South Korean hospital’s ‘phone booth’ coronavirus tests | South China Morning Post
A hospital in South Korea’s Seoul has introduced phone booth-style coronavirus testing facilities that allow medical staff to examine patients safely and efficiently.
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New coronavirus cluster at South Korean church which used saltwater spray to fight Covid-19 | South China Morning Post
A new coronavirus cluster in South Korea was linked to a religious group in the northwestern province of Gyeonggi on March 16, 2020. The 46 members of the Grace River Church tested positive for the virus that causes Covid-19 after a sprayer was used to inject salt water in their mouths in the false belief that it wo…
How China is containing the spread of the coronavirus | South China Morning Post
The novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is steadily spreading around the world. While countries such as South Korea, Italy and Iran report hundreds of new infections every day, the rate of new infections in China has dropped dramatically from what it was about one month ago. How did China turn the tide at the epi…
Empty streets, lack of face masks in South Korea’s coronavirus epicentre | South China Morning Post
In Daegu,the epicentre of South Korea’s coronavirus outbreak, very few people are seen on the streets and subway stations. One of the few exceptions is whenresidents queue at the post office for hours to buy face masks, which is limited to two masks a week per person.
South Korea’s soju makers donate alcohol to fight coronavirus | South China Morning Post
Makers of soju, South Korea’s popular liquor, have joined efforts to fight against the coronavirus outbreak by donating their alcohol for the production of sanitisers. South Korea is the most-affected country outside China.
Coronavirus: US Marines learn jungle survival in Thailand as exercises go ahead despite epidemic | South China Morning Post
US marines have been dining on some very unusual types of food during jungle survival training course in Thailand. The training is part of the Cobra Gold joint exercises, which went ahead despite ally South Korea dropping out over concerns about the Covid-19 epidemic. On March 4, 2020, the soldiers showed off some o…
South Korea's 'drive-through' coronavirus testing stations | South China Morning Post
South Korea is running “drive-through” coronavirus testing centres in multiple cities, including Daegu, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak. Health officials said such facilities would lessen contact between patients.
South Korea’s coronavirus cluster world’s second-largest with more than 4,800 infections | South China Morning Post
With more than 4,800 infection cases and at least 28 deaths, South Korea now has the second-largest number of Covid-19 cases in the world outside China where the disease first emerged. Authorities have deployed the military to contain the spread of the coronavirus and urged people to refrain from outdoor activities.…
Coronavirus: Covid-19 cases continue to decline in China as global epidemic widens | South China Morning Post
China reported a further drop in new infections on February 28, 2020, as concern mounted about the Covid-19 epidemic expanding to a global pandemic. China's National Health Commission said there were 327 new cases, a reduction in the daily figure which was 433 one day earlier. South Korea reported 256 new coronaviru…
Who is Lee Man-hee and why is his secretive church linked to half South Korea’s coronavirus cases? | South China Morning Post
A secretive church has been linked to about half South Korea’s coronavirus cases. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus was thrust into the global spotlight after infections were first confirmed among worshippers in the southern city of Daegu. Founded in 1984, the sect has about 215,000 followers in South Korea and more o…
How a secretive church in South Korea became a coronavirus ‘super spreader’ | South China Morning Post
Over the past week, the number of patients confirmed with coronavirus infections has spiked in South Korea. South Korea’s daily number of new cases was the first to outpace those found in China, the epicentre of what has become a global epidemic. The South China Morning Post’s Mimi Lau, who specialises in reporting …
K-pop group BTS live-streams press conference in empty hall amid coronavirus epidemic | South China Morning Post
South Korean K-pop superstars BTS appeared in an empty hall to live-stream a press conference promoting their new album amid widespread concern about the spread of the deadly coronavirus. South Korea has seen a spike in Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus, and has called for the public to avoid mass gatherings…
Coronavirus: Churches on high alert as South Korea confirms huge rise in infections | South China Morning Post
South Korea's president announced the country is on its 'highest alert' after a dramatic spike in coronavirus infections on February 23, 2020. The Korea Centres for Disease and Control and Prevention reported 169 new confirmed coronavirus cases and three new deaths. Nearly two-thirds of the new patients are linked t…
South Korea reports second death from coronavirus as confirmed cases jump to 208 | South China Morning Post
South Korea reported the second death from coronavirus on February 21, 2020. The country also confirmed 104 more coronavirus cases, raising the country’s total number of infections to 208. More than 80 of the cases were linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southern city of Daegu, the nation’s fourth larg…
South Korean mother ‘reunites’ with dead daughter in virtual reality | South China Morning Post
A South Korean mother got to see her 7-year-old daughter who died four years earlier thanks to virtual reality. The tearful reunion was aired in a documentary by the country’s broadcaster MBC.
