yna--2020-03-20--(LEAD) Seoul stocks rebound 7 pct on currency swap deal with U.S.

SEOUL , March 20 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean stocks rebounded sharply on Friday as investors were buoyed by @ @ @ @ @ Seoul and Washington , snapping a freefall of seven consecutive sessions .
The Korean won @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. dollar .

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rebounded sharply on Friday as investors were buoyed by the currency swap deal between Seoul and Washington, snapping a freefall of seven consecutive sessions. The Korean won was also sharply up against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 108.51 points, or 7.44 percent, to close at 1,566.17. Trading volume was high at 807 million shares worth 10.4 trillion won (US$8.41 billion), with gainers far outpacing losers 824 to 68.
The combined market cap of the main bourse also bounced back above the 1,000 trillion-won threshold after falling below it for the first time in more than eight years a day earlier.
Overnight, Wall Street rebounded after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it signed currency swap agreements with nine central banks around the globe, including the Bank of Korea, to stabilize the virus-hit currency market.
Shown in this photo taken on March 20, 2020, is the dealing room of KB Kookmin Bank in western Seoul. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 108.51 points, or 7.44 percent, to close at 1,566.17. (Yonhap)
Seoul and Washington have signed a $60 billion bilateral currency swap agreement in a move expected to relieve the liquidity crunch caused by the global spread of the new coronavirus.
"The financial market became stable following the Fed's decision to seek currency swaps with nine countries, including Australia, which has been facing signs of a recession," said Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities Co.
The stock trading was briefly halted during the session after the indexes increased at an exceptional pace.
Foreigners remained net sellers for the 12th consecutive session.
Overseas investors dumped a net 585 billion won worth of local stocks, with their accumulated sell-offs reaching a net 9.1 trillion won.
Retail investors net bought stocks worth 200 billion won, and institutions scooped up a net 289 billion won.
Shares gathered ground across the board.
Top market cap Samsung Electronics moved up 5.7 percent to 45,400 won and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix climbed 8.41 percent to 74,800 won. Battery maker Samsung SDI rebounded 18.31 percent to 216,500 won.
No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor advanced 7.89 percent to 71,100 won, and its auto parts arm Hyundai Mobis gained 8.91 percent to close at 140,500 won. Kia Motors added 7.1 percent, reaching 24,150 won.
Leading online portal giant Naver increased 6.94 percent to 154,000 won, and top mobile messenger operator Kakao moved up 11.57 percent to 149,500 won.
Air carriers also rebounded after falling nearly 30 percent in the previous session. Korean Air shot up 12.13 percent to 15,250 won, and Asiana Airlines added 20.48 percent, closing at 2,735 won.
The local currency closed at 1,246.50 won against the U.S. dollar, up 39.20 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, ended higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 8.6 basis points to 1.107 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond declined 4.6 basis points to 1.388 percent.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--2.7 magnitude quake hits southeastern region

`` The earthquake was felt in the areas near the epicenter , '' the agency said , asking residents to @ @ @

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- A 2.7 magnitude earthquake hit the southeastern county of Sancheong, about 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Friday afternoon, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
The quake occurred at 4:02 p.m., 13 kilometers east-southeast of Sancheong in South Gyeongsang Province, at a depth of 9 km, according to the KMA.
The epicenter was 35.39 degrees north latitude and 128.01 degrees east longitude, the agency said.
"The earthquake was felt in the areas near the epicenter," the agency said, asking residents to stay alert.
A resident of Sancheong told Yonhap News Agency that the vibration lasted about 10 seconds and he felt his desk shaking while sitting in his office.
The Gyeongsangnam-do Fire Department said it had received four inquiry calls as of 4:15 p.m., noting no damage was reported.
This map shows the epicenter of a 2.7 magnitude earthquake that hit the southeastern county of Sancheong on March 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--Samsung's foundry biz market share to drop in Q1: report

TrendForce said overall projected revenue of the global foundry industry in the first quarter is expected to fall 2 percent @ @ @ @ @ the novel coronavirus outbreak poses a threat .
It added the economic impact of the @ @ @ @ @ is likely to emerge in the second quarter .

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co.'s market share in the global foundry industry is expected to drop in the first quarter of the year from the previous three months, a report showed Friday, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Samsung's foundry business was estimated to have logged a 15.9 market share, with revenue of US$2.9 billion, in the January-March period, nearly 2 percentage points lower than three months earlier, according to a report from industry tracker TrendForce.
"The pandemic has made a serious impact on South Korea, whose domestic market demand may be diminished as a result," TrendForce said. "This is projected to affect Samsung's 1Q20 revenue performance."
This photo, taken on Aug. 2, 2019, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s chip factory in Yongin, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
In contrast, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is expected to expand its dominance with a 54.1 percent market share, up 1.4 percentage points from the previous quarter, the report showed.
TrendForce said overall projected revenue of the global foundry industry in the first quarter is expected to fall 2 percent from the previous quarter as the novel coronavirus outbreak poses a threat. It added the economic impact of the pandemic on the foundry industry is likely to emerge in the second quarter.
"As the COVID-19 pandemic causes repercussions in global markets, and the economy enters a corresponding slowdown, the foundry industry now faces major uncertainties on the demand side, possibly slowing the industry's future growth momentum," it said.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--S. Korea's economy may contract, more measures eyed to ease credit crunch: finance minister

SEOUL , March 20 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's economy may contract in the first quarter of the @ @ @ @ @ growing economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak , the country 's chief economic policymaker @ @ @

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economy may contract in the first quarter of the year in the face of growing economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak, the country's chief economic policymaker said Friday.
The country's financial authorities may roll out an additional measure to ease a credit crunch and boost U.S. dollar funding, according to Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--(LEAD) Arrivals from Europe to face virus test, 2-week self-isolation

The country will require all returnees from European nations to get tested for the virus , and if a person @ @ @ @ @ Europe for a long-term stay , he or she will be required to self-isolate at @ @ @ @ @ even if they test negative for COVID-19 , according to the Korea Centers for Disease @ @ @ @ @ ) .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 10-12)
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will conduct new coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe and require them to self-isolate for two weeks as part of ongoing efforts to guard against imported cases of the novel coronavirus, the country's health authorities said Friday.
The measures, to be effective starting Sunday, are the latest in a series of stepped-up quarantine moves by the country amid growing concerns over a rise in imported virus cases.
The country will require all returnees from European nations to get tested for the virus, and if a person arrives in South Korea from Europe for a long-term stay, he or she will be required to self-isolate at home for two weeks, even if they test negative for COVID-19, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
If the person has no home in South Korea, they will be sent to an isolation facility, according to Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of containment measures.
Passengers arriving at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, are individually checked for fever by quarantine officials on March 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
If a foreigner arrives in South Korea from Europe for a short-term stay, health authorities will check his or her health condition on a daily basis by telephone.
The health authorities are also considering expanding such measures to passengers from the United States and other Asian countries. The Korean government will pay the cost of their quarantine, Yoon said.
Anyone, Korean national or foreigner, who violates the rules on self-isolation will be punished under Korean law, the official said.
In South Korea, a person will face a fine of up to 3 million won (US$2,387) if the person violates the rules on self-isolation.
The authorities said it has secured special facilities that people can stay at as they await results of the tests.
Since Thursday this week, South Korea has imposed special quarantine measures for all new arrivals from abroad. The number of people entering the country on average per day recently is about 6,400, with around 1,000 coming in from Europe.
Since the first reported case here on Jan. 20, 86 infections are suspected to have originated overseas, including 50 thought to have been imported from Europe.
According to the KCDC, of arrivals from Europe with fever and other symptoms, 5 percent have tested positive for the novel coronavirus -- a high percentage that clearly indicates how widespread community transmission is there.
South Korea has reported 8,652 confirmed cases in the country as of Friday. Health authorities said that from Saturday through Wednesday, they detected 17 cases of infection from arrivals.
South Koreans and foreign nationals alike are subject to the strict measure, and all entrants to the country must undergo fever checks at air terminals and seaports, according to the health authorities.
Those who have a cough, sore throat and other symptoms believed to be related to COVID-19 must write down their condition on a health questionnaire. All arrivals are required to provide the address they will be staying at and contact information such as a phone number to authorities.
People also have to download a self-check app that will allow them to regularly report their state of health online. Those who feel unwell for two consecutive days will be contacted by a community health service center that will determine if the person needs to be tested for viral infection.
Seoul earlier imposed tighter quarantine checks on people arriving from countries most affected by the pandemic, including China, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong and Macau and all European nations.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--Over 1 in 3 clubs, alcohol-free dancing spots in Seoul operating despite virus outbreak

