yna--2020-08-12--S. Korean drama, film productions receive mixed Q2 results amid COVID-19 pandemic

The company said the strong bottom line was led by brisk overseas sales of its hit dramas , like `` @ @ @ @ @ '' `` The King : Eternal Monarch '' and `` It 's Okay to Not @ @ @ @

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's major entertainment firms have posted mixed earnings reports for the second quarter, as the novel coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on each sector.
Studio Dragon, a drama production company owned by entertainment giant CJ ENM, seems to be the biggest winner for the April-June period, during which people were asked to stay at home and enjoyed TV shows or binge-watched Netflix.
Its sales reached 161.4 billion won (US$136.1 million) for the April-June period, up 25.9 percent from a year earlier.
Its operating profit soared 56.3 percent on-year to 16.9 billion won, and its net profit surged 82.1 percent on-year to 13.4 billion won.
The company said the strong bottom line was led by brisk overseas sales of its hit dramas, like "Crash Landing On You," "The King: Eternal Monarch" and "It's Okay to Not Be Okay."
A scene from "Crash Landing On You" by tvN (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It earned 59.4 billion won from overseas sales over the three-month period, up 40.7 percent from a year ago.
On the other hand, its parent, CJ ENM, struggled with a sharp drop in sales from its filmmaking and distributing business, as the South Korean film industry experienced record-low audiences in spring.
According to a regulatory filing, CJ ENM logged 837.5 billion won in second-quarter sales, down 16.7 percent from a year earlier. Its operating profit also declined 16.1 percent on-year to 73.4 billion won.
In particular, sales of its film business plunged 81.5 percent on-year to 12.5 billion won, as nearly no film was released in the second quarter.
But CJ ENM said the COVID-19 pandemic helped its video-on-demand platform, tving, attract 66.2 percent more subscribers in the second quarter than the same period last year.
This file photo, taken on May 24, 2020, shows a relatively empty theater in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Meanwhile, CJ CGV, CJ Group's multiplex chain operating unit, has gone through the lowest of the low in the three months through June.
Its second-quarter sales plunged 91.4 percent on-year to 41.6 billion won, with an operating loss of 130.5 billion won, turning from an operating profit of 23.5 billion won.
J Contentree, which owns Megabox, one of the country's three largest multiplex chains, also swung to a net operating loss of 14.2 billion won. Its sales sank 41.8 percent on-year to 75.3 billion won.
Due to virus fears, the number of monthly moviegoers hit rock bottom in April with an all-time low of 970,000, and rose slightly to 1.53 million in May and 3.86 million in June.
CJ CGV and Megabox have adopted belt-tightening policies, including closures of theaters and layoffs, to deal with a financial crunch.
Experts said the South Korean entertainment sector, especially the film industry, will rebound in the third quarter, as the country has handled the spread of COVID-19 well, and summer blockbusters, like the zombie action film "Peninsula," have contributed to luring moviegoers to theaters.
"The worst crisis seems to be over, but there are still uncertainties," said analyst Choi Min-ha from Samsung Securities. "Their efforts to streamline business management will likely play a role in turning around in the coming months."
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Seoul stocks down late Wed. morning on profit-taking

The local currency was trading at 1,186.35 won against the U.S. dollar , down 0.75 won from the previous session @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks fell back into negative terrain late Wednesday morning on profit-taking, following a weeklong rally.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 5.62 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,413.05 as of 11:20 a.m.
The index took a breather, with investors weighing profit-taking.
Stocks advanced for a seventh consecutive session Tuesday, marking the longest streak of gains since June.
Most large caps traded mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 0.17 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix dipped 1.23 percent.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest automaker, retreated 1.96 percent, with its smaller affiliate Kia Motors falling 2.86 percent.
Internet giant Naver dipped 2.41 percent, with its rival Kakao dropping 0.85 percent.
Top pharmaceutical company Samsung Biologics spiked 5.47 percent on expectations of an expanded capacity. Samsung C&T, a large shareholder of Samsung Biologics, also hiked 4.07 percent.
Leading steelmaker POSCO shed 1.21 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,186.35 won against the U.S. dollar, down 0.75 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Civic groups asked to cancel Liberation Day rallies in Seoul

Aware of the ban , the 14 civic groups , mostly conservatives critical of the Moon Jae-in administration and its @ @ @ @ @ to hold rallies outside the no-assembly zones , but they have been asked to cancel @ @ @ @ @ government .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- The government of Seoul said Wednesday it will not permit massive Liberation Day rallies planned by various civic groups in central parts of the capital, citing fears of coronavirus transmission.
The Seoul metropolitan government said it has officially asked 14 civic groups to cancel their plans to hold rallies throughout central Seoul on Saturday, which coincides with the annual Liberation Day, a national holiday to celebrate the end of Japan's 36-year colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in 1945.
The municipal government said its decision is aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, as the Saturday rallies are expected to draw some 50,000 participants to the bustling downtown areas.
"Many civic groups are planning to organize large-scale outdoor gatherings attended by crowds of people. They were asked Tuesday to cancel their planned rallies," said Park Yu-mi, a ranking municipal official in charge of COVID-19 countermeasures, in a media briefing.
"If they don't comply, the Seoul government will mobilize all possible means, including issuance of no-assembly orders, to help stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak," Park said.
The Seoul metropolitan government already banned gatherings in public squares in the city center, including Seoul Plaza and the Gwanghwamun square, in February as part of coronavirus measures, but it has imposed few restrictions on rallies held elsewhere.
Aware of the ban, the 14 civic groups, mostly conservatives critical of the Moon Jae-in administration and its policies, declared their plans to hold rallies outside the no-assembly zones, but they have been asked to cancel their rallies by the Seoul government.
The municipal government said it will consider issuing no-assembly orders for those Liberation Day rallies in consideration of public interests, if its cancellation requests are not met.
The number of coronavirus cases in Seoul rose by six in a day to reach 1,694 as of Tuesday.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Hyundai gives name Motional to autonomous vehicle JV with Aptiv

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January , Hyundai Mobis introduced a Level 4 self-driving automation technology @ @ @ @ @ It has been conducting a motorway test of Level 3 technology in its M.BILLY autonomous @ @ @ @ @ South Korea , the United States and Europe .
Since Level 3 cars are only @ @ @ @ @ the driver must be present to take control of the car if the need arises @

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker by sales, said Wednesday it has given the name Motional to its US$4 billion joint venture with Ireland-based self-driving technology startup Aptiv.
In March, Hyundai set up the 50:50 joint company with Aptiv, to be headquartered in Boston, in order to test fully autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing services later this year.
Hyundai's decision to work with Aptiv is in line with Hyundai Motor Group's investments in overseas startups with advanced future mobility technologies as it seeks to take the lead in next-generation vehicles.
"Motional, in all of its previous forms, has been leading driverless technology for decades. Our DNA -- a combination of Aptiv's expertise in advanced technology and Hyundai's leadership in both vehicle manufacturing and R&D -- is uniquely powerful, and positions us to fundamentally change how people move through their lives," Motional President and CEO Karl Iagnemma said in a statement.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows a G90 flagship sedan with the logo of the Motional brand on it. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Motional plans to develop a self-driving vehicle platform with Level 4 to 5 autonomous technology by 2022 and supply it to global carmakers.
Hyundai said it will provide its combustion engine, all-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles to the joint firm for research activities and road tests.
There are five levels of driving automation defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers International. At Level 4, a vehicle can drive itself under limited conditions and will not operate if all required conditions are not satisfied. At Level 5, a vehicle's automated driving features can drive under any conditions.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, Hyundai Mobis introduced a Level 4 self-driving automation technology in its concept M.VISION. It has been conducting a motorway test of Level 3 technology in its M.BILLY autonomous car since last year in South Korea, the United States and Europe. Since Level 3 cars are only good for limited self-driving, the driver must be present to take control of the car if the need arises.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Amid calls for rebuilding, interim manager for last-place KBO club defends lineup choices

`` I do n't think I can simply take all 30-something players out of the lineup and replace them with @ @ @ @ @ '' Choi said Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul , before the Eagles faced @ @ @ @ @ It may not look that way from outside , but I am fostering competition within @ @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- What's a manager to do when his baseball team is so far out of playoff contention with nearly half of the regular season left?
For Choi Won-ho, interim skipper for the last-place Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the answer is to keep playing on and filling out the lineup with the players that he feels will give his team the best chance to win.
Members of the Hanwha Eagles erupt in cheers after beating the Kiwoom Heroes 7-5 in 12 innings in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
And if that comes at the expense of young players that fans feel should be getting more opportunities, then so be it.
"I don't think I can simply take all 30-something players out of the lineup and replace them with guys in their 20s," Choi said Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, before the Eagles faced the Kiwoom Heroes. "It may not look that way from outside, but I am fostering competition within the team."
The Eagles, at 21-56-1 (wins-losses-ties), are stuck in last place in the 10-team league. They're 20.5 games out of the fifth and final playoff spot, with 66 games left to play. They have virtually no hopes of qualifying for the postseason.
This seems to be the ideal time for Choi to start throwing younger players into the fire and giving them valuable experience. Winning a few more games in August and September won't make much of a difference for the Eagles' fortunes.
In this file photo, from Aug. 5, 2020, Choi Won-ho (R), interim manager of the Hanwha Eagles, watches his team in action against the NC Dinos in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
And when he first took over in early June, during what ended up being the Eagles' 18-game losing streak, Choi offered a glimpse into his approach. Within hours of being named, Choi demoted 10 veterans to the minor league and filled his roster with longtime minor leaguers or unproven rookies.
That Choi took such an extreme measure during a long losing skid made the move so compelling. He had rolled the dice with young players, rather than trying to stop the losing streak first with veterans.
Gradually, though, veterans found their ways back into the mix. And in recent weeks, some of the familiar names have occupied lineup spots.
Choi explained that the players who are getting into games these days are the ones that have won internal competitions.
"I may make a few changes depending on the opposing starters," Choi added. "But if I had to replace a veteran player, there would have to be a good reason for that. I won't make lineup changes just for the sake of change."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(LEAD) KT launches subscription-based cloud game service

It is offered on 4G LTE and 5G phones , although the company said the service works best on 5G @ @ @ @ @ and the substantial amount of data required for streaming games .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 2, 5, 6; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, said Wednesday it launched a subscription-based game streaming service, joining other telecom operators to capture the local cloud game market.
The service, named GameBox, streams PC and console games on smartphones using cloud technology and offers around 100 games at launch, including the popular first-person shooter Borderlands 3, according to the mobile carrier.
KT had prepared the service since partnering with Taiwan-based cloud gaming software firm Ubitus Inc. last year.
Models showcase KT Corp.'s game streaming service at the company's headquarters building in central Seoul on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
While GameBox is currently available on Android phones, the service will expand to Apple's iOS platform, PCs and KT's IPTVs later this year.
It is offered on 4G LTE and 5G phones, although the company said the service works best on 5G, considering its low latency and the substantial amount of data required for streaming games.
The telecom operator said it targets 1 million GameBox subscribers by 2022 and is considering plans to expand the service abroad based on its progress in the local market.
KT's service is set to heat up competition in the local game streaming market.
Leading mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. has partnered with Microsoft Corp. to launch its Xbox cloud game service next month.
Major telecom operator LG Uplus Corp. has offered Nvidia Corp.'s GeForce NOW game streaming service since last year.
South Korea's game market ranked the fourth largest globally in 2018, after the United States, China, and Japan, being worth 14.3 trillion won (US$12 billion), according to the Korea Creative Content Agency.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin takes no-decision after strong start in 'home opener'

Due to COVID-19 restrictions , the Blue Jays have been banned from playing their home games in Toronto .
They @ @ @ @ @ Park in Pittsburgh with the Pirates before the state health authorities in Pennsylvania rejected the @ @ @ @ @ on Buffalo , but Sahlen Field needed some upgrades in its lighting , club house @ @ @ @ @ major league standards .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- With his bullpen blowing a three-run lead with two outs in the ninth, Toronto Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin instead settled for a no-decision despite a strong performance.
Ryu pitched six fine innings against the Miami Marlins, giving up just one run on two hits while striking out seven at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday (local time). The only blemish was a solo home run by Brian Anderson to start the second inning.
In this Associated Press photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Miami Marlins during the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Ryu was done after the top of the sixth inning with the Blue Jays down 1-0. Then they went double-double-home run to start the bottom sixth to jump out to a 3-1 lead, with Bo Bichette delivering the three-run jack to put Ryu in line for the win.
The Jays scored again in the seventh, scoring more than three runs for the first time in seven games.
But the bullpen that had been among the best in the American League squandered all of that with two outs in the ninth inning, as closer Anthony Bass gave up a game-tying, three-run home run to Francisco Cervelli on a 3-0 pitch.
Two relievers ahead of Bass, Rafael Dolis and Jordan Romano, threw a perfect seventh and eighth, but Bass couldn't match that performance.
The Blue Jays won 5-4 thanks to Travis Shaw's bases-loaded single in the bottom 10th.
Ryu remained at 1-1 for the year but lowered his ERA from 5.14 to 4.05.
He had allowed eight earned runs in his first nine innings across two starts. But over the past two starts, he has held opponents to just one earned run on three hits in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts.
This was the Blue Jays' "home opener" at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York. It's the home of the Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Bisons, but with minor league seasons all canceled and major league season also being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, it will serve as the Blue Jays' home for 2020.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Blue Jays have been banned from playing their home games in Toronto. They were hoping to share PNC Park in Pittsburgh with the Pirates before the state health authorities in Pennsylvania rejected the plan. The Jays settled on Buffalo, but Sahlen Field needed some upgrades in its lighting, club house and other amenities to meet major league standards.
The Blue Jays ended up spending 21 days on the road before arriving in Buffalo. They batted last against the Washington Nationals in Washington for two games late last month, but Major League Baseball (MLB) has said Tuesday's contest in Buffalo will be considered the first official home game for the Blue Jays.
Ryu pitched around a two-out walk in the first inning. He served up the leadoff home run to Anderson in the second but got three quick outs, two via strikeouts, to avoid further damage.
In this Getty Images photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Miami Marlins during the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
After a strikeout to open the third, an infield single and an error by shortstop Bichette put runners at first and second. Bichette quickly atoned for his miscue, by starting an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.
Ryu then had his first three-up, three-down inning in the fourth, needing just 16 pitches to retire the side in order.
He walked Lewis Brinson to begin the fifth but sat down the next three batters to strand the lone runner. Logan Forsythe and Monte Harrison both struck out looking at a cutter that inning.
A strikeout and a pair of groundouts took care of the sixth inning for Ryu, who finished with 92 pitches, 57 of them for strikes.
Ryu received congratulations in the dugout for the job well done, though he seemed headed for a hard-luck loss with zero run support. The Blue Jays had managed just one hit, a single, off the Marlins' starter Eliesser Hernandez through five innings.
Then in the bottom sixth, the bats woke up. Danny Jansen led off with a double to left field, and Cavan Biggio followed with a double of his own.
Biggio's ball hit the top of the fence in left, and Jansen, unsure if the ball would be caught, got a late start and had to stop at third.
Bichette made sure it wouldn't matter, as he drilled a three-run homer off a light tower in left field for a 3-1 lead. It also drew a rare smile from Ryu in the dugout.
Biggio's two-out single in the seventh put the Jays up 4-1, and that was enough for the stout backend of the bullpen.
That should have been enough of a cushion, though Bass gave up a double and a walk before Cervelli's devastating blow.
But the Jays found a way to win in the bottom 10th, as Shaw delivered the winning hit off Stephen Tarpley.
In this Getty Images photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Miami Marlins during the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
In his last outing, Ryu kept the Atlanta Braves off balance with his bread-and-butter changeup. He went to his fastball and cutter more than the changeup this time, while also mixing in an occasional curve.
Of Ryu's seven strikeouts, three came with four-seam fastballs, plus two with cutters, one each with a curve and a changeup.
Ryu, usually stingy with walks, issued two free passes in this game. This was the third time in his first four starts of this season that he's given up multiple walks -- matching the total from all of last year when he made 29 starts.
He's up to nine walks in 20 innings in 2020, compared to 24 walks in 182 2/3 innings in 2019.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Showers expected for S. Korea as record-long monsoon persists

The recent downpours that pounded the central region caused serious damage across the country , killing 33 and leaving nine @ @ @ @ @ 7,000 have been displaced from their homes , with thousands of cases of damage reported @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- While heavy rains that have killed more than 30 in South Korea have eased, showers were expected for most parts of the country Wednesday as the country's monsoon season continued for 50 days.
Showers measuring 20 to 80 millimeters, accompanied by thunder and lightning, were forecast for most parts of the country later in the day, with the exception of the eastern coastal area, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
This year's monsoon marked the country's longest season after a 49-day streak in 2013. It also marked the first monsoon season in decades that extended into mid-August.
The recent downpours that pounded the central region caused serious damage across the country, killing 33 and leaving nine others missing. More than 7,000 have been displaced from their homes, with thousands of cases of damage reported at facilities across the country.
Pedestrians struggle to hold onto their umbrellas as heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds, poured in the southeastern port city of Busan on Aug. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Signs and debris are scattered on the ground in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, on Aug. 10, 2020, following heavy rains. (Yonhap)
Jamsu Bridge, which connects the southern and northern parts of the Han River in Seoul, has remained inundated for a record 11 days. Pedestrian and car entry to the bridge is restricted when water levels rise over 6.5 meters.
The KMA expected wet weather to continue throughout this week, with another bout of heavy rain forecast for parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi, Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces later this week.
Separately, a heat advisory has been issued for parts of the country, including coastal areas in Gangwon, Daegu and the southern resort island of Jeju, with daytime highs forecast to reach 28 to 35 C.
The mercury was expected to surge above 35 C in the inner areas of Gyeongsang Province and Gangwon's coastal areas, with the temperature staying above 25 C in some places.
Jamsu Bridge, which connects the northern and southern areas of the Han River in Seoul, remains restricted on Aug. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , Aug. 12 ( Yonhap ) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates ( KORIBOR ) as posted by Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ and information arm of Yonhap News Agency , at 11:00 a.m .

(URGENT) N. Korea says Travis King decided to come over to N. Korea because he harbored ill feeling within the U.S. Army: KCNA


yna--2020-08-12--HDC, Kumho still sparring over breakthrough in stalled Asiana deal

The two companies said they are `` in talks to proceed with the meeting , '' but they appear to @ @ @ @ @ gap running deep over the purpose and logistics of the meeting .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- HDC Hyundai Development Co. and Kumho Industrial Co. are still divided over a meeting to find a breakthrough in the stalled deal over Asiana Airlines Inc., industry sources said Wednesday.
The HDC-led consortium signed the deal in December to acquire a 30.77 percent stake in Asiana from Kumho Industrial, a construction unit of Kumho Asiana Group, as well as new Asiana shares to be issued and Asiana's six affiliates, for 2.5 trillion won (US$2.2 billion).
The consortium was originally planning to complete the acquisition by June 27. But the pandemic emerged as a major stumbling block to the deal.
HDC and Kumho Industrial recently agreed on the top-level meeting to push forward the deal following months of disputes over acquisition terms that HDC argues have changed dramatically due to the new coronavirus outbreak early this year.
The two companies said they are "in talks to proceed with the meeting," but they appear to have difficulties in narrowing the gap running deep over the purpose and logistics of the meeting.
This file photo shows HDC's company logo and Asiana Airlines' planes at a local airport. (Yonhap)
HDC wants a second round of due diligence on Asiana Airlines to figure out the carrier's current financial status amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But Kumho Industrial wants the meeting to be focused on completing the deal, according to the companies.
"We want working-level officials (of the two companies) to meet and discuss the agenda (for the CEOs' meeting) first and then have the CEOs meet for a resolution," a Kumho official said over the phone.
Concerns over the possible rupture of the deal grew bigger in June when HDC called for renegotiations with Kumho and Asiana creditors over the acquisition terms, describing the virus crisis as a "never expected and very negative factor" that will affect its planned acquisition of Asiana.
HDC demanded renegotiations through written documents, but the main creditor Korea Development Bank (KDB) asked the company to hold face-to-face talks.
Back then, HDC cited snowballing debts of the airline as another reason for renegotiations.
Asiana's debts jumped by 4.5 trillion won from July last year to March this year, and its debt-to-equity ratio skyrocketed by 16,126 percent during the same period.
HDC also asked for another round of due diligence for 12 weeks from mid-August on the debt-ridden carrier, which was balked at by Kumho and the KDB.
Asiana has suspended most of its flights on international routes as more than 180 countries have strengthened entry restrictions amid virus fears this year.
From January to June, its net losses deepened to 432.88 billion won from 267.4 billion won in the same period of last year.
To help Asiana stay afloat, the KDB and the Export-Import Bank of Korea plan to inject a combined 1.7 trillion won into Asiana. Last year, the two state lenders extended a total of 1.6 trillion won to the carrier.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--S. Korea to promote 'heukdon' pigs amid rising demand for premium pork

`` Local consumers ' demand for premium pork products has been increasing recently , leading to a hike in imports @ @ @ @ @ '' the Rural Development Administration said in a statement .
`` We found it necessary @ @ @ @ @ in sync with the changing demand . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Wednesday that it will speed up efforts to supply the "heukdon" breed of pigs to local farms to meet rising demand for premium pork products in the country.
"Local consumers' demand for premium pork products has been increasing recently, leading to a hike in imports of black Iberico pork," the Rural Development Administration said in a statement. "We found it necessary to promote our own breed in sync with the changing demand."
Heukdon refers to a type of black-colored pig that was standardized in South Korea in 2015. They are considered to be more fatty and savory compared to other domestic pigs.
This undated file photo provided by the Rural Development Administration shows the "heukdon" breed of pig. (Yonhap)
Under the project, the organization plans to supply some 400 heukdon pigs to 20 farms across the nation starting this month.
The organization said the pigs can reproduce to reach 50,000, taking up to a quarter of the total number of black pigs being raised here.
Local farms are currently estimated to be raising around 190,000 black-colored pigs. Of the number, a whopping 87 percent are imported breeds.
The organization said the locally bred heukdon pigs can create wealth of around 17.6 billion won (US$14.8 million) when they replace the local demand for imported Iberico pork.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Celltrion's coronavirus test kits hit U.S.

The POCT kit is a portable and highly sensitive device that reduces the test time to 10 minutes , according @ @ @ @ @ time is considered the quickest among kits available on the market .

By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonahp) -- South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion Inc. said Wednesday that its two kinds of diagnostic kits for the novel coronavirus began sales in the United States.
A point-of-care antigen testing (POCT) kit, dubbed "Sampinute," co-developed by local health care firm BBB, was commercialized following emergency approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Celltrion said.
This photo, provided by South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion Inc. on Aug. 12, 2020, shows the company's two diagnostic kits for the novel coronavirus. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The POCT kit is a portable and highly sensitive device that reduces the test time to 10 minutes, according to Celltrion. The test time is considered the quickest among kits available on the market.
Celltrion said a rapid antibody diagnostic test (RDT) kit for the coronavirus, named "DiaTrust," also came out in the market. The test is co-developed by South Korean in-vitro diagnostic company Humasis.
The new antibody detection test is most suitable for identifying acute or early infection of the COVID-19 virus, Celltrion said.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(2nd LD) Top N.K. official visits flood-hit area, calls for quick rehabilitation

Seoul 's unification ministry reiterated Wednesday that it is willing to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea irrespective of political @ @ @ @ @ has no immediate plan to help with the North 's rehabilitation efforts , given that @ @ @ @ @ the damage there .

(ATTN: ADDS unification ministry's comments on N. Korea in para 10)
By Koh Byung-joon and Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- A top North Korean official visited a flood-hit county in the country's western area, calling for stepped-up efforts to quickly rehabilitate the damage caused by recent heavy downpours, state media said Wednesday.
Pak Pong-ju, vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission, toured various places, including a co-op farm, in Taechong-ri of Unpha County in North Hwanghae Province and learned "in detail about flood damage and the rehabilitation," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
"He underlined the need to rearrange all the waterways in the farm under a well-worked-out plan, minimize the damage in the rainy season by quickly rehabilitating the drain pumping stations, and take scientific and technological care for the healthy growth of flood-afflicted crops," the KCNA said.
Party officials and their families have also provided "lots of materials for the earlier stabilization of the living of the inhabitants in the damaged area," the KCNA added.
Pak's trip came after leader Kim Jong-un visited the county last week and instructed officials to release grain from his special stock to the flood victims and facilitate the use of necessary supplies in rebuilding the damaged sites.
Earlier this week, state media said that a shipment of grain Kim promised had reached those in need.
The county has been one of areas hardest-hit by recent heavy rainfall in the North. State media earlier reported that nearly 730 homes and 600 hectares of rice fields have been flooded and 179 homes destroyed in the county after a levee broke as heavy rainfall pounded the area for days.
The United Nations said Tuesday (U.S. time) it is willing to help North Korea recover from the flood damage, as "unusually heavy rains" hit the country this month.
"The U.N. team is in contact with authorities and stands ready to support its response to the most vulnerable communities if required and requested," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. chief, said in a press briefing.
Seoul's unification ministry reiterated Wednesday that it is willing to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea irrespective of political considerations but noted that it has no immediate plan to help with the North's rehabilitation efforts, given that little information is available on the damage there.
North Korea is known to be vulnerable to flooding due to poor irrigation and deforestation. Last summer, a strong typhoon pummeled the North, wreaking havoc on its farming areas.
The recent heavy downpours came as the North has been striving to prevent the flow of the new coronavirus on to its soil. It recently declared a state of emergency and put the border town of Kaesong under lockdown, claiming that a "runaway" defector suspected of COVID-19 infection came back from the South.
Pak Pong-ju, vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission, visits a flood-hit area in Taechong-ri of Unpha County in North Hwanghae Province in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 12, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(LEAD) Gov't doubles state aid for disaster relief

Special disaster areas get state support that can cover up to 80 percent of the expenditures needed for damage recovery @ @ @ @ @ areas receive state aid for livelihood costs and reductions in utility bills , health insurance @ @ @ @ @ , as well as exemptions from reserve forces training and other military duties .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in last 7 paras; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government on Wednesday decided to double the state aid for disaster relief and recovery, as the unusually prolonged rainy season has wrecked havoc on houses, farm land and infrastructure nationwide.
The decision was made during a meeting among the government, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and Cheong Wa Dae at the National Assembly.
"In the case of a death, state support will be raised to 20 million won (US$16,880) from the current 10 million won," said DP spokesman Kang Hoon-sik during a briefing, adding a flood victim will get 2 million, up from the original 1 million won. The current disaster aid scheme was drawn up in 1995.
Discussion on a potential supplementary budget, which the ruling party toyed with, has been deferred to a later time, as the current budget is deemed sufficient to cover recovery efforts.
A house is destroyed by torrential rains in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, on Aug. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The central government has 3 trillion won in budget, with some in reserve, while provincial governments have around 2.4 trillion won," Kang elaborated. "So it is enough to cover 500 billion won, the estimated cost needed for recovery."
The government is working on swiftly expanding the special disaster areas by streamlining the bureaucratic process, he said, beyond the seven cities and counties designated last week.
The seven are Anseong of Gyeonggi Province; Cheorwon of Gangwon Province; Chungju, Jecheon and Eumseong of North Chungcheong Province; and Cheonan and Asan of South Chungcheong Province.
"Damage inspections have been launched in Gwangju, North Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province," he said, adding the results will be made within this week.
Special disaster areas get state support that can cover up to 80 percent of the expenditures needed for damage recovery. Flood victims in the areas receive state aid for livelihood costs and reductions in utility bills, health insurance premiums and other public charges, as well as exemptions from reserve forces training and other military duties.
Meanwhile, the government plans to start working on river maintenance to alleviate flooding and help land drainage.
Record-setting downpours have left 42 people killed or missing. More than 7,200 people have been displaced.
Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan (C) speaks during a government meeting to discuss state aid for flood recovery efforts, at the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Doosan Heavy inks 220 bln won deal to build waste-to-energy plant

Under the deal with Polish energy company Dobra Energia , Doosan Heavy and its German affiliate , Doosan Lentjes , @ @ @ @ @ Olsztyn , 200 kilometers north of Warszawa , the capital city of Poland , Doosan @ @ @ @ @ statement .

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top power plant builder, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., said Wednesday that it has signed a 220 billion won (US$185.6 million) deal to build a power plant using waste in Poland.
Under the deal with Polish energy company Dobra Energia, Doosan Heavy and its German affiliate, Doosan Lentjes, will build the plant in Olsztyn, 200 kilometers north of Warszawa, the capital city of Poland, Doosan Heavy said in an emailed statement.
The plant will provide 12 megawatts worth of electricity and heat to the area surrounding it by turning about 300 tons of waste into energy, the company said.
This photo shows the logo of Doosan Group, including Doosan Heavy, in front of its headquarters in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The construction of the plant will be completed by 2023, with Doosan Heavy managing the overall project.
Doosan Heavy's Czech turbine-making subsidiary Doosan Skoda Power is slated to provide a 12 megawatt small-sized gas turbine to the Polish project, Doosan Heavy said.
"With the project, we will aggressively expand our presence in the European WtE (Waste-to-Energy) market, whose volume is expected to grow 1.6 gigawatts by 2024," Doosan Heavy added.
Doosan Group has been struggling to tide over its cash shortage crisis triggered by Doosan Heavy.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(2nd LD) Moon taps former Gangwon vice governor as new communication secretary

He replaces Yoon Do-han , who tendered his resignation last week along with Moon 's Chief of Staff Noh Young-min @ @ @ @ @ amid public anger over the government 's failure to stabilize the housing market .

(ATTN: UPDATES with Cabinet reshuffle possibility, other details in last 5 paras)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in named Chung Man-ho, former vice governor of Gangwon Province, as his new senior secretary for public communication on Wednesday, Cheong Wa Dae said.
He also tapped Yoon Chang-yul, an official at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, as senior secretary for social policy, according to presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok.
Chung served as vice governor of the eastern province for economic affairs for three years from 2017 after working as policy situation and protocol secretary to President Roh Moo-hyun in the early 2000s.
He worked as a reporter at the Korea Economic Daily, a Seoul-based newspaper, from 1984 till 2001.
He replaces Yoon Do-han, who tendered his resignation last week along with Moon's Chief of Staff Noh Young-min and four other senior secretaries amid public anger over the government's failure to stabilize the housing market.
Moon plans to formally appoint the two new secretaries Thursday.
Asked during a press briefing if Noh will maintain his job, a Cheong Wa Dae official reiterated, "It's hard to answer (the question) as it's a matter related to the president's personnel affairs rights."
The nominee for new social policy secretary is a longtime civil servant, having worked as a minister at South Korea's Embassy in Malaysia.
Earlier this week, Moon replaced his senior secretaries for political affairs and civil affairs as well as civic and social affairs.
Moon has installed new figures into seven of 15 senior secretary and higher posts at Cheong Wa Dae over the past month.
The move is widely viewed as being aimed at giving fresh momentum to the remainder of his presidency to end in May 2022. Moon's approval rating has dropped markedly in recent weeks, multiple opinion polls showed.
Many expect him to carry out a Cabinet shake-up in the near future as well.
The outgoing social policy secretary, Kim Yeon-myoung, is reportedly among the shortlist of health minister candidates.
It remains unclear whether Moon will replace his chief of staff for policy, Kim Sang-jo, and other economy-related top Cheong Wa Dae aides, who are in charge of real estate policy, anytime soon.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--New daily virus cases spike to over 50 on church-linked infections

A total of 33 cases have been linked to a church in Goyang , just north of Seoul , as @ @ @ @ @ The outbreak at the church has also led to infections at the Namdaemun Market in @ @ @ @ @ care center in Goyang .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked to above 50 on Wednesday, as an uptick in church-traced infections shows no signs of a letup.
The country identified an additional 54 virus cases, including 35 local infections, raising the total caseload to 14,714, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marked the first time since July 26 that the daily new COVID-19 cases hovered above 50. The number had remained between 20 and 40 this month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 13 were reported in Seoul and 19 others in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said. The southeastern city of Busan added three more cases of COVID-19.
In this photo, taken on Aug. 11, 2020, health workers give a citizen a COVID-19 test at a makeshift clinic near Namdaemun Market in Seoul after eight merchants there tested positive for the virus. (Yonhap)
Domestic cases fell to as low as just three on Aug. 3, but sporadic cluster infections, most tied to churches in the capital area, have led to yet another flare-up of the coronavirus.
A total of 33 cases have been linked to a church in Goyang, just north of Seoul, as of Tuesday at noon. The outbreak at the church has also led to infections at the Namdaemun Market in central Seoul and a day care center in Goyang.
A total of 22 cases have been traced to another church in Goyang, and 12 cases have been also identified at a church in Gimpo, just west of Seoul.
South Korea had banned church members from having gatherings other than regular worship services amid the soaring number of virus patients, but it decided to lift the regulation on July 24.
South Korea reported 19 imported cases. The daily rise in imported cases stayed at between 10 and 20 for the third straight day.
Eight of them tested positive for the virus in the screening process at either an airport or a seaport, while 11 others were tested positive for the virus while under self-quarantine, according to the public health agency.
The total number of imported cases is now at 2,591.
The country reported no new virus deaths for the third consecutive day, keeping the number of fatalities at 305, according to the KCDC. The fatality rate reached 2.07 percent.
The number of patients fully cured of the virus reached 13,786, up 57 from the previous day.
South Korea has carried out 1,646,652 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(URGENT) 57 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 13,786: KCDC


yna--2020-08-12--BLACKPINK's new single to feature American pop star Selena Gomez

`` How You Like That '' garnered an enormous international following upon its release , setting five new Guinness World @ @ @ @ @ 's music video on YouTube and landing at No .
33 on the Billboard Hot @ @ @ @ @ States .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- K-pop group BLACKPINK's upcoming single album will feature American pop idol Selena Gomez, the group's agency announced Wednesday.
YG Entertainment posted a new teaser poster for the yet-unnamed single on the company's official blog, with the phrase "BLACKPINK & Selena Gomez" and the release date of Aug. 28 written over the image.
The upcoming song marks BLACKPINK's third international collaboration. The K-pop act was featured in Dua Lipa's "Kiss and Make Up" released in 2018 and Lady Gaga's "Sour Candy" put out in May of this year.
The new single is a follow-up to the quartet's hit song "How You Like That," released in late June. BLACKPINK also plans to release its first full-length studio album on Oct. 2.
"How You Like That" garnered an enormous international following upon its release, setting five new Guinness World Record titles for the song's music video on YouTube and landing at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
One of the biggest K-pop girl groups today, BLACKPINK landed a successful debut in 2016, storming multiple music charts back to back with its edgy hip-hop tracks, "Whistle" and "Boombayah." Other hits include "Playing With Fire" and "Kill This Love."
A teaser image for BLACKPINK's upcoming single album, which will feature American pop star Selena Gomez. Image provided by YG Entertainment (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(4th LD) Gov't doubles state aid for disaster relief

(ATTN: ADDS more info in para 10)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government on Wednesday decided to double the state aid for disaster relief and recovery, as the unusually prolonged rainy season has wrecked havoc on houses, farm land and infrastructure nationwide.
The decision was made during a meeting among the government, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and Cheong Wa Dae at the National Assembly.
"In the case of a death, state support will be raised to 20 million won (US$16,880) from the current 10 million won," said DP spokesman Kang Hoon-sik during a briefing, adding a flood victim will get 2 million, up from the original 1 million won. The current disaster aid scheme was drawn up in 1995.
Discussion on a potential supplementary budget, which the ruling party toyed with, has been deferred to a later time, as the current budget is deemed sufficient to cover recovery efforts.
A house is destroyed by torrential rains in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, on Aug. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The central government has 3 trillion won in budget, with some in reserve, while provincial governments have around 2.4 trillion won," Kang elaborated. "So it is enough to cover 500 billion won, the estimated cost needed for recovery."
Kang said the government is working on swiftly expanding the special disaster areas by streamlining the bureaucratic process, beyond the seven cities and counties designated last week.
The seven are Anseong of Gyeonggi Province; Cheorwon of Gangwon Province; Chungju, Jecheon and Eumseong of North Chungcheong Province; and Cheonan and Asan of South Chungcheong Province.
"Damage inspections have been launched in Gwangju, North Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province," he said, adding the results will be made within this week.
Special disaster areas get state support that can cover up to 80 percent of the expenditures needed for damage recovery. Flood victims in the areas receive state aid for livelihood costs and reductions in utility bills, health insurance premiums and other public charges, as well as exemptions from reserve forces training and other military duties.
President Moon Jae-in (R) talks with merchants at Hwagae Market in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, which suffered damage caused by heavy rains, on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
President Moon Jae-in (R) looks around a river bank and road, devastated by torrential rains, in Gurye, South Jeolla Province on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Later in the day, during his visit to a flood-hit area, President Moon Jae-in ruled out the possibilty of a supplementary budget. He said an extra budget is not needed since the central government and municipalities have enough funds to support relief efforts.
President Moon Jae-in visited three southern areas battered by torrential rains to check flood damages and console local residents. He used the presidential KTX bullet train, code-named Train One, for several hours of visits to Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, Gurye, South Jeolla Province, and Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.
On his way to Hadong, the first destination, he received a 45-minute briefing on recovery work and efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in areas damaged by floods, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
Moon instructed related officials to do their best to swiftly designate affected regions as special disaster zones eligible for financial assistance, Kang said.
Moon inspected devastated sites and met with people there.
The president's travel distance during the day reached 767 kilometers, Kang added.
President Moon Jae-in (L) inspects a wrecked farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, along with other officials on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Meanwhile, the government plans to start working on river maintenance to alleviate flooding and help land drainage.
Record-setting downpours have left 42 people killed or missing. More than 7,200 people have been displaced.
President Moon Jae-in (L, back) receives a briefing on flood damage and recovery work aboard the presidential bullet train on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--LG Electronics joins hands with local partners for 6G tech

LG said it expects the commercialization of 6G system in 2029 , and that the technology will open the era @ @ @ @ @ Everything , '' where humans , objects , and space are connected with artificial intelligence @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- LG Electronics Inc. signed a deal Wednesday with local partners to develop 6G telecommunication technologies, the company said.
South Korea's No. 2 tech firm partnered with the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to develop technologies for the next-generation wireless communications system.
The three will focus on researching terahertz frequencies and solutions that can deliver 1 terabyte-per-second data transmission speed.
LG said it expects the commercialization of 6G system in 2029, and that the technology will open the era of "Ambient Internet of Everything," where humans, objects, and space are connected with artificial intelligence solutions.
The latest partnership expands LG's collaboration with KAIST. Last year, LG opened a 6G research lab at KAIST in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, to develop core technologies for the 6G network.
This photo provided by LG Electronics Inc. on Aug. 12, 2020, shows officials from LG Electronics, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology posing for a photo after signing a partnership on 6G technology development in Daejeon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(3rd LD) New daily virus cases spike to over 50 on church-linked infections

A total of 34 cases have been linked to a church in Goyang , just north of Seoul , up @ @ @ @ @ .
The outbreak at the church has also led to infections at the Namdaemun Market @ @ @ @ @ day care center in Goyang .

(ATTN: UPDATES 9th para)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked to above 50 on Wednesday, as an uptick in church-traced infections shows no signs of a letup.
The country identified an additional 54 virus cases, including 35 local infections, raising the total caseload to 14,714, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marked the first time since July 26 that the daily new COVID-19 cases hovered above 50. The number had remained between 20 and 40 this month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 13 were reported in Seoul and 19 others in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said. The southeastern city of Busan added three more cases of COVID-19.
In this photo, taken on Aug. 11, 2020, health workers give a citizen a COVID-19 test at a makeshift clinic near Namdaemun Market in Seoul after eight merchants there tested positive for the virus. (Yonhap)
Domestic cases fell to as low as just three on Aug. 3, but sporadic cluster infections, most tied to churches in the capital area, have led to yet another flare-up of the coronavirus.
A total of 34 cases have been linked to a church in Goyang, just north of Seoul, up one from a day earlier. The outbreak at the church has also led to infections at the Namdaemun Market in central Seoul and a day care center in Goyang.
A total of 22 cases have been traced to another church in Goyang, and 17 cases have been also identified at a church in Gimpo, just west of Seoul, up five from a day earlier.
Cases tied to a nursing home in western Seoul reached six, up two cases from the previous day, the KCDC said.
Eleven cases have been traced to a gathering of employees from a fast-food restaurant in Seoul as of 6 p.m., up 10 since the first case was confirmed on Tuesday.
South Korea had banned church members from having gatherings other than regular worship services amid the soaring number of virus patients, but it decided to lift the regulation on July 24.
Amid concerns over cluster infections, health authorities said they will adopt a quick response (QR) code-based entry authentication system for wedding and funeral service venues.
The measures have been in place at crowded establishments, such as bars, clubs and churches, to quickly track visitors.
Fans attend a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the SK Wyverns and the KT Wiz at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, south of Seoul, on Aug. 11, 2020. Beginning on the day, the cap on the size of crowds at baseball games during the coronavirus-hit season was raised to 25 percent of capacity from 10 percent. (Yonhap)
On Wednesday, South Korea identified 19 imported cases. The daily rise in imported cases stayed at between 10 and 20 for the third straight day.
Eight of them tested positive for the virus in the screening process at either an airport or a seaport, while 11 others were tested positive for the virus while under self-quarantine, according to the public health agency.
The total number of imported cases is now at 2,591.
The country reported no new virus deaths for the third consecutive day, keeping the number of fatalities at 305, according to the KCDC. The fatality rate reached 2.07 percent.
The number of patients fully cured of the virus reached 13,786, up 57 from the previous day.
South Korea has carried out 1,646,652 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3.
Meanwhile, health authorities said further study should be conducted to check the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine Russia has claimed to have produced.
On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(2nd LD) 11 fast-food franchise employees test positive for COVID-19 in Seoul

Ten employees of Lotteria were found to have had a meetiing at the franchise restaurant near Gunja subway station in @ @ @ @ @ Gwangjin between 3:18 and 5:25 p.m. on Aug. 6 , according to health authorities and @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES paras 2,5)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- At least 11 employees at a local fast-food franchise have tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Wednesday, raising concerns over a possibly bigger outbreak.
Ten employees of Lotteria were found to have had a meetiing at the franchise restaurant near Gunja subway station in the eastern Seoul ward of Gwangjin between 3:18 and 5:25 p.m. on Aug. 6, according to health authorities and the Seoul city government.
They later visited two other restaurants in the area, with nine more people joining them.
An employee who lives in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, first tested positive on Tuesday, and three others, all Seoul residents, also tested positive on the same day.
Additional infections were reported on Wednesday, bringing the number of cases to 11 as of 6 p.m.
"(The people who participated in the meeting) did not wear masks while they met for a long time," an official at Central Disease Control Headquarters said.
Officials are conducting epidemiological research to track down others who may have visited venues the employees visited or come into contact with those who were infected.
A Lotteria restaurant at Seoul Station in central Seoul is temporarily closed on Aug. 12, 2020, after company employees who held a meeting last week tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Lotte GRS, which runs the franchise, said the meeting was not a regular meeting but one that was scheduled for participants to share management know-how.
The company closed and disinfected its restaurant near the Jonggak subway station in central Seoul on Tuesday after an employee there tested positive. It reopened on Wednesday.
The company has also closed seven other branches -- including those in the central Seoul wards of Jung and Yongsan -- to disinfect them.
A sign in front of a Lotteria outlet in the eastern Seoul ward of Gwangjin on Aug. 12, 2020, shows that it has temporarily closed after a COVID-19 patient visited. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Insurance unit signs Samsung Group's first collective agreement with union

Samsung Fire & Marine Life Insurance is now the first major Samsung Group unit to sign a collective agreement after @ @ @ @ @ leader of South Korea 's top conglomerate , vowed to scrap the group 's `` @ @ @ @ @ during his press conference in May .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Fire & Marine Life Insurance Co. on Wednesday signed its first collective bargaining agreement with its union, a move that reflects labor union policy shifts at Samsung Group.
The country's leading non-life insurance firm said the pact includes guaranteeing labor union activities and programs.
Samsung Fire & Marine Life Insurance is now the first major Samsung Group unit to sign a collective agreement after Lee Jae-yong, the de-facto leader of South Korea's top conglomerate, vowed to scrap the group's "no labor union" policy during his press conference in May.
Executives and union members of Samsung Fire & Marine Life Insurance Co. pose for a photo after signing a collective bargaining agreement at the company's headquarters in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
In February, Samsung Group launched an independent committee that oversees the compliance system in the group's seven major affiliates: Samsung Fire & Marine Life Insurance, Samsung Electronics Co., Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Samsung SDI Co., Samsung SDS Co., Samsung C&T Corp. and Samsung Life Insurance Co.
The compliance committee urged Samsung Group to resolve its labor union issues.
The labor union of Samsung Fire & Marine Life Insurance was formed in January. It is under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, a major umbrella labor union group in South Korea.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(3rd LD) Gov't doubles state aid for disaster relief

(ATTN: UPDATES with President Moon's visit to Gurye, Cheonan in paras 10-14; ADDS photos)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government on Wednesday decided to double the state aid for disaster relief and recovery, as the unusually prolonged rainy season has wrecked havoc on houses, farm land and infrastructure nationwide.
The decision was made during a meeting among the government, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and Cheong Wa Dae at the National Assembly.
"In the case of a death, state support will be raised to 20 million won (US$16,880) from the current 10 million won," said DP spokesman Kang Hoon-sik during a briefing, adding a flood victim will get 2 million, up from the original 1 million won. The current disaster aid scheme was drawn up in 1995.
Discussion on a potential supplementary budget, which the ruling party toyed with, has been deferred to a later time, as the current budget is deemed sufficient to cover recovery efforts.
A house is destroyed by torrential rains in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, on Aug. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The central government has 3 trillion won in budget, with some in reserve, while provincial governments have around 2.4 trillion won," Kang elaborated. "So it is enough to cover 500 billion won, the estimated cost needed for recovery."
The government is working on swiftly expanding the special disaster areas by streamlining the bureaucratic process, he said, beyond the seven cities and counties designated last week.
The seven are Anseong of Gyeonggi Province; Cheorwon of Gangwon Province; Chungju, Jecheon and Eumseong of North Chungcheong Province; and Cheonan and Asan of South Chungcheong Province.
"Damage inspections have been launched in Gwangju, North Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province," he said, adding the results will be made within this week.
Special disaster areas get state support that can cover up to 80 percent of the expenditures needed for damage recovery. Flood victims in the areas receive state aid for livelihood costs and reductions in utility bills, health insurance premiums and other public charges, as well as exemptions from reserve forces training and other military duties.
President Moon Jae-in (R) talks with merchants at Hwagae Market in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, which suffered damage caused by heavy rains, on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
President Moon Jae-in (R) looks around a river bank and road, devastated by torrential rains, in Gurye, South Jeolla Province on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
President Moon Jae-in visited three southern areas battered by torrential rains to check flood damages and console local residents. He used the presidential KTX bullet train, code-named Train One, for several hours of visits to Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, Gurye, South Jeolla Province, and Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.
On his way to Hadong, the first destination, he received a 45-minute briefing on recovery work and efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in areas damaged by floods, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
Moon instructed related officials to do their best to swiftly designate affected regions as special disaster zones eligible for financial assistance, Kang said.
Moon inspected devastated sites and met with people there.
The president's travel distance during the day reached 767 kilometers, Kang added.
President Moon Jae-in (L) inspects a wrecked farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, along with other officials on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Meanwhile, the government plans to start working on river maintenance to alleviate flooding and help land drainage.
Record-setting downpours have left 42 people killed or missing. More than 7,200 people have been displaced.
President Moon Jae-in (L, back) receives a briefing on flood damage and recovery work aboard the presidential bullet train on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Public-private delegation to visit Paraguay for commuter rail project

The visit , slated for Aug. 13-25 , will include meetings with senior government officials in the South American country @ @ @ @ @ of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the public railway agencies of the two @ @ @ @ @ in a release .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean delegation of government and business officials will depart for Paraguay this week as part of a bid for a US$500 million project to build a suburban railway connecting the capital city with a nearby town, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.
The visit, slated for Aug. 13-25, will include meetings with senior government officials in the South American country, followed by the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the public railway agencies of the two countries, the ministry said in a release.
Paraguay is pushing for the commuter rail development project to link its capital, Asuncion, to a nearby town of Ypacarai.
"The visit to Paraguay marks the first visit to South America for a large-scale state infrastructure project since the COVID-19 outbreak, meaning that economic diplomacy with South America has resumed in earnest," the ministry said.
The government will also deliver to Paraguay equipment and technology needed to cope with the coronavirus pandemic as part of efforts to promote cooperation between the two countries.
The delegation includes officials from foreign and transport ministries and from Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corp. and Hyundai Engineering Co.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(LEAD) Unification ministry launches inspection of N.K. defector groups

`` If we find any irregularities , there will be corresponding consequences , but it is too early to say @ @ @ @ @ '' Yoh said in response to a question as to whether the ministry is considering @ @ @ @ @ the group if irregularities are found .

(ATTN: ADDS court decision to accept suspension of revocation in paras 10-11)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry has launched an inspection of civic groups this week, officials said Wednesday, amid criticism the probe targets North Korean defector organizations after tensions with Pyongyang spiked over their sending of propaganda leaflets across the border.
The inspection came a month after the ministry revoked the licenses of two defector groups over their sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets and said it would launch a probe beginning with 25 civic organizations registered at the ministry, including 13 organizations run by North Korean defectors.
Subject to the initial audit are organizations in the areas of North Korean human rights and defector resettlement, and the ministry plans to expand the inspection to include organizations in other sectors, officials said.
"We started the inspection this week and plan to gradually expand the scope," Yoh Sang-key, the ministry's spokesperson, said in a regular press briefing. "It will be expanded to the area of inter-Korean social and cultural exchanges next week."
Currently, 433 civic groups are registered with the ministry, and 109 of them have been selected for the inspection based on evaluations of how the groups have been run over the past three years, the spokesperson said.
The ministry plans to send letters to inform the next batch of groups of the upcoming inspection.
Yoh said the ministry will check whether the activist groups are operating according to their declared business purposes and take necessary measures if there are any irregularities in their accounting.
"If we find any irregularities, there will be corresponding consequences, but it is too early to say what they will be," Yoh said in response to a question as to whether the ministry is considering taking any legal measures against the group if irregularities are found.
Defector groups have denounced the inspection as an attempt to silence them after the North strongly protested anti-Pyongyang leafleting as a violation of an inter-Korean summit agreement and even blew up an inter-Korean liaison office building in June.
Keunsaem, one of the two defector groups that had their operation permits revoked, have filed lawsuits seeking to get the revocation decision canceled and its effect suspended pending a court ruling. On Wednesday, the Seoul Administrative Court accepted the suspension request.
"The government respects the court's decision," the unification ministry said. "During the main lawsuit, we will offer sufficient explanations as to why the revocation decision is justified."
The U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation, Tomas Ojea Quintana, has also expressed concern and said the inspection should be carried out in a way that does not undermine efforts to improve the North's human rights situation.
North Korean defector Park Sang-hak, the head of Fighters for a Free North Korea, gets in a car in front of the group's office in Seoul on June 26, 2020, after police completed their search and seizure of the office as part of their probe into the group's anti-Pyongyang leafleting campaign. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Samsung Display commercializes new OLED panel tech boasting low power consumption

`` The company 's power-saving technology allows the display panel to utilize variable refresh rates that consume the least possible @ @ @ @ @ type of application , '' Samsung Display said in a release .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Display Co., a major display panel maker in South Korea, said Wednesday it has successfully commercialized an OLED display technology that optimizes screen refresh rate with low power consumption.
The world's leading mobile OLED panel maker said its Adaptive Frequency technology has been applied to Samsung Electronics Co.'s latest high-end flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which will be released on Aug. 21.
Samsung Display said its OLED adaptive frequency solution can reduce the operating power of a smartphone's display by as much as 22 percent compared to existing ones.
"The company's power-saving technology allows the display panel to utilize variable refresh rates that consume the least possible amount of power for each type of application," Samsung Display said in a release.
The technology, which automatically calibrates a phone's refresh rate, supports a 120HZ scan rate for games that require rapid frame changes, and a 60HZ rate for movie streaming. It will also offer a 30Hz rate for email works and a 10Hz rate for viewing still images.
Samsung Display said it plans to apply the technology to other IT products in the future.
This photo, provided by Samsung Display Co. on Aug. 12, 2020, shows the company's researchers checking on display panel technology. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(LEAD) Civic groups asked to cancel Liberation Day rallies in Seoul

Aware of the ban , the 14 civic groups , mostly conservatives critical of the Moon Jae-in administration and its @ @ @ @ @ to hold rallies outside the no-assembly zones , but they have been asked to cancel @ @ @ @ @ government .

(ATTN: UPDATES with civic groups' response in last 3 paras; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- The government of Seoul said Wednesday it will not permit massive Liberation Day rallies planned by various civic groups in central parts of the capital, citing fears of coronavirus transmission.
The Seoul metropolitan government said it has officially asked 14 civic groups to cancel their plans to hold rallies throughout central Seoul on Saturday, which coincides with the annual Liberation Day, a national holiday to celebrate the end of Japan's 36-year colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in 1945.
The municipal government said its decision is aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, as the Saturday rallies are expected to draw some 50,000 participants to the bustling downtown areas.
Signs at the Gwanghwamun square, downtown Seoul, say assemblies are prohibited, on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Many civic groups are planning to organize large-scale outdoor gatherings attended by crowds of people. They were asked Tuesday to cancel their planned rallies," said Park Yu-mi, a ranking municipal official in charge of COVID-19 countermeasures, in a media briefing.
"If they don't comply, the Seoul government will mobilize all possible means, including issuance of no-assembly orders, to help stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak," Park said.
The Seoul metropolitan government already banned gatherings in public squares in the city center, including Seoul Plaza and the Gwanghwamun square, in February as part of coronavirus measures, but it has imposed few restrictions on rallies held elsewhere.
Aware of the ban, the 14 civic groups, mostly conservatives critical of the Moon Jae-in administration and its policies, declared their plans to hold rallies outside the no-assembly zones, but they have been asked to cancel their rallies by the Seoul government.
The municipal government said it will consider issuing no-assembly orders for those Liberation Day rallies in consideration of public interests, if its cancellation requests are not met.
The number of coronavirus cases in Seoul rose by six in a day to reach 1,694 as of Tuesday.
Later in the day, the groups all said they would proceed with the rally as scheduled.
Former lawmaker Min Kyung-wook, who leads one of the conservative groups, told Yonhap News Agency that the request to cancel the rally amounted to "a violation of basic rights," and called the concern about the spread of the virus as just "an excuse."
If the city officially issues a ban on assembly, he said, it would provoke more people to take to the streets. He also said he will consider other options, including a car rally.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Korea-Japan civic alliance urges efforts to settle bilateral history issues

