yna--2020-01-24--(LEAD) S. Korea vows stepped-up response to contain Wuhan coronavirus

The second confirmed case came as South Korea is struggling to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Year holiday , with the country 's citizens advised not to visit the central Chinese @ @ @ @ @ the disease .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS more details in paras 2-3)
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Friday it will put utmost efforts to contain the Wuhan coronavirus by enhancing preventive quarantine and screening measures at airports and other areas as the country reported the second confirmed case of the deadly virus.
"It will take lots of time and efforts to terminate the virus, and what's important now is to take quick and thorough preventive measures, thus minimizing potential fallout," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during an emergency meeting hastily arranged to discuss stepped-up responses against the deadly disease.
The prime minister's call came amid concerns that the virus may spread during the Lunar New Year holiday that runs through Monday.
A quarantine official (R) checks passengers arriving at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, for signs of fever and other symptoms in this file photo taken Jan. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea on Friday reported its second confirmed case of the China coronavirus amid mounting fears the pneumonia-like illness that is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world during the Lunar New Year holiday.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a South Korean who arrived at Gimpo International Airport, western Seoul, late Wednesday, tested positive for the new type of virus.
The 55-year-old man, who has been working in Wuhan, visited a Chinese clinic last week after suffering from a sore throat and other symptoms, the agency said.
The country reported its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus Monday when a Chinese resident who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, on Sunday tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, all 25 suspected cases reported here tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the center.
The second confirmed case came as South Korea is struggling to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus during the four-day Lunar New Year holiday, with the country's citizens advised not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease.
South Korea is maintaining a high level of vigilance to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
China announced the virus has killed 25 people so far, with 830 others confirmed to be infected, amid concerns the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--Tour-related businesses to suffer most from Wuhan virus: Fitch

The new SARS-like virus was first reported in Wuhan , China , late last month .
It has not reached @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of people , some fatally , in China and internationally , according to the @ @ @ @ @ ) .

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- Fitch Ratings, a global credit ratings firm, said Friday companies involved in the tourism business will bear the brunt of the spreading Wuhan coronavirus if the scale of the virus outbreak increases substantially.
"The global airlines, gaming, lodging and leisure sectors are vulnerable to pandemics that influence consumer behavior. Operational disruptions caused by idiosyncratic events, including disease outbreaks, are a perennial risk faced by these sectors," Fitch said in a statement.
The new SARS-like virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, late last month. It has not reached pandemic status but has sickened hundreds of people, some fatally, in China and internationally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a briefing held in Geneva on Thursday (local time), WHO opted not to declare the Wuhan coronavirus as a global health emergency. It said it will continue to monitor the virus.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2014-2015 are also coronaviruses.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--N. Korea to receive US$42 mln to fight tuberculosis, malaria: report

In an email sent to the VOA on Thursday ( U.S. time ) , the Global Fund said it has @ @ @ @ @ financial support , and it began to make the payment of the fund to the @ @

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- The Global Fund, an organization set up to fight epidemic diseases, will provide US$42 million to help North Korea fight tuberculosis and malaria, according to the Voice of America on Friday.
In an email sent to the VOA on Thursday (U.S. time), the Global Fund said it has agreed with Pyongyang over the financial support, and it began to make the payment of the fund to the North.
The Switzerland-headquartered Global Fund has provided more than $100 million to North Korea to help cure those diagnosed with tuberculosis and malaria since 2010.
The organization stopped delivering funds to the North in 2018, citing lack of transparency in the use of the funds and suspected effectiveness of the funds. But it approved the resumption of support in September last year.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--(3rd LD) 2nd case of Wuhan coronavirus puts S. Korea on alert during holidays

The new coronavirus was originally believed to be passed to humans from animals but is now known to be transmissible @ @ @ @ @ victims may be contracting the virus by coming in contact with saliva and other bodily @ @ @ @ @ factors .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; ADDS emergency meeting, WHO's decision in para 15, last 3 paras)
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday reported its second confirmed case of the China coronavirus amid mounting fears the pneumonia-like illness that is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world during the Lunar New Year holiday.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a South Korean who arrived at Gimpo International Airport, western Seoul, late Wednesday, tested positive for the new type of virus.
The 55-year-old man, who has been working in Wuhan, visited a Chinese clinic last week after suffering from a sore throat and other symptoms, the agency said.
A South Korean quarantine official (L) checks the temperature of a person who just arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Jan. 23, 2020. The National Quarantine Station is operating health checkpoints at all major airports to screen people for fever and other symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The KCDC said that more details on his condition will be revealed later in the day.
The country reported its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus Monday when a Chinese resident who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, on Sunday tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, all 25 suspected cases reported here tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the center.
The second confirmed case came as South Korea is struggling to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus during the four-day Lunar New Year holiday, with the country's citizens advised not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease.
Lunar New Year is celebrated by both Korean and Chinese people. The traditional holiday, which began Friday, will see increased movement within the country and abroad, potentially exposing more people to the virus, the center said.
Common symptoms of the new coronavirus, thought to have originated in Wuhan, central China, include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases being chills and muscle pain.
South Korea is maintaining a high level of vigilance to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
This photo taken Jan. 21, 2020, shows a notice placed on a door in a hospital in Gyeonggi Province warning people about the symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Airports across the nation have been ratcheting up their monitoring and checking of passengers from China and other countries for signs of illness, with local authorities accelerating quarantine efforts to contain the virus.
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States have all confirmed cases of the disease, with media reports indicating one new case in Singapore and two in Vietnam.
Seoul's foreign ministry applied the alert level of "restraint" to Wuhan, the third highest in the four-tier travel warning system, while issuing the lowest alert level of "caution" for other areas in China's Hubei Province.
Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's national flag carrier, said Thursday it will suspend its flights to Wuhan by the end of this month.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun will hold an emergency meeting later in the day to discuss stepped-up measures to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
The new coronavirus was originally believed to be passed to humans from animals but is now known to be transmissible person to person, although victims may be contracting the virus by coming in contact with saliva and other bodily fluids rather than through airborne factors.
China announced the virus has killed 25 people so far, with 830 others confirmed to be infected, amid concerns the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
In a press briefing held in Geneva on Thursday (local time), the World Health Organization opted not to declare the new coronavirus as a global health emergency, which means the U.N. agency still considers it to be a local emergency.
If the agency issues a global alarm on the new virus, it could call for travel and trade restrictions to prevent the spread of the infection through coordination with governments.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--Hyundai Motor, union in talks to produce more Grandeurs

`` The company and the union are in talks to produce more Grandeurs as increasing output volume of a vehicle @ @ @ @ @ the union under the collective agreement deal , '' a company official said over the @ @

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. and its labor union are in talks for an increase in production volume of the Grandeur sedan to meet rising demand for the face-lifted model launched late last year, the company said Friday.
"The company and the union are in talks to produce more Grandeurs as increasing output volume of a vehicle is subject to approval from the union under the collective agreement deal," a company official said over the phone.
The current output volume of the Grandeur falls far short of meeting higher demand for the model and its planned exports, he said, adding it is most urgent to supply a new vehicle on time.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the face-lifted Grandeur sedan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In November, Hyundai launched the wider and longer flagship Grandeur and aims to sell 110,000 units in the domestic market in 2020.
Grandeur sales jumped 26 percent to 13,170 vehicles in December from 10,419 units the previous month.
Some 43,000 units of the ordered Grandeurs have yet to be delivered to customers, with some customers required to wait more than three months for delivery, according to local media.
Currently, Hyundai churns out 9,000 Grandeurs a month at its plant in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. It reportedly is considering increasing the Grandeur volume by 3,000-4,000 units a month.
The Hyundai flagship sedan sells at the starting price of 33 million won (US$28,000), with the price going up to 37 million won depending on options.
The upgraded Grandeur comes in four versions with a 2.5-liter gasoline, a 3.3 gasoline, a 2.4 gasoline hybrid or a 3.0 liquefied petroleum injected engine.
Hyundai drastically changed the design of the new Grandeur and added cutting-edge safety features to satisfy the changing appetites of customers in their 30s and 40s.
Safety features include forward collision-avoidance assist-junction turning (FCA-JT), highway driving assist, parking collision-avoidance assist and blind spot view monitor systems, according to Hyundai Motor.
Hyundai applied the FCA-JT technology for the first time to the upgraded Grandeur. It helps prevent collisions with vehicles that come in front when turning left at intersections.
Hyundai also adopted its "Sensuous Sportiness" design for the face-lifted model of the sixth-generation Grandeur that was launched in November 2016.
Sensuous Sportiness is defined by the harmony between four fundamental elements in vehicle design: proportion, architecture, styling and technology.
The new design language was already applied to Hyundai's all-new Sonata midsize sedan launched in March.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1886 -- The state publishing organ of the Joseon Dynasty ( 1392-1910 ) , Bakmunguk , launches the Hanseongjubo weekly @ @ @ @ @ modernists who wanted to accept Western civilization .
The publication was a revival of their @ @ @ @ @ which was abolished in 1883 due to the infiltration of conservative forces .

