With Seollal coming up in about three weeks, the government has announced measures to support regional economies and people s livelihoods.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said that to minimize the spread of the virus during the holiday, there ll be COVID-19 screening stations set up across the country. Some of the screening stations will be run by the government and others by private medical institutions for a total of 620 of them.
The private institutes that choose to take part will get around 23 million U.S. dollars in total.
There will also be 74 hospitals in operation that specialize in infectious diseases.
Also, the ministry will run a campaign encouraging people to find non-contact ways to spend time together, like sending presents by smartphone or mail and meeting on video calls rather than in person.
President Moon Jae-in has picked Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Security, Chung Eui-yong as his new foreign minister. Chung has extensive experience, including three years in charge of foreign affairs and security matters as Director of the National Security Office.
The Blue House said the reshuffle is an effort to revitalize diplomacy ahead of the start of the Biden administration. “We hope he brings our diplomatic horizons and status to the next level by making further developments for peace on the Korean peninsula and the president’s New Southern and Northern Policies.”
The appointment is also believed to portray the Moon administration’s willingness to revive talks with the North, which have been severed since the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi.