yna--2020-04-30--(LEAD) Pompeo: U.S. has not seen N.K. leader but is closely watching regime

`` Our mission is the same , regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership @ @ @ @ @ `` Our mission remains the same : it 's to deliver on that agreement that @ @ @ @ @ Trump back in Singapore .
And that 's the fully denuclearized , verified denuclearization of @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with Pompeo's remarks on Fox News, background in paras 1-12; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Yonhap) -- The United States has had no sightings of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un amid intense speculation he may be seriously ill, but continues to monitor what is happening inside the regime, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.
The top U.S. diplomat told Fox News in an interview that he didn't have much to add to what President Donald Trump said Tuesday regarding Kim's reported ill health. Trump had said he wishes the North Korean leader well but does not want to comment further.
This AFP file photo shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Yonhap)
"We haven't seen him," Pompeo said. "We don't have any information to report today. We're watching it closely, keeping track of what's going on not only around Chairman Kim himself, but more broadly inside of North Korea."
Pompeo also noted the risk to North Koreans from COVID-19. The communist regime has insisted it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but many suspect it may be covering up an outbreak.
"There is a real risk that there will be a famine, a food shortage inside of North Korea, too," he said. "We're watching each of those things closely because they have a real impact on our mission set, which (is) to ultimately denuclearize North Korea."
Reuters reported earlier that a North Korean economic delegation was due in Beijing this week to discuss food supplies and trade issues following a severe disruption to food supply caused by the pandemic.
Kim has been out of public view since April 11, when he presided over a Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party.
His absence from an April 15 commemoration of the birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, sparked speculation that he may be seriously ill.
South Korean officials have insisted that nothing unusual has been detected inside the regime and cautioned against what one official called "fake news" regarding Kim's health.
News reports have described him as being in "grave danger" after surgery or hiding out at a coastal resort to avoid infection by the coronavirus.
Trump said Monday that he knows how Kim is doing but couldn't discuss it yet. He told the media that they may soon find out then added that no one knew where the North Korean leader was.
At a press briefing later Wednesday, Pompeo said the U.S. will continue to push for North Korea's denuclearization regardless of who leads the regime.
"Our mission is the same, regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership," he said. "Our mission remains the same: it's to deliver on that agreement that Chairman Kim made with President Trump back in Singapore. And that's the fully denuclearized, verified denuclearization of North Korea."
Pompeo was referring to the first summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore in June 2018, during which the two sides agreed to "work toward" complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Despite two more meetings between Kim and Trump, North Korea and the U.S. have failed to make progress toward dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program.
"We are still hopeful that we'll find a path to negotiate that solution to get the outcome that's good for the American people, good for the North Korean people and the whole world," Pompeo said. "Our mission simply won't change no matter what should transpire."
Asked if Kim's absence would make the mission harder to achieve, he said, "There's a lot of work to do on it. We're going to continue to focus on it."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(LEAD) Parliament passes extra budget for coronavirus relief funds

But the ruling Democratic Party ( DP ) and the finance ministry later agreed to provide the emergency aid to @ @ @ @ @ encourage high-income earners to give all or part of their share back as a donation @

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Thursday approved a 12.2 trillion-won (US$10 billion) extra budget to fund emergency handouts for households to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
The supplementary budget is larger than the government's original proposal, worth 7.6 trillion won, as the scope of the recipients increased from the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket to all households.
It is the second extra budget related to the fallout from COVID-19, following an 11.7 trillion-won one created in March.
The government plans to provide 1 million won to households with four or more members, 800,000 won to three-person households, 600,000 won to two-person households and 400,000 won to single-person households.
On April 16, the government proposed an extra budget bill meant to provide relief funds to households below the top 30-percent income bracket.
But rival political parties promised to pay money to all people in the runup to the April 15 parliamentary elections, citing potential severe impacts of the virus outbreak on the economy.
The government initially opposed the idea of expanding the recipients of the aid package to all households due to concerns about the financial soundness of state coffers.
But the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the finance ministry later agreed to provide the emergency aid to all people and will instead encourage high-income earners to give all or part of their share back as a donation.
To finance the emergency fund payment, the DP and opposition parties agreed to allow the government to issue deficit-covering bonds worth 3.4 trillion won.
With the budget bill passage, households are expected to be granted the money no later than in mid-May.
President Moon Jae-in instructed government officials last week to prepare a third extra budget that experts anticipate could reach nearly 30 trillion won.
Describing the potential fallout of the pandemic as an "economic war situation," Moon told a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the third extra budget, if created, would be spent to boost sluggish domestic demand.
South Korea's economy shrank 1.4 percent in the first quarter from three months earlier, the sharpest contraction since the fourth quarter of 2008, as the pandemic crippled consumer spending and industrial output, central bank data showed.
The National Assembly holds a plenary session to vote on a 12.2 trillion-won (US$10 billion) extra budget and other bills on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(4th LD) At least 38 workers killed in fire at warehouse construction site

The fire occurred at the four-story structure in Icheon , 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul , around 1:32 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ was extinguished at around 6:42 p.m .
Eight of the injured are in serious condition @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES more details in 2nd para)
ICHEON, South Korea, April 29 (Yonhap) -- At least 38 workers were killed and 10 others injured Wednesday in a fire at a warehouse construction site near Seoul, fire authorities said.
The fire occurred at the four-story structure in Icheon, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, around 1:32 p.m., according to firefighters. It was extinguished at around 6:42 p.m. Eight of the injured are in serious condition, local officials said.
Icheon is home to SK hynix Inc., the world's second-largest maker of DRAM chips, as well as a large number of warehouses and storage facilities for retailers.
Smoke billows from a warehouse construction site in the city of Icheon, southeast of Seoul, on April 29, 2020, where a fire broke out at around 1:32 p.m. the same day. (Yonhap)
Firefighters said the blaze started on the second underground level. They suspect that it was caused by an unexpected explosion during construction work involving urethane, a combustible chemical used for insulation work, and the installment of a freight elevator.
"The fire seems to have spread extremely quickly, with the victims apparently having been unable to evacuate at all during the fire," firefighters said.
Suh Seung-hyun, chief of the Icheon fire station, said oil droplets, generated during the urethane work, may have ignited due to an unspecified source of flame.
Witnesses said they heard bangs of explosion at least 10 times.
The warehouse appears to have no sprinklers or other safety equipment.
Police and fire fighters are investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident.
President Moon Jae-in ordered government officials to spare no effort for the search and rescue operation by mobilizing all available resources, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
Moon hosted an emergency meeting with his aides late at night and ordered thorough rescue operations and medical support for the injured.
The president voiced regret that another massive blaze occurred though the government drew up enhanced safety measures following fatal fires in 2017 and 2018.
"It is regrettable that a similar accident reoccurred. It means we've not learned the lesson from previous accidents," Moon was quoted as saying by Kang.
In December 2017, a fire at a sports center in the central city of Jecheon killed 29 people and wounded 40 others. One month later, a hospital fire occurred in the southeastern city of Miryang, killing 45 people and injuring 147 others.
Firefighters carry out a search and rescue operation at the site of a fire that broke out at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-04-29--Pompeo: U.S. will continue to seek N.K. denuclearization regardless of leadership

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Yonhap) -- The United States will continue to push for North Korea's denuclearization regardless of who leads the communist regime, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.
The top U.S. diplomat told reporters at a press briefing that he had nothing to add on the intense speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be gravely ill.
"Our mission is the same, regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership," he said. "Our mission remains the same: it's to deliver on that agreement that Chairman Kim made with President Trump back in Singapore. And that's the fully denuclearized, verified denuclearization of North Korea."
Pompeo was referring to the first summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June 2018, during which the two sides agreed to "work toward" complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Despite two more meetings between Kim and Trump, North Korea and the U.S. have failed to make progress toward dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program.
"We are still hopeful that we'll find a path to negotiate that solution to get the outcome that's good for the American people, good for the North Korean people and the whole world," Pompeo said. "Our mission simply won't change no matter what should transpire."
Asked if Kim's absence would make the mission harder to achieve, he said, "There's a lot of work to do on it. We're going to continue to focus on it."
This AFP file photo shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-29--(LEAD) National Assembly approves bills on sex crimes, internet-only banks

At least 103 people , including 26 underage girls , are known to have been exploited in the incident , @ @ @ @ @ suspect , Cho Ju-bin , allegedly lured victims into taking photos and later coerced them @ @ @ @ @ acts .
Their images were shared on Telegram chat rooms .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES with parliamentary passage of internet-only bank bill from para 8)
SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a set of bills designed to strengthen punishment for digital sex crimes, amid a public outcry over a recent high-profile online sex abuse case involving minors.
The package includes a revision to the sex crime act, under which people who possess, buy, store or watch illegally filmed obscene materials can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$24,610).
Under current laws, possession of illegally filmed sexual footage is not punishable.
The legislature also passed revisions to the criminal code calling for raising the age of sexual consent to 16 from the current 13.
Regardless of consent, an adult who has sex with a minor under the age will be charged with rape.
Public criticism of relatively light punishment for perpetrators of child sex abuse has mounted recently, especially following the revelation of the so-called Nth room case.
At least 103 people, including 26 underage girls, are known to have been exploited in the incident, in which the arrested prime suspect, Cho Ju-bin, allegedly lured victims into taking photos and later coerced them into performing more gruesome sex acts. Their images were shared on Telegram chat rooms.
The National Assembly also approved a bill intended to loosen the eligibility requirements for the largest shareholder of an internet-only bank, paving the way for telecom giant KT Corp. to own K-Bank, an online bank launched in 2017.
The current law allows information technology firms to hold as much as a 34-percent stake in an internet-only bank but prohibits a shareholder from raising the stake if the shareholder was punished for violating an antitrust law.
The revision bill calls for removing a record of antitrust and taxation law violations from the requirement.
KT has a record of violating the fair trade law.
The bill was voted down last month as many lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and minor parties are concerned it would give unwarranted favor to KT Corp.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(3rd LD) S. Korea striving to identify workers killed in warehouse fire

Police collected DNA samples from the nine victims and sent them to the National Forensic Service for DNA tests for @ @ @ @ @ are expected to be available in the next two days , officials said .

(ATTN: UPDATES with police raid in 10-11 paras)
ICHEON, South Korea, April 30 (Yonhap) -- Police on Thursday strived to identify some of the 38 construction workers killed in a warehouse fire in Icheon, south of Seoul, after wrapping up a search and rescue operation in one of the country's deadliest blazes in years.
The fire, which injured 10 others, two of them seriously, engulfed a four-story building under construction in Icheon, 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday afternoon and was put out five hours later.
Firefighters brought in excavators to search every corner of the warehouse as they tried to make sure there were no missing victims remaining in the wreckage. The overnight search and rescue operation continued till early Thursday.
Through fingerprint tests, the police confirmed the identities of 29 of the 38 deceased, mostly construction workers, but the remaining nine have yet to be identified, as their bodies were burned beyond recognition.
Police collected DNA samples from the nine victims and sent them to the National Forensic Service for DNA tests for final identification. The results are expected to be available in the next two days, officials said.
According to the police tally of the confirmed deaths, the death toll includes one Chinese, two Kazakhstan workers and Koreans.
Of the 10 injured, eight were in serious condition, while the two others sustained minor injuries.
Icheon is home to SK hynix Inc., the world's second-largest maker of DRAM chips, as well as a large number of warehouses and storage facilities for retailers.
Firefighters carry out a search and rescue operation at the site of a fire at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
As the rescue and search operation wound up early Thursday, police, firefighting authorities and the National Forensic Service launched a joint investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
As part of the investigation, police said they have raided the headquarters of a construction company.
Police said they will examine a blueprint to determine whether construction was duly conducted and if there was any violation of safety standards.
Authorities believe the fire started on the second underground floor during construction work involving urethane, a combustible chemical used for insulation work, and the installation of a freight elevator.
The city's emergency relief team plans to set up a joint memorial altar for the victims as soon as the identification process is completed, officials said.
A firefighting operation is under way at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun convened a meeting of government ministers Thursday to discuss the government's response to the disaster.
"We need to find a more practical solution in order to prevent the recurrence of a fire at a construction site," the prime minister noted.
He called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the recent fire and whether safety requirements were followed at the construction site.
"Above all, I pray that all the victims from the fire rest in peace and express my sincere condolences to their families," Chung said, vowing government support for the victims.
He also directed officials to set up a task force composed of authorities and private experts to come up with a set of solutions for the prevention of deadly fires.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (L) speaks during a meeting with government ministers on April 30, 2020 on a deadly warehouse fire a day earlier. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Moon gives credit to public after daily internal virus infection cases come to zero

It was the first time since Feb. 18 that South Korea reported no internal case .
It was also the @ @ @ @ @ than two months .

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- Celebrating the zero local cases of coronavirus reported Thursday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave credit to the collective power of South Koreans.
"Zero locally confirmed COVID-19 patients (for the first time) in 72 days. Zero infections in the 14 days since the general elections," the president said on Twitter.
"This is the power of the Republic of Korea and the South Korean people," he said.
The celebratory message followed another sharp dive in the daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
South Korea reported four new confirmed cases Thursday, down from nine a day earlier. All the latest four cases were imported, having been confirmed among travelers coming to South Korea through international airports.
It was the first time since Feb. 18 that South Korea reported no internal case. It was also the lowest daily increase in more than two months.
The accumulated number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea stood at 10,765 as of Thursday after the first local cases was reported on Jan. 20.
An image of a tweet by President Moon Jae-in (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(2nd LD) Trump says S. Korea agreed to pay more for defense cost: report

`` We can make a deal .
They want to make a deal , '' Trump was quoted as saying @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday ( U.S. time ) , referring to the negotiations to determine how to @ @ @ @ @ upkeep of about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with responses from Cheong Wa Dae and foreign ministry)
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said South Korea has agreed to pay more for the stationing of American troops in the country, according to a news report.
"We can make a deal. They want to make a deal," Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday (U.S. time), referring to the negotiations to determine how to divide the cost for the upkeep of about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
"They've agreed to pay a lot of money. They're paying a lot more money than they did when I got here," he said.
South Korea's presidential office declined to comment, saying, "The negotiation is still ongoing."
"We have nothing to announce yet in regard to the defense cost-sharing deal," a Cheong Wa Dae official said Thursday in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency.
"The basic principle of a negotiation is that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," another key official at Cheong Wa Dae told reporters Thursday. "Nothing has been agreed on yet."
The foreign ministry also said it is negotiating with the U.S. but an agreement has yet to be reached.
Trump said last week that he rejected South Korea's offer because he felt the Asian ally should pay more. An earlier news report said South Korea suggested a 13-percent increase from the 2019 share of US$870 million for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday that the amount Trump had rejected was "the highest possible level for us," suggesting the prolonged impasse between the two countries will continue.
More than 4,000 South Korean employees of U.S. Forces Korea have been placed on unpaid leave since April 1 due to the absence of a new defense cost-sharing deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement, to cover their salaries.
The previous SMA, under which Seoul agreed on an 8.2 percent increase, expired at the end of 2019.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--S. Korea open to use of Ebola drug on new coronavirus after full clinical testing

`` It is true that some positive effects are being mentioned about Remdesivir , '' Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook of @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention said during a daily briefing .
`` In case of contingencies , @ @ @ @ @ it emergency use authorization and allow its domestic use . ''

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will allow the use of an Ebola virus drug in treating coronavirus patients if the drug proves to be effective and safe through clinical tests, officials said Thursday.
The drug, Remdesivir, has drawn keen attention since the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said its tests showed that the drug "accelerates recovery" of COVID-19 patients.
"It is true that some positive effects are being mentioned about Remdesivir," Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during a daily briefing. "In case of contingencies, we will try to give it emergency use authorization and allow its domestic use."
The NIAID said in a statement released on Wednesday that hospitalized patients with advanced COVID-19 and lung involvement, who received Remdesivir, recovered faster than similar patients who received placebo.
Under cooperation with the drug's maker, Gilead Sciences, three hospitals in South Korea are also carrying out clinical tests of the drug on some 200 COVID-19 patients.
Kwon said, however, that its use can be allowed only after full clinical test results are reviewed.
"At this point in time, the full clinical test results have not been tallied yet," he said. "The disease control center and experts will keep looking into the results as they come in and make necessary preparations."
A worker stands outside a makeshift clinic for COVID-19 tests at the National Medical Center in Seoul on April 29, 2020, as South Korea reported another single-digit increase in the number of coronavirus infections with just nine new cases. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Moon orders officials to look into fire safety measures after deadly warehouse blaze

`` Fire safety measures have been strengthened since my administration came into office , and we need to look into @ @ @ @ @ at the scene , '' Moon was quoted as saying by presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok @

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in has ordered officials to look into why enhanced fire safety measures did not work, his spokesman said, a day after a warehouse fire killed at least 38 people and injured 10 others.
Moon made the remarks while presiding over an emergency meeting with his chief of staff and other senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae's crisis management center to discuss Wednesday's warehouse fire in Icheon, about 50 kilometers south of Seoul.
"Fire safety measures have been strengthened since my administration came into office, and we need to look into why they didn't work at the scene," Moon was quoted as saying by presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok.
"We need to seek watertight fire safety measures and ways to implement them to make sure this kind of incident won't happen again," Moon said during the meeting at the crisis management center, also known as the "Cheong Wa Dae bunker."
Moon held a similar crisis meeting on Wednesday night.
The fire, which injured 10 people, two of them seriously, engulfed a four-story building under construction on Wednesday afternoon and was put out five hours later.
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(4th LD) S. Korea reports 4 imported virus cases with zero local infections

It was the first time since Feb. 18 that no locally infected cases have occurred .
It also marked the @ @ @ @ @ than two months , according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( @ @ @

(ATTN: CLARIFIES figures with KCDC briefing; ADDS details; CHANGES photos)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported four more cases of the new coronavirus Thursday, but all of them were imported ones, marking the first time in 72 days that local infections have fallen to zero.
The four new cases brought the total to 10,765.
It was the first time since Feb. 18 that no locally infected cases have occurred. It also marked the lowest daily increase in more than two months, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
South Korea reported its first coronavirus case, a Chinese person, on Jan. 20. The daily total peaked on Feb. 29 at 909.
Despite the signs of a slowdown, local health authorities remain on the alert over the ongoing holiday, when people are expected to make trips locally, which could potentially lead to cluster infections.
Cluster infections take up more than 80 percent of the total reported cases here.
South Koreans celebrate Buddha's Birthday on Thursday, which will be followed by May Day on Friday and Children's Day on Tuesday next week.
Buddhist monks wearing protective masks participate in a ritual at Joggye Temple in central Seoul on April 30, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 247.
The overall fatality rate reached 2.29 percent. The figure, however, reached 24.3 percent for patients in their 80s and above.
So far, no deaths have been reported from patients aged 29 and below.
In total, 9,059 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 137 from a day earlier.
The figures indicate nearly 85 percent of COVID-19 patients in the country have been cured.
Health authorities said the country reported no infections from this month's general elections, where more than 29 million voters showed up at polling stations nationwide wearing face masks.
"We request people to abide by precautionary measures over the holiday as they did on the election day," Yoon Tae-ho, a health ministry official, said at a press briefing.
South Korea plans to help undocumented migrant workers and other vulnerable people receive necessary medical services amid rising concerns over blind spots in the country's quarantine efforts.
The departure hall of Gimpo International Airport in Seoul is packed with travelers on April 30, 2020, the first day of a long holiday that runs through May 5. (Yonhap)
The rising number of imported cases is still a concern for South Korea. All four cases announced Thursday were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,065. More than 90 percent of the patients were South Korean nationals.
Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, added no new cases. The city accounts for 64 percent of the nation's total COVID-19 cases.
The country with a population of around 50 million has carried out tests on 619,881 people since Jan. 3, including 5,684 a day earlier. South Korea reported its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
The number of patients who retested positive after being discharged from quarantine came to 305.
Health authorities said earlier they believe such patients tested positive again due to the remains of the virus that are deemed not to be contagious, indicating neither "reactivation" nor "reinfection" of the virus in people.
The country, however, said it will continue to carry out studies on the relapse cases as the number of such cases continues to grow.
If the number of new infections continues to plateau by the end of the holiday, South Korea plans to ease its social distancing drive.
The country eventually plans to move on to what it calls "everyday life quarantine," which means schools and workplaces will mostly return to their normal routines with precautions.
Health officials, however, earlier said they are pessimistic that things will fully go back to the days before the pandemic amid looming concerns over a second wave of infections later this year.
South Korea said it will find out whether the country has developed herd immunity against the COVID-19 virus through blood samples gathered through an annual nationwide health examination survey on a selected number of people.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Navy to participate in U.S.-led RIMPAC exercise in August

`` In these challenging times , it is more important than ever that our maritime forces work together to protect @ @ @ @ @ freedom of navigation through international waters , '' said U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. John @ @ @ @ @ will operate safely , using prudent mitigation measures . ''

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- The Navy plans to participate in a U.S.-led multinational maritime exercise slated to kick off near Hawaii in August, a military source said, despite concerns over the new coronavirus.
The Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC), designed to enhance combined operational capabilities for maritime security, is set to be held from Aug. 17 to 31, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said Thursday.
"The Navy plans to participate in the RIMPAC exercises this year ... the number of servicemen and vessels dispatched to the exercises will be decided later depending on the COVID-19 situation," the South Korean military source said.
The Navy has participated in the biennial event on a regular basis, dispatching warships including the Aegis-equipped Sejong the Great destroyer and other military assets.
The U.S. Navy said it will minimize land and shore-based training and exclude social events on shore for this year's exercise due to concerns over the COVID-19.
"In these challenging times, it is more important than ever that our maritime forces work together to protect vital shipping lanes and ensure freedom of navigation through international waters," said U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. John Aquilino. "And we will operate safely, using prudent mitigation measures."
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(2nd LD) S. Korea striving to identify workers killed in warehouse fire

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; ADDS photo)
ICHEON, South Korea, April 30 (Yonhap) -- Police on Thursday strived to identify some of the 38 construction workers killed in a warehouse fire in Icheon, south of Seoul, after wrapping up a search and rescue operation in one of the country's deadliest blazes in years.
The fire, which injured 10 others, two of them seriously, engulfed a four-story building under construction in Icheon, 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday afternoon and was put out five hours later.
Firefighters brought in excavators to search every corner of the warehouse as they tried to make sure there were no missing victims remaining in the wreckage. The overnight search and rescue operation continued till early Thursday.
Through fingerprint tests, the police confirmed the identities of 29 of the 38 deceased, mostly construction workers, but the remaining nine have yet to be identified, as their bodies were burned beyond recognition.
Police collected DNA samples from the nine victims and sent them to the National Forensic Service for DNA tests for final identification. The results are expected to be available in the next two days, officials said.
According to the police tally of the confirmed deaths, the death toll includes one Chinese, two Kazakhstan workers and Koreans.
Of the 10 injured, eight were in serious condition, while the two others sustained minor injuries.
Icheon is home to SK hynix Inc., the world's second-largest maker of DRAM chips, as well as a large number of warehouses and storage facilities for retailers.
Firefighters carry out a search and rescue operation at the site of a fire at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
As the rescue and search operation wound up early Thursday, police, firefighting authorities and the National Forensic Service launched a joint investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Authorities believe the fire started on the second underground floor during construction work involving urethane, a combustible chemical used for insulation work, and the installation of a freight elevator.
The city's emergency relief team plans to set up a joint memorial altar for the victims as soon as the identification process is completed, officials said.
A firefighting operation is under way at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun convened a meeting of government ministers Thursday to discuss the government's response to the disaster.
"We need to find a more practical solution in order to prevent the recurrence of a fire at a construction site," the prime minister noted.
He called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the recent fire and whether safety requirements were followed at the construction site.
"Above all, I pray that all the victims from the fire rest in peace and express my sincere condolences to their families," Chung said, vowing government support for the victims.
He also directed officials to set up a task force composed of authorities and private experts to come up with a set of solutions for the prevention of deadly fires.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (L) speaks during a meeting with government ministers on April 30, 2020 on a deadly warehouse fire a day earlier. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1923 -- The first Children 's Day is celebrated in Seoul .
Bang Jung-hwan , a children 's author who @ @ @ @ @ issues , was the first person to come up with the idea of Children 's @ @ @ @ @ government later changed the date to May 5 .

May 1
1923 -- The first Children's Day is celebrated in Seoul. Bang Jung-hwan, a children's author who was devoted to children's issues, was the first person to come up with the idea of Children's Day. The South Korean government later changed the date to May 5.
1948 -- The South Korean transitional government introduces the three-trial system, involving the use of the District Court, High Court and Supreme Court.
1949 -- The results of the first South Korean census are released, recording a population of 20,166,758 people in South Korea.
1964 -- South Korea holds a ceremony to mark the country's first "Law Day."
1981 -- The South Korean government announces its plan to introduce an educational tax in 1982.
1987 -- The opposition Reunification Democratic Party, led by Kim Young-sam, is inaugurated with calls for a direct presidential election and a "civilian government."
1993 -- The South Korean government permits a ceremony to mark Labor Day. The event had been banned for the previous 35 years.
1998 -- Lee Nam-yi, a former Korean sex slave to the Japanese Army during World War II who had been living in Cambodia since the war, visits South Korea. Known in South Korea as "Grandmother Hun," she later returned to Cambodia and died there in 2001.
2002 -- A group of 466 South Koreans and their 100 North Korean relatives get together in two rounds of meetings at the North's scenic resort of Mount Kumkang on the first day of a three-day inter-Korean family reunion.
2005 -- North Korea fires a short-range missile into the East Sea amid an international dispute over the North's nuclear weapons program.
2006 -- South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon urges Tokyo to look at the "historic root" of the issue of the Dokdo islets, referring to Japan's colonial control of the Korean Peninsula in the early part of the 20th century.
2009 -- South Korea says it will increase its assistance to developing countries worldwide by 16.4 percent to 1.09 trillion won.
2014 -- K-pop sensation Psy is officially included in the Encyclopedia Britannica as the "South Korean singer and rapper" who "achieved international fame" with the humorous music video to his song "Gangnam Style."
2018 -- South Korea's defense ministry begins taking down loudspeakers installed along the border with North Korea to follow up on their summit deal.
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(LEAD) Trump says S. Korea agreed to pay more for defense cost: report

(ATTN: ADDS para 4-5)
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said South Korea has agreed to pay more for the stationing of American troops in the country, according to a news report.
"We can make a deal. They want to make a deal," Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday (U.S. time), referring to the negotiations to determine how to divide the cost for the upkeep of about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
"They've agreed to pay a lot of money. They're paying a lot more money than they did when I got here," he said.
South Korea's presidential office declined to comment, saying, "The negotiation is still ongoing."
"We have nothing to announce yet in regard to the defense cost-sharing deal," a Cheong Wa Dae official said Thursday in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency.
Trump said last week that he rejected South Korea's offer because he felt the Asian ally should pay more. An earlier news report said South Korea suggested a 13 percent increase from the 2019 share of US$870 million for the presence of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.
More than 4,000 South Korean employees of U.S. Forces Korea have been placed on unpaid leave since April 1 due to the absence of a new defense cost-sharing deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement, to cover their salaries.
The previous SMA, under which Seoul agreed on an 8.2 percent increase, expired at the end of 2019.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(3rd LD) S. Korea reports 4 imported virus cases with zero local infections

It was the first time since Feb. 15 that no locally infected cases have occurred .
It also marked the @ @ @ @ @ than two months , according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 12-14; CHANGES photo)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported four more cases of the new coronavirus Thursday, but all of them were imported ones, marking the first time in 75 days that local infections have fallen to zero.
The four new cases brought the total to 10,765.
It was the first time since Feb. 15 that no locally infected cases have occurred. It also marked the lowest daily increase in more than two months, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
South Korea reported its first coronavirus case, a Chinese person, on Jan. 20. The daily total peaked on Feb. 29 at 909.
Despite the signs of a slowdown, local health authorities remain on the alert over the ongoing holiday, when people are expected to make trips locally.
South Koreans celebrate Buddha's Birthday on Thursday, which will be followed by May Day on Friday and Children's Day on Tuesday next week.
Buddhist followers wearing protective masks attend a service at Joggye Temple in central Seoul on April 30, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 247.
The overall fatality rate reached 2.29 percent. The figure, however, reached 24.3 percent for patients in their 80s and above.
So far, no deaths have been reported from patients aged 29 and below.
In total, 9,059 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 137 from a day earlier.
The figures indicate nearly 85 percent of COVID-19 patients in the country have been cured.
Health authorities said the country reported no infections from this month's general elections, where more than 29 million voters showed up at polling stations nationwide wearing face masks.
"We request people to abide by precautionary measures over the holiday as they did on the election day," Yoon Tae-ho, a health ministry official, said at a press briefing.
South Korea plans to help undocumented migrant workers and other vulnerable people receive necessary medical services amid rising concerns over blind spots in the country's quarantine efforts.
Jeju International Airport on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju bustles with tourists on April 29, 2020, one day ahead of a long holiday until May 5. (Yonhap)
The rising number of imported cases is still a concern for South Korea. All four cases announced Thursday were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,065. More than 90 percent of the patients were South Korean nationals.
Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, added no new cases. The city accounts for 64 percent of the nation's total COVID-19 cases.
The country with a population of around 50 million has carried out tests on 619,881 people since Jan. 3, including 5,684 a day earlier. South Korea reported its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
If the number of new infections continues to plateau by the end of the holiday, South Korea plans to ease its social distancing drive.
The country eventually plans to move on to what it calls "everyday life quarantine," which means schools and workplaces will mostly return to their normal routines with precautions.
Health officials, however, earlier said they are pessimistic that things will fully go back to the days before the pandemic amid looming concerns over a second wave of infections later this year.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Trump says S. Korea agreed to pay more for defense cost: report

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said South Korea has agreed to pay more for the stationing of American troops in the country, according to a news report.
"We can make a deal. They want to make a deal," Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday (U.S. time), referring to the negotiations to determine how to divide the cost for the upkeep of about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
"They've agreed to pay a lot of money. They're paying a lot more money than they did when I got here," he said.
Trump said last week that he rejected South Korea's offer because he felt the Asian ally should pay more. An earlier news report said South Korea suggested a 13 percent increase from the 2019 share of US$870 million for the presence of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.
More than 4,000 South Korean employees of U.S. Forces Korea have been placed on unpaid leave since April 1 due to the absence of a new defense cost-sharing deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement, to cover their salaries.
The previous SMA, under which Seoul agreed on an 8.2 percent increase, expired at the end of 2019.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Key film event Daejong Awards rescheduled for June with smaller audience

`` For the safety of visitors and artists who will attend the festival , we will , however , limit @ @ @ @ @ year in line with the social distancing campaign , '' the committee said .

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- The Daejong Film Awards, a major South Korean film festival and award event, will be held in June with a smaller audience than usual after the event was postponed in February due to the coronavirus outbreak, its organizers said Thursday.
The event's organizing committee announced that this year's 56th Daejong Film Awards, known as the Grand Bell Awards in English, has been scheduled for June 3 at a hotel in Seoul.
"For the safety of visitors and artists who will attend the festival, we will, however, limit the number of attendees this year in line with the social distancing campaign," the committee said.
The annual event was originally set for Feb. 25 at the Peace Hall of Kyunghee University in Seoul, but it was postponed in early February due to COVID-19 fears.
For this year's event, five movies -- "Parasite," "Extreme Job," "House of Hummingbird," "Innocent Witness" and "Forbidden Dream" -- have been nominated in the Best Film category.
Five directors will compete in the Best Director category, including Kim Bora of "House of Hummingbird," Bong Joon-ho of "Parasite," and Lee Byeong-heon of "Extreme Job."
This year's five nominees for Best Actor are Sol Kyung-gu ("Birthday"), Song Kang-ho ("Parasite"), Lee Byung-hun ("Ashfall"), Jeong Woo-sung ("Innocent Witness") and Han Suk-kyu ("Forbidden Dream").
The nominees for Best Actress are Kim Hyang-gi ("Innocent Witness"), Kim Hee-ae ("Moonlit Winter"), Jeon Do-yeon ("Birthday"), Jung Yu-mi ("Kim Ji-young, Born 1982") and Han Ji-min ("Miss Baek"), the committee said.
The promotional poster of the 56th Daejong Film Awards, provided by the event's organizing committee (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(2nd LD) S. Korea reports 4 imported virus cases with zero local infections

(ATTN: CORRECTS lead)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported four more cases of the new coronavirus Thursday, but all of them were imported ones, marking the first time in 75 days that local infections have fallen to zero.
The four new cases brought the total to 10,765.
It was the first time since Feb. 15 that no locally infected cases have occurred. It also marked the lowest daily increase in more than two months, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
South Korea reported its first coronavirus case, a Chinese person, on Jan. 20. The daily total peaked on Feb. 29 at 909.
Despite the signs of a slowdown, local health authorities remain on the alert over the ongoing holiday, when people are expected to make trips locally.
South Koreans celebrate Buddha's Birthday on Thursday, which will be followed by May Day on Friday and Children's Day on Tuesday next week.
Buddhist followers wearing protective masks attend a service at Joggye Temple in central Seoul on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 247.
The overall fatality rate reached 2.29 percent. The figure, however, reached 24.3 percent for patients in their 80s and above.
So far, no deaths have been reported from patients aged 29 and below.
In total, 9,059 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 137 from a day earlier.
The figures indicate nearly 85 percent of COVID-19 patients in the country have been cured.
The rising number of imported cases is still a concern for South Korea. All four cases announced Thursday were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,065. More than 90 percent of the patients were South Korean nationals.
Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, added no new cases. The city accounts for 64 percent of the nation's total COVID-19 cases.
Jeju International Airport on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju bustles with tourists on April 29, 2020, one day ahead of a long holiday until May 5. (Yonhap)
The country with a population of around 50 million has carried out tests on 619,881 people since Jan. 3, including 5,684 a day earlier. South Korea reported its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
If the number of new infections continues to plateau by the end of the holiday, South Korea plans to ease its social distancing drive.
The country eventually plans to move on to what it calls "everyday life quarantine," which means schools and workplaces will mostly return to their normal routines with precautions.
Health officials, however, earlier said they are pessimistic that things will fully go back to the days before the pandemic amid looming concerns over a second wave of infections later this year.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--Megabox to reopen 11 theaters on eased social distancing

Megabox , one of the three biggest theater chains , along with CGV and Lotte Cinema , has closed 11 @ @ @ @ @ the country since the end of March , citing a sharp drop in demand .

SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- Megabox, a South Korean multiplex operator, said Thursday that it will reopen 11 theaters this week after shutting them down for about a month due to the novel coronavirus.
Its cinemas, including those in Pohang, Daegu, Daejeon and Ulsan, will resume operations from Friday, according to the company.
Megabox, one of the three biggest theater chains, along with CGV and Lotte Cinema, has closed 11 out of 44 branches across the country since the end of March, citing a sharp drop in demand.
With the spread of COVID-19 peaking in March, the number of moviegoers fell to an all-time low of 1.83 million last month. A year ago, 14.67 million tickets were sold across the nation over the one-month period.
Industry leader CGV also shut down about 30 percent of its theaters for about a month as part of belt-tightening efforts and opened them again Wednesday.
The reopening came as South Korea's daily confirmed cases of the coronavirus have hovered around 10 for the past few days.
Some homegrown and foreign-made movies that have pushed back their premieres in spring are reportedly considering setting their release schedules in the near future.
This photo provided by Megabox shows a Megabox theater in Daejeon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-04-30--(LEAD) S. Korea reports 4 imported virus cases with zero local infections

SEOUL , April 30 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea reported four more cases of the new coronavirus Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ imported ones , marking the first time in 75 days that local infections have fallen @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout, photo, byline)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported four more cases of the new coronavirus Thursday, but all of them were imported ones, marking the first time in 75 days that local infections have fallen to zero.
The four new cases brought the total to 10,765.
It was the lowest daily increase in more than two months, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The figure peaked on Feb. 29 at 909.
Despite the signs of a slowdown, local health authorities remain on the alert over the ongoing holiday, when people are expected to make trips locally.
South Koreans celebrate Buddha's Birthday on Thursday, which will be followed by May Day on Friday and Children's Day on Tuesday next week.
Buddhist followers wearing protective masks attend a service at Joggye Temple in central Seoul on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll from COVID-19 rose by one to 247.
The overall fatality rate reached 2.29 percent. The figure, however, reached 24.3 percent for patients in their 80s and above.
So far, no deaths have been reported from patients aged 29 and below.
In total, 9,059 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 137 from a day earlier.
The figures indicate nearly 85 percent of COVID-19 patients in the country have been cured.
The rising number of imported cases is still a concern for South Korea. All four cases announced Thursday were imported, raising the country's total number of such cases to 1,065. More than 90 percent of the patients were South Korean nationals.
Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, added no new cases. The city accounts for 64 percent of the nation's total COVID-19 cases.
Jeju International Airport on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju bustles with tourists on April 29, 2020, one day ahead of a long holiday until May 5. (Yonhap)
The country with a population of around 50 million has carried out tests on 619,881 people since Jan. 3, including 5,684 a day earlier. South Korea reported its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
If the number of new infections continues to plateau by the end of the holiday, South Korea plans to ease its social distancing drive.
The country eventually plans to move on to what it calls "everyday life quarantine," which means schools and workplaces will mostly return to their normal routines with precautions.
Health officials, however, earlier said they are pessimistic that things will fully go back to the days before the pandemic amid looming concerns over a second wave of infections later this year.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--S. Korea discovers more apparent Korean War remains in DMZ

During the eight-month project last year , the military found around 2,030 bone pieces believed to have belonged to about @ @ @ @ @ war .
Of them , 117 sets of remains are believed to be of Koreans @ @ @ @ @ to belong to Chinese troops and another set to U.N. forces , according to the @ @

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Eight more bone pieces, believed to be from soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, have been discovered inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border with North Korea, the defense ministry said Friday.
The bone pieces were found over the past week during an excavation and demining operation under way on Arrowhead Ridge, a former battle site inside the DMZ that separates the two Koreas, according to the ministry.
South Korea resumed the excavation project on April 20 and has since found a total of 12 pieces of bones and 1,667 articles believed to have been left by the deceased service members, it added.
It remains unclear how many people the bone pieces belong to, and the authorities will carry out a detailed examination and DNA analysis to identify their origins, the ministry said.
On Monday, the ministry held a memorial ceremony at the excavation scene for victims before carrying the bone pieces to a nearby temporary enshrinement facility.
"We will do our best to find and bring back the last remaining victims to their loved ones," the ministry said, vowing to continue to encourage North Korea to respond to the joint excavation project.
Under a bilateral military accord signed on Sept. 19, 2018, the two Koreas agreed to launch a joint excavation project on Arrowhead Ridge. But the South has carried out the project alone since last year, as the North did not respond to calls for joint work.
During the eight-month project last year, the military found around 2,030 bone pieces believed to have belonged to about 261 troops killed in the war. Of them, 117 sets of remains are believed to be of Koreans, with 143 others presumed to belong to Chinese troops and another set to U.N. forces, according to the ministry.
This photo provided by the defense ministry shows soldiers moving pieces of bones, believed to be from soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, on April 27, 2020, after excavation work inside the Demilitarized Zone. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--S. Korean performing arts hit hard by coronavirus pandemic in April

The downside trend came as the COVID-19 pandemic has kept people at home for months .
South Korea has reported @ @ @ @ @ the novel coronavirus since its first case on Jan. 20 .

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean performing arts scene saw a sharp drop in revenues last month in the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Friday.
Aggregate ticket sales of musicals, plays, classical concerts and other performances reached 4.68 billion won (US$3.84 million) in April, according to the data from the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System (KOPIS).
The monthly revenues have been on a steady decline from 38.6 billion won in January, 20.9 billion won in February and 9.1 billion won in March.
The musical sector posted 4 billion won in sales, accounting for 85 percent of the industry's total revenues, while theatrical plays earned 642 million won in sales.
The KOPIS data also showed that the number of concerts and shows staged last month fell to 2,151 from 2,325 for March and 5,087 for February.
The downside trend came as the COVID-19 pandemic has kept people at home for months. South Korea has reported nearly 11,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus since its first case on Jan. 20.
Last month, two cast members of the musical "Phantom of the Opera" tested positive for the virus, and the show had been suspended for two weeks.
Officials disinfect a concert hall at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in this file photo taken Jan. 30, 2020, and provided by the center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--S. Korea reports 9 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,774

Of the nine new cases , eight cases are believed to come from people who came from overseas , the @ @ @ @ @ and Prevention ( KCDC ) said in a statement .

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported nine more cases of the new coronavirus Friday, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,774.
South Korea's coronavirus caseload has been further slowing in recent days, with the nation reporting no new domestic infections Thursday with just four imported cases.
Of the nine new cases, eight cases are believed to come from people who came from overseas, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement.
Still, health authorities remain on the alert over cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas.
The nation's death toll from the coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year, rose by one to 248, according to the KCDC. In total, 9,072 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus.
The country also detected four new cases coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 1,073.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--Retail investors' overseas stock buying hits record high in April

Korean retail investors bought US $ 2.01 billion worth of foreign stocks from April 1-27 , marking the largest overseas @ @ @ @ @ basis since the Korea Securities Depository ( KSD ) began to compile the data in @ @ @ @ @ Securities Information Broadway ( SEIBro ) site operated by the KSD .

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Overseas stock purchases by South Korean retail investors jumped to a record high level in April amid signs that the coronavirus outbreak is slowing down, data showed Friday.
Korean retail investors bought US$2.01 billion worth of foreign stocks from April 1-27, marking the largest overseas stock buying on a monthly basis since the Korea Securities Depository (KSD) began to compile the data in 2011, according to the Securities Information Broadway (SEIBro) site operated by the KSD.
The April figure compares to $248 million a year earlier and $727 million a month earlier. By country, the purchases of U.S. stocks accounted for an overwhelming 93 percent of the total, or $1.85 billion, the data showed.
Global equities markets, including South Korea's main KOSPI index, have recently rebounded from sharp declines in March on hopes for a recovery in line with a slowdown in the virus outbreak.
The KOSPI fell 12 percent in March but rebounded 11 percent in April, mainly helped by retail buying.
The top three picks for South Korean retail investors were Hasbro Inc., known for its popular boards games such as Monopoly and Scrabble, Microsoft Corp. and Google's parent company Alphabet Inc.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(2nd LD) S. Korea's April exports sink 24 pct over virus pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic that has further made its way across the globe over the month has clobbered the supply chain @ @ @ @ @ drives hindering business activities around the world .

