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Doctors should no longer hold patients hostage Medical doctors and trainee doctors are on a head-on collision course with the government over its plan to increase the number of medical students and create a new medical school. They cannot avoid criticism for holding patients hostage in their actions to oppose the plan and protect their own interests. Thousands of disgruntled medical professional..

Measures needed to avoid worst-case scenario The rapid spread of COVID-19 is showing no signs of abating, with infections spreading across the nation. It is worrisome that only seven beds are available for patients in critical condition in Seoul and the metropolitan area. The National Medical Center (NMC), now in charge of management of hospital beds for coronavirus patients, has warned of a loo..

Any violators should face zero tolerance Complying with social distancing rules and anti-infection measures is the key to containing the spread of COVID-19. This is all the more important because South Korea faces a second wave of mass infections. Yet some members of our society are making ill-conceived efforts to flout the guidelines and proper measures against the highly contagious virus. They..

Greater Seoul area students, schools should commit to two-weeks' remote-only learning With daily COVID-19 infection cases hovering in the 300s again, students from kindergarten and up to 11th grade in Seoul and its surrounding area will engage only in remote learning for two weeks through Sept. 11. There are a few exceptions, mainly high school seniors who will take the College Scholastic Abilit..

Korea should focus on protecting national interests South Korea and China have agreed to realize a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Seoul as soon as safely possible after the COVID-19 pandemic dies down. The agreement was made during a meeting between President Moon Jae-in's national security adviser Suh Hoon and Yang Jiechi, a member of the Central Committee of the Political Bureau of t..

More careful preparations needed It is regretful that the Ministry of Unification was forced to reconsider its plan to allow barter transactions between a farmers' organization in South Korea and a trading firm in North Korea. The plan was disrupted because the North's Kaesong Koryo Insam Trading Co. was found to be the subject of international sanctions. The company is an umbrella apparatus of ..

Close watch needed on sudden change in NK The country's intelligence agency triggered a controversy by reporting that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has partially delegated his authority to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong. The National Intelligence Agency (NIS) also said Kim was sharing some of his power with close aides. Lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee quoted..

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has delegated some of his authority to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong and his close aides, according to the South Korean spy agency, Thursday. However, the move is believed to have nothing to do with the leader's health, it added. “Kim Yo-jong, the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, is currently administering over..

Opposition leader should go beyond symbolism Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP), stole the spotlight Wednesday by kneeling down and bowing his head for about 15 seconds in front of a memorial tower at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju. He paid his respects to those who lost their lives during the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. He also apolog..

Rival parties should cooperate in fighting COVID-19 Scenes of political haggling over every routine issue are common at the National Assembly. But the current wrangling between the rival parties over the responsibility for the rapid spread of a new COVID-19 outbreak is all the more shameful in light of the seriousness of the problem. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has criticized the ..