SEOUL , March 20 ( Yonhap ) -- More than one-third of nightclubs and dance spots that do not serve @ @ @ @ @ in operation , risking cluster transmissions of the new coronavirus , the city government said @ @

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- More than one-third of nightclubs and dance spots that do not serve alcohol in Seoul are still in operation, risking cluster transmissions of the new coronavirus, the city government said Friday.
A total of 58 alcohol-free dance venues, dubbed "colatheques" here, and nightclubs are operating in the capital, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said after the first round of its crackdown on 154 establishments.
The on-site checks came amid concerns that mass gatherings in confined places accelerate cluster infections of COVID-19.
Customer numbers at the clubs have declined an average of 80 percent, it added.
"The city government will require club officials to draw up a list of customers and keep it for two months," Na Baeg-ju, civil health bureau director of the municipal government, said at a press briefing.
As of Friday morning, the total number of virus cases in Seoul was at least 300, with 92 cases being tied to a call center in Guro Ward in the city's southwest.
South Korea has reported 8,652 confirmed coronavirus cases since the first one on Jan. 20. The pace of new daily infections has slowed in recent days, but concerns about small-scale group infections and imported cases are mounting.
The city government has warned that it could take stronger measures against Protestant churches if they stick to mass offline services despite the call for restraint.
The municipal government has advised churches to refrain from holding weekend religious services and to replace them with online ones due to concerns about mass infections.
"If churches do not follow the guidelines, the city government cannot help issuing an administrative order that bans gathering," said Yoo Yeon-sik, a senior official dealing with cultural affairs.
The official said it will file a compensation suit against churches for costs including virus tests and quarantines if patients are confirmed to be infected due to religious services.
This photo, provided by the office of the Busanjin Ward in the southeastern city of Busan on March 19, 2020, shows a quarantine official disinfecting an alcohol-free dance club over the new coronavirus. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--S. Korean Bond Yields on Mar. 20, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on Mar. 20, 2020

(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--2020-03-20--(2nd LD) FM Kang calls for efforts to minimize economic, social fallout from coronavirus

`` I believe the three countries should discuss the need to minimize the economic and social shock , as well @ @ @ @ @ exchanges and cooperation due to this crisis , along with ( efforts to ) stem @ @ @ @ @ she said during the call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 4-8, byline)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called Friday for joint efforts with China and Japan to minimize the social and economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak as she held a videoconference with her counterparts, her office said.
"I believe the three countries should discuss the need to minimize the economic and social shock, as well as the contraction in people-to-people exchanges and cooperation due to this crisis, along with (efforts to) stem the virus spread," she said during the call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
"I hope that this conference provides a chance where the three countries can help curb the virus spread not only in East Asia but beyond, by sharing our experiences and situations and strengthening the momentum for further communication and cooperation through various three-way channels," she said.
Wang and Motegi, in response, explained their governments' quarantine efforts and agreed on the need for the three countries to share experiences and expand cooperation with the international community to fight the pandemic, the ministry said in a release.
The three ministers also agreed on the need for a trilateral meeting of health ministers.
Regarding the Tokyo Olympics, the ministers expressed support for Japan's position to hold the event "in a complete form," the ministry said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe used the phrase without elaborating after a videoconference with the Group of Seven leaders early this week, in a possible sign that Tokyo may postpone the event over the coronavirus outbreak.
"It means that we and the Chinese side are in support of whatever decision Japan will make," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The conference came amid Seoul's repeated calls for foreign countries to ease or lift entry restrictions for at least businesspeople or others with essential reasons to travel to each other's territories.
As of Friday, 174 countries and territories were enforcing travel curbs on people from South Korea over the virus fears, causing disruptions for many Korean companies involved in businesses overseas.
Japan has slapped an entry ban on people coming in from South Korea's two southeastern regions where major outbreaks of the virus have occurred and suspended a no-visa entry program for Korea. More than 20 Chinese provinces and cities were requiring travelers from South Korea to go into a two-week isolation period.
Seoul has also halted the visa-free entry program for Japanese visitors in a tit-for-tat response following Tokyo's measures, but it has maintained a tougher screening system for incoming travelers from other countries called "special entry procedures."
On Friday, South Korea's infection tally stood at 8,652, with 94 deaths.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during a videoconference in Seoul, joined by her Chinese and Japanese counterparts -- Wang Yi and Toshimitsu Motegi -- to discuss ways to tackle the new coronavirus on March 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--(News Focus) S. Korea's COVID-19 testing capability most effective, powerful arsenal in its virus fi

(News Focus) S. Korea's COVID-19 testing capability most effective, powerful arsenal in its virus fight

`` With the establishment of the center , the KCDC was able to work closely with infectious disease experts and @ @ @ @ @ national standards for examination and laboratory accreditation systems of infectious diseases , '' said Seong @ @ @ @ @ the KCDC 's laboratory control center .
`` As we can see from the country @ @ @ @ @ it turned out to be a smart move . ''

By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- Since its first outbreak of the novel coronavirus in late January, South Korea has been waging a hard battle to contain the virus infections by preaching a "social distancing" drive and tracing all potential cases. Months later, its virus cases are showing signs of a slowdown.
What is drawing much attention from peer nations is, among others, its virus testing capability. Since Jan. 3, the country has conducted some 316,000 tests and identified more than 8,600 COVID-19 cases, according to data from Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The country reported its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
Its mass-scale and rapid virus testing capabilities overwhelmingly outshine other nations. The United States, for instance, is known to have tested more than 60,000 people even though the country also reported its first virus case like South Korea on Jan. 20.
Now the World Health Organization (WHO) is telling other countries to learn from South Korea.
In this file photo taken Feb. 5, 2020, researchers at Kogene Biotech Co. conduct tests on its reagent at its laboratory in Seoul. (Yonhap)
"A month ago, the Republic of Korea was faced with accelerating community transmission, but it didn't surrender," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the media briefing Wednesday. "It developed an innovative testing strategy and expanded lab capacity."
The country's impressive testing capability for the novel coronavirus came from the readiness of the diagnostic industry that learned from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) crisis in 2015.
The country reported 186 MERS cases at that time, more than any country besides Saudi Arabia, and had 38 deaths, recording a fatality rate of 20 percent.
South Korea's mortality rate for the novel coronavirus is around only 1 percent, far below the death rate reported in countries like China and Italy.
Experts said the MERS crisis prompted health authorities to set up a center fully dedicated to handling laboratory control of infectious diseases so that the country could better analyze infectious pathogens, develop laboratory testing methods and diagnostic reagents.
"With the establishment of the center, the KCDC was able to work closely with infectious disease experts and accelerate its efforts to adjust national standards for examination and laboratory accreditation systems of infectious diseases," said Seong Won-keun, former head of the KCDC's laboratory control center. "As we can see from the country's COVID-19 testing ability, it turned out to be a smart move."
Learning from the MERS outbreak, South Korea also moved swiftly to tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Kwon Gye-cheol, chairman of the Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine (KSLM), said that South Korean health authorities and testing kit developers were ready to fight against the novel coronavirus even before the country reported its first case.
"The KCDC and our KSLM members began researching diagnosis methods for the novel coronavirus as soon as they acquired genome sequence data released from China on Jan. 13," Kwon said. "Test kit makers and testing institutions also joined the efforts quickly because they knew what happened in the country in 2015."
A health worker collects a sample of saliva for a novel coronavirus test at Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center in Seoul on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
On Jan. 27, some 20 representatives from the KCDC, the KSLM and test kit developers gathered for a meeting in Seoul, and there, health authorities told diagnostic kit developers to apply for "emergency-use authorization," which allows the use of unapproved medical products in an emergency situation to diagnose or treat life-threatening diseases when there are no available alternatives.
South Korea's test kit supply took off Feb. 4 after local test kit maker Kogene Biotech Co.'s product first earned emergency-use approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Since then, four more kit makers have earned emergency-use approval, and South Korea can now produce a maximum of 130,000 test kits a day, according to health ministry officials.
While test kit developers concentrated on their jobs, South Korea's health authorities focused on selecting effective test methods and securing reliable testing institutions.
"In less than a month, the country was able to establish a complete testing system because everyone was ready and knew what to do," Kwon said. "Even though it was set up quickly, the country's testing system is reliable. South Korea's virus test accuracy is currently about 98 percent."
South Korea can now conduct some 25,000 tests a day, with nearly 600 sample collecting centers and 95 testing institutions operating in the country, according to health authorities.
The use of the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing method that gives test results in six hours, and the introduction of drive-thru testing centers, where people stay in their cars to get tested, also helped South Korea conduct more virus tests.
A health worker conducts virus tests at H Plus Yangji Hospital in Seoul on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea's diagnostic capability also comes from the power of laboratory medicine doctors. The country has more than 1,100 laboratory medicine doctors who are specialists in managing virus tests.
"Some people from other countries are surprised when they found out infectious disease doctors here don't diagnose infectious pathogens," said Lee Hyuk-min, a doctor at Yonsei University Health System's Severance Hospital in Seoul. "Of course, they make final clinical judgments, but in South Korea, that's the job of laboratory medicine doctors."
Lee, also a director at the KSLM, said private-run laboratories' ability to swiftly shift their testing workforce also helped South Korea boost its diagnostic capability.
"South Korea also has a good communication system with public health authorities to share virus data and training systems," he said.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(URGENT) N.K. projectiles flew 410 km at maximum altitude of 50 km: JCS


yna--2020-03-21--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on March 21)