Jan. 25
1886 -- The state publishing organ of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Bakmunguk, launches the Hanseongjubo weekly under the initiative of young modernists who wanted to accept Western civilization. The publication was a revival of their first magazine, Hanseongsunbo, which was abolished in 1883 due to the infiltration of conservative forces.
1930 -- Cadres of the Korean provisional government in Shanghai launch a political party, the Korea Independence Party, on the nationalist and democratic platform.
1965 -- The second bridge over the Han River, currently named the Yanghwa Bridge, opens.
1981 -- The military junta of Chun Doo-hwan rescinds martial law, which was imposed on Oct. 26, 1979, when President Park Chung-hee was shot and killed by his intelligence aide.
2002 -- The government launches the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption, an anti-corruption body, under the presidential office.
2005 -- South Korea and the United States agree to a land swap deal for the building of a new U.S. Embassy, with Seoul promising to provide a bigger plot of land for the facility.
2016 -- South Korea experiences the coldest weather this winter with temperatures dropping to near record lows. The temperature in Seoul falls to minus 18 C, the lowest since Jan. 15, 2001, when the mercury dropped to minus 18.6 degrees.
2018 -- Chung Hyeon becomes the first South Korean tennis player to reach a semifinals at a Grand Slam event, as he continued his historic run at the Australian Open.
2019 -- South Korea's military releases five photos captured from two videos of a Japanese warplane's "threatening" low-altitude flyby close to its destroyer a day earlier.
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--(LEAD) Ex-USFK commander: Annual renewal of defense costs deal causes structural instability

In an interview with the Voice of America on Thursday ( U.S. time ) , former USFK Commander Vincent Brooks @ @ @ @ @ does not guarantee its stability as it always takes more than a year when it @ @ @ @ @ the construction of military facilities .

(ATTN: ADDS background and U.S. furlough warning in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- The decision last year to renew the cost-sharing pact between Seoul and Washington each year for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops here will cause structural instability, a former U.S. Forces Korea commander has said.
In an interview with the Voice of America on Thursday (U.S. time), former USFK Commander Vincent Brooks said the annual renewal deal does not guarantee its stability as it always takes more than a year when it comes to local hires and the construction of military facilities.
He said the deal needs to be renewed every three or every five years given the period required for local employment and construction projects financed by South Korea.
In March last year, Seoul and Washington agreed to renew the cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), on an annual basis.
In this photo taken Nov. 20, 2020, former USFK Commander Vincent Brooks delivers a keynote speech during a dinner meeting presided over by the Korea Society, a nonprofit organization set to promote bilateral ties between the two countries, at the Plaza Hotel in New York. (Yonhap)
Seoul and Washington held their last round of negotiations in the U.S. capital earlier this month, where Seoul's foreign ministry said they have "broadened their mutual understanding and common ground."
They are expected to hold the next round of the SMA talks in Seoul early next month.
Seoul has insisted that the negotiations should proceed within the existing SMA framework, while Washington has demanded that its coverage be expanded to include extra costs, such as those for rotations of American troops to the peninsula.
To tamp down U.S. pressure on South Korea to jack up the defense costs, Seoul has been highlighting its contributions to the bilateral alliance, such as its financial support for the construction of a key U.S. base south of Seoul and its massive purchases of U.S.-made weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump initially demanded that Seoul pay about $5 billion a year for the stationing of U.S. forces here, more than five times the $900 million in the one-year agreement that expired Dec. 31.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is warning it will send furlough notices within weeks to almost 9,000 South Korean workers at U.S. bases if the two countries fail to sign a troop funding deal, according to a Bloomberg report.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--S. Korea to convene emergency meeting over Wuhan coronavirus

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss stepped-up measures to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus as the country reported the second confirmed case of the deadly virus.
The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, will focus on pan-government efforts to contain the virus during the Lunar New Year holiday that runs through Monday, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
A quarantine official (R) checks passengers arriving at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, for signs of fever and other symptoms in this file photo taken Jan. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea on Friday reported its second confirmed case of the China coronavirus amid mounting fears the pneumonia-like illness that is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world during the Lunar New Year holiday.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a South Korean who arrived at Gimpo International Airport, western Seoul, late Wednesday, tested positive for the new type of virus.
The 55-year-old man, who has been working in Wuhan, visited a Chinese clinic last week after suffering from a sore throat and other symptoms, the agency said.
The country reported its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus Monday when a Chinese resident who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, on Sunday tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, all 25 suspected cases reported here tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the center.
The second confirmed case came as South Korea is struggling to prevent the spread of the new type of coronavirus during the four-day Lunar New Year holiday, with the country's citizens advised not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease.
South Korea is maintaining a high level of vigilance to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
China announced the virus has killed 25 people so far, with 830 others confirmed to be infected, amid concerns the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--Korean drug companies eye overseas markets

Celltrion Healthcare , which handles Celltrion 's overseas business , will directly sell Remsima SC starting in Germany in March @ @ @ @ @ United Kingdom and the Netherlands slated for the first half of the year , according @ @ @ @

By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's major pharmaceuticals manufacturers have set their sights on overseas markets this year as a string of their biosimilars are waiting to be approved or launched, industry sources said Friday.
Celltrion Inc. said sales of its drug Remsima SC for the treatment of autoimmune diseases are set to kick off in Europe in March.
In November, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the green light to Celltrion's application to sell the subcutaneous (SC) version of Remsima, a biosimilar copy of Janssen Biotech, Inc.'s Remicade.
Celltrion Healthcare, which handles Celltrion's overseas business, will directly sell Remsima SC starting in Germany in March, with shipments in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands slated for the first half of the year, according to the sources.
This undated photo, provided by Celltrion Inc., shows its biosimilar drug Remsima SC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The SC version allows patients to inject it by themselves, unlike the intravenous formulation that requires patients to visit hospitals.
Another leading pharmaceutical firm, Samsung Bioepis Co., is awaiting sales approval of its latest drug from overseas health authorities.
In July, Samsung Bioepis submitted an approval to the EMA for the sale of SB8. It sought the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in November, they said.
The company also said it will launch its biosimilar cancer drug Ontruzant in the United States during the first of this year after receiving approval more than a year ago.
The belated launch comes as Samsung Bioepis finally settled a patent dispute with U.S. drugmaker Genentech to reach a license deal agreement.
Ontruzant is the breast cancer treatment biosimilar referencing Roche's Herceptin. It is already sold in Europe.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--Beer imports down for first time in decade

The overall decrease also came as South Korea kicked off a new tax system on beer last year , which @ @ @ @ @ an ad valorem tax , in a move to improve imbalances in taxes between imported @ @ @ @ @ watchers said .

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's imports of beer fell sharply in 2019 from a year earlier due mainly to a boycott of Japanese products here amid a bilateral trade row, data showed Friday.
South Korea's imports of beer reached US$280 million in 2019, down 9.3 percent from $309 million a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.
It marked the first on-year decrease since 2009.
The drop was largely attributable to the ongoing "No Japan" campaign among South Korean consumers, who have been boycotting Japanese products after Tokyo implemented regulations on exports to Seoul of three key industrial materials in July last year.
South Korea's imports of Japanese beer halved in 2019 to $39.7 million, which marks a drastic fall from $78.3 million posted in 2018, losing its No. 1 spot to Chinese products.
Imports from China, on the other hand, slightly moved up on-year to reach $43.4 million. Belgian beers took the third spot with $38.6 million, standing neck and neck with Japan.
The overall decrease also came as South Korea kicked off a new tax system on beer last year, which focuses on amount rather than an ad valorem tax, in a move to improve imbalances in taxes between imported and domestic beer, industry watchers said.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--S. Koreans begin to head home for Lunar New Year's Day

Along with Chuseok , the equivalent of Thanksgiving in the United States , Seol marks South Korea 's traditional holiday @ @ @ @ @ head back to their hometowns to pay homage to their ancestors and spend time with @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- An annual mass migration started in South Korea on Friday as people headed to their hometowns for one of the country's key traditional holidays.
Seol, or Lunar New Year's Day, falls on Saturday this year, with the holiday period running from Friday to Monday.
Along with Chuseok, the equivalent of Thanksgiving in the United States, Seol marks South Korea's traditional holiday in which many South Koreans head back to their hometowns to pay homage to their ancestors and spend time with family and friends.
People streamed into the main train station in central Seoul and the city's express bus terminals that link the capital to regional cities and towns across the country.
Some 460,000 vehicles are expected to leave the capital area Friday, according to the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC), while 4.61 million vehicles are likely to hit the road throughout the country, it added.
"The number reached its peak at around noon," a KEC official said. "Homebound traffic congestion is expected to die out at around 7 to 8 p.m."
Others headed to airports to go abroad for Lunar New Year or to tourist destinations in the country.
This aerial photo, provided by the National Police Agency, shows one side of the West Coast Highway clogged with vehicles as drivers hit the road for their hometowns on Jan. 23, 2020, the eve of the Jan. 24-27 Lunar New Year holiday. (PHOTO NOT FORT SALE) (Yonhap)
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Jan. 25 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .

(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--2020-01-25--Nat'l team volleyball stars battling injuries with jam-packed, pre-Olympic calendar on horizon

Depending on their clubs ' playoff status , national team mainstays in the V-League will have about a month or @ @ @ @ @ end of the season and the start of the VNL .
And once the VNL @ @ @ @ @ another month or so before the beginning of the Olympics , though most of the @ @ @ @ @ on training for the big tournament .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- When South Korea won the Asian Olympic women's volleyball qualifying tournament earlier this month, some of its key players took the adage "taking one for the team" to a whole new level -- to the point where their injuries could have a negative effect on South Korea's medal hopes.
Captain Kim Yeon-koung played the qualifying event in Thailand from Jan. 7-12 with torn abdominal muscle, which will sideline her for at least another month. Kim took painkillers before the final against Thailand and scored a match-best 22 points to lead South Korea to a straight-set victory.
In this file photo from Jan. 13, 2020, members of the South Korean women's national volleyball team pose for photos during their welcome ceremony at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, just west of Seoul, after returning from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Thailand. (Yonhap)
The win sent South Korea to the Olympics, but Kim will miss some time with her Turkish club Eczacibasi VitrA.
And it turns out Kim wasn't the only one playing hurt. Lee Jae-yeong, who filled in admirably for Kim when the captain was limited during the preliminary stage and then sat out the semifinals, had nagging pains in her left knee and back. And after she returned home from the qualifying tournament, her right knee acted up. She'll miss at least three weeks in the domestic V-League.
Opposite hitter Kim Hee-jin, also a key attacker, has been ruled out for a month in the V-League with right calf issues. Setter Lee Da-yeong, Lee Jae-yeong's twin sister, is playing through pain in both ankles in the South Korean league.
Playing five matches in a six-day span in Thailand clearly took its toll on these players.
Clubs here are caught in a difficult spot. They'll need all the help they can get from these national team-caliber stars in their race for playoff spots. But if these banged-up players are rushed back into action, they'll be at a risk for more injuries, which will in turn hurt the national team's chances in the Olympics this summer.
The league and national team schedules leading up to the July 26-Aug. 9 Olympic tournament won't allow for much rest for these weary players.
In this file photo from Jan. 13, 2020, Stefano Lavarini (L), head coach of the South Korean women's national volleyball team, and team captain Kim Yeon-koung smile during the welcome ceremony for their squad at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, just west of Seoul, after returning from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Thailand. (Yonhap)
The V-League's regular season ends on March 15, and the playoffs will wrap up on April 4, if the final goes the distance.
Then the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), an international tournament run by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), will start on May 19. South Korea will make stops in China, Belgium, Germany and Russia to play in four consecutive weeks. Then it will host Brazil, Turkey and the Netherlands in Week 5 action from June 16-18.
The Olympic women's volleyball tournament begins on July 26.
Depending on their clubs' playoff status, national team mainstays in the V-League will have about a month or two of downtime between the end of the season and the start of the VNL. And once the VNL ends, there will be another month or so before the beginning of the Olympics, though most of the supposed downtime will be spent on training for the big tournament.
South Korea may choose to assemble a "B" team for the early portion of the VNL to protect its stars. But national team head coach Stefano Lavarini will also need to test his Olympic-ready lineup before Tokyo and could see the latter stages of the VNL as the opportunity to do so.
The Korea Volleyball Association said the VNL team will likely be selected at the end of April or by the early May at the latest.
In this photo provided by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) on Jan. 12, 2020, South Korean players celebrate their victory over Thailand in the final of the Asian Olympic women's volleyball qualification tournament at Korat Chatchai Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(Yonhap Feature) Civic organization helps separated families hold secret reunions with N.K. relative

(Yonhap Feature) Civic organization helps separated families hold secret reunions with N.K. relatives

`` They have to see their loved ones before they die , but many of them are already in their @ @ @ @ @ has become very urgent since they do not know when they will die .
Every @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .

By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- For elderly South Koreans with long-separated relatives in North Korea, a freeze in inter-Korean relations means the government can't set up family reunions for them and that they should look for other ways if they want to see their loved ones one last time before they die.
Hiring brokers is one option, though risky and costly.
Brokers are paid to track down relatives in North Korea and, if both sides agree to meet, guide them out of the country for secret meetings in a third country, usually China.
Helping separated families hire such brokers is one of the main jobs that the Inter-Korean Separated Families Association does. The unification ministry-affiliated organization consists of 14 civic groups promoting cross-border exchanges.
"Our association helps separated families reunite by arranging face-to-face meetings, exchanging letters or tracking down their family in the North. We have a network of brokers that we have worked with for a long time," Song Nak-hwan, head of the association, said in a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency.
Such unofficial reunions drew attention after the unification ministry said last month it will seek to raise the government's financial support for such privately organized reunions and exchanges between families separated across the border since the Korean War broke out 70 years ago.
The three-year master plan to bolster unofficial exchanges between separated families underscored the urgency of the issue at a time when remaining separated family members grow older and older and thousands die year after year.
Last year alone, a total of 3,147 South Koreans registered with the government as separated family members died from January to November. Among a total of 133,365 registered separated family members, only 52,997 were alive as of the end of November, and 63.4 percent of the survivors were aged 80 or older.
Buoyed by the conciliatory mood in 2018, the two Koreas held a round of family reunions in August of that year at the North's Mount Kumgang resort for the first time in about three years, making it the 21st round of face-to-face reunions since the first inter-Korean summit in 2000.
In this file photo, taken on Aug. 24, 2018, Ryang Cha-ok (L) of North Korea meets with her South Korean sisters at a hotel at the North's Mount Kumgang resort on the east coast as part of inter-Korean family reunions. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
But such official family reunions are unlikely to happen any time soon as the reconciliation process has grounded to a halt amid the prolonged impasse in denuclearization negotiations between the North and the United States.
Song, who has long been involved in the separated family issue, said his association acts as an intermediary between separated families and brokers, from tracking down a relative in the North to arranging face-to-face reunions.
Once North Korean relatives are successfully tracked down and agree to meet with their loved ones from the South, brokers guide them out of the country by usually crossing the Tumen River into China, where they reunite at a secret place near the border organized by the association, according to Song.
A Chinese broker sometimes hires another broker within North Korea to get around tight controls in the North. Reunited families spend time together for a day or up to a week recollecting past events and sharing how their lives were like after they were separated, he said.
But organizing such reunions can be a costly and risky job.
Brokers usually demand around 10 million won (US$8,500) in return for traveling and bringing relatives out of the North, but they may demand more depending on how risky the journey is. Tracking down family in Pyongyang, where a special permit is required, or when inter-Korean relations have turned sour can raise the broker fee.
"A bigger problem than all of them might be that oftentimes the reunion falls through. It rarely succeeds on the first try. We have witnessed on many occasions when the North Korean family never shows up," Song said.
North Korean family members are sometimes captured before even crossing the border, Song said.
"It is really risky. You can die from it," he said.
According to government data, a total of 1,757 such private reunions took place between 1990 and 2019, about 59 reunions per year. But the number fell sharply in recent years, with only three cases reported to the government between 2017 and November last year, though an unidentified number of reunions went unreported in accordance with families' wishes.
Song called for the South and the North to put aside any political considerations and approach the family reunion issue from a pure humanitarian perspective, stressing that time is running short for them.
"They have to see their loved ones before they die, but many of them are already in their 80s and 90s. It has become very urgent since they do not know when they will die. Every day counts for them," he said.
South Korea has sought to regularize family reunions with North Korea to ease the grief of people hoping to see their loved ones before it is too late, but those efforts have frequently been stymied by ups and downs in inter-Korean relations.
The two Koreas have held more than 20 rounds of face-to-face family reunions in the past few decades, but each has reunited just around 100 families, which represent a very small fraction of some 130,000 people hoping to see their North Korean families again.
"Our goal this year is to reunite at least one family every month ... it won't be an easy job but we cannot turn a blind eye to the desperate wishes of those who are passing away every year," Song said.
Song said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to realize face-to-face family reunions given the old age of applicants and long-distance travel that they have to go through. He, instead, prioritized efforts to let them know whether their families are still alive before it is too late.
"What is the most urgent is to verify whether their families (in the North) remain alive and (if they do) to help them exchange letters," Song said. "At the very least, these things will wash away the deep sorrow and grief in their hearts."
In the long term, Song said the association plans to start creating "an archive of photos, letters and records of all the work the association has done for future generations once we are all gone."
Song Nak-hwan, president of the Inter-Korean Separated Families Association, is interviewed by Yonhap News Agency at his office in Seoul on Jan. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--S. Korean researchers develop compact, high-torque motor

