https://www.scmp.com/rss/503886/feed Latest news and updates on the impact of a new strain of coronavirus on South Korea. The virus, which causes the disease Covid-19 and was first reported in Wuhan in China, has killed hundreds of people and infected thousands in South Korea. Many of the initial cases were linked to a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southeastern city of Daegu. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Talk to the UN world tourism organisation – since January rebranded as UN Tourism – and the message is that international tourism is well on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. But talk to tourism officials in Hong Kong, South Korea, mainland China or Thailand and the story is: not so fast. Here in Hong Kong, officials are in a sweat over the millions flitting across the border for dinner and cheap shopping in Shenzhen, and the sluggish revival in tourists coming to experience a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3257877/global-tourism-recovering-asia-its-mixed-bag-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3257877/global-tourism-recovering-asia-its-mixed-bag-best?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Apr 2024 21:30:26 +0000 South Korea will drop its Covid-19 quarantine requirements and end testing recommendations for international arrivals starting next month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the global health emergency. In lowering the coronavirus alert level from “critical” to plainly “alert” starting on June 1, health authorities will also lift mask mandates in pharmacies and small clinics but will continue require mask wearing in large hospitals and long-term care facilities and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3220165/coronavirus-south-korea-lift-quarantine-mandate-covid-19-end-testing-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3220165/coronavirus-south-korea-lift-quarantine-mandate-covid-19-end-testing-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 May 2023 07:15:08 +0000 With infections soaring again in some parts of the Asia-Pacific, a new report suggests that if the Covid-19 situation were to worsen, it could cause a far more severe economic burden on key markets in the region. The report, published by US drug maker MSD, also known as Merck in North America, found that in this projected “Pandemic 2.0” scenario, the economic burden could reach 2.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product of five markets – Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3219884/coronavirus-asia-pacific-economies-could-pay-greater-price-pandemic-20-scenario-msd-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3219884/coronavirus-asia-pacific-economies-could-pay-greater-price-pandemic-20-scenario-msd-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 May 2023 03:50:39 +0000 By Lee Hae-rin Myeong-dong, the iconic shopping and tourism district in South Korea’s capital Seoul, is flourishing again with the return of foreign travellers, driven by their love for Korean culture, dramas and cosmetics. Kai Diaz, a 26-year-old American, said in Myeong-dong that she had made a list during the pandemic of things she wanted to do based on her favourite Korean drama and YouTube, Facebook and TikTok channels. A “huge K-drama fan”, Diaz said her favourite Korean series triggered... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3214446/k-drama-and-k-pop-loving-tourists-flock-south-korean-shopping-hub-myeong-dong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3214446/k-drama-and-k-pop-loving-tourists-flock-south-korean-shopping-hub-myeong-dong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2023 10:15:08 +0000 Spare a thought for Rhee Chang-yong, South Korea’s central bank governor. Just weeks after he assumed office in April last year, the US Federal Reserve embarked on its aggressive interest rate-hiking campaign, putting an end to a decades-old regime of low inflation and low borrowing costs. At the time, South Korea – an open, export-driven economy long seen as a bellwether for global trade – appeared to be ahead of the curve, having been the first major Asian economy to raise rates in August 2021... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212032/south-koreas-outlook-foggy-will-stopping-car-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212032/south-koreas-outlook-foggy-will-stopping-car-help?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:45:08 +0000 South Korea will not require travellers from China to test for Covid-19 after arrival starting next month, although they will still need to take pre-departure tests, a senior South Korean official said on Wednesday, in the country’s latest relaxing of rules that were put in place after China’s reopening. South Korea imposed a number of border measures on passengers from China after Beijing’s decision to lift stringent zero-Covid policies, but has been easing some of them citing an improved Covid... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3211067/south-korea-drop-covid-tests-arrivals-china-march-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3211067/south-korea-drop-covid-tests-arrivals-china-march-1?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Feb 2023 06:31:08 +0000 South Korea said it will continue to restrict the entry of short-term travellers from China through the end of February over concerns that the spread of Covid-19 in that country may worsen following the Lunar New Year’s holidays. South Korea in early January stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China, citing concerns about a virus surge in the country that abruptly eased coronavirus restrictions in December and the potential for new mutations. South Korea has also required... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3208169/south-korea-extends-restrictions-china-arrivals-amid-concerns-over-post-lunar-new-year-holiday-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3208169/south-korea-extends-restrictions-china-arrivals-amid-concerns-over-post-lunar-new-year-holiday-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jan 2023 04:42:30 +0000 South Korea will drop its mask mandate for most indoor venues, as one of the last Asian countries to require coverings pivots to living with Covid-19. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Friday that the lifting of face-covering rules will take effect on January 30, though a number of places will still require masks including care homes and hospitals, as well as on public transport. “The daily number of new infections is continuing to decline and despite concerns over a spike in cases in China,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3207490/south-korea-joins-singapore-most-rest-world-scrapping-indoor-mask-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3207490/south-korea-joins-singapore-most-rest-world-scrapping-indoor-mask-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2023 03:04:33 +0000 South Korea was accused on Wednesday of having stepped up what Beijing called “discrimination” against Chinese tourists in the past week, as a dispute over travel curbs between the two Asian neighbours escalated. In a commentary, Buyidao, a WeChat account associated with nationalist tabloid Global Times, an arm of the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, called Beijing’s decision to suspend some types of visas for South Koreans “reciprocal countermeasures”. Buyidao also argued that a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206416/south-korea-accused-ramping-discrimination-against-chinese-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206416/south-korea-accused-ramping-discrimination-against-chinese-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:09:51 +0000 Hong Kong has asked South Korea to withdraw “unreasonable” restrictions that restrict flights from the city to only landing at Incheon International Airport in the capital after a row between Seoul and Beijing over Covid-19 travel curbs escalated. Hong Kong authorities took to official channels on Tuesday after their South Korean counterparts announced the new measures earlier. “The Hong Kong government has written to the Korean authority and liaised with the consulate general of Korea in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3206322/hong-kong-asks-south-korea-remove-unreasonable-flight-restrictions-after-city-caught-crossfire-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3206322/hong-kong-asks-south-korea-remove-unreasonable-flight-restrictions-after-city-caught-crossfire-row?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2023 14:12:21 +0000 Beijing has made good on its promise to retaliate against countries that impose entry restrictions on Chinese travellers by suspending the issuance of some visas for South Korean and Japanese citizens. Chinese officials said the suspension was needed to protest against “discriminatory entry restrictions” on its citizens. The move came after several countries adopted pandemic-related curbs on Chinese travellers, such as requiring Covid-19 tests before departure and limiting flights. Some of those... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206229/chinas-first-retaliation-over-travel-restrictions-beijing-suspends-short-term-visas-south-koreans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206229/chinas-first-retaliation-over-travel-restrictions-beijing-suspends-short-term-visas-south-koreans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2023 04:47:49 +0000 South Korean police found on Thursday a Chinese man who went missing after testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival, and said he would be taken to a quarantine facility and could later be charged under a disease control law. The man’s disappearance after testing positive for Covid upon arrival at Incheon airport on Tuesday and being ordered into quarantine raised concern about increasing infections after China abandoned a tough “zero-Covid” policy and prepares to scrap travel restrictions as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3205666/south-korea-police-find-chinese-covid-positive-man-who-skipped-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3205666/south-korea-police-find-chinese-covid-positive-man-who-skipped-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2023 07:09:47 +0000 South Korean police have launched a manhunt for a Chinese traveller who escaped from a quarantine facility near the capital Seoul after testing positive for Covid-19. The passenger, 41, tested positive for the respiratory disease upon arrival at Incheon airport, the sole gateway for flights from China. Police said the Chinese national declined to isolate and fled from a hotel on Yeongjong Island off the west coast of Incheon on Tuesday night. CCTV footage showed the visitor was last seen at a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3205506/south-korea-hunts-chinese-covid-positive-escapee-who-fled-quarantine-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3205506/south-korea-hunts-chinese-covid-positive-escapee-who-fled-quarantine-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2023 05:01:10 +0000 Spain became the second nation in Europe to tighten Covid-19 restrictions on Chinese travellers following earlier curbs imposed by Italy that have been criticised as unjustified by the EU’s health agency. Earlier this week, Spain’s tourist board had reacted to the news that China would lift travel curbs on its citizens with a post on Chinese social media that read: “After three whole years, Spain is finally done waiting for you!” But on Friday the country’s government said that arrivals from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3205141/spain-joins-italy-placing-new-covid-controls-chinese-travellers-other-european-countries-say-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3205141/spain-joins-italy-placing-new-covid-controls-chinese-travellers-other-european-countries-say-they?