yna--2020-08-14--S. Korea welcomes normalization of UAE-Israel ties

Under the deal , Israel agreed to suspend the annexation of the West Bank over which it has been in @ @ @ @ @ .
The deal also makes the UAE the third Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties @ @ @ @ @ and Jordan .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea welcomes an agreement reached between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize their diplomatic relations, the foreign ministry said Friday.
"Our government welcomes the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize diplomatic relations and hopes the agreement will serve as an opportunity for stability and peace in the region," foreign ministry spokesperson Kim In-chul said.
Israel and the UAE agreed Thursday to establish their diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by the United States.
Under the deal, Israel agreed to suspend the annexation of the West Bank over which it has been in a decades-old conflict with Palestine. The deal also makes the UAE the third Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan.
This AP photo shows the city hall building in Tel Aviv, Israel, lit up with the flags of the United Arab Emirates and Israel on Aug. 13, 2020, as the two countries announced they agreed to establish diplomatic ties. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Air Force employee, Marine test positive for coronavirus after church visits

The Air Force employee , based in Seongnam , south of Seoul , was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on @ @ @ @ @ where a confirmed patient had visited , officials said .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- An Air Force civilian employee and a Marine have tested positive for the new coronavirus after visiting religious facilities, the defense ministry said Friday.
The Air Force employee, based in Seongnam, south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on Thursday after visiting a church where a confirmed patient had visited, officials said.
About 50 people at the base will take coronavirus tests after coming into contact with him.
The Marine also visited a church in Seoul where a confirmed patient visited during his vacation, officials said.
The new cases brought the total caseload among the military population to 82.
Nationwide, the number of daily local virus cases jumped to an over 4-month high as sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area piled up.
The country's new daily coronavirus cases, including 85 locally transmitted ones, reached 103 on Friday, raising the total caseload to 14,873.
In this file photo, taken on May 8, 2020, troops board a train at a station in Paju, north of Seoul, as they were allowed to go on vacation after more than two months of restrictions amid fears about the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Seoul stocks sharply down late Fri. morning on profit-taking

The local currency was trading at 1,185.75 won against the U.S. dollar , down 2.45 won from the previous session @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 14 -- South Korean shares traded over 1 percent lower late Friday morning, as investors attempted to cash in part of recent gains.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 26.59 points, or 1.09 percent, to 2,410.94 as of 11:20 a.m.
The stock index hovered around the 2,400 mark, briefly touching the day's lowest 2,383.69 as of 10:21 a.m.
The pullback was largely attributed to foreign investors' profit-taking of market heavyweights.
The nine-session winning streak that ended Thursday raised valuation pressure, analysts said.
Most large caps traded lower.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 1.02 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix retreated 0.50 percent.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics dipped 1.46, and Celltrion shed 0.65 percent.
Leading chemical maker LG Chem sank 3.66 percent, and rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI plunged 4.56 percent.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest automaker, dropped 2.06 percent, while top steelmaker POSCO gained 1.94 percent.
Internet portal giant Naver lost 0.81 percent, but its rival Kakao added 0.14 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,185.75 won against the U.S. dollar, down 2.45 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(LEAD) Moon's approval dips below 40 pct for first time in 10 months

It was the first time that Moon 's approval has fallen below 40 percent in the weekly Gallup poll since @ @ @ @ @ presidency suffered a serious blow over his appointment of Cho Kuk , a close aide @ @ @ @ @ controversies over whether he was suited to the position .

(ATTN: UPDATES with poll on political parties in paras 5-6)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has plunged to below 40 percent for the first time in 10 months, a major poll showed Friday, amid unrelenting public anger over the government's real estate policy.
In the three-day Gallup Korea survey conducted on 1,001 voters nationwide through Thursday, 39 percent of respondents expressed support for the president, down 5 percentage points from the previous week.
The proportion of those critical of his leadership jumped 7 percentage points to 53 percent. The margin of error is plus and minus 3.1 percentage points.
It was the first time that Moon's approval has fallen below 40 percent in the weekly Gallup poll since last October, when his presidency suffered a serious blow over his appointment of Cho Kuk, a close aide, as justice minister despite controversies over whether he was suited to the position.
President Moon Jae-in attends an emergency government meeting in Seoul to discuss countermeasures on recent heavy rains on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Support for Moon among those in their 30s plummeted 17 percentage points. It declined 13 percentage points in Seoul alone.
The ruling Democratic Party's rating shed 4 percentage points to 33 percent, while that of the main opposition United Future Party gained 2 percentage points to 27 percent.
The Moon administration has recently come under fierce criticism for failing to stabilize the housing market. Apartment prices have continued to soar mainly in Seoul and nearby regions. A lengthy spell of heavy rains also caused huge damage in a number of areas in the nation, while new coronavirus infections are rebounding.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Moon names Cheong Wa Dae secretary as vice foreign minister

Choi has served as secretary for peace planning at Cheong Wa Dae 's national security office .
He is known @ @ @ @ @ players in Moon 's drive for permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in tapped Choi Jong-kun, a key Cheong Wa Dae aide, as new vice foreign minister Friday, according to Moon's office.
Choi has served as secretary for peace planning at Cheong Wa Dae's national security office. He is known as one of the major players in Moon's drive for permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Moon also nominated Lee Kang-seop, vice head of the Ministry of Government Legislation, to lead the ministry in a vice ministerial post.
The president also picked seven new vice ministerial officials.
This file photo shows Choi Jong-kun, named as vice foreign minister. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(2nd LD) Military to expand mine removal operations jointly with USFK

Front-line military units have been working to search for mines that could have made their way south from the Demilitarized @ @ @ @ @ other border regions as heavy downpours have drenched the country for weeks .
As of @ @ @ @ @ been collected .

(ATTN: ADDS USFK's planned participation in the operation in paras 5-6)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The military will expand operations to detect and remove landmines in the border regions next week after a dozen mines were collected from flood-damaged areas amid concern that some could have also been washed away from North Korea, officials said Friday.
Front-line military units have been working to search for mines that could have made their way south from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and other border regions as heavy downpours have drenched the country for weeks. As of Friday, 12 mines have been collected.
Starting Monday, the military will expand the operation area to overall border regions, including those hit by landslides or flooding, with additional forces and equipment, the JCS said.
The U.S. Forces Korea will also join the efforts with its mine detection and explosive ordnance disposal teams, officials said.
"The U.S. military plans to send troops to Cheorwon and carry out operations after forming task forces with the South Korean military," an official said.
Millions of mines are believed to have been laid on the Korean Peninsula during the 1950-53 Korean War, and many are still buried in the DMZ, a 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone between the two Koreas, nearly 70 years after the war ended.
The defense ministry earlier heightened the level of emergency duty by one notch to the third and highest one to be fully prepared for the heavy rains.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry said it will exempt reservists residing in regions designated as special disaster zones due to recent heavy rains from the annual training slated for next month.
On Thursday, President Moon Jae-in designated 11 southern regions in the Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces as special disaster zones in addition to seven central and eastern areas designated last week.
"The defense ministry will continue to take active measures to support reservists in the special disaster zones and their families for an early recovery," it said in a release.
The recent downpours that pounded the central and southern regions have left 42 people dead or missing and more than 7,800 people displaced as of Wednesday.
Troops use metal detectors to search for mines that may have been swept away by heavy rains to civilian populated areas south of the demilitarized zone in Cheorwon, 88 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on Aug. 7, 2020, in this photo provided by the military. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(News Focus) No parcel day: Why S. Korean delivery workers are taking a day off on Aug. 14

`` My husband , who was looking forward to going on a trip for the first time in eight years @ @ @ @ @ tried to wake him up in the morning , '' Seo Han-mi , the wife @ @ @ @ @ , who passed away three months ago , said in an Aug. 11 press conference @ @ @ @ @ never properly apologized .
I hope working conditions will improve for laborers . ''

