yna--2020-04-26--(LEAD) Kim's special train spotted in Wonsan amid rumors over his health: U.S. monitor

(ATTN: ADDS remarks by Moon's special adviser in paras 8-9, photo)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- A train presumed to belong to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been spotted at a station in the communist state's eastern coastal town of Wonsan amid speculation about Kim's health, a U.S. monitor said Sunday, citing commercial satellite imagery on the region.
According to 38 North, the imagery showed a train "probably belonging to Kim Jong Un has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station servicing his Wonsan compound since at least April 21."
"The approximately 250-meter long train, although partially covered by the station's roof, can be seen at a railway station reserved for use by the Kim family. It was not present on April 15 but was present on both April 21 and 23," it said.
"The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," it added.
The report came as rumors about his health have spread as Kim apparently skipped an important annual visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the April 15 birthday of late state founder and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung.
This satellite image provided by 38 North shows there is train at Leadership Railway Station on April 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
CNN intensified the speculation by reporting earlier last week that the United States is looking into intelligence that Kim is "in grave danger" after surgery.
Seoul officials have disputed recent media reports about Kim, saying there have been no unusual signs from the North. Some said that Kim is presumed to be staying in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan for unspecified reasons.
Moon Chung-in, special security adviser to President Moon Jae-in, said Sunday in an interview with Fox News that Kim is "alive and healthy."
Reaffirming the government's stance, the adviser noted that Kim has been in Wonsan since April 13, and no unusual movement has been detected.
Washington has also dismissed the reports, with U.S. President Donald Trump calling such reports "incorrect" in a press briefing late last week.
On Saturday, Reuters said China has dispatched a team of medical doctors and officials to North Korea "to advise on" Kim, citing multiple unnamed people familiar with the situation.
North Korea's state media, however, has not made any mention of Kim's public activity for two weeks since he was last seen in April 11 presiding over a major party meeting, though it has reported on his handling of routine state affairs, such as sending diplomatic letters.
It is not rare for Kim to disappear from the public eye, but whenever it happens, mostly unfounded rumors spread that he might have health issues.
But not all speculation has proven to be false. When he was absent from public for about a month in 2014, speculation arose about his health and a political crisis in the secretive state. He later reemerged with a cane and a limp reportedly after having a cyst removed from his ankle.
The 36-year-old leader is known to have various health problems apparently caused by obesity and heavy smoking. He took office as leader of the communist state after his father, Kim Jong-il, died of a heart attack in late 2011.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) inspects a pursuit assault plane group under the Air and Anti-Aircraft Division in the western area in this file photo released April 12, 2020, by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. South Korean officials said on April 21 that they have seen no unusual signs with regard to Kim's health after CNN reported that he is "in grave danger after a surgery." (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(3rd LD) S. Korea reports fewer than 15 new coronavirus infections for 8th day

The number of hospitals in charge of virus patients will be reduced in phases from around 7,500 beds to around @ @ @ @ @ the authorities to better treat those suffering from other illnesses , according to the authorities @

(ATTN: ADDS health minister's comments, more info in paras 8-10, photo)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported fewer than 15 new daily infections of the new coronavirus for the eighth day in a row Sunday, with health officials calling for people to comply with social distancing guidelines.
The 10 new cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total infections to 10,728, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
South Korea has recorded around 10 or fewer daily new cases since April 18, a sharp drop from the Feb. 29 peak of 909. But health authorities remain on high alert over cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas.
Applicants for an insurance sales license take a test, postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, on the athletics field of Myeonggi College campus in Seoul on April 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from the coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year, rose by two to 242, according to the KCDC. In total, 8,717 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus.
The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,846 and 1,364, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Busan and Gyeonggi Province adding one and six new cases, respectively.
The country also detected one new case coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 1,037.
"If the current trend of the outbreak continues, the number of quarantined patients is expected to be below 1,000 in around end-May or early June," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said.
The government has been working on a plan regarding the management of community clinics and hospitals reserved for coronavirus patients in order to reflect the changing situation, he added.
The number of hospitals in charge of virus patients will be reduced in phases from around 7,500 beds to around 2,000, which will allow the authorities to better treat those suffering from other illnesses, according to the authorities.
KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong said a total of 263 people who had been declared cured tested positive for the virus again.
Jeong has said there might have been a "reactivation" of the virus among the people, not "reinfection," because they tested positive soon after they were released from isolation facilities.
Jeong said it has not been confirmed whether the 263 people can spread the virus again.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency, said a loosening attitude on social distancing guidelines is the biggest enemy in combating the coronavirus pandemic, as tens of thousands of people plan to visit the southern resort island of Jeju during the holiday starting later this month.
South Korea eased some restrictions in the guidelines last Sunday, but officials have warned that a new wave of infections could come at anytime because the virus can spread through people who have no symptoms.
During the upcoming holiday period between Thursday and May 5, about 180,000 people are estimated to visit Jeju Island, the nation's popular tourist destination with its beaches and ancient volcanic cones, Kim said.
"In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the biggest dangerous factor is a loosening social attitude," Kim said.
"An increase in outdoor activities could become the kindling for a large-scale transmission," Kim said, urging people to practice social distancing guidelines until May 5.
Citizens visit Hangang Park in Seoul on April 26, 2020, the first Sunday since the government eased its social distancing rules amid a slowdown in new coronavirus cases. (Yonhap)
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--Hundreds of South Koreans arrive home from Uzbekistan on special flight

The plane operated by Uzbekistan Airways left Tashkent earlier in the day carrying the South Koreans as well as 55 @ @ @ @ @ the United States , Canada , and Japan , and it landed at Incheon International @ @ @ @ @ , at around 3:45 p.m. , according to the Korean Embassy in the Central Asian @ @

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- A total of 192 South Koreans arrived home from Uzbekistan on a special flight Sunday after having been grounded there due to the coronavirus, embassy officials said.
The plane operated by Uzbekistan Airways left Tashkent earlier in the day carrying the South Koreans as well as 55 foreigners from such countries as the United States, Canada, and Japan, and it landed at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at around 3:45 p.m., according to the Korean Embassy in the Central Asian country.
The international passengers are scheduled to return to their respective nations via South Korea, the embassy added.
The South Koreans from Uzbekistan will undergo tests for the COVID-19 virus and be quarantined for 14 days if they test negative for the virus.
Uzbekistan has banned international flights since March to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but the authorities approved the special flight mainly to allow Choi Jae-wook, a South Korean medical college professor, to return home, according to the embassy officials.
Choi had stayed in Uzbekistan from late March for about a month to provide its government with consultations on virus-related measures.
There are plans for the plane to bring home 20,000 Korean-made coronavirus test kits, they added.
Choi Jae-wook (2nd from R), a medical college professor at Seoul's Korea University, speaks with South Korean Embassy workers in Uzbekistan before boarding a special flight bound for Incheon on April 26, 2020, along with hundreds of other citizens, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. The professor stayed in Uzbekistan for about a month to provide the Uzbek government with consultations on COVID-19 responses. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--S. Korea pushing to pay wages in advance for USFK workers on forced furloughs

About 70 percent of their salaries could be provided if the government maximizes the country 's employment insurance program , @ @ @ @ @ the idea was conveyed to the U.S. side , and the Seoul government is waiting @ @ @ @

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has notified the United States of its plan to pay wages in advance for its citizens who work for the U.S. Forces Korea but have been furloughed amid a deadlock in their defense cost-sharing negotiations, a government source said Sunday.
Around 4,000 employees were furloughed indefinitely starting on April 1, as Seoul and Washington have failed to bridge differences over a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that stipulates how much Seoul would pay for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong USFK.
"The South Korean government is pushing to pay wages for those workers first, and then deduct the amount from its due payment to the U.S. under the SMA framework," the Seoul source said.
About 70 percent of their salaries could be provided if the government maximizes the country's employment insurance program, the source said, adding the idea was conveyed to the U.S. side, and the Seoul government is waiting for its response.
According to the Labor Standard Act, employers should pay non-duty allowances to employees of at least 70 percent of their average wages when they take a leave of absence.
But this cannot be implemented if the U.S. raises an objection, as the South Korean workers are hired by the U.S. military.
South Korea has sought diverse measures to support the livelihood of the affected workers, such as extending emergency loans.
During the latest and seventh round of talks last month, South Korea proposed concluding a separate agreement to first address the wage issue, but the U.S. rejected the idea over concerns that such a move could further delay a comprehensive deal, Seoul's top negotiator Jeong Eun-bo has said.
Uncertainty over the negotiations was renewed last week, as U.S. President Donald Trump said he had rejected Seoul's offer regarding the SMA deal. South Korea had reportedly offered to pay at least 13 percent more than last year's contribution.
The U.S. initially demanded a more than fivefold increase in Seoul's contributions to US$5 billion.
The indefinite furloughs are feared to have disrupted day-to-day USFK operations and affected the allies' combined readiness posture.
Members of a union representing South Korean employees of the U.S. Forces Korea rally at the entrance of the U.S. base Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, on April 1, 2020, to demand that the United States revoke its implementation of unpaid leave for such employees. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(2nd LD) Bodies of 2 S. Koreans found after going missing in Annapurna avalanche in Jan.