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:15:10 +0000 Street vendors in Seoul’s famous tourist destination, Myeongdong, will close on Christmas Eve to prevent a possible crowd control disaster, the vendors’ union said on Sunday. They will partially close their shops again on New Year’s Eve for the same reason. The decision came after the vendors accepted the recommendation of the Jung District Office, where the shopping mecca is located. “It was not an easy decision and there were some disagreements,” Lee said, “But we came to an agreement that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3203744/south-koreas-myeongdong-street-vendors-close-christmas-eve-prevent-another-seoul-halloween-crush?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3203744/south-koreas-myeongdong-street-vendors-close-christmas-eve-prevent-another-seoul-halloween-crush?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Dec 2022 17:29:53 +0000 South Korea will soon open to digital nomads and those seeking work-holiday visas as the country gears up to revitalise tourism with its greatest cultural export: K-pop. Under the “Visit Korea Years” five-year master plan, the government plans to attract 30 million annual visitors, including K-culture enthusiasts and digital nomads. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon said the country’s K-culture juggernaut – the force behind music phenomena like BTS and hit TV shows including... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3203444/south-korea-lures-k-pop-lovers-digital-nomads-bid-become-tourism-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3203444/south-korea-lures-k-pop-lovers-digital-nomads-bid-become-tourism-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Dec 2022 11:15:07 +0000 The global spread of Covid-19 has been much altered by effective vaccines and the emergence of milder, less dangerous variants of the coronavirus. Even without vaccination, new Covid-19 outbreaks are far less likely to kill at this phase of the pandemic. But differences remain, particularly between rich and poor nations, and between the East and the West. Looking at the top 12 nations with the most Covid-19 cases so far – namely and in order, the United States, India, France, Brazil, Germany,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195597/why-east-asia-has-edge-keeping-worst-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195597/why-east-asia-has-edge-keeping-worst-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:30:11 +0000 With the value of its exports expected to exceed that of China and Germany by year’s end, South Korea is poised to be among the world’s four largest defence-exporting countries, according to a government research institute. “Defence exports this year are expected to exceed the government’s target of US$15 billion – and quite possibly reach more than US$20 billion – if export contracts with Australia, Malaysia, Norway and Saudi Arabia are finalised by the end of this year,” said a statement this... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3194927/south-korean-weapon-exports-seen-surpassing-chinas-seoul-inks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3194927/south-korean-weapon-exports-seen-surpassing-chinas-seoul-inks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:00:08 +0000 Singapore was ahead of the Asian pack when it introduced Vaccinated Travel Lanes in September 2021, and took another big step towards a full reopening when it began allowing in all fully vaccinated travellers on April 1 this year. Encouraged by the return of all those lovely international arrivals – 1.5 million in the first six months of the year – and keen for more, Singapore scrapped some of its last pandemic-era curbs on August 29. Now, non- or partially vaxxed visitors may enter without... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3190835/covid-curbs-further-ease-singapore-life-returns-normal-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3190835/covid-curbs-further-ease-singapore-life-returns-normal-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2022 00:45:18 +0000 South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was already struggling with surging inflation, rising Covid-19 cases and historically low approval numbers. Then, he launched into a potentially explosive feud with the nation’s police force. Yoon spent Tuesday defending his proposal to create a “police bureau” and assume greater control over the powerful law enforcement agency, a move that has prompted protests by senior officers. As his interior minister attempted to walk back comments comparing the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3186705/south-koreas-yoon-suk-yeol-takes-aim-police-he-battles-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3186705/south-koreas-yoon-suk-yeol-takes-aim-police-he-battles-record?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 04:03:17 +0000 A new wave of coronavirus infections is rapidly spreading through Asia, prompting warnings for residents from New Zealand to Japan to take precautions to slow the outbreak and help prevent healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. The renewed surge in cases, mostly of the BA.4/5 Omicron variants, provides a further challenge for authorities grappling with the economic fallout of earlier waves of the pandemic while trying to avoid extending or reintroducing unpopular restrictions. The New... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3185308/coronavirus-fresh-covid-19-wave-sweeps-asia-nz-warns-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3185308/coronavirus-fresh-covid-19-wave-sweeps-asia-nz-warns-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2022 10:59:16 +0000 For South Korean national Baek Hwi-jeong, China has not only been her home for nearly a quarter century, it’s also where she raised a family and became a seasoned businesswoman. She moved to China in 1998 at age 30, accompanying her husband who had received a government scholarship to study at Peking University, along with their then one-year-old son. Their move came amid the Asian financial crisis, and was just a few years after the 1992 normalisation of diplomatic relations between China and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3184473/chinas-korean-expats-students-lament-loss-jobs-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3184473/chinas-korean-expats-students-lament-loss-jobs-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jul 2022 23:00:26 +0000 North Korea claimed on Friday the country’s first Covid-19 outbreak began with patients touching “alien things” near the border with South Korea, apparently shifting blame to the neighbour for the wave of infections that hit the isolated country. Announcing results of an investigation, the North ordered people to “vigilantly deal with alien things coming by wind and other climate phenomena and balloons in the areas along the demarcation line and borders,” the official KCNA news agency said. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3183741/north-korea-blames-covid-19-outbreak-alien-things-near-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3183741/north-korea-blames-covid-19-outbreak-alien-things-near-south?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 23:34:48 +0000 Health officials in South Korea on Wednesday approved the country’s first domestically developed Covid-19 vaccine for people 18 years or older, adding another public health tool in the fight against a prolonged pandemic. In clinical trials involving some 4,000 participants in South Korea and five other countries, SK Bioscience’s two-dose SKYCovione vaccine appeared to be more effective than the broadly used AstraZeneca shots in building immunity against infections, officials at South Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3183614/coronavirus-south-korea-approves-first-home-made-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3183614/coronavirus-south-korea-approves-first-home-made-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 07:45:22 +0000 South Korea’s prime minister on Friday said the country would lift its quarantine requirement for foreign arrivals without vaccination and also start lifting aviation regulations imposed for international flights. “While there was a seven-day quarantine obligation for non-vaccinated foreign arrivals until now, such requirement will be eliminated from June 8 regardless of their vaccination status,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told a pandemic response meeting, adding the country’s Covid-19... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3180306/south-korea-lift-quarantine-rule-unvaccinated-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3180306/south-korea-lift-quarantine-rule-unvaccinated-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jun 2022 07:15:23 +0000 Financial leaders from Japan, China and South Korea on Thursday warned of risks to Asia’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and committed themselves to backing market stability and sound fiscal policy. Heightened risks included unexpectedly early rises in interest rates “in some advanced nations”, accelerating inflation, and disruption from the war in Ukraine, finance ministers and central bank governors of the three countries said in a joint statement. The statement followed an... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3177445/japan-china-south-korea-guard-against-heightening-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3177445/japan-china-south-korea-guard-against-heightening-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2022 06:19:06 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Our next chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s primary task will be to lead Hong Kong back to normality. Recently, Hong Kong’s health chief said the fifth wave of the pandemic was under control, with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3177287/john-lee-must-regain-youths-trust-get-hong-kong-back-normal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3177287/john-lee-must-regain-youths-trust-get-hong-kong-back-normal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2022 03:30:16 +0000 South Korea may have lifted its outdoor mask mandate on Monday, but one would not have guessed this was the case while walking through Seoul’s central business district. On the busy streets of Jongno-gu, home to numerous grand office buildings, many South Koreans are still choosing to keep their masks firmly on. “I haven’t been sick in the last two years, and I don’t miss it. I’d rather keep my mask on, especially when there are so many people out and about,” Kim So-young, who works in financial... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3176642/many-south-koreans-are-still-wearing-their-masks-even-after-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3176642/many-south-koreans-are-still-wearing-their-masks-even-after-law?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2022 11:45:23 +0000 South Korea said on Friday it will lift an outdoor face mask mandate next week in the country’s latest step to ease Covid-19 restrictions, despite opposition from the incoming government which labelled the decision “premature”. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the decision was made as the government could “no longer look away” from the inconveniences experienced by its citizens when the country’s virus situation was stabilising. People are still required to wear masks at events with 50... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3175926/coronavirus-south-korea-lifts-mask-mandate-despite-concerns-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3175926/coronavirus-south-korea-lifts-mask-mandate-despite-concerns-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Apr 2022 03:02:19 +0000 With its cheap and abundant manpower, China has long relished its role as the so-called world’s factory, offering lower production costs to lure global brands and retain domestic manufacturers for decades. But a gradual rise in expenses, such as labour costs, has been weakening China’s role as a go-to source of production for companies over the past five years, according to a new report by the Korea International Trade Association. Multinational firms are being increasingly pressured to move... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3175223/chinas-south-korean-firms-mull-over-whether-stay-or-go-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3175223/chinas-south-korean-firms-mull-over-whether-stay-or-go-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Apr 2022 21:30:25 +0000 By Lee Hyo-jin In South Korea, before Covid-19, face masks were mostly used by celebrities to hide their faces or were worn by people during days of high pollution. Nearly two years have passed since the wearing of one became mandatory in public places in the country. However, as South Korea moves forward from its most recent wave of infections thanks to the Omicron variant, the wearing of a mask may at some point soon become a matter of personal choice again. Daily infection numbers are... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3174650/why-many-koreans-will-wear-face-masks-after-covid-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3174650/why-many-koreans-will-wear-face-masks-after-covid-show?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:15:14 +0000 South Korea is lifting almost all social distancing restrictions, including limits on private gatherings and restaurant operating hours, as a slowing spread of infections and drop of people in critical condition have prompted authorities to class Covid-19 with other long-standing diseases like tuberculosis. Starting Monday, there will be no social distancing rules except for wearing masks, culminating the country’s drive to “return lives to normal” with a strategy that has stood out for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3174353/coronavirus-south-korea-remove-most-curbs-omicron-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3174353/coronavirus-south-korea-remove-most-curbs-omicron-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Apr 2022 03:30:19 +0000 Tokyo reported 8,026 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, seeing a week-on-week increase for the fourth consecutive day as health experts have warned of another wave of infections. The number, down 76 from the day before, is still far smaller than the some 21,000 registered in early February at the pandemic’s peak in the Japanese capital. However, the highly contagious BA. 2 sub-variant of the Omicron strain has spread rapidly in many parts of the country. Some infectious disease experts have said Japan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3173769/coronavirus-tokyo-sees-rise-cases-4th-day-india-extends-booster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3173769/coronavirus-tokyo-sees-rise-cases-4th-day-india-extends-booster?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Apr 2022 12:31:30 +0000 South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition team is reportedly planning to use K-pop to add glitz and glamour to his administration. According to South Korean media, last week Yoon’s team met executives of K-pop companies, including Hybe Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment, to discuss revitalising the highly lucrative entertainment industry and related start-ups following the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. On April 5, South Korean news agency Yonhap... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3173244/bts-may-perform-south-korean-president-elect-yoon-suk-yeols?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3173244/bts-may-perform-south-korean-president-elect-yoon-suk-yeols?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Apr 2022 11:45:13 +0000 After spending two years being socially distanced in his home country of South Korea, Kim Hoe-jun booked a last-minute flight to Hawaii, where he had enjoyed his honeymoon six years ago, giving in to his craving for overseas travel. “I bought the ticket just a week ago, but it was rather a no-brainer. It felt like I was making up for those two years not being able to go abroad often as I used to before Covid,” he said, before boarding the plane from Incheon International Airport on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3172489/south-koreans-rush-holidays-us-europe-southeast-asia-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3172489/south-koreans-rush-holidays-us-europe-southeast-asia-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Mar 2022 02:12:30 +0000 New Zealand announced it would begin reopening to international travellers from visa waiver countries, including the United States, from May 1, without any quarantine measures. In a prior statement, New Zealand’s government had anticipated a July reopening. Now, every traveller must present proof of full vaccination as well as a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test to enter the country beginning May 1. Additionally, all travellers will be given two rapid antigen