By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's convenient and super-quick online shopping culture has been a relief for many who opt to stay home during the new coronavirus pandemic.
Almost every item one can think of -- from pet food to paper straws -- is delivered to doorsteps in two or three days at the latest, with big online retailers promoting "twilight" or "rocket" delivery services that ship items in just a few hours as they vie for a bigger stake of the competitive market.
But this comes at a price that often goes unseen. Tens of thousands of delivery workers, toil six days a week, taking on hourslong extra tasks, such as categorizing items and loading them on trucks, in addition to delivering the parcels to homes.
A delivery worker sorts through items that need to be delivered at a logistics center in Seoul on Aug. 13, 2020, a day before the industry went on a one-day special holiday. (Yonhap)
A 2018 report by the Korea Transport Institute showed that delivery drivers worked 12.7 hours a day, 25.6 days each month on average. This translates to much longer working hours compared with the 52-hour workweek scheme the government is pushing for.
A labor union of parcel delivery workers has a much more grim estimate of working hours, which it says ranges from 12 to 16 hours. It says that, with the new coronavirus, shipping volume has also jumped by 30 to 40 percent.
In addition to the long hours and arduous physical work -- which can involve carrying a dozen 1-liter mineral water bottles to a third-story flat without an elevator -- a spike in shipments, mostly attributed to the virus pandemic, coupled with the country's damp and wet summer weather and new social convention of wearing face masks that make breathing more difficult, have changed things for the worse for delivery workers.
Conveyor belts at a logistics facility in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, are empty on Aug. 13, 2020, a day before the industry went on a one-day special holiday. (Yonhap)
But this will stop -- at least for a day -- on Aug. 14.
Major delivery companies that control around 80 percent of the market -- including CJ Logistics, Lotte Global Logistics, Hanjin and Logen -- as well as the national post service have agreed to designate Friday as a "refresh day for delivery workers."
With Aug. 15 being Liberation Day, which is celebrated as a public holiday here, many delivery workers are expected to enjoy a three-day weekend holiday for the first time in nearly three decades.
The decision came as a labor union representing delivery workers demanded a symbolic holiday for delivery drivers, pointing out harsh working conditions for the workers who are usually special contract workers.
This means that rather than being employed by a company, most delivery workers are heads of one-man companies that are not protected by labor law since they are employers not employees.
A handwritten thank-you note is posted at a residential building in Seoul, along with vitamin drinks, on Aug. 13, 2020, a day before the industry went on a one-day special holiday. (Yonhap)
For now, most seem to be happy with the "no-parcel day."
Many online shopping mall owners have uploaded posts, reminding customers that delivery is not available on Friday and thanking delivery workers for their hard work.
On social media, consumers are posting messages of gratitude, with some sharing photos of vitamin drinks or little treats left out for workers to have between deliveries.
President Moon Jae-in also mentioned the special holiday in a July 18 tweet, touting the delivery workers as serving "leading roles" in overcoming the new coronavirus, along with medical workers.
Bereaved family members of delivery workers who they claim died from overwork speak at a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
But delivery workers and their families say more fundamental changes are critical in making the industry more sustainable, or at least to protect the workers from dying from overwork.
"My husband, who was looking forward to going on a trip for the first time in eight years, was dead when I tried to wake him up in the morning," Seo Han-mi, the wife of delivery worker Jeong Sang-won, who passed away three months ago, said in an Aug. 11 press conference. "CJ Logistics has never properly apologized. I hope working conditions will improve for laborers."
Some say that wrong work conventions should be fixed before the fall when shipping volume is expected to further increase in line with the country's traditional Chuseok holiday when people send gifts.
"Intensive labor continues to Saturday, which is a weekend," Jin Kyung-oh, who leads a special committee on preventing delivery workers from dying from overwork, said in a July 28 press conference.
"Parcels that are urgent can be delivered, but for those that are not, (companies) need to allow delivery to be delayed to the following Monday."
Delivery workers sort items that have to be delivered at a logistics center in Seoul on Aug. 13, 2020, a day before the industry went on a one-day special holiday. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , Aug. 14 ( Yonhap ) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates ( KORIBOR ) as posted by Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ and information arm of Yonhap News Agency , at 11:00 a.m .

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


yna--2020-08-14--S. Korean crime thriller sold to 56 overseas markets

Directed by Hong Won-chan , the film follows the story of an assassin , played by Hwang , who becomes @ @ @ @ @ a mysterious killer , played by Lee , pursues him to avenge his dead brother @

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean crime thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has been sold to more than 50 overseas markets, according to its distributor on Friday.
The film, which has topped the local box office since its release on Aug. 5, was sold to 56 countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to CJ Entertainment.
With the movie hitting Taiwanese screens this Wednesday, the distributor said it is in talks with its counterparts to fix the release date in each country.
Starring Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, the crime action film has attracted 2.7 million moviegoers in South Korea as of Thursday, with a total revenue of 23.4 billion won (US$19.7 million).
Directed by Hong Won-chan, the film follows the story of an assassin, played by Hwang, who becomes embroiled in unexpected incidents as a mysterious killer, played by Lee, pursues him to avenge his dead brother.
A poster of "Deliver Us From Evil" by CJ Entertainment (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Gyeonggi governor emerges as front-runner in poll of presidential hopefuls

Rep. Lee , who formerly served as prime minister , had held onto the top post in surveys of presidential @ @ @ @ @ was overtaken by Gov .
Lee for the first time , Gallup said .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung has surpassed Democratic Party Rep. Lee Nak-yon for the first time in a popularity poll of South Korea's prospective presidential candidates, pollster Gallup Korea said Friday.
In a Gallup survey conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, Gov. Lee was favored by 19 percent of respondents, beating out his political rival Rep. Lee, who obtained support from 17 percent. Gallup said it asked the pollees to pick their favorite presidential hopeful without presenting candidate names.
Rep. Lee, who formerly served as prime minister, had held onto the top post in surveys of presidential hopefuls for seven months but was overtaken by Gov. Lee for the first time, Gallup said.
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl remained in third place with a popularity rate of 9 percent, while former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who heads the minor People's Party, and independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo garnered support from 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively, the pollster noted.
This combined photo shows Rep. Lee Nak-yon (L) of the ruling Democratic Party and Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung. (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Moon's approval dips below 40 pct for first time in 10 months

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has plunged to below 40 percent for the first time in 10 months, a major poll showed Friday, amid unrelenting public anger over the government's real estate policy.
In the three-day Gallup Korea survey conducted on 1,001 voters nationwide through Thursday, 39 percent of respondents expressed support for the president, down 5 percentage points from the previous week.
The proportion of those critical of his leadership jumped 7 percentage points to 53 percent. The margin of error is plus and minus 3.1 percentage points.
It was the first time that Moon's approval has fallen below 40 percent in the weekly Gallup poll since last October, when his presidency suffered a serious blow over his appointment of Cho Kuk, a close aide, as justice minister despite controversies over whether he was suited to the position.
The Moon administration has recently come under fierce criticism for failing to stabilize the housing market. Apartment prices have continued to soar mainly in Seoul and nearby regions. A lengthy spell of heavy rains also caused huge damage in a number of areas in the nation, while new coronavirus infections are rebounding.
President Moon Jae-in attends an emergency government meeting in Seoul to discuss countermeasures on recent heavy rains on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(LEAD) Military to expand mine removal operations next week

Millions of mines are believed to have been laid on the Korean Peninsula during the 1950-53 Korean War , and @ @ @ @ @ the DMZ , a 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone between the two Koreas , nearly 70 years @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, throughout with military's plan for landmine removal work; TRIMS; CHANGES photo)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The military will expand operations to detect and remove landmines in the border regions next week after a dozen mines were collected from flood-damaged areas amid concern that some could have also been washed away from North Korea, officials said Friday.
Front-line military units have been working to search for mines that could have made their way south from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and other border regions as heavy downpours have drenched the country for weeks.
Millions of mines are believed to have been laid on the Korean Peninsula during the 1950-53 Korean War, and many are still buried in the DMZ, a 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone between the two Koreas, nearly 70 years after the war ended.
Starting Monday, the military will expand the operation area to overall border regions, including those hit by landslides or flooding, with additional forces and equipment, it said.
As of Friday, the military had collected 12 landmines.
"The military's top priority is the safety and lives of our people," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki said, calling on troops to promptly carry out the landmine removal operation.
The defense ministry earlier heightened the level of emergency duty by one notch to the third and highest one to be fully prepared for the heavy rains.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry said it will exempt reservists residing in regions designated as special disaster zones due to recent heavy rains from the annual training slated for next month.
On Thursday, President Moon Jae-in designated 11 southern regions in the Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces as special disaster zones in addition to seven central and eastern areas designated last week.
"The defense ministry will continue to take active measures to support reservists in the special disaster zones and their families for an early recovery," it said in a release.
The recent downpours that pounded the central and southern regions have left 42 people dead or missing and more than 7,800 people displaced as of Wednesday.
Troops use metal detectors to search for mines that may have been swept away by heavy rains to civilian populated areas south of the demilitarized zone in Cheorwon, 88 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on Aug. 7, 2020, in this photo provided by the military. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Consumption keeps improving amid signs of easing export slump: finance ministry

The South Korean economy has been battered by the novel coronavirus since the first case was confirmed here on Jan. @ @ @ @ @ have pounded the central and southern regions , leaving 42 people dead or missing and @ @ @ @ @ and inflicting huge property damage .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumption continues to improve amid signs of a slump in exports and industrial production easing, the finance ministry said Friday.
In a monthly economic report, called the Green Book, the Ministry of Economy and Finance also flagged the economy's continuing uncertainty stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and the annual monsoon season.
"South Korea's indicators of domestic demand continue to take a turn for the better, despite uncertainty related to COVID-19 and the rainy season," the report said. "The economy is also showings signs of its exports and output declining at a slower pace."
Externally, worries over a delay in global economic recovery persist due to the continued global spread of the coronavirus and escalating conflicts between major countries, despite stable financial markets and improvements in real-economy indicators.
The South Korean economy has been battered by the novel coronavirus since the first case was confirmed here on Jan. 20. Monsoon-season heavy rains have pounded the central and southern regions, leaving 42 people dead or missing and more than 7,800 people displaced and inflicting huge property damage.
The report said indicators of South Korea's private consumption continued to improve in July, raising hopes for an economic recovery.
Credit card spending climbed 4.8 percent in July from a year earlier, marking the third consecutive month of increase.
Online retail sales jumped 22.2 percent on-year last month. Sales at discount stores fell 6.2 percent on-year, but it was lower than declines of 7.1 percent in June and 9.3 percent in May.
The country's consumer sentiment index came to 84.2 last month, well below the benchmark 100, but it continued improve from previous months.
In July, South Korea's exports sank 7 percent from a year earlier, but it was much lower than the 10.9 percent dip in June, thanks to the easing of lockdowns in major economies.
Industrial production rose 4.2 percent on-month in July, and corporate capital spending and construction investment increased 5.4 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.
The report also said South Korea's business confidence remained below par but continued to improve in July amid the country's stable financial markets.
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Moon vows 'victim-centered' solution to row with Japan over comfort women

The president noted that the victims are presenting a `` new direction '' of how to resolve the matter , @ @ @ @ @ future generations of the neighboring countries explore ways to move together toward peace and human @ @ @ @ @ accomplishments of the civil movement so far .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed his administration's commitment Friday to taking a "victim-centered" approach toward the issue of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.
He stressed the government will continue efforts for a way to resolve the decadeslong source of diplomatic rifts with Japan until the victims say it's "fair enough."
"The most important principle of resolving the problem is 'victim-centrism,'" Moon said in a video message for an annual ceremony commemorating the victims, euphemistically called comfort women.
South Korea designated Aug. 14 as the Japanese Military Comfort Women Victims Memorial Day in 2017, the anniversary of Kim Hak-soon, a comfort woman and human rights activist, testifying in 1991 about her suffering. It later became the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women.
This year's national ceremony was held in Cheoan, South Chungcheong Province, located 90 kilometers south of Seoul, on the eve of the Liberation Day to mark Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.
In this photo, dated Aug. 15, 2019, President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a Liberation Day ceremony held at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheoan, South Chungcheong Province, 90 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese troops. There are only 17 surviving victims.
South Koreans have called on Japan to offer a sincere apology and compensation for the victims.
The president noted that the victims are presenting a "new direction" of how to resolve the matter, saying they have suggested that future generations of the neighboring countries explore ways to move together toward peace and human rights, while inheriting the accomplishments of the civil movement so far.
"The government will do its best to map out realistic and practical methods so that the victims' courage and dedication can get repaid with the restoration of dignity and honor," Moon said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Hyundai Kona Electric sets record travel range

Hyundai tested three Kona Electric models with the goal of traveling at least 1,000 km between recharges .
Two other @ @ @ @ @ range of 1,024.1 km and 1,018.7 km on the racetrack .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday its compact Kona Electric sport utility vehicle has set a record travel range on a single battery charge in Germany.
The Kona Electric traveled 1,026 kilometers on a single charge in a test at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, a racetrack in the northern region of Brandenburg, from July 22-24, the company said in a statement.
Hyundai tested three Kona Electric models with the goal of traveling at least 1,000 km between recharges. Two other models also achieved a travel range of 1,024.1 km and 1,018.7 km on the racetrack.
This photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows officials from Auto Bild cheering after the carmaker's Kona Electric finished a travel-range test at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany on July 24, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Drivers took turns to drive the models until their 64 kilowatt-hour battery capacity ran out, without turning on air conditioning and infotainment systems, despite hot temperatures, the statement said.
They then drove for 35 hours around the racetrack at an average speed of 30 km per hour, achieving average fuel efficiency of 16 km/h, it said.
The test was held in cooperation with German automotive publisher Auto Bild, and it was independently monitored by Dekra, which operates the Lausitz racetrack.
The Kona Electric with the 64 kWh battery can usually travel about 400 km on a single charge on city roads.
From January to July, Hyundai sold a total of 204,737 vehicles in Europe, with the Kona Electric accounting for 8.1 percent of them, or 16,511 units.
Hyundai has produced the all-electric model at its plant in the Czech Republic since March, to better respond to rising demand for environment friendly vehicles in Europe.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Doctors launch nationwide strike, some service disruption inevitable

On Wednesday , the health ministry said it is open to talks with the KMA , but it added it @ @ @ @ @ scheme .
Local doctors rejected the offer , saying the protest will be held as @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Doctors launched a one-day strike across South Korea on Friday in protest of the government's medical reform plan, with some disruptions expected to be inevitable.
The walkout is part of the Korea Medical Association (KMA)'s strong opposition to the government's plan to raise admission quotas at medical schools.
Among the participants of the walkout are practitioners at small clinics and some trainee doctors, such as interns and residents, at general hospitals, the KMA said.
Still, doctors who work in essential fields, such as intensive care units, surgery and emergency rooms, continue to be on normal duty.
Health authorities said they expected no major disruptions, as hospitals mobilized alternative health workers, and doctors in vital departments have not participated in the walkout.
A patient visits a clinic in Eunpyeong Ward on Aug. 13, 2020. (Yonhap)
"We will make sure that there is no service setback by arranging alternative workforce in each department," said an official from Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, who asked not to be named.
It marks the KMA's third major walkout over the last two decades, after those in 2000 and 2014. Last week, trainee doctors at generals hospitals launched a separate one-day walkout.
South Korea plans to increase the number of doctors in the country, citing lack of medical infrastructure in rural areas, as well as the new coronavirus pandemic, which is not likely to end soon.
Under the country's medical workforce reform plan, the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas at medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years starting 2022, and open a new public medical school as well.
The scheme will increase the number of students admitted annually to medical schools to 3,458 in the 2022-2031 period from the current 3,058.
The group says that increasing the number of new doctors will only lead to more competition among doctors and will not help ease the disparity in medical infrastructure among regions.
Trainee doctors hold a rally in Seoul's financial district of Yeouido on Aug. 7, 2020, to protest the government's plan to increase the admission quotas at medical schools. (Yonhap)
Doctors also protest against the plan to include traditional oriental medicine in the nation's public health insurance system, as they consider the field to be less scientific and vital.
On Wednesday, the health ministry said it is open to talks with the KMA, but it added it cannot further delay the scheme. Local doctors rejected the offer, saying the protest will be held as planned.
As of late Thursday, 8,365, or 24.7 percent, of 33,836 clinics across the nation, reported they will close their doors Friday, according to the health ministry.
The exact number of clinics closed Friday has not been reported yet.
The health ministry earlier ordered local governments to give mandatory orders to clinics to reopen their service when the ratio of closed clinics in their region hovers above 30 percent.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--With narrow lead at top of K League, Ulsan coach stresses importance of focus

`` In that last match , Pohang came up with some modified tactics , and we were able to respond @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` But that was then , and this is now .
This season @ @ @ @ @ about what our opponents do .
It 's about how we prepare and what type @ @ @ @ @ ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Ulsan Hyundai FC are entering a key rival match this weekend in the K League 1 with a narrow lead at the top of the table.
And head coach Kim Do-hoon believes mental fortitude will be as important as anything players do physically on the field.
This file photo, provided by the Korea Professional Football League, shows Lee Chung-yong of Ulsan Hyundai FC (No. 72) celebrating a goal against Pohang Steelers in a K League 1 match at Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on June 6, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Ulsan will host Pohang Steelers at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Their matches have been dubbed the "East Coast Derby," given their relative proximity along the east coast, with Pohang lying about 80 kilometers north of Ulsan.
Ulsan won the first meeting of the season in June by 4-0, and the second showdown comes at a crucial moment for both.
Ulsan's lead over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have been cut to just one point, 36 to 35, following last weekend's action. While Ulsan were held to a scoreless draw by lowly Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Jeonbuk blanked Daegu FC 2-0.
Pohang are in a battle for third place, which would get them into next year's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. At 25 points, Pohang trail Sangju Sangmu by three points, and they are winless in their last three matches.
Ulsan Hyundai FC head coach Kim Do-hoon speaks at a press conference at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 13, 2020, in this photo provided by Ulsan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"This will be a huge one for both teams, and I have faith in our players' ability to shake off that pressure," Kim said in a prematch press conference, according to a transcript provided by Ulsan on Friday. "These derby matches always demand a great focus. We have to stay sharp mentally right through the end."
Kim downplayed the notion that Ulsan should have an easy time beating Pohang again based on their previous result.
"In that last match, Pohang came up with some modified tactics, and we were able to respond to them," Kim said. "But that was then, and this is now. This season, it's never been about what our opponents do. It's about how we prepare and what type of football we play."
Kim also apologized for his players' postmatch argument with referees following last week's match. Kim had to sprint all the way from his bench to the middle of the field to break off the scrum and order his players back to their lockers, before tensions escalated further.
"In this sport, your emotions can sometimes get the better of you," Kim said. "I told the players that we shouldn't have a repeat of what happened then."
This file photo, provided by the Korea Professional Football League, shows Ulsan Hyundai FC (in blue) and Pohang Steelers competing in a K League 1 match at Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on June 6, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Local virus cases at over 4-month high, strict social distancing under review

SEOUL , Aug. 14 ( Yonhap ) -- The number of daily local virus cases in South Korea jumped to @ @ @ @ @ Friday as sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area piled up , forcing health authorities @ @ @ @ @ of social distancing to stem further spread .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily local virus cases in South Korea jumped to an over 4-month high on Friday as sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area piled up, forcing health authorities to consider raising the level of social distancing to stem further spread.
The country's new daily coronavirus cases, including 85 locally transmitted ones, reached 103 on Friday, raising the total caseload to 14,873, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The number of newly identified local infections marks the most since 88 on March 31.
The daily tally nearly doubled from 56 new virus cases reported Thursday and also marked the highest level since July 25, when new virus cases reached 113.
Domestic infections have recently bounced back as cases mostly linked to sporadic clusters in Seoul and adjacent areas jumped.
Students line up to take coronavirus tests at a screening center in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 13, 2020, after a middle school student in the city tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap)
The KCDC warned that the greater Seoul area is teetering on the brink of another spike in virus cases and that the easing of social distancing guidance may be rolled back if the upward trend continues.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government is considering strengthening the infection preventive measures in Seoul and neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2.
In June, South Korea adopted a three-tier social distancing scheme, under which the country is currently at Level 1 distancing measures. Level 2 could be applied if daily infections exceed 50 for 14 straight days but remain under 100.
Health authorities remain on higher alert as cluster infections continued to spring up at various venues, including churches, marketplaces and schools.
Of the new locally transmitted cases, 31 were reported in Seoul and 38 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said. The southeastern city of Busan added five more cases of COVID-19.
Sporadic cluster infections have shown no signs of a let-up, with more than 30 cases linked to a church in Goyang, just north of Seoul.
Infections traced to a church in Yongin, south of Seoul, jumped to 24, up 12 cases from overnight, according to city government officials.
Cases tied to Lotteria, a fast-food franchise, in Seoul reached 11 as of Thursday at noon.
Meanwhile, the daily number of cases coming in from overseas bounced back to a double-digit figure.
The number of daily imported cases recently far surpassed that of local infections mainly because infections spiked among South Korean workers returning home from Iraq and Russian sailors.
Of the 18 new imported cases, nine cases came from the United States, followed by Iraq with two cases and Ghana with two. The total number of cases coming in from overseas reached 2,618.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, keeping the death toll to 305. The fatality rate was 2.05 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 13,863, up 46 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,665,084 tests since Jan. 3.
This photo, taken on Aug. 13, 2020, shows a signboard set up by the Seoul city government that expresses its determination to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic with citizens. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(2nd LD) S. Korea commemorates memorial day for 'comfort women'

`` The most important principle of resolving the problem is 'victim-centrism , ' '' he said .
`` The government @ @ @ @ @ map out realistic and practical methods so that the victims ' courage and dedication can @ @ @ @ @ of dignity and honor . ''

(ATTN: ADDS details on commemorative event in paras 13-14, photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea held various events to commemorate the international memorial day on Friday for Asian women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.
The government-led national ceremony marking the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women took place at the Hill of National Commemoration in Cheonan, south of Seoul, with the slogan of "memory for the future."
About 100 people, including elderly Korean women sexually enslaved by the imperial Japanese army, participated in the event.
Lee Yong-soo, a victim of the Japanese military's sexual slavery during World War II, participates in a national ceremony to mark the international memorial day for 'comfort women' held at the Hill of National Commemoration in Cheonan, south of Seoul, on Aug. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
In a video message, President Moon Jae-in vowed to make constant efforts to resolve the issue that has been a source of diplomatic rifts with Japan for decades.
South Koreans have called on Japan to offer a sincere apology and compensation for the victims, but the neighboring country has remained silent.
"The most important principle of resolving the problem is 'victim-centrism,'" he said. "The government will do its best to map out realistic and practical methods so that the victims' courage and dedication can get repaid with the restoration of dignity and honor."
In this photo, provided by the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, President Moon Jae-in delivers a video message for the government-hosted ceremony of the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women held at the Hill of National Commemoration in Cheonan on Aug. 14, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It is the third time that the government has hosted a national ceremony commemorating the day since 2018, when it was designated a national memorial day.
The International Memorial Day for Comfort Women falls on Aug. 14, the day when the late Kim Hak-soon, a former comfort woman, first publicly testified about Japan operating an organized military brothel program during the war in 1991.
It is also the eve of Liberation Day, which marks the end of the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial era.
Also during the ceremony, Lee Jung-ok, minister of gender equality and family, said it is time for the current generation to respond to those who dedicated their lives to shed light on the comfort women issue.
"The testimony by Kim Hak-soon resonated across the globe, revealing the truth and the violence against women," she said. "Now we have to think of what we can learn from the tragedy in history."
The government then opened a digital archive that stores more than 500 files of documents and materials on "comfort women," a euphemistic term for the former sex slaves. The online depository (www.archive814.co.kr) includes reports by the United Nations forces during the Korean War and official statements by the Japanese government.
Citizens participate in a rally to mark the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women in central Seoul on Aug. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
Later in the day, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan held a commemorative cultural event in central Seoul with other support groups.
Some 200 people, including students, joined the event, with some holding placards calling for efforts to protect the human rights of the victims and an official apology from Japan over its wartime atrocities.
According to historians, up to 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were coerced into sexual servitude in front-line Japanese brothels when the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony.
Busts of late victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese military are displayed at the House of Sharing, a facility dedicated to "comfort women," in the city of Gwangju, located outside Seoul, on Aug. 13, 2020, one day ahead of the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women. In 2018, South Korea established the memorial day to remember victims of sex crimes committed by Japan during World War II. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Lotte Group chairman ranked highest-paid biz leader in S. Korea during H1

Shin received 6.28 billion won ( US $ 5.3 million ) in wages during the January-June period from six group @ @ @ @ @ down from 7.9 billion won he earned during the same period last year .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin ranked as the highest-paid business leader among the country's top 10 conglomerates during the first half of this year, industry data showed Friday.
Shin received 6.28 billion won (US$5.3 million) in wages during the January-June period from six group affiliates. The amount was down from 7.9 billion won he earned during the same period last year.
The decline stemmed from his resignation as head of Lotte Engineering & Construction last year, while his pay from Lotte Hotel halved.
This file photo shows Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin. (Yonhap)
GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo came next by earning 6 billion. Of that, some 5.1 billion won came from retirement grants he received from GS Home Shopping.
LG Group chief Koo Kwang-mo ranked third with his first-half wages reaching 5.82 billion won, which represented an 81 percent rise from a year earlier and was higher than his annual salary of 5.39 billion won.
Among the high-paid business leaders are Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, who received 2.18 billion won. His father and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo earned 2.43 billion won.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won earned 3.9 billion won during the same period, though it was about 100 million won lower than a year earlier.
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong continued to receive no salary during the first half, as he has done since March 2017 after he faced trial over a graft scandal.
Meanwhile, Kwon Oh-hyun, known for his rise from a salary worker to a top position at Samsung, earned 11.3 billion won, the largest amount of wages for business leaders not belonging to owning families, the data showed.
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(2nd LD)  Doctors stage nationwide strike, some service disruption reported

`` We will make sure that there is no service setback by arranging alternative workforce in each department , '' @ @ @ @ @ St. Mary 's Hospital , who asked not to be named .

(ATTN: UPDATES figures in para 6; ADDS leader's remark in para 16)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Doctors staged a one-day strike across South Korea on Friday in protest of the government's medical reform plan, with some difficulties reported at small clinics.
The walkout is part of the Korea Medical Association (KMA)'s strong opposition to the government's plan to raise admission quotas at medical schools.
Among the participants of the walkout are practitioners at small clinics and some trainee doctors, such as interns and residents, at general hospitals, the KMA said.
Still, doctors who work in essential fields, such as intensive care units, surgery and emergency rooms, continued to be on normal duty.
Health authorities said there were no major disruptions as hospitals mobilized alternative health workers and doctors in vital departments did not participate in the walkout.
As of 5. p.m., 11,025 of 33,836, or 32.6 percent, clinics across the nation closed their doors, according to the health ministry.
A clinic in the southern port city of Busan is closed on Aug. 14, 2020 as doctors launched a one-day strike across in protest of the government's medical reform plan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"We will make sure that there is no service setback by arranging alternative workforce in each department," said an official from Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, who asked not to be named.
It marks the KMA's third major walkout over the last two decades, after those in 2000 and 2014. Last week, trainee doctors at generals hospitals launched a separate one-day walkout.
South Korea plans to increase the number of doctors in the country, citing lack of medical infrastructure in rural areas, as well as the new coronavirus pandemic, which is not likely to end soon.
Under the country's medical workforce reform plan, the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas at medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years starting 2022, and open a new public medical school as well.
The scheme will increase the number of students admitted annually to medical schools to 3,458 in the 2022-2031 period from the current 3,058.
The group says that increasing the number of new doctors will only lead to more competition among doctors and will not help ease the disparity in medical infrastructure among regions.
Members of the Korea Medical Association gather in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Aug. 14, 2020, in protest of the government's medical reform plan. (Yonhap)
Doctors also protest against the plan to include traditional oriental medicine in the nation's public health insurance system, as they consider the field to be less scientific and vital.
An undisclosed number of KMA members gathered in Yeouido, western Seoul, urging the government to retract the plan.
"The government has rolled out a series of medical reform plans without any dialogue with doctors," said its hard-line chief, Choi Dae-zip. "A group of 130,000 doctors again urge the government to discard the plan."
He said unless the government responds "responsibly" to their demand, doctors across the country will strike again from Aug, 26-28.
The government expressed strong regret over the doctors' nationwide strike, urging them to return to dialogue.
"It will be difficult for doctors to gain the people's trust by staging a collective act that can possibly threaten patients' lives and health," said Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip in a press briefing.
The health ministry earlier ordered local governments to give mandatory orders to clinics to reopen their service when the ratio of closed clinics in their region hovers above 30 percent.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(5th LD) Local virus cases at over 4-month high, strict social distancing under review

`` We are standing at a ( critical ) juncture over whether the virus outbreak can be brought under control @ @ @ @ @ system and whether the level of social distancing should be raised , '' Jeong said @

(ATTN: UPDATES paras 22-26)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily local virus cases in South Korea jumped to an over 4-month high on Friday as sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area piled up, forcing health authorities to consider raising the level of social distancing to stem further spread.
The country's new daily coronavirus cases, including 85 locally transmitted ones, reached 103, raising the total caseload to 14,873, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The number of newly identified local infections marks the most since 88 on March 31.
The daily tally nearly doubled from 56 new virus cases reported Thursday and also marked the highest level since July 25, when new virus cases reached 113.
Domestic infections have recently bounced back as cases mostly linked to sporadic clusters in Seoul and adjacent areas jumped.
A citizen takes a coronavirus test at a makeshift screening center set up in front of Seoul's Dongdaemun Market on Aug. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities voiced concerns that cases tied to churches, door-to-door retailers, traditional markets and schools continued to increase in the densely populated capital area, home to about half of the nation's population of 50 million.
"We are in a grave situation, as the greater Seoul area could face another wave of COVID-19 outbreaks," KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a briefing.
Health authorities also warned of further spread of the virus during the upcoming three-day weekend holiday period.
Some civic groups are pressing ahead with massive Liberation Day rallies on Saturday in central Seoul despite authorities' calls for their cancellation.
"We are standing at a (critical) juncture over whether the virus outbreak can be brought under control under the current health care system and whether the level of social distancing should be raised," Jeong said.
The government may decide over the next few days whether to raise the level of social distancing in Seoul and the adjacent metropolitan areas by one notch to Level 2 amid rising new cluster infections.
The KCDC earlier warned that the greater Seoul area is teetering on the brink of another spike in virus cases and that the easing of social distancing guidance may be rolled back if the upward trend continues.
In June, South Korea adopted a three-tier social distancing scheme, under which the country is currently at Level 1 distancing measures. Level 2 could be applied if daily infections exceed 50 for 14 straight days but remain under 100.
"If pre-set criteria are met, the government will take necessary measures even during the holiday," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a briefing.
Under the tighter Level 2 distancing, the number of people at gatherings should not exceed 50 at indoor facilities and 100 at outdoor venues.
The operation of 12 "high-risk" facilities, including clubs, bars, karaoke rooms and buffet restaurants, should also be suspended. The number of students going to schools will be reduced, and sports events will be held without spectators.
Of the new locally transmitted cases, 31 were reported in Seoul and 38 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said. The southeastern city of Busan added five more cases of COVID-19.
Sporadic cluster infections have shown no signs of a letup, with most cases traced to churches in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
Infections tied to a church in Yongin, south of Seoul, reached 72 as of noon, up 60 from the previous day.
Cases linked to a church in northern Seoul rose by 14 to 19. The Seoul metropolitan government ordered the temporary shutdown of the church, with health authorities conducting virus tests on 1,897 people.
Cases tied to Lotteria, a fast-food franchise, in Seoul reached 15 as of noon, up four over the past 24 hours.
On Friday, daily coronavirus infections in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province spiked to highest-ever levels, prompting local governments to restrict gatherings as part of efforts to contain the further spread of the virus in the country's most populous region.
As of 6 p.m., Seoul, home to around 10 million people, reported 58 new cases, a record-high number of daily infections since the outbreak of the disease earlier this year. The previous daily record was 46 tallied on March 10.
Gyeonggi Province also reported a daily high, of 62 cases as of 6 p.m. on Friday, exceeding the previous record of 47 reported a day earlier.
Late in the day, Seoul city government said that it decided to place tougher restrictions on gatherings at around 7,500 religious facilities, including churches and Buddhist temples.
Earlier in the day, the Gyeonggi provincial government raised the level of social distancing by restricting gatherings at churches and other religious facilities.
Quarantine officials disinfect a church in northern Seoul on Aug. 14, 2020, as at least 19 coronavirus cases were traced to the church. (Yonhap)
Over the past two weeks, cases with infection routes that are not traceable accounted for 13.7 percent of the total, the KCDC added.
Meanwhile, the daily number of cases coming in from overseas reached 18, bouncing back to a double-digit figure in two days.
The number of daily imported cases recently far surpassed that of local infections mainly because infections spiked among South Korean workers returning home from Iraq and Russian sailors.
Of the new imported cases, nine cases came from the United States, followed by Iraq with two cases and Ghana with two. The total number of cases coming in from overseas reached 2,618.
Starting Monday, foreign coronavirus patients who violate infectious disease measures should cover all costs of treatment and their self-quarantine, the government said.
Foreign patients who arrive from overseas after Aug. 24 will also be required to pay for part or all of the bills for COVID-19 treatment, based on the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations.
The government plans to charge different costs for foreign patients, depending on how partner countries are charging Korean nationals for treatment.
South Korea has treated locals and foreigners for COVID-19 free of charge, but the country has recently revised related law, as cases coming in from overseas have steadily risen, putting a burden on the local health care system.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, keeping the death toll to 305. The fatality rate was 2.05 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 13,863, up 46 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,665,084 tests since Jan. 3.
This photo, taken on Aug. 14, 2020, shows a notice set up at a church in Yongin, south of Seoul, stating that entry to the church is not allowed due to the virus outbreak. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(LEAD) Seoul, Gyeonggi report record-high daily virus cases, toughen guidelines on gatherings

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS info on tougher guidelines on gatherings in Seoul in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Daily coronavirus infections in Seoul and its adjacent province spiked to highest-ever levels on Friday, prompting local governments to restrict gatherings to contain the spread of the virus in South Korea's most populous region.
As of 6 p.m. on Friday, Seoul, home to around 10 million people, reported 58 new cases, a record-high number of daily infections since the outbreak of the disease earlier this year. The previous daily record was 46 tallied on March 10.
Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital also reported a daily high, of 62 cases as of 6 p.m. on Friday, exceeding the previous record of 47 reported a day earlier.
The spikes in cases in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are partly blamed on cluster infections at churches where sanitation and social distancing rules were not strictly enforced.
According to the health authorities, over the past few days, nearly 200 cases have been linked to six churches and one missionary society in Seoul and its adjacent areas.
"We are in a grave situation, as the greater Seoul area could face another wave of COVID-19 outbreaks," Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a briefing on Friday.
"We are standing at a (critical) juncture over whether the virus outbreak can be brought under control under the current health care system and whether the level of social distancing should be raised," Jeong said.
The country is currently taking Level 1 measures in a three-tier social distancing scheme which was adopted in June. Level 2 could be applied if daily infections exceed 50 for 14 straight days but remain under 100.
The latest spikes in cases in those areas put local governments on high alert. They ordered restrictions on gatherings and activities at religious facilities to contain further spread of the virus.
Late in the day, Seoul city government said that it decided to place tougher restrictions on gatherings at around 7,500 religious facilities, including churches and Buddhist temples.
Face-to-face events, provision of food and group eating will be prohibited at those facilities. During regular services at churches, the singing of hymns will be restricted while collective prayer will be banned.
Earlier in the day, the Gyeonggi provincial government raised the level of social distancing by restricting gatherings at churches and other religious facilities.
Officials disinfect a church in Seoul's Seongbuk Ward on Aug. 14, 2020, following the detection of a cluster of new coronavirus infections at the church. (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Sect leader indicted on charges of obstructing COVID-19 response

Lee , 89 , is accused of submitting false documents to health authorities on the locations and number of participants @ @ @ @ @ February when the sect was blamed for spikes in the COVID-19 's spread in the @ @