The signing is particularly special for South Korea because it represents the strategic importance of this country to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ international status .
It would n't have been possible without efforts by Economy and Finance @ @ @ @ @ Governor Lee Ju-yeol .
Hong recently sent a handwritten letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven @ @ @ @ @ quick currency swap deal between the two countries .
Lee also voiced the need for @ @ @ @ @ Fed Chairman Jerome Powell last month on the sidelines of a gathering of finance ministers @ @ @ @ @ G20 countries in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia .
They deserve praise for making the deal @ @

Restoring calmness
Currency deal with U.S. provides psychological boost
South Korea has become one of nine countries that have signed currency swap agreements with the United States as the spread of COVID-19 is hitting global financial markets hard.
The Bank of Korea (BOK) struck a $60 billion swap deal with the U.S. Federal Reserve, Thursday, which will be valid for six months. The Fed also signed deals with the central banks of Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and New Zealand.
The deals will not be a silver bullet, but will help stabilize the markets around the world to some extent as, back in 2008, similar deals led by the U.S. proved effective in restoring calmness during the global financial crisis. Then, the BOK and the Fed signed a $30 billion deal, which expired in February 2010 after being extended twice. Hopefully, the latest deals will help ease jitters among market participants and help the dollar-dependent financial systems of many countries, including South Korea, continue to function.
The signing is particularly special for South Korea because it represents the strategic importance of this country to the U.S. economy as well as its international status. It wouldn't have been possible without efforts by Economy and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol. Hong recently sent a handwritten letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to ask for a quick currency swap deal between the two countries. Lee also voiced the need for such a deal while meeting Fed Chairman Jerome Powell last month on the sidelines of a gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors of G20 countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They deserve praise for making the deal happen.
On Friday, Governor Lee said South Korea already has an optimum level of foreign exchange reserves, but the latest deal with the U.S. will help restore investor confidence, and ease instability on the domestic currency market. Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom, describing the agreement as a "reliable cushion," emphasized that the government may take more drastic measures to further stabilize the financial market.
In accordance with the currency deal with the Fed, the BOK plans to inject more dollars into the local market to help ease a growing dollar shortage. South Korea also has bilateral currency swap arrangements worth $193 billion with countries including Australia, Canada and China as well as the 10 ASEAN member nations.
Despite the deal with the U.S., it will be inevitable for investor sentiment to remain weak for the time being as the new coronavirus is ravaging the world. Short-term fluctuations will continue. So Vice Finance Minister Kim was right when he said Friday it is vital for all market participants not to be swept by panic and to remain cool-headed to ride out this crisis.
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Distorting voice of voters , 'satellite party ' to hurt political rights ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- @ @ @ @ @ cases , bans overseas travels ( Kookmin Daily ) -- China with 5 mln , @ @ @ @ @ Global unemployment tsunami ( Donga llbo ) -- Stop weekend outings , religious events ; @ @ @ @ @ Segye Times ) -- Italy 's death toll surpasses China 's ( Chosun Ilbo ) @ @ @ @ @ into market , but can i get my turn ?
'Grassroots economy ' faces worries @ @ @ @ @ Previously in tears , Byun Hee-soo now smiles ( Hankyoreh ) -- Financial market rebounds @ @ @ @ @ ' but too early to feel safe ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- Stocks , Korean @ @ @ @ @ currency swap deal ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Unemployment crisis triggered by coronavirus looms @ @ @ @ @ Daily )

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on March 21.
Korean-language dailies
-- Distorting voice of voters, 'satellite party' to hurt political rights (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- U.S. sees explosion of virus cases, bans overseas travels (Kookmin Daily)
-- China with 5 mln, U.S. with 3.5 mln; Global unemployment tsunami (Donga llbo)
-- Stop weekend outings, religious events; best consideration for others (Segye Times)
-- Italy's death toll surpasses China's (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Gov't to release cash into market, but can i get my turn? 'Grassroots economy' faces worries (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Previously in tears, Byun Hee-soo now smiles (Hankyoreh)
-- Financial market rebounds with 'currency swap vaccine,' but too early to feel safe (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Stocks, Korean won improve sharply on Korea-U.S. currency swap deal (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Unemployment crisis triggered by coronavirus looms over world (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Stocks, currency rebound on currency swap deal (Korea Times)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(2nd LD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

The last such test took place on March 9 when it fired at least three short-range projectiles believed to have @ @ @ @ @ rocket launcher , which came a week after the firing of two short-range projectiles of @ @ @ @ @ to the JCS .

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 6-15, photo)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of such launches this month.
They were fired from areas in its western province of North Pyongan earlier in the day, the JCS said, without providing more details.
"Our military is monitoring the situation in case there are additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said.
It is the third time that the communist country has carried out such weapons tests in March after months of hiatus.
The last such test took place on March 9 when it fired at least three short-range projectiles believed to have come from a super-large multiple rocket launcher, which came a week after the firing of two short-range projectiles of the same type, according to the JCS.
North Korea conducts a long-range artillery strike drill on March 9, 2020, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. The report came one day after South Korea's military said the North fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast in what appears to be part of an artillery strike drill involving multiple rocket launchers. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The previous rounds, which occurred from its eastern regions under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un, appear to have been part of its artillery strike drill for the wintertime exercise, JCS officers said, noting that the drill is likely to continue throughout this month.
According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday, North Korea held an "artillery fire competition" of its army on its western front the previous day under Kim's watch.
Of 13 rounds of weapons tests carried out throughout 2019, the May 9 test took place in North Pyongan Province, when the North fired two projectiles believed to be its version of Russia's Iskander ballistic missiles.
Its adjacent South Pyongan Province was also the venue for two other tests -- held in September and October -- when it fired two projectiles each from its super-large multiple launcher system.
North Korea has often brought its weapons to western regions and had them fly all the way across its territory before splashing into the East Sea in a move to verify their reliability, according to experts.
Watchers say the recent military moves appear to have been intended to beef up leader Kim's internal grip on power amid fears over the spread of COVID-19 and economic difficulties.
The North is struggling to contain the novel coronavirus which has swept through the whole world, though Pyongyang has said that it has not reported a single confirmed case, a claim doubted by many.
In the face of prolonged international sanctions amid the stalled denuclearization talks with the United States, the regime has also called for boosting self-defense capabilities.
In his New Year's Day message, leader Kim warned he will show off a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, which experts said may mean an advanced type of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
Instead of completely turning away from dialogue, however, the North appears to have taken low-intensity steps, though it is banned from all ballistic missile activity under U.N. Security Council resolutions.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(LEAD) N. Korea to hold parliamentary meeting in April amid coronavirus fears