tests for free upon arrival to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3171295/coronavirus-new-zealand-reopening-international-travellers-sooner-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3171295/coronavirus-new-zealand-reopening-international-travellers-sooner-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:06:40 +0000 Starting April 1, travellers who have been fully vaccinated overseas and registered their vaccination history with South Korea’s Q-Code website will be able to enter the country without a seven-day quarantine period. Travellers who have completed a two-dose vaccine series at least 14 days before their trip will be considered fully vaccinated. A one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also be accepted. If more than 180 days have passed since a traveller completed their initial vaccination series,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3170959/coronavirus-south-korea-drops-quarantine-vaccinated-visitors-southeast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3170959/coronavirus-south-korea-drops-quarantine-vaccinated-visitors-southeast?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Mar 2022 06:33:16 +0000 South Korea has reached two seemingly contradictory pandemic milestones: It recorded more than 600,000 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the most of anywhere in the world. At the same time, the country has one of the lowest virus death rates globally. While anywhere else an infection surge of this size would signal an out-of-control outbreak soon to be followed by a spike in fatalities, in South Korea the picture is more complex. South Korea Covid-19 cases, deaths shoot up to record... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3170825/coronavirus-how-south-korea-beating-covid-despite-600000-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3170825/coronavirus-how-south-korea-beating-covid-despite-600000-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:25:47 +0000 South Korea reported a record 621,328 new daily Covid-19 cases and a daily record 429 deaths, authorities said on Thursday, as the country which once took an aggressive anti-pandemic approach is set to end restrictions. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the Omicron variant was driving the record wave of infections and while a public survey revealed many expected to catch the virus, few feared serious health consequences. Daily infections are far higher than health authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3170746/coronavirus-south-korea-cases-deaths-shoot-record-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3170746/coronavirus-south-korea-cases-deaths-shoot-record-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:23:33 +0000 Vietnam is poised to welcome international travellers on Tuesday but a lack of clarity on the rules of a wider reopening while the coronavirus is still rampaging is causing confusion. It remains unclear what kind of quarantine and testing rules the Southeast Asian nation will impose on foreign visitors when it reopens after a two-year closure. It does not help that Vietnam has been seeing a surge, with daily cases averaging about 165,000 in the past week through March 14. The tourism resumption... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3170496/coronavirus-australia-lift-ban-cruise-ships-south-korea-records-deadliest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3170496/coronavirus-australia-lift-ban-cruise-ships-south-korea-records-deadliest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Mar 2022 05:18:05 +0000 Australia was able to stop an “incursion” by Beijing into the Pacific islands by talking with leaders there weekly and offering vaccine aid, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Concern over China’s military ambitions for the region, after it provided police and riot equipment to the Solomon Islands, prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to last month announce Washington would open a Solomon Islands embassy. Morrison said China had been “very clear” about aspirations to build a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3170307/coronavirus-australias-vaccine-diplomacy-pacific-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3170307/coronavirus-australias-vaccine-diplomacy-pacific-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Mar 2022 09:52:28 +0000 Tens of thousands of BTS fans gathered in Seoul on Thursday for the K-pop superstars’ first live concert in South Korea since the pandemic began – although Covid rules prevented them from dancing or singing along. The chart-topping septet’s series of three concerts – dubbed “Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul” – kicked off at the capital’s Olympic Stadium Thursday evening. Since BTS’ last performance for domestic fans in 2019, the band have garnered three Billboard-topping singles and two... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3170034/k-pops-bts-stage-first-seoul-gig-pandemic-singapore-opens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3170034/k-pops-bts-stage-first-seoul-gig-pandemic-singapore-opens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Mar 2022 16:14:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The two frontrunners in South Korea’s crucial presidential election are neck and neck in a race that is still too close to call, with about 37 per cent of votes counted as at midnight local time. An exit poll jointly conducted by South Korea’s three largest terrestrial television broadcasting companies gave Yoon a razor-thin 0.6 percentage point lead over Lee, with 48.4 per cent of the vote. Lee had 47.8 per cent. However, another poll by broadcaster JTBC showed Lee leading with 48.4 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3169852/south-korea-presidential-election-exit-polls-show-yoon-suk-yeol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3169852/south-korea-presidential-election-exit-polls-show-yoon-suk-yeol?