SouthKorea

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  ​South Korea to lift PCR test requirement for arrivals from China SEOUL -- South Korea plans to lift a post-arrival PCR test requirement for travelers from China on March 1 as the COVID-19 pandemic has receded, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said February 22. The headquarters affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said that the government has decided to scrap the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test requirement as the pandemic situation in China has been stabilized with Chinese arrivals showing a low 2023-02-22
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  ​Court rules in favor of same-sex couple demanding spousal health insurance coverage SEOUL -- A same-sex couple has won a court ruling that recognized their legal status for the first time in South Korea as far as the state health insurance coverage is concerned. On February 21, the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of the gay couple who has demanded the same spousal coverage from the health insurance as heterosexual couples. The appellate court made the landmark ruling, overturning a lower court's decision that the plaintiff was not qualified as a dependent 2023-02-21
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  State tourism institution rolls out tour course recommendation content for Hallyu fans SEOUL -- Targeting Korean Wave fans all over the world, a tourism organization under South Korea’s culture ministry has released content that contains various information about K-content including K-pop, dramas, entertainment shows, and films. A total of 51 tour courses were selected such as the hit drama Hometown Cha Cha Cha and content related to Meokbang, an audiovisual show involving one or more hosts eating food while interacting with fans. The Korea Tourism Organization 2023-02-21
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  S. Korea to nurture logistics sector for establishment of quick delivery infrastructure through drones and robots SEOUL -- To establish a same-day delivery infrastructure nationwide, South Korea's transport ministry unveiled its plan to commercialize robot delivery by 2026 and drone delivery by 2027. The country will assist the logistics industry's digital transformation and lift regulations regarding building logistics centers in urban areas. Currently, most logistics centers are located in suburban regions. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press release on 2023-02-21
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  ​Phishing scams cause $1.28 billion in damages over past five years SEOUL -- South Korea suffered 1.66 trillion won ($1.28 billion) in cumulative damages arising from phishing scams over the last five years, a report by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said February 21. Phishing scams related to bank loans caused 999.8 billion won in damages between 2018 and 2022, accounting for 60.1 percent of the total sum, according to the report submitted by the FSS to Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the ruling People Power Party (PPP). The number of phishing s 2023-02-21
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  Indonesia to collaborate with K-pop industry to create global phenomenon 'Indonesian Wave' SEOUL -- Indonesia is seeking to step up collaboration with South Korean partners to create an Indonesian entertainment ecosystem equal to the Korean Wave, Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea Gandi Sulistiyanto said during an annual media briefing at his official residence in Seoul on February 17. He said that his country aims to create an Indonesia Wave (I-Wave) by cooperating with South Korea in various entertainment sectors such as fashion, music, games and animation. " 2023-02-17
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  ​Prosecution seeks arrest warrant for opposition leader on corruption charges SEOUL -- The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said February 16 that it has sought an arrest warrant for Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main progressive opposition Democratic Party (DP), over corruption allegations involving land development projects and suspicious donations from corporations. Lee faces bribery, breach of duty, conflict of interest and other charges in relation to large-scale development projects in Daejang-dong and Wirye, Seongnam City, just sou 2023-02-16
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  S. Korean consumers favor meal kit products than dining out due to price hike SEOUL -- The popularity of meal kits, ready-to-eat meal packs, at megastores has increased despite South Korea adopting re-opening policies, including lifting regulations on compulsory face masks in indoor environments. The unexpected popularity of the convenient heat-and-eat meal packs was affected by increased prices of daily necessities including food. Meal kits became popular in South Korea when the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in early 2020. People avoid 2023-02-16
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  ​China to resume issuing short-term visas for South Koreans February 18 SEOUL -- China has decided to resume issuing short-term visas for South Korean travelers on February 18, the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said on February 15. The decision was made four days after South Korea restarted the issuance of short-term visas for travelers from China. The Seoul government lifted the visa restrictions as China's new COVID-19 wave began to recede and a mere 1.1 percent of travelers from the neighboring country tested positive for the coronavirus. The Seo 2023-02-15
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  South Korea to resume issuing short-term visas for travelers from China SEOUL -- The South Korean government said February 10 that it has decided to resume issuing short-term visas in its diplomatic missions in China for those wanting to travel to Korea starting February 11. In a positive response to Seoul's decision, China said that it will actively consider lifting its visa restrictions against South Koreans. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that South Korea's lifting of visa restrictions on China is a step in the 2023-02-10