The two are among the four South Koreans -- a woman in her 30s , another in her 50s and @ @ @ @ @ -- who went missing along with three other Nepalese guides when the avalanche hit a @ @ @ @ @ of about 3,230 meters on Jan. 17 .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, first 4 paras with updated info)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- The bodies of two South Korean trekkers have been discovered after they went missing in January when an avalanche hit the Annapurna region in Nepal, government officials said Sunday.
The bodies -- one male and the other female -- were found at about 3 p.m. Saturday by those patrolling around the avalanche-hit area and will be airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, according to the officials.
Their identities have been confirmed with passports found along with the bodies, but details other than their genders remain withheld at the request of their families, they said.
The two are among the four South Koreans -- a woman in her 30s, another in her 50s and two men in their 50s -- who went missing along with three other Nepalese guides when the avalanche hit a trekking route at an altitude of about 3,230 meters on Jan. 17.
They were all teachers who were staying in Nepal for volunteer work. Officials earlier said they appear to have been on a weekend trekking trip when the accident took place.
Rescue and search efforts were suspended about a week after the accident due to harsh weather conditions and subsequent avalanches in the region, but they resumed in early April as the temperature got warmer, with the snow and ice beginning to melt.
South Korea's Embassy in Nepal has asked for local police to immediately recover the bodies found, the officials said. It also plans to dispatch its staff to the hospital to which they will be airlifted so as to provide relevant consular and other support.
This photo, provided by the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation, shows the scene of an accident in which four South Korean teachers went missing where an avalanche occurred while they were trekking in Annapurna, the Himalayas, in Nepal, on Jan. 17, 2020. The blue line indicates a road and the red line the avalanche. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--S. Korea considers introducing faster coronavirus testing kit

Jeong Eun-kyeong , head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) , told reporters that @ @ @ @ @ to allow doctors to use the one-hour polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) testing kits @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities said Sunday they are considering introducing a coronavirus testing kit that could produce results in about one hour for emergency operations or women in labor.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), told reporters that authorities are reviewing a plan to allow doctors to use the one-hour polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits in case of emergency.
"We are considering applying the kits to emergency operations or emergency childbirths," Jeong said.
Jeong said health authorities are also considering using the faster testing kit for ordinary people.
This file photo taken Feb. 6, 2020, shows COVID-19 testing reagents produced by a local company. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(LEAD) S. Koreans cautiously join religious events amid eased social distancing

Concerns are still lingering that new clusters of infections could break out due to eased guidelines on social distancing and @ @ @ @ @ start later this week , during which people could become overly lax as they travel @ @ @ @ @ END )

(ATTN: CORRECTS figure in 2nd para from bottom)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- People in South Korea gathered at some churches and temples for religious services on the first Sunday since the government eased rules on social distancing amid signs coronavirus infections are on the decline.
They, however, joined religious events in limited numbers without letting their guard down against the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking precautionary measures, such as wearing masks and keeping their distance from others inside buildings.
About 1,200 people attended a service at the main chapel of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul. They applied in advance to attend it, but the number of those allowed is just a tenth the full capacity of the church.
Those people were asked to prove they are members of the church before entering for the service, wear masks and keep a certain distance when they sit in pews.
The biggest Protestant church in South Korea with some 560,000 congregants was set to hold seven different services at two-hour intervals throughout Sunday.
Congregants keep a distance sitting in pews during a service at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul on April 26, 2020, on the first Sunday after the government eased rules on social distancing amid signs of slowing coronavirus infections. (Yonhap)
Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul also held Masses on Sunday with followers permitted to enter its building after having their temperature taken and personal information verified.
The Seoul Archdiocese earlier said that public Masses will be resumed at 232 chapels across the capital city.
The Buddhist community resumed its community services as well.
Followers visited the temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in central Seoul for a Sunday ritual, but they had their temperature checked before entering its main building.
Though some resumed their off-line religious gatherings, many still remained cautious by providing online services or "drive-in" ones held in their parking lots as part of precautionary antivirus efforts.
Religious groups in South Korea have scaled down services and provided them online to support the government-led antivirus fight by avoiding large-scale gatherings that could turn into new sources of infections.
On April 19, the South Korean government said it will keep social distancing rules in place until early May but decide to ease some restrictions for such religious gatherings amid signs the virus spread has been slowing down.
South Korea reported 10 additional cases Sunday, marking the eighth straight day that the number of daily infections has fallen below 15.
Concerns are still lingering that new clusters of infections could break out due to eased guidelines on social distancing and a long holiday that will start later this week, during which people could become overly lax as they travel throughout the country.
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(2nd LD) S. Korea reports fewer than 15 new coronavirus infections for 8th day

Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip , in an interview with Yonhap News Agency , said a loosening attitude on social @ @ @ @ @ enemy in combating the coronavirus pandemic , as tens of thousands of people plan to @ @ @ @ @ of Jeju during the holiday starting later this month .

(ATTN: ADDS details, remarks in paras 8-10; AMENDS headline, first para)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported fewer than 15 new daily infections of the new coronavirus for the eighth day in a row Sunday, with health officials calling for people to comply with social distancing guidelines.
The 10 new cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total infections to 10,728, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
South Korea has recorded around 10 or fewer daily new cases since April 18, a sharp drop from the Feb. 29 peak of 909. But health authorities remain on high alert over cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas.
Applicants for an insurance sales license take a test, postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, on the athletics field of Myeonggi College campus in Seoul on April 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from the coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year, rose by two to 242, according to the KCDC. In total, 8,717 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus.
The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,846 and 1,364, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Busan and Gyeonggi Province adding one and six new cases, respectively.
The country also detected one new case coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 1,037.
KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong said a total of 263 people who had been declared cured tested positive for the virus again.
Jeong has said there might have been a "reactivation" of the virus among the people, not "reinfection," because they tested positive soon after they were released from isolation facilities.
Jeong said it has not been confirmed whether the 263 people can spread the virus again.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency, said a loosening attitude on social distancing guidelines is the biggest enemy in combating the coronavirus pandemic, as tens of thousands of people plan to visit the southern resort island of Jeju during the holiday starting later this month.
South Korea eased some restrictions in the guidelines last Sunday, but officials have warned that a new wave of infections could come at anytime because the virus can spread through people who have no symptoms.
During the upcoming holiday period between Thursday and May 5, about 180,000 people are estimated to visit Jeju Island, the nation's popular tourist destination with its beaches and ancient volcanic cones, Kim said.
"In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the biggest dangerous factor is a loosening social attitude," Kim said.
"An increase in outdoor activities could become the kindling for a large-scale transmission," Kim said, urging people to practice social distancing guidelines until May 5.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2013 -- South Korean workers at a joint industrial park in North Korea begin to return home as the government @ @ @ @ @ its nationals out of the Kaesong Industrial Complex following Pyongyang 's rejection of an offer @ @ @ @ @ Kaesong had risen as North Korea unilaterally withdrew all of its 53,000 workers hired by @ @ @ @ @ there on April 9 .

April 27
1926 -- King Yeongchin, the second son of King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), succeeds King Seonjong during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. He had lived and studied in Japan since the age of 11, and his marriage to a Japanese aristocrat was arranged.
1949 -- The South Korean National Assembly passes a bill on farmland reform for the redistribution of land previously owned by Japanese colonizers and the registration of all landowners.
1960 -- Foreign Minister Heo Jeong takes over as head of state after President Rhee Syng-man steps down following a nationwide student uprising on April 19 against Rhee's authoritarian regime and corruption among his aides.
1971 -- President Park Chung-hee extends his term of office, defeating opposition leader Kim Dae-jung in a presidential election. After taking control of the nation in a 1961 military coup, Park revised the Constitution several times to prolong his rule. Park was assassinated in 1979 by his intelligence chief.
1989 -- The government announces a plan to develop new residential areas in Bundang and Ilsan, on the outskirts of Seoul.
1992 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic ties with Tajikistan.
1993 -- Novelist and unification activist Hwang Suk-young is arrested on charges of violating the National Security Law.
1999 -- Allegations are made that a number of politicians and public officials bribed military officials to get their sons exempted from mandatory military service. About 100 people are arrested.
2000 -- French automaker Renault acquires Samsung Motors and renames it Renault Samsung Motors.
2002 -- Roh Moo-hyun, a former human rights lawyer, wins the ruling Millennium Democratic Party's nomination to run in the presidential election in December.
2003 -- Inter-ministerial meetings between South and North Korea open in Pyongyang.
2005 -- The National Assembly passes a special law on the sustainable use and maintenance of the Dokdo islets, following a March 16 ordinance by Japan's Shimane Prefecture to designate Feb. 22 as the day of Takeshima, the Japanese name for the Korean islets in the East Sea. Japan also claims sovereignty over the islets.
2013 -- South Korean workers at a joint industrial park in North Korea begin to return home as the government decided to pull all of its nationals out of the Kaesong Industrial Complex following Pyongyang's rejection of an offer for dialogue. Tensions over Kaesong had risen as North Korea unilaterally withdrew all of its 53,000 workers hired by small-scale South Korean firms operating there on April 9.
2015 -- President Park Geun-hye accepts Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo's offer to step down over a bribery scandal involving Lee and some of her key aides. Lee was suspected of taking 30 million won (US$26,100) from the late head of a midsize construction firm while running for a parliamentary seat in 2013 but was found not guilty by the Supreme Court in 2017.
2018 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom. At the historic summit, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and also agreed to reduce their conventional weapons pending the outcome of their joint efforts to reduce military tensions and promote a lasting peace on the peninsula.
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--S. Koreans cautiously join religious events amid eased social distancing

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- People in South Korea gathered at some churches and temples for religious services on the first Sunday since the government eased rules on social distancing amid signs coronavirus infections are on the decline.
They, however, joined religious events in limited numbers without letting their guard down against the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking precautionary measures, such as wearing masks and keeping their distance from others inside buildings.
About 1,200 people attended a service at the main chapel of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul. They applied in advance to attend it, but the number of those allowed is just a tenth the full capacity of the church.
Those people were asked to prove they are members of the church before entering for the service, wear masks and keep a certain distance when they sit in pews.
The biggest Protestant church in South Korea with some 560,000 congregants was set to hold seven different services at two-hour intervals throughout Sunday.
Congregants keep a distance sitting in pews during a service at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul on April 26, 2020, on the first Sunday after the government eased rules on social distancing amid signs of slowing coronavirus infections. (Yonhap)
Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul also held Masses on Sunday with followers permitted to enter its building after having their temperature taken and personal information verified.
The Seoul Archdiocese earlier said that public Masses will be resumed at 232 chapels across the capital city.
The Buddhist community resumed its community services as well.
Followers visited the temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in central Seoul for a Sunday ritual, but they had their temperature checked before entering its main building.
Though some resumed their off-line religious gatherings, many still remained cautious by providing online services or "drive-in" ones held in their parking lots as part of precautionary antivirus efforts.
Religious groups in South Korea have scaled down services and provided them online to support the government-led antivirus fight by avoiding large-scale gatherings that could turn into new sources of infections.
On April 19, the South Korean government said it will keep social distancing rules in place until early May but decide to ease some restrictions for such religious gatherings amid signs the virus spread has been slowing down.
South Korea reported 10 additional cases Sunday, marking the ninth straight day that the number has fallen below 15.
Concerns are still lingering that new clusters of infections could break out due to eased guidelines on social distancing and a long holiday that will start later this week, during which people could become overly lax as they travel throughout the country.
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(LEAD) 2 bodies presumed to be S. Koreans found after missing in Annapurna avalanche in Jan.

They appear to be among the four South Koreans -- a woman in her 30s , another in her 50s @ @ @ @ @ 50s -- who went missing along with three other Nepalese guides when the avalanche hit @ @ @ @ @ altitude of about 3,230 meters on Jan. 17 .

(ATTN: CHANGES 2nd para with updated info, ADDS details throughout in last 2 paras, photo)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- Two bodies presumed to be those of South Korean trekkers have been discovered after they went missing in January when an avalanche hit the Annapurna region in Nepal, government officials said Sunday.
The bodies were found at about 3 p.m. Saturday by those patrolling around the avalanche-hit area and will be airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, according to the officials.
It is not clear, however, when they will be transported to the hospital given unfavorable weather conditions there, including heavy fog and rain.
Their identities have yet to be confirmed.
They appear to be among the four South Koreans -- a woman in her 30s, another in her 50s and two men in their 50s -- who went missing along with three other Nepalese guides when the avalanche hit a trekking route at an altitude of about 3,230 meters on Jan. 17.
They were all teachers who were staying in Nepal for volunteer work. Officials earlier said they appear to have been on a weekend trekking trip when the accident took place.
Rescue and search efforts were suspended about a week after the accident due to harsh weather conditions and subsequent avalanches in the region, but they resumed in early April as the temperature got warmer, with the snow and ice beginning to melt.
South Korea's Embassy in Nepal has asked for local police to immediately recover the bodies found, the officials said. It also plans to dispatch its staff to the hospital to which they will be airlifted so as to provide relevant consular and other support.
This photo, provided by the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation, shows the scene of an accident in which four South Korean teachers went missing where an avalanche occurred while they were trekking in Annapurna, the Himalayas, in Nepal, on Jan. 17, 2020. The blue line indicates a road and the red line the avalanche. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(LEAD) S. Korea reports fewer than 15 new infections for 9th day

(ATTN: UPDATES with details, remarks; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported fewer than 15 new daily infections of the new coronavirus for the ninth day in a row Sunday, with health officials calling for people to comply with social distancing guidelines.
The 10 new cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total infections to 10,728, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
South Korea has recorded around 10 or fewer daily new cases since April 18, a sharp drop from the Feb. 29 peak of 909. But health authorities remain on high alert over cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas.
Applicants for an insurance sales license take a test, postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, on the athletics field of Myeonggi College campus in Seoul on April 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from the coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year, rose by two to 242, according to the KCDC. In total, 8,717 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus.
The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,846 and 1,364, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Busan and Gyeonggi Province adding one and six new cases, respectively.
The country also detected one new case coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 1,037.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency, said a loosening attitude on social distancing guidelines is the biggest enemy in combating the coronavirus pandemic, as tens of thousands of people plan to visit the southern resort island of Jeju during the holiday starting later this month.
South Korea eased some restrictions in the guidelines last Sunday, but officials have warned that a new wave of infections could come at anytime because the virus can spread through people who have no symptoms.
During the upcoming holiday period between Thursday and May 5, about 180,000 people are estimated to visit Jeju Island, the nation's popular tourist destination with its beaches and ancient volcanic cones, Kim said.
"In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the biggest dangerous factor is a loosening social attitude," Kim said.
"An increase in outdoor activities could become the kindling for a large-scale transmission," Kim said, urging people to practice social distancing guidelines until May 5.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--2 bodies presumed to be S. Koreans found after missing in Annapurna avalanche in Jan.

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- Two bodies presumed to be those of South Korean trekkers have been discovered after they went missing in mid-January when an avalanche hit the Annapurna region in Nepal, officials said Sunday.
The bodies were found at about 6 p.m. Saturday by those patrolling around the avalanche-hit area and will be airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, according to the officials.
It is not clear, however, when they will be transported to the hospital given unfavorable weather conditions there.
Their identities have yet to be confirmed.
They appear to be among the four South Koreans -- a woman in her 30s, another in her 50s and two men in their 50s -- who went missing along with three other Nepalese guides when the avalanche hit a trekking route at an altitude of about 3,230 meters on Jan. 17.
They were all teachers who were staying in Nepal for volunteer work. Officials earlier said they appear to have been on a weekend trekking trip when the accident took place.
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--(Yonhap Interview) Vice health minister warns against loosening attitudes in combating coronavirus

Under the move , an approval process will be shortened to less than a week from the current one or @ @ @ @ @ , an approval process will be exempted for fast-track developments of vaccines and treatment .

SEJONG, April 26 (Yonhap) -- Loosening attitudes on social-distancing guidelines are the biggest enemy in combating the coronavirus pandemic, Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said, as tens of thousands of people plan to visit the southern resort island of Jeju during the holiday starting later this month.
After four weeks of strict social distancing and aggressive testing, South Korea appears to have brought the disease under control, with the nation reporting about 10 or fewer daily new infections for the eighth consecutive day.
South Korea eased some restrictions in the guidelines last Sunday, but officials have warned that a new wave of infections could come at anytime because the virus can spread through people who have no symptoms.
During the upcoming holiday period between Thursday and May 5, about 180,000 people are estimated to visit Jeju Island, the nation's popular tourist destination with its beaches and ancient volcanic cones, Kim said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Saturday.
"In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the biggest dangerous factor is a loosening social attitude," Kim said.
"An increase in outdoor activities could become the kindling for a large-scale transmission," Kim said, urging people to practice social-distancing guidelines until May 5.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on April 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea saw hundreds of daily new infections in late February and early March, but its coronavirus infection curve was flattened by aggressive testing and tracking people who came into contact with known patients.
Kim said there is a possibility that a new wave of mass transmission of the new coronavirus because there is no vaccine yet.
South Korea is drawing up measures to cope with the possibility in Seoul and its neighboring areas, home to about 25 million people, Kim said.
Citing reports from health experts, Kim said scientists could develop a coronavirus vaccine as early as in the first half of next year.
"People must face up to the situation," Kim said.
Last week, South Korea said it will shorten an approval process later this month for clinical trials and research for experimental vaccines and treatment to combat the novel coronavirus.
Under the move, an approval process will be shortened to less than a week from the current one or two months. If possible, an approval process will be exempted for fast-track developments of vaccines and treatment.
A total of 30 research projects, including 10 projects for a coronavirus vaccine, have been under way in South Korea, with some scientists experimenting with antiviral drugs developed for other diseases.
Scientists worldwide are scrambling to find a vaccine against the highly contagious disease, which originated in China, but many agree that making an effective vaccine is not an easy task.
Unlike other nations, South Korea has not enforced lockdown measures that crippled economic activities.
Kim said South Korea was able to flatten the infection curve, thanks to voluntary participation by people in social distancing and sacrifice by medical workers.
Since the nation introduced stricter social-distancing guidelines in mid-March, people's mobility rate had plunged by some 45 percent at one point, Kim said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--S. Korea's economy to shrink 0.3 pct in 2020

The forecast by Hyundai Research Institute , however , is higher than the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) , @ @ @ @ @ 's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year as the global economy is expected to @ @ @ @ @ the Great Depression of the 1930s over the pandemic .

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economy is expected to contract 0.3 percent this year, a private research institute said Sunday, as the coronavirus pandemic crippled economic activities worldwide.
The forecast by Hyundai Research Institute, however, is higher than the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has predicted that Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year as the global economy is expected to hit its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s over the pandemic.
The world economy is expected to contract 3 percent this year, the IMF said.
Hyundai expected Korea's economy to shrink 0.9 percent in the first half, but it is expected to grow 1.4 percent in the second half as the government announced massive stimulus packages to revive growth.
South Korea's economy contracted 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, marking the sharpest quarterly contraction since the fourth quarter of 2008.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said last week that the pandemic's shocks to Korea's exports and job markets could widen in the second quarter.
Last week, the government announced an aid package worth 40 trillion won (US$32 billion) for key industries hit by the pandemic and another 10 trillion-won scheme to protect jobs.
South Korea's exports sank 27 percent on-year in the first 20 days of April to $21.7 billion.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-26--N. Korea's state media stays mum on Kim's public activities for 2 weeks

Kim has been out of public view since he was last seen on April 11 chairing a major party meeting @ @ @ @ @ annual trip to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the April @ @ @ @ @ state founder and his grandfather , Kim Il-sung , sparking rumors over what was behind @ @ @ @ @ mausoleum .

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state media reported on leader Kim Jong-un expressing his "appreciation" for people working to build facilities in a northern border town Sunday but continued to stay silent about his public activities for two weeks amid growing rumors about his health.
"Comrade Kim Jong-un sent appreciation to workers earnestly and wholeheartedly supporting in furnishing Samjiyon," the state radio said. "Workers are in burning passion to earnestly contribute to the construction of a socialist powerhouse without forgetting about the party's trust and expectation for any moment."
Samjiyon is located at the foot of Mount Paekdu, the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula, known to be the birthplace of Kim's late father and former leader Kim Jong-il. It was elevated to a city late last year.
It, however, did not provide other details that could provide clues about his whereabouts or health conditions.
Other state media, including the Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun, did not report on Kim's public activities either, nor did they provide any photos of the leader.
Kim has been out of public view since he was last seen on April 11 chairing a major party meeting. He skipped an important annual trip to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the April 15 birthday of the late state founder and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, sparking rumors over what was behind his unprecedented no-show at the mausoleum.
CNN intensified speculation about his health by reporting earlier this week that the United States is looking into intelligence that Kim is "in grave danger" after surgery, but Seoul and Washington officials have disputed the report.
It is not rare for Kim to disappear from the public view but whenever it happens, rumors spread about his health, with most of the cases having proved to be false. He reemerged after about a three-week absence by visiting the mausoleum to mark his late father's birthday on Feb. 15.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un (C) pays tribute to his late father and former leader, Kim Jong-il, at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, in this image captured from the North's Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station on Feb. 16, 2020. It was Kim's first reported public appearance since Jan. 25, when he attended a concert in Pyongyang celebrating Lunar New Year's Day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--S. Korea reports 10 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,738

The drive is still in force until May 5 , but the country is likely to move toward `` everyday @ @ @ @ @ date , which means schools and workplaces will mostly return to their normal routines .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 10 more cases of the new coronavirus Monday, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,738.
It marked the fifth day in a row that the number of new infections stayed at 10 or below, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Of the newly added cases, seven were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,044.
The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 243.
A quarantine official stands near a drive-thru medical checkup center in southern Seoul on April 26, 2020. (Yonhap)
In total, 8,764 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 47 from a day earlier.
The number of new infections continued to slow in Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region that accounts for around 64 percent of the total cases, with just one additional case.
North Gyeongsang Province, which surrounds Daegu, reported no new COVID-19 infections, along with Seoul, the capital city.
South Korea believes it has avoided the worst scenario due to its social distancing drive despite being one of the first countries hit hard by the virus that originated from China.
The drive is still in force until May 5, but the country is likely to move toward "everyday life quarantine" after the date, which means schools and workplaces will mostly return to their normal routines.
Despite a respite, local health authorities remain vigilant ahead of the upcoming long holiday, when people are expected to make short trips locally, as air travel overseas is virtually suspended.
South Korea will celebrate Buddha's Birthday on Thursday, followed by May Day on Friday and Children's Day on May 5.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Korea Zinc Inc Q1 net profit down 7.5 pct. to 142 bln won

The operating profit was 10.9 percent higher than the average estimate , according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax , @ @ @ @ @ Yonhap News Agency .
The estimate of net profit was not available .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Korea Zinc Inc on Monday reported its first-quarter net income of 141.9 billion won (US$ 115.1 million), down 7.5 percent from a year earlier.
The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted 204.3 billion won in operating profit for the quarter, compared with 177.5 billion won a year ago. Revenue rose 15.8 percent to 1.73 trillion won.
The operating profit was 10.9 percent higher than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. The estimate of net profit was not available.
※ This article was generated by Yonhap's proprietary algorithm using data from Yonhap Infomax and Korea Exchange(KRX).
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(URGENT) S. Korea releases 47 recovered coronavirus patients, total cured people at 8,764: KCDC

(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--2020-04-27--(URGENT) S. Korea confirms one more coronavirus deaths, raising death toll to 243: KCDC


yna--2020-04-27--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 10 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,738


yna--2020-04-27--S. Korea to hold inter-Korean railway ceremony to mark 2nd anniversary of Moon-Kim summit

But the peace mood has since come to a halt as the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ without an agreement .
The no-deal meeting has also led to an impasse in relations @ @ @ @ @ North .

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was to mark the second anniversary Monday of the first summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a ceremony renewing its commitment to reconnect inter-Korean railways.
Relinking two sets of cross-border roads and railways was one of the key agreements reached during the 2018 meeting at the border village of Panmunjom that set off a wave of detente, including the first-ever summit between the United States and North Korea.
But the peace mood has since come to a halt as the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's Kim ended without an agreement. The no-deal meeting has also led to an impasse in relations between the South and the North.
Monday's ceremony, set to take place at South Korea's northernmost train station of Jejin on the east coast, was aimed at renewing Seoul's commitment to push for railway reconnection and other agreed-upon inter-Korean exchanges.
The government plans to invest 2.85 trillion won (US$2.3 billion) in constructing the single-track 110.9-kilometer-long line from the east coastal city of Gangneung to the border town of Jejin. The line has been left unconnected since 1967.
Last week, the government designated the construction of the Gangneung-Jejin line as an inter-Korean cooperative project and exempted it from a preliminary feasibility study in a bid to speed up its construction.
The move comes as South Korea has been unsuccessfully trying to resume cross-border cooperation in railway and road connection that has been on hold.
President Moon and North Korean leader Kim agreed in a summit on April 27, 2018, to modernize and reconnect inter-Korean railways and roads running through the western and eastern regions as part of reconciliation and balanced development on the Korean Peninsula.
The two Koreas held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project in the border town of Kaesong in December of the same year, but actual construction has not yet started as global sanctions banning such economic cooperation projects with the North remain firmly in place amid a deadlock in denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington.
The construction of the Gangneung-Jejin line and its possible connection to a railway in the North is also expected to bolster the tourist and logistical industries in the country's eastern region, experts said.
A report showed that the construction will have an induced production effect worth 4.74 trillion won and added value estimated at 1.92 trillion won, while helping generate about 40,000 jobs in the process.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--LG Chem to invest 65 bln won to boost production of carbon nanotubes

The investment is set to be completed at the Yeosu plant , about 455 kilometers south of Seoul , by @ @ @ @ @ would increase annual production of carbon nanotubes to 1,700 tons from the current 500 tons @

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's largest chemical company, said Monday that it will invest about 65 billion won (US$53 million) to boost production of carbon nanotubes.
The investment is set to be completed at the Yeosu plant, about 455 kilometers south of Seoul, by March next year, which would increase annual production of carbon nanotubes to 1,700 tons from the current 500 tons.
The move is meant to tap deeper into the rapidly growing carbon nanotubes market, said LG Chem.
Carbon nanotubes are used as conductive additive in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), as well as semiconductors, car parts and fuselages.
Currently, LG Chem has five EV battery plants in South Korea, China, the United States and Poland, with a combined capacity of 70 gigawatt-hours.
LG Chem supplies EV batteries to 13 of the top 20 car brands, including German automaker Volkswagen, French carmaker Renault, American auto giant General Motors and South Korea's largest carmaker Hyundai Motor.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Foreign stock ownership hits 13-month low on coronavirus worries

The percentage was the lowest level since March 20 last year , when the figure came to 36.69 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ on Feb. 24 , the numbers continued to dive .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Foreign holdings of South Korean stocks reached a 13-month low, as offshore investors rushed for cash amid the prolonged coronavirus uncertainties, data showed Monday.
Foreign investors held 468.2 trillion won (US$379.4 billion) worth of stocks traded on the main bourse as of Friday's close, or 36.83 percent of the total market capitalization, according to the data from the Korea Exchange (KRX).
The percentage was the lowest level since March 20 last year, when the figure came to 36.69 percent. After peaking at 39.4 percent on Feb. 24, the numbers continued to dive.
In the Feb. 24-April 24 period, foreigners sold off a net 20.2 trillion won worth of stocks on the main bourse.
Due to the massive foreign sell-off, the benchmark stock index plummeted from 2,162.84 points on Feb. 21 to 1,457.64 on March 19.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its global economic fallout worsened investor sentiment, driving foreign investors into panic selling mode, analysts said.
"Foreign investors seem to have dumped South Korean stocks for quick cash, not particularly because they lost interest in the local market," eBEST Investment & Securities Co. senior researcher Yoon Ji-ho said.
"With the lingering coronavirus risks in the market, it is unlikely that they will turn buyers any time soon," he added.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--4 in 10 listed firms log Q1 earnings surprises despite virus

Fourteen out of the 35 companies listed on the country 's main and secondary stock markets posted first-quarter operating income @ @ @ @ @ percent higher than market consensuses , according to the data from Yonhap Infomax , the @ @ @ @ @ News Agency .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Four in 10 major listed firms in South Korea pulled off earnings surprises in the first quarter of this year despite the coronavirus pandemic, market data said Monday.
Fourteen out of the 35 companies listed on the country's main and secondary stock markets posted first-quarter operating income that were more than 10 percent higher than market consensuses, according to the data from Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency.
The firms covered the ones that unveiled first-quarter results as of Friday, with brokerage estimates available.
The data also showed 21 businesses, 61 percent of the total, saw their first-quarter operating income overshooting market estimates.
Chip giant SK hynix Inc. recorded the biggest surprise with operating income of slightly over 800 billion won (US$648 million) in the January-March period, which was a whopping 58 percent larger than the market consensus of 507 billion won.
Top-cap and global tech behemoth Samsung Electronics Co. also outperformed the market consensus by chalking up 6.4 trillion own in first-quarter operating profit, up 3.8 percent from the median market estimate.
World No. 1 memory chip maker Samsung and its smaller rival SK hynix had been feared to fare poorly in the first quarter due to slumping demand stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.
However, the two semiconductor titans performed better than expected as rising chip prices more than offset the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, according to Yonhap Infomax.
Instead of taking a hit, some companies rather benefited from COVID-19 that has sparked lockdowns, factory shutdowns and worries over a looming global recession.
First-quarter operating income of building materials maker LG Hausys was 54 percent higher than the market consensus on falling prices of raw materials due to the coronavirus pandemic.
LG Household & Health Care's operating income was nearly 19 percent larger than the market estimate thanks to strong sales of sanitizers and other personal hygiene items.
South Korea's top internet portal operator Naver Corp. also saw its first-quarter operating income overshooting the market estimate by about 14 percent, helped by increased online shopping on its platform amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
Some market watchers, however, said the companies' better-than-expected earnings should be taken with a grain of salt as the impact of the coronavirus outbreak has yet to fully bite.
Concerns remain over first-half corporate results as the novel coronavirus outbreak is strongly tipped to persist until at least the end of the first half of this year, they added.
The coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed more than 200,000 lives globally with infections nearing 3 million, has wreaked havoc on economies across the globe by sending consumer spending into a free fall.
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--S&T Motiv swings to profits in Q1

S&T Motiv swings to profits in Q1

The operating profit was 15.8 percent higher than the average estimate , according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax , @ @ @ @ @ Yonhap News Agency .
The estimate of net profit was not available .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- S&T Motiv Co. on Monday reported its first-quarter net profit of 24 billion won (US$ 19.5 million), shifting from a loss of 57.3 billion won a year earlier.
Operating profit for the January-March period was 18.8 billion won, up 35.2 percent from a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales fell 4 percent to 216.5 billion won.
The operating profit was 15.8 percent higher than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. The estimate of net profit was not available.
※ This article was generated by Yonhap's proprietary algorithm using data from Yonhap Infomax and Korea Exchange(KRX).
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street rally

On Friday ( local time ) , U.S. stocks ended higher as investor sentiment was boosted by the progress in @ @ @ @ @ The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.11 percent , the S & P 500 added @ @ @ @ @ Nasdaq composite index was up 1.65 percent .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, tracking gains on Wall Street.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 12.23 points, or 0.65 percent, to 1,901.24 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
On Friday (local time), U.S. stocks ended higher as investor sentiment was boosted by the progress in a coronavirus relief package. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.11 percent, the S&P 500 added 1.39 percent, and the Nasdaq composite index was up 1.65 percent.
Most large-cap shares on the Seoul bourse traded in mixed terrain.
Major chipmaker SK hynix added 0.61 percent, No. 1 portal operator Naver was up 1.04 percent, and major pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics gained 0.17 percent.
In contrast, top cap Samsung Electronics lost 0.2 percent, and No. 1 chem firm LG Chem was down 0.42 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,233.6 won against the U.S. dollar, up 1.9 won from the previous session's close.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


Monday's weather forecast

SEOUL , April 27 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


KOSPI 1,897.06 UP 8.05 points (open)


KOSDAQ 638.90 UP 5.94 points (open)


yna--2020-04-27--Dollar opens at 1,232.5 won DN from 1,235.5 won


yna--2020-04-27--Korea's April exports tipped to dip 25 pct: poll

South Korea 's outbound shipments of chips , the major export good , is estimated to have fallen 15 percent @ @ @ @ @ of automobiles moved down 29 percent in the month .
Exports of petrochemical goods will @ @ @ @ @ the poll added .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports are expected to have plunged by a whopping 25 percent in April from a year earlier, a poll showed Monday, as the new coronavirus pandemic has dealt a harsh blow to global trade and corporate activities.
Outbound shipments are estimated at US$36.4 billion this month, according to the poll by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency. The survey was carried out on nine local brokerage houses.
The sharp decrease was also attributable to the falling global oil prices, the poll showed.
The estimate comes in line with an earlier estimate by the Korea Customs Office, which suggested South Korea's exports sank 27 percent on year in the first 20 days of April.
South Korea's outbound shipments of chips, the major export good, is estimated to have fallen 15 percent this month, while those of automobiles moved down 29 percent in the month. Exports of petrochemical goods will have more than halved, the poll added.
With imports estimated at $37.3 billion, South Korea would post its first trade deficit in nearly 100 months if the export figures come in line with the projection.
While South Korea's exports are poised to provide grim readings for the first half of 2020, experts say the country may make a slow recovery starting next month as major economies are gradually lifting lockdowns and giving the nod to business activities.
The number of COVID-19 infections around the world has reached nearly 3 million, despite signs of a slowdown locally.
South Korea reported fewer than 15 new daily infections of the new coronavirus for the eighth day in a row Sunday.
South Korea's monthly exports rebounded 4.5 percent in February on-year to end its 14 months of decrease. Exports, however, again shed 0.2 percent in the following month as the pandemic that originated in China started to make its way across the globe.
The country will release its official exports data for April on Friday.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(LEAD) S. Korea to offer over US$400 mln to emerging nations for coronavirus-related health projects

SEJONG , April 27 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea will offer more than US $ 400 million to emerging @ @ @ @ @ them push for health projects against the novel coronavirus , Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said @ @

(ATTN: ADDS remarks, details in last 7 paras, new photo)
SEJONG, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will offer more than US$400 million to emerging nations this year to help them push for health projects against the novel coronavirus, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Monday.
Hong made the remarks at a meeting with economy-related ministers earlier in the day as South Korea seeks to share coronavirus information with the world.
The money will be offered through the nation's Economic Development Cooperation Fund, Hong said.
South Korea will also postpone debt payments worth $110 million for 26 nations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Hong said.
South Korea's export-reliant economy is expected to experience a "big shock" as the pandemic has crippled global trade, Hong told the meeting.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks during a videoconference with officials on April 27, 2020. in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Uncertainties at global financial markets rose as oil prices crashed and foreign direct investments dropped worldwide, Hong said.
South Korea will preemptively cope with global economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic, Hong said.
In May, the government will draw up a plan to help South Korean firms win bids for foreign infrastructure projects, Hong said.
South Korea's economy contracted 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, marking the sharpest quarterly contraction since the fourth quarter of 2008.
Hong said last week that the pandemic's shocks to South Korea's exports and job markets could widen in the second quarter.
The government announced an aid package worth 40 trillion won ($32 billion) for key industries hit by the pandemic and another 10 trillion-won scheme to protect jobs.
South Korea's exports sank 27 percent on-year in the first 20 days of April to $21.7 billion.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--S. Korea to offer over US$400 mln to emerging nations for coronavirus-related health projects

SEJONG, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will offer more than US$400 million to emerging nations this year to help them push for health projects against the novel coronavirus, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Monday.
Hong made the remarks at a meeting with economy-related ministers earlier in the day as South Korea seeks to share coronavirus information with the world.
The money will be offered through the nation's Economic Development Cooperation Fund, Hong said.
South Korea will also postpone debt payments worth $110 million for 26 nations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Hong said.
South Korea's export-reliant economy is expected to experience a "big shock" as the pandemic has crippled global trade, Hong told the meeting.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--GS Retail Q1 net income up 370.7 pct. to 49.4 bln won

The operating profit was 316.5 percent higher than the average estimate , according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax , @ @ @ @ @ Yonhap News Agency .
The estimate of net profit was not available .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- GS Retail Co. on Monday reported its first-quarter net profit of 49.4 billion won (US$ 40 million), up 370.7 percent from a year earlier.
Operating income for the January-March period was 88.8 billion won, up 314.7 percent from a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing. Revenue rose 2.8 percent to 2.14 trillion won.
The operating profit was 316.5 percent higher than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. The estimate of net profit was not available.
※ This article was generated by Yonhap's proprietary algorithm using data from Yonhap Infomax and Korea Exchange(KRX).
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on April 27)

If an emergency takes place on the peninsula — a hot spot arguably the most susceptible to global power politics @ @ @ @ @ surely intervene in any way they want .
China , in particular , has been @ @ @ @ @ border as it regards North Korea a vital security issue .
If the North Korean @ @ @ @ @ of collapse , China will most likely send the troops to its ally and establish @ @ @ @ @ country .
Seoul must do its best to minimize China 's intervention in the North @ @ @ @ @ with Uncle Sam and strive to achieve denuclearization of the peninsula toward the goal of @ @ @ @ @ .

Bracing for every possibility
After news about the public activities of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suddenly came to a stop for over two weeks, the rest of the world has begun to question whether he died after a heart surgery. Presumptions of his potential death pose a serious security challenge to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. The uncertainty demands the Moon Jae-in administration and international society to take a cool-headed approach to a potential contingency in the reclusive state.
Kim's unusual disappearance from a national event celebrating his grandfather Kim Il Sung's birthday on April 15 created suspicions about his health. Given the unique characteristics of the North Korean regime, however, it is not desirable for us to jump to any conclusions unless Pyongyang makes an official announcement on his whereabouts.
Nevertheless, the Moon administration should be prepared for any possibility, including his death, to safeguard our national security now that North Korea has become a de facto nuclear power with over 30 nuclear warheads. If a power vacuum emerges in the country, concerns over the safety of its nuclear weapons will deepen further along with China's increasing influence on its ally across the border.
The government has focused its security and diplomatic efforts on improving inter-Korean exchanges over the last three years to the extent of creating many schisms in the Korea-U.S. alliance and its relations with Japan, as seen in the crisis with the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Tokyo. But if a crisis occurs in the North, there is no better security apparatus for us than the decades-old alliance.
If an emergency takes place on the peninsula — a hot spot arguably the most susceptible to global power politics — China and Russia will surely intervene in any way they want. China, in particular, has been stationing military forces along the border as it regards North Korea a vital security issue. If the North Korean regime is on the brink of collapse, China will most likely send the troops to its ally and establish a pro-Beijing regime in the country. Seoul must do its best to minimize China's intervention in the North based on the solid alliance with Uncle Sam and strive to achieve denuclearization of the peninsula toward the goal of establishing a permanent peace system.
The government must double-check a phased operational plan it has drawn up with the United States to cope with contingencies in the North and prepare a detailed set of action plans. At the same time, the government must consolidate a joint defense posture with America. In that sense, it would be better to wrap up the ongoing negotiation to settle their disagreements over the defense cost-sharing deal as quickly as possible.
April 27 marks the second anniversary of the Panmunjom agreement signed by President Moon and Kim Jong-un to take a step toward peace. Given the rumored vegetative condition of Kim and the presidential election season in the United States, it is unclear if a productive dialogue among Seoul, Washington and Pyongyang could continue. It is not a time to remain idle. The Moon administration must concentrate on risk management through humanitarian aid to help North Korea weather the coronavirus storm, while bracing for anything in North Korea.
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(LEAD) Body believed to be of missing Korean trekker found in Annapurna

The search workers combed the snow-covered area and found a body , covered in ice and snow , the sources @ @ @ @ @ working to retrieve the frozen body out of the snow mass , but torrential rain @ @ @ @ @ impeding the efforts , according to the sources .

(ATTN: UPDATES headline, 4th para)
NEW DELHI/HONGSEONG, South Korea, April 27 (Yonhap) -- A body believed to be of a member of a South Korean trekking group that went missing in a deadly avalanche in Annapurna, Nepal, in January has been discovered by Nepalese authorities, officials said Monday.
According to diplomatic sources and trekkers in Nepal, local residents and Nepalese military personnel who have been searching the accident scene have found part of a body in melting snow.
The search workers combed the snow-covered area and found a body, covered in ice and snow, the sources said. The authorities were working to retrieve the frozen body out of the snow mass, but torrential rain and the harsh climate were impeding the efforts, according to the sources.
The local search workers confirmed that the body belongs to a South Korean man and are presuming he is one of the three members of the South Korean trekking team who are still missing.
Four South Korean school teachers and three Nepalese trekking guides went missing in January when an avalanche hit the Annapurna region in Nepal.
After the bodies of two of the Nepalese guides were found first, local authorities discovered the bodies of two of the South Korean teachers -- a man and a woman -- over the weekend.
Currently, two South Korean teachers and one Nepalese guide remain unaccounted for in the famous trekking area.
South Korean rescuers and Nepalese authorities carried out an extensive search project after the accident in mid-January. In late January, however, the search workers walked out of the accident scene due to prohibitively worsening weather conditions.
The melting of snow in the area in recent weeks is clearing the trekking course, leading to the recent discoveries.
Local authorities are also planning to move the two recently identified bodies to a hospital in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, although it remains unclear whether the bodies could be safely brought home due to the ongoing lockdown in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This image, captured from the Facebook account of Tourist Police Pokhara, shows local search efforts in Annapurna, Nepal. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(3rd LD) N.K. leader sends gratitude to workers at tourist zone amid health rumors

`` I , in the days around Freedom Day , the meaningful national holiday of the people of your country @ @ @ @ @ to you , the government of South Africa and the people in the name of @ @ @ @ @ of Korea and Korean people , '' the report quoted Kim as saying in the @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 3-6)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his gratitude to workers building a tourist zone in the east coast region of Wonsan, state media said Monday, amid reports his special train is parked at the area amid persisting speculation about his health.
"Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has sent his appreciation to the workers who devoted themselves to building the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said. The Korean Central Broadcasting Station carried a similar report.
Later in the day, the state-run Korean Central News Agency also reported that Kim sent a congratulatory telegram message to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday.
"I, in the days around Freedom Day, the meaningful national holiday of the people of your country, send out heart-felt congratulations to you, the government of South Africa and the people in the name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Korean people," the report quoted Kim as saying in the telegram.
"On this occasion, I express my confidence that the traditional friendship between the two countries would be furthered continuously," Kim said.
The reports came amid lingering speculation about Kim's health since he missed an important annual ceremony on April 15 commemorating the birthday of late state founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung.
Some unconfirmed media reports have speculated that Kim could be "in grave danger" after surgery. But South Korean officials have dismissed such speculation as untrue, saying nothing unusual was going on in the North and Kim is believed to be staying in the Wonsan region.
Corroborating the intelligence was a report by the U.S. monitoring website 38 North that satellite imagery showed what appeared to be Kim's special train parked at a station in "his Wonsan compound since at least April 21."
"The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," it added.
Moon Chung-in, a special security adviser to President Moon Jae-in, also said Sunday in an interview with Fox News that Kim is "alive and well."
Newsweek reported Saturday that the United States has seen no indications that would allow it to make a conclusive assessment on the status of the North Korean leadership or Kim's health, citing an unidentified senior Pentagon official.
The official also said there are no signs of unusual military activity in the North, and the U.S. and its partner countries in Asia and the Western Pacific "remain at readiness levels consistent with historical norms," according to the report.
The unification ministry on Monday reaffirmed no unusual signs have been detected in the North.
"We have nothing to confirm in regards to speculation over leader Kim Jong-un's health. However, our stance that there is no unusual activity currently in North Korea, as announced by the National Security Council, is still in effect to this point," Cho Hey-sil, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told a regular press briefing Monday.
The Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is one of Kim's key pet construction projects. Kim, who sent a similar thank-you message to the workers in February, has sought to develop the North's tourism in an effort to beef up an economy faltering under international sanctions.
Kim was last seen in state media on April 11 presiding over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, calling for strict measures against the coronavirus.
But his absence from a key ceremony commemorating the 108th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung on April 15 has sparked speculation over his health. He has never skipped his trip to the mausoleum since taking office in late 2011.
North Korean state media have recently put out reports on Kim sending diplomatic letters and conveying gifts to honored citizens. But no reports on the leader's "field guidance" trips or photos on his public activities have been released by state media for more than two weeks.
This photo, carried by North Korea's state news agency on April 6, 2019, shows its leader Kim Jong-un (C) inspecting the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(LEAD) Body assumed to be of missing Korean trekking group member found in Annapurna