Demand for high-tech motors is on the rise everywhere in the world , with South Korean imports alone hitting 6 @ @ @ @ @ 5.1 billion ) in the past five years .
The country bought premium motors from @ @ @ @ @ and Switzerland , with more affordable models being brought in from China .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean researchers have developed a compact, high-torque motor that can be used in precision robots, electric scooters and electric vehicles, a public science and engineering university said Saturday.
According to the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), its intelligent robot team has completed work on an advanced brushless direct current (BLDC) motor ready for mass production.
Demand for high-tech motors is on the rise everywhere in the world, with South Korean imports alone hitting 6 trillion won (US$5.1 billion) in the past five years. The country bought premium motors from countries like Japan, Germany and Switzerland, with more affordable models being brought in from China.
Work on the motor began in late 2018, with the first prototype assembled last year.
Tests have shown that the motor produces less noise and dust particles when in operation compared to existing units.
The new motor can be used in robots, electric wheelchairs and many other devices that need small motors, and with slight modification can be used in e-scooters and even cars.
These photos provided by Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) on Jan. 25, 2020, show a compact BLDC motor developed by a research team that can replace imports. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--French NGO plans 3 humanitarian projects in N. Korea this year

SEOUL , Jan. 25 ( Yonhap ) -- TGH , a French nongovernmental organization , plans to carry out three @ @ @ @ @ this year that focus on providing more nutritious food and improving living conditions for at-risk @ @ @ @ @ said .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- TGH, a French nongovernmental organization, plans to carry out three humanitarian projects in North Korea this year that focus on providing more nutritious food and improving living conditions for at-risk people, a U.S. broadcaster said.
The projects include efforts to improve the nutrition of children and other underprivileged North Korean citizens by increasing their intake of vegetables and protein, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
It also pushes to improve the living conditions of senior citizens by repairing existing welfare facilities, RFA said.
TGH, however, did not mention whether those projects have received sanctions waivers.
Humanitarian activities in North Korea are not banned under global sanctions imposed against its regime for its nuclear and missile provocations, but related materials are subject to sanctions waivers.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--Senior officials of S. Korea, Canada to hold talks on trade, economic cooperation

The two sides are expected to discuss progress in efforts to enhance two-way trade and bilateral cooperation in other areas @ @ @ @ @ trade agreement went into effect five years ago .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Senior officials of South Korea and Canada will meet next week in Seoul to discuss trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.
Seoul's Second Vice Foreign Minster Lee Tae-ho will have a meeting with John F.G. Hannaford, deputy minister of international trade at Global Affairs Canada, on Thursday, according to the ministry.
The two sides are expected to discuss progress in efforts to enhance two-way trade and bilateral cooperation in other areas. The South Korea-Canada free trade agreement went into effect five years ago.
The combined trade between South Korea and Canada rose to US$11.3 billion last year, compared with $10.3 billion in 2014.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--No. of generals in S. Korea falls 7 pct over past 2 years: data

As of end-2019 , the total number of active general and admirals with one through four stars in all branches @ @ @ @ @ , down from 436 in 2017 and 430 in 2018 , according to the data @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- The number of general and flag officers in South Korea has decreased more than 7 percent over the past two years in line with the government's push to create smaller and smarter military, government data showed Saturday.
As of end-2019, the total number of active general and admirals with one through four stars in all branches of service stood at 405, down from 436 in 2017 and 430 in 2018, according to the data compiled by the defense ministry.
From this year through the end of 2022, 15 more positions will be eliminated per year to set the number at 360, according to the defense ministry.
The decline is part of the Moon Jae-in administration's Defense Reform 2.0 initiative that calls for creating a smaller, smarter military.
By 2022, the number of active-duty troops will also be slashed from the current 610,000 to 500,000, as the country faces a rapidly aging population.
"The plan to reduce the quota has been pushed for without a hitch, and the measure will be implemented as planned," a ministry official said.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--Int'l Red Cross spends US$268,000 to help N. Korea fight food insecurity

`` Entering 2019 , DPRK experienced unusually erratic weather conditions with little precipitation , limiting soil moisture for growth in @ @ @ @ @ spring crops , '' the report said .
DPRK stands for the North 's official @ @ @ @ @ 's Republic of Korea .
`` It was clear that the need for irrigation support @ @ @ @ @ protect subsistence crops . ''

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies spent US$267,700 on one of its projects last year to help North Korea fight food shortages amid unfavorable weather conditions, the federation said in a recent report.
The money was spent on deploying mobile water pumps, training farmers on the use and maintenance of the device and procuring spare parts in the face of little rainfall, it said in the final report on the operation to combat North Korea's drought and food insecurity.
"Entering 2019, DPRK experienced unusually erratic weather conditions with little precipitation, limiting soil moisture for growth in winter and the planting of spring crops," the report said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "It was clear that the need for irrigation support is urgent, especially to protect subsistence crops."
Beginning in early May, the five-month project affected 424,952 people in the impoverished country, the report said.
"As drought is occurring more frequently due to climate change and it has become the major disaster pattern" in North Korea, the federation said it is crucial for the North to have mobile water pumps in stock "to provide satisfactory service in case of drought."
According to a joint report by the World Food Programme and the Food and agriculture Organization last year, North Korea's crop output in 2018 hit the lowest level in a decade, with an estimated 10 million people, or about 40 percent of its population, in urgent need of food.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--Petition against use of Japan's imperial flag during Tokyo Olympics draws over 56,000 signatures

`` The reopening of the museum seems to have influenced the hike in the number , '' a VANK official @ @ @ @ @ believe that it is more of an illustration that the petition is drawing global attention @ @ @ @ @ history is not only an issue for Korea .
It involves many other countries .
@

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- A petition by a South Korean nongovernmental organization calling for a ban on the use of Japan's imperial-era flag during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics has drawn over 56,000 signatures.
The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), a Seoul-based group that promotes South Korean history and culture, posted the petition in September as part of its key campaign to address Japanese aggression during the 1910-45 occupation of the peninsula. As of Thursday morning, some 56,800 people signed the petition.
The petition comes after the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said it has no plan to restrict public use of the Rising Sun Flag during the event slated to kick off in July.
Notably, the petition added more than 6,000 signatures between Tuesday and Wednesday, which VANK says appears to reflect renewed concerns about Japan's dismissive attitude toward the colonial past.
Early this week, Japan reopened a public museum in central Tokyo set up to assert its sovereignty over territories over which it has long been in dispute with its Asian neighbors, including the South Korea-controlled easternmost islets of Dokdo.
"The reopening of the museum seems to have influenced the hike in the number," a VANK official said. "But we believe that it is more of an illustration that the petition is drawing global attention, considering that the wartime history is not only an issue for Korea. It involves many other countries."
Of the signatures, about 30 percent of the respondents are of foreign nationalities, with the majority consisting of South Korean locals or Koreans living abroad, the official said.
The official said VANK will run the petition until the Olympics.
Tokyo's position about the old flag has drawn public ire in Seoul, where many view it as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. It prompted the South Korean parliament to adopt a resolution calling for banning spectators from carrying the flag or wearing uniforms that feature its image during the games.
Seoul's foreign ministry has also issued a statement, urging Tokyo not to turn a sporting event into a tool for political messaging.
South Korean civic groups hold a rally against the use of Japan's imperial flag during the Tokyo Olympics in Manhattan, New York City, on Nov. 7, 2019. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--N. Korea ranks lowest in world democracy index last year: report

The communist state ranked at the bottom among the 167 countries surveyed with the lowest score of 1.08 out of @ @ @ @ @ Democracy Index 2019 published this week by the Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU ) , @ @ @ @ @ British weekly The Economist .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea placed last in a world democracy index in 2019 as it scored zero in electoral process and civil liberties, a report showed Saturday.
The communist state ranked at the bottom among the 167 countries surveyed with the lowest score of 1.08 out of 10.00, according to the Democracy Index 2019 published this week by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research arm of the British weekly The Economist.
The North's ranking in the EIU index has not changed since the London-based agency began to compile the data in 2006.
The report classified North Korea as an "authoritarian regime" out of four categories also including "full democracy," "flawed democracy" and "hybrid regime."
The North also received low scores of 2.50 and 1.67 for functioning of government and political participation, respectively.
Meanwhile, South Korea saw its ranking drop by two notches to 23rd last year from a year earlier as it was categorized as a "flawed democracy" with a score of 8.00, the report showed.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(LEAD) U.S. official hopes replacement of N.K. foreign minister signals positive change