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2022 12:08:24 +0000 Polls closed in South Korea on Wednesday evening, after a large turnout of voters cast their ballot in an election likely to have deep ramifications for the US-China competition and efforts to rein in Kim Jong-un’s nuclear ambitions. Whoever wins what has been billed as a race between Lee Jae-myung, of the liberal governing Democratic Party, and Yoon Suk-yeol, of the conservative opposition People Power Party, will face a plethora of domestic issues once in office, not least among them... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3169690/south-koreans-brave-omicron-wave-vote-presidential-election-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3169690/south-koreans-brave-omicron-wave-vote-presidential-election-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Mar 2022 21:00:15 +0000 The leader of South Korea’s ruling party was hospitalised on Monday after being attacked while campaigning for this week’s presidential election, a race already overshadowed by controversy and in which early voting has been marred by irregularities. Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil was attacked in Seoul by a man wearing a traditional robe who approached him from behind and struck him on the head with a small hammer, a video uploaded to YouTube by a Democrat campaigner showed. Reuters could... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3169558/south-koreas-ruling-party-leader-attacked-ahead-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3169558/south-koreas-ruling-party-leader-attacked-ahead-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 09:27:15 +0000 When South Korean software mogul and physician Ahn Cheol-soo emerged as a contender in the presidential election five years ago, he was tipped as a game changer and a dark horse. But he ended placing third, with 21.4 per cent of the vote, as former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-in won with 41 per cent, followed by Hong Joon-pyo of then conservative Liberty Korea Party with 24 per cent. This time around, Moon is barred by the constitution from seeking re-election for the next five-year term and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3169293/south-korea-presidential-election-could-russias-invasion-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3169293/south-korea-presidential-election-could-russias-invasion-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:00:33 +0000 South Korea kicked off two days of early voting as the country battles a record wave of coronavirus infections, while data showed inflation unexpectedly accelerated in February as rising costs weighed on voters. New daily cases hit a fresh peak of 266,853 while the number of deaths rose by a record 186 as 3,552 polling stations opened on Friday for early voting. March 9 is election day and health ministry data indicates nearly one million people are expected to be under some sort of Covid-19... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3169203/coronavirus-south-koreans-cast-early-votes-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3169203/coronavirus-south-koreans-cast-early-votes-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 04:08:54 +0000 South Korea posted a record of 219,241 coronavirus cases for Tuesday, a sharp spike after the daily tallies hovered around 170,000, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday. This is the first time the country’s case count has topped 200,000, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). There were 96 deaths, bringing the toll to 8,266. The fatality rate has fallen sharply, from 0.88 per cent before the omicron-led surge to 0.24 per cent Wednesday.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3168880/australian-prime-minister-scott-morrison-tests-positive-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3168880/australian-prime-minister-scott-morrison-tests-positive-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:40:49 +0000 New Zealanders stranded overseas by the pandemic returned home to tears and hugs on Monday as the country began dismantling some of the world’s toughest Covid-19 border restrictions. At Auckland airport, relatives carrying signs such as “welcome home my dearest daughter” scooped up loved ones allowed into the country without mandatory hotel quarantine for the first time in almost two years. “It feels amazing to be home, it’s still quite unbelievable really,” one of the passengers, John Davis,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3168651/coronavirus-tears-and-hugs-new-zealand-border-reopens-south-korea-ditches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3168651/coronavirus-tears-and-hugs-new-zealand-border-reopens-south-korea-ditches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:57:11 +0000 As South Korea continues to face rising Covid-19 case numbers, the country’s entertainment industry has not been spared, with multiple K-pop acts and popular actors testing positive for the coronavirus. On February 24, popular K-drama actor Park Seo-joon was reported to have contracted the virus, following weeks of celebrities sharing their test results and, when available, news of their full recovery. The news of Park contracting the virus, for instance, came just two days after close friend V... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3168218/covid-19-hits-bts-seventeen-enhypen-and-other-k-pop-acts-well-k?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3168218/covid-19-hits-bts-seventeen-enhypen-and-other-k-pop-acts-well-k?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Feb 2022 11:15:20 +0000