Korea 24 - 2022.03.02

Korea24 &ndash; 2022.03.02. (Wednesday)<br /> <br /> News Briefing: Daily COVID-19 cases topped 200-thousand for the first time as the omicron wave in the nation further gained traction. This comes as students across the nation returned to school for the start of the new academic year. (Eunice KIM)<br /> <br /> In-Depth News Analysis: The nation saw a new record number of COVID-19 cases, as students returned to school. This has raised concerns, because young children have yet to be vaccinated under the national vaccination scheme. The government has, however, still gone ahead with the controversial decision to suspend the COVID-19 pass system, assuring the public that the situation is under control. For analysis on these latest developments, Clinical Associate Professor Kang Hyun-mi (강현미) from the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary&#039;s Hospital joins us on the line.<br /> <br /> Korea Trending with Walter Lee:<br /> 1. Kim Jung-ju, the founder of Nexon, one of the biggest video game companies in Korea, passed away at the age 54 after reportedly long suffering from depression. (게임 벤처 1세대 넥슨 창업주 김정주 별세&hellip;향년 54세)<br /> 2. The US health care company, Abbott Laboratories, has expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas after the death of a second infant. (美 유명 아기분유 &#039;시밀락&#039;&hellip;섭취 후 2명 사망, 리콜 확대)<br /> 3. Apple has revealed it will halt sales in Russia in protest to the country&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine, joining other major US companies and brands. (러시아 국민, 아이폰 나이키 못하고 디즈니 워너브라더스 신작 영화도 못봐)<br /> <br /> Korea Book Club: This week we discuss a novella called &#039;There a Petal Silently Falls (저기 소리 없이 한 점 꽃잎이 지고)&rsquo; by the highly regarded novelist Ch&#039;oe Yun (최윤). Originally published in 1988, it explores the traumas left in the aftermath of the Gwangju Uprising. Our literary critic Barry Welsh tells us how Ch&rsquo;oe brings together three separate narratives to deliver a haunting and powerful work that remains influ