Seoul to test seatless subway cars during commuting hours to solve congestion problems

SEOUL -- Seoul will kick-start a demonstration project to test the operation of two seatless subway cars on Subway Line 4 and Line 7 during commuting hours to see if the new type of cars could solve congestion problems. According to government data, some 4.5 million people use Seoul's subway trains daily. The crowdedness is the heaviest during commuting hours in the morning (08:00 a.m.~09:00 a.m.) and in the evening (06:00 p.m.~07:00 p.m.). The most crowded subway lines are -- Line

November 1, 2023

LGBTQ culture festival to be held in S. Korea's conservative port city

SEOUL -- A "queer festival," designed to raise awareness of the human rights of gender minorities and diverse gender-based cultural content, will be held for the third time in the southern port city of Changwon. The port city located west of Busan, South Korea's main maritime gateway, is part of South Gyeongsang Province which has a strong conservative culture. The organizing committee of the Gyeongnam Queen Culture Festival said in a statement on October 31 that the LGBT

October 31, 2023

​S. Korea records 67 cases of lumpy skin disease in 10 days

SEOUL -- South Korea has seen an outbreak of lumpy skin disease and had a total of 67 cattle farms infected in about ten days after the infectious cattle disease was reported in the country for the first time. Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. When a cow is infected with the virus, the animal would show symptoms of high fever, enlarged superficial lymph nodes, and multiple nodules, lumps measuring up

October 31, 2023

​About 56% of S. Koreans have no plans to hold traditional memorial rite 'Jesa': survey

SEOUL -- About 56 percent of South Koreans plan not to hold "Jesa," a traditional Confucian ceremonial ritual held to commemorate dead ancestors on the day they died, a survey showed. According to the survey, people feel burdened by the amount of food they have to prepare for the rite, and they think it should be simplified or replaced with a short and simple family gathering. Jesa is a Confucian rite that involves every family member who are direct descendant of the dead a

October 30, 2023

​S. Korea to cull some 3,300 cattle infected with lumpy skin disease

SEOUL -- South Korea will cull a total of 3,321 cows infected with lumpy skin disease after 47 cattle farms were infected by the unexpected animal pandemic that was reported for the first time in the country in mid-October. Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. When a cow is infected with the virus, the animal would show symptoms of high fever, enlarged superficial lymph nodes, and multiple nodules, lumps

October 27, 2023

S. Korea to share disease control know-how with Dubai's health authority

SEOUL -- South Korea will share its disease control know-how with health authorities from Dubai in an effort to help the emirate in the United Arab Emirates establish an independent disease-controlling body. South Korea is one of the very few countries that managed to minimize damage to human lives and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Korean government provided the administrative power and authority to its disease control body and health officials diligently and quick

October 26, 2023

Cell therapy company GC Cell joins US government's cancer prevention project

SEOUL -- South Korea's cellular therapeutics company GC Cell will take part in the United States government's Cancer Moonshot initiative, which focuses on fighting cancer through national support for drug development and early detection. GC Cell will share its expertise in natural killer cell therapies with global pharmaceutical giants such as Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. President Joe Biden is leading the Moonshot project through a public-private group called "C

October 25, 2023

Four million cattle to be vaccinated to prevent spread of lumpy skin disease in November

SEOUL -- Lumpy skin disease vaccines for some four million cattle will be brought into South Korea where the first outbreak of the extremely infectious animal disease was spotted for the first time in mid-October. The South Korean government predicted that the infection rate of the disease will eventually drop when cattle produce antibodies after vaccination. Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. When a c

October 25, 2023

President Yoon to engage in summit meeting with Qatar's Emir

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will meet Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during a two-day state visit to the Middle Eastern country. The two leaders will discuss cooperation in various sectors including defense, agricultural, cultural, and investment sectors. Yoon arrived in Qatar on October 24 for his state visit schedule designed to boost economic ties between South Korea and Qatar. The South Korean government had said that it would focus on seeking coopera

October 25, 2023

S. Korea's youth population to significantly decline: report

SEOUL -- Recent data released by South Korea's legislative agency showed that young people aged 0 to 14 could decrease by 49.6 percent to about 3.18 million in 2040 from 6.32 million in 2020. The state agency predicted the population based on the assumption that the total fertility rate would remain at 0.7 babies per couple between 2026 and 2040. South Korea is experiencing a significant aging phenomenon, with about 30 percent of its population expected to be aged 75 and older

October 24, 2023