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports plunged 24.3 percent in April from a year earlier as the country suffered from a double whammy of the new coronavirus pandemic and the falling oil prices, data showed Friday.
Outbound shipments came to US$36.9 billion last month, compared with $48.7 billion posted a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Imports moved down 15.9 percent on-year in April to $37.8 billion.
The country suffered a trade deficit of $950 million in April, snapping its 98 straight months of having more exports than imports.
The COVID-19 pandemic that has further made its way across the globe over the month has clobbered the supply chain, with lockdowns and social-distancing drives hindering business activities around the world.
The falling global price of oil has also weighed down exports of petrochemical products, some of the country's key export items.
South Korea also attributed the weak outbound shipments to the fewer number of working days in the month compared to a year earlier, along with a higher base effect.
Outbound shipments of chips, the mainstay export good, decreased 15 percent to $7.1 billion due to the slowing global economy and falling demand for new mobile devices amid the pandemic.
Exports of petrochemical products also dipped 33.6 percent over the period to $2.5 billion, while those of petroleum goods halved on-year to $1.6 billion, due mainly to the falling global oil costs that slashed the export prices as well.
Shipments of automobiles surrendered 36.3 percent to $2.4 billion as major dealers around the globe shut down their operations amid lockdowns.
Exports of biohealth products, however, shot up 29 percent over the period amid soaring demand for South Korean test kits for COVID-19. Outbound shipments of computers also doubled on-year as more people worked from home, the data showed.
By destinations, its outbound shipments lost ground in all major countries due to the pandemic, including China, the United States, and Europe.
Exports to China, the top trading partner, decreased 17.9 percent amid falling demand amid the virus spread.
Outbound shipments to the U.S. also moved down 13.5 percent as it refrained from launching new infrastructure and construction projects, leading to less demand for South Korean machines.
Monthly exports rebounded 4.5 percent in February on-year to end their 14 months of decrease despite increasing virus fallout. But the country's exports fell 0.2 percent in the following month.
South Korea's exports dropped more than 10 percent in 2019.
The country's outbound shipments had been anticipated to rebound 3 percent this year on the eased trade war between the United States and China. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has dashed such hope.
The country's economy grew 2 percent last year, the lowest in a decade. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted last month South Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year, a sharp cut from 2.2 percent growth suggested in January.
The virus has infected more than 3 million around the world so far, although the number of new infections slowed in South Korea.
The country added only four cases Thursday, compared with a peak of 909 on Feb. 29, indicating the recovery of its exports will depend on how effectively other countries tackle the pandemic and normalize the supply chain.
"Since South Korea is considered a stable manufacturing hub on the back of its success in handling COVID-19, the country's exports will rebound once the global pandemic is put under control," Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo said in a statement.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(URGENT) S. Korea releases 13 recovered coronavirus patients, total cured people at 9,072: KCDC

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


yna--2020-05-01--(URGENT) S. Korea confirms 1 more coronavirus deaths, death toll now at 248: KCDC


yna--2020-05-01--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 9 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,774: KCDC


yna--2020-05-01--Moon vows to reduce industrial accidents in his Labor Day message

`` Industrial accidents that occur in the process of hard work have social meaning as deep as that of any @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in vowed Friday to do his best to reduce industrial accidents in his Labor Day message following this week's warehouse fire that killed 38 people.
"More than anything else, (I) will make utmost efforts to build a safe work environment so as to reduce industrial accidents," Moon wrote on social media.
"Industrial accidents that occur in the process of hard work have social meaning as deep as that of any sacrifice and are heartbreaking," he said.
The president also expressed his condolences over the deaths of 38 workers in the fire that occurred at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, south of Seoul, on Wednesday.
"On Labor Day, with my solemn heart, I voice condolences for those (who lost their lives) in the tragic accident. I respect efforts by all workers in this country."
Moon also pledged to prioritize keeping job cuts at bay amid concerns that the coronavirus outbreak will likely deal a serious blow to the Korean economy and the job market.
This image, captured from President Moon Jae-in's Twitter account, shows his Labor Day message following this week's warehouse fire that killed 38 people. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--2020 Hyundai Sonata wins top safety rating from NHTSA

The gasoline and gasoline hybrid models are also equipped with all four safety technologies recommended by the U.S. agency as @ @ @ @ @ warning , lane departure warning , automatic emergency braking and braking assistance tied to autonomous @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday its upgraded Sonata and Sonata hybrid models earned top safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The eighth-generation Sonata sedan and its hybrid version earned five stars in NHTSA's rollover and side impact crash tests, and four stars in frontal crash testing, Hyundai said in a statement.
The gasoline and gasoline hybrid models are also equipped with all four safety technologies recommended by the U.S. agency as standard equipment: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking and braking assistance tied to autonomous emergency braking, it said.
The redesigned 2020 Sonata's gas-only model earned the Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in February. The rating is the agency's second-highest rating after the Top Safety Pick Plus.
This photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows its 2020 Sonata sedan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(LEAD) Korea's April exports sink 24 pct over virus pandemic

The falling global price of oil has also weighed down exports of petrochemical products , some of the country 's @ @ @ @ @ Korea also attributed the weak outbound shipments to the fewer number of working days in @ @ @ @ @ year earlier , along with a higher base effect .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 7-9, photo)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports plunged 24.3 percent in April from a year earlier as the country suffered from a double whammy of the new coronavirus pandemic and the falling oil prices, data showed Friday.
Outbound shipments came to US$36.9 billion last month, compared with $48.7 billion posted a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Imports moved down 15.9 percent on-year in April to $37.8 billion.
The country suffered a trade deficit of $950 million in April, snapping its 98 straight months of having more exports than imports.
The COVID-19 pandemic that has further made its way across the globe over the month has clobbered the supply chain, with lockdowns and social-distancing drives hindering business activities around the world.
The falling global price of oil has also weighed down exports of petrochemical products, some of the country's key export items.
South Korea also attributed the weak outbound shipments to the fewer number of working days in the month compared to a year earlier, along with a higher base effect.
Exports of biohealth products, however, shot up 29 percent over the period amid soaring demand for South Korean test kits for COVID-19. Outbound shipments of computers also doubled on-year as more people worked from home, the data showed.
By destinations, its outbound shipments lost ground in all major countries due to the pandemic, including China, the United States, and Europe.
Monthly exports rebounded 4.5 percent in February on-year to end their 14 months of decrease despite increasing virus fallout. But the country's exports fell 0.2 percent in the following month.
South Korea's exports dropped more than 10 percent in 2019.
The country's outbound shipments had been anticipated to rebound 3 percent this year on the eased trade war between the United States and China. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has dashed such hope.
The country's economy grew 2 percent last year, the lowest in a decade. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted last month South Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year, a sharp cut from 2.2 percent growth suggested in January.
The virus has infected more than 3 million around the world so far, although the number of new infections slowed in South Korea.
The country added only four cases Thursday, compared with a peak of 909 on Feb. 29, indicating the recovery of its exports will depend on how effectively other countries tackle the pandemic and normalize the supply chain.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


Friday's weather forecast

SEOUL , May 1 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-05-01--Korea's April exports sink 24 pct over virus pandemic

By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports plunged 24.3 percent in April from a year earlier as the country suffered from a double whammy of the new coronavirus pandemic and the falling oil prices, data showed Friday.
Outbound shipments came to US$36.9 billion last month, compared with $48.7 billion posted a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Imports moved down 15.9 percent on-year in April to $37.8 billion.
The country suffered a trade deficit of $950 million in April, snapping its 98 straight months of having more exports than imports.
The COVID-19 pandemic that has further made its way across the globe over the month has clobbered the supply chain, with lockdowns and social-distancing drives hindering business activities around the world.
The falling global price of oil has also weighed down exports of petrochemical products, some of the country's key export items.
Monthly exports rebounded 4.5 percent in February on-year to end their 14 months of decrease despite increasing virus fallout. But the country's exports fell 0.2 percent in the following month.
South Korea's exports dropped more than 10 percent in 2019.
The country's outbound shipments had been anticipated to rebound 3 percent this year on the eased trade war between the United States and China. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has dashed such hope.
The country's economy grew 2 percent last year, the lowest in a decade. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted last month South Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year, a sharp cut from 2.2 percent growth suggested in January.
The virus has infected more than 3 million around the world so far, although the number of new infections slowed in South Korea.
The country added only four cases Thursday, compared with a peak of 909 on Feb. 29, indicating the recovery of its exports will depend on how effectively other countries tackle the pandemic and normalize the supply chain.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--Three-fourths of S. Korean students get private tutoring: survey

More than 75 percent of the surveyed said they were satisfied with their school life : 93.3 percent thought their @ @ @ @ @ toward them , and 92.7 percent felt they were respected by their teachers .
The @ @ @ @ @ among elementary schoolers at 82.7 percent , 76.3 percent among middle schoolers and 71.1 percent @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Three-fourths of South Korean students received private tutoring in 2019, for which they spent 6.5 hours a week on average, a new survey showed.
The annual survey, released earlier this week and conducted by the national Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the country's youth population aged 9-24, found that 74.8 percent of the surveyed got private education outside public school. In 2016, the figure was 67.8 percent. The survey included elementary school students (fourth-sixth graders), middle and high school students.
Elementary school students were the biggest private education consumer group at 83.5 percent, followed by middle school students at 71.4 percent and high school students at 61 percent.
A file photo taken Oct. 25, 2019, shows a man passing by a private education institution in Daechi-dong, Seoul. (Yonhap)
Time spent on private education was found to be 6.5 hours per week, a 0.2-hour increase from the previous year, and mathematics was the most popular topic for which students got such private help at 47.2 percent, followed by English at 44.1 percent and Korean at 21.3 percent.
Korean students' academic performance for reading, mathematics and science knowledge, as gauged by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), is found to be in the upper ranks among the 37 OECD member countries.
More than 75 percent of the surveyed said they were satisfied with their school life: 93.3 percent thought their peers respected and were considerate toward them, and 92.7 percent felt they were respected by their teachers. The level of satisfaction was highest among elementary schoolers at 82.7 percent, 76.3 percent among middle schoolers and 71.1 percent among high schoolers.
About 40 percent of middle and high students said they felt stressed and 28.2 percent said they had felt a sense of depression more than once in the past year.
The surveyed slept, on average, 7.3 hours a night, with the number going down to six hours among high school students, 46 percent of which slept less than six hours.
Also the survey showed students lacked physical exercise, with only 40.1 percent of high school students engaging in regular exercise more than once a week. The figure was 51.4 percent for middle school students and 75.5 percent for elementary school students.
Meanwhile, the death rate in 2018 rose by 3.8 percent on-year to come to 2,017, reversing the downward trend that had continued since 2010. Suicide turned out to be the biggest cause for death, followed by accidents and cancer. Six out of 10 deaths were boys.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(URGENT) S. Korea's April exports sink 24.3 pct to US$36.9 bln