The meeting also comes after leader Kim Jong-un said in late December that he does not feel bound by his @ @ @ @ @ missiles and nuclear devices , saying that he will showcase a `` new strategic weapon @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, throughout with more info)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's parliament will convene a plenary session in Pyongyang next month, state media said Saturday, amid the country's nationwide efforts to block an outbreak of the new coronavirus on its soil.
The presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Friday released its decision to convene the third session of the 14th SPA on April 10, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
North Korea usually holds such a meeting once in April every year to address the country's major policy, personnel reshuffles and budget affairs. Last year, the North held SPA meetings twice in April and August.
Next month's gathering comes as North Korea is making all-out efforts to block the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus from spreading onto its soil.
Though it has not reported any confirmed infections, the North has tightened its borders and quarantine measures.
Such actions as the border closures and restrictions on movement of people and imported goods are expected to affect Pyongyang's intensified efforts to build a "self-reliant" economy amid long-stalled denuclearization talks with the United States.
The upcoming meeting is expected to deal with the North's possible countermeasures to cushion the fallout from the global outbreak of the coronavirus.
The meeting also comes after leader Kim Jong-un said in late December that he does not feel bound by his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles and nuclear devices, saying that he will showcase a "new strategic weapon" in the near future.
Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been stalled since the no-deal summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump held in February last year.
North Korea fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Saturday, according to Seoul's military, the third such weapons test in March following a monthslong halt. They appear to be part of the North's wintertime military drills.
The North's state media earlier reported that leader Kim guided an artillery fire drill on Friday, the second such guidance in a week.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Mar .
21 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 @ @ @ @ @ Saturday .


yna--2020-03-21--Drive-thrus booming in Korean society amid virus scare

In Daegu , which accounts for over two-thirds of Korea 's confirmed coronavirus cases totaling 8,652 as of Friday , @ @ @ @ @ attention for selling pork chops in a drive-thru method .
Its customers can order pork @ @ @ @ @ them up from inside their cars .

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- Drive-thrus are spreading across many sectors of South Korean society lately, following the success of the nation's drive-thru coronavirus testing centers that have been praised by foreign media for their safety, efficiency and speed.
Schools and pubic libraries have adopted the method in the distribution of books, while restaurants and retailers are allowing their customers to pick up food or products while staying inside their cars.
A teacher (L) of Yeongcheon Middle School in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, hands over textbooks to a parent in a drive-thru on March 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Drive-thru systems, allowing people to buy goods or receive services without leaving their cars, have been gaining increasing popularity, as more and more people are reluctant to make direct contact with others amid the COVID-19 scare.
A number of coronavirus triage centers in South Korea have set up drive-thru style facilities, where medical staff lean through car windows to check drivers' fevers and respiratory symptoms and take their samples in less than 10 minutes.
The drive-thru virus testing method has won much applause from foreign media and been imported by the United States, Japan and many countries in Europe.
Taking a cue from the coronavirus clinics, a number of non-medical public institutions and private businesses here have also adopted the innovative drive-thru method.
Teachers of Pohang Jecheol Middle School in Pohang, southeast South Korea, distribute textbooks to a parent in a drive-thru on March 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Pohang Jecheol Middle School in Pohang, a North Gyeongsang Province city hit hard by COVID-19, distributed textbooks for the spring semester to the parents of its students in a drive-thru earlier this week.
Homeroom teachers put a set of 14 textbooks in a bag in advance and then delivered them when the parents came to the school by car.
At the request of the provincial educational office, many other secondary schools also handed out textbooks in a drive-thru system, drawing favorable responses from parents who want to avoid contact with others in waiting rooms.
Parents of Jeju Jeil Middle School on the southern resort island of Jeju also received their children's textbooks from inside their cars Thursday.
Elementary, middle and high schools were supposed to begin their spring semester on March 2, but the start date has been delayed to April 6 due to fears of virus transmissions in classrooms.
Officials of the Busan Metropolitan Library lend books to citizens in a drive-thru on March 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
In Daegu, which accounts for over two-thirds of Korea's confirmed coronavirus cases totaling 8,652 as of Friday, a restaurant has drawn media attention for selling pork chops in a drive-thru method. Its customers can order pork chops by phone before picking them up from inside their cars.
In Pohang, an association of regional fish farmers sold 800 sushi lunch box sets to residents and visitors in a drive-thru system last weekend.
A number of public libraries in Seoul, Busan, Ulsan, Cheongju and other cities have recently launched a service to lend books via a drive-thru system.
In most cases, citizens log into the library websites and select books to borrow before picking them up at the entrance of a library the following day.
The municipality of Changwon, southeastern South Korea, began a toy rental service based on the drive-thru system for its residents on Friday. Its citizens can make a phone reservation for up to two toys and pick them up the following day while in their cars.
Among retailers, the Gwangju branch of Lotte Department Store last Tuesday launched a "drive-up and pick-up" service for its customers who complete an online payment for their desired goods in the company's app.
A Lotte Department Store employee hands over products to a customer of the retailer's "drive-up and pick-up" service in Gwangju, southwestern South Korea, on March 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(2nd LD) N.K. leader guides artillery fire competition: KCNA

`` The competition held under the direct guidance of the iron-willed commander Kim Jong-un , who is opening a great @ @ @ @ @ the revolutionary armed forces with his extraordinary commanding art and far-sighted acumen , will serve @ @ @ @ @ it provided the turning point of another great leap forward in developing the Juche-based artillery @ @ @ @ @ , referring to the North 's policy of self-reliance .

(ATTN: ADDS photos)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has guided an artillery fire competition on the western front, state media said Saturday, the second such guidance in about a week.
The competition Friday involved large combined units of the Korean People's Army, with the participation of the artillery units under the 3rd, 4th and 8th corps of the KPA, the Korean Central News Agency said in a report.
This photo released on March 21, 2020 by the Rodong Sinmun, the North's official newspaper, shows Kim Jong-un (C) watch through binoculars an artillery fire competition held a day earlier. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
"The Supreme Leader expressed satisfaction, saying that the firing skill of the artillerymen on the western front, those under the 3rd Corps in particular, was remarkably great," said the English report. "And he spoke highly of them, noting that it was just like hitting the target with sniper rifle."
The 3rd Corps had an "overwhelming victory" and took first place, followed by the 8th Corps and then the 4th Corps, according to the report.
"The Supreme Leader gave important instructions on the direction of the military and political work, including the issue of intensifying the drills of all the KPA units, as required by the prevailing situation," it continued.
"The competition held under the direct guidance of the iron-willed commander Kim Jong-un, who is opening a great heyday of the development of the revolutionary armed forces with his extraordinary commanding art and far-sighted acumen, will serve as a historic one as it provided the turning point of another great leap forward in developing the Juche-based artillery force," KCNA said, referring to the North's policy of self-reliance.
Joining Kim on the competition grounds were Army Gen. Kim Su-gil, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, Army Gen. Pak Jong-chon, chief of the General Staff of the KPA, commanding officers of the large combined units on the western front and other KPA commanding officers.
KCNA described the competition as designed to inspect and evaluate the artillery forces on the western front without notice.
It was also aimed at "awakening all the units and fundamentally improving all the forms, programs and methods of artillery drills and also at definitely turning ordinary drills into practicable ones for an actual war," the report said.
This photo released on March 21, 2020 by the Rodong Sinmun, the North's official newspaper, shows North Korean soldiers engage in an artillery fire drill held a day earlier. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(LEAD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

(ATTN: ADDS more details throughout)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of such launches this month.
They were fired from areas in its western province of North Pyongan earlier in the day, the JCS said, without providing more details.
"Our military is monitoring the situation in case there are additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said.
It is the third time that the communist country has carried out such weapons tests in March after months of hiatus.
The last such test took place on March 9 when it fired at least three short-range projectiles believed to have come from a super-large multiple rocket launcher, which came a week after the firing of two short-range projectiles of the same type, according to the JCS.
The previous rounds, which occurred under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un, appear to have been part of its artillery strike drill for the wintertime exercise, JCS officers said, noting that the drill is likely to continue throughout this month.
North Korea conducts a long-range artillery strike drill on March 9, 2020, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. The report came one day after South Korea's military said the North fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast in what appears to be part of an artillery strike drill involving multiple rocket launchers. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The tests came at a time when the North is struggling to contain the novel coronavirus which has swept through the whole world. Pyongyang has said that it has not reported a COVID-19 case, a claim doubted by many.
Of 13 rounds of weapons tests carried out in 2019, the May 9 test took place in North Pyongan Province, when two projectiles believed to be its version of Russia's Iskander were fired.
Its adjacent South Pyongan Province was also the venue for two other tests -- held in September and October -- when the North fired two projectiles each from its super-large launcher system.
The weapons tests came amid the stalled denuclearization talks with the United States.
In his New Year's Day message, leader Kim warned he will show off a "new strategic weapon" in the near future. Experts said the "strategic weapon" may mean an advanced type of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--N. Korea's parliament to hold plenary session April 10: KCNA

The presidium of the Supreme People 's Assembly ( SPA ) on Friday released its decision to convene the third @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Korean Central News Agency .