The local search workers are presuming that the body is one of the three members of the South Korean trekking @ @ @ @ @ , and they plan to identify the body as soon as it is retrieved .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with new development)
NEW DELHI/HONGSEONG, South Korea, April 27 (Yonhap) -- A body assumed to be of a member of a South Korean trekking group that went missing in a deadly avalanche in Annapurna, Nepal, in January has been discovered by Nepalese authorities, officials said Monday.
According to diplomatic sources and trekkers in Nepal, local residents and Nepalese military personnel who have been searching the accident scene have found part of a body in melting snow.
The search workers combed the snow-covered area and found a body, covered in ice and snow, the sources said. The authorities were working to retrieve the frozen body out of the snow mass, but torrential rain and the harsh climate were impeding the efforts, according to the sources.
The local search workers are presuming that the body is one of the three members of the South Korean trekking team who are still missing, and they plan to identify the body as soon as it is retrieved.
Four South Korean school teachers and three Nepalese trekking guides went missing in January when an avalanche hit the Annapurna region in Nepal.
After the bodies of two of the Nepalese guides were found first, local authorities discovered the bodies of two of the South Korean teachers -- a man and a woman -- over the weekend.
Currently, two South Korean teachers and one Nepalese guide remain unaccounted for in the famous trekking area.
South Korean rescuers and Nepalese authorities carried out an extensive search project after the accident in mid-January. In late January, however, the search workers walked out of the accident scene due to prohibitively worsening weather conditions.
The melting of snow in the area in recent weeks is clearing the trekking course, leading to the recent discoveries.
Local authorities are also planning to move the two recently identified bodies to a hospital in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, although it remains unclear whether the bodies could be safely brought home due to the ongoing lockdown in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This image, captured from the Facebook account of Tourist Police Pokhara, shows local search efforts in Annapurna, Nepal. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Defense chiefs of S. Korea, UAE vow cooperation over virus crisis

`` The two ministers vowed to mutually put forth efforts to unswervingly continue defense exchanges and cooperation between the two @ @ @ @ @ for a long time , and to jointly respond to the prolonged COVID-19 situation , @ @ @ @ @ a release .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held phone talks Monday and pledged their joint response against the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul's defense ministry said.
The conversation between Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his UAE counterpart, Mohammad Ahmed Al Bowardi, took place at the request of the UAE defense chief, according to the ministry.
The UAE defense chief praised South Korea's response against the coronavirus as prompt and transparent and said Seoul has been dealing with the virus effectively and exemplarily, the ministry said.
"The two ministers vowed to mutually put forth efforts to unswervingly continue defense exchanges and cooperation between the two countries that have been maintained for a long time, and to jointly respond to the prolonged COVID-19 situation," the ministry said in a release.
South Korea reported 10 new cases of the new coronavirus Monday, marking the fifth day in a row that the number of new infections stayed at 10 or below. The nation's total infections stood at 10,738, including 243 deaths.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(LEAD) Policy lenders mulling providing 800 bln won to Doosan Heavy

Doosan Heavy said about 650 out of its total of 6,700 employees have opted to leave the company in its @ @ @ @ @ years as part of its efforts to cut costs amid dwindling orders .

(ATTN: UPDATES with comments by policy lenders; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) said Monday they are considering providing additional financial assistance worth 800 billion won (US$649.8 million) to Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. in the latest move to help normalize the nation's largest power equipment maker.
"We decided to accept Doosan Heavy's final self-rescue plans," KDB and Eximbank said in a joint statement.
A KDB official said Doosan Heavy plans to use about 500 billion won out of the 800 billion won in paying back bonds with warrants maturing in May.
This file photo, from April 8, 2020, shows Doosan Group's logo in front of Doosan Tower in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The move comes after Doosan Group submitted Doosan Heavy's final self-rescue plans worth more than 3 trillion won to the creditors.
The self-rescue plans include the sell-off of its non-core assets, a rights issue and salary reductions of executives.
In March, the company opened a 500 billion-won credit line with the KDB and Eximbank, respectively, but the money is almost depleted, according to KDB.
Last week, Eximbank converted $500 million worth of dollar-denominated debt sold by Doosan Heavy into the loans, as the power equipment maker cannot repay the debt set to mature this week.
Eximbank delivered a payment guarantee when Doosan Heavy issued dollar-denominated corporate bonds in April 2015, but Doosan Heavy has faced a liquidity crisis due to years of declining orders amid an economic slowdown.
Doosan Heavy's net losses deepened in recent years, as South Korea has pushed to boost the supply of power from clean and renewable energy sources while weaning the country off nuclear and coal-fired plants.
Doosan Heavy posted accumulated net losses worth 2.68 trillion won from 2014 through 2019.
Doosan Heavy said orders worth about 10 trillion won have dried up due to the cancellation of nuclear and coal-fired plant projects in South Korea.
South Korea, which decommissioned two nuclear power plants in 2017 and 2019, is set to retire 10 out of the total 24 reactors here by the end of 2030.
Doosan Heavy said about 650 out of its total of 6,700 employees have opted to leave the company in its first retirement program in five years as part of its efforts to cut costs amid dwindling orders.
Shares in Doosan Heavy rose 2.27 percent to 3,835 won, outperforming the broader KOSPI's 1.79 percent gain.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(MORE)


yna--2020-04-27--Remains assumed to be of missing Korean trekking group member found in Annapurna

The source said the local search workers are presuming that the remains belong to one of the three members of @ @ @ @ @ who are still missing .

NEW DELHI/HONGSEONG, South Korea, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Remains assumed to be of a member of a South Korean trekking group who went missing in a deadly avalanche in Annapurna, Nepal, in January have been discovered by Nepalese authorities, officials said Monday.
"Residents and Nepalese military personnel who have been searching the accident scene have found part of a body and are currently continuing their search efforts," according to a diplomatic source.
The source said the local search workers are presuming that the remains belong to one of the three members of the South Korean trekking team who are still missing.
Four South Korean school teachers and three Nepalese trekking guides went missing in January when an avalanche hit the Annapurna region in Nepal.
After the bodies of two of the Nepalese guides were found first, local authorities discovered the bodies of two of the South Korean teachers -- a man and a woman -- over the weekend.
Currently, two South Korean teachers and one Nepalese guide remain unaccounted for in the famous trekking area.
This image, captured from the Facebook account of Tourist Police Pokhara, shows local search efforts in Annapurna, Nepal. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonahp)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(LEAD) Rival parties agree to vote on disaster relief funds Wednesday

If the bill passes the Assembly this week as planned , the payment of disaster relief funds is expected to @ @ @ @ @ Under the budget bill , a one-person household is to receive 400,000 won , while @ @ @ @ @ to be paid 600,000 won and 800,000 won , respectively .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in 6th para and last three paras)
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rival parties said Monday they have agreed to vote this week on the provision of disaster relief funds to all households to minimize the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) agreed to hold a plenary session of the National Assembly on Wednesday to handle this year's second supplementary budget bill centered on the nationwide payment of disaster relief money totaling 1 million won (US$814) each for households of four persons.
The agreement was announced after a meeting of the two parties' first vice floor leaders at the National Assembly.
Rep. Kim Jae-won (L), head of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, meets with senior lawmakers of the ruling and main opposition parties in Seoul on April 27, 2020, to discuss matters related to the provision of disaster relief funds. (Yonhap)
Earlier in the day, President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun met at Cheong Wa Dae and agreed to devote all efforts to provide the emergency disaster relief funds as soon as possible.
The Moon administration announced at the end of March that it would grant the direct financial support to all families here except the top 30 percent by income.
The government soon submitted a 7.6 trillion-won extra budget bill to the National Assembly to fund the program. In addition, local autonomous governments were asked to shoulder a total of 2.1 trillion won under the scheme to dole out one-off disaster aid to the bottom 70 percent of households.
The ruling Democratic Party has proposed expanding the scope of beneficiaries to all households amid concerns about the time and cost necessary for administrative procedures to sort out those who are eligible.
The shift to the universal disaster aid handout will require an additional 4.6 trillion won, and 3.6 trillion won of the money will be raised by issuing government bonds. The remaining 1 trillion won is to be funded through the readjustment of existing government budget plans.
The rival parties agreed to iron out their differences on the issuance of government bonds and contributions from local governments before Wednesday's plenary session.
If the bill passes the Assembly this week as planned, the payment of disaster relief funds is expected to be completed in May. Under the budget bill, a one-person household is to receive 400,000 won, while two-person and three-person households are to be paid 600,000 won and 800,000 won, respectively.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Finance minister holds meeting with heads of economic organizations

South Korea 's economy shrank 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year , marking the sharpest quarterly @ @ @ @ @ months of 2008 .