yna--2020-05-01--(LEAD) Pompeo: U.S. preparing for any eventuality in N. Korea

`` But beyond that , I do n't have much that I can share with you today , '' Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ continuing to monitor closely .
We are working to make sure we 're prepared for @ @ @ @ @ And President Trump 's made clear whatever is going on , we have a very @ @ @ @ @ 's to implement the terms of the deal from Singapore , which involves making sure @ @ @ @ @ have nuclear weapons and that we get a brighter future for the North Korean people @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with new interview remarks, Trump's remarks; EDITS to conform; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States is preparing for any eventuality in North Korea as it monitors the regime closely amid unconfirmed reports about leader Kim Jong-un's ill health, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.
Speaking on a radio program, "The Scott Sands Show," Pompeo said it is unusual, but not unheard of, that the North Korean leader has not appeared in public for over two weeks.
Kim was last seen presiding over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on April 11.
"But beyond that, I don't have much that I can share with you today," Pompeo said. "We are continuing to monitor closely. We are working to make sure we're prepared for whatever eventuality there is. And President Trump's made clear whatever is going on, we have a very singular mission, and that's to implement the terms of the deal from Singapore, which involves making sure that that country doesn't have nuclear weapons and that we get a brighter future for the North Korean people."
This Reuters photo shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking at a news conference at the State Department in Washington on April 29, 2020. (Yonhap)
Pompeo has repeatedly stressed that the U.S. remains focused on denuclearizing North Korea regardless of what may happen inside the regime.
News reports have described Kim as being in "grave danger" after surgery or hiding out at a coastal resort to escape the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Pompeo said the U.S. has not seen Kim but continues to monitor the regime closely, including for the possibility of a famine.
In a later interview with the same outlet, he said the U.S. objective is still the "final and fully denuclearized North Korea."
Asked again about Kim's status at a press briefing Wednesday, Pompeo said: "Our mission is the same, regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership."
He said that mission is to deliver on U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim's agreement on a "fully denuclearized, verified denuclearization of North Korea."
The U.S. is still hopeful the two sides will get an outcome that is good for the people of both countries and the world, he added.
Trump and Kim agreed at their first summit in Singapore in June 2018 to "work toward" complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for U.S. security guarantees.
Despite the agreement, and two more meetings between the leaders, nuclear talks between the countries have stalled for more than a year due to differences over how to match the North's denuclearization steps with U.S. concessions, such as sanctions relief.
Trump indicated Thursday that he was informed about Kim's situation.
"I understand what's going on, and I just can't talk about Kim Jong-un right now," he said at a White House event about protecting seniors. "I just hope everything is going to be fine. But I do understand the situation very well."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(LEAD) Trump says he 'understands' N.K. leader's situation

This week , Trump told reporters he had a `` very good idea '' about Kim 's current condition and @ @ @ @ @ out `` in the not too distant future . ''
At the same time he @ @ @ @ @ North Korean leader was .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details; ADDS photo)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he understands the situation with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has been reported to be gravely ill, but refused to discuss it and continued to wish him well.
Trump's comments follow unconfirmed reports that Kim is in "grave danger" after surgery or hiding out at a coastal compound to escape the coronavirus pandemic.
"I understand what's going on, and I just can't talk about Kim Jong-un right now," Trump said at a White House event about protecting seniors. "I just hope everything is going to be fine. But I do understand the situation very well."
This AP photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump answering questions from reporters during an event about protecting seniors, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on April 30, 2020. (Yonhap)
Trump initially said last week that the U.S. didn't know if the reports were true and later dismissed one particular report by CNN as "incorrect."
The cable network had cited a U.S. official as saying that Washington was looking into intelligence that Kim was in "grave danger" following surgery.
This week, Trump told reporters he had a "very good idea" about Kim's current condition and the media would likely find out "in the not too distant future." At the same time he said nobody knew where the North Korean leader was.
On Tuesday, he refused to comment, saying: "I just don't want to comment on it. I don't want to comment on it. I just wish him well."
Thursday was at least the second time Trump was asked by a reporter whether Kim was still alive, and he did not directly respond.
Kim has been out of public view since April 11, when he presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party.
His absence from an April 15 commemoration of the birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, sparked speculation that there may be something wrong with his health.
South Korean officials have insisted there is nothing unusual happening inside the regime.
Trump and Kim have met three times since June 2018 to try to reach a deal on denuclearizing North Korea in exchange for U.S. sanctions relief.
But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in Vietnam in February 2019 ended without a deal due to differences over the scope of their actions.
Last month Trump sent a letter to Kim -- one of a series of missives exchanged between the leaders -- to offer U.S. assistance with COVID-19.
North Korea has at least publicly not accepted the offer while insisting it has no cases of the coronavirus in the country.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 1)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 1)

The Suwon District Prosecutors ' Office has formed a team to look into what caused the fire .
Investigators will @ @ @ @ @ police and fire station officials overseeing the city of Icheon .
One of the key @ @ @ @ @ is why enhanced fire safety measures have not worked , as was President Moon 's @ @ @ @ @ .
Government agencies must also look into the safe monitoring of the use of the @ @ @ @ @ .

Recurring tragic fires
Time to take radical action to keep safety guidelines
A fatal fire broke out at a nearly-completed refrigerated warehouse in Icheon, south of Seoul, Wednesday, resulting in at least 38 deaths and 10 people injured. Among the injured, eight are in critical condition.
In the four-story building construction site, with two underground levels, an estimated 78 laborers were at work. The exact cause is yet to be determined, but Icheon fire department has suggested that the fire was presumably sparked from work involving urethane foam, a combustible chemical used as an insulator, and the installation of a freight elevator that were in progress on the second underground floor.
It's a sad tragedy, all the more so because we have seen such man-made accidents recurring throughout the past two decades or so.
In December 2017, a fire broke out at a sports facility in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, resulting in 29 deaths. Then just a month later, a blaze occurred at a hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, killing 45. In a haunting similarity, a fire broke out in January 2008 at a refrigerated warehouse in Icheon where urethane was in use, killing 40. Searching back to news articles at that time, the media and public all lamented its similarity to an October 1998 fire at a refrigerated warehouse in the city of Busan.
In the wake of the Wednesday fire, President Moon Jae-in immediately ordered thorough and complete search and rescue operations using all resources available.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office has formed a team to look into what caused the fire. Investigators will work in cooperation with the police and fire station officials overseeing the city of Icheon. One of the key things they must look into is why enhanced fire safety measures have not worked, as was President Moon's order given to officials Thursday. Government agencies must also look into the safe monitoring of the use of the highly-combustible urethane as an insulator.
In a ministers' meeting held Thursday for damage assessment and relief for the victims' families, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said a taskforce will be formed within the Office for Government Policy Coordination with invited non-governmental experts to draft measures to prevent such tragic events in the future. If necessary, legal measures will be drawn up to hold those found responsible accountable.
The workers on the Icheon site were mostly temporary employees, working on a daily basis. There were also three foreign nationals. The tragedy came, regrettably, just before Budhha's Birthday and May Day. We should take to heart the meaning of the two days to offer our condolences, and strengthen safety regulations for all workers.
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Poor working environment kills workers ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Vanished dream of father who had to @ @ @ @ @ daughter 's tuition ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Construction company dismisses fire warnings by authorities @ @ @ @ @ 12 years ago , 40 workers killed , but company fined 20 mln won ( @ @ @ @ @ numbers of warnings , another man-made disaster takes place ( Segye Times ) -- Gov't @ @ @ @ @ reducing budget for military spy satellite against NK ( Chosun Ilbo ) -- Ruling party @ @ @ @ @ back coronavirus relief money ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- On May Day , we lose @ @ @ @ @ Construction company turns blind eyes from safety rules , fire warnings ( Hankook Ilbo ) @ @ @ @ @ contraction ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Coronavirus pandemic changes priorities of S. Korean CEOs @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on May 1.
Korean-language dailies
-- Poor working environment kills workers (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Vanished dream of father who had to work at warehouse to pay daughter's tuition (Kookmin Daily)
-- Construction company dismisses fire warnings by authorities (Donga llbo)
-- 12 years ago, 40 workers killed, but company fined 20 mln won (Seoul Shinmun)
-- Despite numbers of warnings, another man-made disaster takes place (Segye Times)
-- Gov't raises coronavirus relief fund by reducing budget for military spy satellite against NK (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Ruling party lawmakers start campaign to give back coronavirus relief money (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- On May Day, we lose lives (Hankyoreh)
-- Construction company turns blind eyes from safety rules, fire warnings (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Corporate bond market faces contraction (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Coronavirus pandemic changes priorities of S. Korean CEOs (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Second supplement budget of $10 bln passes (Korea JoongAng Daily)
-- S. Korea reports 4 new COVID-19 cases, all imported (Korea Herald)
-- Korea remains firm against U.S. pressure on defense cost-sharing (Korea Times)
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--Kim Yo-jong among most likely to succeed N.K. leader: CRS report