`` It has been 75 years since the end of Japan 's colonial rule but we are still in the @ @ @ @ @ between the two countries , '' said Yoon Jeong-suk , a Korean member of the @ @ @ @ @ citizens have to step up efforts to achieve concrete reconciliation and peace between South Korea @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- An alliance of South Korean and Japanese civic and religious groups called on both countries Wednesday to resolve bilateral history issues ahead of the 75th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
They urged Tokyo to implement the South Korean Supreme Court's compensation ruling for wartime Korean forced laborers, offer an apology and compensation to Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery and admit state responsibility for the massacre of Koreans after a 1923 earthquake in Tokyo.
"Japan's government and parliament should install a truth-finding commission in charge of investigating the 1923 massacre of Koreans after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and wartime sexual slavery and forced labor," the alliance called the "Korea-Japan Reconciliation and Peace Platform" said in a statement released at a news conference in Seoul.
Reportedly, thousands of Koreans were killed in Japan right after the 1923 earthquake because the Japanese government spread a rumor that Koreans planned a riot, agitating the Japanese people.
The alliance demanded that Japan reveal the truth of the comfort women, the victims forced into sexual slavery during World War Ⅱ, and provide indemnity to them with a sincere apology.
South Korea's Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that Japanese companies responsible for forced labor by Koreans during Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45 must compensate the victims.
Members of the Korea-Japan Reconciliation and Peace Platform announce a joint statement in a news conference in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
The statement also said that the countries should work together to preserve Japan's postwar pacifist constitution while searching for ways to realize denuclearization and peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
"It has been 75 years since the end of Japan's colonial rule but we are still in the midst of the unfinished history between the two countries," said Yoon Jeong-suk, a Korean member of the alliance, adding that the citizens have to step up efforts to achieve concrete reconciliation and peace between South Korea and Japan.
The alliance, consisting of 16 South Korean organizations, including the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance and the National Council of Churches in Korea, and 16 Japanese entities, including the National Christian Council in Japan and Peace Boat, launched last month to increase understanding of the two countries' shared history and heal victims' wounds.
It also campaigns to support the Korean peace process and maintain the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, as well as pursue the denuclearization of East Asia and a common vision of peace for the Asia-Pacific region. Another priority is the education of youth in both countries on peace and human rights, it says.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Women's golf tour cancels 4th tournament as sponsors withdraw

The KLPGA began its 2020 season last December in Vietnam and then pressed pause as the novel coronavirus wreaked havoc @ @ @ @ @ tour returned in May with the first major tournament of the season , the KLPGA @ @ @ @ @ been no disruptions to the schedule until these recent cancellations .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean women's golf tour has canceled its fourth tournament of the summer-fall period after corporate sponsors withdrew their commitments.
The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) announced Wednesday that the KG·Edaily Ladies Open, scheduled for Sept. 4-6, will not be played, with both title sponsors having pulled out, citing financial trouble during the coronavirus pandemic.
This image provided by the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association on May 27, 2020, shows the organization's new logo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In late July, the KLPGA announced the cancellation of three tournaments, also because of corporate sponsors' financial issues: HighOne Resort Ladies Open (Aug. 20-23), the Hanwha Classic (Aug. 27-30) and the All for You Renoma Championship (Sept. 10-13).
The Dayouwinia MBN Ladies Open, scheduled for Aug. 14-16, is the lone tournament left for this month. The tournament after that will be Sept. 18-20 OK Savings Bank Se Ri Pak Invitational.
The KLPGA began its 2020 season last December in Vietnam and then pressed pause as the novel coronavirus wreaked havoc on South Korea. The tour returned in May with the first major tournament of the season, the KLPGA Championship, and there had been no disruptions to the schedule until these recent cancellations.
As it stands, there will be two tournaments in September, four in October and two in November.
The LPGA Tour in the United States resumed at the end of July after a five-month hiatus, but many of the top-ranked South Korean players, including world No. 1 Ko Jin-young, are staying home for now, given the dire COVID-19 situation in America.
In this file photo provided by the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association on Sept. 8, 2019, Park Gyo-rin holds the championship trophy after winning the KG·Edaily Ladies Open at Sunning Point Country Club in Yongin, 50 kilometers south of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Gallant to release remake of K-pop songstress BoA's 'Only One'

BoA is one of the first K-pop artists who rose to overseas fame and is often credited for helping `` @ @ @ @ @ global popularity of Korean pop music , take root .
She was the first Korean @ @ @ @ @ Oricon music chart with her first full-length album , `` Listen to My Heart , @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Grammy-nominated American singer Gallant will release an English remake of "Only One," a 2012 hit song by K-pop soloist BoA, SM Entertainment said Wednesday.
The reimagined song, arranged in R&B style by Gallant, will be released digitally on Friday as part of "Our Beloved BoA," a retrospective project by SM celebrating the 20th anniversary of BoA's debut.
"Only One" was the lead track for BoA's seventh studio album of the same name released in 2012 and was written by the singer herself.
Baekhyun of K-pop boy band EXO and female singer Bolbbalgan4 have released remakes of BoA's "Garden In the Air" and "Atlantis Princess," respectively, as part of the project.
"As a longtime fan of BoA, Gallant decided to participate in this project to celebrate the 20th anniversary of BoA's debut," SM said.
BoA is one of the first K-pop artists who rose to overseas fame and is often credited for helping "hallyu," or the global popularity of Korean pop music, take root. She was the first Korean singer to top Japan's Oricon music chart with her first full-length album, "Listen to My Heart," in 2002.
A file photo of American singer Gallant provided by SM Entertainment on Aug. 12, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--Former lawmaker gets prison term for violating real estate law, corruption

She started to buy buildings and land , worth 1.4 billion won ( US $ 1.18 million ) in total @ @ @ @ @ her nephew , acquaintances and a cultural foundation led by her husband , in an @ @ @ @ @ about 410 kilometers south of Seoul , before the Cultural Heritage Administration ( CHA ) @ @ @ @ @ `` modern history and cultural site '' in December 2017 , according to prosecutors .
@ @ @ @ @ as in January 2019 , they said .

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced former lawmaker Sohn Hye-won to one year and four months in prison for corruption and violating a law banning real estate transactions under borrowed names.
Judge Park Sung-kyu at the Seoul Southern District Court found her guilty of buying real estate under borrowed names and using inside information obtained while working as a public servant.
Sohn's secretary, only known by his surname Cho, also received a one-year jail sentence for corruption charges.
"The case undermined people's confidence in public officials, as the defendants used inside information obtained on duty and bought real estate under borrowed names, expecting a rise in value," he said.
"This amounts to serious corruption that should be corrected in our society. Since the defendants showed no remorse in court, sentencing jail time is inevitable," the judge said, delivering the verdict.
In June last year, Sohn was indicted on charges of violating an anti-corruption law and a law banning purchase of real estate under borrowed names.
She started to buy buildings and land, worth 1.4 billion won (US$1.18 million) in total, under the names of her nephew, acquaintances and a cultural foundation led by her husband, in an old district of Mokpo, about 410 kilometers south of Seoul, before the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) designated the area as a "modern history and cultural site" in December 2017, according to prosecutors. The transactions continued as recently as in January 2019, they said.
The court concluded that she used the inside information that she acquired while serving on the National Assembly's culture committee, and dismissed her claim that the information had already been in the public domain.
It also ruled that she and her secretary violated the real estate law when they bought the guesthouse Changseongjang under borrowed names together. It issued a confiscation order for the guesthouse.
After the ruling, Sohn wrote on her Facebook page that she will appeal the decision at a higher court.
Former lawmaker Sohn Hye-won leaves the Seoul Southern District Court in the capital city after a court hearing on Aug. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

The man , whose identity was not revealed , is accused of taking photos of Korean women without consent in @ @ @ @ @ spots from Aug. 9-18 in 2018 using a small hidden camera .
He is also @ @ @ @ @ woman to his place where he was temporarily staying to sexually harass and film her @