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's parliament will convene a plenary session in Pyongyang on April 10, state media said Saturday.
The presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Friday released its decision to convene the third session of the 14th SPA, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
This will mark the first time in about eight months for the North to hold such a gathering.
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(URGENT) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea from North Pyongan Province:

(URGENT) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea from North Pyongan Province: JCS


yna--2020-03-21--(LEAD) N.K. leader guides artillery fire competition: KCNA

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has guided an artillery fire competition on the western front, state media said Saturday, the second such guidance in about a week.
The competition Friday involved large combined units of the Korean People's Army, with the participation of the artillery units under the 3rd, 4th and 8th corps of the KPA, the Korean Central News Agency said in a report.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) watches an artillery fire competition between the artillery units under the North Korean People's Corps 7 and Corps 9 on March 12, 2020, in this photo taken from the website of the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. The KCNA stopped short of disclosing the competition's location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
"The Supreme Leader expressed satisfaction, saying that the firing skill of the artillerymen on the western front, those under the 3rd Corps in particular, was remarkably great," said the English report. "And he spoke highly of them, noting that it was just like hitting the target with sniper rifle."
The 3rd Corps had an "overwhelming victory" and took first place, followed by the 8th Corps and then the 4th Corps, according to the report.
"The Supreme Leader gave important instructions on the direction of the military and political work, including the issue of intensifying the drills of all the KPA units, as required by the prevailing situation," it continued.
"The competition held under the direct guidance of the iron-willed commander Kim Jong-un, who is opening a great heyday of the development of the revolutionary armed forces with his extraordinary commanding art and far-sighted acumen, will serve as a historic one as it provided the turning point of another great leap forward in developing the Juche-based artillery force," KCNA said, referring to the North's policy of self-reliance.
Joining Kim on the competition grounds were Army Gen. Kim Su-gil, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, Army Gen. Pak Jong-chon, chief of the General Staff of the KPA, commanding officers of the large combined units on the western front and other KPA commanding officers.
KCNA described the competition as designed to inspect and evaluate the artillery forces on the western front without notice.
It was also aimed at "awakening all the units and fundamentally improving all the forms, programs and methods of artillery drills and also at definitely turning ordinary drills into practicable ones for an actual war," the report said.
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--N. Korea fires unidentified projectile toward East Sea: S. Korea's JCS

SEOUL , March 21 ( Yonhap ) -- North Korea on Saturday fired an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea @ @ @ @ @ Chiefs of Staff said .

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday fired an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The North previously launched projectiles on March 2 and 9.
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(URGENT) N. Korea fires unidentified projectile toward East Sea: S. Korea's JCS


yna--2020-03-21--N.K. leader guides artillery fire competition: KCNA

`` The competition was aimed at making an inspection and evaluation of the artillery forces on the western front without @ @ @ @ @ are implementing the Party 's policy on building up the artillery force and take measures @ @ @ @ @ units and fundamentally improving all the forms , programs and methods of artillery drills and @ @ @ @ @ drills into practicable ones for an actual war , '' the agency reported in English @

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has guided an artillery fire competition on the western front, state media said Saturday.
The competition Friday was between large combined units of the Korean People's Army, the Korean Central News Agency said.
"The competition was aimed at making an inspection and evaluation of the artillery forces on the western front without notice to see how they are implementing the Party's policy on building up the artillery force and take measures, at awakening all the units and fundamentally improving all the forms, programs and methods of artillery drills and also at definitely turning ordinary drills into practicable ones for an actual war," the agency reported in English.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) watches an artillery fire competition between the artillery units under the North Korean People's Corps 7 and Corps 9 on March 12, 2020, in this photo taken from the website of the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. The KCNA stopped short of disclosing the competition's location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
(END)


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(END)


yna--2020-03-20--(7th  LD) S. Korea to quarantine passengers from Europe, new virus cases dip below 100 again

The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 15,525 as of Thursday , down @ @ @ @ @ , the KCDC said .
The country has tested a total of 316,664 suspected cases @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: ADDS details on infections at nursing hospitals in paras 16-18, imported cases in para 20)
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded fewer than 100 new daily virus cases again on Friday, but health authorities remained on high alert over new cluster infections and imported cases. From Sunday, all passengers from Europe for long-term stay will face a 14-day quarantine regardless of symptoms.
The 87 new cases, which were detected Thursday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 8,652, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The daily infection rate has been in double digits this week, except for the 152 new cases reported Wednesday.
The agency said 94 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
Eight more fatalities were reported on Friday in Daegu and its surrounding North Gyeonsang Province, though they have not been included in the KCDC's official death toll.
The KCDC said 60 virus patients are in critical condition.
This graph, provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on March 20, 2020, shows daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and total infections in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In South Korea, the virus has preyed on the elderly and already sick people.
The mortality rate stood at 1.09 percent as of Thursday, according to the KCDC. For those aged 80 and above, the fatality rate was 10.03 percent.
About 60 percent of confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, which has a population of 2.5 million and is the country's fourth-largest city.
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the rapid spread.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and Protestant churches in Gyeonggi Province.
Of the 87 new cases, 34 are in Daegu and 13 are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,275 and 1,203, respectively.
Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw their new daily infections rise by 35 to 644 on Thursday.
Experts from the World Health Organization talk with a medical staff member at Seoul Medical Center, a hospital specializing in treating coronavirus patients, in Seoul on March 20, 2020, in this photo provided by Seoul Medical Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Seoul's confirmed cases rose by 17 to 299, with at least 91 cases linked to the call center in Guro Ward and another 20 cases linked to a Protestant church and an internet cafe in Dongdaemun Ward.
Incheon's cases rose by four to 36, with 19 cases linked to the Guro call center. Gyeonggi Province saw confirmed cases climb by 14 to 309, with 60 cases linked to a church in Seongnam and another 36 cases tied to the Guro call center.
Clusters of infections accounted for 80.6 percent of the total confirmed cases as of Friday, meaning that people can contract the virus if they are in a close environment.
Mass transmissions were reported on Friday at two nursing hospitals in the country's southeastern area.
A total of 57 people have been infected over the past three days at a nursing hospital in Daegu, including 47 new cases confirmed on Friday. Of them, an 82-year-old woman has died, according to city officials.
Later in the day, 32 additional COVID-19 cases were confirmed at another nursing hospital in Gyeongsan, a nearby city in North Gyeongsang Province, a day after one of its employees was found to have contracted the flu-like disease.
Making it harder for health authorities to contain the spread of the virus, the number of imported virus cases rose by one to 17 on Thursday. In addition to the confirmed cases of imported infection, 86 infections, including 50 suspected cases that may be imported from Europe, are suspected to have originated overseas.
On Friday two persons who arrived from the U.S., and another two from the Philippines, were confirmed to be infected.
Starting Sunday, South Korea will require all returnees from European nations to get tested for the virus, according to Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of containment measures.
The stricter measures came a day after South Korea tightened border checks for all people coming from abroad.
If a person arrives in South Korea from Europe for a long-term stay, he or she will be required to self-isolate at home for two weeks. If the person has no home in South Korea, they will be sent to an isolation facility, Yoon said.
Even if a returnee from Europe tests negative for the virus, the returnee will be required to self-isolate for two weeks, Yoon said.
If a foreigner arrives in South Korea from Europe for a short-term stay, health authorities will check his or her health condition on a daily basis by telephone.
Yoon said health authorities are considering expanding such measures to passengers from the United States and other Asian countries. The Korean government will pay the cost of their quarantine, Yoon said.
Anyone, Korean national or foreigner, who violates the rules on self-isolation will be punished under Korean law, Yoon said.
In South Korea, a person will face a fine of up to 3 million won (US$2,387) if the person violates the rules on self-isolation.
A worker closes the door to the landmark G-Tower building in the international business district of Songdo in Incheon, west of Seoul, on March 20, 2020. The building's closure came after two personnel at an international organ stationed there were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong told reporters that about 5 percent of the people who recently arrived from Europe has tested positive for the virus, in a sign that local transmission may have occurred among wider communities there.
Jeong renewed calls for people to delay or cancel non-essential overseas travel.
She also reminded people that personal hygiene and social distancing practices are effective measures to prevent infection.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
The World Health Organization declared last week that the global coronavirus crisis is a pandemic, as the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
South Korea had released a total of 2,233 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Thursday, up 286 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of daily cured people exceeded the number of daily new infections in South Korea last week for the first time since Jan. 20, when the virus was first detected on South Korean soil.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 15,525 as of Thursday, down 379 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 316,664 suspected cases, with 292,487 testing negative.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--(LEAD) New cluster infections occur at nursing hospitals

