Seoul to accept foreign vaccinations, Japan is Korea's 'closest neighbour', and chronic car park shortages
K-NEWS BITES
Wed 2021-12-08 (KST)
[Newsmaker] Seoul agrees to accept foreign vaccination records (2 min read)
“South Korea is devising a system to accept foreigners’ overseas vaccination records, a government official confirmed to The Korea Herald on Tuesday… with more details to be announced Thursday… The comments came just hours after a group of embassies, led by the US, urged the Korean government to take urgent action to recognize foreign residents’ overseas vaccination records... It is rare for embassies to forge a united front and publicly voice their concerns about a host government’s policy… As foreign vaccinations are not recognized for non-Korean nationals, they are ineligible for vaccine passes. Without them, they are not allowed in cafes, restaurants, libraries or cinemas under a new rule that came into effect Monday.”
[Election 2022] How rival presidential candidates differ on US policy (6 min read)
“The leading contenders are Lee Jae-myung of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative opposition People Power Party… Lee, who is widely expected to continue incumbent President Moon Jae-in’s diplomacy, says he will take a ‘pragmatic and balanced’ approach, alluding he will refrain from openly taking sides between Washington and Beijing. Meanwhile, Yoon places bolstering the South Korea-US alliance as key, as well as forging stronger ties with like-minded democracies in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula and around the world.”
Activists, police clash over military radar installation in Busan (1 min read)
“The Air Force launched a surprise operation to install an anti-missile radar on a mountain in the southeastern city of Busan, sparking angry protests from residents concerned about potential health hazards from the radar's electromagnetic waves… The Air Force did not notify local authorities of the operation in advance in an apparent attempt to avoid obstruction from local [residents] and activists. The Air Force has insisted that electromagnetic waves from the radar, used to detect and trace ballistic missiles, were unharmful and that the equipment was essential in responding to missile threats.”
Parents cry foul over 'forced' vaccination (2 min read)
“Anxious parents are protesting the government's de facto ‘forcible’ measure to get children aged between 12 and 17 vaccinated against COVID-19 through its extended vaccine pass program, which included cram schools, or ‘hagwon,’ and libraries in the list of public places subject to the program. They claim the measure infringes on children's right to learn, noting the policy lacks consistency as the government previously said the inoculation of children was a decision for parents to make… Regarding the protests, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum urged parents to get their children vaccinated, saying not doing so was no longer an option.”
S. Korea to focus on containing omicron variant with tightened anti-virus measures: PM (1 min read)
“South Korea will focus on containing the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus till the end of this year as the country started to enforce tightened social distancing measures amid rising daily infections, Prime Minster Kim Boo-kyum said Monday. "The threat of the omicron variant is becoming apparent," Kim said during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul. ‘Although we do not have a clear grasp of the omicron variant, what looks certain is that it is highly contagious.’”
New cases below 5,000 for 2nd day; critically ill patients at record high (1 min read)
“The country added 4,954 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 482,310… The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients hit a record high of 774, up 47 from a day ago, stoking fears that overworked medical staffers are further stretched thin and some patients might not get enough and timely medical attention. The death toll rose 64 to 3,957, the second-highest daily figure after 70 recorded on Saturday… The KDCA [Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency ] has confirmed 36 omicron cases, up 12 from a day earlier.”
General COVID Information for residents in Korea:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Coronavirus Statistics for South Korea
South Korea's '2021 Diplomatic White Paper' describes Japan as closest neighbour (1 min read)
“South Korea's Foreign ministry described Japan as the ‘closest neighbour’ in the '2021 Diplomatic White Paper,' which detailed South Korea's international circumstances and diplomatic activities of 2020… The white paper said, ‘Korea and Japan are the closest neighbours that share values and should cooperate not only for bilateral relations but also for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world.’”
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un calls for military officers who are ‘absolutely loyal’ (1 min read)
At the Eighth Conference of Military Educationists of the Korean People’s Army held in Pyongyang over the weekend, “North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country’s military education system must redouble efforts to turn out officers who ‘remain absolutely loyal’ to the country’s ruling party, state media reported on Tuesday… The conference also reviewed ‘some deviations witnessed in the military education due to the lack of ideological awareness’, the report said, without elaborating. It was the latest in a series of events and public relations campaigns focused on boosting political loyalty as Kim prepares to mark 10 years in power this month.”
Seoul to step up monitoring fake news on N. Korea (1 min read)
“The South Korean government will beef up efforts to monitor fake news on North Korea that ‘distort the policy environment’ for inter-Korean relations, officials said Monday. On Friday, the National Assembly approved a 1.5 trillion won ($1.27 billion) budget for the unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs next year, including 200 million won to launch the new monitoring program… The ministry will consult with experts to come up with a detailed plan on the new initiative, including who will be entrusted to carry out the business, as well as the scope and method of the monitoring activities…”
What is Samsung's Harman up to? (2 min read)
“Samsung Electronics made an ambitious $8 billion investment to acquire connected car technology provider Harman in 2016. It was the most expensive acquisition of a foreign entity by a Korean company and there were high hopes of the synergy Samsung could create with Harman as a leading tech firm… Among Harman's key products is a digital cockpit featuring monitors that are replacing the traditional instrument clusters inside cars… But expectations have yet to be met. The company grew in the first three years after the acquisition, but earnings slowed in the following years. Harman is owned by Samsung, but operates independently… Samsung said it is focused more on long-term goals.”
Car owners suffering from parking shortage (2 min read)
“There were around 2 million cars in 1988 when the country hosted the Seoul Olympics. The number exploded to 10 million in 1997…and 20 million in 2014. In a few months, it is expected to reach 25 million… parking spaces haven't been growing to meet demand in most of the big cities in Korea, resulting in the chronic and worsening parking shortage problem… Authorities in Korea could learn from Japan, where people are required to secure a parking space before purchasing a vehicle. The newspaper cited an expert who advises that the government should adopt an ‘at least one parking space per household’ rule instead of complex but lenient guidelines that only benefit construction companies.” The article includes a photo of a parking lot packed with cars at an apartment complex in Apgujeong-dong of Seoul's Gangnam District.
MMCA, Incheon International Airport Corp. present artworks at airport (1 min read)
“The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and Incheon International Airport Corp. jointly opened the exhibition ‘Warming-up’ at the country’s main gateway, allowing travelers to appreciate works of art during their layover at the airport. The art is part of the collection of the Government Art Bank, which is run by the museum. Some eight works by Korean contemporary artists are shown on the fourth floor of Incheon Airport Terminal 1, where a variety of amenities are offered to travelers… The works of art will be on display through Jan. 5.” The article includes a photo of one of these artworks.
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