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  South Korean rescue workers save surviving quake victims in Turkey SEOUL -- The South Korean disaster relief team rescued five people, including a baby girl, from under the debris of collapsed buildings in earthquake-stricken Turkey on February 9, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The team began its rescue operation at the site of a high school in Antakya, the capital of Turkey's southeastern Hatay province, at around 5 a.m. Then it managed to save a man in his 70s after searching through debris. The ministry said the man did not l 2023-02-09
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  S. ​Korean companies join efforts to help earthquake victims in Turkey, Syria SEOUL -- Major South Korean companies and banks have committed to helping earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria by offering rescue equipment and relief supplies as well as cash donations. Hyundai Motor's Turkish subsidiary said on February 8 that it will provide $450,000 worth of equipment and daily necessities for quake-hit people. The firm already delivered emergency rescue equipment worth $50,000 to help save people trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings. Kim S 2023-02-09
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  Northeastern county to offer hefty subsidies for agricultural drones for adoption of efficient farming method SEOUL -- The northeastern county of Cheorwon will offer hefty subsidies for farmers and private drone operators who wish to buy agricultural drones used for spraying pesticides and fertilizer pallets. The county government will provide up to 50 percent of the drone price which normally costs about 30 million won ($23,775). South Korea's farming population is rapidly decreasing to stand at 2.3 million in 2022, down 42.6 percent from four million in 2002. More than 42 percent of 2023-02-09
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  S. Korea sends 118-member rescue team to quake-hit Turkey, offering $5 million in aid SEOUL -- South Korea's 118-member search and rescue team arrived at an airport in Turkey's south-central province of Gaziantep on February 8 to help save people trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings in the earthquake-devastated country. The arrival came after the team left for Turkey aboard a KC-330 military transport airplane on February 7, a day after the country was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The rescue workers are soon to be deployed to hard-hit urban 2023-02-08
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  Resort island of Jeju to start discussion on restricting operation of 'no-kids' zones SEOUL -- The southern resort island of Jeju will start a public debate over whether "no-kids" zones should be allowed on the island visited by more than 10 million people annually. The island has some dozens of cafes and restaurants that prohibit the access of children aged 13 years and younger to provide a comforting and relaxing environment for adults. No-kids zones first appeared in South Korea about a decade ago after a series of online complaints about parents not te 2023-02-08
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  South Korea ordered to pay compensation to victim of Vietnam War mass killing SEOUL -- A South Korean court has ordered the government to pay compensation to a bereaved family of Vietnamese civilians killed by Korean troops during the Vietnam War. On February 7, the Seoul Central District Court made the first ruling that acknowledged the Korean government's liability for the mass killings of civilians during the war. The court ruled in favor of the 63-year-old plaintiff, Nguyen Thi Thanh, ordering the Seoul government to pay 30 million won ($24,680) 2023-02-07
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  Sales of facemasks decrease after government lifts compulsory indoor mask regulations SEOUL -- Sales of facemasks have decreased since the South Korean government lifted regulations on wearing masks in indoor environments on January 30. Sales of quick COVID-19 antigen test kits have also decreased. However, sales of convenient meal kits including lunchboxes and sandwiches at convenience stores have increased, reflecting that more people are starting to eat freely in indoor spaces including offices and public areas. South Korea recorded 5,850 new COVID-19 cases on Februa 2023-02-07
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  South Korea's 5G service users increase by about 600 percent since 2019 SEOUL -- The number of South Korea's 5G mobile communication service users increased by about 600 percent compared to some 4.6 million users in 2019. 5G networks that offer up to 100 times faster data transfer speed than 4G networks were commercialized in the country in early 2019. South Korea's 5G mobile communication service was first introduced in April 2019. The number of users increased to some 11.8 million in 2020 and 20.9 million in 2021. Since the latest generation 2023-02-06
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  KT's AI certificate 'AICE' to be adopted in Seoul's vocational schools' curriculum SEOUL -- To nurture artificial intelligence experts, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will adopt AI Certificate for Everyone (AICE), an artificial intelligence-related certificate program created by South Korea's major telecom company KT, at 10 vocational high schools. Students who completed the program can receive benefits when applying to several companies including KT. AICE, which has five different levels from beginner to professional, evaluates the ability to uti 2023-02-06
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  Seoul to deploy portable defibrillators to 175 convenience stores located in populated areas SEOUL -- To help people take action while waiting for rescuers to arrive in emergency situations such as cardiac arrest, Seoul will distribute automated external defibrillators to some 175 convenience stores located in areas with a lot of moving population. Store workers will be given special lessons so that they can skillfully operate the life-saving devices under emotional pressure. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that automatically analyzes the lif 2023-02-02