The reason you haven’t contracted COVID-19 yet? Probably because you have no friends. At least, that’s what one South Korean physician believes. “The adults who have not yet been infected with COVID-19 are those who have interpersonal problems,” read a Facebook post uploaded by Ma Sang-hyuk, vice president of the Korean Vaccine Society, on March 16. The post was removed but a screenshot has been widely shared online, sparking controversy. Unlike other virus exper

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed.  An exotic scene created by the mixture of Korean and Chinese culture unfolds when walking out of Exit 12 at Daerim Station on subway lines No. 2 and 7 in southwestern Seoul. Large restaurants with colorful signs written in Chinese sell hot pot and lamb skewers, dishes that have become increasingly popular among Koreans in recent years. Small shops f

A vote took place at one of the most expensive apartment complexes in central Seoul last May. “Due to the indiscriminate actions of passersby within the complex, damage to residents such as trash throwing, unauthorized use of facilities, theft accidents and pet excretion continues to take place,” read the notice for the vote, asking residents to express their opinion through the poll on the installation of fences and a gate to limit the access of strangers. Of 1,148 households in

Former chief of the national audit agency Choe Jae-hyeong was among the winners of the March 9 elections, as he garnered over 50 percent of the vote in a legislative by-election held in central Seoul’s Jongno. According to the National Election Commission on Thursday, Choe of the conservative opposition People Power Party had 52.09 percent of the vote and independent candidate Kim Young-jong, a three-term mayor of Jongno-gu, marked just 28.41 percent. Choe was one of the contenders in

Whether you like it or not, South Korea voted for Yoon Suk-yeol to lead the country for the next five years as the president. Here are some fun facts about him, from the book that changed his perspective on the economy to his favorite home-made comfort foods.  1. Avid baseball fan Proclaiming himself as an avid fan of baseball, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol used to frequently visit baseball stadiums with colleagues when he worked as a local prosecutor in Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju. &ld

Polls closed for regular voters around the country at 6 p.m. Now it’s time for those who have contracted COVID-19 or are under home quarantine to cast their ballots to elect the next president of South Korea. The National Election Commission plans to wrap up this special voting process at 7:30 p.m., but it may take longer, depending on how many of the 1.16 million COVID-19 patients and self-isolators show up. During the March 4 and 5 early voting period, the election regulator came und

When will the winner of today’s presidential election become clear? Probably around 1 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Election Commission on Wednesday. At 7:30 p.m., which is when polls will close nationwide, exit poll results will be released by major broadcasters. According to the Korean Broadcasters Association Wednesday, MBC, KBS and SBS will announce the results of their joint survey at 7:30 p.m., based on interviews with voters who cast their ballots between 6 a.m. and

The coverage on this blog has ended. For more updates, results and news on South Korea’s presidential election, visit www.koreaherald.co.kr. -- Ed. Yoon Suk-yeol elected president of S. Korea Yoon Suk-yeol, a former chief prosecutor and political neophyte, was elected the next leader of South Korea on Thursday in one of the closest presidential elections in the country’s history. With all the votes counted, the conservative candidate garnered 48.6 percent, against 47.8 percent of

Today’s election is a showdown between Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol, who each represent the country’s liberal and conservative political forces. Here’s what the two candidates said on Facebook early Wednesday, as polls opened nationwide to elect the next president of South Korea.  Lee Jae-myung of Democratic Party of Korea said: “There’s only one day left. The election result is going to be neck and neck. The outcome can be determined by only thousands

As Koreans head to the polls to elect their next president, here’s a quick look at the vote by key numbers. 14: Number of names printed on the ballot paper Although the race has come down to dead heat between the two frontrunners, representing the main parties of the left and right wings, it started off with 14 candidates registered. Two dropped out, leaving 12 still running. 27: Length of the ballot paper in centimeters A single ballot is about 27 centimeters long, listing the 14 can

For foreign residents in Korea who do not speak the local language, now may feel like the most dangerous time to live here since the pandemic began. Over the recent week, over 200,000 people a day in South Korea have been diagnosed with COVID-19. With no sign yet of the country pulling out of the omicron surge, the pressure on the medical system is increasing dangerously day by day. Yet, all patients are supposed to take responsibility for their own safe recovery at home, unless they belong

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring the subway stations and surrounding areas across the city. – Ed.  For the past 40 years, Apgujeong, the Beverly Hills of Seoul, has seen the rise and fall of its commercial corridors that have been leading trends in high fashion, fine dining and even plastic surgery in the country. Changes in consumer behavior caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is giving fresh impetus to the dist

A series of accidents involving trucks mounted with aerial ladders have prompted safety concerns in South Korea, where these ladders are widely used for moving in and out of tall apartment buildings. On Monday, a ladder of a moving truck collapsed in an apartment complex in Nowon-gu, Seoul, killing one resident and injuring another. Police suspect the ladder’s length at the time of the accident to have been around 40 meters, given that the accident took place after finishing moving hous

In a country known for long working hours, short vacations, and a culture of competition and pressure, many Koreans experience lethargy and burnout syndrome. It’s so common that it is even regarded as a rite of passage at the workplace. Koreans worked 1,967 hours a year per employee in 2019, 241 hours more than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average of 1,726 hours. It had the second-longest working hours among OECD member countries. A survey conducted on some

  Retired Korean Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna on Monday voiced concerns about violations of anti-doping rules that undermine fairness in sport in an apparent criticism of the international sport body’s decision to allow a Russian skater to continue to compete at the Beijing Olympics despite failing a pre-game drug test. “Athlete who violates doping cannot compete in the game. This principle must be observed without exception. All players’ efforts and dre

An empty residential property in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province is drawing throngs of visitors in recent days following reports that it would soon be the home of the impeached President Park Geun-hye, who is currently in hospital. Park’s close aide and lawyer Yoo Young-ha reportedly signed a contract to purchase the property in Ssanggye-ri, Dalseong County, for around 2.5 billion won ($2.08 million). It consists of a main building with two stories and one basement level as well as thr

Becoming a farmer carries a high risk, with volatile weather and soil conditions affecting farm crops in a blink. The risk, exacerbated by global warming, has been mitigated for Lee Kyung-ju, a former IT office worker-turned farmer who has been growing cucumbers with the help of a smart farm system since 2020. He kicks off his day by checking his smartphone application showing the farming weather forecast and agricultural commodity prices. He then arrives at his 6,000 square-meter farm in C

The South Korean government is mulling over whether to provide free self-testing kits for COVID-19 and who to give them to, amid growing supply shortage fears induced by recent changes in pandemic treatment measures. Demand for self-test kits has surged since the government began to prioritize high-risk groups on Feb. 3, including those aged 60 and over, for access to immediate polymerase chain reaction tests. Under the new system aimed at dealing with the omicron-fueled COVID-19 wave, the re

An association of disability groups in South Korea is continuing their protest actions at subway stations, disrupting operations during the morning rush hour for the fourth weekday in a row. On Tuesday, some members of the Solidarity against Disability Discrimination staged a rally at Chungmuro Station at around 7:30 a.m., demanding the government do more to help disabled people. “The protest by the disability rights group, which was held on the morning of Feb. 8, ended at 10:18 a.m.,

Transparent and unbiased data will help potential voters and politicians make rational choices, putting an end to the era of heavily skewed public polls and knee-jerk policy reactions. This is the guiding philosophy at Oxopolitics, where scores of data engineers are working to change political decision making with the power of data. “I wanted to build an open data platform that enables each user to have their say about politics and see the data on themselves, like-minded people and al