`` Kim is believed to have three children under 10 , but has no obvious heir .
If he dies @ @ @ @ @ is uncertain who would succeed him .
His younger sister and confidante , Kim Yo @ @ @ @ @ most likely , '' it said .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is among the most likely to succeed him should he die or become incapacitated, according to a U.S. congressional report.
The Congressional Research Service's report comes amid intense speculation about the whereabouts and health of Kim Jong-un, who has been out of public view since April 11.
"The 36-year-old Kim, obese and a heavy smoker, is believed to have suffered from various health problems over the years," said the report on U.S.-North Korea relations, which was updated on Wednesday.
"Kim is believed to have three children under 10, but has no obvious heir. If he dies or becomes incapacitated, it is uncertain who would succeed him. His younger sister and confidante, Kim Yo Jong, is among the most likely," it said.
Kim Yo-jong played a prominent role in her brother's summit diplomacy but analysts wonder whether a woman could lead the country, especially without the explicit blessing of her brother, the report added.
The CRS went further to note that any power struggle could have major implications for the United States, including questions about control of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, the potential for a humanitarian crisis, and the possibility of a confrontation with China that could "alter the fundamental security structure of the region."
On the economic front, the report said North Korea has shown "few signs of severe economic distress that could trigger a systemic collapse."
It also said that although experts doubt North Korea's claims of zero cases of COVID-19, the country's under-resourced health system does not appear to have become overwhelmed, possibly due to its border closures and other strict measures.
Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister and key aide, holds a bouquet that her brother received during a welcome ceremony for him at the presidential palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 1, 2019. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--S. Korea willing to cooperate with Japan on coronavirus responses: ministry

Abe told a parliamentary session of the upper house on Wednesday that `` exchanging information and experience would be of @ @ @ @ @ responses , '' when asked by a lawmaker of Tokyo 's ties with Seoul in @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is willing to cooperate with Japan in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry said Friday, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed hope to work with Seoul to cope with the outbreak.
Abe told a parliamentary session of the upper house on Wednesday that "exchanging information and experience would be of much help to Japan's responses," when asked by a lawmaker of Tokyo's ties with Seoul in terms of anti-virus cooperation
He also called Korea "a neighbor" and "an important country" for Japan.
Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday that the government was aware of Abe's remarks.
"We are aware of Prime Minister Abe's remarks. Japan is a close-by neighbor of ours and the government hopes to cooperate with Japan in necessary areas, including responses to COVID-19," the ministry said.
The ministry added that South Korea will actively consider exporting virus-related quarantine products as long as current domestic circumstances allow room for it.
Early this week, Seoul denied a local news report that South Korea expressed willingness through an unofficial channel to provide Japan with face masks to help the country cope with the virus outbreak and Tokyo had not responded to the offer yet.
On Friday, Seoul's ministry repeated its position that it has not received an official request from Tokyo about possible quarantine assistance.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--Body of last S. Korean trekker missing in Annapurna snowslide found

Nepalese authorities discovered the bodies of a South Korean woman and a Nepalese guide at about 11:45 a.m. near the @ @ @ @ @ was identified by the belongings she had on her when she was found , the @ @ @

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- The body of the last-remaining South Korean teacher who went missing in a deadly avalanche in the Annapurna region in Nepal in January was discovered early Friday, Seoul's foreign ministry said, putting an end to the monthslong search for four Korean victims.
Nepalese authorities discovered the bodies of a South Korean woman and a Nepalese guide at about 11:45 a.m. near the accident site, and she was identified by the belongings she had on her when she was found, the ministry said.
She was among the four school teachers from South Korea, along with three Nepalese guides, who went missing on the famous trekking trail when a snowslide swept the area in the Himalayas in northwestern Nepal on Jan. 17.
South Korean and Nepalese officials have carried out search operations to find the missing trekkers, but bad weather conditions have hampered their efforts.
Last Saturday, the Nepalese authorities discovered the bodies of two of the four missing Koreans, and they found another body two days later.
The foreign ministry said it will work with the officials in Nepal to provide the families of the victims with all consular assistance necessary, including helping with funeral procedures.
This photo shows the scene of the accident in the Annapurna region in Nepal on April 26, 2020, where four South Korean tourists went missing after a snowslide struck the area on Jan. 17. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-01--(2nd LD) Firefighting helicopter crashes, killing 2 mountain climbers

The man fell down along with the chopper and his wife was struck by the helicopter 's main blade as @ @ @ @ @ the mountain .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info throughout)
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- A firefighting helicopter on a rescue mission crashed Friday into Mount Jiri in southern South Korea, killing two mountain climbers.
The chopper crashed into the Cheonwangbong Peak of the mountain in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province, around 12:07 p.m., according to the fire authorities.
The crash occurred when the helicopter was flying low while carrying out a hoist rescue of a 65-year-old man who suffered heart failure while climbing.
The man fell down along with the chopper and his wife was struck by the helicopter's main blade as she assisted the rescue on the mountain.
The couple died after being transported to hospital.
The five rescue workers did not sustain serious injuries as the chopper was flying low for the mission.
Footage filmed by the fire service showed the chopper losing its balance and crashing after the rope connecting the stretcher and the helicopter appeared to become caught in an unknown object.
Fire authorities are investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident.
This photo, provided by the National Fire Agency, shows a firefighting helicopter that crashed into Mount Jiri in the southern province of South Gyeongsang on May 1, 2020, while on a mission to rescue people at the mountain. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

Kim was last seen in state media on April 11 presiding over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers ' @ @ @ @ @ since carried reports about him handling state affairs , such as sending messages to foreign @ @ @ @ @ or video of him has been released .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
----------------
(LEAD) N.K. defector claims he is '99 pct' sure that N. Korean leader died
SEOUL -- A North Korea defector elected as a lawmaker in South Korea claimed Friday that he is "99 percent" sure that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un died after surgery amid speculation over his health.
Unconfirmed reports about Kim's ill health have mounted since he has not appeared in public for nearly three weeks. News reports described Kim as being in "grave danger" after surgery or hiding out at a coastal resort to escape the coronavirus pandemic.
----------------
(LEAD) N.K. leader out of public eye for 20th straight day
SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un remained out of public view for the 20th straight day Thursday amid persisting speculation about his health and who will take over the nuclear-armed communist nation after him.
Kim was last seen in state media on April 11 presiding over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party. State media have since carried reports about him handling state affairs, such as sending messages to foreign leaders, but no photo or video of him has been released.
----------------
(2nd LD) S. Korea sees single-digit virus cases for 3rd day, urges vigilance during holiday
SEOUL -- South Korea recorded new daily coronavirus infections in the single digits for the third day in a row Friday, but health authorities called for people to comply with social distancing guidelines during the holiday.
South Korea confirmed nine new coronavirus infections, bringing the nation's total to 10,774, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement.
----------------
Samsung maintains top spot in Q1 smartphone market despite virus pandemic
SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics Co. maintained the top spot in the global smartphone market in the first quarter of 2020, data showed Friday, although it sold fewer devices as the new coronavirus pandemic weighed down sales around the globe.
The South Korean tech giant sold 58.3 million units of smartphones in the January-March period, taking up 21.2 percent of the global market, according to the data compiled by industry tracker Strategy Analytics.
----------------
(LEAD) Firefighting helicopter with 7 aboard crashes
SEOUL -- A firefighting helicopter with seven people aboard crashed Friday into Mount Jiri in the southern region of South Korea, seriously injuring two people.
The chopper crashed into the Cheonwangbong Peak of the mountain in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang Province, around 12:07 p.m., according to the fire authorities.
----------------
Special law for furloughed workers meant to back negotiation team for SMA talks: ministry
SEOUL -- A newly enacted law providing financial support for furloughed South Koreans employees with the U.S. Forces Korea would strengthen the hands of South Korean negotiators in defense cost sharing talks with the United States, a defense ministry official said Friday.
Around 4,000 employees were placed on unpaid leave starting April 1 amid the protracted stalemate in a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that stipulates how much Seoul would pay for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong USFK.
(END)