South Korean film ‘Parasite’ child actor cheers best picture win in Oscars | South China Morning Post
South Korean satire Parasite made Oscar history after becoming the first non-English film to win the Academy’s best picture award. The win left 10-year-old Jeong Hyeon-jun, the youngest member of the movie’s cast, overwhelmed.
In sickness and health: 6,000 couples wed at church event in South Korea despite coronavirus outbre | South China Morning Post
Thousands of couples gathered for a mass Unification Church wedding in Gapyeong, South Korea, on February 7, 2020, despite concerns about the global coronavirus outbreak. As of February 10, South Korea had 25 confirmed novel coronavirus infection cases.
Seoul sterilises Chinese market amid virus fears | South China Morning Post
The South Korean government disinfected grocery stores selling meat and food ingredients imported from China at Seoul’s Daerim Market on February 5. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, workers sprayed disinfectant in the food market near the village where many Chinese nationals live.
Eggs thrown at South Korean officials over quarantine plans | South China Morning Post
While the South Korea government is planning to evacuate around 700 citizens from Wuhan and keep them in quarantine in two cities south of Seoul, Asan and Jincheon, locals threw eggs and shouted expletives at visiting officials.
Transgender soldier discharged from South Korea’s military | South China Morning Post
Staff Sgt Byun Hee-soo is a transgender soldier in South Korea’s military who was registered as male at birth, and entered service as a man. After going through sex reassignment surgery last November, the military discharged her, claiming she had violated regulations.
North Korean state TV airs video of leader Kim Jong-un on snowy horseback ride | South China Morning Post
North Korean state television has broadcast video showing leader Kim Jong-un riding a white horse through snow and into the sunset near the reclusive state’s sacred Mount Paektu.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un warns of ‘new strategic weapon’ | South China Morning Post
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has threatened to further develop the country’s nuclear programme and introduce a “new strategic weapon” soon, according to state media on January 1, 2020. Kim’s remarks come amid tensions with the US, which did not respond to North Korean calls for concessions before the reopening of…
Activists build Christmas tree from cigarette butts in call for plastic ban | South China Morning Post
Activists from the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement built a Christmas tree out of cigarette butts to call for a ban on the use of plastic for cigarette filters. Filters made with plastic are the second most littered single-use plastic product, according to the European Union.
North Korean leader Kim opens socialist utopian resort and warns US about a ‘Christmas gift’ | South China Morning Post
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has opened the new Samjiyon mountain resort which is being hailed as a “socialist utopia”.
Deepening inequality in South Korea bites struggling youth | South China Morning Post
In South Korea, income disparity has widened since President Moon Jae-in took office in 2017.
South Korea tries to crack down on spycam porn | South China Morning Post
South Korea has a new weapon in its fight against “spycam porn” videos that have been widely shared across the country. A 16-member digital sex crime monitoring unit was set up in autumn 2019 to crack down on the videos known as molka, which are often filmed with hidden cameras and posted online without consent. The…
South Korean creator of children’s song ‘Baby Shark’ hopes to snap up another viral hit | South China Morning Post
The South Korean company that composed the popular children’s song Baby Shark believes a mix of folk music and K-pop was the “secret formula” that hooked fans of their global hit.
South Koreans run ‘vertical marathon’ | South China Morning Post
South Koreans had the chance to run a ‘vertical marathon’ on November 10, 2019. According to Hanwha Life Insurance, who hosted the event, 630 avid runners decided to conquer the 1,251 steps in the ‘63 building’, a skyscraper in Seoul.
Korean parents pray for their children before major college entrance exam | South China Morning Post
Over 548,000 students will take the College Scholastic Ability Test, also known as Suneung, South Korea’s national college entrance exam on November 14. The test is a major part of the South Korean education system and for many students, their academic life leads up to this moment. The tests last all day and feature…
‘Attending’ your own funeral: South Koreans fake their funerals for life lessons | South China Morning Post
More than 25,000 people have attended their mock funerals in South Korea, hoping to improve their lives by experiencing their deaths.
South Korea opens ‘smartphone addiction’ treatment camps | South China Morning Post
Special camps have been set up in South Korea to help smartphone ‘addicts’ break free from their dependence on digital devices and the internet.