`` I hope it 's positive , to say maybe we should change our tack and come to the table @ @ @ @ @ we committed to , '' he continued .
`` This is n't just about U.S. @ @ @ @ @ 's not just about U.S. , South Korea , North Korea .
It 's about @ @ @ @ @ 's the world telling them to get beyond this . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks, details in paras 9-11)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. official voiced hope Friday that the recent replacement of North Korea's foreign minister signals a positive change for the countries' stalled nuclear talks.
North Korea confirmed this week that Ri Son-gwon, a former army officer with no known diplomatic experience, has replaced Ri Yong-ho as the country's top diplomat.
The new minister's image as a hardliner toward South Korea has led to speculation his appointment could demonstrate Pyongyang's shift to a tougher stance on Washington.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell (L) speaks during a seminar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
"There was a change. I think that in itself indicates something," David Stilwell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said during a seminar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, adding that he has "no idea who this person is."
"I hope it's positive, to say maybe we should change our tack and come to the table and have the discussions that we committed to," he continued. "This isn't just about U.S. and North Korea. It's not just about U.S., South Korea, North Korea. It's about the United Nations. It's the world telling them to get beyond this."
Denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang have made little progress since a February 2019 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal.
The two sides have wrangled over how much the North should denuclearize in order to receive sanctions relief and security guarantees from the U.S.
North Korea set the end of last year as the deadline by which the U.S. should come up with an acceptable solution. After Washington ignored that deadline, Kim announced that he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, and threatened to soon unveil a "new strategic weapon."
"I like the fact that we aren't in a rush," Stilwell said. "We've stated our position. We've made our agreements. And we're going to insist that the other side follow through with those. It seems to be working."
Stilwell was likely referring to the agreement reached at Trump and Kim's first summit in June 2018, during which the pair committed to work toward complete denuclearization and a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
Asked about a possible U.S.-North Korea meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany next month, Stilwell said he was not aware of any. Earlier, a news report said North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong will be at the event.
"I know (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) is going and we're helping him prep for that because he will meet with other counterparts while he's there, but the North Korean question hasn't come to my attention," he said.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(News Focus) Will Im Jong-seok return to politics for upcoming elections?

He left politics effectively in November last year with an abrupt announcement that he would not run in the elections @ @ @ @ @ to focus on campaigning `` outside the politics of the establishment '' for the reunification @ @ @ @ @

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Ahead of the April 15 general elections, Im Jong-seok, former chief of staff to President Moon Jae-in, is back in the media spotlight amid rampant speculation over his next career move.
He left politics effectively in November last year with an abrupt announcement that he would not run in the elections. He said he plans to focus on campaigning "outside the politics of the establishment" for the reunification of the two Koreas.
Im is a highly symbolic figure in South Korea's pro-democracy movement as the leader of a progressive university student group in the late 1980s. He was imprisoned in 1991 for masterminding an unauthorized visit to North Korea by Lim Su-kyung, a member of the National Council of Student Representatives, in violation of the national security law.
A die-hard advocate of inter-Korean reconciliation, Im served as Moon's first chief of staff at Cheong Wa Dae. He was a prime target of political attacks from a number of conservatives who viewed Cheong Wa Dae as being "occupied by pro-Pyongyang leftists."
Im was also a representative figure in the nation's so-called 586 Generation engaged in political activities, which refers to those in their 50s who attended colleges in the 1980s and were born in the 1960s.
Im's stated retirement from politics was seen as a possible prelude to full-scale generational changes in the local political circles.
Having disappeared from the public eye for a few months, he has returned to news reports. On Tuesday, he made a public speech on the ruling Democratic Party's platform and policy, in which he stressed the importance of peace on the Korean Peninsula for future generations.
Im Jong-seok, former presidential chief of staff, delivers a keynote speech on the ruling Democratic Party's policy visions on Jan. 21, 2020, in this photo captured from Yonhap News TV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It's premature to conclude that he's preparing for a political comeback.
But soon after the speech, the DP's head Rep. Lee Hae-chan told a radio talk show that he's trying to persuade Im to work for the party.
Lee said it seems that Im "has not completely left the party," given his appearance at the recent broadcasting for the address.
It remains unclear whether Im will assume any official party post or join the upcoming election race in person.
He has a huge political burden for retracting his public promise to stay away from politics.
If he chooses to brave a "big match" against former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party in the eastern Seoul constituency of Gwangjin, the burden would be relieved to some extent, observers say.
For Im, it would be a high-stakes gamble to compete with the political heavyweight regarded as a potential presidential candidate for the conservative bloc.
The ruling party is desperate to defeat Oh, as it's already taking into account the 2022 presidential polls.
If that is the case, his return to politics could be justified among many DP supporters, at least.
The DP leader apparently wants Im to be groomed to become a presidential candidate himself.
Lee has a strategy of expanding the pool of the party's presidential candidates as large as possible, according to his aides.
Some analysts say the DP may be hoping that Im will run in the constituency of his hometown, Jangheung in South Jeolla Province, with a mission to play a pivotal role in its overall election campaign in the southwestern province of Jeolla, a traditional stronghold of South Korea's liberal parties.
Still, other observers bet on the possibility that Im won't return to politics, citing his character and style of wanting to maintain his image as a man of trust who keeps his word.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--Esper says N. Korea is 'clearly' trying to build nuclear-tipped long-range missile

`` They have an aggressive R & D program and a test program , to say the least , '' @ @ @ @ @ a seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies .
`` We 're conscious @ @ @ @ @ to do .
Clearly , they are trying to build a long-range ballistic missile with @ @ @ @ @ nuclear warhead , if you will , on top of it .
So it 's @ @ @ @ @ closely . ''

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that North Korea is "clearly" trying to build a nuclear-tipped long-range missile as Washington continues to pursue denuclearization talks with the regime.
Esper made the comment when asked to assess the extent of the threat posed by the "new strategic weapon" North Korea has threatened to unveil amid stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S.
"They have an aggressive R&D program and a test program, to say the least," the Pentagon chief said during a seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "We're conscious of what they're trying to do. Clearly, they are trying to build a long-range ballistic missile with the ability to carry a nuclear warhead, if you will, on top of it. So it's something we are watching very closely."
This Reuters photo shows U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper listening to a question during a seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
North Korea last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2017, before nuclear talks with the U.S. resumed in earnest.
As the two sides have struggled to reach a deal on exchanging North Korea's denuclearization for U.S. sanctions relief and other concessions, the regime has recently suggested it could restart nuclear and long-range missile tests.
Esper called on North Korea to return to negotiations.
"It still remains to be the case that we're pursuing a diplomatic initiative with them and we think the best way forward is through a political agreement," he said.
To facilitate negotiations, South Korea and the U.S. have suspended or scaled back some joint military exercises, which North Korea denounces as rehearsals for an invasion.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said there are currently no additional changes to scheduled exercises.
"I think the secretary said at the time that it was an effort to provide the leader of North Korea some room to continue with negotiations, and that's still our hope," Hoffman said during a press briefing later in the day at the Pentagon. "But at this time, I've no announcement on any change in our exercise posture in South Korea."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--U.S. official hopes replacement of N.K. foreign minister signals positive change

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. official voiced hope Friday that the recent replacement of North Korea's foreign minister signals a positive change for the countries' stalled nuclear talks.
North Korea confirmed this week that Ri Son-gwon, a former army officer with no known diplomatic experience, has replaced Ri Yong-ho as the country's top diplomat.
The new minister's image as a hardliner toward South Korea has led to speculation his appointment could demonstrate Pyongyang's shift to a tougher stance on Washington.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell (L) speaks during a seminar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
"There was a change. I think that in itself indicates something," David Stilwell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said during a seminar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, adding that he has "no idea who this person is."
"I hope it's positive, to say maybe we should change our tack and come to the table and have the discussions that we committed to," he continued. "This isn't just about U.S. and North Korea. It's not just about U.S., South Korea, North Korea. It's about the United Nations. It's the world telling them to get beyond this."
Denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang have made little progress since a February 2019 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal.
The two sides have wrangled over how much the North should denuclearize in order to receive sanctions relief and security guarantees from the U.S.
North Korea set the end of last year as the deadline by which the U.S. should come up with an acceptable solution. After Washington ignored that deadline, Kim announced that he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, and threatened to soon unveil a "new strategic weapon."
Asked about a possible U.S.-North Korea meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany next month, Stilwell said he was not aware of any.
"I know (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) is going and we're helping him prep for that because he will meet with other counterparts while he's there, but the North Korean question hasn't come to my attention," he said.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--S. Korean soldiers on overseas mission enjoy Lunar New Year holiday with locals