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.
----------------
S. Korea, Japan in talks over relaxing coronavirus entry restrictions for businesspeople
SEOUL -- South Korea and Japan are in talks over ways to ease coronavirus entry restrictions for business travelers, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.
Last month, Seoul and Tokyo kicked off diplomatic talks on the relaxation of the restrictions based on the shared view that the countries should allow the entry of businesspeople as long as they do not undermine the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
----------------
U.S. to communicate closely with S. Korea on G7 summit: U.S. official
SEOUL -- The United States will communicate closely with South Korea about a Group of Seven summit it plans to host later this year, a senior U.S. official was quoted as saying Wednesday, amid expectations Seoul will be invited to the meeting.
David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for Asia and Pacific affairs, made the remark during a video call with Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn held to discuss topics of mutual concern, according to the foreign ministry.
-----------------
Unification ministry launches inspection of N.K. defector groups
SEOUL -- The unification ministry has launched an inspection of civic groups this week, officials said Wednesday, amid criticism the probe targets North Korean defector organizations after tensions with Pyongyang spiked over their sending of propaganda leaflets across the border.
The inspection came a month after the ministry revoked the licenses of two defector groups over their sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets and said it would launch a probe beginning with 25 civic organizations registered at the ministry, including 13 organizations run by North Korean defectors.
-----------------
Doctors to go on strike as planned this week
SEOUL -- Thousands of doctors will stage a nationwide walkout this week as scheduled in protest over the country's medical reform blueprint, and they will not hold talks with the authorities until their demands are met, according to their association on Wednesday.
The Korea Medical Association (KMA), which represents 130,000 doctors, is set to stage a general strike Friday, voicing opposition to the government's plan to foster more physicians.
------------------
Repatriated British man under probe for allegedly taking, spreading photos of Korean women without consent
SEOUL -- A British man has been investigated by the prosecution for allegedly taking illegal photos of Korean women and sharing them on his website, police said Wednesday.
The man, whose identity was not revealed, is accused of taking photos of Korean women without consent in the city's various tourist spots from Aug. 9-18 in 2018 using a small hidden camera. He is also suspected of luring a Korean woman to his place where he was temporarily staying to sexually harass and film her.
-------------------
S. Korea's household debt keeps fast growth in July
SEOUL -- South Korea's household debt continued to grow at a fast clip in July amid low interest rates and the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, central bank data showed Wednesday.
Outstanding bank loans to local households came to 936.5 trillion won (US$789 billion) as of end-July, up 7.6 trillion won from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
-------------------
S. Korea's shipping industry recovering from global crisis
SEOUL -- South Korea's marine shipping industry has been gradually recovering from the fallout of an industry-wide crisis roughly five years ago that led to the bankruptcy of a major shipper here, the oceans ministry said Wednesday.
The size of the country's shipping industry was estimated to have reached 37 trillion won (US$31.2 billion) in 2019, growing from 29 trillion won in 2016 amid the global crisis, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
-------------------
Gov't to offer discount coupons worth 90.4 bln won in travel, arts, leisure sectors
SEOUL -- The government said Wednesday it plans to distribute discount coupons worth 90.4 billion won (US$76.2 million) in the travel, arts and leisure sectors to resuscitate domestic spending in the areas hit hard by the new coronavirus pandemic.
The culture ministry will offer the coupons in six areas -- lodging, travel, concerts, exhibitions, cinema and sports activities -- to 8.61 million people starting Friday on a first-come, first-served basis.
--------------------
Mandatory QR code-based entry log system to be applied to wedding halls
SEOUL -- The mandatory entry log system will be applied to dining places of wedding halls starting next week to prevent further infections of the novel coronavirus in crowded venues in South Korea, health authorities said Wednesday.
Operators of wedding buffets should carry out the quick response (QR) code-based registration and demand that customers scan the codes or leave their personal information starting next Wednesday, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.
--------------------
10 fast-food franchise employees test positive for COVID-19 in Seoul
SEOUL -- Ten employees working at a local fast-food franchise have tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Wednesday, raising concerns over a possibly bigger outbreak.
The Lotteria employees were found to have met at the franchise restaurant near the Gunja subway station in the eastern Seoul ward of Gwangjin between 3:18 and 5:25 p.m. on Aug. 6, according to health authorities and the Seoul city government.
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(LEAD) 10 fast-food franchise employees test positive for COVID-19 in Seoul

The Lotteria employees were found to have met at the franchise restaurant near the Gunja subway station in the eastern @ @ @ @ @ 3:18 and 5:25 p.m. on Aug. 6 , according to health authorities and the Seoul @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 6, 8-10, photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Ten employees working at a local fast-food franchise have tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Wednesday, raising concerns over a possibly bigger outbreak.
The Lotteria employees were found to have met at the franchise restaurant near the Gunja subway station in the eastern Seoul ward of Gwangjin between 3:18 and 5:25 p.m. on Aug. 6, according to health authorities and the Seoul city government.
The attendees later visited two restaurants in the area, with nine more people joining them.
An employee who lives in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, first tested positive on Tuesday, and three others, all Seoul residents, also tested positive on the same day.
Additional infections were reported on Wednesday, bringing the number of cases to ten as of 2:30 p.m.
"(The people who participated in the meeting) did not wear masks while they met for a long time," an official at Central Disease Control Headquarters said.
Officials are conducting epidemiological research to track down others who may have visited venues the employees visited or come into contact with those who were infected.
A Lotteria restaurant at Seoul Station in central Seoul is temporarily closed on Aug. 12, 2020, after company employees who held a meeting last week tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Lotte GRS, which runs the franchise, said the meeting was not a regular meeting but one that was scheduled for participants to share management know-how.
The company closed and disinfected its restaurant near the Jonggak subway station in central Seoul on Tuesday after an employee there tested positive. It reopened on Wednesday.
The company has also closed seven other branches -- including those in the central Seoul wards of Jung and Yongsan -- to disinfect them.
A sign in front of a Lotteria outlet in the eastern Seoul ward of Gwangjin on Aug. 12, 2020, shows that it has temporarily closed after a COVID-19 patient visited. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--(LEAD) Shinsegae swings to loss in Q2 on poor performance of duty-free division

`` Duty-free shops posted poor performances in the second quarter , but Shinsegae 's earnings are expected to improve at @ @ @ @ @ trend in the department store may persist in the quarters to come , '' Lee @ @ @ @ @ NH Investment Securities Co. , said .
( END )

(ATTN: UPDATES with details, image; RECASTS headline)
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's No. 2 retailer Shinsegae Inc. said Wednesday that it shifted to a net loss in the second quarter from a year earlier as its duty-free division was pounded by COVID-19 pandemic.
The net loss came to 106.3 billion won (US$89.6 million) in the April-June period, shifting from a net profit of 24.3 billion won a year ago, the retailer said in a regulatory filing.
Sales fell 33 percent to 1.01 trillion won, while it logged an operating loss of 43.1 billion won in the second quarter, swinging from an operating profit of 68 billion won a year ago.
The logo of Shinsegae Inc. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Weak performances of its duty-free division triggered by the spread of the coronavirus hit its second-quarter results, Shinsegae said in a separate statement.
Sales of duty-free shops in Seoul and other cities dropped 31 percent in the second quarter from the previous year, while sales at travel retail shops in airports, including Incheon International Airport, nosedived 92 percent.
The results of department store division helped offset a slump in its duty-free business, Shinsegae said.
The department store division posted 354 billion won in sales in the second quarter, down 3.7 percent compared with a year ago, while its operating profit fell 56 percent to 14.3 billion won.
"Duty-free shops posted poor performances in the second quarter, but Shinsegae's earnings are expected to improve at a modest pace as upward trend in the department store may persist in the quarters to come," Lee Ji-young, an analyst at NH Investment Securities Co., said.
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--S. Korea, Japan in talks over relaxing coronavirus entry restrictions for businesspeople

Last month , Seoul and Tokyo kicked off diplomatic talks on the relaxation of the restrictions based on the shared @ @ @ @ @ allow the entry of businesspeople as long as they do not undermine the fight against @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan are in talks over ways to ease coronavirus entry restrictions for business travelers, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.
Last month, Seoul and Tokyo kicked off diplomatic talks on the relaxation of the restrictions based on the shared view that the countries should allow the entry of businesspeople as long as they do not undermine the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The talks are currently at the early phase in which the countries have basically been checking related facts -- a process that could take some time," the source told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.
In March, the two countries imposed entry restrictions against each other, worsening ties already strained over wartime history and trade. Tokyo first announced its restrictions for Korean travelers, which prompted Seoul to roll out its own in a tit-for-tat move.
Seoul and Tokyo have been holding consultations on the entry restrictions largely through online communication channels.
Observers said that the countries might first focus on easing restrictions for business travelers and then could consider whether to relax the strictures against students and tourists.
During phone talks in June, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha proposed to her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, the relaxation of entry restrictions for businesspeople. But Motegi reportedly rejected the proposal, stressing Tokyo's "top priority" on containing the virus.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (L) shakes hands with her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, before their talks on the sidelines of an international security forum in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 15, 2020, in this photo provided by Kang's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-12--U.S. to communicate closely with S. Korea on G7 summit: U.S. official

South Korea is not a member of the G7 forum , but U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ to this year 's summit , and even suggested formally expanding the forum to `` @ @ @ @ @ calling the current system `` outdated . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States will communicate closely with South Korea about a Group of Seven summit it plans to host later this year, a senior U.S. official was quoted as saying Wednesday, amid expectations Seoul will be invited to the meeting.
David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for Asia and Pacific affairs, made the remark during a video call with Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn held to discuss topics of mutual concern, according to the foreign ministry.
South Korea is not a member of the G7 forum, but U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this year that he would invite Seoul to this year's summit, and even suggested formally expanding the forum to "G10 or G11" while calling the current system "outdated."
Some G7 countries, like Japan and Germany, have expressed opposition to the expansion idea, although German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday after talks with Seoul's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in Berlin that he welcomes South Korea's participation in the meeting.
In Wednesday's talks, Kim said South Korea will fulfill its role and contribution expected by the international community, the ministry said.
The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States.
Aside from that issue, Kim and Stilwell discussed ways to bolster cooperation and exchanges in the midst of the pandemic, given that Washington has recently resumed visa services for foreign students and eased its travel alert for foreign countries.
They also agreed to expand cooperation in space-related areas, following the revised 2020 missile guidelines under which the two sides agreed to lift restrictions on Seoul's use of solid fuels for its space rocket launch, according to the ministry.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn speaks during virtual talks with his U.S. counterpart, David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for Asia and Pacific affairs, in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry on Aug. 12, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn speaks to David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for Asia and Pacific affairs, during virtual talks, in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry on Aug. 12, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)