rose to 21,743.   　 Seventeen people from Severance Hospital’s

Despite the weekslong social distancing campaign, South Korea is not seeing a sharp drop in COVID-19 infections as sporadic clusters of infections continue to be detected and the virus spreads silently through people with no symptoms or only mild symptoms, health authorities said Wednesday. 　 Korea reported 156 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday -- 144 locally transmitted and 12 imported -- bringing the total caseload to 21,588, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　 &

South Korea plans to mass-produce an antibody-based therapy for COVID-19 later this month, health authorities said Tuesday. 　 The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently reviewing plans for Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials of the antibody-based treatment, and a large quantity of commercial coronavirus antibodies will be produced this month, said Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　 The Phase 1 trials were approved in July, he added

South Korea’s daily count of new COVID-19 cases stayed below 200 for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday, though health authorities are on alert over untraceable cases and sporadic outbreaks.　 　 Korea reported 136 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday -- 120 locally transmitted and 16 imported -- bringing the total caseload to 21,432, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　 With tightened social distancing rules in place nationwide, Korea appears to be entering a stabil

The National Assembly resumed operations on Saturday after a brief shutdown caused by a main opposition party official testing positive for the new coronavirus. "Everyone who had been selectively checked has turned out not to have been infected with the coronavirus. A no-entry restriction on the main building, the members' office building and an annex building will be lifted from 10 a.m.," the assembly's secretariat said in a notice. The National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul,

　 South Korea’s daily count of new COVID-19 cases stayed below 200 for the third consecutive day on Saturday, though health authorities are on alert over untraceable cases, sporadic outbreaks and the high number of critically ill patients. 　 Korea reported 168 new COVID-19 cases Saturday -- 158 locally transmitted and 10 imported -- posting fewer than 200 for the third consecutive day. The total caseload rose to 21,010, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　

Level 2.5 social distancing rules will remain in place for another week in the Greater Seoul area with no definite slowdown in the infection rate. 　 Korea reported 198 new COVID-19 cases Friday - 189 locally transmitted and nine imported -- posting fewer than 200 for the second consecutive day. The total caseload rose to 20,842, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With tightened social distancing rules in place, the “explosive” spread of the virus wa

The British Embassy in South Korea is accepting applications from Korean students for the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarships until Nov. 3 for the 2021-2022 academic year, the embassy said Thursday. Korean nationals with a bachelors’ degree and more than two years of work experience are eligible to apply for the UK government’s global scholarship program that offers an opportunity to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any university in the United

SINGAPOREAN ENVOY’S VISIT -- Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won (left) greets Eric Teo, ambassador of Singapore to South Korea, during a courtesy visit to the Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul on Thursday. 

South Korea’s health authorities said Thursday that the tightened social distancing campaign appears to be paying off, slowing the coroanvirus’s spread to fewer than 200 new infections per day. Still, a spike in the number of critically ill patients remains a major concern, they said. 　 The country reported 195 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, posting fewer than 200 for the first time in more than two weeks. Some 188 of the new cases were locally transmitted and seven imported, while th

The number of COVID-19 patients in serious or critical condition hit a record high of 124 on Wednesday, increasing fears over a possible shortage of hospital beds and a spike in fatalities. The country reported 267 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday -- 253 locally transmitted and 14 imported -- pushing the total caseload to 20,449, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Korea’s daily new COVID-19 case count stayed below 300 for a fourth consecutive day Wedne