The Cheonghae Unit off the coast of Oman 's Muscat for missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Strait @ @ @ @ @ Unit in the United Arab Emirates also took some time to celebrate the holiday , @ @ @ @ @ naval operations and joint drills with UAE troops , respectively , the JCS said .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Despite being away from home, South Korean soldiers deployed overseas enjoyed the Lunar New Year holiday by staging diverse events with local people, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Saturday.
This year's Lunar New Year, one of the country's biggest holidays, falls on Saturday, resulting in a four-day holiday to start on Thursday through Monday.
While maintaining a staunch readiness posture against terrorist threats, service members of the Dongmyeong Unit in Lebanon visited a local school for the physically challenged and staged diverse cultural events, according to the JCS.
Meeting with local residents, they also exchanged their national holiday culture and taught them taekwondo and how to perform a formal bow, the JCS added.
The Dongmyeong Unit has been operating as part of the U.N. force in the conflict-ridden country since 2007.
South Korean soldiers of the Dongmyeong Unit visit a local school and holds diverse events for local children on Jan. 14, 2020, in this photo provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In South Sudan, the Hanbit Unit shared some holiday cheer by staging a joint memorial ceremony for ancestors and enjoying holiday delicacies and folk games, according to the JCS.
The unit has been in the African nation since 2013 to carry out U.N. peacekeeping operations.
The Cheonghae Unit off the coast of Oman's Muscat for missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz and the Akh Unit in the United Arab Emirates also took some time to celebrate the holiday, though they were occupied by naval operations and joint drills with UAE troops, respectively, the JCS said.
"I appreciate your commitment to world peace, stability and reconstruction," JCS Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki said, wishing them a happy and meaningful holiday.
Currently, more than 1,100 South Korean troops are operating on overseas missions in 12 countries for reconstruction, armistice monitoring and other peacekeeping missions.
A soldier of South Korea's Cheonghae Unit calls his family members to mark the Lunar New Year holiday in this photo provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Jan. 25, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-01-24--(8th LD) 2nd case of Wuhan coronavirus puts S. Korea on alert during holidays

It said the man had been under close obervation since arrival because he had a fever and when his condition @ @ @ @ @ a public health center on Thursday for tests .
The agency said that 69 people @ @ @ @ @ contact with in the country , including five medical personnel and two of his family @ @ @ @ @ under close monitoring .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details paras 6, 14, 22, 25; CHANGES 2nd photo)
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday reported its second confirmed case of the China coronavirus amid mounting fears of the pneumonia-like illness that is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world during the Lunar New Year holiday.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a South Korean who arrived at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul, late Wednesday, tested positive for the virus.
The 55-year-old man, who has been working in Wuhan since April 2019, visited a Chinese hospital last week after suffering from a sore throat and other symptoms, the agency said.
It said the man had been under close obervation since arrival because he had a fever and when his condition got worse, he visited a public health center on Thursday for tests. The agency said that 69 people whom he had come in contact with in the country, including five medical personnel and two of his family members, have been placed under close monitoring.
Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Jung Eun-kyeong briefs reporters on South Korea's second confirmed Wuhan coronavirus case, in Sejong City, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said in an emergency briefing in Sejong City, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, that quarantine inspections for all arrivals from China are being actively considered.
"With Wuhan airport closed and no direct flights, people from the city and neighboring areas could take more diverse routes, requiring our side to more carefully screen people from China," she said.
Jung's comments reflect concerns that were raised after the second confirmed person infected with the virus in South Korea returned to the country via Shanghai.
The country reported its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus Monday when a Chinese resident who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, on Sunday tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, all 25 suspected cases reported here tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the center.
The second confirmed case came as South Korea is struggling to prevent the spread of coronavirus during the four-day Lunar New Year holiday, with the country's citizens advised not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease.
Lunar New Year is celebrated by both Korean and Chinese people. The traditional holiday, which began Friday, will see increased movement within the country and abroad, potentially exposing more people to the virus, the center said.
Common symptoms of the new coronavirus, thought to have originated in Wuhan, include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases involving chills and muscle pain.
South Korea is maintaining a high level of vigilance to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Airports across the nation have been ratcheting up their scrutiny of passengers from China and other countries for signs of illness, with local authorities accelerating quarantine efforts to contain the virus.
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong and the United States have all confirmed cases of the disease.
Seoul's foreign ministry applied the alert level of "restraint" to Wuhan, the third highest in the four-tier travel warning system, while issuing the lowest alert level of "caution" for other areas in China's Hubei Province.
It also said at present, no South Korean nationals living in Wuhan have tested positive for the virus and none there has shown symptoms. The ministry said it is helping people that want to return home.
Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's national flag carrier, said Thursday it will suspend its flights to Wuhan until the end of this month.
South Korea said it will make the utmost efforts to contain the Wuhan coronavirus by enhancing preventive quarantine and screening measures.
"It will take lots of time and efforts to terminate the virus, and what's important now is to take quick and thorough preventive measures, thus minimizing potential fallout," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during an emergency meeting hastily arranged to discuss stepped-up responses against the deadly disease.
At the meeting, the government said it will tighten observations of all suspected cases.
Hospital staff in Seoul put up a notice informing people of risks associated with the Wuhan coronavirus on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The new coronavirus was originally believed to be passed to humans from animals but is now known to be transmissible from person to person, although victims may be contracting the virus by coming in contact with saliva and other bodily fluids rather than through airborne factors.
China announced that the death toll had risen to 26, with more than 880 confirmed infections, amid concerns the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
In effort to prevent spread of the virus, the Chinese government restricted travel for 40 million people on the eve of Lunar New Year.
In a press briefing held in Geneva on Thursday (local time), the World Health Organization opted not to declare the new coronavirus a global health emergency, which means the U.N. agency still considers it to be a local emergency.
WHO, however, called on China to be more forthcoming with information related to the virus so scientists can better understand its cause and how best to combat it. Sources said that the outbreak does not seem to have the propagation rate of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
If the agency issues a global alarm on the new virus, it could call for travel and trade restrictions to prevent the spread of the infection through coordination with governments.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-24--(2nd LD) S. Koreans begin to head home for Lunar New Year's Day

It took about four and half hours to drive from Seoul to Busan , three hours and 30 minutes to @ @ @ @ @ and one hour and 10 minutes to Daejeon in central South Korea .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; ADDS more info in paras 7-8)
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- An annual mass migration started in South Korea on Friday as people headed to their hometowns for one of the country's key traditional holidays, with major highways suffering no congestion.
Seol, or Lunar New Year's Day, falls on Saturday this year, with the holiday period running from Friday to Monday..
Along with Chuseok, the equivalent of Thanksgiving in the United States, Seol marks South Korea's traditional holiday in which many South Koreans head back to their hometowns to pay homage to their ancestors and spend time with family and friends.
People streamed into the main train station in central Seoul and the city's express bus terminals that link the capital to regional cities and towns across the country.
Some 460,000 vehicles are expected to leave the capital area Friday, according to the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC), while 4.61 million vehicles are likely to hit the road throughout the country, it added.
"The number reached its peak at around noon," a KEC official said. "Homebound traffic congestion is expected to die out at around 7 to 8 p.m."
As of 9:00 p.m., there was little congestion on major highways heading out of Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.
It took about four and half hours to drive from Seoul to Busan, three hours and 30 minutes to the southeastern city of Daeju and one hour and 10 minutes to Daejeon in central South Korea.
Others headed to airports to go abroad for Lunar New Year or to tourist destinations in the country.
This aerial photo, provided by the National Police Agency, shows one side of the West Coast Highway clogged with vehicles as drivers hit the road for their hometowns on Jan. 23, 2020, the eve of the Jan. 24-27 Lunar New Year holiday. (PHOTO NOT FORT SALE) (Yonhap)
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(3rd LD) S. Korea expands 'cornonavirus watch' zone from Wuhan to all of China

