Generosity saves life, Omicron in Korea, and ‘material well-being’ the top source of meaning in life for Koreans
Happy Hanukkah!
K-NEWS BITES
Fri 2021-12-03 (KST)
Hospital staffers save patient with direct transfusion (2 min read)
“According to the [Na-Eun hospital], the patient was suspected of having renal cancer, in the left kidney, and required emergency surgery to remove it. However, the hospital was unable to proceed with the surgery due to a shortage of blood, following the decline in blood donations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” To help the patient, Joung Hae-jun, a nurse at the hospital's urology department, and Jeong Da-eun, a staff member in the psychiatry department, “volunteered to directly transfuse 2 pints (0.95 liters) of their blood for the patient, and the patient is now in recovery after successfully receiving the surgery.”
'Runaway’ police officers dismissed (1 min read)
Two police officers, one a 20-something woman with about six months on the job, and a 19-year career male officer, were both recently dismissed due to “dereliction of duty” while dispatched together to a scene in Incheon on Nov 15. The female officer was accused of “fleeing a crime scene and leaving two victims alone with a knife-wielding attacker”, while the male officer “was talking with a family member of the victims when they both heard screaming and calls for help. Only the civilian rushed in… who knocked the attacker unconscious after a bloody confrontation unarmed.” Furthermore the Incheon Police Chief also resigned over this allegedly bungled police response.
Court rules against administrative order to halt mosque construction in Daegu (2 min read)
“A local court in Daegu has decided that a district office's administrative measure to halt the construction of a mosque, due to civil complaints, should be annulled because it is unjust and had procedural flaws... The Daegu District Court, Wednesday, ruled in favor of the Islamic community there that has sought to build the Darul Emman Kyungpook Islamic Center ― a move that brought protests from those who fear the possibility of a bigger Islamic presence in the area.”
[Breaking] South Korea finds first cases of omicron (1 min read)
“The first cases of the omicron variant were confirmed in a couple in their 40s who recently traveled to Nigeria and a man in his 30s whom they met after returning. Their PCR tests, taken on the day [24th Nov] of their arrival, came back positive the next day. As both were fully vaccinated, they were exempted from post-travel quarantine and had at least a day to roam freely in Incheon, where they live. The couple’s teenage son also tested positive since. His omicron test results are still pending. Later the same evening the agency said a further two cases were identified, also among recent travelers to Nigeria, bringing the total number of known cases to five… So far all of the patients confirmed with omicron have shown mild symptoms.”
Adults Aged 18 to 49 Can Make Booster Shot Reservations from Thurs (1 min read)
“Adults aged 18 to 49 can make reservations for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots starting Thursday. This comes after the government began providing booster vaccinations to older age groups above 50 and seniors and employees at nursing facilities. According to health authorities, those aged 18 to 49, who had their second dose more than five months earlier, can reserve for a booster shot from Thursday and get vaccinated from Saturday.“
New infections in 5,000s for 2nd day, serious cases at record high amid new variant woes (1 min read)
“South Korea's new coronavirus cases and the number of critically ill patients hit record highs Thursday, heightening concerns over medical capacity amid the spread of COVID-19 and continued surge in critical cases. South Korea reported 5,266 new COVID-19 cases… It marked the second straight day that the number of new coronavirus cases has been above 5,000. The country added 47 more deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, raising the death toll to 3,705. The fatality rate stood at 0.81 percent. The number of critically ill patients reached an all-time high of 733 on Thursday.”
General COVID Information for residents in Korea:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Coronavirus Statistics for South Korea
Washington cannot force Japan and South Korea together (3 min read)
“There is little denying that the main US interest in seeking the improvement of Japan–South Korea relations is that it will allow Washington to better fulfill its Indo-Pacific strategy… If, however, the United States insists on trying to coax Seoul and Tokyo into an improved bilateral relationship on an artificial timeline, it does so at the risk that it could alienate one if not both allies as well as itself by being too overbearing… Ultimately Seoul and Tokyo will need to come to [an] agreement for their own sake, rather than simply because Washington wants them to.”
US, South Korea Updating War Plans for North Korea (3 min read)
“The United States and South Korea are preparing to develop “a new, operational war plan” to better address the growing threat from North Korea’s military. The new plan would replace existing strategies meant to respond to potential North Korean aggressions which were drawn up about a decade ago and do not account for Pyongyang’s military advances, according to senior U.S. defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity…”
North Korea's Kim Warns of 'Very Giant Struggle' Next Year to Boost Economy (1 min read)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said at a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Worker's Party's politburo on Wednesday, “It is very encouraging that the positive changes were made in the overall state affairs including politics, economy, culture, and national defense as evidenced by the stable management of the state economy and big successes made in the agricultural and construction sectors… Next year will be an important one as we should wage a very giant struggle as much as we did this year,"
N. Korea kicks up commemorative mood for late leader Kim Jong-il (1 min read)
“North Korea's main newspaper on Wednesday published a series of stories lauding late leader Kim Jong-il ahead of the 10th anniversary of his death this month… In an editorial, the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said, ‘The great leader Kim Jong-il's aspiration for a strong country ... is turning into a shining reality thanks to Kim Jong-un...’ Eyes are on whether North Korea will hold a massive public event for the upcoming anniversary, as Pyongyang usually marks every fifth or 10th anniversary with larger events.”
As Cars Go Electric, Hyundai Still Has High Hopes for Hydrogen (5 min read)
“South Korea’s biggest automaker is the only global car company besides Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. to make such a big bet on hydrogen, pledging to have all of its new commercial vehicles, including buses and heavy-duty trucks, run on either batteries or hydrogen fuel cells by 2028… Hydrogen-powered vehicles do have some advantages. They charge much faster and, though they cost a lot more to produce than EVs, they’re widely considered to be more practical for commercial use, because battery-powered trucks and buses are seen as being heavier and they take much longer to charge than hydrogen commercial vehicles.”
Koreans pick material well-being as top source of meaning in life: survey (1 min read)
“According to a survey by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, which posed an open-ended question about the meaning of life in 17 advanced economies, people in 14 countries picked ‘family’ as the most significant source of meaning in their lives, more than any other factor… Family, however, was not the top choice in Spain, Taiwan or Korea. ‘Health’ was cited by most Spaniards, while Taiwanese picked ‘society,’ which the research center defines as the institutions and attributes of where people live. In Korea, "material well-being" emerged as the top answer…”
South African who stopped Han River suicide wins Seoul honorary citizenship (1 min read)
“One September day, a South Africa-born resident of Seoul, Harvey Justin John was walking along the Han River with his parents, who were visiting him, when he saw what appeared to be a suicide attempt. He immediately threw himself into the water and rescued the drowning person. His act of bravery was officially recognized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, which conferred honorary citizenship upon him and eight other foreigners here.”
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