Foreigners: take Corona-care this Halloween, return to normal from Nov 1st, and Korea Sale FESTA starts next mth
K-NEWS BITES
Sat 2021-10-23 (KST)
Delivery Hero, Coupang Eats face possible curbs on quick commerce (2 min read)
Rep. Lee Dong-ju of the ruling party raised concerns over the growth of quick commerce and its influence on small retailers during a National Assembly audit this month. A private research organization will be hired to study this impact, and form the basis of a revised bill proposal next year to adjust the Distribution Industry Development Act. A group of small retailers fighting against Coupang also plan to ask the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership to ban major companies from operating in small towns.
Authorities to Conduct Special Quarantine Inspection ahead of Halloween (1 min read)
The Central Disease and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said a special inspection would be conducted jointly by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, National Police Agency, and Local Government on adult entertainment establishments and areas densely populated by foreigners. The checks will take place November 2, ahead of Halloween, to ensure that gathering restrictions, masking wearing and other quarantine rules are followed.. Foreigners found to have violated the rules could face deportation.
Health minister pins November 1 as Korea's point of return to normal (3 min read)
Kwon Deok-cheol, the minister of health and welfare, told lawmakers the response team was considering November 1 as the date of the transition. Son Young-rae, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry said, "... it must be understood there is that risk of a case rise along the way… [but] in light of the inconveniences and economic harms caused by the pandemic-related curbs, [reopening] should not be halted or rolled back on account of renewed surges." The details of the planned easing of restrictions are yet to be finalized.
Robust vaccination campaign keeps new infections largely in check (2 min read)
South Korea sees a downward trend in coronavirus infection rates, according to KDCA data. This week's confirmed cases were down by 20.3 percent as compared to the previous week. 1,440 virus cases were reported on Friday, bringing the caseload to 348,969. Sixteen new deaths were reported raising the death toll to 2725. 2,562 people were released from quarantine after making a full recovery bringing the total to 320,317. 68.2 percent of the population are fully vaccinated, with 79.2 percent receiving their first dose.
General COVID Information for residents in Korea:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Coronavirus Statistics for South Korea
South Korea space rocket test prompts fear of arms race with North (4 min read)
The launch of South Korea's launch of its first-ever homegrown rocket, comes as the country is locked into a growing rivalry with North Korea over technological advances in weaponry. Experts say that North Korea SLBM test timing that coincided with South Korea's launch of Nuri and the five days Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition was not coincidental. South Koreans are split on whether or not to develop a domestic nuclear deterrent.
South Korea test launches 1st domestically made space rocket (3 min read)
South Korea's first domestically built rocket reached the desired altitude but failed to deliver a dummy payload into orbit. President Moon Jae-in described the test as an excellent accomplishment that takes the country a step further in pursuing a satellite launch program. The country’s space agency plans to form an inspection committee to analyse what went wrong and map out adjustments before the rocket's next test launch.
North Korea among most vulnerable countries to climate change: report (1 min read)
National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), a report published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, lists North Korea as one of the 11 countries unable to cope with the growing physical effects of the environmental challenge. North Korea's poor infrastructure and resource management will weaken its ability to cope with increased flooding and drought, exacerbating the country's chronic food shortage, said the report.
N. Korean delegation to attend UN climate conference in Glasgow (1 min read)
Officials at the North Korean Embassy in London will participate in the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, set for October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow. This participation is one of the diplomatic activities Pyongyang has recently resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic hampered them. North Korea had imposed highly restrictive virus control measures, leading many countries operating missions in the North, to pull out their diplomats.
S. Korea to Launch Nuri 5 More Times (1 min read)
Following the recent first launch of the Nuri rocket, another launch is planned for May next year. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT and Korean Aerospace Research Institution, the main objective of the launch will be “to place a 1.3 ton dummy satellite and 0.2 ton performance verification satellite into a low orbit of between 600 to 800 kilometers above Earth.“ After verifying launch performance of the rocket in May, the Government will again launch Nuri next December, in 2024, 2026, and 2027.
Chronology of major events leading to S. Korea's Nuri space rocket launch (2 min read)
The article contains a chronology of major events, from June 1993 to Oct 2021, which lead to the development of South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri.
The timeline starts with: June 4, 1993, South Korea Launched the Korea Space Rocket (KSR-I) after three years of development.
And ends with: Oct. 21, 2021 ― The KSLV-II Nuri rocket lifts off.
Click the link above for the full list of events.
Doctors at top hospitals spend only 4 minutes per patient: data (1 min read)
According to Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) data, doctors at SNUH, one of the most popular hospitals, spent on average 4 minutes and 26 seconds seeing each outpatient. Patients usually wait for more than an hour at Korea’s top hospitals. Doctors at the large hospitals say it is structurally impossible for them to spend more time on each patient as they have to see at least 100 patients each day. This is further exacerbated as the proportion of patients visiting large hospitals is increasing due to a distrust in local clinics.
S. Korea to hold nationwide shopping festival next month (1 min read)
The annual Korea Sale FESTA will start November 1st and run for 15 days. FESTA will take place online and offline, with 1,276 companies intending to participate. The Government plans to issue discount coupons and hold events in cooperation with retailers in 17 provinces. It would catalyse reviving domestic consumption as the “Living with COVID-19” scheme will allow for longer business hours, and larger gatherings.
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