Of 8,653 coronavirus infections that have been confirmed since mid-January , more than 80 percent have been reported in Daegu @ @ @ @ @ city with a population of 2.5 million , and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province , @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES throughout with details of another cluster infection)
DAEGU, March 20 (Yonhap) -- New mass transmissions of the novel coronavirus were reported Friday at two nursing hospitals in southeastern cities of South Korea.
A total of 57 patients and workers at a nursing hospital in Daegu, the nation's epicenter of the outbreak, have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past three days, city officials said.
After two nurses at the hospital were diagnosed on Wednesday, eight new cases were confirmed on Thursday and 47 more cases followed on Friday.
The sources of their infections have yet to be determined.
The Daegu city government has been testing all patients and staff at those care hospitals, after a number of cluster infections have occurred in such facilities.
Later in the day, 32 additional COVID-19 cases were confirmed at a nursing hospital in Gyeongsan, a nearby city in North Gyeongsang Province, a day after one of its employees was found to have contracted the flu-like disease.
Of 8,653 coronavirus infections that have been confirmed since mid-January, more than 80 percent have been reported in Daegu, South Korea's fourth-largest city with a population of 2.5 million, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This photo, taken on March 20, 2020, shows a nursing hospital, in the southeastern city of Daegu, where 57 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 over the past three days. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--(2nd LD) Virus death toll exceeds 100; seniors with underlying diseases most at risk: KCDC

South Korea has been implementing a `` two-track '' system for the treatment of virus patients .
It advises those @ @ @ @ @ designated virus treatment centers , while only people with severe symptoms go to hospitals , @ @ @ @ @ secure more beds for patients that need intensive care .

(ATTN: UPDATES death toll in headline, lead and paras 2-3)
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's death toll from the new coronavirus has risen to 102, and most virus victims are elderly patients with underlying diseases, health authorities here said Friday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said that as of Thursday a total of 8,652 people have been infected and 94 people have died from the respiratory illness that emerged in China late last year.
Eight more deaths were reported on Friday in Daegu and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, the COVID-19 epicenter of South Korea.
The country reported its first death from the novel coronavirus on Feb. 20.
This image provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) shows virus cases and related data on March 20, 2010. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
KCDC data showed the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients aged 80 or older stood at 10.03 percent as of Friday, compared with an average mortality rate of 1.09 percent.
For those between the ages of 70 and 79, the rate came to 6.16 percent. For those between the ages of 60 and 69, the rate shrank to 1.55 percent, the KCDC said.
The fatality rate of male coronavirus patients came to 1.53 percent compared with 0.81 percent for female patients, the KCDC said.
The average COVID-19 mortality rate in South Korea remained around 0.6 percent in early March and gradually increased to 0.8 percent in mid-March before breaching 0.9 percent Sunday, the KCDC said.
The country's average COVID-19 death rate is lower than the 4.9 percent mortality rate by the World Health Organization and 7.9 percent by Italy.
The KCDC said the underlying diseases in 94 death cases vary. Among them are cancer, pneumonia, dementia, diabetes and high blood pressure, and most of the deceased suffered from at least one preexisting ailment, sometimes two.
Quarantine officials carry out a disinfection operation against the new coronavirus at a subway station in Daegu, 302 kilometers south of Seoul, on March 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
To reduce virus fatalities, the country's health authorities have been struggling to solve hospital bed shortage problems in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where more than 90 percent of the country's COVID-19 cases have been identified.
South Korea has been implementing a "two-track" system for the treatment of virus patients. It advises those with mild symptoms to visit designated virus treatment centers, while only people with severe symptoms go to hospitals, so that medical staff can secure more beds for patients that need intensive care.
Since its first virus outbreak on Jan. 20, the country has also had a steady rise in the number of fully recovered virus patients.
A daily number of recovered COVID-19 patients has spiked from 31 on March 1 and 108 on March 6 to over 1,000 in mid-March, the KCDC said. The number nearly doubled this week.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-20--(6th  LD) S. Korea to quarantine passengers from Europe, new virus cases dip below 100 again

(ATTN: UPDATES death toll in para 4, ADDS details on cluster infection in Daegu in para 16)
SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded fewer than 100 new daily virus cases again on Friday, but health authorities remained on high alert over new cluster infections and imported cases. From Sunday, all passengers from Europe for long-term stay will face a 14-day quarantine regardless of symptoms.
The 87 new cases, which were detected Thursday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 8,652, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The daily infection rate has been in double digits this week, except for the 152 new cases reported Wednesday.
The agency said 94 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
Eight more fatalities were reported on Friday in Daegu and its surrounding North Gyeonsang Province, though they have not been included in the KCDC's official death toll.
The KCDC said 60 virus patients are in critical condition.
This graph, provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on March 20, 2020, shows daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and total infections in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In South Korea, the virus has preyed on the elderly and already sick people.
The mortality rate stood at 1.09 percent as of Thursday, according to the KCDC. For those aged 80 and above, the fatality rate was 10.03 percent.
About 60 percent of confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, which has a population of 2.5 million and is the country's fourth-largest city.
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the rapid spread.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and Protestant churches in Gyeonggi Province.
Of the 87 new cases, 34 are in Daegu and 13 are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,275 and 1,203, respectively.
Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw their new daily infections rise by 35 to 644 on Thursday.
Experts from the World Health Organization talk with a medical staff member at Seoul Medical Center, a hospital specializing in treating coronavirus patients, in Seoul on March 20, 2020, in this photo provided by Seoul Medical Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Seoul's confirmed cases rose by 17 to 299, with at least 91 cases linked to the call center in Guro Ward and another 20 cases linked to a Protestant church and an internet cafe in Dongdaemun Ward.
Incheon's cases rose by four to 36, with 19 cases linked to the Guro call center. Gyeonggi Province saw confirmed cases climb by 14 to 309, with 60 cases linked to a church in Seongnam and another 36 cases tied to the Guro call center.
Clusters of infections accounted for 80.6 percent of the total confirmed cases as of Friday, meaning that people can contract the virus if they are in a close environment.
Another cluster transmission of the virus has been reported at a nursing hospital in Daegu where a total of 57 people have been infected over the past three days. Of them, an 82-year-old woman has died, according to city officials.
Making it harder for health authorities to contain the spread of the virus, the number of imported virus cases rose by one to 17 on Thursday. In addition to the confirmed cases of imported infection, 86 infections, including 50 suspected cases that may be imported from Europe, are suspected to have originated overseas.
Starting Sunday, South Korea will require all returnees from European nations to get tested for the virus, according to Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of containment measures.
The stricter measures came a day after South Korea tightened border checks for all people coming from abroad.
If a person arrives in South Korea from Europe for a long-term stay, he or she will be required to self-isolate at home for two weeks. If the person has no home in South Korea, they will be sent to an isolation facility, Yoon said.
Even if a returnee from Europe tests negative for the virus, the returnee will be required to self-isolate for two weeks, Yoon said.
If a foreigner arrives in South Korea from Europe for a short-term stay, health authorities will check his or her health condition on a daily basis by telephone.
Yoon said health authorities are considering expanding such measures to passengers from the United States and other Asian countries. The Korean government will pay the cost of their quarantine, Yoon said.
Anyone, Korean national or foreigner, who violates the rules on self-isolation will be punished under Korean law, Yoon said.
In South Korea, a person will face a fine of up to 3 million won (US$2,387) if the person violates the rules on self-isolation.
A worker closes the door to the landmark G-Tower building in the international business district of Songdo in Incheon, west of Seoul, on March 20, 2020. The building's closure came after two personnel at an international organ stationed there were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong told reporters that about 5 percent of the people who recently arrived from Europe has tested positive for the virus, in a sign that local transmission may have occurred among wider communities there.
Jeong renewed calls for people to delay or cancel non-essential overseas travel.
She also reminded people that personal hygiene and social distancing practices are effective measures to prevent infection.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
The World Health Organization declared last week that the global coronavirus crisis is a pandemic, as the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
South Korea had released a total of 2,233 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Thursday, up 286 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of daily cured people exceeded the number of daily new infections in South Korea last week for the first time since Jan. 20, when the virus was first detected on South Korean soil.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 15,525 as of Thursday, down 379 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 316,664 suspected cases, with 292,487 testing negative.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--Veteran K-pop singer charged with DUI

Veteran K-pop singer charged with DUI

The 38-year-old singer was questioned by police after his Mercedes-Benz hit a Hyundai Avante sedan that was changing lanes on @ @ @ @ @ south of Seoul , around 6 a.m. An insurance agent dispatched to the scene reported @ @ @ @ @ suspecting that Hwanhee had been drinking .

