Category: Seoul, South Korea

Why US flags at pro-Park rallies?

Since the parliament voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye in early December, Park’s staunch supporters have relentlessly taken to the streets with Korean flags in their hands to oppose her removal from office. While the Korean flag has become a symbol of their movement to defend the president, a seemingly unrelated flag has also been carried by many of the — mostly elderly — participants at the rallies: the US flag.

Three more foot-and-mouth cases confirmed in Korea

Three fresh foot-and-mouth disease cases were confirmed in central South Korea, the agriculture ministry here said Tuesday, amid rising concerns over a nationwide spread of the animal epidemic. Cows at three farms located in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, some 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, tested positive for the contagious virus according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

South Korea culls 33 million poultry amid worst H5N6 bird flu outbreak

Facing its worst avian influenza outbreak, South Korea has culled more than 33 million poultry since the first reported case last November, officials said Saturday, while observers noted local resources to deal with the deadliest outbreak may have already been stretched too thin. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the country has culled 33.12 million animals as of Friday.

10 Things to Know for Today

The Pyeongchang Olympics have been drawn into the country’… . Somali soldiers providing security stand near a checkpoint on the eve of presidential elections in Mogadishu, Somalia Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017.

Korea confirms foot-and-mouth disease case

South Korea confirmed a case of foot-and-mouth disease at a dairy farm, the agriculture ministry in Sejong said Monday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said that 195 cows at the farm in Boeun, 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, of North Chungcheong Province, tested positive for the animal disease.

Seoul moving swiftly to ease anti-bribery law

The South Korean government has officially begun discussions to revise the sweeping anti-corruption law less than four months after it was implemented, amid much controversy and public confusion. Officials from several related government bodies, including the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, held an inaugural meeting on Tuesday to come up with a revised draft for the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

UPDATE 1-S.Korea egg import subsidies criticized as insufficient, late

SEOUL, Jan 6 South Korean egg importers on Friday criticised the government’s plans to subsidise the cost of fresh egg imports to alleviate a shortage caused by the country’s worst-ever bird flu outbreak as insufficient and too late to meet upcoming holiday demand. South Korea will spend 900 million won to support shipment costs for eggs imported by air and ship through the end of February, the agriculture ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Highly pathogenic strain of bird flu found in cats

A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu was discovered in two dead cats on Saturday, a provincial government official said, marking the first infection of the virus found in mammals in two years. The H5N6 strain of avian influenza which has infected chickens across the country was found in the bodies of the cats in Pocheon, some 46 kilometers north of Seoul, the official said, citing information from health authorities.

Big data analysis fails to stem AI spread

South Korea’s big data system for infectious diseases has failed to help prevent the spread of the country’s latest avian influenza outbreak due to its alarming pace, sources said Tuesday. The country is reeling from its worst ever bird flu outbreak this winter, slaughtering more than 22 million poultry in a desperate bid to contain the disease that has ravaged chicken farms across the country.