Thousands of people make 35 tonnes of kimchi in South Korea to feed the poor | South China Morning Post
About 2,000 people participated in the annual kimchi-making festival in Seoul on November 2, 2019. Despite the first day of the event being cancelled due to air pollution, organisers said 35 tonnes of kimchi was made and shared with the underprivileged.
K-pop star ‘G-Dragon’ returns to his pop group ‘BigBang’ after military service | South China Morning Post
K-pop superstar “G-Dragon” was set to resume his music career on October 26, 2019, after completing nearly two years of compulsory military service in the South Korean army.
Kim Jong-un on horseback at Mount Paektu | South China Morning Post
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has been shown on state media riding a white horse at Mount Paektu, the reclusive nation’s most-sacred peak.
Blind Chinese woman determined to travel on her own | South China Morning Post
A blind woman in China is determined not to let her disability affect her travels. She uses technology to help her explore the world, and has already been to South Korea.
North Korea says it successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile | South China Morning Post
North Korea announced on October 2, 2019 that it had successfully test-fired a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile. The missile test was launched from Wonsan, a city in Kangwon province on North Korea’s east coast, and flew towards the Sea of Japan.
How time behind the scenes in Hollywood led to a stellar career in Asia for Mikyung Kim | South China Morning Post
Korean-born producer Mikyung Kim explains how her career creating video commercials for major brands in Asia started with a behind-the-scenes role in Hollywood.
North Korea’s ‘holy mountain’ Paektu draws tens of thousands of pilgrims each year | South China Morning Post
The spiritual origin of the Korean kingdom and the former headquarters of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung, Mount Paektu is considered sacred by many in the reclusive country.
South Korea confirms first cases of swine fever | South China Morning Post
South Korea on Tuesday reported its first cases of African swine fever, becoming the latest country hit by the disease that has killed pigs from China to North Korea, pushing up pork prices worldwide. Officials said almost 4,000 pigs would be culled.
Korean orphans tell stories of abandonment and alienation | South China Morning Post
Filmmaker Glenn Morey’s short film Side by Side tells the stories of 100 South Korean orphans. Morey was abandoned at birth and adopted by an American couple when was 6 months old.
South Korea-Japan trade war tensions flare | South China Morning Post
Thousands of Seoul residents took to the streets on August 15, 2019, to protest against Japan’s move to tighten exports of three materials to South Korea that are crucial to making chips and display panels.
North Korea unleashes series of missile tests | South China Morning Post
On August 10, 2019, North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range missiles into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
North Korea opens renovated ostrich farm in Pyongyang | South China Morning Post
An ostrich farm in Pyongyang reopened after renovations on August 9, 2019, the North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency reported.
North Korean defector’s YouTube channel tunes in to development of cosmetics from the reclusive state | South China Morning Post
Kang Na-ra defected from North Korea in 2014, and later became a YouTube star whose videos are a mix of beauty reviews, reaction videos, and vlogs.
Owner builds ‘wheelchair’ to help disabled fish stay afloat | South China Morning Post
A fish owner from South Korea, Henry Kim, decided to help one of his goldfish stay afloat. It has swim bladder disorder, which causes fish to float upside-down or sink to the bottom.
Pyongyang’s take on square dancing | South China Morning Post
Every Sunday North Koreans dance to folk music in Pyongyang’s Moranbong Park.
Son of South Korea’s former foreign minister defects to North Korea | South China Morning Post
North Korean state media reported that 72-year-old Choe In-guk, the son of a former South Korean foreign minister, arrived at Pyongyang International Airport on July 6, 2019 to ‘resettle’ in North Korea.
South Korean employees gain better work-life balance after labour law amendment | South China Morning Post
A year after the South Korean government reduced maximum working hours, more employees are striking a better work-life balance – but some are still working too much.
Major dog meat market closes down in South Korea, over 80 dogs rescued | South China Morning Post
The Gupo dog meat market in Busan, South Korea - one of the country’s largest - was shut down on July 1, 2019. Animal charities rescued more than 80 dogs, as meat vendors closed after authorities paid them out under a market-renovation project.
Internet helps 66-year-old South Korean blacksmith revive market for traditional hand tools | South China Morning Post
South Korean blacksmith Seok Noh-ki had been struggling to survive making traditional farming tools from workshop in Yeongju in the country’s remote North Gyeongsang province.