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- Hwanhee, a member of South Korea's veteran pop duo Fly to the Sky, was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol on Saturday.
Yongin Seobu Police Station said Hwanhee, whose real name is Hwang Yoon-seok, was booked without physical detention for drunk driving.
The 38-year-old singer was questioned by police after his Mercedes-Benz hit a Hyundai Avante sedan that was changing lanes on a road in Yongin, south of Seoul, around 6 a.m. An insurance agent dispatched to the scene reported the accident to police, suspecting that Hwanhee had been drinking.
Police said the singer's blood alcohol level was 0.061 percent, which is enough to warrant the revocation of his driver's license.
Police said Hwanhee admitted to drinking and driving, adding that he will summoned next week to talk about the DUI accident.
Hwanhee's management agency, H2media, later released a statement apologizing for Hwanhee's drunk driving, saying that the singer will fully comply with the police investigation and will accept punishment.
Hwanhee is a member of Fly to the Sky with Brian. The duo debuted in 1999.
This photo taken on Oct. 1, 2015, shows Hwanhee of South Korean pop band Fly to the Sky. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--N. Korea cancels art festival over coronavirus

North Korea originally planned to hold the festival between April 11 and 17 , but pundits said that as many @ @ @ @ @ overseas travel on fears of the novel coronavirus , it may have pushed the organizers @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has cancelled an art festival due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, its state media said Saturday.
North Korea decided not to hold the April Spring Friendship Art Festival in Pyongyang, Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website, reported.
The art festival, which started in 1982, is a biennial event honoring the birth anniversary of the North's late founder, Kim Il-sung, on April 15. The festival invites art troupes from other countries and showcases various music and dance performances.
North Korea originally planned to hold the festival between April 11 and 17, but pundits said that as many countries around the globe restrict overseas travel on fears of the novel coronavirus, it may have pushed the organizers to cancel the event.
North Korea has shut its borders since late January. The communist state has yet to report any confirmed coronavirus infections, but speculation persists that it might be concealing an outbreak.
The cancellation of the festival follows after North Korea also scrapped its plan to hold an annual marathon event in Pyongyang that was supposed to take place on April 12.
This captured image shows the website of Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda outlet, on March 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(LEAD) PM says disaster management funds can be used for small businesses, vulnerable people

Under a current law , state disaster management funds can be used only for the prevention of disaster situations and @ @ @ @ @ some municipal governments have been urging the central government to allow the use of such @ @ @ @ @ income to help virus-hit households after the COVID-19 pandemic has weighed down people 's economic @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 5, 10)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Saturday that the government will allow state disaster management funds to be used to help small businesses and support those socially vulnerable in regards to the novel coronavirus crisis.
"We are now facing an unprecedented situation, so we need to use all possible means to handle the situation," Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul.
Under a current law, state disaster management funds can be used only for the prevention of disaster situations and emergency recovery efforts. But some municipal governments have been urging the central government to allow the use of such funds for so-called disaster-related basic income to help virus-hit households after the COVID-19 pandemic has weighed down people's economic activities.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul on March 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"We believe 17 cities and municipalities can utilize a maximum 3.8 trillion won (US$3 billion) of funds," he said. "Since those are funds created by taxpayers' money, I want to ask mayors and governors to use the funds efficiently to overcome the crisis."
To join people's efforts to overcome the economic fallout caused by COVID-19, Chung later said at a special Cabinet meeting that all of the country's minister-level civil servants will return 30 percent of their salaries for the next four months.
With the novel coronavirus declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, South Korea has been focusing on preventing imported cases. Starting Sunday, the country decided to conduct virus test on all arrivals from Europe.
Chung said such measures were "inevitable" in South Korea's fight against the novel coronavirus.
In regards to South Korea's decision to push back the start of the schools' new academic year to April 6, Chung also asked for people's understanding, saying that the country couldn't allow students to attend school in a situation where safety is not guaranteed.
"In order to open the new school semester as planned, we need a special measure that needs help from every citizen," he said. "We may require bigger sacrifice than what we experienced in the past."
In the afternoon, Chung released a public message urging people to suspend the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days in an effort to contain the new coronavirus.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(LEAD) PM urges suspension of facilities vulnerable to virus infections for 15 days

`` We should not forget that we need to keep the social distancing drive in a stronger way than ever @ @ @ @ @ spread and to give back a peaceful routine to our children , '' he said @

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES with more info throughout; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister strongly called for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days on Saturday in an effort to contain the new coronavirus.
In a public message on the "social distancing" drive, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun warned that the government will issue an administrative order to ban gatherings if the facilities do not abide by the sectoral guidelines on business operations.
Chung called the next 15 days a "critical" time in deciding whether the government could succeed in fighting the spread of COVID-19.
"The government strongly urges religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities that are susceptible to cluster infections to suspend operations for 15 days," he stressed.
The number of new daily cases has been on a downtrend in recent weeks, with the country's total infections reaching 8,799. But concerns about sporadic cluster infections and imported cases are mounting.
Despite the government's call for restraint, some churches have pressed ahead with weekend religious services. In recent weeks, group infections were reported at Protestant churches after the bulk of cases tied to the Shincheonji religious sect subsided.
Many nightclubs and other entertainment facilities are still in operation, risking mass transmissions of the new coronavirus.
Chung warned that the government is ready to take stronger actions against facilities that do not abide by authorities' administrative orders.
"For facilities that do not follow the orders, the government will take every legal action, including entity closures and filing compensation suits," he noted.
The message came as the government postponed the new school year for another two weeks until April 6 to prevent cluster infections.
"We should not forget that we need to keep the social distancing drive in a stronger way than ever to clearly stem the virus spread and to give back a peaceful routine to our children," he said.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun makes a public announcement on the government's "social distancing" drive at the Seoul government complex on March 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(3rd LD) New virus infections up again; cluster outbreaks, imported cases in focus

The 147 new cases , which were detected Friday , brought the nation 's total infections to 8,799 , according @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .
It was so far the second highest @ @ @ @ @ week following 152 new cases identified on Wednesday .

(ATTN: UPDATES death toll in 4th para; ADDS more info throughout; RESTRUCTURES)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea saw a slight uptick in daily new infections of the novel coronavirus on Saturday as the country braced for sporadic cluster infections and a rise in imported cases.
The 147 new cases, which were detected Friday, brought the nation's total infections to 8,799, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It was so far the second highest number of new cases this week following 152 new cases identified on Wednesday.
This image provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) shows virus cases and related data on March 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Of the 147 new cases, 69 are in Daegu and 40 are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,344 and 1,243, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul identifying 15 additional cases and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding 12 more cases.
The country's death toll has surpassed 100 since it reported its first fatality a month ago.
As of 2 p.m., 104 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year, the KCDC said, adding that 62 virus patients are currently in critical condition.
About 57 percent of the country's confirmed cases have been linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus religious sect here.
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the rapid spread.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and nursing hospitals in Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province.
Clusters of infections accounted for 80.7 percent of the total confirmed cases.
The KCDC said so far 148 cases have been founded to be linked to the call center in Seoul's Guro Ward, while 42 cases have been tied to Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul.
A total of 64 people have been infected at a nursing hospital in Daegu's Dalseong County, including 54 new cases identified on Friday. A nursing hospital in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, has so far reported 35 cases.
With cluster infections continue to emerge, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun released a public message strongly urging people to suspend religious events and halt the operation of indoor sports and entertainment facilities for the next 15 days.
He added that the government could issue an administrative order to ban mass gatherings if its guidelines are not followed.
This photo, taken on March 20, 2020, shows an empty duty-free shop zone at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The total number of imported virus cases rose by six to 23.
To better control imported cases, South Korea will require all arrivals from European nations to get tested for the virus and self-isolate for two weeks starting Sunday, even if they receive negative test results. South Korea already tightened border checks for all people coming from abroad earlier this week.
Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of containment measures, said the government has prepared temporary shelters that can house a total of 1,000 travelers from Europe where they can stay and wait for test results.
South Korea has yet to consider conducting virus tests on arrivals from North American regions where COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly.
Of the 80 people who arrived in South Korea on Thursday from virus-hit Iran, one tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to a hospital, according to Yoon. Other 79 evacuees were ordered to self-isolate at a temporary shelter in Seongnam, south of Seoul, he said.
Since raising the country's virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
On Sunday, the government designated Daegu and three other hard-hit areas in North Gyeongsang as "special disaster zones," allowing it to subsidize about half of the recovery spending and exempt people there from paying taxes and utility fees.
This photo taken on March 20, 2020, shows health workers at a coronavirus testing clinic at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The World Health Organization declared last week that the global coronavirus crisis is a pandemic as the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
South Korea had released a total of 2,612 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Friday, up 379 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of daily cured people exceeded the number of daily new infections in South Korea last week for the first time since Jan. 20, when the virus was first detected on South Korean soil.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 15,704 as of Friday, up 179 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 327,509 suspected cases, with 303,006 testing negative.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(4th LD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

