South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it is investigating three additional suspected cases of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza from local farms, with the rising number of infections from wild birds straining the country's antivirus fight. Authorities have found two suspected cases from chicken and ornamental bird farms in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital city, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Another suspected case was reported at

The number of new coronavirus cases linked to an outbreak at a detention center in southeastern Seoul has soared to over 700, with one inmate patient having died this week during treatment, according to the government Tuesday. The Dongbu Detention Center found 233 more inmates were infected with the new coronavirus on Monday following its third mass testing, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the justice ministry. The testing was conducted Sunday on 1,689 pr

A new underwater mine disposal vehicle has been deployed to the Navy in a move expected to boost safety and operational capabilities, the arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The vehicle, developed by local firm Daeyang Electric Co., was first delivered to the military in 2018, and around 10 units were put into operation, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The vehicle, which adopts key features of a marine robot, is designed to perform mine-clearance missions

South Korea on Tuesday reported the most coronavirus deaths in a single day, as critically ill patients continue to pile up amid spiking cases, health authorities said. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the country reported 40 additional deaths from COVID-19, sharply up from 11 reported a day earlier. The total caseload was increased to 859.The KDCA said the jump in the death toll was also partially due to a delay in reporting. The daily death toll has continued to sh

Public notices of a local court took effect Tuesday to move forward a legal process to sell off local assets of a Japanese firm to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor, in a procedure likely to raise diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo. The public notification to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries went into force at the start of Tuesday, as the company failed to carry out a 2018 order by the Supreme Court to compensate five plaintiffs, including a 91-year-old victim, with no dipl

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it has further beefed up measures against African swine fever (ASF), including installing more fences, as infections among wild boars could lead to another wave of the pandemic at pig farms. South Korea has so far identified 898 cases of ASF from wild boars from the inter-Korean border areas since October last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. "Recently, infected wild boars have been found outside of t

North Korea's official newspaper called Tuesday for heightened alert against the coronavirus pandemic, warning that a more contagious variant of the virus is spreading in many countries around the world. "With the vicious transmissible disease spreading at a faster pace, global public health situation is getting worse," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, said. "More problematic is that a new vicious variant has appeared and been spreading in se

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on the ex-dividend day, largely due to investors' optimism for a further hike in stock prices. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.32 point, or 8.92 percent, to 2,817.52 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The gain came after a choppy start on the ex-dividend day. Investors were obliged to hold on to their shares until the previous session for year-end dividends. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics edged up 0.13 percent,

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases bounced back to over 1,000 on Tuesday after three days despite tougher virus curbs that have been extended for another week, and daily virus deaths hit a fresh record high of 40 amid a looming medical system crisis. The country added 1,046 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,030 local infections, raising the total caseload to 58,725, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily infections rebounded again from 808 cases on Mon

리오넬 메시(33)와 FC바르셀로나의 불편한 동거가 끝나가고 있다. 영국 방송 BBC는 메시가 스페인 방송 '라섹스타'와 인터뷰에서 올 시즌 뒤 바르셀로나를 떠나겠다는 뜻을 우회적으로 밝혔다고 29일(한국시간) 보도했다. 인터뷰에서 메시는 "아직 뭘 할지 모르겠다"면서도 "시즌이 끝날 때까지 기다리겠다. 미국에서 뛰면서 그곳의 삶과 리그를 경험하고 싶고, 나중에는 뛸 여력이 있을 때 바르셀로나로 돌아오고픈 마음도 있다고 말했다. 메시는 열 세 살부터 20년 넘게 줄곧 바르셀로나에서만 뛰어왔다. 2004-2005시즌 1군 데뷔 이래 17시즌째 뛰며 무려 644골을 넣었고 정규리그 10회, 국왕컵 6회, 유럽축구연맹(UEFA) 챔피언스리그 4회 등 여러 차례 우승을 차지했다. 그러나 지금 메시는 바르셀로나에서 편하지 않다. 그는 올해 계약 기간을 1년 남기고 구단과 결별을 선언했으나, 계약서 상 일방 해지 옵션과 최소 이적료 조항 등을 두고 구단과

South Korea's consumer sentiment fell for the first time in three months in December due to tougher antivirus measures and worsened economic expectations, central bank data showed Tuesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) came in at 89.8 for December, down 8.1 points from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The latest reading marks the first on-month drop following two consecutive months of increase. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumb

With at least one major league offer in tow, the posted South Korean All-Star shortstop Kim Ha-seong departed for the United States on Monday with his deadline to land a big league deal fast approaching. A-Spec Corporation, the Seoul-based agency for the Kiwoom Heroes‘ slugger, confirmed an earlier report that Kim left for the US on Monday. Kim, a 25-year-old coming off his first 30-homer season, was posted on Dec. 2. Under the terms of the posting agreement between the Korea Baseball O

Hundreds of inmates of a Seoul detention center infected with the new coronavirus were transferred to a prison in the southeastern region on Monday, the justice ministry said. A total of 528 cases linked to Dongbu Detention Center in eastern Seoul was confirmed as of Sunday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). They include 488 inmates and 21 prison officials, and none of them have shown serious symptoms. Of the prisoners, some 350 were moved to a correctional f

South Korean stocks set a new record high Monday, backed by a fresh US stimulus deal and eased uncertainties from Brexit. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.74 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,808.6. Trading volume was high at about 978 million shares worth some 23.6 trillion won ($21.5 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 530 to 315. The index extended its all-time high for a second straight session on strong

South Korea said Monday it will gradually diversify its energy mix by using more sustainable sources, such as solar power, and scale back the use of coal and nuclear power, in line with the country's goal to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Under the ninth basic plan on the electricity supply, which will run through 2034, sustainable energy sources will take up 8.6 percent of the country's energy mix, soaring from this year's 3.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and E

President Moon Jae-in dismissed criticism Monday that his government has fumbled its COVID-19 vaccine procurement policy, saying inoculation is expected to start as planned in February next year. He cited concerns that South Korea might have not secured enough vaccines yet or that its people would take shots too late. "That's not true," the president said in front of pool reporter and TV cameras at the outset of his weekly meeting with senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. The government put

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could skip a New Year's Day address later this week because he could unveil policy directions at a Workers' Party congress expected to convene in the coming weeks, experts said Monday. Kim has delivered a televised speech on Jan. 1 almost every year since he took power following the death of his father in 2011 to put forth his annual policy plans and directions. The speech has been closely watched for signs of where the reclusive country could be headed for the f

China's antitrust watchdog has approved the merger between two South Korean shipbuilding giants, sources said Monday, possibly paving the way for the creation of the world's largest shipyard. China's State Administration for Market Regulation has recently sent Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE) a notice that its planned merger with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) doesn't violate any antitrust rules or hurt fair competition in the world's second-larg

Seven American service members and three family members have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon arrival in South Korea from the United States over the past few weeks, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday. They arrived on commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, between Dec. 10 and 23, according to the US military. Three of them tested positive on their first mandatory COVID-19 test prior to entering quarantine, and the others were confirmed to have been infec

A parliamentary committee on Monday passed a confirmation report on Land Minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum amid fierce protests from the main opposition party. The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, where the ruling Democratic Party (DP) holds a majority, passed the report on Byeon's recent parliamentary confirmation hearing in a 17-0 vote during its plenary meeting. Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), who belong to the committee, however, boycotted the voting