`` The government is checking all people who are complaining of symptoms with no coronavirus incidents being identified in the @ @ @ @ @ said a KCDC official .
She added that none of the 69 people who are @ @ @ @ @ come in contact with the country 's second confirmed case are showing signs of being @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 2-4, 13-15)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's public health authorities announced Saturday that they have designated all of China as a "coronavirus watch" zone as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus here.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) pledged to safeguard public health as South Koreans celebrate the four-day Lunar New Year holiday. KCDC initially only designated Wuhan and surrounding Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as a place of special interest with extra scrutiny in terms of quarantine procedures for people who arrive from the city.
Details on the measures to be taken will be announced Sunday, the agency said, with such a step likely to entail all Chinese travelers having to fill out detailed health questionnaires upon arrival in South Korea.
About 32,000 Chinese visitors arrive in the country per day and Seoul confirmed cases of the new coronavirus that causes pneumonia-like illness on Monday and Friday. It said earlier in the day that it has so far checked 32 other people for the new coronavirus with all testing negative.
"The government is checking all people who are complaining of symptoms with no coronavirus incidents being identified in the past 24 hours," said a KCDC official. She added that none of the 69 people who are under close observation after having come in contact with the country's second confirmed case are showing signs of being ill.
Hospital employees at Seoul Medical Center in the South Korean capital put up a notice informing people of risks associated with the Wuhan coronavirus on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The first confirmed case involved a 35-year-old Chinese woman who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway west of Seoul, from Wuhan with the second being a South Korean who has worked in the city in Hubei Province since April 2019 and returned home after feeling unwell. The 55-year-old man arrived in South Korea on Wednesday with a fever.
The KCDC said the second patient is in stable condition with doctors treating him for a sore throat.
Airports across the nation have set up checkpoints to screen passengers from China and other countries for signs of illness, with local authorities accelerating quarantine efforts to contain the virus as a countless number of people visit relatives back home or travel abroad. Seoul earlier advised its citizens not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease
The KCDC stressed citizens should follow strict personal hygiene standards whether they are in the country or traveling abroad, especially since large numbers of Chinese tourists are visiting South Korea during the holiday period. The Lunar New Year is celebrated by both Korean and Chinese people.
The agency said people feeling ill should immediately contact its emergency call center by dialing "1339" to receive assistance.
It also asked people to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing and wear a mask if they have respiratory problems.
Common symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases involving chills and muscle pain. Health experts said that elderly people and those with underlying disorders should be more careful not to contract the virus.
Related to the growing health concerns, South Korea's foreign ministry raised the travel advisory level for Wuhan and the Hubei region to "red alert" and recommended its citizens to evacuate the region.
"We advise all South Koreans to withdraw from the region unless for urgent matters, and our nationals who were planning to travel to the area to either cancel or delay the plan," the ministry said in a release.
The "red alert" is the third highest in the country's four-tier travel warning system.
China, meanwhile, announced that the virus has killed 41 people so far, with 1,287 confirmed to be infected, amid concerns that the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
Beijing has already stressed it will mobilize all its resources to contain the disease and even took steps to close off around a dozen cities and famous tourist attractions to control the spread.
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, France and the United States all have people infected with the new virus. Media outlets also reported that Nepal has a confirmed case.
The new coronavirus, first reported in China on Dec. 31, was originally believed to have been passed onto humans by animals but is now known to be transmissible person to person, although victims may be contracting the virus by coming in contact with saliva and other bodily fluids rather than through airborne factors.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--House fire in southwestern S. Korea kills 3 Thai workers

The fire broke out at 3:37 p.m. at the house for foreign workers working at a factory for dried laver @ @ @ @ @ Haenam , some 420 kilometers south of Seoul , according to the authorities .
The @ @ @ @ @ about 40 minutes .

HAENAM, South Korea, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at workers' accommodations of a factory in southwestern South Korea on Saturday, killing three Thai workers, authorities said.
The fire broke out at 3:37 p.m. at the house for foreign workers working at a factory for dried laver in the fishing county of Haenam, some 420 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the authorities. The fire was put out in about 40 minutes.
The three people have been identified as two men and one woman in their 30s, they said.
Police are working to determine what exactly caused the fire and have not ruled out the possibility of arson, they said.
Firefighters extinguish a fire that broke out at a house in Haenam, some 420 kilometers south of Seoul, on Jan. 25, 2020, in this photo provided by Haenam fire station. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--S. Korea raises travel warning for Wuhan, recommends withdrawal from region

`` We advise all South Koreans staying in Hubei Province to withdraw from the region unless for urgent matters , @ @ @ @ @ planning to travel to the area to either cancel or delay the plan , '' @ @ @ @ @ release .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry on Saturday raised the travel advisory level for the central Chinese city of Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei Province and recommended its nationals to withdraw from the region amid fear over the spread of a new coronavirus that originated in the city.
The ministry's issuance of "red alert" recommending withdrawal from Wuhan and other areas in Hubei Province came one day after Seoul confirmed the second case of the new coronavirus that causes pneumonia-like illness from a 55-year-old South Korean man who worked in Wuhan.
"We advise all South Koreans staying in Hubei Province to withdraw from the region unless for urgent matters, and our nationals who were planning to travel to the area to either cancel or delay the plan," the ministry said in a release.
The "red alert" is the third highest in the country's four-tier travel warning system. South Korea had issued the alert level of "restraint" to Wuhan and "caution" for other areas in Hubei on Thursday.
South Korea reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus on Monday when a Chinese resident who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, the previous day tested positive for the virus.
South Korea's health authorities said earlier Saturday that they have designated all of China as a "coronavirus watch" zone as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease here.
China announced that the virus has killed 41 people so far, with 1,287 confirmed infected amid concerns that the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely across the globe.
A sign banning entry by people who have recently visited China is posted at a hospital in Seoul on Jan. 23, 2020, as a precaution against a new strain of coronavirus now spreading in China and other parts of the world. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--S. Korea's expressways clogged for Lunar New Year's holiday

As of 5 p.m. , the drive to Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan was expected to take @ @ @ @ @ minutes ; five hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan ; four hours and 30 minutes @ @ @ @ @ Gwangju ; three hours and 20 minutes from the east coastal city of Gangneung , @ @ @ @ @ minutes from the central city of Daejeon , it said .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Major expressways across South Korea were congested Saturday as people headed to their hometowns, or back to Seoul, on the second day of the four-day Lunar New Year's holiday.
Called "Seol" in Korean, it is one of the largest annual celebrations for Koreans, many of whom visit their hometowns to get together with relatives and pay respects to ancestors. This year's Lunar New Year's day falls on Saturday and the four-day holiday ends on Monday.
According to the Korea Expressway Corp., around 6 million automobiles were expected to use the nation's expressways on Saturday alone.
About 480,000 were expected to leave Seoul or nearby Gyeonggi Province for regional provinces, while another 480,000 were expected to enter the metropolitan area, it said.
The traffic volume heading to the provinces was expected to thin out by 11 p.m., while the traffic heading to the Seoul metropolitan area was forecast to ease early Sunday.
As of 5 p.m., the drive to Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan was expected to take about six hours and 40 minutes; five hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan; four hours and 30 minutes from the southwestern city of Gwangju; three hours and 20 minutes from the east coastal city of Gangneung, and three hours and 10 minutes from the central city of Daejeon, it said.
Cars pack an expressway in southern Seoul that links the capital city and the southeastern city of Busan on Jan. 25, 2020, as they head for their hometowns on Lunar New Year's Day. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(2nd LD) S. Korea expands 'cornonavirus watch' zone from Wuhan to all of China

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info in paras 2-4)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's public health authorities announced Saturday that they have designated all of China as a "coronavirus watch" zone as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus here.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) pledged to safeguard public health as South Koreans celebrate the four-day Lunar New Year holiday. KCDC initially only designated Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, as a place of special interest with extra scrutiny in terms of quarantine procedures for people who arrive from the city.
Details on what measures will be taken will be announced on Sunday, the agency said.
The move to expand the watch zone comes as Seoul confirmed cases of the new coronavirus that causes pneumonia-like illness on Monday and Friday, respectively. It said earlier in the day that it has so far checked 32 other people for the new coronavirus with all testing negative.
"The government is checking all people who are complaining of symptoms with no coronavirus incidents being identified in the past 24 hours," said a KCDC official. She added that none of the 69 people who are under close observation after having come in contact with the country's second confirmed case are showing signs of being ill.
Hospital employees at Seoul Medical Center in the South Korean capital put up a notice informing people of risks associated with the Wuhan coronavirus on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The first confirmed case involved a 35-year-old Chinese woman who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway west of Seoul, from Wuhan with the second being a South Korean who has worked in the city in Hubei Province since April 2019 and returned home after feeling unwell. The 55-year-old man arrived in South Korea on Wednesday with a fever.
The KCDC said the second patient is in stable condition with doctors treating him for a sore throat.
The KCDC plans to expand the areas -- subject to its scrutiny for possible infection -- to the whole of China rather than the affected ones in Hubei Province.
The stepped-up preventive measure would require all Chinese travelers to submit health questionnaires upon arrival in South Korea. About 32,000 Chinese enter the country per day.
Airports across the nation have set up checkpoints to screen passengers from China and other countries for signs of illness, with local authorities accelerating quarantine efforts to contain the virus as a countless number of people visit relatives back home or travel abroad. Seoul earlier advised its citizens not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease
The KCDC stressed citizens should follow strict personal hygiene standards whether they are in the country or traveling abroad, especially since large numbers of Chinese tourists are visiting South Korea during the holiday period. The Lunar New Year is celebrated by both Korean and Chinese people.
The agency said people feeling ill should immediately contact its emergency call center by dialing "1339" to receive assistance.
It also asked people to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing and if they have respiratory problems wear a mask.
Common symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases involving chills and muscle pain. Health experts said that elderly people and those with underlying disorders should be more careful not to contract the virus.
China announced that the virus has killed 41 people so far, with 1,287 confirmed to be infected, amid concerns that the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
Beijing has already stressed it will mobilize all its resources to contain the disease and even took steps to close off around a dozen cities and famous tourist attractions to control the spread.
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, France and the United States all have people infected with the new virus. Media outlets also reported that Nepal has a confirmed case.
The new coronavirus, first reported in China on Dec. 31, was originally believed to have been passed onto humans by animals but is now known to be transmissible person to person, although victims may be contracting the virus by coming in contact with saliva and other bodily fluids rather than through airborne factors.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--Classic operas on big screen gain popularity