If confirmed as a firing of the ground-based ATACMS , the latest launch would be the third test of the @ @ @ @ @ showed it off for the first time in August 2019 and conducted one additional test @ @ @ @ @ previous tests took place in its eastern areas .

(ATTN: ADDS more analysis, comments in paras 9-17; TRIMS)
By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of such launches this month.
They were fired northeastward from areas near its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province at 6:45 a.m. and 6:50 a.m., respectively, the JCS said, adding that they flew around 410 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 50 km.
"South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing other specifics," the authorities said. "Our military is monitoring the situation in case there are additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture."
Calling the launch "a very inappropriate act" at a time when the whole world has been facing difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the JCS called on the regime to immediately halt such military moves.
It is the third such weapons test so far this year after they began in March following months of hiatus.
On March 9, the North fired at least three short-range projectiles believed to have come from a super-large multiple rocket launcher, a week after launching two short-range projectiles of the same type, according to the JCS.
It was not immediately known if leader Kim Jong-un guided the latest firing, but officers hinted at the possibility. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also reported on Saturday that the country held an "artillery fire competition" of its army on its western front the previous day under Kim's watch.
The previous two rounds, which occurred from its eastern regions under Kim's guidance, appear to have been part of its artillery strike drill for the wintertime exercise, JCS officers said, noting that the drill is likely to continue throughout this month.
North Korea conducts a long-range artillery strike drill on March 9, 2020, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. The report came one day after South Korea's military said the North fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast in what appears to be part of an artillery strike drill involving multiple rocket launchers. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Watchers say the projectiles involved in the latest launch could be the North Korean version of the United States' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), or Russia's Iskander ballistic missile.
Rather than following a general parabolic trajectory, Saturday's missiles were detected to have shown a more complicated path by doing a so-called pull-up maneuver over the course of their flight.
Military officers have said that the feature had been shown with the ATACMS or Iskander.
"Given its typical way of testing weapons, North Korea may have brought its ATACMS missiles from the western region and hurled them cross-country," said professor Kim Dong-yup of Kyungnam University's Far East Institute.
North Korea has often brought its weapons to western regions to fly them all the way across its territory before they splashed into the East Sea in a move to verify their reliability, according to experts.
If confirmed as a firing of the ground-based ATACMS, the latest launch would be the third test of the system, as the North showed it off for the first time in August 2019 and conducted one additional test that month. The two previous tests took place in its eastern areas.
In North Pyongan Province, the North fired two projectiles believed to be its Iskander ballistic missiles in May last year. So far, the Iskander system has been tested four times, according to the JCS.
Throughout 2019, North Korea carried out a total of 13 rounds of weapons tests, involving several new types of short-range ballistic missiles and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
"North Korea has sought to modernize or upgrade its conventional weapons, which could pose direct threats to South Korea," Kim said, adding that their complicated flight patterns and features such as using solid fuels and being launched from a transporter erector launcher (TEL) make them more difficult to detect and intercept.
This composite photo, released by the North's Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 11, 2019, shows the test-firing of missiles, one day after their launch from the eastern North Korean coastal city of Hamhung. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The recent military moves appear to have been intended to beef up leader Kim's internal grip on power amid fears over the spread of COVID-19 and economic difficulties.
The North has intensified efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, though it has said that not a single confirmed case has been reported, a claim doubted by many.
State media earlier reported that it will convene a rubber-stamp parliamentary session on April 10, a meeting expected to discuss measures aimed at cushioning the fallout from growing coronavirus fears.
The meeting could also deal with its stance on nuclear weapons negotiations with the U.S. that have been stalled since the no-deal summit between Kim an U.S. President Donald Trump in February last year.
In the face of prolonged international sanctions, the regime has also called for boosting self-defense capabilities.
In his New Year's Day message, leader Kim warned he will show off a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, which experts said may mean an advanced type of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or an SLBM.
Instead of completely turning away from dialogue, however, the North appears to have taken low-intensity steps, though it is banned from all ballistic missile activity under U.N. Security Council resolutions.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--PM urges suspension of religious, sports, entertainment facilities for 15 days over virus

SEOUL , March 21 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's prime minister strongly called for suspending the operation of @ @ @ @ @ entertainment facilities for 15 days on Saturday in an effort to contain the new coronavirus @

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister strongly called for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days on Saturday in an effort to contain the new coronavirus.
In a public message, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also warned that if those facilities do not follow the government's guidelines, it will issue an administrative order to ban mass gatherings.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(URGENT) PM 'strongly' urges suspension of religious, indoor sports, entertainment facilities for 15

(URGENT) PM 'strongly' urges suspension of religious, indoor sports, entertainment facilities for 15 days

(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--2020-03-21--(URGENT) S. Korea's virus death toll reaches 104 as of 2 p.m.: KCDC


yna--2020-03-21--Samsung reports another virus-infected worker at Gumi plant, production unaffected

The world 's largest smartphone vendor said one employee at its plant in Gumi , North Gyeongsang Province , tested @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the company said there will be no shutdown of the plant .

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Saturday reported a novel coronavirus-infected worker at its smartphone plant in South Korea, but its production lines will operate as normal.
The world's largest smartphone vendor said one employee at its plant in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, tested positive for the new coronavirus. However, the company said there will be no shutdown of the plant.
"The virus-infected worker had been under self-isolation since Feb. 28," a Samsung official said. "The plant will operate as normal."
In this photo provided by Samsung Electronics Co. on March 3, 2020, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong (C) inspects the company's plant in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This is the seventh time that Samsung has reported COVID-19 cases from its production bases in Gumi, only about 50 kilometers north of Daegu, the epicenter of South Korea's virus outbreak.
Samsung had to stop smartphone production lines in Gumi for days several times in recent weeks after its workers tested positive for COVID-19. The company earlier this month decided to shift some of its premium smartphone production to Vietnam to prevent further supply disruptions.
Meanwhile, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Samsung and other smartphone makers were estimated to have suffered a sharp decline in their smartphone shipments last month.
According to a report from industry tracker Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments plunged 38 percent on-year to 61.8 million units last month, the largest drop ever in the history of the smartphone market.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1962 -- President Yoon Bo-sun steps down in protest over the `` political purification law '' that the National Assembly @ @ @ @ @ previous administrations from returning to office .
Yoon 's resignation came about 10 months after @ @ @ @ @ of the military .
Park became president via a referendum in 1963 and ruled the @ @ @ @ @ in 1979 .

March 22
1962 -- President Yoon Bo-sun steps down in protest over the "political purification law" that the National Assembly passed to prevent members of previous administrations from returning to office. Yoon's resignation came about 10 months after Gen. Park Chung-hee seized control of the military. Park became president via a referendum in 1963 and ruled the country until he was assassinated in 1979.
1990 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia, which later split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
2007 -- Host China calls the stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks into a recess after North Korea withdrew its delegation from Beijing in a dispute over its funds being frozen at a Macau bank.
2013 -- The National Assembly passes a bill to reorganize the government under new President Park Geun-hye following a near two-month parliamentary impasse that blocked the administration from fully forming.
2016 -- South Korea confirms the first case of a local patient being infected with the South America-originated Zika virus.
2018 -- The Seoul Central District Court issues an arrest warrant for former President Lee Myung-bak on bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion and other charges. Lee became South Korea's fourth former president to be arrested as a result of a criminal investigation.
(END)