SUWON, South Korea, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The leader of a minor religious sect at the center of the early coronavirus outbreak in South Korea was indicted Friday for allegedly obstructing the government's efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Prosecutors in Suwon, south of Seoul, indicted Lee Man-hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, and 11 other sect officials.
Lee, 89, is accused of submitting false documents to health authorities on the locations and number of participants at Shincheonji's gatherings in February when the sect was blamed for spikes in the COVID-19's spread in the country.
He is also accused of embezzling 5.6 billion won (US$4.68 million) from church funds and holding unauthorized religious events from 2015-19. Lee was arrested on Aug. 1.
Some 4,000 followers, most of whom were from its branch in the southeastern city of Daegu, were infected with the COVID-19 virus.
Eleven Shincheonji officials were also indicted Friday on charges of destroying evidence or forging documents for construction permits. They have not been detained.
On July 28, seven officials from the group's headquarters were indicted on charges including violation of the infectious disease control law and obstruction of justice. Three of them were arrested on July 8.
This file photo, taken March 2, 2020, shows Lee Man-hee, the founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, holding a press conference in Gapyeong, east of Seoul. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Seoul, Gyeonggi record biggest-ever daily virus spikes

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Daily coronavirus infections in Seoul and its adjacent area spiked to highest-ever levels on Friday, spawning concerns that the virus could spread fast in South Korea's most populous region.
As of 6 p.m. on Friday, Seoul, home to around 10 million people, reported 58 new cases, a record-high number of daily infections since the outbreak of the disease earlier this year. The previous daily record was 46 tallied on March 10.
Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital also reported a daily high, of 62 cases as of 6 p.m. on Friday, exceeding the previous record of 47 reported a day earlier.
The spikes in cases in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are partly blamed on cluster infections at churches where sanitation and social distancing rules were not strictly enforced.
According to the health authorities, over the past few days, nearly 200 cases have been linked to six churches and one missionary society in Seoul and its adjacent areas.
"We are in a grave situation, as the greater Seoul area could face another wave of COVID-19 outbreaks," Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a briefing on Friday.
"We are standing at a (critical) juncture over whether the virus outbreak can be brought under control under the current health care system and whether the level of social distancing should be raised," Jeong said.
The country is currently taking Level 1 measures in a three-tier social distancing scheme which was adopted in June. Level 2 could be applied if daily infections exceed 50 for 14 straight days but remain under 100.
Seoul City said that it could consider tightening social distancing if the average number of daily infections exceeds 30. In the past three days, Seoul has reported a daily average infection of 37.7.
The Gyeonggi provincial government has already raised the level of social distancing by restricting gatherings at churches in an effort to stem the further spread of the virus.
Officials disinfect a church in Seoul's Seongbuk Ward on Aug. 14, 2020, following the detection of a cluster of new coronavirus infections at the church. (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Participation by S. Korea, Australia would contribute to G7, leaders agree

SEOUL , Aug. 14 ( Yonhap ) -- The leaders of South Korea and Australia agreed Friday that if their @ @ @ @ @ of Seven ( G7 ) , it would help the club of advanced economies play @ @ @ @ @ international community , according to Cheong Wa Dae .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The leaders of South Korea and Australia agreed Friday that if their countries participate in the Group of Seven (G7), it would help the club of advanced economies play a bigger role in the international community, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Scott Morrison had a 35-minute telephone conversation to discuss cooperation on the coronavirus pandemic and bilateral relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in May he wants to invite South Korea, Australia, India and probably Russia to join the G7 forum, as he seeks to host an expanded summit later this year.
Moon and Morrison agreed the two countries' participation would help enhance the G7's regional representation and contribute to its response to various pending global issues in the post-coronavirus era, Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok said.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds phone talks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Seoul on Aug. 14, 2020, in this photo provided by Cheong Wa Dae. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)
South Korea and Australia have long cooperated strategically on the global stage as members of the MIKTA middle-power group along with Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey.
The leaders also agreed on partnerships between the two sides in connection with the development and supply of COVID-19 vaccine. Moon asked Australia to join the International Vaccine Institute, based in Seoul.
The prime minister said his government will "consider (it) positively," Kang added.
Morrison noted close bilateral trade ties and Moon requested Australia's support for South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid to become the next head of the World Trade Organization, Kang said.
It marked their first phone conversation since April.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(4th LD) Local virus cases at over 4-month high, strict social distancing under review

(ATTN: ADDS daily infections in Seoul in para 19)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily local virus cases in South Korea jumped to an over 4-month high on Friday as sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area piled up, forcing health authorities to consider raising the level of social distancing to stem further spread.
The country's new daily coronavirus cases, including 85 locally transmitted ones, reached 103, raising the total caseload to 14,873, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The number of newly identified local infections marks the most since 88 on March 31.
The daily tally nearly doubled from 56 new virus cases reported Thursday and also marked the highest level since July 25, when new virus cases reached 113.
Domestic infections have recently bounced back as cases mostly linked to sporadic clusters in Seoul and adjacent areas jumped.
A citizen takes a coronavirus test at a makeshift screening center set up in front of Seoul's Dongdaemun Market on Aug. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities voiced concerns that cases tied to churches, door-to-door retailers, traditional markets and schools continued to increase in the densely populated capital area, home to about half of the nation's population of 50 million.
"We are in a grave situation, as the greater Seoul area could face another wave of COVID-19 outbreaks," KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a briefing.
Health authorities also warned of further spread of the virus during the upcoming three-day weekend holiday period.
Some civic groups are pressing ahead with massive Liberation Day rallies on Saturday in central Seoul despite authorities' calls for their cancellation.
"We are standing at a (critical) juncture over whether the virus outbreak can be brought under control under the current health care system and whether the level of social distancing should be raised," Jeong said.
The government may decide over the next few days whether to raise the level of social distancing in Seoul and the adjacent metropolitan areas by one notch to Level 2 amid rising new cluster infections.
The KCDC earlier warned that the greater Seoul area is teetering on the brink of another spike in virus cases and that the easing of social distancing guidance may be rolled back if the upward trend continues.
In June, South Korea adopted a three-tier social distancing scheme, under which the country is currently at Level 1 distancing measures. Level 2 could be applied if daily infections exceed 50 for 14 straight days but remain under 100.
"If pre-set criteria are met, the government will take necessary measures even during the holiday," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a briefing.
Under the tighter Level 2 distancing, the number of people at gatherings should not exceed 50 at indoor facilities and 100 at outdoor venues.
The operation of 12 "high-risk" facilities, including clubs, bars, karaoke rooms and buffet restaurants, should also be suspended. The number of students going to schools will be reduced, and sports events will be held without spectators.
Of the new locally transmitted cases, 31 were reported in Seoul and 38 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said. The southeastern city of Busan added five more cases of COVID-19.
Sporadic cluster infections have shown no signs of a letup, with most cases traced to churches in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
Officials said that the number of daily infections confirmed in Seoul spiked to 58 as of 6 p.m. on Friday, the largest since the outbreak of the disease early this year. The previous daily record was 46 cases reported on March 10.
Infections tied to a church in Yongin, south of Seoul, reached 72 as of noon, up 60 from the previous day.
Cases linked to a church in northern Seoul rose by 14 to 19. The Seoul metropolitan government ordered the temporary shutdown of the church, with health authorities conducting virus tests on 1,897 people.
Cases tied to Lotteria, a fast-food franchise, in Seoul reached 15 as of noon, up four over the past 24 hours.
Quarantine officials disinfect a church in northern Seoul on Aug. 14, 2020, as at least 19 coronavirus cases were traced to the church. (Yonhap)
Over the past two weeks, cases with infection routes that are not traceable accounted for 13.7 percent of the total, the KCDC added.
Meanwhile, the daily number of cases coming in from overseas reached 18, bouncing back to a double-digit figure in two days.
The number of daily imported cases recently far surpassed that of local infections mainly because infections spiked among South Korean workers returning home from Iraq and Russian sailors.
Of the new imported cases, nine cases came from the United States, followed by Iraq with two cases and Ghana with two. The total number of cases coming in from overseas reached 2,618.
Starting Monday, foreign coronavirus patients who violate infectious disease measures should cover all costs of treatment and their self-quarantine, the government said.
Foreign patients who arrive from overseas after Aug. 24 will also be required to pay for part or all of the bills for COVID-19 treatment, based on the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations.
The government plans to charge different costs for foreign patients, depending on how partner countries are charging Korean nationals for treatment.
South Korea has treated locals and foreigners for COVID-19 free of charge, but the country has recently revised related law, as cases coming in from overseas have steadily risen, putting a burden on the local health care system.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, keeping the death toll to 305. The fatality rate was 2.05 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 13,863, up 46 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,665,084 tests since Jan. 3.
This photo, taken on Aug. 14, 2020, shows a notice set up at a church in Yongin, south of Seoul, stating that entry to the church is not allowed due to the virus outbreak. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Moon calls for tougher virus preventive measures at churches

