Norovirus infections have increased for 10 consecutive weeks, reaching 617 cases in the third week of January.
Children aged 0–6 now account for 51.1% of cases, up 11.5 percentage points from the previous week.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency urges strict hygiene practices as there is no vaccine for norovirus.
The Korea National Institute of Health published a report highlighting key achievements in early diagnosis and prediction of dementia and Parkinson’s through the BRIDGE project.
Since 2021, the project has produced 101 papers and 5 patents across AI imaging research, intervention technology development, and Korean-specific disease analysis.
These findings support tailored disease management strategies for Koreans, and the report is available on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website.
In the past decade, new leprosy cases in Korea have been stably managed at under 10 per year.
Globally, 172,717 new leprosy cases were reported in 2024, a 5.5% decrease from 2023, while Korea saw 3 new cases in 2025 (1 Korean, 2 foreigners).
The government continues efforts in early detection, treatment, and welfare support, focusing on reducing social stigma and improving living conditions for patients.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced that average temperatures and sea surface temperatures in 2026 are expected to be higher than normal.
Using an advanced Earth system climate model, the forecast predicts above-normal temperatures (12.3–12.7°C) and near-normal precipitation (1193.2–1444.0mm) for South Korea.
The KMA urges preparedness for heatwaves, high sea temperatures, and variable rainfall, with detailed information available on the official KMA website.
Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo held over 50 meetings at the Davos Forum to address trade issues and expand networks.
He chaired the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFDA) meeting and attended the WTO Trade Ministers’ Meeting, emphasizing multilateral order restoration and global investment attraction.
South Korea is strengthening cooperation with major countries and leading WTO reform discussions, actively participating in establishing new trade norms.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and two other ministries announced a 2.1 trillion KRW investment to create a 4.4 trillion KRW venture fund in 2026.
Key focuses include AI and deep tech unicorns, regional growth, global expansion, and revitalizing the startup and exit markets across 13 sectors.
Fund proposals are accepted online from February 19 to 26, with final fund managers to be selected in April.