SEJONG, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki held a meeting with heads of economic organizations on Monday to discuss economic relief packages for companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the finance ministry said Monday.
The meeting is aimed at hearing opinions from experts as South Korea seeks to stimulate economic growth after apparently bringing the coronavirus outbreak under control.
Heads of economic organizations called for the government to swiftly implement financial aid programs for virus-hit businesses, the ministry said.
They also urged the government to temporarily ease some regulations and make more efforts to boost domestic consumption, it said.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki (C) speaks at a meeting with heads of economic organizations on April 27, 2020, in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea's economy shrank 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, marking the sharpest quarterly contraction since the last three months of 2008.
Hong has said the COVID-19 shock on the nation's exports and job market could widen in the second quarter.
South Korea has pledged to increase the size of its aid package by 90 trillion won (US$73 billion) to 240 trillion won for coronavirus-hit companies and to support job protection.
President Moon Jae-in ordered the government to draw up a third extra budget, which will be unveiled in early June.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--S. Korea launches task force handling international calls for coronavirus cooperation

The first interagency meeting , presided over by Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho , took place to discuss details @ @ @ @ @ and effectively respond to '' the calls from foreign partners for advice from Seoul on @ @ @ @ @ foreign ministry said in a release .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea launched a government task force Monday in charge of helping foreign countries cope with the coronavirus by sharing its own quarantine experience amid growing international requests seeking to adopt Seoul's virus response systems.
The first interagency meeting, presided over by Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho, took place to discuss details on "how to systematically and effectively respond to" the calls from foreign partners for advice from Seoul on tackling the disease, the foreign ministry said in a release.
Officials from state-affiliated health and medical institutions also attended Monday's meeting, it said.
Many foreign countries have expressed interest in learning about South Korea's virus control measures and treatment system that have earned global recognition amid a slowdown in infections in the country.
Seoul has held a slew of online video seminars for more than a dozen foreign countries in recent weeks, including the United States, Italy and South American nations, to share its knowledge and experience in flattening the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the meeting, participants agreed to hold web seminars and videoconferences on a regular basis so as to provide related information to the requesting countries, the ministry said.
The upcoming sessions will cover a wide range of topics, from epidemiological studies, treatment and management of patients to immigration control, based on the government's principle of maintaining "openness, transparency and democracy" in terms of quarantine policy, it added.
Seoul officials said earlier that some 40 countries have requested South Korea share its quarantine experience and skills, such as diagnostic testing tools and guidelines for self-isolation and treatment.
South Korea added 10 new coronavirus cases Monday, bringing the total infections to 10,738, with 243 deaths.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Moon joins Thank You Challenge campaign for medical workers

He joined the campaign using sign language , also known as the Thank You Challenge , along with his senior @ @ @ @ @ ahead of their meeting at the presidential compound .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in took a trendy way Monday to express his gratitude to medical workers nationwide for their dedicated services in the monthslong fight against the coronavirus: the Thanks to (You) Challenge.
He joined the campaign using sign language, also known as the Thank You Challenge, along with his senior Cheong Wa Dae secretaries just ahead of their meeting at the presidential compound.
They showed the gesture briefly in front of pool reporters and camera crew, shouting "Thanks to medical staff, thanks to the people."
President Moon Jae-in (C) and his senior Cheong Wa Dae aides join the Thank You Challenge for medical workers fighting the coronavirus before holding their weekly meeting at the presidential compound in Seoul on April 27, 2020. (Yonhap)
Almost 100 days into the COVID-19 outbreak here, South Korea has succeeded in slowing the spread of the virus more effectively than any other nation on the basis of its quick testing, contact tracing and treatment strategy.
Speaking at the weekly session, however, Moon stressed that it's still early to lower the country's quarantine guard.
"COVID-19 is not over yet," he stressed, calling for preparations for a long-term war against the virus.
Later in the day, the president issued a related message on his social media account.
"Thanks to medical workers, precious life is being protected, (we) are winning the fight against the virus and preparing gradually for routine life" amid the global view that South Korea is an exemplary nation for quarantine, Moon wrote.
"I extend my respect and gratitude for your dedication," he added.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--(LEAD) S-Oil shifts to loss in Q1 on inventory losses

SEOUL , April 27 ( Yonhap ) -- S-Oil Corp. , the No .
3 oil refiner in South Korea @ @ @ @ @ swung to a net loss in the first quarter from a year earlier due to @ @ @ @ @ margins .

(ATTN: UPDATES with company's comments, stock prices; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- S-Oil Corp., the No. 3 oil refiner in South Korea, said Monday that it swung to a net loss in the first quarter from a year earlier due to inventory losses and falling refining margins.
For the January-March period, S-Oil posted a net loss of 880.6 billion won (US$718 million), shifting from a net profit of 113.6 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.
S-Oil said the net loss is blamed on inventory losses caused by low crude oil prices, and falling refining margins stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
The S-Oil headquarters building in Mapo, western Seoul (Yonhap)
Refining margins are linked to international oil prices. Higher crude prices mean greater margins, or the difference between the total value of petroleum products and the cost of crude and related services.
S-Oil also shifted to an operating loss of 1 trillion won from an operating profit of 270.3 billion won a year earlier.
Sales fell 4.2 percent on-year to 5.19 trillion in the first quarter.
S-Oil said it expects refining margins to gradually recover in the second quarter on the back of the resumption of economic activities and regular maintenance work by refiners.
Shares in S-Oil rose 1.71 percent to 71,500 won on Monday, roughly in line with the broader KOSPI's 1.79 percent gain.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--Rival parties agree to vote on disaster relief funds Wednesday

The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition United Future Party ( UFP ) agreed to hold a plenary session @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday to handle this year 's second supplementary budget bill centered on the nationwide payment @ @ @ @ @ 1 million won ( US $ 814 ) each for households of four persons .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rival parties said Monday they have agreed to vote this week on the provision of disaster relief funds to all households to minimize the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) agreed to hold a plenary session of the National Assembly on Wednesday to handle this year's second supplementary budget bill centered on the nationwide payment of disaster relief money totaling 1 million won (US$814) each for households of four persons.
The agreement was announced after a meeting of the two parties' first vice floor leaders at the National Assembly.
Rep. Kim Jae-won (L), head of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, meets with senior lawmakers of the ruling and main opposition parties in Seoul on April 27, 2020, to discuss matters related to the provision of disaster relief funds. (Yonhap)
Earlier in the day, President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun met at Cheong Wa Dae and agreed to devote all efforts to provide the emergency disaster relief funds as soon as possible.
The Moon administration announced at the end of March that it would grant the direct financial support to all families here except the top 30 percent by income.
The government soon submitted a 7.6 trillion-won extra budget bill to the National Assembly to fund the program.
The ruling Democratic Party has proposed expanding the scope of beneficiaries to all households amid concerns about the time and cost necessary for administrative procedures to sort out those who are eligible.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-27--S. Korea approves plan to develop new combat system for 'mini-Aegis' destroyers

During the session , the committee also approved a plan to develop the country 's own joint tactical data link @ @ @ @ @ the smooth sharing of information among weapons systems on land , sea and air .
@ @ @ @ @ contract for the 320 billion-won project in the third quarter , it said .

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday approved a 670 billion-won (US$546 million) plan to develop a combat system to be equipped on the country's next-generation destroyers, the arms procurement agency said.
The Defense Project Promotion Committee decided during a videoconference session held earlier in the day to sign a contract for the Korea Destroyer Next Generation project in the fourth quarter of this year with a plan to complete the system development by 2030, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
South Korea has been pushing to locally develop 6,000-ton-class destroyers equipped with an indigenous combat system to boost the Navy's capabilities in safeguarding the country's maritime interests.
Such warships are often dubbed "mini-Aegis" destroyers, as they are smaller than the 7,600-ton KDX-III destroyer equipped with the advanced Aegis combat system, but larger than the 4,200-ton KDX-II destroyer.
During the session, the committee also approved a plan to develop the country's own joint tactical data link system by 2026 to ensure the smooth sharing of information among weapons systems on land, sea and air. The government will sign a contract for the 320 billion-won project in the third quarter, it said.
The committee also gave the green light to a revision in a plan to improve the military radio communication system by 2025. The government plans to sign a contract for the 1.2 trillion-won project in the third quarter of this year, the agency said.
This file photo, provided by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., shows the King Sejong the Great Aegis destroyer, which the shipbuilder delivered to the Navy in 2008. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)