Kang pointed out that a church in northern Seoul , run by the Rev .
Jun Kwang-hoon , has emerged @ @ @ @ @ infections .
Nineteen members of the church have been diagnosed with the virus , with @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in called Friday for tougher anti-coronavirus measures at churches here, Cheong Wa Dae said as health authorities are struggling to curb church-linked infections.
He noted that, "The situation is grave," and instructed the government to "take steps to strengthen quarantine over churches, while respecting religious freedom," according to presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok.
The instruction came after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 85 additional locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. Among them, 46 are linked to churches.
Kang pointed out that a church in northern Seoul, run by the Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, has emerged as a source of cluster infections. Nineteen members of the church have been diagnosed with the virus, with about 1,900 others being tested.
President Moon Jae-in (R) in a file photo (Yonhap)
The church, in particular, is planning to join an anti-government street rally scheduled to take place in the central Seoul area of Gwangwhamun this weekend. Jun is known for spearheading a conservative wave of protest against the liberal Moon administration.
The Seoul city government has issued an administrative order banning the demonstration out of concerns about the spread of the virus.
But the church said it would participate in the rally along with members of other churches not only in Seoul but also in local regions.
The president warned that national efforts to fight against the virus and protect the people's safety may "crumble" in a moment due to such actions by some churches, Kang said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

SEOUL -- After months of eased social distancing and ups and downs in the number of new virus cases , @ @ @ @ @ is again being put to the test as sporadic cluster infections and rising cases with @ @ @ @ @ over the weekend and summer vacation season .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
----------------
(3rd LD) Local virus cases at over 4-month high, strict social distancing under review
SEOUL -- The number of daily local virus cases in South Korea jumped to an over 4-month high on Friday as sporadic clusters in the greater Seoul area piled up, forcing health authorities to consider raising the level of social distancing to stem further spread.
The country's new daily coronavirus cases, including 85 locally transmitted ones, reached 103, raising the total caseload to 14,873, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
----------------
Churches emerge again as hotbed of novel coronavirus
SEOUL -- As South Korea is experiencing a new wave of community infections of the novel coronavirus in the Seoul metropolitan area, small and medium-sized churches have emerged again as a hotbed of the virus outbreak.
The country reported 85 locally transmitted cases on Friday and 56 on Thursday. The Friday figure marked the highest daily number of domestic infections since 88 on March 31. The sharp gain is largely led by sporadic cluster outbreaks linked to regular services and small group gatherings of Protestant churches in Seoul and its surrounding areas.
----------------
Justice ministry pushing to abolish anti-abortion law
SEOUL -- The Ministry of Justice said it is working on revising a 67-year-old criminal law that made abortion a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
The Committee of Gender Equality under the ministry confirmed Friday that it is drafting a policy recommendation for the ministry to move closer to repealing the decades-old law.
----------------
Preorders of Galaxy Note 20 similar to those of its predecessor in S. Korea
SEOUL -- Preorders of Samsung Electronics Co.'s new phablet, the Galaxy Note 20, almost matched its predecessor in South Korea despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, industry insiders said Friday.
The Galaxy Note 20 preorders in the last seven days were about 90 percent of the Galaxy Note 10 over the same period, according to officials from local mobile carriers and Samsung Electronics.
----------------
(News Focus) S. Korea frets over flare-up in virus cases over weekend, summer vacation
SEOUL -- After months of eased social distancing and ups and downs in the number of new virus cases, South Korea's virus fight is again being put to the test as sporadic cluster infections and rising cases with unknown routes may rise further over the weekend and summer vacation season.
The country on Friday reported 103 more COVID-19 cases, nearly double from 56 cases the previous day. What is worrisome is that the number of daily domestic infections marked 85, the most since March 31 when the country identified 88 cases.
----------------
(LEAD) Doctors launch nationwide strike, some service disruption reported
SEOUL -- Doctors launched a one-day strike across South Korea on Friday in protest of the government's medical reform plan, with some difficulties reported at small clinics.
The walkout is part of the Korea Medical Association (KMA)'s strong opposition to the government's plan to raise admission quotas at medical schools.
----------------
Finance minister rules out 4th extra budget
SEOUL -- South Korea's finance minister on Friday ruled out the possibility of a fourth extra budget as he held out the prospect of economic growth in the third quarter.
"We can fully cover the costs of recovering from heavy rains through such measures as reserve fund without an extra budget," Hong Nam-ki said in a meeting with reporters from foreign media outlets at the government complex in the central city of Sejong.
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Samsung's R&D spending hits record high in H1

According to Samsung , it had a 32.4 percent share in the TV market and 16.3 percent share in the @ @ @ @ @ half of the year .
The company also had a 43.8 percent share in the @ @ @ @ @ percent share in the smartphone display panel market .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday its research and development (R&D) spending for the first half of the year hit a record high of 10.58 trillion won (US$8.9 billion) as it sought to focus on new growth drivers.
The figure represented a 500 billion-won increase from a year earlier, according to the first half business report of the South Korean tech giant. Its R&D investment accounted for 9.8 percent of its sales in the first six months.
In the first half of the year, Samsung's total capital expenditure reached 17.1 trillion won, with 14.7 trillion won used for the chip business.
This photo taken on July 30, 2020, shows an outdoor sign at Samsung Electronics Co.'s office building in Seoul. (Yonhap)
As of end-June, the number of Samsung employees in South Korea reached 106,074, up 0.9 percent from a year earlier. Compared to the end-December figure in end-December, Samsung hired about 1,400 employees more.
The report showed that Samsung's five major customers in the first half of the year were Apple, Deutsche Telekom, Tektronix Hong Kong, Huawei and Verizon.
According to Samsung, it had a 32.4 percent share in the TV market and 16.3 percent share in the smartphone market in the first half of the year. The company also had a 43.8 percent share in the DRAM chip market and 41.3 percent share in the smartphone display panel market.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Korean Air, Asiana H1 net losses widen on pandemic

SEOUL , Aug. 14 ( Yonhap ) -- Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. -- South Korea 's @ @ @ @ @ widened losses in the first half from a year earlier due to the impact of @ @ @ @ @ , the companies said Friday .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. -- South Korea's two biggest carriers -- suffered widened losses in the first half from a year earlier due to the impact of the new coronavirus on demand, the companies said Friday.
From January to June, Korean Air's net losses deepened to 619.49 billion won (US$523 million) from 482.01 billion won in the same period of last year, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Asiana's net losses also widened to 633.26 billion won in the first six months from 291.62 billion won a year ago, the company said in a filing.
This file photo, taken July 29, 2020, shows planes parked at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The poor consolidated net results were mainly attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the airline industry hard amid virus fears in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, however, the two full-service carriers focused on obtaining more cargo-carrying orders to offset lower travel demand. This helped them report improved parent-based earnings results in the June quarter.
Helped by cargo demand, Korean Air shifted to a net profit of 162.4 billion won in the second quarter from a net loss of 380.78 billion won a year ago. Asiana swung to a net profit of 116.15 billion won from a net loss of 183.14 billion won during the same period.
The two carriers utilized some of their idling passenger jets as cargo planes in a move to ride out the current virus crisis.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(LEAD) Churches emerge again as hotbed of novel coronavirus

But the official noted that the UCCK or other Christian alliances have no power to order some of those churches @ @ @ @ @ follow the tightened hygiene rules .
It is because they are small independent organizations , @ @ @ @ @ bigger umbrella group or an order .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 3, 5, 7)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- As South Korea is experiencing a new wave of community infections of the novel coronavirus in the Seoul metropolitan area, small and medium-sized churches have emerged again as a hotbed of the virus outbreak.
The country reported 85 locally transmitted cases on Friday and 56 on Thursday. The Friday figure marked the highest daily number of domestic infections since 88 on March 31. The sharp gain is largely led by sporadic cluster outbreaks linked to regular services and small group gatherings of Protestant churches in Seoul and its surrounding areas.
According to the health authorities, over the past few days, nearly 200 cases have stemmed from the regions' six churches and one missionary society. Some 140 patients are church congregants and 55 are their family members and friends.
About 72 infections have been traced to a church in Yongin, south of Seoul, while 24 patients have been linked to congregants of a church in Goyang, just north of Seoul.
In another institution in Goyang, 34 followers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and some of them have transmitted the virus to a child care center and an outdoor market in downtown Seoul.
Some 19 people associated with a church in northern Seoul have contracted COVID-19. The Seoul metropolitan government ordered the shutdown of the religious institution, with some 1,900 people to be tested.
At the same time, the provincial government of Gyeonggi surrounding Seoul banned all services and meetings at religious organizations under its jurisdiction to prevent further infections, starting Saturday for two weeks.
Public officials disinfect a church in Seoul's Seongbuk Ward on Aug. 14, 2020, following the detection of a cluster of new coronavirus infections at the church. (Yonhap)
Health authorities said many of the infected patients were found to have taken part in bible meetings or choir sessions and had meals together. Some of them were found not to have worn masks.
"Those patients may have transmitted the virus to many people as they visited churches and attended services," authorities said, asking all visitors and church members to receive virus tests at nearby medical stations.
The recent development came three weeks after the government lifted its temporary ban on churches' small group gatherings and group meals other than regular services. Small and medium-sized churches were blamed for sporadic cluster infections, while large-scale ones were less affected due to their stricter quarantine measures.
The Protestant community seems embarrassed that churches have come under fire again for the recent spike in infections.
The United Christian Churches of Korea (UCCK), one of the biggest associations of Protestant churches, has repeatedly asked its member churches to strictly comply with sanitation guidelines.
"It's an emergency," said an official from the UCCK. "We sent letters to our member orders and churches to strengthen hygiene rules days ago, and today we texted them again to ensure compliance."
But the official noted that the UCCK or other Christian alliances have no power to order some of those churches blamed for cluster infections to follow the tightened hygiene rules. It is because they are small independent organizations, not churches affiliated with a bigger umbrella group or an order.
The community has to expect those churches to voluntarily follow anti-infection guidelines, such as restricting small gatherings and praying out loud.
Consequently, the Seoul government is now considering raising the level of social distancing to Level 2, under which gatherings of 50 or more people that take place indoors and of 100 or more people outdoors are prohibited.
If so, the religious community would have to put most on-site gatherings and events on hold and replace them with online ones, as they did during the March-May period.
Worshipers wait at a distance while in line to enter Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, the biggest Protestant church in South Korea with 560,000 congregants, on July 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Finance minister rules out 4th extra budget