The company also said that female audience members accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total admissions tallied from Jan. @ @ @ @ @ of the total was those in their 50s .

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Classical performances and operas shown in cinemas have been gaining popularity among classical music fans and moviegoers, industry data showed Saturday.
CJ CGV, a leading multiplex chain run by entertainment giant CJ Group, launched a monthly opera program to show Italian operas in special theaters starting this year. The first title is "La Traviata," by Giuseppe Verdi.
More than 90 percent of tickets of the opera's theatrical showing at its Yongsan branch on Tuesday were sold, according to CGV.
The company also said that female audience members accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total admissions tallied from Jan. 6-16, while 45 percent of the total was those in their 50s.
Thanks to the popularity, CGV said it will continue the opera-themed program throughout this year and introduce more diversified pieces every month.
Lotte Cinema's "Opera in Cinema" program has been a steady seller since its first showing in 2015. It has put a number of famous operas including "The Barber of Seville," "Carmen," "Rigoletto," "The Magic Flute" and "Madam Butterfly" on screen.
In 2020, it will come up with eight fresh opera works to meet rising demand for the opera-screening program.
Megabox started the "Classic Society" project in 2016 and has live broadcast a number of classical music concerts performed by renowned orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic. Every Tuesday and Saturday, it screens operas staged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
The number of audiences for Megabox's "Classic Society" jumped 30 percent in 2018 from a year earlier as the program has won the hearts of light classical music and movie fans who have few chances to enjoy high-profile performances in Europe.
A poster of the opera "La Traviata" by CJ CGV (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(LEAD) N. Korea seen beefing up efforts to fend off new coronavirus

The Rodong Sinmun , the daily of the North 's ruling Workers ' Party , also carried an article on @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan in central China , in an apparent effort to call for caution among North @ @ @ @ @ not reported any confirmed case yet .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 6th para)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of a new strain of the Chinese coronavirus with the cancellation of a flight between Pyongyang and Beijing, and a temporary restriction on foreign residents' trips to China.
The Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, also carried an article on the coronavirus that originated from Wuhan in central China, in an apparent effort to call for caution among North Koreans. The North has not reported any confirmed case yet.
"Recently, the damage from the new strain of the coronavirus has been expanding," the article reads.
"Media outlets in many countries have reported that its impact on the world economy could potentially be greater than that when the severe acute respiratory syndrome spread in the past," it added.
Citing a Chinese official's explanation, the paper pointed out that when one has early symptoms of the coronavirus infection, such as breathing difficulties, he or she needs immediate medical treatment.
The North's cabinet Minju Choson also called on people to take extra care of personal hygiene, noting that the spread of the contagious disease is having a negative impact on the social development of affected countries.
The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang reportedly said in its social media post that the North's foreign ministry had notified it that an Air China flight between Pyongyang and Beijing would be canceled until Feb. 10.
The British government also said on its website that North Korean authorities have temporarily restricted travel of foreign residents to China, and tour operators have reported a government suspension of tourism to the North.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--(LEAD) S. Korea on high alert to prevent spread of Wuhan coronavirus

`` The government is checking all people who are complaining of symptoms with no coronavirus incidents being identified in the @ @ @ @ @ said a Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) official .
She @ @ @ @ @ 69 people who are under close observation after having come in contact with the country @ @ @ @ @ showing signs of being ill .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 6-7)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's public health protection authorities said Saturday the country is maintaining a high level of vigilance to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus as people celebrate the four-day Lunar New Year holiday.
The country reported a confirmed case of the new coronavirus that causes pneumonia-like sickness Monday and another Friday, and said it has checked 32 other people for the new coronavirus so far with all testing negative.
"The government is checking all people who are complaining of symptoms with no coronavirus incidents being identified in the past 24 hours," said a Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) official. She added that none of the 69 people who are under close observation after having come in contact with the country's second confirmed case are showing signs of being ill.
Hospital employees at Seoul Medical Center in the South Korean capital put up a notice informing people of risks associated with the Wuhan coronavirus on Jan. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The first confirmed case involved a 35-year-old Chinese woman who arrived at Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway located west of Seoul, from Wuhan with the second being a South Korean who has worked in the city in Hubei Province since April 2019 that is seen as the epicenter of the latest outbreak, and returned home after feeling unwell. The 55-year-old man arrived in South Korea on Wednesday with a fever.
The KCDC said the second patient is in stable condition with doctors treating him for a sore throat.
The KCDC plans to expand the areas -- subject to its scrutiny for possible infection -- to the whole of China rather than the affected ones in Hubei Province.
The stepped-up preventive measure would require all Chinese travelers to submit health questionnaires upon arrival in South Korea. About 32,000 Chinese enter the country per day.
Airports across the nation have set up checkpoints to screen passengers from China and other countries for signs of illness, with local authorities accelerating quarantine efforts to contain the virus as a countless number of people visit relatives back home or travel abroad. Seoul earlier advised its citizens not to visit the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the disease
The KCDC stressed citizens should follow strict personal hygiene rules whether they are in the country or traveling abroad, especially since large numbers of Chinese tourists are visiting South Korea during the holiday period. The Lunar New Year is celebrated by both Korean and Chinese people.
The agency said people feeling ill should immediately contact its emergency call center by dialing "1339" to receive assistance.
It also asked people to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing and if they have respiratory problems wear a mask.
Common symptoms of the coronavirus, thought to have originated in Wuhan, central China, include fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, with more acute cases being chills and muscle pain. Health experts said that elderly people and those with underlying disorders should be more careful not to contract the new type of virus.
China announced that the virus has killed 41 people so far, with 1,287 confirmed to be infected, amid concerns that the pneumonia-like illness is spreading quickly and widely.
Beijing has already stressed it will mobilize all its resources to contain the disease and even took steps to close off around a dozen cities and famous tourist attractions to control the spread.
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, France and the United States all have people infected with the new virus. Media outlets also reported that Nepal has a confirmed case.
The new coronavirus, first reported in China on Dec. 31, was originally believed to have been passed onto humans by animals but is now known to be transmissible person to person, although victims may be contracting the virus by coming in contact with saliva and other bodily fluids rather than through airborne factors.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-01-25--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1962 -- The last princess of the Joseon Dynasty , Deokhye-ongju , returns from Japan after more than 30 unhappy @ @ @ @ @ 1912 , two years after Korea became a Japanese colony , the daughter of Emperor @ @ @ @ @ of the turbulent times .

Jan. 26
1950 -- South Korea and the United States sign a mutual defense and assistance treaty. The agreement was sealed five months before the Korean War broke out in June.
1962 -- The last princess of the Joseon Dynasty, Deokhye-ongju, returns from Japan after more than 30 unhappy years there. Born in 1912, two years after Korea became a Japanese colony, the daughter of Emperor Gojong found herself a victim of the turbulent times.
1962 -- South Korea and Mexico establish diplomatic relations.
1985 -- Mother Teresa visits South Korea.
2001 -- Lee Su-hyeon, a South Korean studying in Japan, dies when he is hit by a train in a Tokyo subway station after saving a drunken Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks.
2010 -- North Korea declares two maritime areas near the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea as "no-sail" zones.
2018 -- A fire breaks out in a hospital in Miryang, 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, killing nearly 40 people and injuring 143 others in one of the country's deadliest blazes in a decade.
(END)