`` We can fully cover the costs of recovering from heavy rains through such measures as reserve fund without an @ @ @ @ @ Nam-ki said in a meeting with reporters from foreign media outlets at the government complex @ @ @ @ @ Sejong .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's finance minister on Friday ruled out the possibility of a fourth extra budget as he held out the prospect of economic growth in the third quarter.
"We can fully cover the costs of recovering from heavy rains through such measures as reserve fund without an extra budget," Hong Nam-ki said in a meeting with reporters from foreign media outlets at the government complex in the central city of Sejong.
The government's reserve fund is currently worth about 2.6 trillion won (US$2.1 billion).
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks in a meeting with officials on the economy at the government's main building in central Seoul on Aug. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
In July, the National Assembly passed the third extra budget worth 35.1 trillion won to mitigate the economic fallout of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Hong also said South Korea can achieve economic growth in the third quarter if exports, the country's main growth engine, improve.
In July, South Korea's outbound shipments came to US$42.8 billion, extending their slump to a fifth consecutive month amid the fallout of the new coronavirus.
Hong said export simulations suggested that South Korea could shift to economic growth in the July-September period, though he stopped short of disclosing figures.
He said flood damage could affect economic recovery. The recent downpours that pounded the central and southern regions had left 42 people dead or missing and more than 7,800 people displaced as of Wednesday.
The South Korean economy contracted 3.3 percent in the second quarter from a quarter earlier, the slowest on-quarter growth since the first quarter of 1998, when it contracted 6.8 percent.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has recently predicted South Korea's economy will contract 0.8 percent in 2020 from a year earlier.
Hong also suggested that South Korea and China could extend their currency swap deal, which is set to expire on Oct. 1
In 2017, South Korea and China renewed their swap arrangement worth 64 trillion won.
A currency swap is a tool for defending against financial turmoil by allowing a country beset by a liquidity crunch to borrow money from others with its own currency.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Three killed during building maintenance work in Seoul

According to the fire authorities , the three men -- two in their 50s and one in his 60s -- @ @ @ @ @ pump in the second underground level of the building in the southwestern ward of Yeongdeungpo @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Three maintenance workers were killed at a commercial residential complex building in Seoul on Friday, apparently after being electrocuted while replacing water pumps of the building's water storage tank, firefighters said.
According to the fire authorities, the three men -- two in their 50s and one in his 60s -- collapsed while replacing a water pump in the second underground level of the building in the southwestern ward of Yeongdeungpo late Friday morning.
The workers received CPR from firefighters on the scene before being taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead at 2:11 p.m., firefighters said.
The authorities speculated that two of them may have been electrocuted during the pump replacement work and the third apparently died from electric shock while attempting to rescue the two.
The police said they are currently investigating the exact cause of the accident.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Auditor questions SsangYong Motor's ability to continue as going concern

Mahindra said early this year it would inject 230 billion won into SsangYong for the following three years after obtaining @ @ @ @ @ But its board voted against the investment plan last month as the spreading COVID-19 outbreak @ @ @ @ @ in global markets .

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The auditor of SsangYong Motor Co. on Friday refused to deliver an opinion on the carmaker's ability to remain a going concern, bringing trading of the company's stock to a halt.
KPMG Samjong Accounting Corp. declined to give its opinion on SsangYong Motor's earnings results for the January-June period and the trading of SsangYong Motor stocks will resume on Tuesday, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Samjong was also skeptical about SsangYong Motor's ability to continue operations after the company continued to report net losses in the January-March period.
This photo taken on Sept. 20, 2019, shows SsangYong Motor's plant in Pyeongtaek, just south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
On Friday, SsangYong shares were suspended after having dipped 0.1 percent to 3,530 won. The broader KOSPI posted a 1.2 percent loss.
If Samjong gives no opinion on SsangYong's annual financial statements for the year, the company can appeal the decision within a week and will be given one year to improve its financial health.
SsangYong could be delisted if its accountant again refuses to offer an opinion on the company's annual performance for the following year after the one-year period.
SsangYong has struggled with declining sales due to a lack of new models and its Indian parent Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.'s decision not to inject fresh capital into the Korean unit.
Mahindra said early this year it would inject 230 billion won into SsangYong for the following three years after obtaining approval from its board. But its board voted against the investment plan last month as the spreading COVID-19 outbreak continues to affect vehicle sales in global markets.
Instead of the proposed 230 billion won, Mahindra said it would consider a "special one-time infusion" of up to 40 billion won over the next three months to help SsangYong continue operations.
The one-time cash injection falls far short of the 500 billion won Mahindra Managing Director Pawan Goenka had said is needed to turn SsangYong around by 2022.
SsangYong has reported net losses in the past 14 quarters through the second quarter of this year. Its net losses narrowed to 8.85 billion won in the second quarter from 51.45 billion won a year earlier.
From January to July, SsangYong sold a total of 56,846 vehicles, down 28 percent from 78,687 units in the year-ago period.
SsangYong's lineup consists of the flagship G4 Rexton, as well as the Tivoli, Korando and Rexton Sports.
In 2011, Mahindra acquired a 70 percent stake in SsangYong Motor for 523 billion won (US$437.93 million). It currently owns a 74.65 percent stake in the SUV-focused carmaker.
Mahindra plans to reduce its controlling 74.65 percent stake in SsangYong to below 50 percent if its finds a new investor.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--Korea Gas remains in red in Q2

Korea Gas remains in red in Q2

The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted an operating loss of 96.7 billion won for the April-June @ @ @ @ @ profit of 204.7 billion won a year ago .
Sales fell 16 percent to 4.09 @ @ @ @ @ )

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Korea Gas Corp. on Friday reported its second-quarter net loss of 500.1 billion won (US$ 422.1 million), remaining in the red compared with a year ago.
The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted an operating loss of 96.7 billion won for the April-June period, compared with a profit of 204.7 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 16 percent to 4.09 trillion won.
(END)


yna--2020-08-14--(LEAD) Seoul stocks snap winning streak on profit-taking

`` Stock markets can take a breather even when the liquidity is high , '' said Lee Jae-man , an @ @ @ @ @ Co .

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom, photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 -- South Korean shares ended their nine-session winning streak Friday, as investors attempted to cash in part of recent gains. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 30.04 points, or 1.23 percent, to close at 2,407.49. Trading volume was high at about 956 million shares worth some 16.4 trillion won (US$13.8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 531 to 337.
Foreigners sold a net 462 billion won, while retail investors purchased a net 597 billion won. Institutions offloaded a net 124 billion won.
Electronic signboard at the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,407.49 on Aug. 14, 2020, down 30.04 points or 1.23 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
Markets traded bearish the entire session. The pullback was largely attributed to foreign investors' profit-taking of market heavyweights.
"Stock markets can take a breather even when the liquidity is high," said Lee Jae-man, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment Co.
Lower-than-expected China retail sales in July also seem to have raised investor caution, according to Kiwoom Securities analyst Seo Sang-young.
The world's second-largest economy saw its retail sales grow 4.8 percent last month, underperforming market expectations of 5.2 percent.
Most large caps traded lower in Seoul.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 1.19 percent to 58,000 won, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix retreated 0.62 percent to 80,200 won.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics dipped 2.44 percent to 800,000 won, and Celltrion shed 1.30 percent to 304,500 won.
Leading chemical maker LG Chem sank 5.02 percent to 700,000 won, and rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI plunged 5.73 percent to 444,000 won.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest automaker, dropped 1.76 percent to 167,000 won, while top steelmaker POSCO gained 2.18 percent to 210,500 won.
Internet portal giant Naver lost 0.65 percent to 305,000 won, but its rival Kakao added 0.55 percent to 362,500 won.
The local currency closed at 1,184.60 won per dollar, down 1.30 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 1.3 basis points to 0.828 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond added 2.1 basis points to 1.096 percent.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)